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| Robinson & Koufax pictured @ HOF ceremonies in Cooperstown |
Can we top the All-Ohio finals from our 1965 Tournament ??? We would be hard pressed to do that, but the action will definitely be great. 1966 marks the official changing of the guard. 1965 wasn't just an abberration for the Yankees. The dynasty became old and brittle and fell even further into the depths (last place) in 1966. The Baltimore Orioles picked up the baton and became the team to beat for the next 18 years. Baltimore spent the early part of the decade as a "close but no cigar" contender, but that all changed the minute an "old 30 year old" name Frank Robinson arrived from the Queen City. Frank Robby was a take no crap competitor who lifted the O's on top of his shoulders in 1966 with a triple crown MVP season. Cincy thought he was too old to play at an elite level anymore. Some say that Reds management was racist. Pete Rose said he was told not to hang out with Robinson or Vada Pinson. We might never know the truth on this one, but one thing that we know for sure is that from 1966-1971 Robinson led the O's to a path of sustained excellence that included 2 World Series Titles, 4 pennants and 3 AL East flags. In 1966 it was the O's and then there was the rest of the AL. Still the league was very close from teams 2-10, so there will be some upsets in this tournament for sure.
The NL is a wide open race. The Dodgers won their 3rd NL Pennant in 4 years, and once again edged out the 2nd place Giants, who always seemed to be the Alydar during the 1960's. LA will win on pitching, especially in those short series. SF will rely on their big bats. Pittsburgh has a bit more balance + league MVP Roberto Clemente and batting champ Matty Alou. The NL will definitely be tough to handicap. LA will be the sentimental favorite, because the great Sandy Koufax will be making his final appearance in the 1960's tournament due to his pending retirement at the ripe old age of 30.
What's your opinion ? Who do you think will win our 7th tournament of the decade ??? Post back here on the blog or on the Action Forum.
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