Week in Review - April 2 thru April 7

I thought I would do a weekly recap to review the progress of the season. I'm still learning and adjusting things as I go and I wanted to share those insights...

* This Statis Pro 1984 season is similar so far to the real 1984 in terms of standings, but there are some notable differences. The Statis Pro Orioles are 3-0 and not 0-3 like they were in the actual 1984. The Statis Pro Mariners have stumbled out of the blocks with a 1-3 record instead of 3-1. The Statis Pro Expos are still winless at 0-4 despite the real 1984 Expos being 3-1. The greatest variance, though, is in the NL West. In 1984 five of the six teams were under .500, but the Statis Pro league has five teams at or above .500.

* I originally wanted to do a "player of the week" each week, but I'm not sure that I can accurately track that given the way I've constructed my spreadsheets. That being said, Alan Trammell has been rocking the start of the season. He's homered in every game and has his Tigers at 4-0.

* I've had to adjust some of my techniques in recording stats and tracking playing time. As the rules of Statis Pro dictate, a player can't exceed the number of games they played in their real season. I also discovered that the player cards I purchased to do this season had a few discrepancies related to games played at specific positions. For instance, Oakland A's SS Tony Phillips played a lot of games at second base too, but the player card I had didn't reflect that. I'm still ironing out some of those issues.

* The standings and stats on the right side of the blog page are up to date. I've added some more offensive categories. I'm waiting until the pitchers have gone through the rotations a couple of more times before adding more categories for them. I'm also about to start reporting on stats based on equations (batting average, obp, etc.), but I'm a total noob when it comes to making excel formulas.

* Thanks for keeping up with the blog! I could use a favor from all of you, though. What are your favorite nicknames for "home runs"? I sure could use a bank of suggestions for my game reports. Let me know in the comments below. Thanks!

April 7, 1984 - Final NL Games

Game #51 - Chicago Cubs, 3 @ San Diego Padres, 6
The Cubs were still undefeated heading into the rematch with their real 1984 NLCS nemesis. The Padres jumped all over Cubs starter Dick Ruthven in the bottom of the second inning. Carmelo Martinez (always loved his named) hit a solo homer, Terry Kennedy batted in Graig Nettles, and pitcher Mark Thurmond squeezed in Gary Templeton to give San Diego the quick 3-0 lead. OF Kevin McReynolds scored on a Ruthven balk in the fifth to increase the lead to 4-0. Thurmond was having an easy time through the first six innings when the Cubs had runners on the corners in the seventh with two outs. Ryne Sandberg dug in and promptly launched a three run homer to bring the Cubs back within a run. But Terry Kennedy gave San Diego needed insurance when he hit a two run jack to put the Cubs away for good.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Thurmond
Losing Pitcher - Dick Ruthven
Save - Craig Lefferts
Player of the Game - Terry Kennedy, 3-4, HR, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Tony Gwynn

Game #52 - St. Louis Cardinals, 12 @ San Francisco Giants, 4
So much for White Herzog small ball! The stagnant Cardinal offense finally dusted off the cobwebs and scored some runs. And they did it by hitting an uncharacteristic three home runs. It was scoreless heading into the top of the fourth when David Green exploded for a three run homer and C Darrell Porter added a two run shot. The Giants answered back with two runs of their own, including a Jack Clark solo home run against his future team. The Giants got two more in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 6-4 Cardinals lead, but St. Louis put up four more runs in the seventh to pull away. Jeffrey Leonard struck out four times in five at bats - yowzer.

Winning Pitcher - Jeff Lahti
Losing Pitcher - Jeff Robinson
Player of the Game - Neil Allen. Allen pitched four scoreless innings of relief for the Cards. It was hard to pick an offensive star for the Cardinals because nine different players scored runs and seven different hitters had RBI's.
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith

April 7, 1984 - Who Can Take A Sunrise...

...sprinkle it with dew? The Candy Man!

Game #50 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 10 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 2

It's hard to believe I'm already fifty games into replaying the 1984 season. My excitement for it is only growing, so I think that's a good thing considering we're still in the first week of April.

The Dodgers starting rotation had started the season with three complete game victories, but Rick Honeycutt made sure to end that streak. Tony Pena had an RBI double in the first to give the early lead to the Pirates, and Pittsburgh could have had two more but Johnny Ray and Jason Thompson were both thrown out at home plate. SS Dale Berra (yes, Yogi's son) added another run for the Pirates in the second with a solo homer. The Pirates kept the offense surging in the third with an RBI double by Jason Thompson and a three run jack from Tony Pena. Honeycutt was done after that and the Dodgers went with Jerry Reuss to start the mop up duty.

Meanwhile Pirates pitcher John Candelaria was making Pittsburgh's world taste good by starting off with five perfect innings against the Dodgers. In the bottom of the sixth little Dave Anderson broke up the perfecto and no-hitter with a single. An RJ Reynolds solo shot and an RBI sacrifice fly from Greg Brock were the only productive items of note from the LA offense. Berra and Thompson added additional homers for the Pirates as they collected up all the cream.

Winning Pitcher - John Candelaria
Losing Pitcher - Rick Honeycutt
Player of the Game - The Candy Man, CG, 7K's, 2R's, 4H's, 1BB, 1-3 w/ a 2B

April 7, 1984 - Appendixless

I must apologize for the delay in updates. Friday morning my wife was feeling quite ill, so we took her to the emergency room. (I should probably mention she's also 24 weeks pregnant) After a battery of tests they finally figured out she needed an appendectomy. That's normally a routine surgery - although any process that opens up your body and pulls a piece out, never to be seen or used again, probably shouldn't be considered routine. Having an appendectomy while carrying a child makes things a lot more complicated. I'm happy to report, though, that all is now well. *whew* On to the games...

