I still have my original notepad with scorecards that came with my Statis Pro box, but I knew I would blow through that in no time playing this season. I also knew storing those pages would be harder because they're an odd size. So I decided to use what you see above - it came with the digital files for all the seasons on the CD my dad bought off eBay a few years back. For the most part, it works great. Extra-inning games that go past the 11th can be a problem, as can National League games since there tends to be a lot more pinch-hitting.
The scoring page above is from the two games for this post. As it so happened, the Cubs were playing two. The late great Ernie Banks would have loved that.
Game 541 - Atlanta Braves, 1 @ Chicago Cubs, 3
This looked like it was going to be an uphill batter for the Cubs because, prior to the game, I flipped the FAC's to see if Rick Mahler and Scott Sanderson were hot, average, or cold with their stuff. Mahler actually bumped to a 2-8 rating while Sanderson wasn't feeling it at a 2-5. But as I've said before...THAT'S WHY YOU PLAY THE GAME!
Bob Dernier attempted bunt single in the bottom of the first but reached second on a Chris Chambliss error instead. Ryne Sandberg then singled off the pitcher's card and Dernier scampered home. A Greg Matthews single moved Ryno to third and then Leon Durham plated him and just like that the Cubbies were up 2-0. Sanderson, meanwhile, was nearly flawless despite throwing junk. He lasted eight innings and only gave up two hits. That was a much needed long performance on a doubleheader day. Mahler went the distance for the Braves despite tallying the loss. The win stopped Chicago's THIRTEEN GAME losing streak. Thank goodness for that.
Winning Pitcher - Scott Sanderson
Losing Pitcher - Rick Mahler
Save - Warren Brusstar
Player of the Game - Sanderson
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne SandbergGame 542 - Atlanta Braves 4, Chicago Cubs 5
On to game two!
For doubleheaders this season I've allowed clubs to place a 26th player on their roster, which I think they do in current MLB twin bills (though I don't know if it was that way in 1984). Atlanta let Tony Brizzolara make his season debut as starter while Chicago trotted out Chuck Rainey. Neither was particularly good in 1984, so I suspected some offense in this one. Again, THAT'S WHY YOU PLAY THE GAME!
The Cubs got on the board first. Steve Lake doubled home Leon Durham and Larry Bowa then singled home Mel Hall and Lake. They added two more in the fifth when Richie Hebner launched a towering homer over the ivy to jump the lead to 5-0.
Rainey pitched into the seventh before giving up his first run, a homer to (not that) Randy Johnson. Brad Komminsk then reached on a Bowa error and scored after stealing second while Lake airmailed the attempted assist into center field. After 6 2/3 Rainey hit the showers, but he recorded a season-high ten strikeouts.
Still leading 5-2 Lee Smith came on in the ninth to go for the save. He promptly loaded the bases and surrendered two runs! Just as the situation was looking most desire he got Paul Runge to fly out for the second win on the day. Perhaps this will be the spark that gets the Cubs out of the cellar in the NL East?
Winning Pitcher - Chuck Rainey
Losing Pitcher - Tony Brizzolara
Save - Lee Smith
Player of the Game - Rainey
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg
A pretty big problem popped up for me when Bruce Bennedict got injured a few games ago - the Braves essentially only used two catchers in 1984, Bennedict and Alex Trevino. Matt Sinatro got into two games behind the plate, while Biff Pocoroba had a couple of at-bats but never saw the field. All that's to say Sinatro got into his two games for the year to spell Trevino and is now done. What's even sadder than that, though, is he was 0-4 in the real 1984, thus his hitting card had a 1 in 64 chance of an infield hit (FAC 11) or he was an automatic out. So how did he do in my Statis Pro season? The exact same: 0-4. Pocoroba will ride the pine in Sinatro's place until Bennedict is off the DL.
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