June 1, 1984 - Saved the Day

Game #625 - Baltimore Orioles, 3 @ Detroit Tigers, 6

This game kicked off a crucial home series for the Tigers as they faced off against a fellow AL East team, the Baltimore Orioles, who are also chasing the Blue Jays for the division lead.

The game was scoreless through four innings until John Shelby doubled home John "Tonight, let it be..." Lowenstein in the top of the fifth.  The O's picked up two more runs in the sixth on a Wayne Gross home run.  Gross leads the team in that category.

The Tigers came roaring back in the bottom half of the inning.  Baltimore starter Mike Flanagan had been nearly unhittable until that point but gave game up a 2-RBI single to Barnabo Garbey and a two-run homer to Marty Castillo.  Kirk Gibson added an insurance dinger in the seventh and Willie Hernandez pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth to save the game.

Winning Pitcher - Milt Wilcox
Losing Pitcher - Mike Flanagan
Save - Willie Hernandez
Player of the Game - Kirk Gibson, 2-4, 2B, HR, 2R's, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #626 - Houston Astros, 7 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 4

Fernandomania was not in effect for the Dodgers in this game.  Valenzuela gave up three runs in the top of the first while facing eight different hitters.  The Dodgers picked up a run in the third when Steve Yeager parked a solo shot off Bob Knepper to make it 3-1.

Jerry Mumphrey knocked home Phil Garner in the fourth and seldom used backup shortstop Bert Pena cranked a two-run homer in the fifth to give Houston a 6-1 lead. 

Knepper gave up two more runs in the seventh and was lifted for Bill Dawley in the eighth.  The Astros picked up another run in the top of the ninth so Frank DiPino came in to mop up the victory.  He gave up a solo shot to German Rivera in the bottom of the ninth and then proceeded to load the bases before Dave Smith came in to record one out to save the game.

Winning Pitcher - Bob Knepper
Losing Pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela
Save - Dave Smith
Player of the Game - Dave Smith

June 1, 1984 - Reds, Braves Split Twin Bill

Game #623 - Atlanta Braves, 10 @ Cincinnati Reds, 5

Each team called up a starter not on their current roster for the doubleheader.  The Braves let Tony Brizzolara make his second start of the year while the Reds went with Andy McGaffigan.  Neither was particularly good...

Atlanta went up big in the top of the first.  Gerald Perry led of with a homer, Dale Murphy plated Randy Johnson with a double and then scored on a two-run bomb from Chris Chambliss and the Braves were up 4-0 with only one out in the game.

Fast forward to the top of the eighth and the Braves still had a 7-4 lead.  That's when Johnson launched a ball into the left field stands for three more runs and the final nail in the coffin.

Winning Pitcher - Tony Brizzolara
Losing Pitcher - Andy McGaffigan
Player of the Game - Randy Johnson, 4-5, 2B, HR, 4RBI, 2R's

Game #624 - Atlanta Braves, 0 @ Cincinnati Reds, 2

The Reds spent up a lot of their long relief in the first game of the doubleheader, so they needed Mario Soto to have a strong start.  He didn't disappoint!  Cincinnati got a run in the bottom of the first when Gary Redus doubled, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Eddie Milner, and then scampered home on a Cesar Cedeno single.  That's all Soto would need.  He went all nine innings only giving up three hits and two walks while striking out an impressive ten Braves.

Winning Pitcher - Mario Soto
Losing Pitcher - Rick Camp
Player of the Game - Mario Soto

June 1, 1984 - Hello June!

Game #621 - Oakland A's, 0 @ Chicago White Sox, 1

Tom Seaver was well past his prime in 1984, but in this game he pulled out some old Seaver magic to pitch one of the best games of this Statis Pro season.  It was certainly a dominant performance.  Only three runners reached base!  Tony Phillips doubled in the third, Bruce Bochte singled in the fifth, and Rickey Henderson drew a walk in the sixth.  That was all Oakland could muster while Seaver struck out six.

Meanwhile, the A's wasted an unusually masterful performance by Larry Sorensen.  The only run he allowed was a Vance Law solo blast in the bottom of the fourth.  It was one of only four hits for Chicago, though they did reach on five bases on balls.

Carlton Fisk comes off the DL in their next game, which has been a long time coming.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Seaver
Losing Pitcher - Larry Sorensen
Player of the Game - Tom Seaver, CG SHO, 2H's, BB, 6K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver

Game #622 - California Angels, 1 @ Cleveland Indians, 3

This was a battle of the lefties as Neal Heaton and Geoff Zahn faced off in this series opener.  Both pitchers were cruising until the bottom of the fourth.  Andre Thornton was on third with two outs when Brook Jacoby singled him home.  The game got tied by California in the top of the fifth when Heaton plunked Juan Beniquez with the bases loaded!  He got Brian Downing to ground out to Chris Bando to end the threat.

