Baseball in the Pythagorean Universe: 1981

This is the second of my three separate threads meant to discuss baseball's major strike years. This time, we're out to wipe the split season from the record books and see what would have happened if 1981 had been played out in the Pythagorean universe.

The posting format's going to be a tad different. Since I have to do significant editing of the original posts for typos and such, and since there are so many games in a given baseball day, I'm going to focus on one league at a time. Since I'm a National League man, the senior circuit will be up first. There will be one or two posts a day, depending on whether the teams are playing within their division or not. Keep in mind as well that I'm continuing the original Pythagorean universe thread and want time away from the computer, and you can see why I've made this decision. Don't worry, AL fans; you're next!

With that in mind, here's how the Pythagorean National League looked at the end of play on Thursday, June 11. The figure in parentheses is the difference between their Pythagorean record and their real-life record:

East:

1. Expos: 60-48 (0)
2. Cardinals: 56-46- 1 GB (-3)
3. Phillies: 55-52- 4.5 GB (-4)
4. Pirates: 49-53- 8 GB (+3)
5. Mets: 41-62- 16.5 GB (0)
6. Cubs: 39-64- 18.5 GB (+1)

West:

1. Dodgers: 67-43 (+4)
2. Astros: 64-46- 3 GB (+3)
3. Reds: 57-51- 9 GB (-9)
4. Giants: 57-54- 10.5 GB (+1)
5. Braves: 50-56- 15 GB (0)
6. Padres: 46-64- 21 GB (+5)

I should point out that the Pythagorean universe doesn't split the season; these are the team's overall records so far, including games played after the real-life strike.

With the preliminaries thus out of the way, here we go with the action for Friday, June 12:

We begin in St. Louis, where the Cardinals are entertaining the Giants.

The Giants stole one 4-3 as second-year shortstop Joe Pettini went four for five and drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the top of the ninth off of Jim Kaat. Rookie catching prospect Bob Brenly, starting at third base this evening, lined a double to drive in two more, and those runs proved to be important when normally reliable Giants closer Greg Minton gave up two in the bottom of the ninth and was looking at Redbirds on the lines with only one out. Unfazed, he got Dane Iorg to fly to right for the second out. Pinch hitter Sixto Lezcano then drove one into left center field, but defensive replacement Jeff Leonard caught it at the wall to preserve the Frisco victory.

W- Breining (6-2)
S- Minton (22)
L- Kaat (6-7)

Our next stop is Shea Stadium, where the Mets entertain the Astros.

Other than a wild pitch which netted the Mets their only run in the first, Joe Niekro was masterful, going the distance in the 3-1 Astro victory and giving up only one run on four hits. Second baseman Joe Pittman went three for four for Houston with two RBIs, including the game-winning single in the seventh. Pete Falcone took the loss in relief for the Mets.

W- J. Niekro (10-9)
L- Falcone (5-4)

Now it's on to Montreal, where the Reds take on the East-leading Expos.

The Spos were cruising along through seven up 5-0 behind modest offense and the pitching of Bill Gullickson; then the roof caved in. First, Dave Collins singled in Ron Oester. Then, Woodie Fryman came in and gave up a two-run single to Dave Concepcion. Then, after George Foster walked to load the bases, Ray Knight tied the game with a base hit to left center. Manager Jim Fanning has seen more than enough, and turned to closer Elias Sosa to face Oester, the man who started the whole mess with a leadoff single. Oester parked Sosa's second pitch in the left-field grandstand, and the Reds all of a sudden led 8-5.

The Expos weren't done, however; they loaded the bases in the eighth against a rapidly tiring Mario Soto on two singles and a walk. A wild pitch scored a run, and a walk to pinch hitter Tim Raines reloaded the bases. But Soto got Jerry White to fly out to left field, and the inning was mercifully over. The Expos loaded them up again in the ninth on three walks, and closer Tommy Hume was ready to come in. But manager John McNamara decided to stay with Soto for one more batter, and Jerry Manuel tapped weakly to Dan Driessen. This one finally belonged to the Reds.

W- Soto (13-9)
L- Fryman (5-4)

Note: When we did this project originally, we used the managers that teams had at the end of the season, not on the day in question. Hence, Fanning's in charge of the Expos, not Dick Williams.

Our fourth stop is the game that actually started the day, as the Cubs play host to the Padres at Wrigley Field.

The wind was definitely blowing out, as the Cubs grabbed an early 3-0 lead, paced by a Bobby Bonds home run on Juan Eichelberger's second pitch. But the Padres came right back with five in the second off of Mike Krukow. Luis Salazar and Barry Evans had run-scoring hits, and the Cubs committed two errors along with a Krukow wild pitch. The offense settled down until the seventh, when Bonds tied the game with a double that knocked in two. The Cubs got the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice in the eighth, and Lee Smith was brought in to put this one on ice. Two walks, a single, and a wild pitch later, the game was tied at six and it's Bill Caudill's turn. Dave Edwards lined his 3-1 pitch into center to score two and put the Friars in front for good. Pinch hitter Broderick Perkins scored one more with a base hit, and that made the final score Padres 9, Cubs 6. Just another wild day at Wrigley Field. The Padre announcers give their Player of the Game award to Lee Smith for his "brilliant" performance in the ninth.

W- Lucas (8-7)
S- Urrea (3)
L- Smith (3-7)

HR- CHC: Bonds (7)

Now it's on to the City of Brotherly Love for the Braves and Phillies.

The Braves got all the offense they needed in the first, when right fielder Claudell Washington took Steve Carlton four hundred and twenty feet over the wall in center, and held on for a 5-1 decision. Bob Horner drove home a run in the third, and Brett Butler salted the game away in the eighth with a two-run single.

Tommy Boggs went seven innings for the Braves to pick up the win, but Rick Camp ran into trouble in the ninth trying to close it out for him. The Phils manufactured a rally on a hit batsman, a base hit and a walk. But with the bases loaded, Bake Mc Bride grounded one to Glenn Hubbard, who flipped it to Paul Runge (the infielder, not the umpire) for the final out. Steve Carlton took the loss for the Phils despite pitching a complete game, while McBride drove home the only Philly run.

W- Boggs (4-13)
S- Camp (18)
L- Carlton (13-5)

HR- ATL: Washington (6)

Our final stop is Three Rivers Stadium, where the Pirates are hosting the West-leading Dodgers.

The luckiest break for the Dodgers happened just before the end of batting practice, when catcher Mike Scioscia fouled a ball off of his left foot and was judged unable to start. Veteran Steve Yeager filled in and had a career night, going five for five, scoring two runs and driving in six as the Dodgers rolled past the Bucs 9-2. His big evening started in the very first inning, when his two-run single drove in Kenny Landreaux and Steve Garvey to give the Dodgers a quick 2-0 lead against Rick Rhoden. The first of his two home runs came in the fifth and increased the Dodger lead to 5-1. His second came off of reliever Rod Scurry, who threw just one strike in his seven-pitch outing: the one Yeager lashed down the left field line and onto table two at the Bullpen Cafe. Rookie Mike Marshall also homered for the Dodgers, while Bill Robinson went deep for the losing Buccos.

W- Valenzuela (14-7)
L- Rhoden (9-5)

HR- LA: Yeager 2 (5), Marshall (1)
PIT: B. Robinson (3)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 60-49
Cardinals: 56-47- 1 GB
Phillies: 55-53- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 49-54- 8 GB
Mets: 41-63- 16.5 GB
Cubs: 39-65- 18.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 68-43
Astros: 65-46- 3 GB
Reds: 58-51- 9 GB
Giants: 58-54- 10.5 GB
Braves: 51-56- 15.5 GB
Padres: 47-64- 21 GB

One more note: Since the WhatIf simulator doesn't take weather into account as it does in football, the assumption in this thread will be that all games were able to be played without a weather issue. Besides, the Weather Underground information isn't consistent enough to be usable in a situation like this; there was no historical weather data available for Montreal on June 12, to cite just one example.

Next: The games of June 13.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
National League Report for Saturday, June 13:

(Note: Both Giants-Cardinals and Reds-Expos are being televised as part of NBC's Game of the Week. Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek are in St. Louis, while Merle Harmon and Ron Luciano are at Olympic Stadium.)

We begin with our pair of nationally televised tilts. In St. Louis, the Cardinals hosted the Giants.

