2018 Rest In Peace updates

Regular readers of this Statis Pro blog know I hate updating the site with these posts, but we've had four players pass since the last obituary, so it's time to give them proper recognition

Bill Johnson - Cubs:  I have to admit I didn't know who Bill Johnson was when he passed in late January.  He only had a cup of coffee for the playoff-bound Cubs in 1984.  I haven't used him yet in this Statis Pro season.

Oscar Gamble - Yankees:  This passing stung baseball fans across the globe, especially card collectors who were in love with Gamble's epic afro pictures on cardboard.  My favorite Gamble memory, though, comes from Graig Nettles' autobiography, Balls.  If you're not familiar with it, it's basically a chronicle of the 1983 New York Yankees season where he absolutely unloads on George Steinbrenner for being a meddling owner who doesn't understand how baseball works.  My dad gave it to me to read at a much too young age.  It's not unlike Jim Bouton's Ball Four in that it gives you a very real insider's view of team dynamics.  At one point in the book Nettles is describing Steinbrenner's obsession with getting hits with runners in scoring position.  Nettles relays Gamble's reply to his owner, "When I'm at bat, I'm in scoring position."  I wasn't too young to immediately laugh when I read it.

Sammy Stewart - Orioles:  Sadly, Stewart's passing didn't come as a surprise as Baltimore fans know of his long history of substance abuse and subsequent prison time.  He appeared to turn his life around once he was released and all O's fans will remember his importance to the 1983 World Series winner and the 1979 playoff team.

Rusty Staub - Mets:  You rarely find such beloved players like Rusty Staub.  He's iconic to Montreal, New York, Houston and Detroit fan bases.  Rusty was an enormously charitable individual off the field and I've never heard a bad word about him.  He had a near Hall of Fame career though in the real 1984 he was exclusively a pinch hitter.

Thank you, gentlemen, for your contributions to the game of baseball and the memories you've given us.  It's an honor to manage you in Statis Pro.  God bless.

June 6, 1984 - Red, White, and Blue

Game #693 - Texas Rangers, 3 @ Minnesota Twins, 2

Tim Teufel doubled to lead off the bottom of the first and then two batters later Mickey Hatcher doubled him home for the first run of the game.  Charlie Hough settled down after that, though, and pitched seven more innings without a run.

In the top of the sixth Larry Parrish hit a double (he's leading Statis Pro in that category) to plate Buddy Bell.  That was the first run of the game Frank Viola allowed.  It wouldn't be the last, because in the top of the seventh, with two outs, Jeff Kunkel tripled and then Ned Yost homered to break the tie.

Hough was still on the mound in the bottom of the ninth but Randy Bush led off with a solo homer to cut the Rangers' lead to one run.  Dave Schmidt came on for Texas.  Tim Teufel managed a single but Kent Hrbek grounded into a double play to end the game.

Winning Pitcher - Charlie Hough
Losing Pitcher - Frank Viola
Save - Dave Schmidt
Player of the Game - Ned Yost, 1-3, HR, 2RBI

Game #694 - Chicago Cubs, 2 @ Montreal Expos, 5 (14 innings!!!)

Starters Dick Ruthven and Steve Rogers were hanging goose eggs through the first four innings.  But in the top of the fifth Rogers was betrayed by his defense.  Left fielder Roy Johnson misplayed a Bob Dernier single that allowed Larry Bowa to score for the first run of the game.

Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth and it was still a 1-0 game.  Rich Bordi was on for the Cubs to wrap things up but he got into trouble immediately.  Three consecutive singles by Pete Rose, Miguel Dilone, and Wallace Johnson loaded the bases for Derrick Thomas.  Thomas singled to center field!  Rose scored but a super-clutch throw from Dernier nabbed the fleet-footed Dilone at the plate to keep the game tied.  Bordi then walked Bryan Little to reload the bases and that's when George Frazier replaced Bordi.  He had his work cut out for  him, because Tim Raines was standing in the batter's box.  But Frazier managed to whiff him - on to extra innings!

The game stayed tied until the top of the eleventh.  Keith Moreland doubled off Andy McGaffigan and, two outs later, scored on a pinch-hit by Richie Hebner.  That gave Chicago a 2-1 run lead heading into the bottom of the eleventh.  Hebner hit for SS Larry Bowa, so utility infielder Dave Owen came in to play shortstop for the last three outs.  I'm sure you know what happens next.  Angel Salazar hit a ground ball right to him but he misplayed it and Salazar ended up on second base.  He moved to third on a ground out and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Little to tie the game again.  More extra innings!!

In the top of the fourteenth George Frazier was due to hit - he had logged 4+ innings of relief at that point, but with a depleted bench, pitcher Rick Reuschel came in to hit.  He grounded into a double play.  In the bottom half of the inning Reuschel got into immediate trouble.  Tim Raines singled and then stole second.  Andre Dawson grounded out to third, leaving Raines on second with one out.  That brought up Gary Carter.  With first base open, one out, and Montreal's best slugger at the plate, the Cubs opted to intentionally walk Carter to set up the double play for Tim Wallach.  Wallach wasn't having any of that.  After 14 innings of play he was ready to go home.  As in RUN.  HOME RUN.  WALK-OFF!!!

Winning Pitcher - Jeff Reardon
Losing Pitcher - Rick Reuschel
Player of the Game - Tim Wallach, 3-Run Walk-Off Homer!!!
Hall of Famers in the Game - Ryne Sandberg, Tim Raines, Andre Dawson, Gary Carter

Happy Trails...Greg Harris

Greg Harris pitched two scoreless innings of relief in this one.  Fear not, it's not the last time you'll see his name this season.  He got traded to the Padres in the real 1984, though I'll probably hold out on using him until after the All-Star Break.  Let's compare the real 1984 Greg Harris Expos numbers to his Statis Pro performance:

Real 1984:  0-1, 2.04 ERA, 17.2 IP, 2 saves, 0.96 WHIP
Statis Pro:  1-3, 1.20 ERA, 15 IP, 5 saves, 0.87 WHIP

Both versions of Harris are studly for the Montreal bullpen.  Harris actually leads the Statis Pro team in saves.  Jeff Reardon will probably get more use later in the games, now, though I'm trying to channel my inner-Keith Law and use the best pitcher in the highest leverage situation, be it the ninth inning or not.

Greg Harris wrapped up his long career in 1995 by pitching one last season with...the Expos. 

June 6, 1984 - It Only Takes One to Win

Game #691 - Seattle Mariners, 6 @ Kansas City Royals, 7

Rookie Alvin Davis continued his torrid start to the season with a home run in the top of the first off Larry Gura.  The Mariners poured three more runs in the third, courtesy of RBI hits from Steve Henderson, Al Cowens, and Spike Owen.

But in the bottom of the third the Royals managed to tie the game.  George Brett knocked home Don Slaught and then two batters later Jorge Orta jacked a three-run homer. 

It stayed 4-4 until the bottom of the fifth.  Jim Beattie was in trouble once again.  With Greg Pryor and Brett on base, Darryl Motley added the second three-run homer of the game for KC.  Joe Beckwith gutted out three solid innings of relief work while Mark Huismann garnered the save.

Winning Pitcher - Larry Gura
Losing Pitcher - Jim Beattie
Save - Mark Huismann
Player of the Game - Joe Beckwith, 3IP, R, 2K's
Hall of Famers in the Game - George Brett

Game #692 - Cincinnati Reds, 0 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 1

Mario Soto teed off against Fernando Valenzuela, and I thought Fernando Valenzuela was going to get rocked.  He drew a "bad luck" FAC out of the gate, dropping his pitch rating from 2-7 to 2-5.  Little did I know the first five outs of the ball game would be by STRIKE OUT!  Fernando mania!!!

Soto was touched with terrible luck.  He went seven strong innings, only giving up three hits.  But one of them was a solo blast by Greg Brock.  Valenzuela was on cruise control until the top of the ninth.  He struck out Dave Parker and Tony Perez to bring up Dave Concepcion.  But Concepcion doubled!  With the tying run on second I was tempted to call in Tom Niedenfuer, but I let Fernando pitch to Ron Oester.  He K-ed Oester for the third strikeout of the inning!  Dodgers win!

Winning Pitcher - Fernando Valenzuela
Losing Pitcher - Mario Soto
Player of the Game - Valenzuela, CG SHO, 11K's, 7H's, 2BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tony Perez

June 6, 1984 - Human Rain Delay, Bell, Come Up Big

Game #689 - Oakland A's, 4 @ Cleveland Indians, 5

The Cleveland squad jumped all over Larry Sorensen, tagging him for four runs in the first.  Sorensen was lifted without escaping the inning, but his replacement, Tim Conroy, was dominant.  He lasted five and 2/3 innings without giving up a run.

The A's battled back.  A Brooks Jacoby error in the fifth allowed Jim Essian to score.  Then Oakland tagged Neal Heaton for three more runs in the sixth.  Bill Almon and Donnie Hill both had big RBI singles to tie things up.

In the bottom of the eighth ace reliever Bill Caudill was on the mound for Oakland.  But with one out he gave up a single to Pat Tabler.  Tabler moved to third on a hit and run single from Mike Hargrove.  Jacoby grounded out, but Tabler scored on the play and that wound up being the winning run.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Waddell
Losing Pitcher - Bill Caudill
Player of the Game - Mike Hargrove, 2-4, RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rickey Henderson, Joe Morgan

Game #690 - Toronto Blue Jays, 8 @ Detroit Tigers, 3

The two best teams in Statis Pro squared off for the third straight game.  Each team had a win and were looking to gain a game in the standings.  Lou Whitaker started the party off right for Detroit when he launched a lead-off homer in the first. 

It was still 1-0 in the top of the fifth when the wheels fell off for Juan Berenguer.  He gave up four runs, including a two-run jack to Jorge Bell.  That was nice revenge for Bell after he got plunked by Berenguer the inning before. 

The Tigers got within a run of the lead by the top of the ninth, but Willie Hernandez was unusually easy to hit.  He gave up four runs, including another homer to Bell.  Toronto won game three of the series.

Winning Pitcher - Luis Leal
Losing Pitcher - Juan Berenguer
Save - Roy Lee Jackson
Player of the Game - Jorge Bell, 2-4, 2HRs, 5RBI, HBP
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell