The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Highest % of Wins Saved

[luckymann]

So, as I work my way through this season I am Kindling David Halberstam's fab book October 1964 that focuses on this season and the playoffs in particular.

So cool to read a chapter about Mel Stottlemyre or Pete Mikkelsen and then come up against them or have them win awards and whatnot. A thoroughly recommended way of gaining even fuller immersion wherever possible.

[luckymann]

Baltimore's Dick Stigman gives us the first no-hitter of the year and adds his name to the list of multiple no-no-throwers with his second in just three years. That's twice more than he achieved the feat IRL.

[luckymann]

Classic quote from the Halberstam book about the trials and tribulations of being a baseball exec, in this case legendary Cards GM Bing Devine.

He was sure that a good farm system in working order would always keep enough strong-armed young men in
the pipeline to deliver first-rate pitchers. In putting this Cardinal team together, he had been guided by that
philosophy; several years earlier, he had made an important trade of that kind, giving up Toothpick Sam Jones,
quite possibly the best pitcher on his team and a man who always pitched with a toothpick in his mouth, for Bill
White, a promising outfielder-first baseman, who had played for only one full season in major-league baseball,
and who had been away for two years in the army. It was not a popular trade at the time in St. Louis, or even in
Devine’s own household, and he had come home that night only to find his wife and daughter at the dinner table,
both of them with toothpicks in their mouths.

[luckymann]

Enjoying something of a late-career resurgence - one he did not experience IRL - with a 20-win campaign last year, Don Mossi adds another fine chapter to his baseball story with this no-no against Cleveland. "The Sphinx" did not pitch one in his real MLB career.

[luckymann]

A good year for the group with seven Buccos making the grade.



A 10-3 win to the NL gets the running score back level at 16 games apiece, with Ed Bailey named MVP.

Dick Stuart wins the HR Derby, beating Willie McCovey in the final.

[luckymann]

He has slowed down just a smidge, but still many season records remain well and truly under threat from Willie Mays at the midpoint.




That 14.2 bWAR would be a new high-water mark, while of course Lou Gehrig still holds the HR record with 58.

[luckymann]

Another August rolls around with us in the thick of it yet again, just a game in arrears of the Jints heading into the stretch.




Once again the main petrol in our tank is how well we are doing in close contests, with our record in one-run and extra-inning games to this point a combined 41-21. Flip that, or even bring it back to .500 and we are out of this race.




We are scoring more runs, and our spread remains good so that if guys get in a funk, others pick them up. Demeter's 232/279/399 slash doesn't read as overly impressive, but he has just given us that extra punch beside the fully-blossomed Pops Stargell while also providing positive ZR at the hot corner. Pags has been serviceable but we need more from him hitting at five than 7 HR and 34 RBI, so we're going to switch him and Don for the remainder.




SOP for our pitching. Warrior has cooled off just a tad, but in saying that his ERA still sits at a mere bip above 2. Veale has veered from jungle wild to unhittable but generally been pretty good. In Gibbon's absence, Bob Miller has led the BP admirably with plenty of help from the others.


So the NL looks a battle royale between ourselves and New York, as I fear the Cubs and Dodgers are just a bit too far back. Across in the AL it is wide open with a quartet of clubs well in it, although the O's and BoSox look the most likely candidates.




News, Leaders and Top 20s








Monthly Award Winners

June

American League

• Batter – Bob Allison (Twins): 323 / 9 HR / 18 RBI
• Pitcher – John Buzhardt (Twins): 4-0 / 2.27 / 30 K / 43.2 IP
• Rookie – Tony Conigliaro (Angels): 382 / 8 HR / 20 RBI

National League

• Batter – Willie McCovey (Giants): 333 / 12 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Don Drysdale (Dodgers): 4-1 / 1.70 / 40 K / 47.2 IP
• Rookie – Phil Niekro (Braves): 2-3 / 2.44 / 28 K / 48 IP

July

American League

• Batter – Tony Conigliaro (Angels): 327 / 8 HR / 24 RBI
• Pitcher – Dean Chance (Senators): 5-1 / 2.03 / 34 K / 44.1 IP
• Rookie – Joe Sparma (Senators): 4-0 / 1.88 / 23 K / 38.1 IP

National League

• Batter – Jerry Lynch (Cardinals): 347 / 7 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Gary Peters (Giants): 4-1 / 1.76 / 39 K / 51 IP
• Rookie – Bob Lee (Braves): 1-0 / 0.92 / 6 SV / 17 K / 19.2 IP

Milestones and Observations of Note

• Eddie Mathews cracks his 400th HR, while Mickey Mantle reaches 2000 Hits.
• Budding Reds superstar Joe Morgan is put out of commission for 3 months by a torn groin muscle and another big name goes down as Henry Aaron suffers a finger fracture that will keep him on ice for 6 weeks or so.
• The Colt .45s lose lefty SP Marcelino Lopez for the remainder to an elbow injury.
• The Cubs acquire C Johnny Blanchard from the Athletics for P Bill Monbouquette and C John Sullivan, while the Phillies send P Hal Woodeshick to the O’s for P Ed Merritt.
• The Yanks deal veteran P Robin Roberts to the Reds for OFs Tito Francona and Jim Beauchamp, the Red Sox acquire pitchers Don Newcombe and Edgar Feldman by sending 3B Woody Woodward to Houston.
• In the shadows of the Deadline, the Dodgers send pitcher Fred Talbot to Milwaukee for 2B Jim Baxes and OF Ken Harrelson, then acquire Karl Spooner for a couple minor leaguers. Busy indeed for a club that’s a dozen games out of first place. The Giants ship OF Joe Pepitone to Minnesota for pitchers John Buzhardt and Stephen Chamos.
• Willie Mays is looking less likely to set any new records and, with teammate Stretch McCovey having caught him in homers, even his TC season is under threat. Still, there's always hope.

S+ HOME

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[luckymann]

Most Plate Appearances without Starting a Game

[luckymann]

Not that the game registers it (Devs?), but Braves pitchers Paul Toth (8.2 IP) and Bob Lee combine for this no-hitter against Cincy.

[luckymann]

A massive setback for Steve Blass, who has been doing well for us at AAA. Any plans to promote him next year must now be shelved. He actually missed '65 IRL, so it isn't a complete shock. Still disappointing, though.

[luckymann]

The all-time lead is held by Walter Johnson's 609.

[luckymann]

All-time leader is Ty Cobb with 12174.

[luckymann]

The dominant club in each division wins it handily, with the Austin Senators prevailing in a fantastic five-gamer over the Newark Bears to claim their 6th AAA Championship.

[italyprof]

Originally Posted by luckymann

So, as I work my way through this season I am Kindling David Halberstam's fab book October 1964 that focuses on this season and the playoffs in particular.

So cool to read a chapter about Mel Stottlemyre or Pete Mikkelsen and then come up against them or have them win awards and whatnot. A thoroughly recommended way of gaining even fuller immersion wherever possible.

Great book, as it his book on 1949.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by italyprof

Great book, as it his book on 1949.

Indeed. I'm now reading Tyler Kepner's K: The History of Baseball in Ten Pitches. Also very good.

[luckymann]

I am officially getting too old for this s^&t...

Let's pick things up in early September, after an ugly home sweep loss to Houston. This is the first sign we are dying on our run a bit, with Pascual, Veale and Friend unable to get us a win and two of the losses in spares, where we have for so long excelled.

Ominous signs abound, in other words.

Two more losses in both games of a DH with the Giants the next day and suddenly they’ve made a run for it and we’re having our worst losing streak of the season.

We snap that at six with a walkoff win against Cincy. Yet again, as has happened so many times in this situation, that most crucial of errors is made: a failure to put us away when the chance is there to. And, when we take two of three from them at Candlestick, we’re tied again with 10 to play.

As we both hit the wall, the Cubs keep winning and are suddenly within five of both of us to really amp up the pressure. It's looking as if it’ll take 100 wins to do it.

It is, if anything, even more chaotic across in the AL with the Red Sox holding three teams – the Athletics, Orioles and Tigers – at bay by the smallest of margins.

As we enter the final ten games of the season, we stumble again with a 2-4 homestand including a couple bad beat-ups by the Birds that really should kill us off, but once more the Giants fail to capitalise.

Progressing into the final week of the season, the races look like this:




We are a combined 17-14 against the Reds and Braves, both of whom regularly cause us grief, so that Giants series at home to Houston may prove the difference if they win all three like they should.

Let's count this off daily until we get a winner, shall we?


Tuesday, 29 September






Wednesday, 30 September





I have noticed this happen before - no reason Baltimore shouldn't still be up there - their record is identical to the Tigers. They're still in it. English lesson over...


Thursday, 1 October





Unbelievable to see the Jints drop all 3 at home to the Colts, who have already lost 100 entering the series.


