Rest in Peace - Catching up from the past year...

If you're new to the blog, I like to make it a point to recognize the passing of those players (and managers) who passed away from the 1984 season.  I haven't done one of these since the summer of 2021.  The players are listed from most recently deceased through last year.  As always, Statis Pro 1984 thanks these gentlemen for their contributions to such a terrific year of baseball.  They are mourned and missed.

John Wockenfuss - Phillies

Julio Cruz - White Sox

David Green - Cardinals

LaMarr Hoyt - White Sox

Ricky Nelson - Mariners

Jerry Remy - Red Sox

Dick Tidrow - Mets

Tim Tolman - Astros

June 19, 1984 - Astros Obliterate Padres with 21 Hits

Game #846 - San Diego Padres, 4 @  Houston Astros, 13

Eddie Whitson is usually a reliable starting pitcher for the Padres, but he had more than he could handle with the Houston Astros on this day.  In the bottom of the second Mark Bailey rocked a double that plated Craig Reynolds from first base and the first run of the game.  Bailey moved to third when pitcher Joe Niekro hit an oops-single.  Second baseman Bill Doran that notched a sacrifice fly to score Bailey.

It was still 2-0 in favor of Houston in the bottom of the fourth when the wheels fell all the way off for Whitson.  Houston sent nine batters to the plated and scored four runs, including an RBI double from Doran.  

The Padres cut the 6-0 lead in half in the top of the fifth, however.  With the bases loaded against Joe Niekro, Bailey allowed a passed ball that scored fellow catcher Terry Kennedy.  A couple of batters later Carmelo Martinez plated two with a single to make it 6-3.

But in the bottom of the fifth Houston once again scored four runs, this time off reliever Luis DeLeon.  Alan Wiggins didn't help matters any when he booted a grounder from Kevin Bass that opened the flood gates.  The Astros scored three more runs in the eighth, two courtesy of a Terry Puhl ball he launched into orbit.  The Astros rapped 21 hits, with five players hitting three apiece (Bill Doran, Terry Puhl, Jose Cruz, Enos Cabell, and Craig Reynolds).

Winning Pitcher - Joe Niekro

Losing Pitcher - Eddie Whitson

Player of the Game - Bill Doran, 3-5, 2 2B's, 3RBI, Sac Fly, 3R's

Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

June 19, 1984 - Brookens Walks It Off for Detroit

 Game #845 - New York Yankees, 4 @ Detroit Tigers, 6

The red-hot Tigers hosted their second game against New York in this battle of A.L. East ballclubs.  Detroit was on a six game win streak and looked to Carl Willis to start on the mound.  The Yankees countered with Ray Fontenot.

The first run of the game came courtesy of a solo homer by Lance Parrish in the bottom of the second.  The Tigers tagged on two more runs in the third inning on back to back RBI hits from Alan Trammell and Chet Lemon.  The Yankees tied the game in the top of the fifth thanks in large part to two uncharacteristic errors by both Trammell and Lemon.  

It stayed knotted at 3-3 until the seventh.  Dave Winfield walked to lead off the top of the inning, and was eventually sent home on a Butch Wynegar single.  But in the bottom of the seventh Barnabo Garbey plated Rusty Kuntz (NSFW!) on a single.  The bases were later loaded in that same inning for Detroit, but Trammell grounded into a double-play to end the threat.

Dave Righetti was on for New York in the bottom of the ninth, with the game still tied.  Kuntz led off with a walk, but Righetti quickly struck out Larry Herndon and Garbey.  With two outs, the scrappy Tom Brookens stepped to the plate.  Righetti tried to groove a fastball by him, but he was ready and sent it into the left field stands for a walk-off homer!!!

Winning Pitcher - Aurelio Lopez

Losing Pitcher - Dave Righetti

Player of the Game - Tom Brookens, 1-3, HR, 2RBI, BB

Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield, Alan Trammell

June 19, 1984 - Hershiser Shines in Relief

 

Game #844 - Los Angeles Dodgers, 7 @ Cincinnati Reds, 5 (10 innings)

Jay Tibbs, one of the better pitchers for Cincy in 1984, got rocked right out of the gate in this contest.  In the top of the first the Dodgers bruised him for four runs, including a two-run homer from Greg Brock.  Tibbs lasted through the fifth, where he gave up another run on a Mike Marshall single that plated Mike Scioscia from second base.

The L.A. 5-0 lead, however, evaporated in the bottom of the fifth.  Alejandro Pena, a major Cy Young Award contender, had runners on first and second with one out.  Tom Lawless stroked a double to score Wayne Krenchicki.  Pinch-hitter Eric Davis came up next, hit a ground ball to Dave Anderson at short, but Anderson booted, leading to two more runs.  Nine Reds batters would eventually come to the plate against Pena, and by the time the dust settled it was a tie game.

