The 1940 Reds moved on to the semifinals of the Press Room Pass Strat Madness Tournament to play the winner of the Roger Maris Bracket, which has the (12) 1919 White Sox and (3) 1906 Cubs meeting for that title.
It didn’t take Cincinnati very long to determine the outcome in an 11-1 victory over San Francisco.
After scoring once in the bottom of the first, the Reds built a 9-1 advantage by the end of the third frame against Giants starter Billy O’Dell and Bobby Bolin. Ernie Lombardi had a RBI in each of the first three innings.
Billy Werber also knocked in three runs. Mike McCormick and Frank McCormick led the way for the Reds with three hits as the team totaled 18 overall.
Jim Turner went the distance on the mound for the Reds to get the win. Willie Mays hit a homer in the second to give the Giants their only run.
IN REAL LIFE:
In 1940, Ernie Lombardi hit .319 with 14 homers and 74 RBI as the Reds won the World Series for the first time since 1919.
Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986, Ernie Lombardi spent 17 years in the big leagues with a decade of that time in Cincinnati from 1932 to 1941. He had a career batting average of .306.
A seven-time all-star, he was the National League Most Valuable Player in 1938 when he won the batting title with a .342 average. He won a second crown in 1942 with the Boston Braves at .330.
Lombardi began his career with Brooklyn in 1931 before joining the Reds. After a season with the Braves, he finished his career with the New York Giants from 1943 to 1947.