RBI doubles by Bando and Carmelo Castillo in the bottom of the fifth gave Cleveland all the runs they needed.  Tom Waddell and Ernie Camacho pitched a scoreless two innings of relief to give Cleveland the victory.

Winning Pitcher - Neal Heaton
Losing Pitcher - Geoff Zahn
Save - Ernie Camacho
Player of the Game - Heaton, 7IP, ER, 6K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

Month in Review - May

Holy cow, May is in the books.  That's two months down.  I can't believe it.  It's taken over five years.  When I started this blog I had two kids and now I have three...with that third kid being five!  My blog is older than my last born!

I'd say the biggest story of the season so far is that none of the four playoff teams from the real 1984 are currently in first place.  The Tigers are closest, just a couple of games back of the Blue Jays.  Toronto has played extremely well but their bullpen will get exposed soon enough.  I predict Detroit will be in first by the end of June.

The Royals have been decimated by injuries, including 20 games to George Brett, but they get most of their starters back within the next week or so.  They've quietly risen up the standings to third place, though they're still five games below .500.  The Padres are showing a little more signs of life but still lag behind four teams in the NL West.  The Astros are still playing stellar ball and haven't come back down to earth yet.  I'm nervous about the Padres chances to duplicate their improbable World Series appearance.

The team that causes me the most stress is the Cubs.  They're dead last and ten games under .500.  The Cardinals might be the best team in either league, which isn't helping.  But, they're on a five game win streak right now and very soon will get both Rick Sutcliffe and Dennis Eckersley in their rotation.  They absolutely need them.

Other Guys Besides Joe Morgan Who Are Playing Way Over Their Heads:

Dion James, Brewers, OF
Gary Pettis, Angels, OF
Oil Can Boyd, Red Sox, P
Brad Gulden, Reds, C
Claudell Washington, Braves, OF
Pasquel Perez, Braves, P

Favorite Game In May?

There were a lot of fun games in May, but I'd have to go with the insane second game of a doubleheader on May 27 between Cleveland and the Blue Jays.  Cleveland scored five runs in the top of the eleventh...but Toronto tied it up and walked it off in the 12th!

Your MVP Race So Far:

American League
1.  Joe Morgan, A's, 2B
2.  Mike Young, Orioles, OF
3.  Dave Winfield, Yankees, OF

National League
1.  Darryl Strawberry, Mets, OF
2.  Claudell Washington, Braves, OF
3.  Tim Raines, Expos, OF

Your CY YOUNG Race So Far:

American League
1.  Doyle Alexander, Blue Jays
2.  Bud Black, Royals
3.  Dan Quisenberry, Royals

National League
1.  Alejandro Pena, Dodgers
2.  Rick Rhoden, Pirates
3.  Dwight Gooden, Mets

ALL STATIS PRO TEAM THROUGH MAY:

P - Alejandro Pena, Dodgers
C - Lance Parrish, Tigers
1B - Alvin Davis, Mariners
2B - Joe Morgan, A's
3B - Wade Boggs, Red Sox
SS - Cal Ripken, Orioles
OF - Darryl Strawberry, Mets
OF - Mike Young, Orioles
OF - Claudell Washington, Braves

I'm An Awesome Manager Of...

The St. Louis Cardinals.  They have the best record in Statis Pro right now and they are running away in the NL East.  They have a lot of versatility on the bench and the bullpen and all cylinders are firing right now.

I'm A Terrible Manager Of...

The Chicago Cubs.  Despite ending the month on a five game win streak, during May they lost THIRTEEN in a row.  I buried their playoff hopes deep in the woods where nobody will find them.  I'm sorry Punky Brewster.

Looking Forward

At the end of April I predicted it would take three to four years to finish May...and I was just about dead right!  It took nearly three and a half on the nose.  That seems to be the going pace, so I'll predict February of 2021 to be done with June...which is so far away yet will get here so quickly...

May 31, 1984 - Goodbye, May

Game #619 - Chicago Cubs, 9 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 2

The Phillies raced out to a quick 2-0 lead when Joe Lefebvre launched a two-run dong in the bottom of the first off starter Dick Ruthven.  Keith Moreland responded in the top of the second with a solo tater to cut the lead in half.

It would remain 2-1 until the top of the seventh.  Charles Hudson was on cruise control but seemingly hit a pot hole because the wheels came off.  Pinch hitter Henry Cotto hit a two-run single and then scored on a Ryne Sandberg triple.  The Cubs would score five total runs in the inning and would add three more over the next two innings to give Chicago their fifth win in a row.