This one belonged to two Cardinals: second baseman Tommy Herr, who went four for five, scored twice and drove in another run, and pitcher Bob Forsch, who threw all but two pitches of the 6-0 five-hit shutout. RBI base hits by Garry Templeton and George Hendrick opened the scoring in the first, and in the third catcher Darrell Porter went deep off of Tom Griffin to put the Cards on cruise control. Keith Hernandez had the other RBI for the Redbirds. When the Giants got a runner on second in the ninth, manager Whitey Herzog went to get Forsch and was almost booed out of Busch Stadium. Only later is it revealed that Forsch tore a fingernail on his pitching hand just before the start of the ninth. He should be fine for his next scheduled start.

W- Forsch (11-5)
L- Griffin (8-9)

HR- STL: Porter (7)

Our other Game of the Week took place in Montreal, where the Reds invaded to face the East-leading Expos.

This one was worthy of national attention, as the Reds came back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game at six, only to lose in the bottom of the tenth on a home run from a most unlkely source. The Reds were leading 1-0 in the fourth when light-hitting Jerry Manuel, only in the lineup becasue of starting second baseman Rodney Scott's pulled hamstring, hit a line shot over the center field wall to tie it at one. The Expos then exploded for five in the fifth. Manuel and Andre Dawson each contributed two-run doubles, and Dave Collins made an uncaracteristic error reminiscent of the tuck rule in football when he tried to throw Jerry White out at second base and the ball squirted out of his hand as his arm started forward.

But the Reds were far from finished; trailing 6-2 in the eighth, they loaded the bases against Woodie Fryman. Ken Griffey then unloaded them with a scorching line drive into the left center field gap. Closer Elias Sosa came on to get Dave Concepcion to ground out and end the inning.

Sosa went to the ninth looking to preserve the Expos' 6-5 lead, but all such thoughts disappeared when George Foster found the upper deck with his first pitch to tie the game at six. By the time the bottom of the tenth rolled around, Reds manager John McNamara had already used both Tommy Hume to get the last out in the seventh, so he was down to middle reliever Paul Moskau. Moskau started out strong by striking out Terry Francona, which brought up Manuel. Moskau got ahead of him 0-2, then decided to waste an outside slider. Both he and Manuel knew it was long gone the second Manuel hitt it, and Olympic Stadium went up for grabs. Today's total for Manuel: four for five, two runs scored, two home runs, and four RBIs. Not bad for a light hitter, eh?

W- Bahnsen (3-1)
L- Moskau (2-2)

HR- MON: Manuel 2 (5)
CIN: Foster (23)

Next, we go to Three Rivers Stadium to check in on the Pirates and Dodgers.

The Pirates started fast in the bottom of the first, manufacturing a run on an infield hit, a sacrifice, a wild pitch from Burt Hooton, and a slow groundball by Mike Easler that just made it into left field. From there on, it was all Dodgers. They scored six in the fourth, two in the seventh, and two more in the eighth on their way to an 11-2 romp. Every member of the staring lineup except for third baseman Pedro Guerrero had a hit, and Kenny Landreaux and Dusty Baker each had three RBIs. Even Hooton went two for three with an RBI. Baker went deep in the fifth off of Rod Scurry, and there are serious questions about the young lefthander's ability to handle big-league hitting. Then again, there are serious questions about everything with the Pirates right now. The once-proud Family of Willie Stargell is in disarray, and Pops sits with a bad knee, unable to do more than pinch-hit.

W- Hooton (12-6)
L- Solomon (8-7)

HR: LA: Baker (10)

Stop number four on our journey: Wrigley Field in Chicago, where the Padres battled the Cubs.

The Padres jumped out on top 2-0 in the top of the first on a Terry Kennedy single and a Ruppert Jones fielder's choice, but the home team came back with seven of their own in the bottom of the inning, Jerry Morales tied it with a two-run triple, scoring Bill Buckner and Ivan DeJesus, then came home himself on a base hit by Jody Davis. Scott Fletcher contributed a two-run double to put the Cubs up 5-2, and pitcher Rick Reuschel put one in the right-field bleachers to close out the deluge.

The Pads crept back to within 7-5 after four, but the Cubs frosted their cake with a four-run eighth. Buckner and Morales stroked run-scoring singles, and Padre right fielder Luis Salazar lost Davis' fly ball in the sun, allowing two more to score. Ironically, it's the Padres who dominated in the hitting department, lighting up the Cubs' staff for seventeen hits, including a four-for-five day from Kennedy and three hits each from Salazar and center fielder Gene Richards.

W- Griffin (3-5)
L- Mura (5-15)

HR- CHC: Reuschel (1)

Now it's on to Shea Stadium for the Astros and Mets.

It was the team from the NL East with the big bats this time, as the Mets totaled fifteen hits in routing the Stros 9-3. The big offensive star for the Mets was right fielder Ellis Valentine, who went three for four with three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the third. The only player in the Mets lineup to go hitless was second baseman Doug Flynn. Meanwhile, on the pitching side of things, Mike Scott went seven strong innings for the win. Don Sutton took the loss for Houston.

W- Scott (6-10)
L- Sutton (11-10)

HR- NYM: Valentine (6)

Our final stop is the Vet in Philadelphia, where the Phillies entertained the Braves.

The homestanders methodically took care of business before a Saturday night crowd of over 40,000 with a 5-1 victory. Mike Schmidt and Garry Maddox had run-scoring singles in the three-run fourth that put the Phils in front for good. Schmidt also singled in another run in the fifth. Dick Ruthven battled hay fever and threw only seventy-two pitches in six and a third innings to get the win. Center fielder Dale Murphy drove in the only Braves run.

W- Ruthven (13-7)
L- Perry (8-10)

The standings in the East:

Expos: 61-49
Cardinals: 57-47- 1 GB
Phillies: 56-53- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 49-55- 9 GB
Mets: 42-63- 16.5 GB
Cubs: 40-65- 18.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 69-43
Astros: 65-47- 4 GB
Reds: 58-52- 10 GB
Giants: 58-55- 11,5 GB
Braves: 51-57- 16 GB
Padres: 47-65- 22 GB

Next: The games of Sunday, June 14.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
National League Report for Sunday, June 14:

We begin in Montreal with the rubber match between the Reds and the Expos.

The Reds took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a Dave Concepcion RBI single, and the Expos tied it in the bottom of the second when Reds starter Frank Pastore gave up a bases-loaded walk to Andre Dawson. The Reds eventually pulled out to a 4-1 lead after five and a half, but as was the case yesterday, the lead was nowhere near safe. After Pastore walked Chris Speier to start the bottom of the sixth, Tim Raines, out for the last couple of days due to a rib injury, batted for starter Scott Sanderson. He got on base with a fielder's choice, then drew seven throws from Reds catcher Joe Nolan before he stole second and four more before he stole third. Warren Cromartie drove him in with a ground ball, and it's 4-2. Then Jerry White yanked one down the right field line that everyone expected to drop in the corner. Instead, it disappeared over the fence for a home run.

The Reds' lead was still one heading to the bottom of the eighth, and John McNamara bypassed Tommy Hume in favor of rookie Joe Price. After one out, Price gave up a double to Speier. John Milner, who had entered the game for Cromartie at first base as part of a double switch, was next, and he lined one into the gap in right center field to tie the game. Rodney Scott pinch-ran for Milner and stole third. Skipper Jim Fanning then turned to Tim Wallach to bat for Elias Sosa, and he delivered a sacrifice fly to send Scott jogging home and give the Expos a 5-4 lead. Having already used Sosa, Fanning sent Stan Bahnsen out to put this one away, and he shut the Reds down in order in the top of the ninth to give the Expos two out of three in this crucial series. Not only that, but by their heroics on the base paths, Raines and Scott demonstrated that they could be ready for regular duty soon, which the fans in Montreal definitely find tres magnifique.

W- Sosa (2-2)
S- Bahnsen (2)
L- Price (6-2)

HR- MTL: White (4)

Our next stop is Shea Stadium, where the Mets welcomed the Astros.

The Stros were hardly grateful visitors, lighting up starter Greg Harris for six runs in the third on the way to pounding the Mets 8-3. Center fielder Tony Scott stroked a two-run single, left fielder Jose Cruz a two-run double, and right fielder Terry Puhl and first baseman Cesar Cedeno each contributed run-scoring hits as well. From there on, it was smooth sailing for pitcher Bob Knepper, who pitched a complete game. Ellis Valentine went deep for the second consecutive day to lead the Mets' offense.

W- Knepper (10-5)
L- Harris (3-6)

HR- NYM: Valentine (7)

Next, it's off to Three Rivers to see if the Dodgers can keep dominating the Pirates.

