2021 Baseball Draft World Series

The 2021 Baseball Draft World Series was the championship series for the fourth season of the Baseball Draft, in 2021. It was a best-of-seven playoff between the Pennant winners from the League Championship semi-final round-- the defending champion Lloyd and his #1-seed A Shaq of Their Own vs. Wang's #2-seed San Francisco Six Demon Bags.

The Shaqs defeated the Demon Bags 4-3 to repeat as champions.

The Series is notable as the first to be played on the OOTP simulation platform, and also for the entire playoffs being livestreamed on Zoom by Commissioner Inty.

Game 1
History was made tonight, with the first ever live entertainment during a baseball draft game as we had...

Game One of the World Series

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown at A Shaq of Their Own

8:05 PM EST

Shaq Shoe; Columbus, OH

104,700

Partly Cloudy, 51 Degrees, Wind Blowing right to left at 9 MPH

The last time Corey Kluber pitched in game one of a World Series, he tossed six innings of shutout baseball. if San Francisco could get a fraction of that, they'd feel good about their chances to take game one on the road.

Before Kluber would toss a pitch, though, Deacon Phillippe would face the Demonbags, and the first four pitches he tossed were all balls, as he walked Chuck Knoblauch to open the game. From there, though, three fly outs - from Christian Yelich, Ven Griffey Jr, and Al Rosen, would see Phillippe through a scoreless first.

Kluber would then open the game by ... hitting John McGraw with his third pitch. But, in what would be something of a trend to watch tonight, McGraw was caught stealing, and Kluber struck out Tris Speaker and Ted Williams, and the first saw a pair of goose eggs on the scoreboard.

The top of the second would see the first televised hit in World Series History, as Cody Bellinger got a two-out single, but it came to nothing as Philippe retired Jack Glasscock. And Kluber would find some trouble in the bottom of the inning.

Ross Barnes laced a leadoff double, and moved to third on a wild pitch, though George Sisler struck out in the at-bat. Deacon White drew a one-out walk to put runners on the corners for the always dangerous Rednex fan, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and White stole second, giving Jackson two runners in scoring position. But, Jackson struck out, and Kluber got Arky Vaughan to ground out, and we were scorless through two.

Phillippe went strikeout, strikeout, walk-but-caught-stealing for something that's not technically a 1-2-3 inning in the third, while Kluber did get an actual 1-2-3 inning featuring a pair of strikeouts.

Phillippe matched with a 1-2-3 and a pair of strikeouts in the fourth, and A Shaq of Their Own would threaten again in their half of the inning.

Presumptive League MVP Ted Williams got the inning started with a single. Ross Barnes had a nine-pitch at-bat and fouled off a two-strike pitch three times before striking out. Then, with Sisler at the plate, Williams was caught stealing, which was especially detrimental to A Shaq of Their Own and especially timed well for the Demonbags as Sisler homered, giving the home team a 1-0 lead, rather than a 2-0 lead. Deacon White grounded out to end the inning.

Phillippe went strike-em-out, walk'em, double play for an easy fifth, and Kluber would face just one more batter before Wang Chi gave him a quick hook.

Kluber struck out Shoeless Joe to start the bottom of the fifth, and he was replaced by Brandon Webb, with Derek Jeter replacing Jack Glasscock to complete the double switch. Webb walked Arky Vaughan on four pitches, but Phillippe put down what might be the worst attempted sacrifice bunt in World Series history, hitting into a 1-6-3 double play!

Kluber's final line for the night: 4.1 innings pitched, one run allowed on three hits, eight strikeouts against just one walk.

Phillippe would issue a one-out walk to Chuck Knoblauch, but he would get caught stealing as Yelich worked his way towards a strikeout. Webb would give up a leadoff single to McGraw, who would get caught stealing for the second time in the game (rumor has it he really wanted a free taco from Taco Bell), Ted Williams would draw a two-out walk, but Webb would get Barnes to pop up and end the inning.

To the top of the seventh we would go, and Ven Griffey Jr. would be leading off against Phillippe. Griffey would get ahead in the count 3-0, Phillippe would work the count full, and then Griffey would use the lightsaber to send the ball 431 feet and out of here, tying the game at one. Al Rosen reached on an infield single, and Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Jimmy-Dugan would wake up from his nap, head to the mound, and remove Phillippe from the game, calling on Phil Douglas in relief.

Manny Ramirez would greet Douglas with an RBI double, scoring Rosen. Charles Johnson would single, and Bellinger would get hit by a pitch, loading the bases with nobody out and two runs already in. Wang Chi would send up Paul Goldschmidt as a pinch hitter, and he would single, scoring Ramirez, and Johnson would be held at third. Then, Douglas would get Derek Jeter to fly out to shallow left, strike out Knoblauch, and strike out Yelich, keeping the bases loaded, and preventing further damage.

But, the Demonbags were now ahead 3-1. As we went to commercial break on the national coverage (not ours, BTW), Joe Buck made a "O-H, Oh-No" joke as they showed the replay of Grifffey's homer.

At this point in time, we would hit the seventh inning stretch, and the history-making live performance of "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex. Some reports are that Shoeless Joe Jackson attempted to ride a bull - some eye witnesses claiming a real bull, others claiming a mechanical bull that was available in the bullpen anyways - and strained his calf while doing so.

Hal Newhouser would come on in relief in the bottom of the seventh, and work around a two-out single from Shoeless Joe, keeping it a 3-1 game.

In the top of the eighth, it would again be Griffey leading off, and it would again be Griffey hitting a homer, this time sending it 488 feet, and putting the Demonbags on top 4-1. Al Rosen would ground out for the first out, but Ramirez would get his second double of the game, and move to third on a ground out by Johnson. Bellinger would draw a two-out walk, and that would put runners on the corners with two outs for the pinch hitting Jeff "bag and a half" Bagwell. Bagwell would strike out swinging, and they could exhale a little in Columbus, knowing that once again it could be much worse, but they were still in the game, and it was only 4-1.

Felix Hernandez was the next pitcher out of the ARM BARN for Wang Chi, and he retired the first two batters he faced, before Tris Speaker - the much maligned Tris Speaker, I might add - got a two-out single. Ted Williams drew a walk, and Barnes laced a single on a frozen rope to center. Speaker decided to test the arm of Griffey, and it was a good decision, as he scored well ahead of the throw, and the deficit for Shaq was cut to 4-2. Sisler stepped to the plate, representing the potential go-ahead run, and grounded out unassisted to Bellinger at first.

In the ninth, Chuck Smith was brought to to try to keep it a two-run game, and a one-out single from Knoblauch had the Demonbags threatening. Christian Yelich struck out, bringing up Griffey - and Ven Griffey would be looking for his third homer of the game. However, he just missed on this one, sending it deep, but not deep enough, to center, and that would send us to the bottom of the ninth, with A Shaq of Their Own down 4-2.

Madison Bumgarner came on for the Demonbags to try to nail it down. He would get Deacon White to ground out to open the inning, and get Shoeless Joe Jackson to do the same to give him two quick outs. But, when Arky Vaughan worked a two-out walk, A Shaq of Their Own would get the chance to send up a pinch hitter who would represent the tying run. They did so, calling on Denny Lyons.

Lyons took ball one, and then smacked the second pitch he saw into the ground, at the second baseman Knoblauch, who flipped it over to Bellinger to end the game.

The headline story is the two homers from Griffey, with two doubles from Ramirez adding punch to the lineup on a low scoring night. The other story to watch is the two teams combining to have five runners caught stealing.

Final Score: San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 4, A Shaq of Their Own 2

Win: Webb (1-0)

Loss: Phillippe (0-2)

Save: Bumgarner (1)

Player of the Game: Ken "Ven" Griffey Jr.

San Francisco Six Demon Bags of Chinatown lead the Best-of-Seven series 1-0

Game 2
History was made tonight, with the learning that @LloydChristmas might be on the run from the TVA as a variant of Jungle Boy...

Game Two of the World Series

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown at A Shaq of Their Own

8:05 PM EST

Shaq Shoe; Columbus, OH

104,049

Partly Cloudy, 44 Degrees, Wind Blowing in from left at 13 MPH

It's hard to call game two of a best-of-seven series a "must win", but it almost certainly felt that way for A Shaq of Their Own. They were desperate to avoid going down 0-2 and dropping both games at home, not just because they wouldn't want to have to climb out of that hole, but also because they didn't want to get compared to a Yankees team from the 90s.

As we are getting accustomed to, this one would start with great pitching on both sides.

Denny Driscoll started for the home side, and got a 1-2-3 first, featuring a strikeout of Christian Yelich along the way. Charlie Bender gave up a one-out single to Tris Speaker, but otherwise looked untouchable, striking out John McGraw, Ted Williams, and Ross Barnes along the way.

Driscoll gave up a one-out single Manny Ramirez in the second, but erased him on a 5-4-3 from the bat of Charles Johnson, and Bender would strike out two more - George Sisler and Deacon White - before Shoeless Joe Jackson made an out on a ball in play for the first time in the game for the Big Dieselers.

In the top of the third, the one-hundred and four thousand gathered in the Shaq Shoe would be suddenly silenced, as Cody Bellinger would hit a solo homer. Please note, this was after @DarthTunick was name dropped, proving the power of the TunickBless. Jack Glasscock followed with a single, and he moved to second as Bender laid down an absolutely perfect sacrifice bunt. But, it was for naught, as Chuck Knoblauch flew out to shallow center field, and Yelich struck out.

Down 1-0, A Shaq of Their Own found an immediate way to get the crowd back into the game, as Arky Vaughan matched the leadoff homer from the top of the inning with a leadoff homer of his own, sending a fastball offered by Bender 422 feet and into souvenir city. Bender retired Driscoll, but Jon McGraw got a one-out single. Speaker struck out, and then with Ted Williams at the plate, Charles Johnson nailed McGraw trying to steal second to end the inning.

Driscoll would find a little trouble in the top of the fourth, issuing a two-out walk to Ramirez, and giving up a single to Johnson. That brought up Bellinger, with two on and two out. But, this time, Bellinger would hit a towering pop fly to shallow left, and that would end the inning.

We'd get a pitching change at this point in time, with Brandon Webb replacing Bender. Webb would strike out Williams, and retire Barnes on a ground out, but George Sisler would work a two-out walk. Sisler would steal second, but be left there as Webb got Deacon White to fly out.

Driscoll worked a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, with two strikeouts. Webb answered with a 1-2-3 of his own in the bottom of the inning.

Ken "Ven" Griffey Jr. would get a one-out double off of Driscoll in the top of the sixth, but a ground out from Al Rosen kept him there and made it two outs. Manny Ramirez worked a walk, bringing up Charles Johnson. And the man who has played a crucial role with his arm in the series, added a clutch play with his bat, singling to right field, scoring Griffey, and putting the Demonbags up 2-1. Bellinger would foul off four pitches in his at bat, but finally ground out to short, ending the half-inning with that 2-1 scoreline.

Webb got two quick outs in the bottom of the inning, but gave up a two-out single to Ted Williams, Wang Chi made the double switch, bringing in Ron Guidry to pitch and Paul Goldschmidt as the new first baseman. Barnes singled off Guidry to move Williams into scoring position, but Guidry got Sisler to fly out, ending the inning.

The top of the seventh brought a pitching change for A Shaq of Their Own, with Noodles Hahn Solo replacing Driscoll. Driscoll's final line was Six innings pitched, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out six and walking one.

Hahn retired Glasscock to open the inning, but gave up a one-out double to Goldschmidt. Hahn struck out Knoblauch, and got Yelich to ground out, ending the inning with no damage done.

The bottom of the seventh would be a game of "what if" for A Shaq of Their Own, as Deacon White lead off with a single, only to be erased as Shoeless Joe bounced into a 4-6-3 CockBlauch. Arky Vaughan then singled, but Denny Lyons would pinch hit and ground out into a 5-4 fielder's choice to end the inning.

Doc White came out of the ARM BARN for a Shaq of Their Own, retiring the much feared Griffey to open the inning. Al Rosen got a one-out single, but White struck out Ramirez, and got Johnson to ground out 6-4 to end the inning.

Ron Guidry would stay in the game, and retire McGraw to start the bottom of the eighth. Tris Speaker would get a one-out single, and that would bring up Ted Williams. Williams would grind out this at bat, fouling off three pitches facing a 2-2 count before he finally got a pitch he didn't miss on, sending one high, sending one deep, and sending one 432 feet and out of here, putting A Shaq of Their own up 3-2.

Ross Barnes connected on the very next pitch, sending it down the left field line, barely staying fair, and into the corner. Barnes cruised into second, thought about going to third, but stayed. That proved to be a great decision, as George Sisler sent a 1-0 pitch down the line into the corner in left, scoring Barnes and giving himself a double. Guidry, still in the game because I guess Wang Chi wants to make sure his bullpen is fresh for the travel day tomorrow, got a ground ball from Deacon White for the second out, but it moved Sisler to third. But, Shoeless Joe grounded out, sending us to the ninth with A Shaq of Their Own trying to protect a 4-2 lead.

With Rob Dibble warming up, the crowd chanted "Keep Doc White In *Clap* *Clap* *Clap-Clap-Clap*", and to open the inning, Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Dugan obliged.

There were two changes, though, with Troy Tulowitzki coming in as a defensive sub at shortstop, and Jeff Bagwell stepping to the plate as a pinch hitter.

White got Bagwell to fly out. And Shaq-Barnes-Dugan made the call to the 'pen, calling on the Nasty Boy.

Jack Glasscock reached on a controversial infield single. Controversial because it was hit to short, where the inserted for his defense Tulowitzki opted to not even make a throw to attempt to retire him. Some in the local media immediately suggested an Arthur Ernest Schlichter type of situation, with the obligatory Shoeless Joe reference thrown in.

That brought up Paul Goldschmidt, and he would represent the tying run. But, Dibble would strike him out.

Knoblauch then stepped up, representing either the tying run or potentially the final out. It was the latter, as Dibble struck him out as well, sending the Shaq Shoe into a frenzy, and tying the series at a game each.

Final Score: A Shaq of Their Own 4, San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 2

Win: White (1-0)

Loss: Guidry (0-1)

Save: Dibble (3)

Player of the Game: Denny Driscoll (though I would have voted for Ted)

The Best-of-Seven series is tied at one game each

Game 3
Record High Viewership numbers for...

Game Three of the World Series

A Shaq of Their Own at San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown

11:05 PM EST

Slim Jim Park; San Francisco, CA

41,038

Partly Cloudy, 53 Degrees, Wind Blowing in from right at 11 MPH

I offer up no hyperbole when I say, simply - this was an all-time great World Series Game. A True and Instant Classic

Mark Prior kept A Shaq of Their Own off the scoreboard in the first, issuing a two-out walk to Ted Williams, but otherwise going unscathed. Addie Joss countered with a 1-2-3 inning, featuring two strikeouts.

Prior would again issue a two-out walk in the second, this time to Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Joss would again strike out a pair on his way to a 1-2-3 inning.

Joss would then get the first base hit of the game, doubling off Prior to open the top of the third. John McGraw would follow that with a single to left, and Joss was running all the way, choosing to challenge the arm of Manny Ramirez, and it proved to be a good decision, as he beat the throw, and scored the opening run of the game. Tris Speaker then singled, and McGraw decided to test the arm of Ken Griffey Jr as he tried to go from first to third on the single, but that proved to be a very bad decision, as Griffey gunned him down at third for the first out of the inning. With Ted Williams batting, Speaker was caught stealing. Williams singled, but Ross Barnes popped out.

if you got lost in all the bad baserunning decisions, A Shaq of Their Own did score one run in the inning. But they had four hits (all in a row) and Prior actually only retired one batter he faced in the inning.

Pitching with the lead, Joss continued to dominate in the bottom of the third, getting another 1-2-3 inning and going through the lineup unscathed once through.

Prior struck out George Sisler to open the fourth, but Deacon White singled. Prior struck out Shoeless Joe Jackson, but gave up a single to Arky Vaughan, putting two on with two out for Addie Joss. But, Joss would ground out to Cody Bellinger, unassisted, and that would retire the side in the fourth.

With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Christian Yelich singled for the Demonbags' first runner of the game. Joss retired Ken Griffey Jr for the second out, bringing up Al Rosen. Rosen got good contact on a 1-1 pitch, sending it down the line into left field for a double. Yelich dug in for home, and the throw from Williams was not in time, with Rosen moving to third on the throw home. Manny Ramirez then offered at the first pitch from Joss, sending an inning-ending ground ball to McGraw ... only McGraw booted it, Ramirez reached first, and Rosen scored! Joss then retired Charles Johnson, but thanks to the unearned run, The Demonbags now lead the game 2-1.

McGraw drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, before Prior retired Speaker and Williams. Ross Barnes drew a two-out walk, putting two on with two out for George Sisler. But, Prior got him to line out, ending the inning with no damage done.

Joss worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth, ending the inning by striking out the pinch hitting Jeff Bagwell.

That meant the night was over for Mark Prior, and his final line was a damn good one. Five innings pitched, one run allowed on six hits, with four walks against four strikeouts.

Ron Guidry was the first arm out of the ARM BARN for Wang Chi, and he got a 1-2-3 sixth, including a strikeout of Shoeless Joe. Christian Yelich got a one-out single off Joss in the bottom of the inning, but Joss induced a double play from Ven Griffey to end the inning.

Guidry worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and after some questionable entertainment provided by dp4m for the seventh inning stretch, we would see a new pitcher - Charles E Smith - for A Shaq of Their Own.

Joss had a final line of six innings pitched, with two runs allowed (only one of them earned) on just three hits, with six strikeouts and no walks. Joss also had a hit and a run scored with his bat.

The first batter Smith faced was Rosen, and he reached base on an error by Vaughan. That prompted the Demonbags to issue the intentional walk to Ramirez, which proved to be a great decision, as Smith got Johnson to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play. Then, when Bellinger flew out, the inning was over, and it was 2-1 heading into the 8th.

Felix Hernandez was the next man up for Wang Chi and San Francisco. He issued a leadoff walk to Ted Williams. He struck out Ross Barnes, then struck out George Sisler, before getting Deacon White to ground out to end the inning.

Smith was tasked with a second inning of relief work, trying to keep it a one-run game. he got Jack Glasscock to fly out, then struck out the pinch hitting Derek Jeter. Chuck Knoblauch singled on the first pitch he saw. But, Smith and White read their scouting report, called for a pitch out on the first pitch to Yelich, and nailed Knoblauch trying to steal.

That would send us to the ninth, still with the score San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 2, A Shaq of Their Own 1

The Demonbags would summon their Closer Du Jour, Madison Bumgarner.

He would have a one-run lead, and would stare down Shoeless Joe Jackson, Arky Vaughan, and whatever pinch hitter a Shaq of Their Own might send up for Smith.

Jackson struck out swinging to open the inning.

Arky Vaughan popped up to third.

Then, pinch hitting, Denny Lyons tried to get the coveted TunesBless - perhaps the less talked about Backdoor TunesBless, even ... and he connected on a 3-1 pitch. He sent it deep to center field. Griffey raced back. Griffey extended ... and Griffey made the catch!

Ball game over! Demonbags win a classic, 2-1.

A Shaq of Their Own left 13 runners on base, plus had a caught stealing and a runner thrown out advancing (in the same inning), and allowed the winning run to score on an error.

Those small margins were the difference in a game full of absolutely dominant pitching.

America will turn her eyes onto game four, where we expect to see Deacon Phillippe against Corey Kluber.

Final Score:

Win: Prior (2-0)

Loss: Joss (2-1)

Save: Bumgarner (2)

Player of the Game: Addie Joss

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown lead the Best-of-Seven series 2-1

Game 4
Baseball so good, it would get three-hundred-and-forty-eight receiving yards against Utah in the Rose Bowl...

Game Four of the World Series

A Shaq of Their Own at San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown

8:05 PM EST

Slim Jim Park; San Francisco, CA

41,044

Partly Cloudy, 52 Degrees, Wind Blowing out to left at 18 MPH

If you're looking for an omen, starting the game by having the opposing team's leadoff hitter reach on an error is a bad sign.

And that's exactly what happened to San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown, as Al Rosen booted a ground ball from John McGraw, putting him on base. Now, it's possible that Rosen was playing 4-D chess, riguring putting McGraw on first base was the easiest way to get an out. Still ...

Tris Speaker followed the error with a single, with Ted Williams singling as well. McGraw decided to gun it on Williams singling, attempting to score from second, and this time his aggressive baserunning actually paid off, as he scored without a throw from Ken Griffey Jr. Ross Barnes drew a walk to load the bases, and bring up George Sisler.

Sisler connected with everything he had - I mean, he got it all - on a 1-2 offering from Sabathia sending it high and deep that the only outfielder for the Demonbags that might have been able to make a play it would have been Clifford the Big Red Dog. It landed in the stands 415 feet from home plate, putting A Shaq of Their Own up 5-0, and ending the night for Sabathia right there.

His line was zero innings pitched, five runs allowed (four earned) on three hits and a walk, plus proof of high levels of salts in the FODEUSS-verse:



Hal Newhouser relieved, and retired all three batters he faced in the inning, giving Wang Chi a 1-2-3 inning ... from a certain point of view.

With how scarce runs have been in this series, this one felt halfway over, but the Demonbags still had all 27 outs, if they could make them count.

Christian Yelich got a one-out single off of surprise starter Spud Chandler, and was replaced on base by Ken Griffey Jr. after a fielder's choice. Griffey stole second base, and that proved crucial, as Rosen doubled, bringing Griffey home, and cutting the deficit to 5-1. Chandler struck out Manny Ramirez to end the first, and we had the makings of a wild night of baseball.

Newhouser retired Chandler to open the inning, but issued a one-out walk to McGraw. McGraw took off running on the first pitch, and seemed to be safe at second, until he jumped off the bag, and did the D-X "Suck it" sign at Jack Glasscock, who promptly tagged him, for the official scoring to be a caught stealing. Newhouser then struck out Speaker to end the inning.

Biz Mackey reached on an error to open the bottom of the second, as Shoeless Joe Jackson was doing the Cotton Eye Joe Dance as he attempted to catch a pop fly and dropped it. The Demonbags would be unable to punish A Shaq of Their Own for the error, as Cody Bellinger struck out, Glasscock grounded out, and Newhouser popped out.

Sisler kept his hot night going in the third, getting a two-out walk and stealing second base, but he would go no further, as Deacon White struck out to end the inning.

The Demonbags would look to get back into it in the bottom of the third, as Chuck Knoblauch drew a leadoff walk, and Christian Yelich singled, moving Knoblauch to second. Griffey flew out for the first out, and then Tris Speaker mishandled a line drive from Rosen, putting Rosen on with an error, and loading the bases with one out. That brought up Manny Ramirez, who struck out. Then Mackey sent one high and deep and looked like it might have a chance to tie the game ... but Speaker settled under it on the warning track, and the inning would end with the Demonbags still trailing by a score of 5-1.

Newhouser would get a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth, as would Chandler in the bottom of the inning. Newhouser would get another in the top of the fifth, as would Chandler in the bottom of the inning.

The sixth would bring a pitching change, with Wang Chi going to Brandon Webb. Newhouser had a fantastic night in relief, tossing five hitless and scoreless innings, striking out four and walking two.

Webb would start his night by retiring Barnes, but would issue a walk to Sisler on four pitches. Webb would strike out White, but on the strikeout pitch, Sisler would steal second. Shoeless Joe would then double, scoring Sisler, making it 6-1, when Webb retired Srky Vaughan to end the inning.

Al Rosen would try to spark a rally in the bottom of the sixth, getting a leadoff single. Manny Ramirez would follow with a single of his own, and Rosen would hustle, trying to go from first to third on the single ... but the throw from Shoeless Joe would nail him at third for the first out of the inning. Biz Mackey would ground out, moving Ramirez to second, but giving up the second out of the inning, and at that point Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Dugan would go to the ARM BARN, opting for a double switch with Noodles Hahn on to pitch and Troy Tulowitzki in to play shortstop. Hahn would retire Bellinger, and we'd be off to the seventh inning.

