MLB Replay....A new History

[George_Bell]

Frank Robinson has been put into a utility role after the promotion of Willie McCovey. He’s backing up RF, LF and 1B, and he’s playing really well. The starters at those positions are playing well to though. I’d make room, but obviously, the Sox are having success despite me. They have also benched Roger Maris. He’s backing up CF, a position he’s not great at.


Can the big Red Sox (who aren't even as good as the Dodgers)bats manage to do some damage to the amazing pitching staff of the Dodgers? Will experience play a part in this series?

[HerbertMcHoover]

25 game lead for the Dodgers? Wow, that's very impressive.

Shame on the Yanks for trading Yaz. We seem to be getting closer.

A shame that Koufax got injured too.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by HerbertMcHoover

25 game lead for the Dodgers? Wow, that's very impressive.

Shame on the Yanks for trading Yaz. We seem to be getting closer.

A shame that Koufax got injured too.

Yankees are getting there, I don't blame them for trading Yaz. Trading long term for short term, to take a shot. Turns out it didn't quite work just yet.

[George_Bell]

In his first post season game, Kaz Inao 3 hits the Dodgers, beating his countryman Koyama 3-0. Inao strikes out 11.

Game 2 sees Don Drysdale and Curt Simmons each throw 9 innings, allow 6 hits and 2 runs. As you can tell, that leaves no winner, so to extra innings we go. In the 13^th inning, the Red Sox put together 4 straight hits, including the eventual game winning hit from Frank Robinson. Boston goes up 2-0 with the 4-2 win.

The Red Sox have 2 great starters. Drysdale and Inao. Those two have them up 2 games to 0. When those guys are not pitching, the Sox throw two very bad pitchers. Larry Guay and Steve Gromek. Let’s see how they fair…..

The Dodgers destroy Larry Guay in game 3. Guay manages to pitch 5 innings, but he leaves the game down 7-0. Dodgers 1B Bobby Hofman hits 3 home runs. That’s right….THREE HOME RUNS. In three consecutive at bats, all against Larry Guay. Legendary stuff from Bobby Hofman.

Hofman

The Red Sox skip Steve Gromek and start Inoa again. Inao pitches well, but is bested by Koyama this time. Both pitchers throw complete games, and they combine for 25 strikeouts, but the Dodgers tie the series with a 3-1 win.

Roy Sievers is the game 5 hero, knocking in the winning run during a 2 run ninth, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 series lead. Drysdale and

Simmons both go the distance, but despite striking out 15, Drysdale faltered late.

Larry Guay is starting game 6 for Boston. I give them almost no chance of winning this game.

What do I know….Larry Guay strikes out 1 man, walks 1, allows 8 hits over 9 innings, and gets the 5-1 win. What!!!!!!

GAME 7


Carlos Bernier leads off the game with a double, and Ernie Banks hits a soft single. With men on the corners, a Gil Hodges ground ball is booted by power hitting, but poor defensive SS Hector Lopez, and the Dodgers score first.

Boston’s Wayne Belardi, who hit 26 regular season home runs, leads off the 5^th with a solo shot, and we are tied at 1.

Both pitchers are doing their thing. Neither team can really get anything going. These two pitchers are both dominating for the 3^rd time this series.

In the bottom of the eighth, still tied at one, this happens…….


Koyama gets 3 up, 3 down in the ninth, and once again, the Dodgers are the World Series Champions!

[George_Bell]

[Crowbar]

I was curious where you got the MiLB (historical?) logos. I am trying to do a similar thing, with just AAA at first. But I'm not sure if I want to use the most recent MiLB logos for most.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by Crowbar

I was curious where you got the MiLB (historical?) logos. I am trying to do a similar thing, with just AAA at first. But I'm not sure if I want to use the most recent MiLB logos for most.

i got them along time ago. OOTPMODS has them and other options as well in the face gen page.

http://ootpmods.com/mods/Historical_Minor_League_Uniforms_v1.3.zip

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

1959-60 Offseason News and Notes

The 50's will be remembered for the Dodgers dominance. It's seems crazy, but just over 10 years ago, in the late 40's, the Dodgers had never won a title. They had a few chances, and always seemed to screw it up. They ended up winning 6 World Series, in 8 appearances. That matches the Reds 6 titles of the 1940's. Overall, the Dodgers have now won 8 Championships in the last 12 years, with 10 pennants.

The 1959 draft was filled with lots of talent. (I may have screwed something up playing with the neutralize talent when importing new players option) I edited some of the lesser known players down, as some of the ratings these guys came in with would really screw up the league. With that said, i got everything to a level I'm happy with. Rico Carty is selected first overall, and Pete Rose is a Phillie again.

Johhny Babich was truly on the bubble. His lifetime ERA is pretty high for a Hall of Famer, but in the end, i could not ignore is 10 all-star appearances, and his 360 wins while playing for a team which generally lost. Joe DiMaggio would be a typical first ballot guy. He had a great career, and lead the Browns, a dynasty i believed would never be matched.(Then the Reds and Dodgers came along).

[George_Bell]

1960 MLB Preview

These predictions are a little skewed. After my pre draft editing, there was some pre season editing. Neville for instance is a late 4th round pick, who had a pitch movement rating around 22. That's enough to give him that amazing pitching prediction in the NL. So I decided for the good of the league, and since i do believe i screwed up, to edit him and several other from the rookie class to look more like a real rookie class. Hopefully this souped up draft class issue is over with.

Top Player

Top Pitcher

[George_Bell]

unfortunately, I have encountered the same problem with the 1960 draft class as the 1959 draft class.

The players available are all much better then the players in the league. There are about 70 5 star players this time. It's a problem i can't continue with.

Does anyone have any idea of what i can do to overcome this. Any clue why these draft classes are coming in so much more talented then they used to. In my companion test league, the draft classes are normal.

I'm lost, but this is obviously on hold until i can figure out how to fix this.

[George_Bell]

Ok, so i think i found a half solution to this mess I've gotten in. As you can see from this thread the draft class for 1960 was far better then the talent in the league. The same problem existed for the 59 classes which i massively edited over the course of the season.

Obviously, it isn't reasonable to do that each season, so i needed to find a way to get the draft class back to normal, which was proving dificult.

My sort of solution. I will enable the option to rate all players in the league according to real life stats. In my tests, this raised league talent, and the draft class was normal going forward.

The downside of this option is there may be some talent changes in the league. Some guys who haven't developed well, like Roberto Clemente, will now be pretty damn good, and other's, who may have developed extremely well, will lose those ratings.

It's not ideal, but it's alot better then stopping, or continuing with the rookie class of 18 year olds breaking pitching records.

I will press the button after the upcoming expansion draft, and before the 1st year player draft.

[George_Bell]

1960 Regular Season

A few of these amazing young pitchers got by me, so theres month worth of fantastic pitching stats attached to some 17-20 year olds for life now. I believe I’ve edited all the guys I need to at this point. I’m hitting myself for screwing up(if i did).

Sandy Koufax recovered from his shoulder problem in time to start opening day for the Senators. He ends up starting the season 6-1, with a 2.08 ERA. His ratings have gone down a bit, but only a bit. Unfortunately, during his ninth start, he left the game early, and again, has been diagnosed with shoulder inflammation. That will probably end his season. Koufax now looks to have a career full of arm problems.

Koufax

I don’t really know how, but the Orioles are destroying everybody. They have 71 wins over 100 games. As a team, they are hitting .235, and ranked 4^th in home runs, yet, they are 2^nd in runs scored. The pitching has been great, so I pretty much answered my question myself. Their bullpen has a 1.74 ERA, and in 1960, bullpens do get enough work to matter. Minnie Rojas, a 26 year old rookie, is the teams “Stopper.” That’s right, his role is stopper. I’m assuming that’s a multiple inning role utilized before closers become the thing.


Oh wow, just after writing a paragraph on the Orioles, Don Kaiser gets hurt. He’s 15-1 on the year, and was been fantastic for Baltimore the last 6 years. Kaiser has torn his Flexor Tendon, and the recovery time is 13-14 months. His 1960 and 61 seasons are over. This Orioles team without their ace cannot possibly be the same. With 2 months to play, I’d imagine they should be able to hold their 16.5 game lead, right……

As August ends, the Orioles are dealt another blow. Bill Ni****a, whose 14-3 with a 2.16 era on the year, ruptures his UCL and is out for almost a year. Wow!

Entering September, the Orioles still lead the AL by 14 games, while, surprise surprise, the Dodgers lead the NL by 13 games.


I'd say suffering just a concussion is amazingly lucky!!

The year where injuries killed the pitching star continues. Sandy Koufax returns to baseball on Sep 23 and starts against the Orioles. He gives up 1 hit over 3 innings, before leaving the game with shoulder pain. Rotator Cuff inflammation is the diagnosis. 2 months recovery time.

Boston is able to cut into the Oriole lead, but the gap was just too big. For the 3^rd time in 6 seasons, the Orioles and the Dodgers will play in the World Series.

Kaz Inao has broken Bob Feller's single season strikeout record, record 417 k’s on the season. The record was 410.

[George_Bell]

The Orioles will be without ace Don Kaiser, secondary ace Bill Nish!ta, and former MVP Hank Thompson. The Dodgers are missing Ernie Banks, Duke Snider, Curt Simmons and Gil Hodges. This series will come down to depth. Who can replace the stars out with injuries.

[George_Bell]

Ewell Blackwell gets the start Don Kaiser would have gotten, game 1 of the World Series. The difference in quality is felt immediately. Pete Castiglione hits a 2^nd inning grand slam off of Blackwell, and the Dodgers never look back. LA wins game one 10-4.

Bob Miller, the Orioles best starter not injured right now takes the mound for game 2, and does not last very long. 3 walks, 5 singles, and 2 doubles combine for a 7 run Dodgers second inning. Game two final. LA 10, Bal 2.

The Orioles get a fantastic performance from reliever turned starter Jack Faszholz. He pitches all 9 innings, allowing just 5 hits, and 1 run, which came in the form of a solo home run by Dick Wakefield. Problem is Maasaki Koyama was better, he was even more dominant, allowing just 4 hits, in the shutout 1-0 victory, putting the Dodgers on the brink.

Orioles bats finally awaken, sending Lou Brissie to the showers early. They score seven in the 5^th inning, and former stopper, now starting out of necessity, Minnie Rojas gets the win. Orioles edge LA 9-8.

Game 5 is a blowout. 20 year old Dodger, Frank Bork was not ready for this, and lasts just 3 innings. Another 7 run inning occurs, this time in the fourth. Ewell Blackwell pitches a complete game shutout, and knocks in 2 with an RBI double. Baltimore stays alive with a 11-0 win.

Lou Brissie is again crushed, and forced to leave the game early. Baltimore jumps out to a huge 8-2 lead, and never looks back. The Orioles force another game 7 with the 9-5 victory.

GAME 7


For the fifth straight season, the World Series will be decided by 1 game.

Maasaki Koyama is still tired, and won’t start game 7. His 154 pitches in game 3 evidently took a lot out of him, and after a few days, he’s still only 43% rested.

The Dodgers are fortunate to only allow 1 run in the third innings, when Baltimore gets 3 hits and a walk. Orioles lead early 1-0.

Two bases loaded walks add two runs to the Baltimore lead the next inning. Young Frank Bork could not find the plate, walking 3 in the innings, and its’ 3-0 Baltimore.

The Dodgers get 2 back in the 6^th. Pancho Herrera, acquired in a mid season trade with the Phillies, hits a 2 run home run. LA is back in this thing.

Baltimore responds in a big way. Bob Speake, a CF who hit 12 home runs in 68 game for the Orioles, hits a massive 3 run home run. Baltimore adds another as the result of a Dodger error, and the lead is now 7-2.

Ralph Beard pitches the final 3 innings for Baltimore, allowing just 2 hits, and after trailing 3 game to none, the Baltimore Orioles have won 4 straight to win the World Series!!

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

1960-61 Offseason News and Notes

I should start by mentioning that the Dodgers broke the St. Louis Browns record for consecutive pennants won. The Dodgers have won the National League 8 straight years, and 11 times in the last 13 years. Remarkable.


Washington owner Calvin Griffith sold Griffith stadium to the city of Washington in the mid 50’s. This lead to speculation he wanted to move the Senators. That came to fruition in 1960, and the Senators were moving to Minnesota to become the Twins.

As a result of this move, Major League Baseball decided to expand a year earlier than planned to stave off threats of losing its exemption from the Sherman Antitrust Act. At the winter meetings that year, it awarded a new team to Los Angeles as well as a new team in the nation's capital. The Los Angeles Angels and the rebirth of the Washington Senators.

So for the first time in this leagues 60 years, 2 new teams will be playing Major League Baseball.

Each MLB team was permitted to protect 20 players for the expansion draft. All players with less than 3 year of pro experience will not be eligible for the draft. There will be 35 rounds.

The first pick in the Expansion draft, is Maury Wills, who again, will play for the Washington Senators. The Angels first player is Ed Charles, a 27 year old 2^nd baseman who’s hit 45 home runs in Boston over the last 3 years.

Here’s a look at the first 5 rounds of the expansion draft.


After the expansion draft, it's time for the 1960 amateur draft. The Angels will receive the 3rd pick in the draft, while the Senators will pick 4th. Tony Oliva is the 1st pick, going to Kansas City. An underwhelming choice if you ask me. It's not the best class.

Arky Vaughan was one consistent through all those years in St. Louis. He was always contributing to Browns. Never in the spotlight, they don't have the same success without Arky.

Looking up Arky Vaughan lead me to notice a SS named Vern Stephens. Stephens has gotten little to no attention from me, but he has deserved it. Stephens is now a 40 year old, still starting at SS for the Yankees. He was the 3^rd pick in the 1937 draft to New York, and played there until 1950, when he was dealt to the Cubs.

4 years, and 111 home runs later, Stephens was dealt back to NY where he remains. He’s currently 3^rd all time in game played with 3011. 415 career home runs, 12 all-star games, 8 gold gloves. This guy is without question, one of the greats. It’s kind of ironic, that due to his time with the Yankees, he’s been out of the spotlight, or atleast my spotlight.

Stephens

[Big T]

Now getting into the 60's and some of the players of my childhood... Awesome read.

[George_Bell]

1961 Season Preview

Top Players

Top Pitcher