Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. Three-man pitching rotations will be used for starting pitchers. Injuries are in-game only during this single elimination event.
Two big swings by Larry Doby helped the Cleveland Indians reach the championship game of the 1951 Tournament against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Doby’s second two-run homer of the semifinal contest gave the Indians a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Trailing by a run entering the bottom of the eighth, Bobby Avila singled to greet Philadelphia releiver Jim Konstanty.
Doby was next as he smashed what proved to be the game-winning hit. Konstanty closed out the inning without any more damage as he would get tagged with the loss.
The Phillies grabbed an early led with a RBI single by Dick Sisler off Cleveland starter Mike Garcia in the first inning.
In the third, Doby drilled his initial two-run blast that put the Indians on top 2-1. Eddie Pellagrini smacked a solo homer in the fifth to tie it at 2-2.
A RBI single by Richie Ashburn in the top of the eighth gave the Phillies a brief advantage before Doby took over with his bat in the bottom of the frame.
Garcia (1-0) went the distance for the Indians giving up seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Phillies starter Russ Meyer tossed seven innings allowing eight hits with five strikeouts.
1951 Tournament
Championship Game
(2) Cleveland Indians at (2) Brooklyn Dodgers
Semifinals
(2) Brooklyn Dodgers 5, (4) Boston Braves 0
(2) Cleveland Indians 4, (5) Philadelphia Phillies 3
Second Round Results
(4) Boston Braves 5, (8) Chicago Cubs 3
(2) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (6) Cincinnati Reds 1
(5) Philadelphia Phillies 5, (8) St. Louis Browns 3
(2) Cleveland Indians 5, (3) St. Louis Cardinals 2
First Round Results
(8) Chicago Cubs 2 at (1) New York Yankees 1
(4) Boston Braves 5, (5) Detroit Tigers 2
(6) Cincinnati Reds 4, (3) Boston Red Sox 2
(2) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (7) Washington Senators 2
(8) St. Louis Browns 6, (1) New York Giants 1
(5) Philadelphia Phillies 10, (4) Chicago White Sox 3
(3) St. Louis Cardinals 2, (6) Philadelphia Athletics 0
(2) Cleveland Indians 5, (7) Pittsburgh Pirates 3