Game #47 - Montreal Expos, 2 @ Atlanta Braves, 6
Dale Murphy rocked a two run homer in the bottom of the first off Steve Rogers to give the Braves a quick 2-0 lead. Two errors by Braves pitcher Rick Camp, however helped the Expos tie things up in the top of the third. (Camp would have three errors on the game, plus a passed ball. Ugly.) But in the bottom of the third Murph hit another two run homer! The Braves would later add two more with an RBI double from Murphy and a solo home run by Chris Chambliss.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Camp
Losing Pitcher - Steve Rogers
Player of the Game - Murphy, 3-3, 2HR's, 2B, 5 RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Pete Rose

Game #48 - Philadelphia Phillies, 10 @ Cincinnati Reds, 2
Through the first five innings the Phills had a slim lead of 3-2. Frank Pastore was avoiding serious damage on the mound for the Reds while John Denny was pitching ugly innings for Philly but escaping with the lead. Things got out of hand for the Reds in the sixth, though. Tim Corcoran had an RBI single and two batters later C Ozzie Virgil launched a three run bomb, and Juan Samuel added a solo shot before Pastore was mercifully pulled. Al Holland worked a longer than normal 3 and 2/3 innings of relief work to preserve the win.

Winning Pitcher - John Denny
Losing Pitcher - Frank Pastore
Player of the Game - Juan Samuel, 3-5, 2HR's, 4RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

Game #49 - New York Mets, 3 @ Houston Astros, 4
These 1984 Astros have been a fun team to manage. They have a lot of platoon options and deep bullpen. The Mets got on the board first with a two run homer from Strawberry in the top of the first. It's his National League-leading third home run on the season. Keith Hernandez knocked in Mookie Wilson, who was on second base after a Mike Scott balk, to give the Mets the 3-0 lead after three innings. The Astros started chipping back. SS Dickie Thon knocked in Mike Scott in the bottom of the first to remove the goose egg. In the fifth Jose Cruz and Jerry Mumphrey had RBI hits to tie the game up, 3-3. In the seventh, with Jesse Orosco pitching, Bill Doran walked, bringing up Dickie Thon. Thon smacked a triple for the game winning RBI. Bill Dawley, Julio Solano, and Dave Smith pitched four innings of relief for the win and save. On a side note, Wally Backman was picked off of first for the third time in four games. The pick-off is an obscure outcome when you attempt to steal a base, and poor Wally has been caught napping three times.

Winning Pitcher - Bill Dawley
Losing Pitcher - Jesse Orosco
Save - Dave Smith
Player of the Game - Dickie Thon, 2-4, 3B, 2RBI's

April 7, 1984 - Ample Sample

Game #46 - New York Yankees, 5 @ Texas Rangers, 6

Check out that power-T on Sample's hat, it looks awesome. As a kid who lived in Texas for six years, I've probably attended more games at old Arlington Stadium than any other ball park, and this era of the Rangers' logo will always be my favorite.

This was a pretty exciting game. Sample led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer for the Rangers. It was his only hit of the game, but he would play a big role later. Yankees pitcher Joe Cowley had a rough go of it, giving up another run in the first to put the Yanks down 2-0. The Rangers added another three runs in the third after an RBI double by Larry Parrish and a two run homer from ex-Yankee Mickey Rivers. Meanwhile, Dave Stewart (weird to think of him not in an A's jersey) had pitched three perfect innings against the Yankee lineup.

In the fourth inning, though, New York started clawing back. Don Mattingly hit a two run homer, and in the top of the eighth they added another two runs to make the score 6-5 in favor of the Rangers. Texas brought in their closer (at least the pitcher I'm using as the closer for this Statis Pro league), Dave Schmidt. He got 3B Mike Pagliarulo to ground out for the first out. But pinch hitter Steve Kemp put the tying run on first with a single. Kemp was lifted for pinch runner Bobby Meachem. Meachem promptly stole second base. With Meachem on second, Willie Randolph stroked a single to center field and Meachem took off, determined to score. Billy Sample scooped up the hit and fired for home to prevent the tie. (Meachem has an on-base running rating of "A", which is the best you can have, while Sample's throw rating is "3", which is very average.) Fate favored the Rangers, however, because Sample gunned down Meachem to save the lead. Ken Griffey grounded out with Randolph on second, ending the game.

Winning Pitcher - Dave Stewart
Losing Pitcher - Joe Cowley
Save - Dave Schmidt
Player of the Game - Billy Sample, lead off home run, game saving assist
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield

April 7, 1984 - The Boggs in a Davis Sandwich

Game #43 - Baltimore Orioles, 4 @ Minnesota Twins, 0

We almost had our first no-hitter of the season! Storm Davis of the mighty Orioles (complete author bias here) brought the thunder and lightning to the Metrodome. He had only allowed a walk through the first five innings when little known OF Andre David, only on the roster because of injuries to Tom Brunansky and Kirby Puckett, poked a single to start the sixth. It was the only Twins hit until the top of the ninth when SS Ron Washington bunted for a hit and Mickey Hatcher punched another single. Davis got Kent Hrbek to ground into a double play to end the game. On the O's side of the offense, Wayne Gross had a two run homer and Eddie Murray, the greatest player in the history of baseball (EXTREME author bias), had an RBI single as well.

Winning Pitcher - Storm Davis

Losing Pitcher - Ken Schrom

Player of the Game - Storm, CG SHO, 3H's, 2BB's, 6K's

Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #44 - Boston Red Sox, 9 @ Oakland A's, 4

It didn't look good for Beantown when the A's put two on the board in the bottom of the first with a Dwayne Murphy home run, but the Sox offense woke up in the third with a three run shot from Dwight Evans. The A's tied it up on a Carney Lansford single, but the Sox would go on to score six more runs, including solo homers from C Rich Gedman and Tony Armas. I've also got myself into a roster mess with Dennis Eckersley and Bill Buckner. They're both active on the Red Sox and the Cubs right now. When I started this project I was up front about not adhering to "when" folks were on the roster, but that I would make sure they didn't exceed the number of real 1984 games they played.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Eckersley

Losing Pitcher - Lary Sorensen

Save - Steve Crawford

Player of the Game - Wade Boggs, 3-6, 2R's, 1RBI

Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #45 - Milwaukee Brewers, 6 @ Seattle Mariners, 9

This might sound cruel, but I love injuries in Statis Pro. It really helps me manage the roster and distribute playing time. Plus, its exciting when you draw the "z" card and an injury pops up. This time Brewers 1B Cecil Cooper and OF Mark Brouhard (who hit a homer in his first at bat of the season) collided on an Alvin Davis blooper. Coop is out for the next 8 games, but poor Brouhard is on the IR for 45 games! That's the worst injury sustained so far. The M's took an early lead in this game with a two run homer from Alvin Davis, with the Brew Crew tying it up on the Brouhard bomb. But the M's pulled ahead for good when Alvin Davis added a two run double as well. A Jack Perconte error led to a three run eighth inning for Milwaukee, but they still fell short.

Winning Pitcher - Matt Young

Losing Pitcher - Mike Caldwell

Save - Bob Stoddard

Player of the Game - Alvin Davis, 3-5, HR, 2 2B's, 4 RBI's

Hall of Famers in the Game - Paul Molitor, Robin Yount

April 7, 1984 - Undefeated in the AL East

Game #41 - Toronto Blue Jays, 11 @ California Angels, 5

Toronto has been riding hot hitting and stellar pitching to start the season. Lloyd Moseby ripped a triple in the first that scored Damaso Garcia but the Angels answered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo shot from Brian Downing, who now has four HR's in four games. Angels pitcher Geoff Zahn started to unravel in the fourth as the Blue Jays put up another three runs. Jesse Barfield knocked in Cliff Johnson and Tony Fernandez and Buck Martinez added RBI hits too. (When I was a kid and saw my first Geoff Zahn card, I thought it was pronounced "gee-off." My dad had to tell me it was an alternate spelling of "Jeff.") The Angels got one more back in the bottom of the fourth to close it to 4-2. But DH Cliff Johnson ripped a huge three run homer to make it 7-3, and Johnson hit another home run in the eighth to seal the victory.

Winning Pitcher - Luis Leal

Losing Pitcher - Geoff Zahn

Player of the Game - Cliff Johnson, 3-5, 2HR's, 5RBI's, 3R's

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

Game #42 - Detroit Tigers, 5 @ Chicago White Sox, 0

Alan Trammell continued his torrid start as he singled, stole a base, and scored a run in the first inning, and later hit a two run homer in the eighth. He has hit a home run in four straight games to start the season - there's no one hotter in the league right now. Meanwhile, Juan Berenguer was throwing smoke himself. He limited the White Sox to four hits and two walks while striking out six. Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon added solo homers in the top of the ninth too.

Winning Pitcher - Juan Berenguer

Losing Pitcher - Floyd Bannister

Player of the Game - Berenguer, CG SHO, 6K's, 4H's

Both the Tigers and the Blue Jays are 4-0 to start the season - I can't wait for these two teams to face each other. They both have balanced lineups, good platoons, and strong starting pitchers.

April 6, 1984 - NL Wrap Up

Game #39 - Chicago Cubs, 7 @ San Diego Padres, 2
Just the third game of the season for each team and we have a replay of the real 1984 NLCS. The Cubs were the victors this time, though. Keith Moreland knocked in Bob Dernier in the top of the first, and Dernier knocked in Bill Buckner in the top of the second. Dernier scored again in the fifth, this time compliments from a Ryne Sandberg double. Dennis Eckersley had a great day too, going eight innings and only allowing two runs on four hits.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Eckersley
Losing Pitcher - Tim Lollar
Player of the Game - Dernier, 3-4, 2R's, 1RBI, 1SB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Dennis Eckersley, Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

Game #40 - St. Louis Cardinals, 4 @ San Francisco Giants, 2

Both teams were winless on the season heading into this one. The Cards scored the first run when Darrell Porter crossed homeplate thanks to a hit from Willie McGee. Starters Danny Cox and Mike Krukow were both in the zone until the bottom of the sixth, when C Bob Brenly brought home Jeff Leonard and a Brad Wellman ground out scored Jack Clark. Leading 2-1 in the top of the ninth, the Giants brought in their closer, Gary LaVelle. Dave Green grounded out but pinch hitter Tito Landrum came up with a single and Ozzie Smith walked. Brenly let a LaVelle pitch get by him and Landrum and Smith move to third and second base. C Tom Nieto pinched hit for Porter only to strike out. With two outs and the go ahead run on second, pinch hitter Lonnie Smith drilled a triple to score two for the red birds, 3-2 Cardinals! Willie McGee added another hit and plated Lonnie for some insurance. The Cards brought in Bruce Sutter for his first action on the season and he retired the Giants 1-2-3.

Winning Pitcher - Ralph Citarella
Losing Pitcher - Gary LaVelle
Save - Bruce Sutter
Player of the Game - Lonnie Smith, pinch-hit triple, 2RBI's, 1R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith, Bruce Sutter

UPDATES - The standings and stats have been updated through April 6. I'll add more pitching categories once we've gone through the rotations a couple of times. I've seen some increased traffic on the site - thanks for stopping by! Let me know in the comments below if there's anything you'd like to see, suggestions, etc. We're now through the first five calendar days of the 1984 season!

April 6, 1984 - National League Updates

Game #36 - Philadelphia Phillies, 2 @ Cincinnati Reds, 8
Dave Parker put the Reds on the board in the bottom of the first with a solo shot off of Charles Hudson. The Phillies tied it up when C Ozzie Virgil knocked in Mike Schmidt, but the Reds got back in front in the third with another solo home run, this time from Eddie Milner. It stayed 2-1 Reds until the sixth when Reds starter Joe Price walked SS Ivan DeJesus with the bases juiced. But in the bottom half of the sixth Dave Parker pulled the Reds ahead again with an RBI double, and 1B Dan Driessan hit Parker home as well. In the seventh the Reds chased off Hudson and even roughed up reliever Tug McGraw for four more runs and the win.

