European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes a a a Page 23upstarts take on champs by Dave of Hara a sports writer Boston apr the Oakland athletics Are the defending world series champs. They re Good and they know it. The Boston red sox Are the upstarts a Bunch who defied the Odds and crashed the party. So in a matchup of opposites Oakland a Best in the West will meet Bostons East champs in a Best of seven showdown for the american league Pennant starting saturday night in Fenway Park. The a a who humbled Boston in a four game sweep in the playoffs two years ago Are favored after easily winning the West by nine games. The red sox though refuse to acknowledge the Odds. They re aiming for another upset after winning the Al East on the final Day of the season. A we know we re the underdogs a said Dwight Evans completing his 18th season. A we know our work is Cut out for us. But its been like that for us All season. We just know we re the Little Guys. Its a Little like David and Wade Boggs who finished with 187 hits while failing to reach the 200-Mark for the first time in eight years says the red sox have a a lot of misfits with hearts As big As the Prudential comparative records demand that Oakland the preseason pick is the Choice to win a third consecutive Pennant. The a a had a 103-59 record this year the red sox 88-74. Oakland was 56-28 against the East Boston 3846 against the West. And the a a won eight of 12 games with the red sox including four of six in Boston. A Oakland is a team that knows it will win a said Chicago a Bobby Thigpen who set a major league record with 57 saves. A they play these games with your mind a Thigpen added. A a it a just the Way they act. Nothing faces league playoffs a if you ask me who a the stronger bal club we All know the answer is Oakland a said Toronto a cookie Wilson. A but the stronger bal club does no to always Boggs said a there Are a lot of teams that Are better than us on paper. When we beat them they go Back to the locker room and say a How did they beat us a it was the Little things. This is one of the most fundamentally sound teams i be Ever been most observers feel it will take More than the a Little things to beat Oakland. The a a boast Power and pitching. Mark Mcgwire hit 39 Home runs Jose Canseco 37, although bothered by a bad Back much of the season. Rickey Henderson hit .325 with 28 homers a As the Lead off Batter. Right hander Bob Welch led the majors with a 27-6 record. And Dave Stewart Wasny to far behind at 22-11. Dennis Eckersley anchored the bullpen with 48 saves. The red sox led the league with a .272 average but hit Only 106 homers topped by Ellis Burks with 21 and Tom Brunansky with 15. Roger Clemens missed most of september but had a 21-6 record. Jeff Reardon recovered from Back surgery to Lead the bullpen with 21 save san sports television. College football a Florida state at Miami 7 . Saturday Navy at air Force delayed11 . Saturday. Baseball a american league playoffs game 1, Boston at Oakland 1 . Sunday. Radio College football a Navy at air Force 7 . Saturday. Baseball a Boston at Oakland 1 07 . Sunday. Wade Boggs Hopes fundamentals will carry Boston 90 s improbable fielder of dreams by Dick Brinster a sports writer baseball 1990 ended with an improbable catch and one Many a improbable season. At Fenway Park Tom Brunansky made a last out diving catch in the right Field Corner wednesday night to preserve a 3-1 Victory and give the red sox the Al East title. At Yankee stadium Detroit Scecil fielder capped a sensational return to. The major leagues wednesday by becoming the first layer in 13 years to reach 50 lome runs. He also hit his 51st in a 10-3 Victory Over the Yankees. Fielder who finished with 132 Bis became the Best free agent buy in history at $1.5 million Over two years. A i did no to think i deserved to be criticized for the salary before i played a fielder said. A a in a just Happy the Detroit tigers took a fielders was the most improbable Story in a season that one batting Champion a Willie Mcgee a crowned while playing in the wrong league and another a a George Brett a prove age is no deterrent to a Youthful swing. And then there was Andy Hawkins of the new York Yankees who pitched a no hitter against Chicago and lost4-0. It was one of a record nine no in ers season with 43-year-old Nolan Ryan leading the Way with his sixth. Perhaps even More improbable was the exit from the game of George Steinbrenner forced out Lor associating with a Gambler alter 17 years As a a Bossy of the Yankees. Ryan also led the Al with 232 a takeouts and joined the 300-Victoiy club. Still he yearns for baseball review Chance to pitch in the playoffs something that has eluded him since he was with the Miracle mets of 1969. A this club is close to being a contender a Ryan said of his Texas rangers who finished third in the Al West. A and because of Oakland they Are going to have to do something in the of season to try to the Oakland Story is not improbable. The a a look like a dynasty led by Bob Welch whose 27-6 Mark probably will prevent Dave Stewart a 20-game Winner four years in a Row from again taking the Al by Young award. As if they did no to have enough with the likes of sluggers Jose Canseco and Mark Mcgwire and reliever Dennis Eckersley the a a made a big late season acquisition. They got Mcgee from St. Louis where head batted enough to win the National league title at .335. Kansas City a Brett 37, became the third oldest player to win a batting title and the first to do so in three different decades. A a that a what makes it the sweetest of All a said Brett who hit .329. A a it a not going to be done the biggest Surprise among no pitchers were Doug Drabek whose 22-6 record Lea Pittsburgh to the title in the East and Ramon Martinez. He tied Sandy Koufax steam record with 18 a takeouts in one game in route to a 20-6 Mark for the los Angeles dodgers. Matt Williams led the no by driving in 132 runs giving the san Francisco giants the rib Champion for the third year in a Row. Will Clark and Kevin Mitchell set the Pace the last two seasons. Trader Jack Mckeon was sent packing by san Diego when the padres flopped. Failure proved too much for Whitey Herzog in St. Louis and he quit. New York fired Davey Johnson and Atlanta axed Russ Nixon. In the Al Only Bucky Dent a fired by Steinbrenner a lost his Job. The biggest Story in the no West was the Quick Start of the Cincinnati reds who won their first nine games. The dodgers almost made a race of it but a nine run ninth inning in a 12-11 loss to Philadelphia on aug. 21 took them out of it. In the East Bud Harrelson replaced Johnson. But the mets solid favourites in Spring training were unable to overhaul Pittsburgh. The pirates were the class of the division thanks to the killer is. Barry Bonds hit .301 with 33 homers 114 Bis and 52 stolen bases. Bobby Bonilla hit 32 homers and drove in 120 runs. All this was enough to make manager Jim Leyland quit smoking. New Yorkus Frank Viola 2012 became Only the 18th Pitcher Ever to win 20 games in each league. Ryne Sandberg hit 40 homers the first second baseman to Lead the league in 65 years and drove in 100 runs while hitting .306. Joe Torre replaced Herzog in St. Louis and watched the cardinals finish last for the first time since 1918, ending baseball a longest such Streak. Cincinnati prospered thanks in part to the absence of former manager Pete Rose chased from the game in 1989 for the team played with traction. San Diego a poor showing Cost Mckeon his Job As manager and later general manager. On wednesday the padres a who hired former mets executive Joe Detroit Scecil fielder amassed 51 homers and 132 Bis. Mcllvain a revealed they had earlier fired Mckeony a brother Bill and two other front office executives. There was a Flop of sorts in the Al a Bostons Wade Boggs. He hit .302, but that was 50 Points below his lifetime average As Boggs failed for the first time in eight years to get 200 hits. Chicago a Bobby Thigpen was the Toast of relievers with a major league record 57 saves a performance that helped the White sox make a race of the Al West before they were buried by the Oakland juggernaut. The red sox held on to win in the East thanks to another remarkable season by Roger Clemens. He led the league with a 1.93 Era in route to a 20-6 record
