The First LCS

October 4th, 1969: capping the first season of divisional play, a pair of best-of-5 League Championship Series begin.


  • At Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Paul Blair's bunt single in the bottom of the 9th scores Mark Bellanger as the Orioles walk off the Twins 4-3.


  • At Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, J.C. Martin -- pinch hitting for Tom Seaver -- delivers a bases loaded single that scores all three runners (helped out by a Tony Gonzalez error in right field), that turns a 6 - 5 lead into a four-run cushion. The Mets go onto a 9 - 5 win the franchise's first post-season game.


Both series would end in three game sweeps. Three wins a side set up that memorable Mets/Orioles World Series.

Now it takes seven or eight wins to just make it to baseball's fall classic. And a sport that almost always ended by Columbus Day now runs to or past Halloween -- and plays its most important games at night for the TV audiences.

(My photo of Martin, wearing his #9 uniform, is from the Mets 1969 reunion last June at Citi Field.)

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