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

June 17, 1984 - Ripken Yanks a Homer

Game #831 - Baltimore Orioles, 8 @ New York Yankees, 3

This game featured another lefty on lefty battle as Scott McGregor of the O's took on Bob Shirley of the Yankees.  It was a scoreless game until the top of the second.  That's when Floyd Rayford doubled and then Rick Dempsey homered to give Baltimore a 2-0 lead.

New York got on the scoreboard when Don Mattingly doubled with one out in the fourth and then Don Baylor singled him home. 

Fast forward to the top of the seventh and the score was still 2-1.  Joe Cowley relieved Shirley but gave up a single to Mike Young who, for some inexplicable reason is getting all the luck in the world this season on the fast action cards.  Cal Ripken was up next and ripped a ball into the left field stands to push the Orioles further ahead, 4-1. 

Don Mattingly managed a two-run homer in the eighth, but the Orioles tacked on four more runs in the last two innings of the game, including three off of Dave Righetti, to seal the deal.

Winning Pitcher - Scott McGregor
Losing Pitcher - Bob Shirley
Player of the Game - Cal Ripken, 3-4, HR, 2Rs, 2RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield

June 16, 1984 - Take It to the House

Game #817 -  Pittsburgh Pirates, 1 @ Montreal Expos, 5

The Pirates got on the board first in the top of the first inning when David Palmer loaded the bases and then Tony Pena walked, scoring Lee Lacy.

The Expos clawed back in the bottom of the third.  RBI singles by Tim Wallach and Andre Dawson put them up, 2-1.  Montreal plated another run in the fourth when pitcher Larry McWilliams made a fielding gaff allowing Wallace Johnson to score (more on him below...).

Montreal's narrow lead was still in place in the bottom of the eighth.  That's when Mike Stenhouse stepped in for Palmer and cranked a two-run blast off Kent Tekulve to seal the deal for the 'spos!

Winning Pitcher - David Palmer
Losing Pitcher - Larry McWilliams
Player of the Game - Mike Stenhouse, 1-1, HR, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

Happy Trails...Wallace Johnson

With the rash of injuries for Montreal this season, Wallace Johnson got a lot of early playing time instead of a September call-up.  Let's see how Statis Pro Wallace compared to the real 1984:

Statis Pro Wallace:  .333AVG  .407OBP  .333SLG  .741OPS  2Rs  3RBI
The Real Wallace:  .208AVG  .345OBP  .208SLG  ..553OPS  3Rs  5RBI

Clearly the Statis Pro season for Johnson was more prosperous, but in both cases, it was with fewer than thirty plate appearances. 


Game #818 - Baltimore Orioles, 4 @ New York Yankees, 3

This game featured a battle of dueling lefty pitchers - Mike Flanagan and Ron Guidry.  Flanagan got tagged first in the bottom of the second.  Eight Yankees came to the plate and New York scored three runs off RBI hits from Ken Griffey, Tim Foli, and Andre Robertson. 

It was still 3-0 in the top of the fifth when Gary Roenicke plated the first run for the O's with a solo blast.  Baltimore tagged on another after an Eddie Murray triple and a Floyd Rayford single. 

Guidry was still on the mound in the top of the seventh when, after striking out two hitters, he surrendered back to back homers to Roenicke and Mike Young!  Sammy Stewart pitched three scoreless innings in relief and the Orioles finished the come from behind win.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Flanagan
Losing Pitcher - Ron Guidry
Save - Sammy Stewart
Player of the Game - Gary Roenicke, 2-4, 2HRs, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield

June 15, 1984 - Summer Break

Friends...my goodness, it's been too long.  I apologize.  I must confess, though, the posts will be a lot more erratic moving forward.  This summer I started an Ed.D. program and now my free time is spent reading journal articles and swearing about APA formatting.  I squeezed a couple of games in recently, so here we go...

Game #805 - Baltimore Orioles, 4 @ New York Yankees, 5

I was so pumped to play my first game in a couple of months with my beloved O's, but just like the 2019 rivalry, things didn't go well for Baltimore...

They did tag the first three runs of the game on Phil Niekro in the top of the second, though.  Rick Dempsey had an RBI fielder's choice and then Al Bumbry and Mike Young each had run-scoring base knocks.  Butch Wynegar homered in the bottom of the inning to reduce the lead to two.

Dennis Martinez had a fielding error in the third that eventually allowed Oscar Gamble to score.  But it was the fifth inning when the offense poured in three more runs.  Dave Winfield, newly off the injured list, batted home Ken Griffey and then Don Mattingly moved Winfield to third on a double.  A batter later Wynegar came up big again with a two-run single.  Jay Howell and Dave Righetti combined for 2 and 2/3 innings of relief to secure the win.

