Days 161-170: 1946 and 1961 clinch titles, races go on in the Briggs and Ilitch!

Congrats to the first two Division Champions, Mike's 1946 team in the Navin and my 1961 team in the Fetzer!  1946 went on a 9-1 run this block of games to surge past Steve W.'s 2013 team and claim the Navin crown.  Their starting pitching is their greatest strength. with Hal Newhouser (21-11, 2.49 ERA), Fred Hutchinson (23-8, 3.49), and Dizzy Trout (22-12, 3.01) all enjoying outstanding seasons.  Hank Greenberg (.325, 42 HRs, 144 RBIs) provides most of the offense for the team. The 1961 team wins a different way, with an overpowering offense led by Norm Cash (.398, 48 HR, 154 RBIs), Rocky Colavito (.253, 39 HRs, 138 RBIs), and Al Kaline (.368, 23 HRs, 103 RBIs).  Jim Bunning's sensational season now stands at 31-5 with a 3.03 ERA!

Colavito, Kaline, and Cash power the 1961 club

Chuck's 1935 team has a 1 game lead over Tim's 1950 team as just three days remain in the season. Mike's 2006 team holds a 1 game lead over Chuck's 1993 team in the Briggs, and PJ's 1909 team is still alive and just 2 games back.  Will get those final three games in Tuesday and then move on to the playoffs!

1915 Ty Cobb has upped his stolen base record to 166! 1911 Ty Cobb leads all with a .414 average.  2012 Miguel Cabrera now sits at 59 homers and 160  RBIs, both league-leading totals.  2013 Miguel Cabrera and 1968 Willie Horton have both passed the 50 Home Run mark.  1961 Jim Bunning now has 31 wins!  1946 Hal Newhouser has passed the 300 K mark, sitting at 315 right now.  The ERA Title is still up for grabs, with 2013 Max Scherzer (2.44), 1908 Ed Summers (2.47), and 1946 Hal Newhouser (2.49) all very close as we enter the final couple of days in the regular season.

Cash is putting together what would be

one of the most memorable seasons

ever if this was real life!

Norm Cash again is our Player of the Block!  Norm hit .575 with 3 homers and 12 RBIs, and also hit for the cycle in a game this week!  Teammate Rocky Colavito was a close contender for the honor (.342, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs), as was 1993 Mickey Tettleton (.429, 3 HRs).  1940 Schoolboy Rowe went 2-0 and only allowed 4 earned runs in three complete games.  1944 Hal Newhouser went 3-0 for the week.

Day 161   1944 Dick Wakefield collected 5 hits in a 9-5 win over 1908.  2014 Torii Hunter (The Torrid One) smacked 2 HRs and doubled.  1940 Hank Greenberg had 4 hits and 2 RBis off of 1909 Wild Bill Donovan.  1911 Ty Cobb got three hits and 1961 Jim Bunning suffered only his 5th loss of the season.  2012 beat 1950 3-2 in 13 innngs, with Don Kelly (aka "The Working Man's Ballplayer", aka Donnie Kelly Baby) drives in the winning run in the top of the 13th.

Day 162   1984 puts together a two-run rally in the 9th to top 1934 Firpo Marberry.  1968 beats 2011 2-1 on a Willie Horton walk-off homer.  2006 C-Mo, Craig Monroe homered and then drove in the winning run in the top of the 13th against 1987 Eric King.  1944 got two taters from Hack Miller to edge 1908 7-6.

Day 163   19-7 rolled up 13 runs on 20 hits to batter 1935 13-4.  Stormin' Norman Cash went deep twice to help 1968 top 2011 10-4.  1968 Paul Foytack went the distance in a 9-2 win over 1911.

Day 164    1993 edged 1908 11-10 in 11 innings.  1940 Rudy York notched 4 hits in a 6-2 win over 1911.  1946 Hal Newhouser whiffed 13 batters and held 2011 to just 1 run.  2014 Miggy smashed two homers.  Mickey Cochrane's 3 hits and 4 RBIs helped 1935 get past 1924 10-9.  1968 got  4 hits from CF Mickey Stanley en route to scoring 13 runs off of 1945.  1961 Norm Cash blasted HRs #46 and #47 in a 9-1 romp over Nate Robertson and the 2006 team.

Day 165   4 hits for Alan Trammell as 1993 whomped 1908 14-2,  1984 Howard Johnson had two dingers in a10-5 win over 1973.  1987 Darrell Evans hit his 36th HR and Matt Nokes hit his 32nd in a 7-5 triumph over 1950.  1968 Willie Horton hit 2 HRs and Earl Wilson went the distance for his 13th win.  1924 rallied for 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to edge 1935 10-9.  1961 Jim Bunning shut out 2006 on six hits and got win #30!!!!

Day 166   1984 Milt Wilcox and Willie Hernandez combined to shut out 1973.  Boss Schmidt had a walk-off walk for 1908.  1946 Virgil Trucks struck out 11 in a 3-2 win over 2011, Jhonny Peralta got his 20th homer for 2011.  Ivan Rodriquez' HR in the 8th put 2006 on top for good in a 5-3 game against 1961.

Day 167   1961 clinched the Fetzer with a 5-3 win over David Price and the 2014 team.  1934 SS Billy Rogell hit a grand slam and added a single and double.  Pat Mullin's 4 RBIs pushed 1946 to a 7-4 win over 1911.  2006 Chris Shelton ("Big Red") singled, doubled, and homered.  1973 Aurelio Rodriguez had a walk-off grand slam in an 8-7 win over 1950.  1984 Juan Berenguer only allowed 3 hits and earned his 20th win of the season against 1940.

Day 168   1961 Norm Cash hit for the cycle in a 9-7 win over 2014!  1946 Hank Greenberg's 42nd HR of the year was a 2-run walk-off in the 12th inning to defeat 1911.  1934 Tommy Bridges pitched all 11 innings in a 2-1 squeaker over Denny McLain and the 1968 team.  1940 got all the runs they needed with 7 in the second inning to top 1984 8-6.

Day 169   1946 Dizzy Trout won his 22nd game, 3-1 against 1911. 1934 Schoolboy Rowe won his 24th, limitng 1968 to just 1 run.  1961 Jim Bunning wins his 31st with an assist from Rocky Colavito and his 39th homer of the season.  1924 Fred Haney had 4 hits and 6 RBIs in a 16-8 laugher over 1993.  1909 Ed Willett blanked 2012 on 5 hits.

Day 170   1946 clinches the Navin Division with an 11-7 win over 1911.  George Kell had 4 hits and Virgil Trucks struck out 12.  1035 General Crowder threw a shutout and Jo-Jo White got 4 hits against the 2006 team.  1987 Frank Tanana went the distance in a 2-1 win over 2011.  1940 Dick Bartell's 3 -run HR was the difference in a 4-3 win over 1984, with Dave Rozema suffering his first loss of the year,