Carlton Fisk led the charge as the Boston Red Sox pounded Minnesota 10-3 to take the American League championship in the 1975 Strat-O-Matic Tournament presented by Press Room Pass.
Fisk had two hits, but drove in two runs with each hit. He homered in the fourth and tripled in the ninth.
Jim Rice had a pair of doubled for Boston with two RBI in the first inning.
All nine Boston batters had hits against Twins starter Bert Blyleven and relievers Bill Campbell, Vic Albury and Ray Corbin. Like Fisk and Rice, Rick Burleson added two singles. Fred Lynn had two RBI.
Rick Wise worked seven innings to get the win, but he did allow 11 hits.
Dan Ford led the Twins with three hits, while Larry Hisle, Rod Carew and Phil Roof all had two hits.
Carew and Tony Oliva each knocked run with Roof scoring on a passed ball.
League Championships
(6) Expos 10, (2) Dodgers 7, NL championship
(1) Red Sox 10, (4) Twins 3, AL championship
1975 Tournament Championship
(6) Expos at (1) Red Sox
IN REAL LIFE:
Carlton Fisk hit one of the most famous home runs in game six of the World Series as Boston won 7-6 in 12 innings before the Red Sox fell to the Cincinnati Reds in the decisive final game.
Fisk appeared in only 79 games in 1975 with 10 homers, 52 RBI and a career-high .331 batting average.
Fisk played 24 big league seasons starting with the Red Sox in 1969. In 1971, he returned to Boston and won the AL Rookie of the Year and his only Gold Glove.
While in Boston, his best year was in 1977 with 26 homers and 102 RBI along with a .315 batting average.
Prior to the 1982 season, Fisk was declared a free agent and he eventually signed with the Chicago White Sox where he would end his career in 1993.
After being a seven-time all-star in Boston, Fisk added three more appearances to his resume with White Sox.
In 1985, Fisk had his best statistical season in Chicago with career-best numbers with 37 homers, 107 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
Finishing his career with 376 homers and 1,330 RBI, Fisk was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.