Winning Pitcher - Phil Niekro
Losing Pitcher - Dennis Martinez
Save - Dave Righetti
Player of the Game - Butch Wynegar, 2-4, HR, 3RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield, Phil Niekro

Game # 806 - Chicago White Sox, 5 @ Oakland A's, 8

Neither starter looked good in this one.  Curt Young started the game by allowing a double to Jerry Hairston and then a two-run tater to Harold Baines before even recording an out.  But Oakland put up a five-spot in the third, led by a Davey Lopes double and a solo homer off the bat of Dave Kingman.

Back to back doubles from Baines and Carlton Fisk tied the game in the top of the fourth, but Fisk got thrown out at home by Lopes to prevent the South Side from taking the lead.

The game was still knotted 5-5 when ace reliever Ron Reed walked two batters before facing Dwayne Murphy.  Sure enough, Murphy launched one deep into the night to give Oakland a three-run lead.  Bill Caudill was flawless in two innings of relief to save the game for the A's.

Winning Pitcher - Chris Codiroli
Losing Pitcher - Ron Reed
Save - Bill Caudill
Player of the Game - Caudill, 2IP, 2K's, 0R's, 0H's, 0BB's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Harold Baines, Carlton Fisk, Rickey Henderson

June 14, 1984 - Wait For It

Game #791 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 6

This game started as a great pitcher's duel between Mike Boddicker of the O's and Don Sutton of the Brewers.  In fact, there wasn't a single run score through the first five innings.  But in the top of the second, Jim Dwyer stroked a double to plate both Ken Singleton and John Shelby.

The Brewers finally got on the scoreboard when Jim "Gumby" Gantner launched his first homer of the year, a solo job.  Boddicker stayed on the mound until there were two outs in the eighth.  Cecil Cooper had just singled to move Dion James to third.  Sammy Stewart came in to slam the door but the unthinkable happened - Cal Ripken Jr. had errors on consecutive hitters and the flood gates opened!  The Brew Crew scored five unearned runs in the frame!  Rick Waits worked an inning and a third to record the win.

Winning Pitcher - Rick Waits
Losing Pitcher - Mike Boddicker
Player of the Game - Waits, 1.1 IP, 2Ks
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount, Don Sutton

Game #792 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 0 @ Montreal Expos, 1

The Pirates nearly scored the first (and only) run of the game in the top of the third.  John Candelaria had scored and moved to second when Lee Lacy poked a single with two outs.  The Candy Man charged for home but got gunned down by Andre Dawson.

Candelaria and Montreal starter Charlie Lea both lasted seven innings in the game without yielding a run.  The Pirates put two runners on base in the top of the ninth, but Jason Thompson and Tony Pena both grounded out to push the game into the bottom of the ninth.

Jim Winn took the mound after an inning of relief from Kent Tekulve.  He immediately walked Dawson.  Derrell Thomas lined out but Pete Rose singled and Roy Johnson walked to load the bases for Mike Ramsey.  Ramsey...singled!  WALK-OFF!!!

Winning Pitcher - Dan Schatzeder
Losing Pitcher - Jim Winn (ironic)
Player of the Game - Mike Ramsey, 1-2, walk-off single
Hall of Famers in the Game - Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Andre Dawson

June 13, 1984 - Coming Down to the Last Inning

Game #779 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 6

This game started off as a nice pitcher's duel.  Storm Davis of the Orioles and Moose Haas of the Brewers were both in fine form.

The first damage of the game came in the bottom of the second.  Rick Manning hit a solo homer with two outs off Davis.  The Brewers struck again in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, RBI single by Jim Gantner that plated Robin  Yount.

Davis settled down after that while Haas cruised into the top of the seventh.  With two outs and Gary Roenicke on third, Rich Dauer ripped a double for Baltimore's first run.  Then Al Bumbry singled home Dauer and the game was tied up!

It was still knotted at 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth.  Storm Davis was still pitching when he loaded the bases off an error, single, and a walk.  That brought up Yount with the bases juiced.  HE WENT YARD.  GRAND SLAM WALK-OFF!!!

Winning Pitcher - Ray Searage
Losing Pitcher - Storm Davis
Player of the Game - Robin Yount, 2-5, GS, 4RBI, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

Game #780 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 @ New York Mets, 4

I thought this game would be another pitcher's duel with Doc Gooden and John Tudor on the mound, but that wasn't quite the case...

The Mets scored first in the bottom of the first when a Keith Hernandez sacrifice fly scored Mookie Wilson.  The Pirates gained the lead in the second, though, on RBI hits from Tudor (!) and Marvelle Wynne.

New York surged ahead in the bottom of the third.  George Foster and Ron Gardenhire hit back to back RBI singles to give the Mets a 3-2 lead.  Foster added another run with a solo homer in the fifth, his third hit of the day.

But in the top of the sixth Doc Gooden had a runner on first with two outs when Doug Frobel stepped up.  He promptly jacked a two-run homer to tie the game!  Gooden would strike out the last batter in the sixth, his tenth "K" of the game, before getting lifted for a pinch-hitter.

Fast forward to the top of the ninth.  Wes Gardner surrendered four straight hits after recording the first hit, including an RBI single by Lee Lacy.  That one run would be the difference as Cecilio Guante got three outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Winning Pitcher - Don Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Wes Gardner
Save - Cecilio Guante
Player of the Game - Don Robinson, 2.1 IP, 3K's, 0H's & 0R's

June 12, 1984 - Grandpa FTW

I've mentioned this in the past, but my Dad is who got me into Statis Pro Baseball 30+ years ago.  I remember the Christmas morning I opened the game.  It came with the 1985 season in the box.  But all the player cards were attached to each other via perforated card stock.  My Dad started reading the directions as I meticulously tore the cards out.  It caused our dining room table to be covered in paper dust from the constant ripping.

In those early days I would always use my beloved Orioles and my Dad would use his Los Angeles Dodgers.  I always thought I had the superior lineup, but more times than not, he found a way to beat me.  More than one Fast Action Card turned up in favor of Ken Landreaux in particular.  Ken killed me back in the day!

I only mention all of this because my Dad was in town for Thanksgiving and, thanks to an aggressive playing schedule before he arrived, I made sure the Dodgers were up next so I could force him to play with me.  He "reluctantly" agreed but soon got into the spirit, cracking jokes about how Mike Marshall used to lumber around the base paths or Greg Brock's gorgeous blond hair. As things turned out, we got to play a pretty epic game...

Game #765 - San Francisco Giants, 1 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 2 (12 innings!)

My Dad had Bob Welch on the mound and I countered with Mike Krukow.  Jack Clark lined a double in the top of the first but got stranded at second.  Steve Sax singled in the bottom half of the inning but the Dodgers couldn't push him across home.

In the bottom of the second Mike Marshall reached second base on a Joel Youngblood fielding error (no wonder given his E10 rating).  Two batters later Candy Maldonado cracked a single and Marshall beat the throw to the plate.  Maldonado was then thrown out at second in a failed hit and run from my nemesis, Ken Landreaux.

And after that...it was nothing but goose eggs.  Krukow lasted seven innings only giving up the unearned run in the second.  Welch, meanwhile, held the Giants to four hits through eight.  In the top of the ninth the Giants were down to their last three outs and my Dad kept Welch on the mound in true Tommy Lasorda fashion.  With one out Jeff Leonard came up and launched a solo homer to tie the game!  I sprung up from my seat and did a one-flap-down run around the kitchen.  Gary LaVelle walked the lead-off batter in the bottom of the ninth but the Dodgers didn't score and we were on to extra innings!

My Dad brought in Orel Hershiser in the tenth and he got three quick outs.  Greg Minton did the same, lasting two innings of relief.  In the top of the 12th Hershiser was still on the mound but got into trouble.  Al Oliver walked and moved to second on a Bob Brenly single with one out.  Scot Thompson grounded into a fielder's choice that moved Oliver to third.  But John Rabb flew out to strand the runner and we moved to the bottom of the inning.

Frank Williams took over from Minton and, by his own fielding error, allowed Maldonado to reach base.  Maldonado moved to third on a hit and run from, you guessed it, Ken Landreaux (my Dad is obsessed with the hit and run in Statis Pro).  That brought up Steve Yeager, who entered the game in the tenth on a double switch.  Yeager poked a walk-off single to win the game!  Dad was happy and I was happy for him.

Winning Pitcher - Orel Hershiser
Losing Pitcher - Frank Williams
Player of the Game - Steve Yeager, 1-1, GWRBI, BB

Game #766 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 1

Scott McGregor and Mike Caldwell faced off in this one, and both did quite well for themselves.  Through five innings neither team scored.  McGregor was aided by three double plays.  In fact, the Brewers would hit into them six times in the game, which seems close to a record for the season.