Well, the Dodgers didn't exactly dominate like they have the past two days, but they clearly showed their superiority in the 4-1 win. Bob Welch and Jim Bibby matched goose eggs through five, but the Dodgers broke through in the sixth. Dusty Baker led off with a hit, and one out later Rick Monday tripled him home. Monday then scored on a Bill Russell base hit. The Dodgers added two more in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and a Tim Foli error, and the verdict was secure. Dave Parker tagged one into the second deck in right field in the bottom of the ninth to give the few remaining Pirate fans a small thrill. Unfortunately, that's the only one they've received for a while, and they gave their Buccos a thorough catcalling as the team went to their clubhouse.

W- Welch (10-5)
L- Bibby (6-4)

HR- PIT: Parker (10)

Now it's on to the Vet for the Braves and Phillies.

In a wild contest that saw both teams make five-run rallies, the Braves scored last in the top of the ninth to take an 8-7 decision. The Phils were already up 1-0 in the second when young shortstop Paul Runge got all of a Larry Christenson slider and parked it in the second deck in right field with one on. The Phils tied it up in the third, and that was the last scoring until the top of the seventh, when third baseman Keith Moreland's throwing error and a walk to Matt Sinatro put runners on first and second with Runge due up. He lined a double into the left center field gap. Glenn Hubbard scored easily, but Larry Bowa's relay had Sinatro out by ten feet.

The Fightins' offense went to work in the bottom of the seventh off of former Philly Gene Garber. Singles by Bowa and pinch hitter Mike Schmidt and walks to Lonnie Smith and Pete Rose push across a run. Then Gary Mathews smashed one all the way to Delaware, putting the Phils in front 7-3. But Ron Reed gave it all back in the eighth. Dale Murphy worked a bases-loaded walk for the fourth Braves run, then skipper Bobby Cox sent veteran Bruce Benedict to the plate to bat for Sinatro. Benedict took the count to 3-2, then lined one over Mathews' head and into the left center power alley, tying things up at seven.

The Braves tallied the winning run in the ninth thanks to the speed of Brett Butler. He beat out a groundball to third for an infield hit, stole second, and scored on a base hit by Claudell Washington. Rick Camp shut the Phils down in the bottom of the ninth, and the Braves' big comeback was complete.

W- Hrabosky (2-1)
S- Camp (19)
L- Lyle (9-7)

HR- ATL: Runge (1)
PHI: Mathews (10)

Now it's on to St. Louis for the Giants-Cardinals finale, and you can bet the Cardinals are glad to see the Giants leave town after their performance Sunday: fifteen runs on twenty hits in a 15-2 skunking.

Three young prospects paced the way for the Giants. Right fielder Max Venable went three for five with an RBI and scored four times; third baseman Bob Brenly went four for five with a run scored and two RBIs; and capping off a big weekend, ahortstop Rob Pettini went four for six with five RBIs and scored twice. Center fielder Jeffrey Leonard added a home run, and the Giants put the finishing touches on with a seven-run ninth. If the young Giants can keep putting on offensive shows like this, they have the potential to make it very interesting for the Astros and Dodgers in the NL West over the season's last two months.

W- Whitson (7-9)
S- Lavelle (5)
L- Martinez (2-6)

HR- SF: Leonard (5)

Last and least, it's the Padres and Cubs at Wrigley.

The Padres jumped out in front 2-0 in the third on a run-scoring double by Ozzie Smith and a triple by Luis Salazar, and another Salazar triple made it 3-0 in the fifth. It's 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth with two out when the Cubs finally got to Padre reliever John Littlefield. Base hits by Bill Buckner and Steve Henderson and walks to Leon Durham and Jody Davis, the last with the bases loaded, cut the San Diego lead to one, and Ty Waller's base hit put the Cubbies in front. Gary Lucas relieved and promptly threw a wild pitch, followed by a two-run single to Mike Tyson. Thus it was 6-3 Cubs entering the ninth. But Doug Capilla gave up back-to-back hits, so Lee Smith was called upon to redeem himself for what happened on Friday. Pinch hitter Terry Kennedy flew out to make it 6-4, and Ozzie's base hit later in the inning brought the Pads back to within one. But with the tying run at third, Lee got Juan Bonilla to chase ball four, and the Cubs held on.

W- Capilla (2-0)
S- L. Smith (2)
L- Littlefield (2-4)

The standings in the East:

Expos: 62-49
Cardinals: 57-48- 2 GB
Phillies: 56-54- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 49-56- 10 GB
Mets: 42-64- 17.5 GB
Cubs: 41-65- 18.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 70-43
Astros: 66-47- 4 GB
Reds: 58-53- 11 GB
Giants: 59-55- 11.5 GB
Braves: 52-57- 16 GB
Padres: 47-66- 23 GB

Next: The games of Monday, June 15.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Monday, June 15. The Reds-Phillies game was televised on ABC's Monday Night Baseball, with the top announcing team of Keith Jackson, Don Drysdale, and Howard Cosell on the call:

Phillies 7, Reds 1

The Phillies scores six runs in the first two innings. Gary Mathews and Bake McBride each drove in two. Keith Moreland committed three errors at third base in place of Mike Schmidt, and Howard Cosell called his performance "a disgrace to baseball". For his part, Phils manager Dallas Green called Cosell a "disgrace to humanity" at his postgame news conference.

W- Proly (3-1)
L- Berenyi (9-7)

HR- PHI: Boone (5)

Astros 2, Expos 0

Nolan Ryan and Joe Sambito combined on a three-hitter. Phil Garner and Craig Reynolds drove in the two Astro runs. Rodney Scott returned to the Expo lineup, but Tim Raines was still limited to pinch hitting duty.

W- Ryan (12-5)
S- Sambito (11)
L- Burris (9-8)

Our final stop in the East is Shea Stadium, where the Braves traveled to engage the Mets.

History was made on this night, as Ed Lynch and Pete Falcone combined to throw a no-hitter in the Mets' 4-0 win. In fact, the only Brave to reach base was Bob Horner, who reached on a Hubie Brooks throwing error in the fourth. Offensively, the Mets got RBI hits from rookie Ron Gardenhire and Mookie Wilson in the fourth and a two-run blast from Dave Kingman in the fifth, his twenty-third of the year.

Unfortunately, Lynch was battling a summer cold and had great difficulty breathing throughout the game. Manager Joe Torre reluctantly lifted an obviously exhausted Lynch after six despite the no-hit bid. The Shea Stadium crowd booed, not knowing the extent of Lynch's discomfort, and Pete Falcone finished the final three innings. Lynch recovered enough to talk briefly to the media the next day, and he said, "I wasn't even on fumes out there. I was done. If Joe hadn't pulled me, I'd have collapsed. He did the right thing."

Here's the last out, courtesy of Mets' play-by-play man Bob Murphy:

"One and two to Butler. Falcone looking to do it for Eddie. He just couldn't go any further...... Mets 4, Braves 0, top of the ninth, two out....... Only that Hubie Brooks error separating us from perfection, but hey, we'll sure take the no-hitter. Falcone set, nods at Stearns, the one-two........ GOT HIM! NO-HITTER FOR LYNCH AND FALCONE!!!!!!!!!! ED LYNCH AND PETE FALCONE HAVE A NO-HITTER!!!!!!!! OH, DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!!.........Shea Stadium is on fire! Torre embracing Falcone, Hubie Brooks embracing Falcone, apologizing most likely, but I'm sure all is forgiven. The Mets have pitched a no-hitter at the Atlanta Braves tonight, courtesy of Ed Lynch and Pete Falcone. Final score: Mets 4, Braves 0."

W- Lynch (5-5)
S- Falcone (2)
L- Mahler (8-7)

HR- NYM: Kingman (23)

The next three sims are courtesy of my friend Brian:

Dodgers 6, Cubs 3: Reuschel vs. Hooton
W: Forster (1-1)
L: Reuschel (4-8)
Sv: Howe (9)

HR: Garvey (grand slam with two out in 8th; 11)
Buckner (CHI) 3-4, 2-RBI double in 7th

Cards 5, Padres 2
W: Forsch (12-5)
L: Eichelberger (8-9)
Sv: Sutter (26)

K. Hernandez and T. Herr (STL) 2 RBI each in four-run 3rd
O. Smith (SD) 2-4, RBI, R

Giants 3, Pirates 2

W: Blue (9-6)
L: P. Perez (2-8)
Sv: Minton (23)

Joe Morgan (SF) two-run double in 6th;
Madlock (PIT) 3 hits.
Giants move into third place in NL West with win.

