Amazing April - Elite Eight

It's starting to all come down to a fantastic conclusion, as the Amazing April Tournament is down to the Elite Eight, in which by the end of the post, you will know who's going to the Final Four.

		Game #57 / Ruth Bracket	R	H	E
#15	2007	Colorado Rockies	2	5	0
#13	1993	Philadelphia Phillies	3	7	0	F
	WP	Greene (1-0)					Next:	Will play winner of
	LP	Herges (0-1)						1946 Red Sox (#6) @
	SV	Mit.Williams (2)						1904 Giants (#1) in
								Final Four.
	HR	Eisenreich (PHI) - 1

The Battle of Cinderella's, the only two teams left with a ranking #10 or lower, the 2007 Colorado Rockies are coming off their upset of the #3 1937 New York Yankees, in a 3-1 victory; while the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies finished off the lowest ranked team 2012 Detroit Tigers (#16). The Phillies are the last of the three Phillies teams invited to the tournament, as their 2008 & 1977 counterparts were knocked off. The 93' Phils did some payback for the 77' team, by getting the 2012 Tigers. The other Philadelphia team besides the 3 Phillies teams that was also invited to the tournament was the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics (#5 seed) -- who were knocked out of the first-round by the 1914 Boston Braves (#12).

The 1993 Phillies would draw first blood with a two-run HR by Jim Eisenreich during the bottom of the 4th off of Rockies' starter Aaron Cook who has been relatively quiet this tournament. Tommy Greene was cruising for the Phillies until the 6th inning when he allowed his first walk of the game to Kaz Matsui, two outs later, he would plunk Matt Holliday with a pitch, putting two men on for Todd Helton to hit a key two-run double to tie the game up.

The big play of the game would go down in the bottom of the 8th. The Phillies' Kevin Stocker would hit a lead-off single (his second single of the game), good enough for Lenny Dykstra to connect on his second double off the game, scoring in the go-ahead run off of Colorado reliever Matt Herges.

Mitch Williams closes the game out for his second save of the tournament, one Cinderella goes home, the other moves on.

		Game #58 / Wagner Bracket	R	H	E
#3	1998	New York Yankees	4	6	0
#1	1942	St. Louis Cardinals	5	10	1	F
	WP	Beazley (3-0) / CG (2)					Next:	Will play winner of
	LP	D.Wells (1-1)						2001 Mariners (#2) @
								1927 Yankees (#1) in
	HR	Jeter (NYY) - 2 (3)						Final Four.
		O'Neill (NYY) - 1

The 1998 New York Yankees would travel down to St. Louis to play the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals, who came off of miraculous walk-off double by Enos Slaughter against the 1917 Chicago White Sox. The Cardinals have had a good rest, while some may say the Yankees, coming off a victory against the 1976 Los Angeles Dodgers -- may not being as battle-tested as the 42' Cards.

The game was a good one & close as predicted, Slaughter (the hero from the other night) hits a two-run HR off of David Wells. Derek Jeter would answer back with a solo HR in the top of the 4th, Jorge Posada would even up the game at 2-2 with a solo HR during the top of the 5th against Cardinals' starter Johnny Beazley. Jeter would lead off the top of the 6th, with his second HR of the game, a solo shot (his 3rd HR of the tournament) for the Yankees to take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 6th.

The bottom of the 6th is where the gears would change for good, with two outs, following a lead-off single by Stan Musial & two forces that would keep getting the lead runner -- Ray Sanders smacked a RBI double to tie the game, Jimmy Brown would hit the go-ahead run in Sanders to take a 4-3 lead. With two balls by Wells in the count to the Cardinals' pitcher Beazley, Beazley would help his own cause by hitting a RBI triple into the right field corner, to cushion lead to two runs, with 5-3 lead.

Paul O'Neill would add a solo HR during the top of the 8th, but the Yankees would not get any closer, and the 1942 Cardinals move on to the Final Four.