A Jim Gantner error allowed Ken Singleton to reach in the sixth, and he eventually scored on a Todd Cruz single to give the O's the lead.  But the Brewers tied it up again in the bottom half of the inning.  Cecil Cooper singled home Ted Simmons, who was three for three on the day.

It was still 1-1 in the top of the ninth.  Bob McClure was on for Milwaukee but, with two outs, allowed a John Shelby single.  Shelby moved to second on a wild pitch, and then Gary Roenicke singled him home for the lead.  Tippy Martinez relieved McGregor in the ninth and got the save.

Winning Pitcher - Scott McGregor
Losing Pitcher - Bob McClure
Save - Tippy Martinez
Player of the Game - Gary Roenicke, 2-3, 2B, RBI, 2BBs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

June 11, 1984 - Victory for the Visitors

Game #755 - Baltimore Orioles, 4 @ Milwaukee Brewers, 3

Chuck Porter and Mike Flanagan faced off in this one, but it was Porter who relented first.  In the top of the second the Orioles sent eight batters to the box and Jim Dwyer, Wayne Gross, and John Lowenstein all crossed home to give the O's a 3-0 lead.

Flanagan, meanwhile, was electric.  He hadn't allowed a walk or a hit until the ninth place batter, Ted Simmons, hit his first homer of the year in the bottom of the third. 

It stayed 3-1 until the sixth.  Jim Dwyer doubled and, two batters later, Rick Dempsey singled him home.  That run proved valuable, because in the bottom of the eighth Flanagan was still on the mound when Jim "Gumby" Gantner singled and then Charlie Moore homered to bring the Brew Crew within a run of tying the game.  Sammy Stewart relieved Flanny and got the last five outs to save the day for Baltimore.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Flanagan
Losing Pitcher - Chuck Porter
Save - Sammy Stewart
Player of the Game - Stewart, 1.2 IP, 2Ks, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray, Robin Yount

Game #756 - Pittsburgh Pirates, 6 @ New York Mets, 4 (10 innings)

It was a scoreless game in the bottom of the second when Mookie Wilson singled and then stole second base.  Tony Pena uncorked a wild throw on the attempt, which moved Mookie to third.  Two batters later Mike Fitzgerald singled off Larry McWilliams for the unearned run.

The Pirates struck revenge in the top of the third, though.  Denny Gonzalez singled and later scored on a Marvelle Wynne triple.  Wynne then scored on a Lee Lacy single and the Pirates were on top 2-1.

The Mets knotted the game in the fourth inning.  Hubie Brooks singled and, two batters later, Ron Gardenhire launched a deep double to plate Brooks.  It stayed tied at 2-2 until the top of the sixth.  With Walt Terrell still on the mound, the Pirates had runners on second and third with two outs.  Dale Berra, who has been below the Mendoza line all season, dug in and stroked a key single, scoring both Pirates and giving Pittsburgh a two run lead.

It was ironic, then, that in the bottom of the eighth, still holding a one run lead, that a Berra error at short allowed Fitzgerald to score and tie the game.  Neither team produced a runner in the ninth so that meant one thing:  FREE BASEBALL!

Brent Gaff was in his third inning of relief in the top of the tenth when he walked Lee Lacy to lead off the inning.  Two batters later Jason Thompson gripped it and ripped it, sending the ball over the right field fence to give the Pirates the lead.  Don Robinson, also in his third inning of work, got three outs in the bottom of the tenth and the Jolly Roger waved over Shea Stadium.

Winning Pitcher - Don Robinson
Losing Pitcher - Brent Gaff
Player of the Game - Jason Thompson, 1-4, HR, 2RBI, BB, 2Rs

June 10, 1984 - Tigers, O's Split Twin Bill

Game #737 - Detroit Tigers, 12 @ Baltimore Orioles, 6

I've had this happen more than once this Statis Pro season, but the absolute worst case scenario in a doubleheader is when your starting pitcher bombs and gets yanked early.

That's what happened to Baltimore.

Rookie Ken Dixon was called up to make a spot start at the top of the twin bill.  The Tigers sent up eleven batters to the plate and clobbered Dixon to the tune of eight runs before he could record the third out of the inning.  The finishing blow came from Darrell Evans, who blasted a GRAND SALAMI!

Mark Brown came on in relief for what would be his final appearance of the season.  Mercifully he survived a terrible first inning of work (four more runs) before going the distance in a remarkable 7.1 innings of relief.  That might be the longest relief stint of the year - I wish I had tracked that somehow.

