Redemption songs in Cleveland

The PL Championship series will have to be a classic to outdo the Play Off Series between the 2nd place Phillies and the Indians, who only clinched a place in the post season by overcoming Warren Spahn in Milwaukee. Paragraphs I could espouse about the twists and turns taken here.

If that was a victory against the odds, after two games it appeared to be in vain, as the Phillies coasted seemingly effortlessly to a 2-0 series lead. It appeared that a pitching lineup that had given up a miserly 78 runs and a CBF leading team era of 2.04 was going to win the day.

As it happened it was the quality or lack of it in their offence that did for the Phillies.  A 223 regular season ba was reduced in post season to 220. When it came to stepping up to the plate the Phillies proved time and again they couldn't. In the final 28 innings of this series they scored only one run, and that on a wild pitch.

But redemption is the name of the game, and in this series their are three contenders for the crown. First to the plate, Billy Martin. A man who was predicted to do well, but has found himself used off the bench more than he might have expected. Recalled for do or die game three Martin sent one spinning in the bottom of the first, and that was all she wrote, as the Indians won 1-0.

Game 4 win in 10 owed much to Chico Fernandez' error, but it did set up the scene for what proved a classic game 5 decider. Gary Bell 6-2 winner in 58 had a torrid 59 with a 0-6 record. Rocky Colavito PL MVP in 58 with 37 rbis  (17 in post season alone) and 13 hr,  could only manage 8 and 2 in the whole of 59. But, after a sleepless night, both were recalled by Joe Gordon, who said that form is temporary, class is eternal.

Result......winning pitcher Bell,  game mvp 4 for 5 Colavito.

Three players who truly emancipated themselves from mental slavery....BUT BEWARE,

Buhl et al await