NOTE: The 1942 St.Louis Cardinals won in Kenneth Heard's 1942 Season Replay, check out the 1942 World Series Results in his replay finale, can the Cards win the inaugural Amazing April Tournament? We'll have to wait and see.

		Game #59 / Cobb Bracket	R	H	E
#2	2001	Seattle Mariners	5	9	1
#1	1927	New York Yankees	7	12	2	F/11
	WP	Shocker (1-0)					Next:	1942 Cardinals (#1) @
	LP	Rhodes (1-1)						1927 Yankees (#1) in
								the Final Four.
	HR	Lazzeri (NYY) - 1

The 2001 Seattle Mariners are a team that can fight throughout a ball game with their loaded lineup & bullpen that can get them back into games. The key for the 1927 New York Yankees would have to take advantage of Seattle's starting pitching, which is good, but not great (no APBA 'A' starters), and they do just that as Tony Lazzeri hit a two-run HR off of Jaime Moyer during the bottom of the second -- taking a 2-1 lead.

Edgar Martinez responsible for the Mariners' first run with a sacrifice RBI in the first, would tie it up 2-2 in the top of the third. 

Joe Dugan's two-run triple during the bottom of the 6th & Babe Ruth's RBI double during the 7th, turns out to be crucial for the Yankees. Mike Cameron would hit a bases loaded, base-clearing double to tie the game up at the top of the 9th off of Wilcy Moore (relieving for Herb Pennock).

The game would go to extras, setting up a fantastic finish. During the bottom of the 11th, Mariners with Arthur Rhodes on the mound would allow a one-out pinch-hit walk to Ray Morehart. Earle Combs steps up with two hits already, Rhodes comes with the pitch, this one is hit... it's going, going, and Stan Javier in left can only watch this one sail over the left field wall -- YANKEES WIN!! The team is all out around the plate to greet Combs, while the Mariners exit the field with their heads down. 

		Game #60 / Aaron Bracket	R	H	E
#6	1946	Boston Red Sox	0	2	0
#1	1904	New York Giants	2	5	0	F
	WP	McGinnity (2-0) / CG (2)					Next:	1993 Phillies (#13) @
		SHO (1)						1904 Giants (#1) in
	LP	Hughson (1-1)						the Final Four.

The 1946 Boston Red Sox have been a somewhat surprise in this tournament, they have had no luck during the Crazy 48's League, sporting a 8-15 record through their first 23 games (Last place, but only 4 games out of first in the Musial Division). They edged the 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1), edged the 1969 New York Mets (3-2), and then defeated the 1969 Baltimore Orioles (who defeated the 1984 Detroit Tigers), 5-1.

The 1904 New York Giants on the other hand have cruised for the most part as the #1 seed, outscoring their opponents 26-7, including a 14-1 shellacking of the 1986 New York Mets at the Polo Grounds, a place where the Mets franchise started out at. The Giants have done it all on only two arms, Christy Mathewson & Joe McGinnity -- the rest of the pitching staff has kept that bench warm. 

McGinnity would go the distance in this one in dominating fashion, blanking the top of the order -- Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Rudy York & Bobby Doerr for a combined 0-for-14 (Williams reached on a walk). The only two Red Sox to collect hits are Johnny Pesky & pinch-hitter Leon Culberson.

The Giants did not do much better, collecting five total hits, two by Billy Gilbert, including a sacrifice fly by Gilbert in the 7th that tacked on the 2nd run of the game, the first run came just an at-bat earlier with the RBI single by Art Devlin. But it was all good enough for the Giants to advance to the Final Four, with excellent pitching by McGinnity's two-hit shutout.

The Final Four (ranked from worst to first by Pythagorean winning pct) is now the...

• 1993 Philadelphia Phillies (#13)
• 1904 New York Giants (#1)
• 1942 St. Louis Cardinals (#1)
• 1927 New York Yankees (#1)