Note: As is the case with managers, the rosters we used in the original project were those that teams had after the trading deadline. That's why Phil Garner is with the Astros in what is ostensibly the middle of June.

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 62-50
Cardinals: 58-48- 1 GB
Phillies: 57-54- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 49-57- 10 GB
Mets: 43-63- 16 GB
Cubs: 40-66- 19 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 71-43
Astros: 67-47- 4 GB
Giants: 60-55- 11.5 GB
Reds: 58-54- 12 GB
Braves: 52-58- 17 GB
Padres: 47-67- 24 GB

Next: The games of Tuesday, June 16.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the action for Tuesday, June 16:

We begin with a doubleheader at Shea between the Braves and the Mets.

It was a hot, muggy night at Shea for Game 1 of the doubleheader between the Braves and Mets. Less than twelve hours before, Eddie Lynch and Pete Falcone combined to no-hit the Bravos. Could the Mets' mound dominance continue?

Sadly, no. The hitless streak continued for only one more out, as Bob Horner doubled in Rufino Linares in the first inning to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. They added another, but the Mets came back to tie with two in the bottom of the first on Dave Kingman's twenty-fourth home run of the year. Ellis Valentine hit one out in the bottom of the fifth to give the Mets a 3-2 lead, and they take that lead into the ninth inning and entrust it to closer Neil Allen. Allen gave up a double to pinch hitter Bruce Benedict on his first pitch. Two outs and another base hit later, Linares scored Benedict with a third base hit and we were tied at three.

We headed to extra innings, and in the tenth Mets pitcher (and current Pirate pitching coach) Ray Searage walked Dale Murphy, who unexpectedly breaks for second on the next pitch. The shocked Mets could do nothing as he stole it easily. All that became moot on the next pitch, as Searage's curveball didn't curve and Glenn Hubbard turned on it and sent it over the center field wall to put the Braves in front 5-3. Rick Camp gave up a double to Ron Gardenhire in the bottom of the tenth, then proceeded to strike out the side to preserve the Braves' victory. John "The Count" Montefusco picked up the win, while Searage was dealt the loss.

W- Montefusco (3-3)
S- Camp (20)
L- Searage (1-1)

HR- ATL: Hubbard (7)
NYM: Kingman (24), Valentine (8)

I'll do Game 2 in a few moments. For now, here are some other games:

Reds 14, Phillies 5

Johnny Bench had two homers and six RBIs as the Reds scored seven in the first two innings. The Phillies doomed themselves by committing five errors. Keith Moreland partially redeemed himself for last night's disaster by driving in three runs for the losing Phils.

W- Brown (2-0)
L- Espinosa (2-6)

HR- CIN: Bench 2 (10)

Astros 3, Expos 0

Vern Ruhle, Joe Sambito, and Dave Smith four-hit the Expos. Terry Puhl drove in two runs to pace the Astro offense.

W- Ruhle (5-6)
L- Lea (5-5)

Dodgers 12, Cubs 3

The Dodgers blow the Cubs out of Chavez Ravine with a seven-run third inning capped by a Steve Yeager grand slam. Everyone who batted for the Dodgers had at least one of their sixteen hits.

W- Hooton (13-6)
L- Krukow (9-10)

HR- LA: Yeager (6)

Padres 5, Cardinals 4

The Padres won it in the bottom of the ninth on a Ruppert Jones ground-rule double. The Redbirds blew a 4-2 lead on the Western cellar-dwellers.

W- Urrea (3-2)
L- Shirley (6-5)

HR- STL: Porter (8)

Giants 7, Pirates 5

The Pirates gave up a five-run third and got it all back in the top of the eighth, but the Giants added another run in the bottom of the eighth to seal the deal. Joe Morgan went three for five and scored twice for the Giants. The Pirates have now lost seven in a row.

W- Rippley (5-4)
L- Tiant (2-6)

HR- SF: Brenly (2)
PIT: Easler (8)

Mets 6, Braves 3 (Game 2)

The Mets scored six in the eighth to win, with the key blow being a grand slam by rookie Wally Backman.

W- Falcone (6-4)
S- Allen (19)
L- Camp (9-4)

HR- ATL: Murphy (14)
NYM: Backman (1)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 62-51
Cardinals: 58-49- 1 GB
Phillies: 57-55- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 49-58- 10 GB
Mets: 44-64- 15.5 GB
Cubs: 40-67- 19 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 72-43
Astros: 68-47- 4 GB
Giants: 61-55- 11.5 GB
Reds: 59-54- 12 GB
Braves: 53-59- 17.5 GB
Padres: 48-67- 24 GB

Next: The games of Wednesday, June 17.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Here's the National League Report for Wednesday, June 17:

Reds 3, Mets 1

Rookie Paul Householder and George Foster hit home runs for the Reds to account for all of their runs. Rookie Joe Edelen bailed out Tommy Hume in the ninth by getting pinch hitter Rusty Staub to pop out with the bases loaded.

W- Moskau (3-2)
S- Edelen (1)
L- Scott (6-11)

HR- CIN: Foster (24), Householder (3)

Phillies 2, Astros 1

The Phils broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth on a base hit by Pete Rose, who had three hits and both Philly RBIs on the night. With Tug McGraw excused due to an undisclosed personal matter, Sparky Lyle recorded the save.

W- Proly (4-1)
S- Lyle (3)
L- Niekro (10-10)

Expos 8, Braves 1

Andre Dawson went four for five and drove in four runs. He and Warren Cromartie both went deep for the Spos. The Braves committed three errors in the loss.

W- Gullickson (8-9)
L- Perry (8-11)

HR- MON: Dawson (25), Cromartie (7)

Dodgers 3, Cardinals 2

Rick Monday hit a first inning home run off of Joaquin Andujar to give the Dodgers all of their runs. Rookie Dave Stewart came out of the pen to record the save.

W- Reuss (11-4)
S- Stewart (7)
L- Andujar (6-2)

HR- LA: Monday (12)

Giants 12, Cubs 3

Pitcher Doyle Alexander had an almost perfect day: the complete game victory and a four-for-four performance at the plate, driving in three runs and scoring three more. First baseman Dave Bergman also drove in four runs. The Giants totaled eighteen hits.

W- Alexander (12-7)
L- Bird (4-6)

Pirates 6, Padres 2

The Battlin' Bucs finally broke their seven-game losing streak by scoring six runs over the final two innings. National League batting leader Bill Madlock went three for four. Rookie Cecilio Guante, called up to replace the traded Grant Jackson, got the win in his first major league appearance.

W- Guante (1-0)
L- Littlefield (2-5)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 63-51
Cardinals: 58-50- 2 GB
Phillies: 58-55- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 50-58- 10 GB
Mets: 44-65- 16.5 GB
Cubs: 40-68- 20 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 73-43
Astros: 68-48- 5 GB
Giants: 62-55- 11.5 GB
Reds: 60-54- 12 GB
Braves: 53-60- 18.5 GB
Padres: 48-68- 25 GB

Next: The games of Thursday, June 18.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Thursday, June 18:

Giants 6, Cubs 5

Milt May drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to keep the Giants' hot streak alive. The Cubs wasted a two-for-four, four-RBI day from backup catcher Tim Blackwell. Joe Morgan went deep for the Giants.

W- Breining (7-2)
S- Minton (24)
L- Capilla (2-1)

HR- SF: Morgan (9)

Padres 4, Pirates 3

The Pirates overcame a 3-0 deficit with home runs from Bill Madlock and Mike Easler in the eighth, but lost on a Luis Salazar triple and a Tim Flannery single. Catcher Terry Kennedy went three for four for the Pads.

W- Lucas (8-7)
L- Cruz (1-2)

HR- PIT: Easler (9), Madlock (7)

Braves 10, Expos 4

The Braves piled up thirteen hits, and Chris Chambliss hit a home run into the next to last row in right center field. Bob Horner also went deep for the Braves, as did Andre Dawson for the Expos.

W- Niekro (8-7)
L- Rogers (12-9)

HR- ATL: Horner (16), Chambliss (9)
MTL: Dawson (26)

Reds 3, Mets 2

Dave Concepcion doubled in Paul Householder with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. There were only eight combined hits. The Mets committed three errors.

W-Price (7-2)
S- Hume (14)
L- Falcone (6-5)

HR- NYM: Kingman (25)

Phillies 5, Astros 2

Pete Rose had three RBIs and Larry Bowa two for the Phils. Steve Carlton threw a complete game five-hitter for the win.

W- Carlton (14-5)
L- Sutton (11-11)

Cardinals 7, Dodgers 6 (USA: Jim Woods, Nellie Briles)

George Hendrick went three for five with two RBIs and scored twice. Darrell Porter's sacrifice fly in the sixth ended up the difference as the Dodgers scored three in the ninth before Bruce Sutter came on to get pinch-hitter Ron Cey to ground into a double play.

W- Sykes (3-0)
S- Sutter (26)
L- Welch (10-6)

HR- STL: Hendrick (19)
LA: Garvey (11)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 63-52
Cardinals: 59-50- 1 GB
Phillies: 59-55- 3.5 GB
Pirates: 50-59- 10 GB
Mets: 44-66- 16.5 GB
Cubs: 40-69- 20 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 73-44
Astros: 68-49- 5 GB
Giants: 63-55- 10.5 GB
Reds: 61-54- 11 GB
Braves: 54-60- 17.5 GB
Padres: 49-68- 24 GB

Next: The games of Friday, June 19.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Friday, June 19:

Braves 11, Mets 5

Rookie Charlie Puleo lasted only three innings for the Mets. Claudell Washington went three for five with four RBIs as a total of seven home runs were hit at "The Launching Pad".

W- Mahler (9-7)
L- Puleo (0-1)

HR: ATL: Horner (17) Washington (8), Hubbard (8)
NYM: Kingman 2 (27), Staub 2 (7)

Expos 5, Astros 4

Warren Cromartie drove home the winning run for the Expos in the top of the ninth after a Dickie Thon pinch-hit double had tied it for the Astros in the bottom of the eighth. For the second time in a row that a closer was needed by the Expos, it was veteran Stan Bahnsen who was called upon to slam the door.

W- Sosa (3-2)
S- Bahnsen (3)
L- Smith (5-4)

HR- MON: Dawson 2 (28)
HOU: Ashby (5)

Pirates 3, Dodgers 2

Second baseman Johnny Ray hit a two-run homer in the fifth to put the Pirates in the lead for good. Cecilio Guante got his first major- league save, but not before right fielder Dave Parker made a shoestring catch (or trap, if you're Tommy Lasorda) of Davey Lopes' game-ending fly ball.

W- Solomon (9-7)
S- Guante (1)
L- Reuss (10-5)

HR: PIT: Ray (1)
LA: Guerrero (13)

Cardinals 13, Giants 7 (10 innings)

The Cardinals erased a 7-0 Giant lead with seven in the eighth, then blew things wide open with a six-run tenth. Starter Allen Ripley was called in to pitch for the Giants in the tenth and gave up a grand slam to George Hendrick which put the Cardinals in the lead. Both Hendrick and right fielder Tito Landrum drove in four runs, and left fielder Keith Hernandez was walked four times. Jerry Martin drove in four for the Giants. The Expos and Cardnals are now in a virtual tie for first place in the East, and the Cardinals have no less than six games in hand.

W- Littell (2-3)
L- Breining (7-3)

HR- STL: Hendrick (20), Hernandez (9)

Cubs 6, Padres 5

The Cubs scored four in the eighth to overcome a 5-2 deficit. First baseman Bill Buckner drove in Bobby Bonds with the go-ahead run. Ozzie Smith hit a rare home run for the Friars. (Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!)

W. L. Smith (4-7)
S- Caudill (1)
L- Littlefield (2-6)

HR- CHC: Durham (11)
SD: O. Smith (1)

Reds 8, Phillies 3

It was the George Foster Show at Riverfront as he went four for four with five RBIs. Pete Rose drove in all three Philly runs. The Reds racked up a total of seventeen hits on the evening. This win coupled with the Giants' loss to the Cardinals puts the Reds back in third place in the West.

W- Seaver (15-2)
L- Reed (5-4)

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 63-53
(tie) Cardinals: 60-50
Phillies: 59-56- 3.5 GB
Pirates: 51-59- 9 GB
Mets: 44-67- 16.5 GB
Cubs: 41-69- 19 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 73-45
Astros: 68-50- 5 GB
Reds: 62-54- 10 GB
Giants: 63-56- 10.5 GB
Braves: 55-60- 16.5 GB
Padres: 50-68- 23 GB

Next: The games of Saturday, June 20.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Saturday, June 20:

Expos 2, Astros 1

Tim Wallach's base hit in the eighth scored Andre Dawson with the winning run. Stan Bahnsen bailed out closer Elias Sosa yet again, as he got three outs on nine pitches to earn another save after Sosa put runners on first and second with nobody out.

W- Fryman (6-4)
S- Bahnsen (4)
L- Smith (5-4)

Cardinals 9, Giants 5

The Redbirds blew things wide open with a six-run second that featured home runs from George Hendrick and Dane Iorg. Tommy Herr went four for four and scores three times for St. Louis. Jack Clark went deep for the Giants for the first time since coming back from a shoulder injury.

W- Forsch (13-5)
S- Sutter (27)
L- Blue (9-7)

HR- STL: Hendrick (21), Iorg (3)
SF: Clark (18)

Braves 3, Mets 1

Bob Horner drove in the winning runs with a third-inning double. Dave Kingman went deep for the fourth time in three games for the Mets. This game lasted until almost one in the morning due to two long rain delays.

W- Mahler (10-7)
S- Camp (21)
L- Jones (1-9)

HR- NYM: Kingman (28)

Padres 1, Cubs 0

Gene Richards' third-inning infield single scores catcher Doug Gwodsz with the winning run. Steve Mura threw a complete game five-hit shutout for the Padres. Bill Buckner tripled in the ninth to put the tying run on third, but Mura goy Leon Durham to ground out to second to end the game.

W- Mura (6-15)
L- Reuschel (4-9)

Phillies 6, Reds 5 (10 innings; NBC: Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek)

The Phillies scored four in the first off Frank Pastore, including three on a blast from Mike Schmidt, then watched the Reds come back to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Phils eventually win it in the tenth on a Bob Boone sacrifice fly. The game ended when pinch hitter Dave Collins is called out stealing by second base umpire Frank Pulli, a call clearly shown by NBC replay cameras to be wrong. The Phils remain just three and a half games behind the Expos and Cardinals in the East.

W- McGraw (3-4)
S- Noles (1)
L- Hume (9-5)

HR- PHI: Schmidt (32)

Dodgers 3, Pirates 1

The Dodgers only totaled five hits, but one was a two-run homer from rookie Ron Roenicke. The phenomenon that is Fernandomania continues, as Valenzuela pitched a complete game four-hitter.

W- Valenzuela (15-7)
L- Bibby (6-5)

HR- LA: Roenicke (1)

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 64-53
(tie) Cardinals: 61-50
Phillies: 60-56- 3.5 GB
Pirates: 51-60- 10 GB
Mets: 44-68- 17.5 GB
Cubs: 41-70- 20 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 74-45
Astros: 68-51- 6 GB
Reds: 62-55- 11 GB
Giants: 63-57- 11.5 GB
Braves: 56-60- 16.5 GB
Padres: 51-68- 23 GB

Next: The games of Sunday, June 21.

Thoughts?
 
Here's the National League Report for Sunday, June 21:

Cardinals 4, Giants 3 (Game 1)

The Redbirds scored all of their runs in the top of the first off of spot starter Mike Rowland, then had to hang on for dear life. Third baseman Enos Cabell went deep for Frisco. Darrell Evans' pulled hamstring isn't healing very quickly; after almost two weeks, he can still barely pinch hit.

W- Martinez (3-6)
S- Sutter (27)
L- Rowland (0-2)

HR- SF: Cabell (3)

Giants 7, Cardinals 3 (Game 2)

The Giants broke open a tight one with consecutive triples by Darrell Evans, Larry Herndon, and Jerry Martin in the eighth. Evans, playing with the aforementioned hamstring pull, still managed two hits and two RBIs. Enos Cabell, playing first base in this game, homered again.

W- Holland (8-5)
S- Breining (2)
L- Littell (2-4)

HR- SF: Cabell (4)

Padres 3, Cubs 1

Left fielder Gene Riichards had a perfect day for the Padres, going four for four, driving in a run and causing another to score when a caught stealing attempt by Cubs catcher Jody Davis bounced into center field. Bill Buckner went three for four for the Cubs. Cubs manager Joey Amalfitano was thrown out in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes and threw an ice bucket at home plate umpire Dick Stello; nothing connected, but he's still looking at a minimum five-game suspension.

W- Welsh (7-7)
S- Littlefield (3)
L- Martz (5-8)

Dodgers 5, Pirates 4

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead early, gave up four runs in the middle innings, fought back to tie in the ninth, and lost it on a Bill Russell sacrifice fly. Center fielder Omar Moreno was three for five and scored twice for the Bucs, while Dave Parker drove in two runs despite going hitless. There are rumors that Willie Stargell's bad knees are feeling good enough to allow him to start in the next week to ten days, but nothing is confirmed yet.

W- Stewart (5-3)
L- Cruz (1-3)

Expos 9, Astros 4

The Astros took a 3-2 lead into the eighth, then the roof caved in (no pun intended) as the Expos scored seven. Andre Dawson went four for five for the Expos, scoring twice and driving in two more. Even though veteran Frank LaCorte took the loss, young Bobby Sprowl was the most notable victim in the Astro pen, giving up three runs and five hits on just seventeen pitches. The win means that the Expos are back in first place in the East, albeit by a scant half game.

W- Fryman (7-4)
L- LaCorte (4-3)

Mets 4, Braves 3

Dave Kingman's two-run line drive home run won it for the Mets; it's his fifth home run in four games. Rookie catcher Matt Sinatro drove in two for the Braves. In a blast from the past, Mike Marshall came out of the pen to save the game for the Mets.

W- Searage (2-1)
S- Marshall (1)
L- Garber (4-7)

HR- NYM: Kingman (29)

Reds 11, Phillies 8

The Reds built up a 5-0 lead after two, squandered it by the sixth, then got it back in the seventh on a two-run homer from first baseman Johnny Bench. Catcher Joe Nolan. Big John's replacement. went four for five. Mike Schmidt's mortar shot into the Philly bullpen in the ninth came too little too late.

W- Price (8-2)
L- Reed (5-5)

HR- PHI: Schmidt (33)
CIN: Bench (11)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 65-53
Cardinals: 62-51- .5 GB
Phillies: 60-57- 4.5 GB
Pirates: 51-61- 11 GB
Mets: 45-68- 17.5 GB
Cubs: 41-71- 21 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 75-45
Astros: 68-52- 7 GB
Reds: 63-55- 11 GB
Giants: 64-58- 12 GB
Braves: 56-61- 17.5 GB
Padres: 52-68- 23 GB

Next: The game (yes, there's only one) of Monday, June 21.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
I've decided to stop time and play the makeup games now. There are just six of them, but five involve the race in the East, so it's important that they're played, and since the Cardinals are involved in three of them, we'd be looking at a major gap between the National and American League playoffs if they were played in October.

Let's start in Pittsburgh, where the hometown team has makeup dates with both the Expos and Cardinals. They'll battle the Expos first:

Expos 10, Pirates 1

The Expos rolled over the listless Bucs before a less-than-sellout crowd at Three Rivers. The game was scoreless through four and 1-0 Montreal through five, but the Spos let loose with a nine-run sixth highlighted by no less than four RBIs from Andre Dawson, who singled in a run in his first at-bat and cleared the bases with a double in his second. Gary Carter added a two-run double, and the Spos scored eight of the nine runs after two outs, helped by no less than four walks. Terry Francona, who got the start in left, had three hits and drove in a pair, while starter Bill Gullickson went eight shutout innings to get the win, giving up seven hits but also striking out eight. He also singled in a run in the big sixth inning.

Bill Madlock drove in the Bucs' only run as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth, and Odell Jones took the loss, giving up ten runs on nine hits and six walks in five and two-thirds innings. Dale Berra, who started in Madlock's place at third, went three for four, and left fielder Mike Easler had two hits.

W- Gullickson (9-9)
L- Jones (4-6)

Next, we go to Shea, where the Cardinals are taking on the Mets:

Cardinals 6, Mets 1

The Redbirds kept pace by dusting off the Mets. Second baseman Tommy Herr paced the offense, going two for five and driving in a pair, while shortstop Mike Ramsey, starting in place of Garry Templeton, had two hits, drove in a run, and scored twice. A three-run ninth put the game away for good. The Mets' only run came when second baseman Doug Flynn scored on a fielding error from Ramsey in the seventh. Bob Shirley, normally a reliever, gave up a run on six hits in seven and a third innings to get the win, and Bruce Sutter notched the save, while Pete Falcone took the loss. No member of the Mets' lineup had more than one hit.

W- Shirley (7-5)
S- Sutter (28)
L- Falcone (6-6)

Our final stop for this post is Atlanta, where the Dodgers look to pad their lead in the West against the Braves:

Dodgers 5, Braves 4 (12 innings)

Steve Sax's base hit in the top of the twelfth snuck the Dodgers past the surprisingly tough Braves. The Men in Blue used the longball to make two comebacks in the late innings; catcher Steve Yeager tied the game at two in the seventh with a solo shot, and Braves closer Rick Camp gave up back-to-back jacks to left fielder Dusty Baker and first baseman Steve Garvey to start the ninth. The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a double by first baseman Chris Chambliss, an error by Dodger shortstop Bill Russell that allowed center fielder Dale Murphy to reach, and a run-scoring groundout by shortstop Paul Runge. But Dave Stewart came out of the Dodger pen to strand the winning run at third. The Braves also got a leadoff double from Rafael Ramirez in the bottom of the twelfth, but future Brave Alejandro Pena got the next three outs in order to end the game.

Murphy led the Atlanta offense, going three for five and scoring twice, while catcher Bruce Benedict had two hits and drove in two runs. Terry Forster got the win in relief, with Pena recording the save. Rick Mahler took the loss.

W- Forster (2-1)
S- Pena (3)
L- Mahler (10-8)

HR- LA: Garvey (13), Baker (11), Yeager (7)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Expos: 66-53
Cardinals: 63-51- .5 GB
Phillies: 60-57- 5 GB
Pirates: 51-62- 12 GB
Mets: 45-69- 18.5 GB
Cubs: 41-71- 21.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 76-45
Astros: 68-52- 7.5 GB
Reds: 63-55- 11.5 GB
Giants: 64-58- 12.5 GB
Braves: 56-62- 18.5 GB
Padres: 52-68- 23.5 GB

Next: More makeup games.

Thoughts?
 
We continue with the makeup games in Pittsburgh, where the Cardinals are taking on the Pirates:

Cardinals 8, Pirates 3

The Cards unleashed a seventeen-hit attack on the sinking Pirates, which was highlighted by four-hit performances from first baseman Keith Hernandez and left fielder Dane Iorg. Interestingly, neither man drove in a run; that job was taken care of by catcher Darrell Porter, who smacked a two-run homer in the ninth to put the game out of reach as part of a three-RBI day. Second baseman Tommy Herr also drove in three runs for the Cards, while rookie center fielder David Green drove in another pair with a base hit in the second that gave the visitors the lead for good. On the mound, John Martin pitched seven strong innings, giving up three runs on seven hits before turning things over to Bruce Sutter for the final two.

Mike Easler was the entire offense for Pittsburgh, slugging home runs in the first and sixth and driving in the third run with a third-inning single. Catcher Steve Nicosia had two hits in a rare start. On the mound, Ernie Camacho took the loss, giving up six runs on eleven hits in five and two-thirds innings.

W- Martin (9-5)
S- Sutter (29)
L- Camacho (0-2)

HR- STL: Porter (9)
PIT: Easler 2 (11)

While we're talking about the Redbirds, let's go to their other makeup game against the Reds in Cincinnati:

Cardinals 12, Reds 6

The Redbirds trailed 6-4 going to the top of the ninth, then exploded for eight runs to bury the Reds. Hernandez drew a leadoff walk against Reds pitcher Bruce Berenyi, and that was followed by a one-out walk to Iorg. Third baseman Kenny Oberkfell lined a single to center to load the bases, and Reds manager John McNamara called on closer Tommy Hume to nail down the win. Instead, Porter singled to right to score Hernandez and cut the Cincy lead to 6-5. Left fielder Gene Roof then cracked a single to left center to score Iorg and Oberkfell and give the Cards a 7-6 lead. Hume got pinch hitter Tito Landrum to fly out to left for out number two, but Herr walked to load the bases, then shortstop Garry Templeton walked to force in Iorg and make it 8-6 Redbirds. Hernandez was the tenth man to bat in the inning, and he finished things off with a grand slam over the wall in left center. Hume was booed unmercifully as he left the mound.

Roof led the Cardinals offensively, going four for five and driving in three runs. while Oberkfell and Porter had three hits and an RBI apiece and Templeton also drove in three runs. Shortstop Dave Concepcion had three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the Reds, and center fielder Paul Householder had three hits and scored twice. Veteran Jim Kaat picked up the win out of the bullpen for St. Louis.

W- Kaat (7-7)
L- Hume (9-6)

HR- STL: Hernandez (10)

Our final stop is Olympic Stadium, where the Expos are hosting the Cubs:

Expos 7, Cubs 0

Scott Sanderson tossed a five-hit shutout at the listless Cubs, backed up by three RBIs from catcher Gary Carter and a perfect three-for-three day at the plate from right fielder Jerry White. White drove in the only run the Spos would need when he doubled in Warren Cromartie in the bottom of the first, and Carter's big blow was a two-run single in the second that stretched the Montreal lead to 4-0. Second baseman Jerry Manuel added a solo home run in the third, and shortstop Chris Speier drove in the other run, while Cromartie had two hits and scored twice from the leadoff spot.

First baseman Bill Buckner and left fielder Steve Henderson each had two hits for the Cubs. Pressed into emergency service as a starter for the second time this year, Lee Smith took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks in five innings. The Expos' win means that there is once again a virtual tie for first place in the East.

W- Sanderson (10-7)
L- L. Smith (4-8)

HR- MTL: Manuel (6)

The standings in the East to the moment:

(tie) Expos: 67-53
(tie) Cardinals: 65-51
Phillies: 60-57- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 51-63- 13 GB
Mets: 45-69- 19 GB
Cubs: 41-72- 22.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 76-45
Astros: 68-52- 7.5 GB
Reds: 63-56- 12 GB
Giants: 64-58- 12.5 GB
Braves: 56-62- 18.5 GB
Padres: 52-68- 23.5 GB

Next: Back to real time with June 21.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
National League West Report for June 22, 1981:

Our only stop is Los Angeles, where the first-place Dodgers are entertaining the last-place Padres.

The Men in Blue grabbed a 1-0 lead on a Kenny Landreaux RBI single in the first, but could do nothing else against Padre starter Rick Wise, although they amassed ten hits through five. Meanwhile, Burt "Happy" Hooton threw goose eggs at the Friars until the sixth, when catcher Terry Kennedy doubled in second baseman Juan Bonilla. The teams exchanged another set of runs, but the Dodgers unsnapped the tie in the eighth on Landreaux's second run-scoring base hit of the evening. A Rick Monday sacrifice fly figured to add insurance, as the Dodgers took a 4-2 lead going into the ninth. Manager Tommy Lasorda had neither the recently hot Dave Stewart nor reigning Rookie of the Year Steve Howe available, having used them in the seventh and eighth respectively. He decided to bring in Terry Forster, who's only pitched once in the last six weeks due to elbow problems.

Pinch hitter Joe Lefebvre, battling his own sore shoulder, hit Forster's first pitch into the upper deck, but foul. Forster then fell behind 3-0 before Lefebvre got under one and chased Dusty Baker back to the warning track for out number one. Ozzie Smith walked on four straight balls, then Forster threw the 2-0 to Bonilla halfway to Jack Murphy Stadium. Two pitches later. Bonilla lined one into center field to score the Wizard of Oz, and it was 4-3. Gene Richards then dropped a fly ball in front of Monday for a double, and it was second and third with one out. Ruppert Jones flew out to Landreaux for the second out. By now, Forster's clearly had enough, so Lasorda had to go back to the pen. In desperation, he turned to Dave Goltz. Kennedy made Tommy regret it when he spanked the 2-2 into right. Bonilla scored easily. Monday fired to the plate, and it was on the money, but Richards did the old dipsy-do and beat Mike Scioscia's tag.

Thus it was 5-4 Padres entering the last of the ninth, and now it was Friar skipper Frank Howard's turn for a curious decision. Instead of veteran Gary Lucas, he went to rookie Danny Boone to close it out. Boone gave up a leadoff single to Dusty Baker, but redeemed himself by getting the next three outs, and the Padres have won it despite giving up seventeen hits. Final from Chavez Ravine: Padres 5, Dodgers 4.

W- Urrea (4-2)
S- Boone (3)
L- Forster (2-2)

The standings in the West to the moment:

Dodgers: 76-46
Astros: 68-52- 7 GB
Reds: 63-56- 11.5 GB
Giants: 64-58- 12 GB
Braves: 56-62- 18 GB
Padres: 53-68- 22.5 GB

Next: The games of June 22.

Thoughts?
 
One thought I have is how different would the other sports be under the Pythagorean system, like basketball or American football for instance.
 
One thought I have is how different would the other sports be under the Pythagorean system, like basketball or American football for instance.

I'm eventually going to do an NFL timeline, Navy. As for basketball, I may mess around with the ABA a bit (since I'm curious to find out how the Pipers/Condors would have fared in the Pythagorean universe), but I've never been an NBA man, mostly because we don't have a team in Pittsburgh. Feel free to use the concept in a thread of your own if you like, though.
 
Here's the National League Report for Tuesday, June 23:

Cardinals 13, Reds 4

This possible NLCS preview started one night too late for Monday Night Baseball, and by the end of the evening the Reds were glad of it. The Cardinals erupted for nineteen hits and blew things wide open with a seven-run ninth. Tommy Herr was four for six with three RBIs, and Darrell Porter was three for six with four RBIs. Both Porter and Keith Hernandez hit upper-deck home runs for the Cardinals. Tommy Hume gave up all seven ninth-inning runs on seven hits in just twenty-five pitches. The win moves the Cardinals into first place in the East.

W- Martin (10-5)
L- LaCoss (4-8)

HR- STL: Hernandez (11), Porter (10)
CIN: Foster (25)

Astros 12, Pirates 4

The Buccos scored four in the first off of Joe Niekro, then went silent offensively for the rest of the evening. The Astros, meanwhile, claimed the lead and blew the game open with a six-run eighth. Shortstop Craig Reynolds, a former Pirate, drove in three runs, and several other Astros drive in two, including just-acquired former Pirate Phil Garner. Rod Scurry and Kent Tekulve took the brunt of the shelling for the Pirate bullpen, but of particular interest was the return of John Candelaria. The Candy Man gave up two runs on two hits in six pitches and was in obvious pain all the while. Chuck Tanner quickly hooked him before he could do any further damage to his back.

W- Niekro (11-10)
L- Scurry (4-6)

Phillies 4, Cubs 3

The Phillies built a 4-0 lead on starter Doug Bird, then withstood a furious rally. Tug McGraw induced a groundout to Mike Schmidt off the bat of Leon Durham with the tying run at third in the bottom of the ninth. Schmidt had an up-and-down day; he drove in the eventual winning run in the first, but also committed two errors. Catcher Keith Moreland drove in two more for the Phils. Second baseman Mike Tyson hit a dinger for the Cubs.

W- Proly (5-1)
S- McGraw (11)
L- Bird (4-7)

HR- CHC: Tyson (3)

Mets 4, Expos 2

Lee Mazzilli's two-run double in the sixth gave the Mets their margin of victory, but the story was first baseman Dave Kingman. He hit his sixth home run in five games an estimated 440 feet to deep center field in the eighth, and he's closing in on Dale Long's record of home runs in eight consecutive games. Jerry Manuel homered for the home team, who now finds themselves a game behind the Cardinals.

W- Scott (7-11)
S- Searage (2)
L- Gullickson (9-10)

HR- NYM: Kingman (30)
MTL: Manuel (7)

Note: Since I "stopped time" in order to play the makeup games, Kingman's homerless effort against the Cardinals didn't end his streak.

Braves 12, Giants 2

The Braves brought their good bats tonight, lighting up the Giants for nineteen hits. Both third baseman Bob Horner and left fielder Rufino Linares had four hits for the Braves, while Claudell Wahington and Chris Chambliss hit home runs, Chambliss's in a seven-run second. Jack Clark went deep for the Giants.

W- Perry (9-10)
L- Ripley (5-5)

HR- ATL: Chambliss (10), Washington (9)
SF: Clark (19)

Padres 8, Dodgers 6

The Pads stunned their Southern California neighbors for the second night in a row, scoring runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth to overcome a 6-5 deficit after the Dodgers had fought back from a 5-0 hole themselves. Center fielder Ruppert Jones went three for four at the plate, while right fielder Dave Edwards drove in three runs. For the second night in a row, Danny Boone earned the save. Steve Sax and Rick Monday homered for the Dodgers.

W- Lucas (9-7)
S- Boone (4)
L- Castillo (2-5)

HR- LA: Monday (13), Sax (3)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Cardinals: 66-51
Expos: 67-54- 1 GB
Phillies: 61-57- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 51-64- 14 GB
Mets: 46-69- 19 GB
Cubs: 41-73- 23.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 76-47
Astros: 69-52- 6 GB
Reds: 63-57- 11.5 GB
Giants: 64-59- 12 GB
Braves: 57-62- 17 GB
Padres: 54-68- 21.5 GB

Next: The games of June 24.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
National League Report for Wednesday, June 24:

Cardinals 6, Reds 5

The Reds built a 5-1 lead before a raucous sellout crowd, then watched the Cards post two in the seventh and two in the eighth to tie, the eighth-inning runs coming on a Darrell Porter home run. George Hendrick then hit one that just eluded George Foster's glove and went over the fence. Foster thought he caught it, then realized he didn't, and a shot of him rolling around the turf in agony makes the front pages in both St. Louis and Cincinnati on Thursday morning. Bruce Sutter nailed it down for the Cards in the ninth.

W- Kaat (8-7)
S- Sutter (30)
L- Brown (2-1)

HR- STL: Hendrick (22), Porter (11)
CIN: Foster (26)

Astros 1, Pirates 0

Art Howe's fourth-inning bloop double scores Tony Scott with the game's only run. Of greater interest is a trade rumored to be on the table between the Pirates and Astros: Bill Virdon coming back to the Bucs as manager for disgruntled slugger Jason Thompson. The Astros would then hire Dick Williams, recently fired by the Expos. This would give the Astros a permanent first baseman to replace the injured Cesar Cedeno, bring back to Pittsburgh a man still seen by many as getting a raw deal in 1973 when he was fired with less than a month to go, and also shake both teams out of their recent doldrums. Both Astros GM Tal Smith and Pirates GM Pete Peterson dismissed the reports as "ridiculous".

W- Sutton (12-11)
S- Sambito (11)
L- Jones (4-7)

Phillies 9, Cubs 4

Mike Schmidt clubbed two home runs and drove in four for the Phils, who put the Cubbies away with a first-inning five-spot. Keith Moreland drove in three more with a bases-clearing double in the first, and the Phils totaled sixteen hits on the day. Leon "Bull" Durham homered for the Cubs.

W- Proly (6-1)
L- Griffin (3-6)

HR- PHI: Schmidt 2 (35)
CHC: Durham (12)

Expos 6, Mets 1

Steve Rogers fired a three-hitter, and the Mets further doomed themselves by committing three errors. Dave Kingman was held hitless, ending his streak of consecutive games with a home run at five. Expo second baseman Jerry Manuel had another productive day at the plate, homering and driving in three runs. This begs the question: What happens when Rodney Scott's shoulder recovers?

W- Rogers (13-9)
L- Harris (3-7)

HR- MTL: Manuel (8)

Giants 6, Braves 5 (10 innings)

This one started out wild and woolly, being tied 4-4 through three and a half. The Giants took the lead in the seventh, but the Braves tied it up again in the ninth on a Bob Horner sacrifice fly. They lost it in the tenth because Al Hrabosky completely lost his command of the plate, giving up a walk to Darrell Evans and a wild pitch before Larry Herndon's double scored Evans with the game winner. Hrabosky's night: eight pitches and not one strike. Even the game-winning double was off of a pitch low and inside. Milt May went three for four with a home run for the Giants, while Dale Murphy went three for five with two RBIs for Atlanta.

The win puts the Giants back into third place in the West, a half-game in front of the Reds, who at this point in the "real world" version of this project were 72-48 and leading the West by a game and a half over the Dodgers.

W- Holland (9-5)
L- Hrabosky (2-2)

HR- SF: May (3)

Dodgers 6. Padres 2

The Dodgers got one back on the Pads with the help of rookie Ron Roenicke's fourth-inning home run. Roenicke went three for four total on the evening with three RBIs. But Tommy Lasorda's main concern after the game was his pitching staff, which gave up eleven hits to the anemic Friars. Lasorda particularly singled out Bob Welch, whom he said "stank" even though he got the win. Welch didn't quite go that far when asked about it by the media, but allowed that "I've certainly had better nights, and I'll have them again."

W- Welch (11-6)
L- Kuhaulua (1-1)

HR- LA: Roenicke (2)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Cardinals: 67-51
Expos: 68-54- 1 GB
Phillies: 62-57- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 51-65- 15 GB
Mets: 46-70- 20 GB
Cubs: 41-74- 24.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 77-47
Astros: 70-52- 6 GB
Giants: 65-59- 12 GB
Reds: 63-58- 12.5 GB
Braves: 57-63- 18 GB
Padres: 54-69- 22.5 GB

Next: The games of June 25.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
Here's the National League Report for Thursday, June 25:

Phillies 6, Cubs 0

Steve Carlton blanked the Cubs on three hits, and the Phils got all the offense they needed when Gary Matthews and Mike Schmidt hit back-to-back home runs in the first. Garry Maddox returned from a wrist injury and went 0 for 3.

W- Carlton (15-5)
L- Krukow (9-11)

HR- PHI: Schmidt (36), Matthews (11)

Expos 4, Mets 2

Andre Dawson's two-run dinger in the fifth unsnapped a 2-2 tie. Scott Sanderson threw seven strong innings to get the win for the Expos.

The hot rumor surrounding the Mets is that Joe Torre could be fired if the Mets can work out a deal for either Dick Williams or Yogi Berra to become the next manager, and sources put the smart money on Williams. There's also speculation that the team will wait until the offseason and put together a package of prospects and established players that could lure Billy Martin back to New York from Oakland.

W- Sanderson (11-7)
L- Lynch (5-6)

HR- MTL: Dawson (29)

Cardinals 5, Reds 0 (USA: Jim Woods, Nellie Briles)

Four different Cardinal pitchers combinef on a five-hit shutout as the Cards complete the sweep of the Reds. They did the majority of their damage in the third with a two-run double by Keith Hernandez, a run-scoring base hit by George Hendrick, and an RBI groundout. They only outhit the Reds 6-5, but the Reds can do nothing against the Cardinal pen. Andy Rincon left after three innings due to cramps in the 94-degree Cincinnati heat, so reliever Bob Shirley got the win. Mario Soto threw a complete game in a losing effort for the slumping Reds. Their lone bright spot was catcher Joe Nolan, who went three for four.

W- Shirley (8-5)
L- Soto (13-10)

Astros 14, Pirates 6 (11 innings)

The Bucs batted around in the first off of Houston starter Bob Knepper to take a 4-0 lead, but gave it all back by the fourth, when Craig Reynolds' solo homer tied it. They came back to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh on pinch hitter Mike Easler's run- scoring single, but in the eighth Bill Virdon pulled a rabbit out of the hat when the freshly activated Cesar Cedeno, who according to Virdon will be strictly a pinch hitter for the time being, looked overmatched in his first two swings against Victor Cruz, then lined the 0-2 pitch over the center field wall to tie the game.

Fast forward to the eleventh: John Candelaria, who looked so shaky two nights ago, had struggled through the tenth, and common sense would dictate that well enough would be left alone. But Chuck Tanner decided to stick with his former ace, and it cost him the game when Dave Parker couldn't find Jose Cruz's fly ball in the lights and Phil Garner scored. That finished the Candy Man, and rookie Bob Long came in.

Two pitches later, Denny Walling drove one deep to right. Parker misjudged it completely, and Walling ended up at second. The Astros then put together five straight hits; by the end of the spree, it was 12-6, and both Long and Tanner were being booed out of Three Rivers Stadium. Donnie Robinson gave up two more runs, and this tie game ended up a laugher. By the time it was over, the Astros had compiled twenty hits, including four by Reynolds. Every member of the Astro starting lineup had at least one. Bill Madlock went four for six for the Pirates to increase his lead in the National League batting race, but that small victory rang rather hollow in light of the Pirates' many problems.


Next up for the Stros: a return home to face the Dodgers in what could be their best chance to make up ground in the West.

W- LaCorte (5-3)
L- Candelaria (2-3)

HR- HOU: Cedeno (6), Reynolds (5)

The standings in the East to the moment:

Cardinals: 68-51
Expos: 69-54- 1 GB
Phillies: 63-57- 5.5 GB
Pirates: 51-66- 16 GB
Mets: 46-71- 21 GB
Cubs: 41-75- 25.5 GB

In the West:

Dodgers: 77-47
Astros: 71-52- 5.5 GB
Giants: 65-59- 12 GB
Reds: 63-59- 13 GB
Braves: 57-63- 18 GB
Padres: 54-69- 22.5 GB

Next: The games of June 26, as full intradivisional play resumes.

Thoughts?
 
Top