Tulowitzki, just in the game, homered to lead off the seventh on the first pitch he saw, pushing the lead to 7-1. Webb recovered and retired McGraw, Speaker, and Williams. Hahn gave up a two-out walk to Knoblauch, but otherwise went unscathed in the bottom of the inning.

Felix Hernandez was the next arm in for Wang Chi. He gave up a leadoff double to Barnes, but struck out Sisler, White, and Jackson.

Hahn stayed in the game, striking out Griffey to open the bottom of the 8th. Rosen and Ramirez drew walks, putting two on with one out. Mackey Grounded out, moving Rosen to third. But, Bellinger struck out, ending the inning.

Herhandez struck out Fred Carroll to open the top of the ninth. He walked Tulowitzki, only to pick him off. Then retired McGraw on a 1-3 ground out to send us to the bottom of the ninth, with the home team needing a minor miracle to avoid the series getting tied up at two.

Ed Walsh was summoned by Shaq/Barnes/Dugan. He retired Glasscock with one pitch, but gave up a one-out single to the pinch hitting Paul Goldschmidt. But, any dreams of a rally died one pitch later, as Knoblauch hit into a game-ending 5-4-3 double play, tying the series at two games each.

Sisler was phenomenal in this one, with a hit, two walks, four RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases.

The Demonbags will rue the grand slam in the first, but also their lack of clutch hitting. A total of 9 baserunners left on base, with a summed total of 23 when you look at the individual box scores. Mackey was the chief offender, leaving six on base himself.

Final Score: A Shaq of Their Own 7, San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 1

Win: Chandler (1-0)

Loss: Sabathia (0-1)

Player of the Game: George Sisler

The Best-of-Seven-series is tied at two games each

Game 5
While someone needed to sort the whites from the colors - and not in the way Cap Anson would want us to - we had...

Game Five of the World Series

A Shaq of Their Own at San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown

8:05 PM EST

Slim Jim Park; San Francisco, CA

40,846

Clear Skies, 57 Degrees, Wind Blowing in from right at 10 MPH

Both managers made some lineup adjustments, and we'd get a chance out of the gate to see how one of them would pay off, as Ross Barnes was moved to the leadoff spot for A Shaq of Their Own ...

,,, and opened the game with a double. Tris Speaker flew out, and Ted Williams moved to Barnes to third on a ground out, meaning to take advantage of the leadoff double, the defending champions would need a clutch hit from George Sisler. And Sisler would deliver, doubling to score Barnes with ease, and putting us at 1-0 when Deacon White flew out to end the top of the first.

Deacon Phillippe would get a 1-2-3 bottom of the first, including a strikeout of Cody Bellinger. And A Shaq of Their Owns would get right back to threatening in the top of the second.

Shoeless Joe Jackson lead off the inning, reaching on an error by Al Rosen, who is reported to be playing with a glove he borrowed from one of the 1880s guys. That was followed by John McGraw getting hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Arky Vaughan popped out for the first out of the inning, and Deacon Phillippe laid down a beautiful sac bunt to move the runners up to second and third, bringing up Barnes. But, Grasshopper Jim would strike out Barnes to escape the jam, and keep it a 1-0 game.

Paul Goldschmidt drew a two-out walk for the Demonbags in the bottom of the second, but otherwise they went quietly into the night, unlike President Lone Star. Whitney finally had a low-stress, 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third, and Phillippe worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the third featuring a strikeout of Whitney causing somebody (guess who!) watching the live broadcast to tempt fate and say he was working a no hitter.

Whitney, now settling into a groove, worked another 1-2-3 inning to retire his ninth batter in a row, sending us to the bottom of the fourth.

Bellinger grounded out to start the inning, but Griffey drew a walk with one out, fouling off three pitches and earning his free pass. Griffey stole second, putting himself in scoring position, which would pay off when Al Rosen then broke up the jinxed no-hitter, allowing Griffey to score without a throw. Phillippe struck out Christian Yelich for the second out, but issued a walk to Goldschmidt to put two on with two out for Jack Glasscock ... who struck out to end the inning. But, the Demonbags get their first hit, and tie the game at one.

After Arky Vaughan flew out to open the sixth, Phillippe reached on an error by Glasscock to put a runner on with one out. Phillippe moved to second on a productive ground out from Barnes, and Tris Speaker singled, and Phillippe was running the entire way, scoring without a throw, and putting A Shaq of Their Own back on top 2-1. Ted Williams grounded out to Glasscock, who took the ball to second base himself, to end the inning, with the Defending Champions back on top.

Phillippe retired Charles Johnson and Grasshopper Jim to start the bottom of the sixth, but after giving up a two-out double to Cuck Knoblauch and issuing a walk to Cody Bellinger, Shaq as Barnes as Jimmie Dugan went to the ARM BARN, calling on Charles E Smith to face Ven Griffey Jr. Griffey would foul off three pitches with two strikes before finally getting a walk to load the bases, and Al Rosen would deliver with bases loaded, singling to left field and scoring both Knoblauch and Bellinger. Christian Yelich struck out swinging to end the inning, but for the first time on the night, the Demonbags had a lead in their final home game of the season.

Jim Whitney would retire George Sisler and Deacon White, but a two-out single from Shoeless Joe Jackson brought up John McGraw, looking for some redemption from his recent baserunning woes. Alas, that redemption would not come here, as he popped out to shallow right field.

Smith would retire Goldschmidt and Glasscock to open the bottom of the sixth, but after he issued a walk to Charles Johnson, Wang Chi somewhat questionably pinch hit for Whitney, sending up the ice cold Jeff Bagwell. But, Bagwell would deliver - singling to put two on with two outs for Knoblauch. But, Knoblauch would strike out, and the score would remain 3-2.

Ron Guidry (intentionally mispronounced as Gw-EYE-dree) was the choice from the home team's ARM BARN. And the Gator would have no issues, working a 1-2-3 inning and striking out the pinch hitting Troy Tulowitzki and Barnes along the way.

After we were denied any seventh inning stretch entertainment, Doc White would be the next pitcher summoned for A Shaq of Their Own, and he struck out Bellinger to open the bottom of the seventh. Griffey grounded out for the second out, but Al Rosen worked a walk. We mentioned at the start of this recap that both managers made game time decisions, and we mention that here because live on the air, Wang Chi (the GM/user, not the manager) literally flipped a coin and decided to start Christian Yelich. That proved crucial, as Yelich took a pitch from White and sent it 444 feet and into McCovey Cove for a SPLASH and two more runs, extending the lead for the home team to 5-3, and sending Macho Man Randy Savage dropping a giant elbow off the top of Slim Jim Park and into McCovey Cove to celebrate / try to retrieve the ball / possibly die. We might update on that one later. Goldschmidt struck out to end the inning, but the Demonbags now just had to get six more outs, and protect a three-run run lead in order to give themselves two chances to win the title in Columbus.

Into the eighth we went, and Guidry working his second inning of relief. He struck out Tris Speaker to open the inning. He got Ted Williams to ground out to third, on a play that Al Rosen miraculously didn't botch. And then got a line drive out from Sisler, putting the Demonbags three outs away froma 3-2 lead, and with a chance to add insurance runs.

Doc White would work the eighth for A Shaq of Their Own, trying to prevent the uphill climb from becoming any steeper. He got Glasscock to groundout to short. But, he issued a walk to Charles Johnson on four pitches. Manny Ramirez came up as a pinch hitter, and struck out. Then White struck out Knoblauch to end the inning and send us to the ninth.

As Demonbags Closer du Jour Madison Bumgarner made his way to the mound in between innings, Macho Man emerged not only alive, but holding a soaking wet baseball, sending the crowd at Slim Jim Park into an absolute frenzy for what they hoped would be their final three outs of the season in that stadium.

Bumgarner retired Deacon White to open the inning, but gave up a one-out single to Shoeless Joe, assisted by the singing of his at-bat song by dp4m. John McGraw, still looking for that redemption, would again not find it, flying out for the second out of the inning. Arky Vaughn sent a line drive to Cody Bellinger in right field, but Bellinger bobbled it and it popped out of his glove, denying Bumgarner - and the crowd - the third out they were anticipating, with Jackson moving to third, and Arky Vaughan taking second. That gave Shaq/Barnes/Dugan the chance to send up a pinch hitter to represent the tying run, and for ... some reason ... he chose Denny Lyons. And Lyons ... Flew out on a line drive, snagged by Glasscock, ending the game, and giving the series lead to the Demonbags.

With three RBI and a run scored, Al Rosen strengthened his case for Series MVP, should his team win.

After a day off to travel, the series will shift back to the Shaq Shoe, where over 100-thousand fans will pack the stadium to see Denny Driscoll take on Corey Kluber.

Final Score: San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 5, A Shaq of Their Own 2

Win: Whitney (1-0)

Loss: Phillippe (0-1)

Save: Bumgarner (3)

Player of the Game: Al Rosen

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown lead the Best-of-Seven series 3-2

Game 6
On a night when we actually looked up the graves of a certain (in)famous pinch hitter, we also had...

Game Six of the World Series

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown at A Shaq of Their Own

8:05 PM EST

Shaq Shoe; Columbus, OH

104,077

Clear Skies, 47 Degrees, Wind Blowing out to left at 9 MPH

Corey Kluber was looking to pitch his team to their first World Series Title.

Denny Driscoll was looking to pitch his team to the most magical two-word phrase in sports.

Denny Lyons was looking to not wind up in yet another grave.

PLAYOFF BASEBALL and somehow the stakes were higher than ever.

Driscoll got us underway with a 1-2-3 top of the first, and while Tris Speaker managed a one-out single off of Kluber in the bottom of the inning, it came to nothing as Kluber struck out George Sisler to keep A Shaq of Their Own off the scoreboard.

Al Rosen would draw a leadoff walk in the top of the second, and Manny Ramirez would single, giving the Demonbags two on right away in the inning. Driscoll would strike out Goldschmidt, and a fielder's choice from Jack Glasscock would move Rosen to third, but be the second out of the inning. Charles Johnson would connect on a line drive just past Arky Vaughan, singling on a base hit to left to score Johnson, and we'd have that 1-0 scoreline as Driscoll struck out Kluber to end the inning.

Kluber would work a 1-2-3 bottom of the second, and Driscoll would need just six pitches to get a 1-2-3 top of the third. It would then take Kluber eight pitches to retire the first batter of the bottom of the third, but he did strike out Vaughan to open the inning. Driscoll flew out, but Ross Barnes got a two-out single. Nothing would come of it, though, as Tris Speaker would fly out to Manny Ramirez in left to end the inning.

Onto the fourth inning, and with one out, and error by Vaughan put Ramirez on the bases. Driscoll would strike out Goldschmidt (again), but a Jack Glasscock infield single would see Ramirez advance to third, putting runners on the corners with two outs for Johnson. But, Johnson couldn't deliver a second two-out RBI hit on the night, this time flying out to Speaker to end the inning.

Kluber struck out the first two batters of the bottom of the fourth - Ted Williams and George Sisler - on just seven pitches. But, he'd make a mistake against Deacon White, and the Deacon would make him pay, sending a 1-0 pitch deep and gone - 411 feet into the student section, and tying the game at one. Shoeless Joe would follow with a two-out single, but Kluber wouldn't need to retire John McGraw, as Johnson threw out Jackson as he tried to steal second.

Driscoll struck out a pair in the top of the fifth, as he retired the side in order. And, Kluber would issue a leadoff walk to McGraw in the bottom of the fifth, and with the way this series has gone, there might have actually been strategic intent to put McGraw on base. Vaughan singled, and when McGraw went for third, Griffey threw him out, and it wasn't particularly close. Driscoll laid down a sac bunt to move Vaughan to second, but with two outs, Kluber struck out Barnes to end the threat and the inning.

Driscoll struck out two more in the top of the sixth, and in the bottom of the inning, he'd finally get a little help from his bats.

Tris Speaker swung at the first pitch offered by Kluber in the inning, and sent it 406 feet and over the wall in right for a leadoff homer, putting his team on top 2-1. Kluber responded by striking out Ted Williams and George Sisler, but Deacon White connected on Kluber's first pitch to him, sending it over the wall in left for his second homer of the game, and a 3-1 lead. Shoeless Joe then tripled on the first pitch of his at-bat, and John McGraw worked the count full, fouled off a pitch to stay alive, and connected on a line drive for a double, scoring Jackson and making it 4-1. Vaughan drew a walk, but Kluber struck out Driscoll, but the damage was done, with the home team now ahead 4-1.

Driscoll would strike out Goldschmidt (for the third time in the game), before exiting. His final line was 6.1 innings pitched, with just one run allowed on three hits, and nine strikeouts against three walks. And, it would be up to the bullpen to get the final 8 outs and send this series to a game seven.

Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Jimmy-Dugan went to Noodles Hahn, and Han got Glasscock to ground out and struck out Johnson, sending us to the bottom of the seventh.

Kluber would strike out Barnes to open the inning, then exit, leaving after 6.1 innings pitched, with four runs allowed on nine hits, with two walks against eleven strikeouts.

Wang Chi would turn to Ron Guidry to keep his team's deficit from getting any larger. Guidry would retire Speaker, but give up a two-out double to Ted Williams, but then retire Sisler to end the inning.

Six outs from forcing a game seven, Noodles Hahn stayed on. He got the pinch hitting and ice cold Jeff Bagwell to ground out to first on the first pitch he saw. But, he nailed Chuck Knoblauch with a pitch, putting him on base with just one out. But, Hahn would get Cody Bellinger to fly out and Ven Griffey Jr to do the same, and suddenly A Shaq of Their Own were just three outs away from forcing game seven.

Hal Newhouser was the next arm out of the ARM BARN for the Demonbags. He gave up a leadoff single to White, and another single to Jackson. With A Shaq of Their Own threatening to add an insurance run, Newhouser struck out McGraw, and got Vaughan to hit into the inning-ending CockBlauch, sending us to the ninth.

As Rob Dibble walked to the mound to try to close it out, one-hundred-thousand fans seem to have a look of dread on their face as they seemed to expect him to implode.

Troy Tulowitzki entered the game, as well, a defensive replacement at shortstop.

Dibble's first task would be against Al Rosen. He would get Rosen to chase a bad pitch, and strike him out for the first out of the inning. Manny Ramirez would bat next, and he would send a seeing eye ground ball in between Tulowitzki and McGraw, singling with one out to give some hope the Demonbags. That would bring Paul Goldschmidt to the plate, and on the night he was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. But, all of those came against Driscoll. Would Goldschmidt find better luck against Dibble? Nope. His fourth strikeout of the night, and A Shaq of Their Own were now just one out away from game seven.

Dibble was set, facing Glasscock. First offering was a ball. Next pitch was offered at by Glasscock, and was heading into the right field corner, and looked like it would drop for a base hit - probably extra bases and a run score ... but Shoeless Joe Jackson extended fully on the run, nabbed the ball out of the air, and made a spectacular play to get the final out.

And just like that, A Shaq of Their Own had won game six, and we had the best thing in North American Sports - GAME SEVEN.

Deacon White had one one hell of a game, collecting three hits including two homers. Shoeless Joe also had three hits.

Game seven will feature Charlie Bender against Addie Joss.

Final Score: A Shaq of Their Own 4, San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 1

Win: Driscoll (1-1)

Loss: Kluber (0-2)

Save: Dibble (4)

Player of the Game: Deacon White

The Best-of-Seven series is tied at three games each

Game 7
In the immortal worlds of Optimus Prime...One Shall Stand; One Shall Fall...

Game Seven of the World Series

San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown at A Shaq of Their Own

8:05 PM EST

Shaq Shoe; Columbus, OH

104,089

Partly Cloudy, 48 Degrees, Wind Blowing in from right at 12 MPH

Addie Joss leaned in and delivered the first pitch of the game. It was a called ball.

He would fall behind in every at bat in the first inning, in fact. But, in all three cases, he would retire the batter for a 1-2-3 first inning.

Charlie Bender would deliver a first pitch strike. But despite the different omens to start the game, both pitchers would deliver a 1-2-3 first inning.

And we'd be underway on our way to a fantastic night of baseball with high stakes and high drama.

Joss, who would admit after the game he was "a little too pumped up, on adrenaline and Budweiser", would hit Ken Griffey Jr. with a pitch to open the second inning. After Cody Bellinger flew out, Manny Ramirez singled, moving Griffey to second. Jack Glasscock would be the first batter to bat with a runner in scoring position in the game, and he would hit into a 4-6 fielder's choice, providing the second out of the inning, but moving Griffey to third. Charles Johnson, though ,would fly out to shallow right, the third out collected by John McGraw, and the threat averted by A Shaq of Their Own, and a chance wasted by the Demonbags.

George Sisler would lead off the second inning with a single, and after a Deacon White fly out, Shoeless Joe Jackson would ground out, moving Sisler to second. That brought up McGraw with a runner in scoring position, but McGraw would fly out to Christian Yelich, and we'd stay scoreless through two.

Joss found his groove in the third inning, needing just eight pitches for a 1-2-3 inning, including a strikeout of Chuck Knoblauch. Bender would retire Arky Vaughan and Joss to open the bottom of the inning, but Ross Barnes drew a two-out walk. Barnes stole second, giving Tris Speaker a chance to bat with a runner in scoring position, but Bender got Speaker to ground out to Knoblauch, and with a third of the game gone, we were still scoreless.

The fourth saw Joss retire Rosen and Griffey to open the inning, before a two-out double from Bellinger was the first extra-base hit of the game. It came to nothing, though, as Joss got Ramirez to hit a grounder back to the mound, and he easily flipped to Sisler at first (and flipped off Ramirez, as well).

Ted Williams would get a single to lead off the bottom of the fourth. George Sisler singled, as well, and Williams went to third, putting men on the corners with nobody out for Deacon White. And, that's when we had a little controversy. Let's go to the away call ..

Away Call - San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown

"And, here's the one-one pitch from Bender ... swung on and sliced down the line ... just foul ... no, Wait! The umpire called it a fair ball! The ball is going into the left-field corner, and Ramirez will retrieve it. Williams will score, Sisler is gonna score as well, and White is into second with a stand-up double. Can you believe it? I thought for sure that was a foul ball, but Angel Hernandez ruled it fair and you can see on the replay, Ramirez lets up a little as it lands and he thinks it's going to be a foul ball. Unbelievable!" Bender went back to work, getting Shoeless Joe to ground out, moving White to third with one out. But, Bender stuck out McGraw and Vaughan to end the inning, and limit the damage to those two controversial runs.

Jack Glasscock came out swinging in the fifth, looking to get his team past the controversy, doubling to the gap in right-center. Joss, though, got a big ground out from Charles Johnson, as he hit the ball to McGraw, who looked back Glasscock, keeping the runner at second, before throwing to first and retiring Johnson. Bender then flew out to Tris Speaker in center field, and Knoblauch grounded out to short to end the inning, with the leadoff double squandered, and the score still A Shaq of Their Own 2, San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 0.

Bender would retire Joss to open the fifth, and we'll go to the home call, and the alternate call, for the Barnes-Bender at-bat.

Home Call - A Shaq of Their Own

"This has been a tremendous at-bat from Barnes, fouling off a two-strike pitch twice. Here comes the second offering on 3-2. Barnes swings and hits it well ... if it stays fair, it's got a chance. It's hooking ... hooking ... FAIR BALL! HOME RUN BARNES! A Shaq of Their Own now lead it 3-0, and this is place is going crazy!"

Alt Call - Thom BrenanmanCast

"I pride myself as, as a man of faith, as there's a drive into deep left Field by Barnes, and that'll make it a 3-0 ballgame. And I don't know if I'll be able to do my podcast again." Bender recovered to get ground outs from Tris Speaker and Ted Williams, but his team now had a three-run deficit to overcome, and they were running out of outs.

Joss quickly gobbled up three of those outs, sending the Demonbags down in order in the top of the sixth, and Bender responded with a 1-2-3 inning of his own in the bottom of the inning.

Joss retired Bellinger, Ramirez, and Glasscock in the top of the seventh, leaving his team six outs from a championship, and Bender got a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh notably striking out Joss to end the inning, indicating he would be back for the eighth inning.

Joss overpowered Johnson to start the inning, striking him out swinging, then did the same thing to the pinch hitting Paul Goldschmidt. Chuck Knoblauch then got a two-out single, and Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Dugan wasted no time, going to the mound, and bringing in Doc White - who he specifically told us pre-game he was preparing to use in this kind of high leverage situation - as Addie Joss walked off the mound to a standing ovation.

Christian Yelich stepped in against White, and here's the call from the away team...

Away Call - San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown

"Time is running out for our Demonbags, down to four outs, and almost needing a miracle. Here's the one-one pitch from White ... OH MY GOD OH MY GOD"

"OOOOOOH YEAH! Look at how that one flys yeah! Look at it go, look at it go! oooooh yeah!

"HOME RUN CHRISTIAN YELICH ... DEMONBAGS ARE ALIVE AGAIN! That makes it a 3-2 game!"

"I got your bicep right here, Doc White, ome up to the booth and I'll kick your ass" That would do it for white, as Shaq-as-Barnes-as-Dugan hooked him in favor of Noodles Hahn.

The final line for Joss was 7.2 innings pitched, one run allowed on just four hits, with five strikeouts against no walks. Bender, opposite him, went 7 innings, giving up three runs on five hits, with five walks against one walk.

Doc White, however, did not bathe himself in glory. one batter faced. Three pitches thrown. One Hit. One run allowed, plus an inherited runner scored. No outs recorded.

Hahn would get Al Rosen to pop out to first base, ending the inning, but with Demonbags now just one run down, and having three outs left to try to get it.

Mark Prior was summoned from the ARM BARN by Wang Chi, and gave up a leadoff double to Barnes, who was now a triple short of the cycle. Prior got Speaker to fly out to shallow right for the first out of the inning, but then planted a 102 MPH fastball into Ted Williams' rib, putting two on with one out. George Sisler hit into a 4-6 fielder's choice, with Sisler hustling to first to avoid the inning-ending CockBlauch. That would bring up White with two out and runners on the corners, and he would ... ground out to second, sending us to the ninth, with A Shaq of Their Own leading San Franisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 3-2.

Rob Dibble made his way from the ARM BARN to the mound, with Troy Tulowitzki coming in as a defensive sub at shortstop. Dibble had been remarkably reliable so far this postseason, not allowing a single run in his previous four appearances.

Dibble's first task would be against the Ohio-born Ken Griffey Jr., looking to play the hero and break some hearts in his home state. Griffey would send a ball high ... but not very deep. Tris Speaker settle under it in center field for a can of corn, and the first out.

Up next was Cody Bellinger, and Dibble would strike him out, with Bellinger chasing a bad pitch for strike three.

With two outs, Manny Ramirez would step in. Here's the calls ...

Home Call - A Shaq of Their Own

"0-1 pitch to Ramirez. Swung on and sent deep into right field ... this could be trouble ... SHOELESS JOE WITH THE FULL EXTENSION AND HE MAKES THE CATCH! A SHAQ OF THEIR OWN ARE CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN!!!" Away Call - San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown "Ramirez with a swing, and this one has extra bases written all over it as it's headed to the cor ... JOE JACKSON ... oh my. He just broke our hearts. Where did you come from? Where did you go? How did you catch that ball, Shoeless Joe?

Absolute heartbreak. It looked like the Demonbags would get the tying run in scoring position. Instead, it's the end of the season. What a year it was. nothing to hang your head about. We'll be back next year."

National Call - Joe Buck

"Ramirez with a line drive into right field ... caught by Jackson. And that'll do it. A Shaq of Their Own are once again your World Series Champions"

Final Score: A Shaq of Their Own 3, San Francisco Six Demonbags of Chinatown 2

Win: Joss (3-1)

Loss: Bender (1-1)

Save: Dibble (5)

A Shaq of Their Own wins the Best-of-Seven series 4-3