Orel Hershiser, currently working out of the pen, took over in the sixth and held Cincinnati in check through the bottom of the ninth.  Meanwhile, in the top of the tenth, ace reliever John Franco started his third inning of work.  He walked two of the first three batters, and both runners advanced on a groundout from Mike Marshall.  There were two outs with both runners in scoring position when Steve Yeager subbed in for Greg Brock.  Yeager came through with a huge single that scored Dave Anderson and Pedro Guerrero.  Hershiser worked his fifth inning of scoreless relief in the bottom of tenth to secure the win!

Winning Pitcher - Orel Hershiser

Losing Pitcher - John Franco

Player of the Game - Hershiser, 5IP, 0H's, 2BB's, K

June 19, 1984 - Zahn Chucked Two Outs Short of a Shutout

 

Game #843 - Texas Rangers, 0 @ California Angels, 6

Your eyes don't deceive you...this is a new Statis Pro post!  I've had an amazing personal update that should clear the way for some slightly more normal posting of replays.

I graduated with my doctorate in education!  

Finishing and defending my dissertation was tough sledding, but perseverance and a TON of edits got me through.  Woot woot!

I hope this will clear my weekends for more hobbies and fun.  It's the first time in 3+ years I haven't had homework and papers hanging over my head!

This was a fun game to come back to for Statis Pro.  Geoff Zahn was scattering hits all over the place, but the Rangers couldn't convert them into runs.  The Angels, though, were doing the exact opposite to Texas starter Danny Darwin.  Bob Boone poked an RBI single against him in the bottom of the second, scoring Reggie Jackson.  Fred Lynn parked a solo bomb in the third to make it 2-0 Halos.  Rod Carew plated Gary Pettis in the fourth.  

By the bottom of the ninth the Angels were up 4-0 and facing rookie reliever Tom Henke.  Henke gave up four straight hits, and a walk two batters later, to surrender the last two runs of the game.  Zahn was holding onto a shutout with one out in the top of the ninth when he vehemently disagreed with a called ball from the home plate umpire.  Zahn got tossed!  California got the final two outs, though, and the win.

Winning Pitcher - Geoff Zahn

Losing Pitcher - Danny Darwin

Player of the Game - Zahn, 8.1 IP, 3K's, BB

Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson 

Rest in Peace - Joe Beckwith

 

I was sad to hear Joe Beckwith passed away from cancer recently.  Prayers for his family and fans, he was a heck of a reliever.

June 19, 1984 - O's Fly Past the Red Sox

Game #842 - Baltimore Orioles, 6 @ Boston Red Sox, 5

This one was a real back and forth affair, so let's jump right in!

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the second.  That's when Storm Davis ran into a heap of trouble.  With two men on and just one out, Jackie Gutierrez doubled home Rich Gedman, moving Marty Barrett to third in the process.  Wade Boggs was up next, and he singled home Barrett.  Dwight Evans walked to load the bases with still just one out.  Mike Easler grounded out, but it plated Gutierrez.  Jim Rice grounded out to Cal Ripken to end the damage, but Boston was now up 3-0.

The Orioles rebounded in the third.  Ken Singleton hit a solo homer and Eddie Murray later singled  home Jim Dwyer.  That pulled Baltimore back within one run, 3-2.  Murray got another RBI single in the fifth to tie the game up.

Storm Davis had really settled down by that point, and in the bottom of the seventh he recorded his first strikeouts of the game, getting Mike Easler and Jim Rice to whiff in consecutive at-bats.  But Tony Armas doubled and then Gedman tripled, giving Boston the lead again.  Marty Barrett bounced an easy grounder to Rich Dauer, but the usually sure-handed O's second basemen booted it, allowing Gedman to score and giving Boston a two-run lead!

Baltimore was still in it, though.  John Henry Johnson had relieved Rich Gale in the seventh, and was still on the mound in the top of the eighth.  He allowed a lead-off walk to Cal Ripken, who then moved to third on Eddie Murray's third single of the game.  Pinch-hitter Todd Cruz replaced Wayne Gross, and plated Ripken with a single.  That brought the Orioles within one run of the Bo-Sox.  Johnson got two outs, but with two men still on and Dauer up at the plate, he hit a redeeming double that scored Murray and Cruz to give Baltimore their first lead of the game!  Sammy Stewart worked two and one-third innings of relief to earn the win in a very competitive ballgame.

Winning Pitcher - Sammy Stewart

Losing Pitcher - John Henry Johnson

Player of the Game - Eddie Murray, 3-4, 2RBI, R

Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Wade Boggs, Jim Rice