Winning Pitcher - Randy O'Neal
Losing Pitcher - Ken Dixon
Player of the Game - Darrell Evans, 2-5, GS, 4RBI, R
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Happy Trails...Mark Brown

Well, I've got myself into a real pickle with the Baltimore bullpen.  I've run a six man pen for the season but, in retrospect, the real 1984 Orioles must have only ever had five guys available for relief because with Mark Brown now done for the year, I only have ONE Baltimore pitcher left in the minors...and that's Ken Dixon, who started the game today and only has one game (another start) left to play!  On top of that, Bill Swaggerty is quickly approaching his final few games from the pen, plus another five starts to mix in.  There's still 103 games to go for the Orioles, and I'm betting the last half of it will be with a four-man pen!!!  I might have to force the starters into some ill-advised complete games...

So how did the real Mark Brown do compared to the Statis Pro Mark Brown?  Let's take a look:

The Real 1984:  1-2, 3.91ERA, 10K's, 4.07FIP, 1.26WHIP
Statis Pro 1984:  1-2, 4.13ERA, 20K's, 4.52FIP, 1.33WHIP

That's a pretty remarkable similarity, minus the K%.  Statis Pro Mark Brown got more K's but was slightly less effective overall - I'm guessing it's not statistically significant though.

Game #738 - Detroit Tigers, 3 @ Baltimore Orioles, 10 (rain delay)

What's worse than having to pitch two games of a doubleheader when the first starter didn't make it past the second inning...?

How about a rain delay!

The storm clouds were hovering over the start of game two.  Baltimore got out front early in the bottom of the second when Todd Cruz of all people blasted a two-run homer.  Detroit cut that lead in half thanks to an Alan Trammell double in the top of the fifth inning.  But in the bottom half of the same frame Eddie Murray dialed up an Earl Weaver special - a three-run homer - to put Baltimore up by four!  The Orioles got four more runs in the sixth inning, thanks in large part to Cal Ripken Jr., who also plated three on a home run! 

Dennins Martinez, meanwhile, was cruising into the top of the seventh when the rain finally came down.  It was nearly an hour delay so El Presidente hit the showers and Bill Swaggerty finished the affair.  Baltimore ended up winning three of four against the Tigers in the series.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Martinez
Losing Pitcher - Milt Wilcox
Player of the Game - Eddie Murray, 2-3, 2B, HR, 3RBI, 2R, 2BB 
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

June 9, 1984 - Let 'er Rip

Game #722 - Detroit Tigers, 0 @ Baltimore Orioles, 6

The Orioles jumped all over Dave Rozema in the bottom of the first.  He was making just his second pitching start on the season, but Al Bumbry led off with a single and then scored on a Cal Ripken triple.  Ripken then crossed home plate two batters later on a Wayne Gross single.

...and that would be all the scoring until the bottom of the seventh!  Rozema got lifted for Willie Hernandez when he loaded the bases in the sixth but Hernandez escaped that jam.  However, he loaded the bases again for Baltimore and Eddie Murray came through with an RBI single after Mike Young had done the same and the O's moved to a 4-0 lead.

It was more of the same for Baltimore in the eighth.  Again, they had the bases loaded, but this time Young and Ripken both walked for an RBI each off Doug Bair.  Tippy Martinez pitched the last 1.2 innings of relief for Mike Boddicker to secure the win for Baltimore.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Boddicker
Losing Pitcher - Dave Rozema
Player of the Game - Cal Ripken Jr., 2-4, 3B, 2RBI, R, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

June 8, 1984 - Two, Four, 6-8, Who Do We Appreciate?

Game #709 - Detroit Tigers, 3 @ Baltimore Orioles, 7

Storm Davis ran into his own storm in the top of the second inning.  Chet Lemon led off with a solo homer and then he gave up four straight singles.  Two more runs plated in part from an Al Bumbry error, giving the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.

Dan Petry, meanwhile, was on cruise control until the bottom of the seventh.  He gave up five total runs on a bizarre combination of singles, walks, and a passed ball.  Cal Ripken even chipped in with a sacrifice fly to score Bumbry.  The O's would add two more in the eighth to put one in the win column.

Winning Pitcher - Storm Davis
Losing Pitcher - Dan Petry
Player of the Game - Davis, 7.2IP, 5Hs, 5Ks, ER
Hall of Famers in the Game - Alan Trammell, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #710 - Milwaukee Brewers, 8 @ Boston Red Sox, 6

This game was monumental for me because it was Mark Brouhard's first game back after being injured in the very first game of the season.  That was over six years ago!  He didn't do much in his return, though, going 0 for 3 with two whiffs.

