MLB Replay....A new History

[George_Bell]

Both teams decided to play game 1 without any of their real pitchers. Hal McRae opened the scoring in the top of the first with a 2 run homer for the Pirates. Cleveland scores 4 times in their half of the first, highlighted by Dwayne Murphy’s 2 out 2 run double. The Indians score 4 more runs in the 3^rd, and lead 9-4 after three innings. Usually that’s enough to win, but today wasn’t a normal day. 12 Pirates come to bat in the fourth inning. 5 walks, 4 hits, nothing more than a single results in a 7 run inning, giving the Pirates a 11-9 lead. They score 3 more times in the seventh on a Richie Zisk home run. The Indians attempt a comeback. Bruce Bochte’s double brings the tribe to within 2, but he’s stranded, and the Indians can’t get closer. Game 1 to Pittsbugh, 14-12.

After being delayed a day, the pitchers arrived for game 2 and did not disappoint. The Indians scored their lone run off of Pirates starter Tom Bradley in the first off an error. Some of you might remember Tom Bradley was the first pick in the 1967 MLB draft to Houston. Bradley allowed just 6 hits in his complete game 2. Pittsburgh was held off of the score sheet by Joe Niekro until the 8^th inning. Lee Lacy led off with a home run, and Hal McRae singled home 2 runs a bit later. Pirates take game two, 3-1.

Richie Zisk singled home the first Pirates run of the game in the third, then led off the sixth with a double, and scored on Jim Pankovits home run to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead. They lead 4-1 going into the ninth inning….



A throwing error leads to the tying run being scored, and it’s a miracle comeback to keep the Indians alive. The game goes extra innings, but the Indians pretty much beat themselves…



Pirates win 5-4 and lead the series 3-0

Facing elimination, the Indians jump out to a 3-0 lead, which is erased by 4 straight hits in the Pirates 5^th. Lee Lacy and Willie Randolph get the RBI’s as the Pirates tie it. Lee Lacy comes through again, with a 2 out RBI single in the seventh, giving the Pirates the 4-3 lead. Pittsburgh gets an insurance run in the eighth. Cleveland loads the bases in the ninth, but pinch hitter Biff Pocoroba flies out to end the game, series and season. The Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series!!

[George_Bell]

[darnoff]

Has a team ever won the World Series with a lower regular season winning percentage that the 1979 Pirates?

[HerbertMcHoover]

Wow, what are the odds that the Pirates actually won the WS the same year in this dynasty and in real life.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by darnoff

Has a team ever won the World Series with a lower regular season winning percentage that the 1979 Pirates?

Well now i have to check that.. I'll get back to you!

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by HerbertMcHoover

Wow, what are the odds that the Pirates actually won the WS the same year in this dynasty and in real life.

I believe that's happened 1 other time, can't remember for sure though, i will check on that too.

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

1979-80 Offseason New and Notes

Eric Davis is the surprise first pick of the 1979 MLB draft. I like Eric Davis, but Darryl Strawberry would have been my pick, just based on his power potential. Davis looks great though. I guess both are good picks. My Blue Jays should have taken Tony Fernandez!! Damn

Tom Patton played in one real MLB game. He went 0/2. Given the 2nd chance, he made the most of it and had a huge impact on the Yankees! Unlike Patton, Bob Gibson had similar results in real life. A Hall of Fame career.

Dave Winfield is traded again. He needs some stability if he will remain a great player

Winfield had a tough, injury plagued season, which can only be termed a disappointment. I'm still pretty high on his ability though, and think the Mets got a classic buy low on a real good talent type deal here.

Both Baylor and Hernandez had incredible real life seasons. It would be very difficult for their counterparts to repeat that kind of success.

I forgot to mention it, but Harmon Killebrew retired in 1978. His 810 Home runs are the most ever. I documented his home run chase alot, but never talked about his RBI totals. Well, Killebrew is the 6th player to break the 2000 RBI barrier. He ends up third on the all time list 2095, trailing Mule Suttles by 50, and Lou Gehrig by 409!! Gehrig's mark will never be broken. Here's a look at the top 10 all-time.

Baseball seems to have settled into free agency. Good players are mostly signed, and teams are not letting really good players get away anymore. This is the weakest free agent class so far. Willie Randolph at 25, and Chet Lemon at 24, are the real top prizes.

[JoJo7]

Excellent update! And 2 of my favorites growing up, Eric & Darryl. Eric had one of the most impressive combinations of speed and power, too bad his all-out style of play caused so many injuries that robbed him of what could have been a great career. He still put up some great numbers, but it's fun to think what might have been.

And Darryl, his Starting Lineup sat in a small cabinet in our living room for years - much to my Mom's chagrin. My favorite player on my favorite team, good memories.

[HerbertMcHoover]

The other NY team should have traded for Winfield. Great post like always.

[rjl518]

donell nixon to the mets...i like it

[wwines]

Glad to see the Tigers add one of my favorite and in my opinion underrated players...Chet Lemon.

[rjl518]

Originally Posted by wwines

Glad to see the Tigers add one of my favorite and in my opinion underrated players...Chet Lemon.

Chet Lemon...another one of those baseball names

[George_Bell]

1980 MLB Preview

Top Player

Top Pitcher

Top Prospect

[George_Bell]

1980 Regular Season

The 1974 Yankees had a .543 winning percentage, the same as last years Pirates team. They are tied for the lowest winning percentage by a World Series winner.

Here are the top 10 prospects for the 1980 season

I'm happy to see Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke there. I'm obviously a fan who grew up on the 80s Jays!

The Reds and Dodgers look like they are gonna be battling all season. Two months into the season, they are the top 2 teams in baseball, at 34 and 31 wins respectively. It’s been 20 years since any Dodger post season success, so that fanbase is very excited. The Reds are being led by the surprising Don Gullett. Well, that’s not fair, Gullett has been pretty good for a while, but in his first 10 starts of this season, he’s 9-1 with a 1.11 era. 40 hits allowed in 80 innings is PHENOMENAL!!! He’s also listed as the Reds fifth starter!!!

Gullett

Andre Dawson broke out last year, his first season as a full time starter, after spending half of 78 playing in the Brewers outfield. He hit .298, with 31 home runs and 144 RBI’s. A pretty monster season, that was otherwise forgotten because the Brewers didn’t win anything. Dawson is proving to be one of baseball’s greatest run producers. In 72 games this season, he’s got 72 RBI’s!!! At 25 years of age, Dawson has truly broken out as an elite player. The Brewers currently are sitting in 4^th place in the AL east. Just 2 games behind the Orioles in a very competitive division. The group of Dawson, Ricky Henderson, Ozzie Smith, Mookie Wilson and Eddie Murray is one of baseball’s best kept secrets. A playoff birth would let everyone in on it!

Dawson

Wow, I am a jinx, two days later, the Brewers trade Ozzie Smith to Oakland in a very interesting deal.

Doyle Alexander has been a very good pitcher until this year. A real struggle in 1980 forces the A’s to cut bait. If Alexander can find some of that old magic, then it’s a real improvement to the Brewers rotation. Ozzie is a .250 hitter, who walks more then he k’s and plays great D. He’ll never be stat sheet stuffer, but he’s very valuable. The Brewers replace Ozzie with 22 year old defense first SS Harry Chappas.


Just thought Yankee fans would enjoy seeing Bucky Dent back in pinstripes!


Sadaharu Oh, 2 for 8 over the last two seasons with the White Sox and the Twins will retire following the season. A sure-fire Hall of Famer, Oh was named MVP an amazing 8 times! That’s the most AL MVP’s ever! Harry Heilmann and Ted Williams have won 6 each. Lou Gehrig won 8 NL MVP’s.

Oh

Leading the NL East by 10 games on September 1^st, it looks like one of the least successful franchises in baseball history will win their first division title. It’s been 59 years since Babe Ruth led the Cards to the postseason, but the long long drought appears to be over. St. Louis will win the NL East. All the other divisions are undecided. The Brewers are making a run at Cleveland. Minnesota holds a 1 game lead over the Angels, while the Reds lead the Braves by 3! The Dodgers faded out of the race quickly.

Cleveland pulls away from Milwaukee to clinch the AL east with ease. Horrible runs for the Angels and Braves eliminate them. Each team won 4 of 16 games to finish the year, bailing out the Reds and Twins who didn’t play to well either.



Recapping the earlier Milwaukee/Oakland trade, Doyle Alexander pitches excellent with the Brewers. 10-6 in 18 starts, with a 2.82 era. Ozzie Smiths replacement is terrible though. Harry Chappas hits .189 while providing slightly above average defense. Ozzie plays how you think he would in Oakland. 16 rbi’s in 50 games, with a .232 average before hurting his bicep and missing all of September.

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

This is a rematch of the 1962 World Series, won by the Reds, when they were winning World Series’ instead of just division titles.

The Twins feature one of the worst rotations ever to play in a World Series. Steve Arlin is probably the only guy who would crack the Reds rotation. I'd say he'd be number 5. The Twins have a good offense, but are missing Andy Van Slyke and Chili Davis for the series. That will hurt, as it forces Rico Petrocelli into the lineup. That isn’t a good thing.

The Reds are a fantastic pitching team, rotation, bullpen, closer, all excellent. The Reds bullpen is almost completely left handed. The Twins have 3 guys who hit lefties well. The Cincinnati offense is much more well rounded then Minnesota, meaning they don’t really rely on only two players. It would be a major upset for the Twins to win their first title this year. Sadaharu Oh is on the Twins roster, in what will be his final chance to win a World Series!

[HerbertMcHoover]

Glad to see Bucky Dent back.

Phillies lost 112 games and no other team but the Cards finished above .500 in the NL East.

I find it incredibly interesting that three teams tied for 82-80 in the AL East. 2 teams got 72-90 in the NL East and 2 got 86-76 in the NL West. Holy moly.

Nice to see the Twins in the WS again. They have absolutely NO chance. Awful rotation and the Reds have a fantastic rotation and lineup with Yount hitting sixth!

[George_Bell]

The Twins get to Reds ace Bill Singer early, scoring 3 runs in the first 3 innings. Singer looks off his game, allowing 7 early hits. Singer allows 3 more runs in the eighth inning, putting game 1 away. The Reds score 3 late runs, but as i already said, it doesn't matter. Steve Arlin clearly out-pitches Bill Singer in game 1. 6-3 Twins.

The Reds manage to score a single run in the third, fourth and sixth innings, but that is all erased in the seventh, when Bob Boone knocks out a 3 run homer for the Twins to tie it. This could have been a series turning point, where the Reds roll over and die, but they shut down the Twins the next 2 innings, and Damaso Garcia hits a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to salvage a split for Cincinnati. 4-3 Reds.

Cincinnati jumps out to a 3 run lead, highlighted by Damaso Garcia’s 2 run shot. The Twins respond with 3 of their own, exciting their home town fans. The Reds scored 3 in the fifth and led 6-3. Again the Twins responded. 2 runs in the fifth brought the deficit to 1, and Bob Boone’s 2 run homer gave Minnesota their first lead of the game in the 6^th. Reds starter Bill Stoneman allows all 7 Twins runs. The Reds don’t get close to scoring again, and their two best pitchers have both lost in the series. 7-6 Twins, and they lead 2-1.

Bill Singer starts game 4, attempting to right the ship, as the heavy favourites are in trouble. Singer pitches well, giving up 2 runs over 8 innings. Vida Blue and Dennis Kinney combined to save 53 games for Cincinnati this season. For some reason though, Don Gullett has taken the role of closer for the playoffs. Gullet was 18-8 on the season, with a 2.44 era. He really should be starting, but all of the Reds starters have been great. Still, it’s weird that they would remove two pitchers who excelled at closing this year. Anyway, the Reds lead 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, and in came Don Gullett.



Wow, two solo homers win the game for the Twins and they now lead the series 3-1!! Poor Don Gullett. He’s never pitched out of the bullpen before!

The Reds do not go down quietly. Darrell Porter, Robin Yount and Al Oliver all get 2 out RBI’s in a 4 run first inning, propelling the Reds to the big lead. The Twins scrape 3 runs across over the next 8 innings, and enter the ninth trailing 4-3. In comes…..Don Gullett.

Gullett can’t believe it. Reds fans can’t believe it. Hell, Twins fans probably can’t believe it. He blows it again, this time after recording 3 outs!!! Extra innings!

Cincinnati loads the bases in the bottom of the eleventh, and Roger Freed clears them with a double, giving the Reds a 7-4 lead. Vida Blue enters the game in a save situation. For those curious, Vida was 24/25 in save opportunities this season, with a 1.77 era. Probably a good idea to let him do this. Vida successfully retires the Twins in order and the Reds win 7-4.

The Twins decide not to wait until the ninth to score this game. Dave Revering hits a first inning 3 run homer. Andre Thornton responds instantly, with a two run shot in the bottom of the frame for Cincinnati. Pitchers Charlie Hudson and Al Autry don’t allow another run. Going into the ninth, the Twins lead 3-2.

The Reds call on their new closer, Don Gullett to keep the deficit at one. Gullett gives up 5 hits, balks in a run, and gives up another, in his 3^rd straight disaster as closer. With a 5-2 lead, the Twins closer, Willie Hernandez, who saved 34 regular season games, and 5 more in the playoffs, gets 3 straight outs, and the biggest upset I can remember in World Series history is completed. The Minnesota Twins are World Champions!!

[George_Bell]