Friday, 2 October





That is six straight losses and an ungodly exit for San Fran to give us a rather hollow clinch; will be very interested to see if that has managerial repercussions come season's end. The Tigers are also gone, the other three are still alive.


Saturday, 3 October





And then there were two as the O's drop out. We have a day off.


Sunday, 4 October



Never in doubt for the BoSox, rendering the A's extra-inning loss moot.


That leaves the final standings looking like this:




We'll stick with the league news, at the top of which is Willie Mays' winning the Triple Crown with 363 / 45 / 111 - an outstanding season, although I'm not sure how much he'll be enjoying it just now, especially given he ends up setting no new seasonal records either. Minnesota's Tony Oliva wins the AL batting crown, while Norm Cash's 123 RBI lead either league.

Jim Bunning wins 21, the only one with 20+, while Sam McDowell punches out 335 to be the King of K (at a new record 11.66 per 9 IP. He also sets the low ERA for the year with 2.40, while Ron Perranoski and Joe Gibbon tie for the most saves with 35.


Now let's narrow the focus to what happened at our club.




If you look at the two groups on paper, it is hard to figure out how we even get close to the Giants, let alone see them off by three games. Then you look at the metrics and the player stats and you understand how: no disrespect to San Fran, but it is the difference between a champion team and a team of champions.






Final Top 20s and Leaders







Monthly Award Winners

August

American League

• Batter – Norm Cash (Tigers): 320 / 10 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Denny Lemaster (Red Sox): 5-0 / 1.93 / 40 K / 46.2 IP
• Rookie – Billy McCool (Angels): 1-0 / 0.0 / 7 SV / 12 K / 9.2 IP

National League

• Batter – Rico Carty (Cubs): 391 / 4 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Billy Hoeft (Braves): 4-0 / 2.08 / 35 K / 47.2 IP
• Rookie – Phil Niekro (Braves): 4-2 / 3.59 / 24 K / 47.2 IP

September

American League

• Batter – Bob Allison (Twins): 378 / 10 HR / 27 RBI
• Pitcher – Mickey Lolich (Tigers): 4-0 / 1.54 / 43 K / 41 IP
• Rookie – Rico Petrocelli (Red Sox): 333 / 4 HR / 18 RBI

National League

• Batter – Dick Allen (Phillies): 359 / 7 HR / 27 RBI
• Pitcher – Don Drysdale (Dodgers): 4-1 / 2.05 / 40 K / 52.2 IP
• Rookie – Ken Berry (Reds): 343 / 3 HR / 15 RBI

Milestones and Observations of Note

• 200 Wins: Don Newcombe
• 2000 Hits: Harvey Kuenn
• Right in the thick of that ferocious four-way tussle for the AL pennant, the Athletics lose underrated OF Albie Pearson for the season to a broken kneecap.

S+ HOME

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PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

While I flick this over to v24. I find this time - after the reg season ends and before the WS starts - to be the safest time to make the switch.

[luckymann]

Pittsburgh Pirates (98-64) v Boston Red Sox (90-72)
Best-of-seven, Pirates with the home-field advantage.


PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE

BOSTON RED SOX S+ PAGE

Hard to believe that, after all that has just gone on, it is these two fabled foes who end up the last teams standing. This marks the 9th World Series clash between us and, while we hold a strong (7-1) advantage we know what a quality outfit they are and how much work there still is left to do.

Both squads are primed after those frenetic pennant races and one danger is that these series can come at you almost in an anticlimactic way if you let them. So we mustn’t fall into that trap. Especially against such a well-balanced squad as they have. We have gone with both Virdon and Del Greco as extra OF bats, costing Mudcat Grant - better this year, but still only OK - a spot.

Their offence has multiple threats, most notably Yaz, Tommy Davis, our old friend Roger Maris and young Rico Petrocelli, who has impressed mightily in what should be a RoY-winning campaign. One of his main rivals for that honour is his teammate Luis Tiant, who leads a fine rotation that also features veterans Whitey Ford and Don Mossi, with surprise packet Denny Lemaster, who went a crisp 18-4 this season, rounding them out. If they have had a weakness it is their bullpen, which - other than the mighty Don Newcombe - has had its share of problems holding leads. So we’ll be trying to get to it as early as we can. Better still, just stay in front at all times...

This series looks likely to add another memorable chapter to the most storied rivalry in this MLB timeline.

[Brad K]

I was surprised to see Donn Clendenon with 23 SB, more surprised to see that's only one more than his historical career high. I thought I knew Pirates of this era better!

How many CS does he have?