Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Kansas City v. San Francisco

It doesn't seem right seeing those two cities together.  San Francisco, the lordly City by the Bay, is part of the National League in baseball and the National Football Conference in football -- the two older circuits.  If San Francisco is going to play any team from Missouri, it's usually facing St. Louis (home of the Rams and the Cardinals), the older, more established Missouri city.  Kansas City -- home of the AL's Royals and the AFC's Chiefs -- is usually paired up with Oakland, San Francisco's scruffier neighbor.  I can't remember a big-time game that featured Kansas City and San Francisco -- the only connection I can think of between them involves Joe Montana, who played for the Chiefs after spending most of his career with the 49ers.

But this year, the earnest plainsmen who give us Hallmark and good steaks are taking on the tofu and high-tech guys from San Francisco.  Neither team did much in the regular season, but these two teams have been boring but dominant in the playoffs so far -- it's like the immovable object meets the immovable object.  If the Giants win, they will have a big place in baseball history -- three titles in five years.  If the Royals win, the 2014 season will be quickly forgotten by almost everyone outside of Kansas City.

Here is a list of appearances by these two franchises in the World Series (world championships in bold)The Giants are making their 20th appearance in the World Series -- they are only the second team (after the Yankees, of course) to reach this mark.  The Cardinals and Dodgers are right behind, with 19 and 18 appearances, respectively.  But the Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS, and this is San Francisco's fifth trip to the World Series since the last time the Dodgers made it.  So it's good to be a Giants fan -- Giants fans haven't been this happy since the early 1920's.

Kansas City (1-1):  1980, 1985

New York Giants (5-9):  1905, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1917, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954

San Francisco Giants (2-3):  1962, 1989, 2002, 2010, 2012

The oddsmakers see this series as a toss-up.  If you want the Royals, the British betting houses will give you odds of 20 to 23; they'll give you 20 to 21 if you want the Giants.  You might think that would mean this will be a close series; but I have a feeling the Giants will win it in five.

26 comments:

  1. 1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki
    2-Marc Hill
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox,

    1-Paul Splittorff, Steve Busby, Steve Mingori, Marty Pattin,
    2-Buck Martinez, Fran Healy
    3-John Mayberry
    4-Frank White, Cookie Rojas
    5-George Brett
    6-Freddie Patek
    7/8/9-Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Jim Wohlford

    I'm going to try to think of all the 1975 Topps Giants and Royals without looking them up between now and the end of the World Series.

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  2. That Giants pitcher might be Tom Bryant instead of Ron Bryant, but I don't think so.

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  3. Another Royals outfielder: Al Cowens. First baseman Tony Solaita.

    1-Paul Splittorff, Steve Busby, Steve Mingori, Marty Pattin,
    2-Buck Martinez, Fran Healy
    3-John Mayberry, Tony Solaita
    4-Frank White, Cookie Rojas
    5-George Brett
    6-Freddie Patek
    7/8/9-Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Jim Wohlford, Al Cowens

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  4. Giants OF/1B: Pete LaCock (Peter Marshall's son-in-law).

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki
    2-Marc Hill
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Pete LaCock

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  5. San Francisco 2B Tito Fuentes and P Charlie Williams.

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki, Charlie Williams
    2-Marc Hill
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-Tito Fuentes
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Pete LaCock

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  6. San Francisco outfielder Bobby Murcer. And he was a Topps All-Star. I should've thought of him first.

    Also: Jim Barr, a pitcher.

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki, Charlie Williams, Jim Barr
    2-Marc Hill
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-Tito Fuentes
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Pete LaCock, Bobby Murcer

    And now I think Pete LaCock was a Cub in the 1975 cards.

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  7. Bruce Dal Canton, Royals P.

    1-Paul Splittorff, Steve Busby, Steve Mingori, Marty Pattin, Bruce Dal Canton
    2-Buck Martinez, Fran Healy
    3-John Mayberry, Tony Solaita
    4-Frank White, Cookie Rojas
    5-George Brett
    6-Freddie Patek
    7/8/9-Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Jim Wohlford, Al Cowens

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  8. Joe Buck just said that Dan Quisenberry is funny. I wouldn't've guessed that.

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  9. The Royals' 1975 manager was Jack McKeon.

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    Replies
    1. McKeon was fired partway through the season with a record of 50-41. He was replaced by Whitey Herzog, who went 41-25 the rest of the way. Kansas City finished 91-71, seven games behind the A's.

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  10. The 1975 Giants went 80-81, and finished 27 1/2 games behind the Big Red Machine.

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    Replies
    1. Their manager was Charlie something, I think. Or maybe Wesley something. I can see his picture, but I can't get the name. I keep wanting to say Charley Winner, but that guy was a St. Louis Football Cardinals coach.

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  11. Other Royals might've included Wayne Terrell, a middle infielder (but I think he might've been with the Mets); Paul Schaal, an outfielder (but I don't think he actually had a 1975 card), and Lindy McDaniel, a pitcher (whom I might be simply making up).

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  12. Giants catcher Dave Radar!

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki, Charlie Williams, Jim Barr
    2-Marc Hill, Dave Radar
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-Tito Fuentes
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Bobby Murcer

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  13. Good news, readers: I'm breaking out the actual cards during Game 7 tonight, so that'll be a lot of fun for you all!

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  14. Royals pitcher Doug Bird. Maybe.

    1-Paul Splittorff, Steve Busby, Steve Mingori, Marty Pattin, Bruce Dal Canton, Lindy McDaniel, Doug Bird
    2-Buck Martinez, Fran Healy
    3-John Mayberry, Tony Solaita
    4-Frank White, Cookie Rojas
    5-George Brett
    6-Freddie Patek
    7/8/9-Amos Otis, Hal McRae, Jim Wohlford, Al Cowens

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  15. John Boccabella! I think that's correct. He was a catcher among the 1975 Topps Giants.

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki, Charlie Williams, Jim Barr
    2-Marc Hill, Dave Radar, John Boccabella
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-Tito Fuentes
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Bobby Murcer

    Now I'm starting to think Radar was a 1975 Astro, however.

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  16. Garry Thomasson might've been an outfielder with the '75 Giants. I think
    Von Joshua was with the Dodgers at this point, though.

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  17. Confirmed on Garry Thomasson and Dave Kingman.

    1-Ron Bryant, Randy Moffitt, Ed Halicki, Charlie Williams, Jim Barr
    2-Marc Hill, Dave Radar, John Boccabella
    3-Dave Kingman
    4-Tito Fuentes
    5-Steve Ontiveros
    6-Chris Speier
    7/8/9-Gary Matthews, Garry Maddox, Bobby Murcer, Garry Thomasson

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  18. Cool! Glen Campbell's doing the anthem!

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  19. Replies
    1. Well, actually, we should probably check with my mother on that, as she apparently was appointed as the official judge of whether the National Anthem was performed appropriately--by President Carter, the first President Bush, someone ... one of the good ones.

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