Milwaukee blasted three home runs as the Braves defeated the Kansas City A’s 4-1 in the first round of the Strat-O-Matic 1959 Tournament presented by Press Room Pass.
Bobby Avila smashed two-run homer in the third off A’s starter Bud Daley to put the Braves in front.
In the fourth, Eddie Mathews blasted a solo shot to make it 3-0.
Hank Aaron‘s long ball in the fifth was the final run for the Braves.
Warren Spahn went the distance for the Braves allowing 10 hits, but limiting the A’s to just a run.
Joe DeMaestri picked up the RBI for Kansas City with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth.
Russ Snyder led the A’s with three hits, while DeMaestri and Roger Maris added two each.
Johnny Logan, Wes Covington, Aaron and Mathews finished with two hits apiece for the Braves.
1959 TOURNAMENT RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
(Top Bracket Opening Round)
(A1) Chicago White Sox 7, (N8) Philadelphia Phillies 1
(N5) Cincinnati Reds 5, (A4) Detroit Tigers 3
(A6) Baltimore Orioles 2, (N3) San Francisco Giants 1
(N2) Milwaukee Braves 4, (A7) Kansas City A’s 1
(Top Bracket Second Round)
(N5) Cincinnati Reds at (A1) Chicago White Sox
(A6) Baltimore Orioles at (N2) Milwaukee Braves
(Bottom Bracket Opening Round)
(A8) Washington Senators at (N1) Los Angeles Dodgers
(A5) Boston Red Sox at (N4) Pittsburgh Pirates
(N6) Chicago Cubs at (A3) New York Yankees
(N7) St. Louis Cardinals at (A2) Cleveland Indians
IN REAL LIFE:
Bobby Avila played for three different teams in 1959, which turned out to be the final season of his 11-year big league career.
Avila’s journey began when he was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Baltimore Orioles before the season. On May 21, the Boston Red Sox picked him up on waivers. Exactly two months later in July, Avila was acquired in a waiver deal by the Milwaukee Braves.
For the Braves, Avila was in 51 games as he hit three homers with 19 RBI. Overall, he batted .227 with six home runs and 25 RBI.
A three-time all-star, Avila played in Cleveland from 1949 to 1958. He led the American League with 11 triples in 1952.
In 1954, the Indians won the AL pennant before they fell to the New York Giants in the World Series.
Avila won the batting title at .341 with career-high numbers of 15 homers and 67 RBI. He also was third in the Most Valuable Player balloting behind Yogi Berra of the New York Yankees and Cleveland teammate Larry Doby.