My new rebuilding project: The '72 Phils
 

Challenge Mode time. Starting from a team that IRL would go 59-103.

First move...find a sucker, and I did...in LA. Traded Mike Anderson & Joe Lis for Davey Lopes, Joe Ferguson, Charlie Hough, and Tommy John.

Second up: traded Bob Spence, Joe Hoerner, and Bill Wilson for Joe Niekro, John Hiller (he retains 45%), and a 2nd round pick (#4).

Third step: Traded Willie Montanez, Tom Silicato, and Bob Beall for Jose Cruz, Bake McBride, and Bob Forsch.

Day 2
 

Traded Roger Freed for Hal McRae (retain 40%).

Ditched Rogozinski and Deron Johnson for Gene Garber and Kent Tekulve.

March 1...the Draft
 

Picking #16 is tough. Fortunately, Mike Flanagan is still available. The #4 from Detroit nets us Ruppert Jones. With our #2, we snag Joe Sambito...nice. Rick Bosetti with our #3, Ted Cox in the fourth, and a bunch of NPC's beyond that. I was hoping for better.

Mar. 2
 

Traded Ed Sukla for Jay Johnstone.

Trade Barry Lersch and Steve Bissett for Mickey Rivers and Larry Melbourne.

I'm thinking Miller Time comes early after this one!

April 7
 

Blew through Spring Training. Those stats don't go on cards.

Claimed Von Joshua, Jim Campanis, Steve Hovley, Randy Brown, Walt Williams, and Jimmy Rosiario on waivers. All are intended trade bait.

Trade Rosario, Joshua, and Larry Christenson for Billy North, Bruce Sutter, and a 2nd Round pick. This day is already looking up! Release Williams and assign the others to the minors.

Opening Day: Gibson and the Cards devastate us 10-0. Carlton looks awful.

April 8
 

Tommy John gave 8 shutout innings and John Hiller picked up the save as we beat St. Louis 3-0. Rick Wise was on the mound for the Cards.

Lopes stole 2.

Bill Robinson hit his 1st homer of the season.

Turned 2 DP's.

Reggie Cleveland stones us, 6-0. He was sharp.

April 10...the Expos thrash us 9-1...the ******* Expos.

April 12. Lefty looks awful again and we lose 6-4 to the Expos. I'm already feeling like Casey Stengel in 62.

April 14. Beat the Cubs 5-3. Batted around in the 9th for 4 runs!

Aril 15, pre-game: Traded Bill Robinson & Bill Nahorodny to the Indians for Del Unser and a First Round pick.

Apr 15...The Cubs tag Fryman for 4 runs in the 6th and we go down 6-4. 2-5 is not the way I wanted to start.

Apr 16: Pitcher Wayne Twitchell had a single and a double, and rookie Mike Schmidt hit his first home run as we drubbed the Cubs 13-1 at Wrigley. John Hiller picks up the save. Also in game highlights, Mickey Rivers (of all people) hit a 400 foot blast.

Traded Terry Harmon for Mark Belanger. Needed a captain, and the fielding won't hurt.

Apr. 17: Al Santorini baffled us, but in the 9th we tied the game at 2. A Luzinski grounder brought the winner home in the 10th. 3-2 Phils!

Calling an ad hoc rain delay between the 17th & 18th due to the impending arrival of my new iMac and the need to can some chili.

Yeah...my chili is famous.

Gibson & the Cards were in town and smacked us down 4-1. Chili was darn good though...and the game is even faster on the new machine!

Thought we'd fare better against Rick Wise. No such luck. Cards 5-4.

Pirates drill us, 10-2.

4-22. Lefty gave up 4 runs in the first two frames, but timely hitting and zero walks helped the Phils win 6-4! 5-8 for the season now.