The Red Sox launched four solo homers off starter Moose Haas.  Not all at once, though Tony Armas and Rich Gedman went back to back in the second inning.  In the top of the seventh Boston had a 6-4 lead when pinch-hitter Rick Manning plated Jim Sundberg and Robin Yount to tie the game.  Sundberg slapped a double in the eighth to give them the go-ahead run off Bob Stanley.  Meanwhile, Rick Waits, Tom Tellmann and Rollie Fingers blanked Boston over the final three innings to give the Brew Crew a victory.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Tellmann
Losing Pitcher - Bob Stanley
Save - Rollie Fingers
Player of the Game - Ed Romero, 5-5, 2B, 3B, R, 2RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers, Wade Boggs, Jim Rice

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 - Big Time Drama

Game #687 - Milwaukee Brewers, 4 @ Baltimore Orioles, 5

Another day has passed in the Statis Pro season, making this the first game for June 6th.  Unfortunately, I forgot to update the stats after June 5th, so you'll have to wait a few weeks before I get around to that.  D'oh!

Mike Flanagan got off to a rough start when Jim Sundberg hit a solo homer to lead off the first.  You might be wondering what in the heck Sundberg was doing leading off.  Dion James was getting the game off and, outside of Robin Yount, the 1984 Brewers weren't real OBP kind of guys, so cue Sundberg.

Funny enough, Al Bumbry did the exact same thing leading off for the O's in the bottom of the first!  Rick Dempsey added another solo homer off Chuck Porter and by the end of two innings the Orioles were up 3-1.  It was the same score in the top of the eighth.  Flanagan was still in the game but running on fumes.  Two quick hits by Yount and Cecil Cooper got Flanny yanked for closer Sammy Stewart.  But Sammy got slaughtered, allowing three runs to score in the inning, which gave the Brewers a 4-3 lead. 

Tom Tellman was working his second inning of relief in the bottom of the ninth and got two quick outs before Bumbry poked a single to keep the game alive.  Up stepped Mike Young, who loyal readers of the blog know, has been the hottest hitting Oriole on the team.  He dug into the batter's box, squared up a pitch, and...BOOM.

WALK-OFF HOMER FOR THE WIN!!!

Winning Pitcher - Sammy Stewart
Losing Pitcher - Tom Tellman
Player of the Game - Mike  Young, 2-5, 2B, walk-off homer
Hall of Famers in the Game - Robin Yount, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #688 - California Angels, 9 @ Chicago White Sox, 8

Tom Seaver toed the rubber for the White Sox, but he got whooped in the top of the first.  The Angels sent all nine hitters in their lineup to the plate and scored four runs, including a 2RBI double by Rob Wilfong.

In the bottom of the second, though, it was Chicago's turn to retaliate.  The White Sox plated six runs off starter Geoff Zahn.  That included two separate RBI triples by Tom Paciorek and Harold Baines.  In the bottom of the fifth Vance Law added a two-run homer to give the Pale Hose a 8-4 lead.  It wouldn't last!

California scored three in the sixth to come clawing back to within one run of the lead.  Two of those runs came courtesy of a two-out single by Brian Downing.  The Angels tied in the eighth on an RBI double by Rod Carew.

The game was still tied in the bottom of the ninth when ace reliever Don Aase got into trouble.  He gave up back to back singles and then intentionally walked Harold Baines to fill a vacancy at first with one out.  The strategy worked, though, because Greg Luzinski grounded into a double play to send the game to extra frames.  FREE BASEBALL!

In the top of the 12th reliever Bert Roberge was working his third inning of relief.  But Gary Pettis singled, stole second, and moved to third on a Rob Wilfong sacrifice fly.  That's when Juan Beniquez singled him home to brake the tie!  Despite Chicago getting runners on the corners in the bottom half of the inning, Bruce Kison struck out Ron Kittle to end the game!

Winning Pitcher - Don Aase
Losing Pitcher - Bert Roberge
Save - Bruce Kison
Player of the Game - Doug Corbett, I didn't mention it in the recap, but he retired all nine batters he faced across three innings of tough relief
Hall of Famers in the Fame - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Carlton Fisk

June 5, 1984 - O Say Does That Star Spangled...

Game #674 - Milwaukee Brewers, 7 @ Baltimore Orioles, 11

The Orioles are my favorite team.  I've said this many times.  This marked their 54th game of the Statis Pro season.  That means they've played exactly one-third of their season.  Logically, I know I still have many YEARS to play with them.  Emotionally, I was a bit melancholy.  I only have two-thirds of their season left!  It certainly doesn't help that they'd lost five of their previous six games before this one...

