Time Warp Baseball

[LFC1892]

Bob Day (OAK)
23-9, 1.94 ERA
297.2 IP, 46 BB, 267 K, 4 HR
7 SHO, 80.0 QS%
8.3 R/9, 6.7 H/9, 6.7 K/9, 1.4 BB/9

Won a tight race over Rutland to pick up his second Murphy Award. Day is a pitcher without a weakness - great control, nasty stuff and keeps the ball in the park.

Awesome. Dad's still going strong! I havent kept up with it lately, after losing interest in OOTP, but am gradually getting back into it.

[pat]

Currently, it's 1973 and we'll update the previous years, some other time. But right now, the hiatus is over and we've simmed a smooth season last year. I'll just update with some of my features in the forums.

1. Mr. April: Andre Lasaros, OF, Philadelphia Phillies. Lasaros’ recent tear has separated him from the pack and bodes for a strong April. He's batting .403 with four homers and 21 RBIs. We’ll recognize Orioles slugger, Alexander “Moses” Jones, for bringing his rod this month, hitting .313, 9 HR, 28 RBI.

2. Cy April: Ramon Iglesias, LHP, Texas Rangers. Iglesias ran his April record to 5-0 with a 0.41 ERA and didn’t give up a single homerun in 44 innings. We’ll give a nod to Atlanta’s Joe Cardinan who had a 3-0 record with a 0.46 ERA but Iglesias never faced a pitcher.

3. World Series (in April) winner: Baltimore Orioles. With the lineup clicking -- particularly searing Maginnis, Dusty Lane, Alexander Jones and Walter Hanham, it's May and Baltimore has a four-game lead in the AL East. They string a 9 & 7 game winning streaks in the course of the month. Could they have any more critics?

4. April's Child: Will Cleaton, CF, Texas Rangers. Out of nowhere, rookie Cleaton ranked 13th in all of Majors with a .333 average in April and added two homers and 15 RBIs just for fun.

5. Who the heck? Pittsburgh Pirates. The team is getting older, the team is getting slower, and is nowhere near the expectation of their once proud dynasty and all of their fans right now.

6. April management: Jake Shorkey, Baltimore Orioles. Shorkey is doing a wonderful job of balancing a potent hitting attack with what was considered before the season to be only adequate pitching. In the process he's stunning the AL East.

7. The injury bug: Tom Glenn, RHP, New York Mets. Who else but Tom can hurt his team more –- and help everyone else -- by simply not being in the rotation? Flash back last season when the Philadelphia Phillies surprised everyone with their winning spurts and when they made the playoffs, they stunned the baseball world.

8. April's magic moment: April 27, 1973. Mike “The Duke” Maginnis. All time walks leader. The Baltimore Orioles lost to the Oakland Athletics 1-3 but they felt winners after seeing the long time Oriole get his walks crown. He said after the game, “I could retire now.”

9. On the record: "I am bitterly disappointed as I'm sure all Expos fans are by the lack of performance by our team." –-Expos manager Martin Szymaniak after his team fell to 4-15 on April 30.

[pat]

April 1973

In The News

April 6 - At Fenway Park, Jim Alan of the New York Yankees becomes the first designated hitter in major league history. He singled to right by Red Sox pitcher Mike Sapienza in his first plate appearance.

April 10 - The Kansas City Royals open their new park, Royals Stadium, bowing to the Texas Rangers, 5-6 in 18 innings. The game is attended by 18,135 fans braving 46-degree weather.

April 10 - Milwaukee Brewers rookie Joe Gartska hits his first major league home run, off Nate Carbonell, as they rout Boston, 12-0.

April 27 – In a 60-degree weather, new Cincinnati Red, Shawn Davidson no-hits the Braves to a tune of 2-0. It is the first Reds no-hitter, after Sam Quintero pitched an almost perfect game for them in 1960.

AL EAST          W    L   PCT   GB
Baltimore       17    3   .850  --
New York (A)    13    7   .650  4
Detroit         12    8   .600  5
Cleveland       12    9   .571  5.5
Milwaukee        6   15   .285  11.5
Boston           5   15   .250  12

Baltimore started the month of April on fire, as they finished the month with the best record in baseball (17-3). It could also be argued as the best jump in the month of April. Many criticized the number of trades they’ve pulled but it becomes a moot point now. Thanks largely to their strength (HR), they lead the league in homeruns and runs scored. Surprisingly, Dusty Lane is back to his form as he sits atop the AL throne in the said offensive categories.

The Yankees rely on their solid hitting (2nd in BA) and poised pitching (1st in BBs allowed). Joe Corman is leading them in homeruns (6), runs scored (16) and RBI (23) and he clearly needed help as he can’t carry the team by himself.

The pennant winners last season, Detroit Tigers, have struggled at the plate. Only Tomas Guillen is hitting above .300. Where are the roaring tigers --they’re on the mound. Even though they rank 22nd in HR allowed, the rotation is holding its own. Larry Grams is perfect (4-0, 1.82 ERA) and the other three has 3.91 ERA or less but their record combined doesn’t show up for it (5-6).

AL WEST          W    L   PCT   GB
Texas            14    6   .700  --
Chicago (A)      10    9   .526  3.5
California       9    10   .473  5.5
Minnesota        9    10   .473  5.5
Oakland          9    12   .428  6.5
Kansas City      4    17   .190  10.5

Road Runners, why? The Texas Rangers is running the road well. They are 8-0 after April, a 1.000 winning percentage. At home, they are just playing .500 ball (6-6). Ramon Iglesias surprises everyone with his 5-0 month with a 0.41 ERA, which contributes to their leading .210 opponents average which ranks 1st in the big leagues. Their offense isn’t hitting it out of the park but they find a way to get on base, and they run efficiently (27 SBs).

It was a surprising month for the Chicago White Sox, as they finished second in the unpredictable AL West. What’s more surprising, only three guys are hitting decent enough yet their young pitching is tough. They’ve gave up just 6 HRs for the month and that’s what offset their offensive woes.

The Angels are hitting their hearts out but for the life of them, their rotation needed some spark. They couldn’t just hope Happy Hoffman and Lloyd Work will come to the mound and work their asses off. Their 3-4-5 is a combine 1-5 with a sky-rocket ERA. Hector Vina loves the DH rule as he’s not sitting on the bench anymore. It pays off for California as he’s hitting .367 with 3 HR and 16 RBI.

NL EAST          W    L   PCT   GB
Philadelphia     14   5    .736  --
Chicago (N)      14   8    .636  1.5
New York (N)     11   10   .523  3.5
Pittsburgh       9    11   .450  5.5
St. Louis        8    11   .421  6
Montreal         4    15   .210  10

The defending champions are defending their crown – at least, for now. They’ve lost James Rossi to retirement but looks like they haven’t missed him one bit.

Chicago Cubs doesn’t miss Leo Santiago too as Joe McMichael is off to a blazing start, hitting .313 with 7 bombs and 19 runs driven home. Only Robbie Soto is robbing the Windy City of their pennant as he’s playing totally not himself (1-4, 4.71 ERA).

The Mets are still hanging on the tight rope. With Tom Glenn and Mike Heath hot, the back end of the rotation is expected to deliver. Buster Domenech is hitting an astonishing .438 average but his teammates aren’t even hitting reasonable.

NL WEST          W    L   PCT   GB
Cincinnati      15    7   .681  --
San Francisco   13   11   .541  2.5
Atlanta         11   10   .523  3.5
Los Angeles     11   11   .500  4
Houston         10   11   .476  4.5
San Diego        8   15   .347  6.5

The Big Red Machine is hoping for a one last push. Ted Walter will show how much damage he could have caused playing full-time, this year he might just do it. Charlie Lendon dismissed the trade talks during the off-season instead, focused on his pitching and the results show (5-0, 1.05 ERA).

San Francisco has walked them to second place. The trade for Bo Shepard, Buster Kerney, Chuck Newhall and Hugh Garrett is now paying off. Although Shepard is just 26 he’s a veteran and will provide the experience needed by the young Giants.

The Braves are brave enough to defend their NL West crown. Even if they’re offense – or lack thereof – is nowhere to be found. Thanks to their pitching, Joe Cardinan (3-0, 0.46 ERA) and the crew are giving the Georgia hopefuls a reason to still support the team.

American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Ramon Iglesias (TEX)!
He had a record of 5-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 0.41 and 2 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month:
Alexander Jones (BAL)!
He batted .313 in 80 AB, with 9 homers and 28 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Joe Cardinan (ATL)!
He had a record of 3-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 0.46 and 1 shutouts.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Andre Lasaros (PHI)!
He batted .403 in 72 AB, with 4 homers and 21 RBI.

[pat]

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[metsgeek]

Don't forget to post news about the cellar-dwellers....even if it's bad news

[Elendil]

Originally Posted by pat

San Francisco has walked them to second place. The trade for Bo Shepard, Buster Kerney, Chuck Newhall and Hugh Garrett is now paying off. Although Shepard is just 26 he’s a veteran and will provide the experience needed by the young Giants.

Whaaaa...?

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by Elendil

Whaaaa...?

Yup

[Elendil]

Guess that makes me a Giants fan now.

[pat]

After finishing last season with a line of .237/34 HR/90 RBI, many believed "Fast Lane" isn't living up to his nickname. This year, though, he is driving now in the fast lane. He's the first to reach 10 HRs and lead the league in runs scored (22) after a month of play.

"I don't care much about the stats," admitted Lane. "I want to help my team reach the playoffs and win my first ever ring."

It may be the right time for the flying high Orioles after starting the month on fire, winning 17 of their 20 games.

"We're all aging," The Duke said. "I may retire this season or two. I guess this is the right time for us to play together and win some games. We have all the pieces to do it now.

"The critics are last on my list. We don't care about what they say. We know how capable is our team. You don't tell us what we cannot do."

Lane supported his teammate saying, "Don't worry about them Mike. Let's just do the talking on the field."

Well, they have just done that in April. Many people wants them to shut up on the mound and at the plate.

"I don't think so," joked Lane before finally making his exit, as fast as his bat speed.

[scprideandms]

Originally Posted by Elendil

Whaaaa...?

Blame the GM of the team that traded them!!!!!

[pat]

May 1973

In The News

May 8:
Terrell Phillips of the Pittsburgh Pirates poles a home run out of Dodger Stadium. His blast off Alvin Berrie hits the right field pavilion roof. No other player has hit one out of the stadium. Los Angeles Dodgers won though, 3-2 in 10 innings.

May 13:
George Adams and Troy Dameron were happy on Sunday night as both joined the 2000-hit club. They hit their milestone hit off John Choate and Jerome Gabbert, respectively.

American League East
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
Baltimore       33   15  .688   --   L2  3-7
New York (A)    32   20  .615  3.0   L3  5-5
Detroit         29   19  .604  4.0   W4  5-5
Cleveland       27   24  .529  7.5   L1  7-3
Milwaukee       20   29  .408 13.5   L1  3-7
Boston          15   33  .313 18.0   W1  6-4

American League West
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
Texas           30   18  .625   --   W1  6-4
California      27   20  .574  2.5   L1  7-3
Minnesota       25   24  .510  5.5   W1  5-5
Oakland         23   28  .451  8.5   W3  5-5
Chicago (A)     20   27  .426  9.5   L5  3-7
Kansas City     14   38  .269 18.0   W2  5-5

National League East
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
Chicago (N)     33   21  .611   --   W2  8-2
New York (N)    30   19  .612  0.5   W1  6-4
St. Louis       29   20  .592  1.5   L3  6-4
Philadelphia    27   22  .551  3.5   W1  5-5
Pittsburgh      26   23  .531  4.5   L2  5-5
Montreal        12   35  .255 17.5   W1  3-7

National League West
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
Cincinnati      31   18  .633   --   W3  7-3
San Francisco   29   24  .547  4.0   L1  6-4
Atlanta         24   27  .471  8.0   W2  3-7
Los Angeles     23   27  .460  8.5   L1  5-5
Houston         19   33  .365 13.5   L2  3-7
San Diego       19   33  .365 13.5   L1  3-7

Baltimore still sits atop the AL East, largely in part of their HRs (1st) and pitching (1st in ERA and HRs allowed). Dusty Lane had 15 HRs and all of the starters have less than 3.50 ERA. A good formula for success but New York is just a win behind the O's but still 3 games back.

The Rangers are still the AL West leader. Ramon Iglesias is still perfect (10-0, 1.32 ERA), he contributes to the .222 BAA (1st) of the staff. They are also like Road Runners, as they stole 65 bases already and leads the major leagues.

The Cubs are not Cubbies anymore. M.C. McCarter (9-3, 1.90 ERA) made sure they're still in the running for the NL East crown. Even though without Leo Santiago, Troy Dameron (.408) and company is doing their best to alleviate the loss of their slugger.

The Big Red Machine is the division leader in the NL West. But they have a major problem. Charlie Lendon's last start is surprising. He threw 2-plus innings, one hit allowed, one run earned, three walks and a strikeout on just 43 pitches. Next thing you know, he's off the hook. Why, why, why Cincinnati?

American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Ramon Iglesias (TEX)!
He had a record of 5-0 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 2.10 and 2 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month:
Mack Alford (MIN)!
He batted .291 in 117 AB, with 10 homers and 37 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Mike Heath (NYM)!
He had a record of 3-1 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 0.42 and 1 shutouts.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Dino Dinardo (SFG)!
He batted .421 in 107 AB, with 8 homers and 32 RBI.

[pat]

Mike Olinger is a second round draft choice by the White Sox in 1959. In a span of three years, he has already worn three different uniforms.

Injuries have kept him in the minor leagues for another year. And when the other Sox called him up to the majors, he delivered. As a rookie, he finished with 17 wins and was selected to his only all-star selection. He proved that he’s immune to the sophomore jinx, following up his first campaign with 18 victories. In just two years, he has 35 wins already.

During 1965, he started just 13 games out of the possible 24 and he finished with just eight Ws and one save. Next year, he’s traded to the Pirates. Same case as his last season, he was used in the pen and in the rotation, escaping 1966 with a 3-6 record.

In his first full-time starter job after two seasons, he confirmed that he’s for real. Having a 14-7 record with a 3.05 ERA, helping Pittsburgh for their second consecutive championship ring.

After that, he averaged 11 wins in the next three seasons and its far from the expectations of the management. In 1971, he moved to the pen for good.

Come 1972, he was called prompting a transfer to Philadelphia. He was so happy knowing he will be back as a starter.

In 18 games started, he finished 11-6 with a respectable 2.20 ERA. In the postseason, he notched one win in just 2.2 innings of work from the pen. It didn’t matter as long as he got his third ring.

This season, he’s off to a hot start (5-1) and has become the Miracle Man in Philadelphia.

[fvamos]

Hats off to Pat for keeping the general population informed

[metsgeek]

Wow, we just passed 100,000 views!!

[pat]

Originally Posted by fvamos

Hats off to Pat for keeping the general population informed

It's all good, Frank.

I wouldn't mind if this big thread spoils my own dynasty. It's hard to update after work, since my gf and I see each other, when I get home there's only an hour or so to work with. My sleeping hours is about 5-6 only. But it doesn't matter. I love TWB.

[ifspuds]

American League East
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
Baltimore       53   22  .707   --   L1  6-4
Detroit         48   28  .632  5.5   W1  6-4
New York (A)    48   32  .600  7.5   W1  6-4
Cleveland       42   37  .532 13.0   L1  7-3
Milwaukee       29   49  .372 25.5   L1  2-8
Boston          22   54  .289 31.5   W1  3-7

American League West
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
California      47   30  .610   --  W10 10-0
Texas           42   34  .553  4.5   W1  5-5
Oakland         43   37  .537  5.5   L1  6-4
Chicago (A)     35   41  .461 11.5   W1  4-6
Minnesota       33   44  .429 14.0   L2  3-7
Kansas City     24   58  .293 25.5   L1  2-8

National League East
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
St. Louis       44   35  .557   --   W4  8-2
Chicago (N)     46   37  .554   --   W1  3-7
Pittsburgh      42   37  .532  2.0   L5  3-7
New York (N)    40   36  .526  2.5   L1  4-6
Philadelphia    40   37  .519  3.0   L2  5-5
Montreal        26   51  .338 17.0   W3  7-3

National League West
Team             W    L   PCT   GB  Stk  L10
San Francisco   47   33  .588   --   W3  5-5
Cincinnati      44   33  .571  1.5   W1  4-6
Atlanta         46   36  .561  2.0   L1  9-1
San Diego       37   42  .468  9.5   W5  6-4
Los Angeles     33   46  .418 13.5   L6  2-8
Houston         29   51  .362 18.0   L4  4-6

There's a new leader in the AL West. A 10-game hot streak carried the California Angels into the top spot, bumping the surprising Texas Rangers down from their previously lofty perch. How are they doing it? Scoring runs. Lots of them. Tops in the league in runs scored, they're blistering their opponents into submission. Much like the Orioles over in the east, who pop long balls over the fence at alarming (and record) rates. The Orioles are also on pace to tie the major league record for most wins by a team (114), set by the 1969 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Fans in Boston have to be wondering where the wins have gone. Their .289 winning percentage is the lowest in the majors, even behind the recent expansion teams. The front office is preaching patience to the notoriously demanding fan base, as the Red Sox have the consensus top minor league system in the league.

Over in the National League, there's a tie atop the east, but that's not really the surprising part. The surprise is who's in that tie. The Cardinals, widely considered to still be a year or two away from being competitive in the very tight Eastern Division, have charged into that top spot and are making teams look twice at the schedule to see when the Redbirds are coming up. With St. Louis making a trade for slugging catcher James Bosler from the dismantling Phillies, they're serving notice they mean to stay with the big boys. All in all, five teams sit within 3 games of the top.

In the West, the aging Reds might be finally taking the last gasps of what has been a brilliant run, dropping out of first place to the upstart Giants. San Francisco, led by notables such as Dino Dinardo and Sal Fernandez, has been predicted to take this jump forward for a couple of seasons and looks to be capitalizing on their chances. So too are the defending Western champs, the Atlanta Braves. Written off by some as recently as a couple weeks ago, a hot streak has them well within shouting distance of a third straight division crown. The surprise in the West has to be the San Diego Padres. With young phenom hurler Perry Whitham and hot-hitting outfielders Carlos Villatoro and Al Smith, the Padres are enjoying their best season yet, challenging for a winning record.

As the weather heats up, so do the pennant races. Stay tuned for more from Time Warp Baseball.

American League Pitcher of the Month
Harry Hoffman (CAL)!
He had a record of 4-0 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 0.97 and 1 shutout.

American League Batter of the Month
Bobby Sutter (CAL)!
He batted .368 in 87 AB, with 5 homers and 22 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Perry Whitham (SDP)!
He had a record of 5-1 in 6 games started, with an ERA of 1.76.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Dino Dinardo (SFG)!
He batted .336 in 107 AB, with 9 homers and 27 RBI.

[pat]

Thanks Jeff for picking up my slack. Been busy with work and gf, which means lack of sleep.

[pat]

In the News

June 1973

June 18: Oakland’s Joe Nicol collected three homeruns and 7 RBis in a 16-0 beating of the Royals.

June 27: Led by 2B Wil Cordova, the Yanks tally 22 hits to roll over the Orioles 11–1. Cordova went 4-fo-5 along with a homerun and two RBIs.

June 28: During a 2–0 loss to the Braves, Los Angeles Dodger’s Ray Hamlet inflamed his rib cage muscle while trying to make a catch.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by pat

Thanks Jeff for picking up my slack. Been busy with work and gf, which means lack of sleep.

No problem. This is a collaborative effort now, and you guys have been picking up my slack for a couple months now, so it's time I start repaying the favor.

[pat]

Eddie Millan may not be a household name for now, but he will be in the near future.

A first round draft choice of the San Francisco Giants back in 1967, Millan didn’t quickly work his way up in the single-A level. He needed over a couple of years to hone his skills in the said level but the tides rapidly changed as he moved up to three levels in 1969. By 1970, he held his ground at AAA and got a call-up in the Majors during September.

His first taste of the big league game wasn’t overly fine and it wasn’t terrible too. To sum it up, it was decent. 11 games, 11 IP, 4.09 ERA, 5 runs, 1 HR, 5 BB and 3 Ks. His record was identical balls with a slit between them (0-0).

When he thought he’s a Giant for life, it just became a thought, as the San Francisco traded him to the American League club, Chicago White Sox. It wasn’t a blockbuster but it had a potential to be one. Going to San Fran is power-hitting outfielder, Dino Dinardo.

During the season, he finished with a 13-11 record with 2.96 ERA. Next year, he showed he has gained experience, ending the period with a 16-12 slate and 2.16 ERA.

This year, he’s pitching well over the expectations of the scouts and even maybe himself. He doesn’t mind if his team is rebuilding or not as he still mows down opposing hitters to a tune of .221 batting average. Dinardo, on the other hand, is clipping every pitcher he sees, as he leads the majors in RBIs with 83.

It seems a fair trade to everyone but Millan is just 25 and when the Sox peaked on its development, they will be a team to watch.

**click on the player's name to open up their card**