MLB Replay....A new History

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by wwines

Hey George, how is the Tigers farm system, seems to me they have made some questionable first round picks in at least the last two drafts.

I'm midway through the 1976 season. Here's a look at where the Tigers are with their prospects.

As you can see, that's pretty middle of the pack. They have some good pieces, but for a team that has had a lot of picks at the top, they aren't where you would expect. In the next post, the season preview, you will see that they have but together a super speedy team, that OSA believes will win a lot of game.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by skyballer455

As always great job!

You might want to use this method when it comes to Hall of Fame induction:

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/boar...me-voting.html

In short, this method uses WAR to determine the percentage of votes a player gets. That's the best way i can explain it in a short sentence. It may solve that Hall of Fame drought you seem to have.

Thank you sir. I pretty much use the eye test on anyone the game deems worthy, but this won't hurt, giving me something else to think about.

[George_Bell]

1976 Season Preview

Top Player

Top Pitcher

Top Prospect

[George_Bell]

1976 Regular Season

We begin the season with the 3500^th hit of Brooks Robinson’s career. The 39 year old Indian is the active leader in hits, and 5^th all time. Robinson will probably pass Vern Stephens for 4^th before this season is done. I’d imagine any shot at catching the top 3 though is slim.
Ed Delahanty is still 400 hits ahead, and Brooksy aint getting younger!


With the two time defending champs struggling, they make a deal with the rebuilding Angels, bringing in one of today’s biggest sluggers!

Dave Kingmans previous 3 season home runs totals are 50, 36 and 51. This guy is a power hitter. It’s a very nice addition. Kingman joins a core group of hitters that includes Blomberg, Munson and Hernandez. On paper, this is a very balanced team. Lets see if the new cleanup hitter can help right the Yankee ship.

The Reds are right in the NL west race, and want to get back to winning World Series'. They acquire one of baseball’s greatest players to give them a boost.

Brooks Robinson who just celebrated that milestone hit earlier this season goes back to the NL. The Reds will bat him 2^nd, and he will ofcourse play third base, where he has won an incredible 19 gold gloves. Robinson is having a solid season too. At 39, there's still some gas left in the tank.

September features two close races. The Orioles and Tigers are tied atop the AL East, while the Reds and Astros are separated by 1 game in the NL West. Both the Phillies and Twins lead their divisions by 8 games, so collapses would be needed for those teams to fail.

On the 2^nd last day of the season, only the Astros and Reds were still in a pennant race. The Twins, Orioles and Phillies all wrapped up their divisions a while ago. The Astros, with 1 game remaining lead the Reds by half a game, who have 2 games left.


For the first time, the Astros are in the playoffs!
Houston becomes the 2^nd expansion team to qualify for the playoffs. The Mets did it twice, winning the World Series a few years back.

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

This is a classic pitching vs hitting matchup. The Twins got here with there bats. Dave Winfield is great. That was a nice trade. This maybe the last chance to get Koufax a ring, as he's a struggling reliever at this point. Houston's got a great rotation, and little pop in their bats. John Matlack has proven to be a excellent first overall pick.

[George_Bell]

Jon Matlack lives dangerously in his World Series debut. He allows 9 hits, and 3 walks over the course of 8 innings, but limits the damage to just 1 run. Matlack himself delivered the winning RBI, with a bases loaded walk, and the Astros take game one, 3-1.

After recording just 4 hits in game one, the Astros tally just 5 in game two, but they still score 3 runs, which is more then enough. Craig Swan goes nine innings, shutting out the Twins for the 3-0 victory.

Steve Garvey hits a solo shot in the 2^nd, then the Astros hits a 3 run shot in the 3^rd, rendering the 3 runs the Twins scored meaningless. The Astros win 6-3 and are on the brink…

Twins starter Steve Arlin and Astros ace Jon Matlack put on a show. Facing elimination, Arlin does not allow a run, but Matlack matches him and through nine, there is no score. Arlin pitches a scoreless 10^th, but mistakes take the Astros down in their half of the inning. An error, infield single and 2 walks end up scoring John Briggs with the winning run. Twins stay alive, walking off with the extra inning 1-0 win.

20 year old Twins starter Rick Sutcliffe is destroyed by the Astros bats. Joe Hague’s 3 run home run is the centerpiece of the 7 runs Houston scored in the first four innings. Sandy Koufax came in, but could not stop the bleeding. He allows 3 runs over 5 innings, as the game was out of hand. Houston wins 12-1, and have won their first WORLD SERIES!

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

[rjl518]

congrats to the 'stros...their first world series championship

[George_Bell]

1976-77 Offseason News and Notes

2 days after losing the final game of the World Series, the Twins dump Rick Sutcliffe.

OK, they didn’t really dump him, but he’s gone, to the Expos as part of a package for Randy Jones, who they hope can be an ace. Jones has been very good in Montreal, but he’s probably a notch below ace status, and Sutcliffe does have ace level upside. Nice deal for both teams.

Commissioner Kuhn has announced baseball will expand by two teams for the 1977 season. The Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays will play in the American League.

As a result of the relocation of the Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee in 1970, Seattle, King County and the state of Washington sued the American League for breach of contract. The 32.5 million lawsuitproceeded until 1976, when at trial the American League offered the city a franchise in exchange for dropping the suit. The Mariners were born.

On 9 January 1976, the owners of the SF Giants, established an agreement to sell the franchise to a consortium owned by Labatt Brewing Company $13,250,000. The Giants had failed to repay a $500,000 loan from Major League Baseball, and had experienced declining revenues since the relocation of the KC A's to Oakland in 1969.

The new owners of the Giants planned to move the team Toronto. The team would be known as the Toronto Giants and would begin play in 1976. The deal was scuttled by a Superior Court of California, which issued an injunction blocking the sale on 11 February 1976.

The American League provided another opportunity for a Toronto franchise for a franchise fee of $7 million. After the city was awarded the franchise, U.S. President Gerald Ford attempted to pressure Major League Baseball to instead award the franchise to Washington, D.C., which he claimed should have a team before Toronto. Both the American League and National League dismissed his request.

Here is the top 5 picks from this years expansion draft by the Mariners and Blue Jays.

The 1976 Rookie draft is the final year without compensation and supplemental picks as free agency will be in full swing this year. Another very talented field, with Paul Molitor joining the Cardinals as the #1 pick. I love Dave Henderson ninth.

Another reigning MVP has been traded.

This is a gutsy deal. George Brett just had his breakout year at 23, and the Brewers deal him to the Indians. Milwaukee gets top prospect Mike Scott, who has great upside, and this years first round pick, Mookie Wilson. Still, dealing a 23 year old who just hit .346?!?!? I don't think its the best move.

No Hall of Fame inductions this year, and i did not go back and induct anyone who was denied in the past. It's a busy offseason, so i just moved on.

Joe Morgan has declined to a backup who can get on base. He's been on a downward spiral since his trade from the Mets a few years back. Thurman Munson remains an impact player for a contending team.

Free agency has indeed begun. Arbitration and qualifying offers are now apart of every offseason. Baseball will never be the same. Money now matters more then anything. Here are the top 7 free agents available this year, where they went, and how much they got paid.

The Astros loose their best 2 pitchers, including Jon Matlack, who just won the Rube Waddell award. Tom Seaver shocks the city of New York by joining the Cubs, but at the same time, doubles his lifetime earnings. The Blue Jays add two Phillies vets, who give them instant credibility. Houston is deemed the big loser in year one, while the city of Chicago and Toronto are very excited!

[HerbertMcHoover]

How can the Yanks pass up on Dave Righetti? Meh.

[rjl518]

Originally Posted by HerbertMcHoover

How can the Yanks pass up on Dave Righetti? Meh.

yeah...but he goes to the METS!!!

[George_Bell]

1977 MLB Preview

Top Player

Top Pitcher

Top Prospect

[reds1]

Don Gullett is now with the Reds, I see. Sweet.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by reds1

Don Gullett is now with the Reds, I see. Sweet.

Yes sir, Gullett left the Cubbies for a 6 year/2.5 million dollar contract with the Reds.

A bunch of good free agents changed teams, just not enough time and space to look for all of them. Gullett is good though, and he should have an impact for the Reds.

[JcBoscan]

It's fun to see Steve Yeager be an absolute boss in this replay. He was one of those guys I liked during childhood for no particular reason.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by JcBoscan

It's fun to see Steve Yeager be an absolute boss in this replay. He was one of those guys I liked during childhood for no particular reason.

He's still got alot of years left, but the first half of his career has been Hall of Fame worthy.

[George_Bell]

1977 MLB Regular Season

Mickey Mantle has finally retired. He played 27 professional seasons, 3400 total games. 900 of those were in the minors. Still he is good enough for the hall of fame, and will be there in 5 years. Here is a look at is insanely long career

only MLB totals are listed

It takes 12 innings, but the Mariners lose their opening game to the Angels 4-3. Seattle starter Doc Ellis does go 10 innings, making himself a fan favourite.

The Jays open up in snowy exhibition stadium, beating Bert Blyleven and the White Sox 3-2. Free agent signing Charlie Vinson scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

At the two month mark, Reggie Jackson has hit 24 home runs. That’s a pace for 79!!! A mark that would crush the single season record 65 set by Lou Gehrig in 1929. Here’s a list of the top single season home run totals of all time. Where will Reggie end up?

Willie McCovey, who signed with the Astros in the offseason, just hit his 6^th home run of the season. He’s slown down a bit at age 39, but he’s still on pace for 20/100. Anyway, that home run happened to be his 630^th home run, which passes the great Lou Gehrig for 2^nd place all-time!! Congrats to Mr. McCovey!!


You don’t see this very often, a major trade involving rivals.

The Yankees send all world pitcher Catfish Hunter to Boston for 3 pitching prospects. Catfish was in the middle of a tough season. He hasn’t been pitching well, but the past 10 years suggest he will get it together at some point. Gale has good potential, but the Yankees will regret this trade.

The White Sox strengthen their pennant hopes picking up Carl Yastrzemski from the Phillies.



At 37, this deal makes sense for both teams. Yaz will be a free agent when the season ends, so there is no long term commitment. Gary Thomasson can be a useful player for the Phillies, while Yaz does make Chicago better right now.

Free agent signings Jon Matlack and Andy Kosco, along with the trade for Carl Yastrzemski have worked out very well, as the White Sox lead the AL West by 9 games entering September. The loss of ace Tom Seaver has not hurt the Mets, as they are the only NL East team with a record over .500. Baltimore has a comfy 5 game lead on the Tigers, while the Reds and Giants are separated by just 3 games, featuring the top 2 records in baseball.

He’s not going to set any record, but Reggie Jackson just hit his 60th and 61^st home runs in the last week of the season. He’s officially the 4^th person to achieve the 60 mark in MLB history. For those curious, the 31 year old has now hit 425.


The Reds go unbeaten the final week of the season to pull away from the Giants. The Tigers made it close in the AL East, but Baltimore clinched before the final weekend, so it wasn’t as close as it looks.

Reggie Jackson finishes with 63 home runs, the 2nd most ever hit during a season!

[George_Bell]