In the top of the first Dion James led off the game with a triple.  He later scored on a Jim Sundberg ground out.  An Al Bumbry fielding error in the top of the second resulted in three more runs scored off Dennis Martinez and it looked like the route was on...except it wasn't!

In the bottom of the second Bumbry roped a two-RBI double to cut the lead in half.  And then in the bottom of the third Wayne Gross launched his 15th homer of the year, this one off Jamie Cocanower, to give Baltimore the 5-4 lead! 

Fast forward to the bottom of the sixth.  The Orioles still had the lead, but it was still only by a run.  Todd Cruz lined an RBI single and then, with Cruz and Eddie Murray on base, Rick Dempsey blasted the Orioles second three-run homer of the game!  Martinez overcame the rough start to log eight innings and the Brewers went back to the hotel as losers.

Winning Pitcher - Dennis Martinez
Losing Pitcher - Jamie Cocanower
Player of the Game - Rick Dempsey, 2-4, 2B, HR, 3RBI, BB
Hall of Famers in the Game - Robin Yount, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

June 4, 1984 - Oglivie Delivers

Game #662 - Milwaukee Brewers, 4 @ Baltimore Orioles, 2

Don Sutton and Mike Boddicker faced off and were doing pretty well until the bottom of the second.  A Jim Ganter error allowed Eddie Murray to reach base.  Wayne Gross walked after that.  Then Rick Dempsey singled to load the bases.  Rich Dauer flew out to center and then Ken Singleton popped out to Sutton.  But John Shelby roped a single that plated Murray and Gross.

Sutton must have been irked from that inning, because in the bottom of the fourth he got tossed for arguing with the umpire.  Pete Ladd and Ray Searage rose to the occasion, though, tossing five innings of scoreless relief.

In the top of the seventh Cecil Cooper singled off Boddicker, which was just the third hit of the game for the Brewers.  Then Robin  Yount singled as well.  That brought up Ben Oglivie.  He sent a shot soaring to Lake Michigan and all of a sudden Milwaukee was up 3-2.  They picked up an insurance run in the eighth and Rollie Fingers pitched a perfect ninth to secure the win.

Winning Pitcher - Ray Searage
Losing Pitcher - Mike Boddicker
Save - Rollie Fingers
Player of the Game - Ben Oglivie, 1-4, HR, 3RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Robin Yount, Don Sutton, Rollie Fingers, Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

June 3, 1984 - Holy Calamity Scream Insanity

Game #651 - Baltimore Orioles, 10 @ Detroit Tigers, 9 (14 innings!)

Baltimore entered the game without a win in their road trip to Detroit and were desperate to get a "W".  What happened next was pure insanity.

The O's took the lead in the top of the third when Mike Young doubled home John Shelby.  But in the bottom of the third Tom Brookens went yard, continuing his hot hitting since coming off the DL.  Then in the top of the fifth Baltimore tagged Jack Morris for another three runs, including another RBI from Young.

It would stay 4-2 in favor of the Orioles until the bottom of the sixth.  Scott McGregor, who was pitching without his best stuff, gave up a solo homer to Chet Lemon.  But he lasted through seven and handed the ball over to Sammy Stewart, who has not been good this season despite supposed to being their closer.  Sure enough, in the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead, he gave up a sacrifice fly RBI to Darrell Evans that scored pinch-hitter Dave Bergman.  Extra innings!  And by extra, I mean EXTRA...

Tippy Martinez took the mound for the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth inning and was in total control, striking out seven Tigers.  In the top of the 13th the Orioles rewarded his grit by plastering Sid Monge for FOUR runs, including an Earl Weaver-approved three run dong from, you guessed it, Mike Young.  Tippy went back out to the mound in the bottom of the inning to nail down the win.  Until he didn't.  He walked Kirk Gibson, struck out Bergman, but then gave up a two-run homer to Rupert Jones!  That got Martinez removed for Tom Underwood...who gave up a 2-out, 2-run homer to Alan Trammell!  Tie game again!!!

Carl Willis was now on the mound for Detroit because he was the last arm left.  His real life 1984 season was awful and so was his appearance in this game.  He loaded the bases with no outs and then gave up a 2-RBI double to Al Bumbry.  He managed to strand three runners after that but now Detroit had a two run deficit to overcome.  And they almost did!  A Rupert Jones ground out plated Gibson but Howard Johnson lined out to Underwood to end this completely ridiculous game.

Winning Pitcher - Tom Underwood
Losing Pitcher - Carl Willis
Player of the Game - Mike Young, 5-8, 2B, HR, 5RBI, 2R's
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #652 - Houston Astros, 0 @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 3

Phil Garner, who normally has a decent glove, was a total calamity in this game.  He registered THREE ERRORS in the first four innings of the game.  I actually yanked him on principle and trotted Denny Walling out there.

It ultimately didn't matter, because the Astros wasted a decent start by Vern Ruhle.  The reason?  Alejandro Pena.  He clocked  his third shutout of the season, only giving up seven hits while striking out six.  Mike Scioscia had a solo homer while also throwing out Jerry Mumphrey on a failed hit and run in the top of the ninth.  Enos Cabell also got injured for 14 games chasing a foul ball into the stands.

Winning Pitcher - Alejandro Pena
Losing Pitcher - Vern Ruhle
Player of the Game - Pena, CG SHO

June 2, 1984 - Cornerstones

Game #637 - California Angels, 2 @ Cleveland Indians, 1

Rod Carew, leading off for the visiting Angels, surprised everybody in the stadium when he went yard in his first at-bat of the game.  But Rick Sutcliffe settled down after that, tossing one of his best games of the season for Cleveland (I'm chomping at the bit to get him pitching in Chicago...).  He allowed only four more hits until the top of the eighth.  After back to back singles by Dick Schofield and Carew he was replaced by Ernie Camacho.  Camacho got Brian Downing to line out to Julio Franco, who quickly stepped on second to double off Schofield.  But Fred Lynn plated Carew on a scorching double to center field. 

With a 2-0 lead Mike Witt pitched into the ninth but was replaced by Doug Corbett after Chris Bando zapped a pinch-hit homer over the fence.  Corbett retired the last two outs to record the save.

Winning Pitcher - Mike Witt
Losing Pitcher - Rick Sutcliffe
Save - Doug Corbett
Player of the Game - Rod Carew, 3-4, HR, 2Rs
Hall of Famers in the Game - Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson

Game #638 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Detroit Tigers, 4

Mike Young, the most improbable star of this Statis Pro season, continued his torrid production by blasting a solo homer in the first.  Tom Brookens answered back in the bottom of the third with one of his own to knot the game at one apiece.

The teams traded runs again in the seventh.  Al Bumbry doubled home Gary Roenicke in the top half but Brookens singled home Larry Herndon to tie things  up once again.

Storm Davis, who pitched the whole game for Baltimore, got into a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth.  With one out up stepped...you guessed it.  TOM BROOKENS.  He punched a single that plated two, giving him all four RBI on the day for a Detroit win.

Winning Pitcher - Aurelio Lopez
Losing Pitcher - Storm Davis
Player of the Game - Tom Brookens, 3-3, HR, BB, 4RBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

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

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 29, 1984 - Hit by Pitches

Game #601 - Baltimore Orioles, 2 @ Seattle Mariners, 3 (12 innings)

The Orioles were up 2-0 after five and a half innings, getting an unusually good outing from Dennis Martinez.  This despite the fact he plunked two Mariners in the bottom of the fifth.  But in the bottom of the sixth Seattle got its revenge when Ken Phelps launched a two-run blast to tie things up.

Mark Langston hit Gary Roenicke with a pitch in the top of the seventh and in my mind the imaginary umpire issued a warning to both sides.  Langston lasted nine innings, striking out eight but the game was still tied, so on to extras it went.

Neither team could advance a runner to second base until the bottom of the twelfth.  With two outs Tom Underwood walked Alvin Davis and then Steve Henderson.  That brought up Al Cowens...who lined a single to center!  Davis took off for home, and the throw from Al Bumbry was late - Mariners win on the walk-off single by Cowens!

Winning Pitcher - Edwin Nunez
Losing Pitcher - Tom Underwood
Player of the Game - Al Cowens, GWRBI
Hall of Famers in the Game - Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray

Game #602 - Kansas City Royals, 3 @ Texas Rangers, 10

Frank Wills of the Royals got lit up like a Christmas tree, surrendering six runs in less than two innings.  Paul Splittorff didn't fair much better, giving up another four runs in short reliever stint.  But Mark Huismann saved the bullpen by pitching the last 5+ innings, allowing zero runs, but plunking two Rangers.  Five different Texas players had at least two hits in the route.

Winning Pitcher - Danny Darwin
Losing Pitcher - Frank Wills
Player of the Game - Buddy Bell, 3-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, 3R's, BB