Winning Pitcher - Dick Ruthven
Losing Pitcher - Charles Hudson
Player of the Game - Henry Cotto, 1-1, Sac Fly, 3RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Mike Schmidt

Game #620 - Montreal Expos, 3 @ Pittsburgh Pirates, 9

This game was tic for tack through the first four innings, with the Expos holding a slim 3-2 lead.  But the Pirates pushed the Expos overboard in the fifth.  That's when they plated six runs, including a bases-clearing double by Marvelle Wynn.  Jose DeLeon scattered four hits and five walks over eight innings pitched and logged the victory.

Winning Pitcher - Jose DeLeon
Losing Pitcher - Steve Rogers
Player of the Game - Lee Lacy, 3-5, RBI, 2R's, SB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter

May 31, 1984 - You Only Have To Win By One

Game #617 - Kansas City Royals, 4 @ Minnesota Twins, 3

This was a real back and forth game.  In the top of the first Onix Concepcion reached on a single.  He stole second base and reached third on a George Brett fly out.  He proceeded to score on a passed ball by Tim Laudner.  Kansas City returned the favor in the bottom of the second when Tim Teufel scored on a wild pitch by Mark Gubicza.

Minnesota pulled ahead three to one when Tom Brunansky went deep for a two run bomb in the third.  But KC tied it up again in the fifth.  In a huge two-out rally, Willie Wilson tripled, scored on a Concepcion double, and then two batters later Hal McRae singled home Concepcion.  That would turn out to be the deciding run as Dan Quisenberry held the Twins scoreless over the final two innings.

Winning Pitcher - Mark Gubicza
Losing Pitcher - Rick Lysander
Save - Dan Quisenberry
Player of the Game - Hal McRae, 3-4, 2B, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett, Kirby Puckett

Game #618 - St. Louis Cardinals, 1 @ New York Mets, 2

This looks like a pitcher's duel on the screen, but in reality these two teams combined for 24 hits...yet only produced three runs!  The winning run came in the bottom of the sixth when Keith Hernandez knocked Jerry Martin home.  Jesse Orosco pitched a perfect ninth inning to notch the save.

Winning Pitcher - Ron Darling
Losing Pitcher - Dave LaPoint
Save - Jesse Orosco
Player of the Game - Keith Hernandez, 3-5, RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ozzie Smith

Rest in Peace - Don Baylor

I've been putting this one off for a couple of weeks, but it's time to recognize and appreciate the greatness of Don Baylor.

He passed away about a month ago from multiple myeloma.

Baylor had a heck of a career in Major League Baseball.  He got his start with my favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles, before going to the Angels where he really excelled.  He won the American League MVP in 1979 for California.

In 1983 he came to the New York Yankees as part of George Steinbrenner's obsession with overloading the team with veteran guys who should be designated hitters.  I've had him batting fifth for most of this Statis Pro season in the DH spot.

The end of Baylor's playing days were quite interesting too.  He played on three straight World Series teams:  The Red Sox (1986), the Twins (1987), and the Athletics (1988).  He would go on to coach in the bigs, including as the first manager for the Colorado Rockies.

I was a kid in the 1980's, and one of my very distinct memories of watching baseball back then was Baylor's enormous biceps and how he would lean into inside fastballs to take the hit by pitch.  When I played little league I was terrified of being plunked and there was Baylor, taking one on the arm all of the time, and making it look like it hurt the ball more than himself.

We went to a lot of games as a kid, and my dad would often bring his nice camera.  Here are a few pics he got of Baylor in his last season at Rangers game in old Arlington.  Rest in Peace Don Baylor - thank you for being such an awesome figure in the history of baseball.

May 31st, 1984 - The Guld and the Beautiful

Game #616 - Atlanta Braves, 2 @ Cincinnati Reds, 5

Before the game started I thought this would be a blowout in the Braves favor.  Pascual Perez was going against Frank Pastore, who might be the worst starter in the NL.  But as I've said before...THAT'S WHY YOU PLAY THE GAME!

Atlanta was the first to score, though.  In the top of the third Claudell Washington doubled home Gerald Perry, and then in the fourth Rafael Ramirez doubled home Glen Hubbard.  Pastore settled down after that and pitched through the sixth only giving up those two runs.

The Reds got their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth on an unlikely homer from Ron Oester.  It was Oester's first dong of the year.  Then in the bottom of the sixth Perez got into trouble.  He loaded the bases and up stepped catcher Brad Gulden, who is hitting about sixty points above his real 1984 average.  What did he do?  CLUTCH DOUBLE.  2 RBI, and all of a sudden the Reds were up 3-2!