Winning Pitcher - Joe Price
Losing Pitcher - Charles Hudson
Player of the Game - Dave Parker, 3-4, HR, 2B, 4RBI's, 3R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

Game #37 - New York Mets, 3 @ Houston Astros, 0
This was a great early season duel between the two best flamethrowers in the National League - Dwight Gooden and Nolan Ryan. Both lineups were swinging and missing throughout, but the Mets put up a run in the third on a Mookie Wilson double. Gooden squeezed in Jose Oquendo for another run in the fifth and Backman knocked in Gooden, who had doubled, in the eighth. Despite Nolan's 8 K's, the Astros were shut out by Gooden, making his first career start.

Winning Pitcher - Dwight Gooden
Losing Pitcher - Nolan Ryan
Player of the Game - Doc Gooden, CG SHO, 7K"s, 0BB's, 1-1 w/ 2B, RBI, 1R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Nolan Ryan

Game #38 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 0 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 2
Three games into the season and the Dodgers have yet to use their bullpen. Alejandro Pena joined Fernando and Bob Welch with another complete game victory as the Pirates only managed five hits, none of which were more than a single. The Dodgers two runs came on a homer by Franklin Stubbs, as their team only had four total hits.

Winning Pitcher - Alejandro Pena
Losing Pitcher - Larry McWilliams
Player of the Game - Pena, CG SHO, 6K's, 0BB's

April 6, 1984 - Mahler Delivers

Game #35 - Montreal Expos, 0 @ Atlanta Braves, 1

If you were a kid and a baseball fan like me growing up in the 1980's, you probably spent a good number of lazy summer afternoons with your baseball cards sprawled across the living room floor watching the Atlanta Braves on Turner Broadcasting. The Braves were usually losing, and for me at least I couldn't understand how Skip Caray could sound so bored to be broadcasting a game on national television. My father told me he thought Skip went with an understated delivery to differentiate himself from his dad Harry. I much preferred the Saturday afternoon games on NBC with Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola - that's still my favorite broadcasting team.

Anyway, when you watched all those Braves games on TBS, it felt like Rick Mahler was always the pitcher for the Braves. He was the ultimate innings-eater on a lousy team. He was sure to get roughed up, but he was also sure to get into the sixth or seventh inning. You almost felt bad for him, getting tagged for all those runs but no manager's trip to the mound in sight to end the misery. He would just be standing out there, pitch after pitch in a half empty stadium with Skip droning on.

1984 was an odd year for Mahler because he was actually pretty good. He had a 3.14 ERA and won more than he lost. He even completed 9 games. Yesterday he and Expos starter Bryn Smith delivered the best pitched game since I started this Statis Pro season.

The only run of the game occurred in the bottom of the second. 1B Chris Chambliss led off with a single and Rafael Ramirez sacrificed him to second. Glen Hubbard struck out but Bruce Bennedict walked. (Bruce, the worst hitter in the lineup, actually walked three times in the game.) With two outs that brought up Mahler to hit. Mahler had a good stick in '84 - he hit .296 in 70 at bats. Sure enough, he punched a single to score Chambliss. That was the only run of the game! Mahler pitched a shut out, only giving up four hits the whole game. Bryn Smith pitched seven innings but was lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. He only gave up four hits too while striking out seven. The Expos threatened in the top of the ninth when Pete Rose hit a single, but Gary Carter grounded into a double play to end the game - a particularly sad ending given Carter's passing yesterday.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Mahler
Losing Pitcher - Bryn Smith
Player of the Game - Mahler, CG SHO, 5K's, 4H's, 0BB's, RBI single
Hall of Famers in the Game - Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

Rest in Peace, Gary Carter

I am very sad to learn that Gary Carter has passed away today after battling cancer.

I had the privilege to be in Cooperstown, NY the day he entered the Baseball Hall of Fame. I was there to see my favorite player, Eddie Murray, become enshrined, and had the added bonus of seeing "the Kid" too.

Gary was one of the best catchers in MLB history and I was astonished when he wasn't elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. I know most remember him for his role on the 1986 New York Mets, who miraculously won the World Series over the Boston Red Sox. But I prefer to think of him in an Expos jersey. I'm sure when opposing pitchers saw Carter, Dawson, and Raines in the same lineup, they knew they were in for a long day.

I realize a blog replaying the 1984 season is pretty silly in the grand scheme of things, but at least I (and whoever else is reading this) will get to relive some of his glories one more time.

My prayers and thoughts for his family, friends and fans.

April 6, 1984 - Rest of the AL Action

Game #33 - Milwaukee Brewers, 3 @ Seattle Mariners, 2
The poor Mariners can't catch a break. If you could choose between these two starting pitchers, who would you take: A) 7IP, 7H's, 3K's, 3BB's, 1HR or B) 7 2/3IP, 5H's, 8K's, 2BB's, 0HR? Pitcher A was Jamie Cocanower and pitcher B was Jim Beattie, but Cocanower only gave up two runs and Beattie gave up three. Ted Simmons and Rick Manning had the tying and go ahead RBI's in the 7th. Ken Phelps had a solo shot for the M's, which probably brings a smile to the faces of all you stat heads out there.

Winning Pitcher - Jamie Cocanower
Losing Pitcher - Jim Beattie
Save - Rollie Fingers
Player of the Game - Rick Waits, in the eighth he retired the number 3, 4 and 5 hitters in the Mariners lineup.
Hall of Famers in the Game - Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers

Game #34 - New York Yankees, 4 @ Texas Rangers, 3
The Yankees roughed up Danny Darwin and scored all four of their runs in the first inning, including a two run homer from OF Steve Kemp. Dennis Rasmussen pitched in and out of jams for 5 2/3 innings and only gave up two runs on an RBI to Buddy Bell and a single to Larry Parrish.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Rasmussen
Losing Pitcher - Danny Darwin
Save - Dave Righetti
Player of the Game - Steve Kemp, 4-5, HR, 2RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield

April 6, 1984 - Hero to Goat in One Inning

Game #32 - Boston Red Sox, 5 @ Oakland Athletics, 6

This was one of the most exciting games of the young season so far. Red Sox starter Al Nipper and A's starter Bill Krueger kept the bats quiet through the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, though, Tony Armas hit an RBI double and SS Jackie Gutierrez squeezed in another run to give Boston a 2-0 lead. Gutierrez added a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth to make it 3-0.

In the bottom half of the inning Oakland rallied back. Rickey Henderson reached on an error and stole second while Joe Morgan walked. Carney Lansford promptly recorded his first hit of the season - a three run homer. Two batters later, 1B Bruce Bochte added a solo shot to give the A's their first lead of the game, 4-3.

In the top of the eighth the Red Sox would strike back. DH Tony Armas had singled, bringing up Gutierrez again. In Statis Pro there is a sequence of events when "clutch batting" occurs. Gutierrez randomly received this benefit which provides a huge advantage to the hitter. Sure enough, the "fast action card" determined that Gutierrez hit a home run! In the real 1984 he only hit two, so this shot came as quite a surprise. This gave the Sox the lead again, 5-4.

In the bottom half of the same inning, big Dave Kingman stepped in with two outs. He recorded his first hit of the season and, just like Lansford, it was a home run too! Game tied, 5-5. In the top of the 9th with Wade Boggs on first base, the A's called in ace reliever Bill Caudill. 2B Marty Barrett went with the hit and run and moved Boggs to third while he was safe at first. With runners on the corner and the dreaded Dwight Evans at bat and Jim Rice on deck, it didn't look good for the A's. But Caudill struck out Dewey and Rice grounded weakly in front of the catcher as the A's escaped the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth lefty specialist John Henry Johnson struck out Mike Davis, and the Sox brought in their closer, Bob Stanley, to finish things off. But SS Tony Phillips eked out a hit and stole second base. Rickey Henderson was up and hit a normal ground ball to SS Jackie Gutierrez. But the throw got away from Jackie and sailed past first baseman Mike Easler! Phillips scored on the error - A's win!!! Poor Gutierrez - he had four RBI's in the game and looked to be the hero. Alas, it wasn't meant to be for Beantown...

Winning Pitcher - Bill Caudill
Losing Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Player of the Game - Caudill, 2/3IP, 1K
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

The Red Sox are off to a 1-3 start to the season while the upstart A's are 3-0.

April 6, 1984 - Happy Valentine's Day

Well, not in 1984, but happy V-Day in the present. I love my wife and my daughters, but in the world of baseball, my love is the Baltimore Orioles. They're not an easy team to love. I was in grade school the last time they won it all, and I really have no memory of it honestly. I do remember sheepishly wearing my O's hat to junior high in the midst of their 20 game losing streak to start the season. I remember a punk kid in the Bronx during the playoffs turning an out into a home run. I remember the indignities of Tejada, Palmeiro, and steroids. I was in college the last time we had a winning season, and I refuse to believe how long ago that really was.

But I'm focusing on the negative. Why do I love the Orioles? How about my first little league team having the same name? How about my first pack of baseball cards (1982 Topps) containing a card of my soon to be idol, Eddie Murray? How about my first and only trip to Memorial Stadium, in its final season and in the middle of a Cal Ripken MVP campaign? Or what about my first trip to Camden, when right before we went on vacation Eddie Murray was traded back to the O's, and I got to see him hit a home run into right-center field to tie Lou Gehrig on the all time home run list?

No matter how hard they are to love, I do still love them. Somebody has to! I'll play thousands of games to finish this Statis Pro season, but the 162 featuring the Baltimore Orioles will be my favorite by far. They were the first scheduled team of the 1984 season, but three days later this is only their second game. The wait was worth it!

Game #31 - Baltimore Orioles, 16 @ Minnesota Twins, 1
The Twins actually had a lead in this game, as they scored the first run off Mike Flanagan in the bottom of the first. But Minnesota was missing a third of its starting lineup due to injuries, and the bottom fell out of their bullpen. Wayne Gross hit a three run shot in the second, which John Lowenstein duplicated in the third. The O's added a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth too, and the route was on. Already ahead 10-1, the O's put up six more in the sixth inning, which had a nice symmetry to it now that I think of it. Three of those runs came courtesy of a Cal Ripken Jr. homer. Every Oriole starter recorded at least one hit and one run. Meanwhile, Flanagan settled down and had an easy day against an anemic offense.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Flanagan
Losing Pitcher - John Butcher
Player of the Game - Cal Ripken, 4-6, 2b, HR, 4RBI's, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

April 6, 1984 - AL Slugging Studs

My last post praised dominant pitching performances, but these last three games were all about the sluggers!

Game #28 - Toronto Blue Jays, 9 @ California Angels, 7 (extra innings)
The Angels possessed a slim 1-0 lead when the Blue Jays added three in the top of the third. They added another run in the fourth on a Willie Upshaw solo shot. Brian Downing added a run of his own with a home run in the sixth, and then again with a two run shot in the seventh. The Angels were up 6-4 in the top of the eighth when Upshaw blasted another homer to tie the game. The bases were loaded for California in the bottom of the ninth and only one out, but Reggie Jackson whiffed and Doug DeCinces grounded out to force the extra frames. Gary Pettis tried to squeeze home Bobby Grich in the tenth but they tagged him at the plate. In the top of the 11th Pettis made a spectacular diving catch on a Tony Fernandez blooper and picked off Ernie Whitt at first. However, the next four Blue Jays recorded hits to give them a three run lead going into the bottom of the 11th. You won't believe it, but Brian Downing hit his THIRD home run. Alas, it wasn't enough, and the Jays won.

Winning Pitcher - Roy Lee Jackson
Losing Pitcher - Doug Corbett
Player of the Game - Willie Upshaw, 2-4, 2HR's, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

Game #29 - Detroit Tigers, 7 @ Chicago White Sox, 4
And we have another Tigers come back. Trailing 2-0 after a Carlton Fisk home run, the Tigers put up four runs in the fifth thanks to RBI doubles from Howard Johnson and Lou Whitaker. Alan Trammell iced the cake when he hit a three run homer in the seventh. It's the third game in a row Trammell has hit a home run. He's drawing hot "fast action cards" right now. Those three runs went unearned for Tom Seaver because, thanks to a Z play, Carlton Fisk botched the called strike three on Howard Johnson, who got to first base. Two batters later Trammell went deep.

Winning Pitcher - Milt Wilcox
Losing Pitcher - Tom Seaver
Save - Doug Bair
Player of the Game - Trammell, 2-4, 2b, HR, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver

Game #30 - Cleveland Indians, 14 @ Kansas City Royals, 5
This contest was like a video game. Three Indian sluggers had multiple home runs: Andre Thornton and Carmelo Castillo with two each and Joe Carter with three! Rookie Bret Saberhagen, relieving Charlie Leibrandt, took the worst of it. Over two innings he gave up six runs and three of the homers. Willie Wilson scored three runs and stole two bases, but that was about all the Royals had going for them this game.

Winning Pitcher - Neal Heaton
Losing Pitcher - Charlie Leibrandt
Player of the Game - Joe Carter and his three grand salamis
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett

April 5, 1984 - NL Pitching Studs

I've worried since starting the season that I'm not utilizing the bullpens enough. In Statis Pro, each pitcher has a "starter rating", or SR for short. This determines how long they can pitch in an average game. Each time the opposition scores a run, gets a hit, takes a walk, etc., the SR is reduced. Once you hit zero on the SR, all action is based on the hitting card. Essentially, the pitcher is done for the day. These last three games were dominated by the starting pitchers, and as I've tried to remind myself, right now it's still guys in the front of the rotation. I'm sure once the fourth and fifth starters take the mound, the bullpen action will warm up.

Game #25 - St. Louis Cardinals, 1 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 5
A Mike Marshall RBI single and a subsequent Candy Maldonado home run gave the boys in blue an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. That would prove to be all Bob Welch needed. He went the distance only giving up a single run. That run came in the top of the eight when, in true 1980's Cardinals fashion, Willie McGee got a single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a ground out to second. After playing a couple games with all the teams, its painfully apparent the Cardinals have one of the worst offenses. Pedro Guerrero added a solo homer too.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Welch
Losing Pitcher - Dave LaPoint
Player of the Game - Welch, CG, 1R, 6K's, 0BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith

Game #26 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 3 @ San Diego Padres, 2
Ed Whitson was pitching in and out of jams until Jason Thompson tagged him for two runs on a single in the top of the sixth, making it 3-0 Pirates. The Padres offense could do nothing against John Tudor until the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, pinch hitter Bobby Brown (not the ex-husband of the late Whitney Houston) hit a single, bringing up slugger Kevin McReynolds. He promptly crushed a two run home run, and suddenly the Padres were only down by one. I made the call to the bullpen, and Cecilio Guante retired pinch hitter Graig Nettles to save the game.

Winning Pitcher - John Tudor
Losing Pitcher - Ed Whitson
Save - Cecilio Guante
Player of the Game - Tudor, 8 2/3IP, 2R's, 4K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn

Game #27 - Chicago Cubs, 11 @ San Francisco Giants, 0
Oh boy, the Giants are 0-2 on the season and haven't even scored a run yet. Scott Sanderson of the Cubs pitched an absolute gem. His SR rating is 15, and only got knocked six reductions (five hits and a walk). Two of those hits came in the bottom of the ninth, but he managed to strike out Bob Brenly to end the game and preserve the shutout. Jody Davis had five RBI's, four coming on a grand slam. Keith Moreland homered and had 3 RBI's himself.

Winning Pitcher - Scott Sanderson
Losing Pitcher - Bill Laskey
Player of the Game - Sanderson (with apologies to Jody Davis)
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg

That ends April 5th - all the standings and the stats on the right of the page have been updated. We're roughly 1.23% done with the season.

April 5, 1984 - AL Round Up

Game #21 - New York Yankees, 2 @ Kansas City Royals, 3
This game was pretty tight as the score was 2-1 in favor of the Yankees heading into the bottom of the fifth. Hal McRae knocked in a run and George Brett scored during a Darryl Motley double play grounder, giving the Royals a one run lead. Dan Quisenberry survived two very shaky innings of relief to save the game.

Winning Pitcher - Larry Gura
Losing Pitcher - Ray Fontenot
Save - Dan Quisenberry
Player of the Game - Hal McRae, 2-2, 1RBI, 1R, 1BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield, George Brett

Game #22 - Detroit Tigers, 6 @ Minnesota Twins, 5
This was a brutal defeat for the Twins, and in more ways than one. Despite a lead off homer by Alan Trammell, the Twins jumped out to a 5-1 lead, battering Tigers pitcher Dan Petry (Petry beaned two Twins, making three hit batters in two games from Tigers pitching. I'm not sure how Statis Pro determines when the benches should clear). Frank Viola had retired twelve straight Tigers when a bloop hit by Lance Parrish caused second baseman Tim Teufel and center fielder Kirby Puckett to collide, injuring both. In the very next inning, Parrish again caused bodily harm as he drilled a deep shot to right field. Tom Brunansky crashed into the wall, injuring himself as well. The Tigers had cut the lead to 5-4 when, in the top of the eighth, Larry Herndon hit a two run homer to give the Tigers the lead and, eventually, the win.

Winning Pitcher - Aurelio Lopez
Losing Pitcher - Frank Viola
Save - Willie Hernandez
Player of the Game - Lance Parrish, 3-5, double, triple, RBI, 1R, 3 Twins injured
Hall of Famers in the Game - Kirby Puckett

Game #23 - Toronto Blue Jays, 7 @ Seattle Mariners, 1
This game was a lot closer than the final score indicates. The Blue Jays roughed up Seattle pitcher Mike Moore for three runs in the first three innings, but he settled down after that and ended up striking out eight Jays. But Doyle Alexander was even better. After giving up a run on a Ken Phelps sacrifice fly, he sunk the Mariners (pun!) for the rest of the game. The Blue Jays scored four in the top of the eighth to pull away. Toronto OF Dave Collins had two triples in the game.

Winning Pitcher - Doyle Alexander
Losing Pitcher - Mike Moore
Player of the Game - Alexander, CG, 7K's, 1R

Game #24 - Cleveland Indians, 2 @ Texas Rangers, 5
Texas was looking for revenge after their opening day shellacking and jumped to a quick three run lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a two run homer from Pete O'Brien and an RBI single from Curtis Wilkerson. Cleveland pitcher Rick Sutcliffe gave up another two runs in the second, this time on a home run by Gary Ward (who I once saw in the Detroit airport - true story). Cleveland tagged two runs on Frank Tanana in the seventh, but that was all they could muster. Pete O'Brien got injured diving into the stands in the ninth inning. Didn't he learn anything from Gary Carter?

Winning Pitcher - Frank Tanana
Losing Pitcher - Rick Sutcliffe
Save - Dave Schmidt
Player of the Game - Pete O'Brien, 3-4, HR, 2RBI's, plenty of bruises

April 5, 1984 - Cocaine and Oil Cans

Game #20 - Boston Red Sox, 5 @ California Angels, 2

I never considered when starting this project that a current ESPN story might somehow be relevant to the 1984 baseball season, but low and behold, Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd taught me a lesson. It seems Oil Can used to lube up his nose before he pitched. And wouldn't you know it, he was scheduled to pitch today's game - go figure.

The Red Sox, who had lost the first two games of this series, obviously wanted to escape Anaheim with at least one victory. Wade Boggs got the party started with a double and Marty Barrett quickly singled him home. Jim Rice added a second run with his own double.

The Angels answered in the bottom of the second when Jerry Narron doubled in Reggie Jackson, but Dwight Evans threw out Bobby Grich at the plate on the same play. It stayed 2-1 into the top of the sixth when Jim Rice deposited a Ron Romanick pitch into the cheap seats for two more. Meanwhile, Oil Can was escaping his own jams thanks to three double plays by the Angels.

Heading into the bottom of the ninth the Sox were leading 5-1 and Oil Can was still on the mound. His magic white powder must have worn off because Doug DeCinces led off with a home run and Bobby Grich smacked a double. He was quickly yanked after that and replaced by Charlie Mitchell. Mitchell loaded the bases after beaning pinch hitter Rob Wilfong and walking Rod Carew. With two outs and the bases juiced, hulking Brian Downing stepped to the plate. Sadly for the halo fans, he flew out to center to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Oil Can Boyd
Losing Pitcher - Ron Romanick
Save - Charlie Mitchell
Player of the Game - Jim Rice, 2-3, HR, 2b, 3RBI's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

I've updated the standings and stats through April 4 too.

April 4, 1984 - The Rematch

Game #19 - Montreal Expos, 1 @ Houston Astros, 8

After their thrilling, 15 inning season opener, the fans in Houston were ready for another nail biter. Fortunately for them, the Astros cruzed to another victory. Hah! Get it? Jose Cruze!? Anyway, on to the game.

It was goose eggs for both teams heading into the bottom of the fifth. Starters Charlie Lea and Bob Knepper were both breezing through their respective lineups. Dickie Thon gapped a triple to score Bill Doran, then scored himself when Jose Cruz hit a sacrifice fly. Two batters later Terry Puhl launched a two run homer to give the Astros a 4-0 lead.

The Expos scored in the top of the sixth when pinch hitter Miguel Dilone tripled in backup catcher Bobby Ramos (Gary Carter was injured), but the Astros picked up another four runs, three of them coming on a Jose Cruz home run. That's all Knepper needed as he completed the game. No revenge for the Expos this game.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Knepper

Losing Pitcher - Charlie Lea

Player of the Game - Knepper, CG, 7K's, 6H's, 1R, 1-2 w/ a run scored and 2 walks

Hall of Famers in the Game - Pete Rose, Andre Dawson

That's all for April 4th - we're three days into the season. I'll try and update the standings and stats tonight. I probably won't have a new post until this weekend so stay tuned. Let me know what you think of the blog if you get a chance in the comments below. Suggestions, etc.

April 4, 1984 - It's a team sport.

It occurred to me after this latest batch of contests that my whole idea of picking a "player of the game" might be flawed. I was watching the Super Bowl while playing two of these games and found it odd that Eli Manning was named "MVP" when it was very much a "team" win. Similarly, I had a hard time picking the POG's for these last three games because they were truly team efforts. But if I don't throw a few baseball cards up on these posts, what little visual pizazz I have reporting a baseball season played out on a board game will be lost...so the POG lives!

Game #16 - Toronto Blue Jays, 6 @ Seattle Mariners, 5
This was the first game of the season for these two teams, meaning every team has now played at least once. In the top of the second Buck Martinez hit a sacrifice fly and Alfredo Griffin smacked a triple to give Toronto the 2-0 lead. The Blue Jays extended their lead to 5-1 in the top of the fifth when Martinez hit a solo homer and Damaso Garcia and George Bell also crossed home plate. The Mariners started marching back in the bottom of the sixth as Ken Phelps (!) and Dave Henderson each hit their own solo shots. Jack Perconte scored twice more for the M's in the 7th and 9th, but the come back attempt ended a run short.

Winning Pitcher - Dave Stieb
Losing Pitcher - Mark Langston
Save - Ron Musselman
Player of the Game - Buck Martinez, 2-3, 1HR, 2RBI's, 1 sac fly

Game #17 - Philadelphia Phillies, 6 @ Atlanta Braves, 4

This game was tied 3-3 in the top of the 5th when the Phillies pulled ahead for good. Mike Schmidt, Ozzie Virgil, and Greg Gross all scored and Ivan DeJesus added an RBI double. In the top of the 7th Dale Murphy made an outstanding diving catch on a DeJesus fly ball and was able pick Virgil off of second base. That play helped offset Murhp's three strikeouts on the game. Koosman struck out seven for the Phillies.

Winning Pitcher - Jerry Koosman

Losing Pitcher - Craig McMurty

Save - Larry Andersen

Player of the Game - Ivan DeJesus, 3-5, 2b, 2RBI's, 1R

Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

Game #18 - New York Mets, 2 @ Cincinnati Reds, 8
Walt Terrell had a rough third inning when the Reds, led by a Dan Driessen double, tagged him for three runs. George Foster hit a solo shot against his former team but the Reds responded with five more runs. Jose Oquendo made two brutal errors at shortstop for the Mets while Reds reliever Owchinko picked off Wally Backman, who was too eager to steal second. Darryl Strawberry hit his league leading second home run of the year in the top of the 9th, but it wasn't enough. Jeff Russell pitched five innings with five K's for the win.

Winning Pitcher - Jeff Russell
Losing Pitcher - Walt Terrell
Player of the Game - Jeff Russell, 5IP, 5K's, 2H's, 3BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez (who hit a homer)

April 4, 1984 - AL Action

Game #13 - Boston Red Sox, 4 @ California Angels, 6
We're up to the third calendar day of action in the 1984 season, and the first game was a rematch between the Sox and the Angels. Unfortunately for Boston, they're still winless on the season. The Angels brutalized Bob Ojeda for five runs in the bottom of the first, including a lead off homer for Gary Pettis and three walks by Ojeda. It was 6-1 in the top of the eighth when the Red Sox finally managed a rally. DH Mike Easler tripled in Dwight Evans, with Rice singling in Easler. A Rich Gedman sacrifice fly made it a 6-4 game, but reliever Don Aase came in for Mike Witt and pitched two scoreless innings for the save.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Witt
Losing Pitcher - Bob Ojeda
Save - Don Aase
Player of the Game - Aase, 2IP, 1 Save, 2K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Reggie Jackson

Game #14 - New York Yankees, 8 @ Kansas City Royals, 4
The real life '84 Royals were the AL West champs, but they've started the season off 0-2. Their season wasn't helped in the top of the 2nd when NY C Butch Wynegar scorched a line drive at KC SS Onix Concepcion. Concepcion made the out but broke his hand in the process and will miss the next 30 games. Ouch. Back to back doubles by Mike Pagliarulo and Bobby Meachem put the Yanks out front in the top of the 4th. Ron Guidry scattered seven hits across seven innings, surrendering three runs while striking out five. The Royals made things interesting when Jose Rijo gave up a home run to Frank White, but Bob Shirley came on and finished the Royals off.

Winning Pitcher - Ron Guidry
Losing Pitcher - Mike Jones
Save - Bob Shirley
Player of the Game - Guidry, 7IP, 5K's, 7H's, 2BB's, 3R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Dave Winfield, George Brett

Game #15 - Milwaukee Brewers, 2 @ Oakland Athletics, 3
Ray Burris had a rough first inning but only gave up one run. In the bottom of the fifth the A's tied things up on a Joe Morgan single that scored Tony Phillips. The Brew Crew led again in the seventh when a Dion James ground out scored Jim Sundberg, but the A's rallied back in the bottom of the inning after Rickey Henderson had an RBI double and Morgan added the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly.

Winning Pitcher - Ray Burris
Losing Pitcher - Moose Haas
Player of the Game - Joe Morgan; 1-2, 2RBI's, Sac Fly
Hall of Famers in the Game - Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Morgan bounced around a bit in his career, but it's always funny to see him wearing the green and gold.

April 3, 1984 - Rest of the NL Games

Game #10 - St. Louis Cardinals, 0 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 3

Fernandomania was in full effect on opening day. Not only did he toss a complete game shutout against the Cards, but he was half of the duo who hit back to back home runs in the bottom of the second inning (Greg Brock being the other slugger). Willie McGee threw out two Dodger base runners for the Cardinals but that was the only real bright spot for St. Louis.

Winning Pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela

Losing Pitcher - Joaquin Andujar

Player of the Game - Valenzuela; CG Shutout, 6K's, 6H's, 2-4 w/ a HR and 1RBI

Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith

Game #11 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 @ San Diego Padres, 5 (13 Innings)

Yet another extra-innings thriller on opening day, this time between the Pirates and Padres. The Pirates tagged four runs on Eric Show in the top of the fourth, led by two-RBI singles by Marvell Wynne and Tony Pena. The Padres fought back in the bottom of the third with a three run homer by Tony Gwynn. The Padres added one more run in the bottom of the sixth to tie things up. Goose Gossage pitched three strong innings of relief, including working out of a bases loaded jam caused by an error from his old Yankee friend Graig Nettles. Things stayed tied until the bottom of the 13th when new Pirates reliever Don Robinson gave up a pinch hit to Kurt Bevacqua. Two batters later Gary Templeton hit a single moving Bevacqua to third with one out. Finally, Tim Flannery, who entered the game in the 5th inning, squeaked an infield single to score the winning run. (The game was technically completed on April 4th, because in the bottom of the 13th the game was rained out)

Winning Pitcher - Greg Harris (the same who just pitched for the Expos?)

Losing Pitcher - Don Robinson

Player of the Game - Tim Flannery; 3-4, 1R, 1BB, Game Winning RBI

Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Gwynn, Goose Gossage

Game #12 - Chicago Cubs, 5 @ San Francisco Giants, 0

This was an extreme pitcher's duel through the first eight innings as Steve Trout and Atlee Hammaker held both teams scoreless. But in the top of the ninth, both Larry Bowa and pinch hitter Henry Cotto were able to knock in RBI singles with runners on the corners. Than Bob Dernier sealed the deal with a three run homer off relief pitcher Frank Williams.

Winning Pitcher - Steve Trout

Losing Pitcher - Atlee Hammaker

Player of the Game - Trout; 8IP, 9K's, 4H's, 2BB, 0R's

Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg