alternatehistory.com

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?
Top