The Reds got two more insurance runs off Pete Falcone and Ted Power, John Franco, and Bill Scherrer pitched three innings of scoreless relief to give Frank Pastore his first victory of the season.  Brad Gulden earned his FIFTH player of the game honors, which is kind of crazy.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Pastore
Losing Pitcher - Pascual Perez
Save - Bill Scherrer
Player of the Game - Brad Gulden, 1-4, 2B, 2RBI, R, threw out Gerald Perry on the steal attempt
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez

May 30, 1984 - Rangers Ruin Brett's Return

Game #615 - Kansas City Royals, 1 @ Texas Rangers, 7

George Brett spent the last twenty games on the disabled list, so it was a lot of fun to have him back in the KC lineup.  He responded by being the typical George Brett; he went 2-4 with a double.  But the Rangers recorded six straight hits in the bottom of the first, mostly off Charlie Liebrandt's pitcher card or infield hits, and those dinks and dunks led to a five run deficit the Royals never recovered from.

Frank Tanana mowed down the depleted Royals offense.  Though Brett is back they still have several of their stars on the DL.  Tanana lasted eight innings and only gave up one run while striking out three.  He had to work extra hard, too, because the Texas infield committed three errors in the game.

Winning Pitcher - Frank Tanana
Losing Pitcher - Charlie Liebrandt
Player of the Game - Frank Tanana
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett

May 30, 1984 - Identical Scores

Game #613 - San Francisco Giants, 3 @ Philadelphia Phillies, 5 (11 innings)

The Phillies jumped out to an early three run lead thanks in part to a RBI single from Tim Corcoran and a bases loaded walk to Mike Schmidt.  But the Giants came pecking back against Jerry Koosman.  In the fourth Brad Wellman doubled home Jeff Leonard and then Leonard launched a solo homer in the sixth.

In the top of the ninth Larry Andersen came on but gave up three straight singles to load the bases.  Pinch-hitter Randy Gomez whiffed but Chili Davis poked a single to tie the game!  Chris Brown struck out and the Phillies couldn't produce in the bottom of the ninth so that meant FREE BASEBALL!

Fast forward to the bottom of the eleventh and Greg Minton took the mound, the fourth Giants reliever of the game.  Pinch hitter Bo Diaz promptly walked, but Minton got back to back K's on Von Hayes and Luis Aguayo.  But Sixto Lezcano came up next and BLASTED A WALK-OFF, TWO-RUN BOMB!!!

Winning Pitcher - Don Carman
Losing Pitcher - Greg Minton
Player of the Game - Lezcano
Hall of Famers in the Game - Mike Schmidt

Game #614 - Baltimore Orioles, 3 @ Seattle Mariners, 5

This was the battle of the Mikes as Boddicker and Moore squared off against each other.  The Orioles had a comfy 2-0 lead when Phil Bradley doubled and Alvin Davis homered to tie things up.  In the fifth Larry Milbourne tripled and Spike Owen squeezed him home to give Seattle their first lead.  They padded that advantage with back to back solo homers by Ken Phelps and Barry Bonnell.  Despite issuing six walks, Mike Moore lasted eight innings while striking out eight Orioles hitters.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Moore
Losing Pitcher - Mike Boddicker
Save - Mike Stanton
Player of the Game - Moore, 8IP, 2R's, 8K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

May 30, 1984 - Home Invasion

Game #611 - Los Angeles Dodgers, 1 @ Montreal Expos, 0

Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers and Bryn Smith of the Expos locked horns in a masterful pitcher's duel.  Each hurler managed six innings of shutout work until the top of the seventh.  With one out Mike Marshall singled and then advanced to third on a hit by Ken Landreaux.  With runners on the corners R.J. Reynolds singled home Marshall.  Smith got out of the jam by inducing  a double play ground out from Steve Sax.

The Expos never advanced a runner past second base because Hershiser was lethal.  In one of the best pitched games of the season he only allowed three hits and three walks, all while striking out nine in the effort.

Winning Pitcher - Orel Hershiser
Losing Pitcher - Bryn Smith
Player of the Game - Hershiser, CG SHO
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter

Game #612 - Detroit Tigers, 6 @ Oakland A's, 3

Mike Warren of the A's tried, God bless him, but it was ultimately a wasted effort.  Lou Whitaker, the very first batter of the game, launched a solo jack that gave the Tigers a quick lead they never relinquished.  Warren got through five innings of work but surrendered a staggering fourteen hits doing it.  The Tigers hit into four double plays on the day, which helped minimize the damage.

Mother Nature took pity on the A's in the top of the eighth.  With a runner on third the skies opened up and pelted the field with rain.  The "Z" card said no more baseball would be played, and Detroit exited with the win.

Winning Pitcher - Dan Petry
Losing Pitcher - Mike Warren
Player of the Game - Lou Whitaker, 3-4, HR, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan