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| OOTP 21 - Historical Simulations Discuss historical simulations and their results in this forum. |
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05-03-2020, 02:51 PM
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#21 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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June 20th, 1961
 VS  Over halfway through another month already...pretty hard to believe. Now that the weather has warmed up, the days seem to be flying by quicker than ever. Speaking of flying, we've got the Orioles in for three games, and the Yankees right after them. It's the second time this month facing each of those teams. The O's are the best team in baseball, on a six-game winning streak and the first to forty wins (and they've already got 45.) They're just excelling on all sides of the ball; Hal Brown and Billy Hoeft are leading a great pitching staff, and the offense's 369 runs are tops in the league. 1B Jim Gentile has 19 homers and 50 RBI, and three other players on the roster have double-digit dingers. It looks like Pascual v Hoeft in the first game, which should be an excellent matchup. Pascual is going for his 8th win and leads the league with 80 strikeouts; Hoeft has a sparkling 1.37 ERA. Quote:
Lots to thank Pascual for here today. Not only did he strike out ten more hitters in a dominating complete-game performance, he also hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. It was an all-around display of excellence against the American League's best lineup. It's nice to know we have someone around whom to build this rotation. Battey had another two-run homer, and Zoilo and Gardner each knocked in a run. Green had three hits. June 21st, 1961 Quote:
A day after Pascual got his 8th win, Hal Brown does the same for Baltimore. We could never really put up a fight in this one, and only got on the board once in the eighth inning - it was a Killebrew homer, number 17. Meanwhile, the O's had fifteen hits; Brooks Robinson, Ron Hansen, and Whitey Herzog all had three-hit games. Kralick has had sort of a weird year in general, with 2.6 WAR already despite a now-4.08 ERA. Today wasn't his best; six innings, ten hits, five runs, four walks. That won't do it. Cleveland made headlines for all the wrong reasons today, having just lost their 10th game in a row and absolutely plummeting out of playoff contention. They're now within three games of falling past us. Every team in the first division is on some sort of winning streak, and every other team is on a losing streak. That's the complete opposite of the uneven National League, where second-place San Francisco has dropped four straight, and the Dodgers are back up to 30-36 after five wins in a row. June 22nd, 1961 Quote:
For once, the ninth-inning rally that sent the game to extra innings was delivered BY us, and not against us. With Baltimore having claimed a lead following a 3-0 deficit, Lenny Green tied the game in the ninth with a double off Wes Stock. It wouldn't take long for the next blow, though, as Russ Snyder led off a three-run 10th inning with a homer. Green and Versalles were 4-for-10 with 3 RBI and two runs scored at the top of the order. Green has 14 doubles and Zoilo has 18 on the year. June 23rd, 1961  VS The second of three home series begins today with the weekend battle against New York. Unless we get rain, we'll only play one game on Sunday for the first time since May 28th. The Yankees have taken four in a row, but the Tigers have taken five and the Red Sox have taken four. As such, New York still finds themselves in third place, 2.5 back of Baltimore. Quote:
Yoinks. Once again, a Harmon Killebrew homer (18) accounts for the only Twins runs on the day. Except this time, we only had three hits as a team, compared to the Yankees' twenty-one. Have a day, Elston Howard. The Yankee catcher went 5-for-5 with 6 RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. Two of those five hits were homers. Mantle and Clete Boyer also went yard. Tony Kubek had four hits, every Yankee hit safely, and everybody but Moose Skowron scored. Ramos gave up 7 runs on 14 hits, btu it was Strzyzewski who still managed the worst performance, giving up four runs (two homers) without recording an out in the seventh. That's the kind of game you just have to turn the page on. Cleveland has lost 11 straight. The modern record is still a ways away at 20 (the 1906 Boston Americans, and the 1916 AND 1943 Philadelphia Athletics.) June 24th, 1961 Quote:
You would think, with our 7.18 bullpen ERA, that there would come a point where we just couldn't top ourselves. Well, somehow, we keep doing it. Today, up 5-1 in the top of the ninth, we handed eight runs to the Yankees on a silver platter and dropped the second game of the series. The Triple-A pitching situation is no better on either the starting or relieving side. Do I really want to dip into Double-A Nashville for a guy like 17-year-old Bill Whitby, who has the lowest ERA (3.76) of anybody in AA or higher? Jim Lemon has been a bit better this month, but I may find myself dumping him off just to see if I can get some new arms for the bullpen. I think Stott has a future here, but everybody else needs to be walking around with a packed suitcase. Don Lee had a good start, and his ERA sits at 3.65 now. That's right around the average for our rotation, which while not dominant has certainly been fine. It's just that no one facet of our game is picking up another. Killebrew went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. Elsewhere, Cleveland got themselves a win. June 25th, 1961 Quote:
Another fantastic outing from Pascual, who's still the top vote-getter for American League starters. It's the 10th complete game and the second shutout of the season for Pascual. He struck out six Yankees and gave up eight hits. Zoilo and Battey created the runs today. Our plucky young shortstop was 3-for-4 with an RBI double and a solo homer. Battey had a two-run homer in the second. We get another day off tomorrow before showing in the Red Sox. Week in Review
POWER RANKINGS 1. Cincinnati Reds (44-26) 2. Detroit Tigers (45-28) 3. Baltimore Orioles (48-30) 4. New York Yankees (45-30) 5. Chicago White Sox (40-35) ...13. Minnesota Twins (32-41) The Reds are back on top, four games up on the Giants. In the AL, the Orioles have been unseated by one percentage point, and the Tigers - albeit with three less wins - technically have a better record. Both Sox teams are tied for fourth, and the Yankees are right there at a game back. We're in 7th by a game, and two games behind the 6th-place Indians. The first division will take some work, but we can certainly work our way ahead of Cleveland soon. The wind has left their sails completely. |
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05-08-2020, 08:30 PM
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#22 | ||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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June 27th, 1961
 VSAnother short week on tap for this report. The Twins play host to Boston through Thursday, and then begin a series in Kansas City on Friday night - which also happens to be the last of June. At that point, as is the custom, I'll suspend the game-by-game stuff to take a look at the major-league roster and see how everybody's season is going. This will be an especially important stats recap, too, given that we're heading into July. The trading deadline is coming up, and if we want to part ways with Billy Gardner and Jim Lemon, this would be the time. More on our 1961 trading targets later. For now, it's a set with the Red Sox. Last time we matched up was that dramatically explosive offensive series at Fenway, where the Twins scored 36 runs in two days. Now, the fourth-place team comes here, where we're hoping to administer a similar beatdown. Quote:
This was another one that shook out in the ninth. The Twins had carried a 1-0 lead through most of the game, but Boston tied it in the seventh. Then, in the ninth, Frank Malzone and Pumpsie Green each had RBI singles off Johnnie Stott. Killebrew's 19th homer of the year brought it to within one in the home ninth, but that was the extent of the damage dealt to Boston closer Dave Hillman. Kralick was hot today - eight innings, just four hits. Bad news out of San Francisco; the second-place Giants are going to be without Willie Mays for a little while, as the Say Hey Kid will miss five weeks with a strained abdominal. Mays led the league with 190 hits last season, and has won four consecutive Gold Glove Awards. June 28th, 1961 Quote:
Same score as last night, except this time, the fans went home happy (all 5,200 of them.) David Busby and Jim Kaat went back and forth all night, with Kaat only allowing two runs through eight, and Busby allowing just one in the same timeframe (though Busby was more dominant, with eight strikeouts to Kaat's two.) Down 2-0 in the ninth, Bob Allison led off with a single that took Busby out of the game. Meisner singled, as well, putting two on. Battey hit a slow grounder to second, and the Sox could only get one out, putting men on the corners. Joseph Christian struck out, bringing Minnesota to their last chance - and Lemon delivered, keeping the game alive with a sharp single to left. Next up, Frank Franchi singled to tie the game, and Lenny Green singled after him to give the Twins the win. It was an impressive two-out rally; the team is 0-5 in extra-inning games, but at least we can still get some late magic as long as we're within regulation. June 29th, 1961 Quote:
Remember what I JUST said about our inability to win in extra frames? That's our sixth loss in six games of bonus baseball. Six hits came out of the top three spots in the lineup tonight, but there were a lot of men left on base tonight. Gene Conley gave us 10 hits, but we only cashed in two runs. Once again, Ray Moore was saddled with the loss in the 10th inning. That's just about the last straw on Moore. He's now crossed 25 innings for the season, and has an 8.17 ERA and 7.1 BB/9 to show for it. Last season, he had a lot of promise; after a midseason trade from Chicago, he logged 13 saves and had a 2.88 ERA down the stretch for the Senators. This year, he's completely lost his mind. ~~~ I don't think too many teams are going to be interested in his services. I make a quick couple of cursory calls just to do my diligence, but lo and behold - we have a taker, and it's an unlikely one. The San Francisco Giants are interested. What a second-place team like the Giants, thick in the middle of a pennant race, wants to do with Ray Moore is beyond my knowledge or understanding. But maybe they see something that we just don't. Perhaps pitching coach Ken Kemmerling wants to get his hands on Moore and work some magic. Their offer is a young guy named Tony Frulio, playing for the Tacoma Giants in Triple-A. He's 24 years old, and bounced up and down between Double-A and Triple-A over the last two seasons. This year, his line is .223/.292/.383, but with adequate infield and outfield defense. I ask Michael LaFlamme, my head scout, what he knows. LaFlamme has a higher opinion of Frulio than he's deserved based on numbers alone, but if you're going to hire a scout, you might as well trust him. Besides, a moment ago, I didn't think I was getting ANYTHING for Ray Moore. I had already drafted up his release papers. Frulio is young enough, and is on a minor-league contract, and there's not much else I could ask for here. Before ol' Chub Feeney changes his mind, I pull the trigger. TRADE - Minnesota Twins receive:
- San Francisco Giants receive:
The deal is done. Moore pitched in 62 games for the franchise, and while his contribution last year was appreciated, he never really gotten into any meaningful games for the team. Hopefully, he finds success in San Francisco. That does leave us with a hole to fill in the relief corps. I'm dipping into Syracuse for this one, although I did debate going with somebody a LOT greener down at Single-A. As it stands, my pick is 32-year-old Hal Griggs, a veteran righty who last pitched in the bigs in 1959. His only MLB appearances were with the Washington Senators. ROSTER MOVE
Here's a look at Griggs' Triple-A line so far this year: - 92 IP, 5-6, 4.40 ERA, 3.3 BB/9, 4.9 K/9, 94 ERA+, 1.2 WAR Griggs was used exclusively as a starter at Syracuse. He could prooooobably pick up a spot start here and there for Minnesota, but that's a Cookie call. As far as I'm concerned, he should be sticking in the pen. So Ray Moore gives way to Hal Griggs and we get a "prospect" out of it. Not a bad evening after a tough loss to end the series with Boston. June 30th, 1961 VS Last game of the month - then we'll review the team, and then we'll have another short report as we go over the last two games of the series with the A's. Nice thing is, we end both July and August on the last day of a series, and we even end July at the end of a week, which doesn't screw up the way I'm writing these reports. (Is it really getting screwed up if I'm the one making all these arbitrary restrictions for how I cover my own team?) The A's are just behind us in the standings - we have a .434 winning percentage, and they're at .427. Fourteen and a half back and in 8th place (for some perspective, the Pirates - dead last in the National League - are only 13.5 back. Also, talk about a championship hangover.) Quote:
Another tough, close loss. Pascual was not at his best today, allowing six runs on twelve hits through five innings of work. But the team kept him afloat; Killebrew hit his 20th homer of the year, and Battey batted in three. Once again, the top three spots in the order delivered, going a combined 4-for-12 with five runs scored. But the Athletics had a 15-hit attack and eked out the winning score in the bottom of the eighth, when Wayne Causey slapped a go-ahead single off Johnnie Stott. Stott's now been tagged for the loss six times in his last seven appearances, and after a great start to his major-league career, he's now demonstrating a shakiness in high-leverage situations. ~~~ Also, don't look now - Mickey Mantle has homered in each of his last seven games. He's got 15 RBI during that stretch, and is on a 14-game hitting streak that's raised his average from .293 all the way up to .310. Mantle suddenly finds himself back on pace to break the home run record. Something to watch out for. |
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05-08-2020, 08:48 PM
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#23 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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June 1961 - Review
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MONTHLY AWARDS
BATTING RACE
HOME RUN RACE
ERA LEADERS
STRIKEOUT LEADERS
It feels nice not to be dead last in the league. In fact, things are beginning to even themselves out, as the two expansion teams have filtered their way down to the bottom. The Senators are the first team to lose 50 this year, and the Angels look like they'll be the next. The Orioles, Tigers, and Yankees continue to shuffle around, but Baltimore has had at least a share of first place at the end of every month, and June was no exception. The Red Sox have an outside shot, but it's beginning to look like a three-team race. Norm Cash is Batter of the Month again, and if you can believe it, he's hitting .402 on July 1st. He's no longer much of a Triple Crown threat unless injuries befall Mantle, who's up 31-24 on him. (Roger Maris, another Yankee, is in between them at 26.) Still, for a guy who's never so much as sniffed an All-Star Game, Cash is stamping his mark on this season and gunning for a few records on the way. The 26-year-old has 6.8 WAR already. NATIONAL LEAGUE
MONTHLY AWARDS
BATTING RACE
HOME RUN RACE
ERA LEADERS
STRIKEOUT LEADERS
First the Braves, then the Phillies, and now the Reds - the National League can't seem to decide who it wants on top. Right now it's Cincinnati, with a "comfortable" 3.5-game lead on the Giants. Jim O'Toole and Juan Marichal are going toe-to-toe this season, but it looks like O'Toole has the edge right now. I would have to imagine that Philly falls off pretty soon, or at least watches Cincy and San Fran charge ahead. Those two teams have the pitching to win a pennant. |
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05-09-2020, 03:57 PM
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#24 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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June 1961 - Twins Review
THE STARTING LINEUP
Ever patient, Cookie Lavagetto allowed Billy Gardner a second slice of starting lineup pie after he managed to push a .600 OPS in May. (Still terrible, but a much more adequate number for a defense-first player.) Gardner didn't do anything with the opportunity, OPS'ing just .445 in June. This will be his last gasp as a Minnesota Twin - at the absolute most, he will make it to the All-Star Break, but once we're done in San Francisco, he won't be coming back. Sorry, buddy. Speaking of other big-time trade candidates, you'll notice that Jim Lemon is not officially in Cookie's starting lineup. He's getting plenty of playing time, still, but we're trying out Christian in left for the time being. Obviously, anybody manning left field this season is a mere placeholder for Tony Oliva, who will join the team next season after he completes a full trip around Triple-A. Christian holds minimal promise; already 30 years old, not much of a minor-league track record...just a guy taking at-bats right now. The lineup as a whole is second-worst in total runs scored, which surprised me considering there's a lot of good wRC+ numbers on the team. The top of the lineup is consistently exciting. Versalles is 21 and already putting up solid numbers, and should be the shortstop in Minnesota for a long time. Similarly, Killebrew is the face of the lineup (if not the franchise) and is on pace to add another 40 homers to his young career total. I'm getting curious about Lenny Green. He's 28 and a team leader in a lot of categories, and one of the only guys in the system that can hack it in center field. This year, I instructed Triple-A manager Steve Dominguez to give Oliva a lot of starts in center. If Tony O. can be serviceable out there, then I might trade Green for pitching in the offseason while his value is high. That would give us a 1962 outfield of probably Franchi - Oliva - Allison, with improved pitching. I'd probably target a good closer in a Green deal. If we don't go that route, then Oliva - Green - Allison is a good group to run with too, and we find another way to figure out pitching issues. It's only the first of July and I'm already planning next year's starting lineup. Doesn't say a lot about the state of the current season, but nobody can tell me I'm not thinking ahead. The defense is not an area of the team that has been particularly emphasized. Nobody is winning a Gold Glove on this roster, and Battey is the only guy who could even come close. That's something I want to change organizationally in the future - I want rangey, fundamental guys all around the diamond. Right now this team is loaded with sluggers with gloves taped to their hands. I brought up the defense, though, because I made special note of the fact that 3B Bob Meisner has committed an eyebrow-raising 18 errors THE BENCH
Franchi and Mincher are both itching for more starting opportunities, which they should get when we deal with Gardner and Lemon. They've looked good in small sample sizes, which aren't trustworthy, but they're both well-regarded by our scouts as prospects, so the early MLB returns are worth looking at. I'm not quite sure what the deal is yet with Consolo and Bertoia. They're both 26, and they've both been in the league since they were 18. Last year Consolo made it into 100 games, the most of his career. This year, he's back to his usual numbers, with a very limited amount of starts, and reliable defense. Bertoia is cut from a nearly indistinguishable cloth. THE STARTING ROTATION
The rotation is beginning to come together, and I'm getting a clearer look at the future of this facet of the team. Pascual is the de facto ace of the staff, of course, leading the American League with his 97 strikeouts. Kralick is entering his prime, and Kaat has a ton of potential. Even Don Lee, our number five guy, is holding his own. Ramos, then, is the only one leaving something to be desired, as it looked like he was breaking out last season only for the regression to hit this year. With Pascual, Kralick, and Kaat, I can see all three of them hitting their stride at the same time and transforming this time into a force to be reckoned with. But in order to bank on that, we need another starter or two that we know for certain will be consistent, and I'm just not sure what I have in Ramos. THE BULLPEN
Once again, I ask myself if I even have to go into these numbers. After five solid games in April and an excellent May (11.1 IP, 1.59 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 261 ERA+), Johnnie Stott's beginner's luck caught up with him and he put up an 8.04 ERA in June. It's hard to yank him out of the closer role, though, as he's got the lowest earned run average of anybody on, in, or adjacent to the Minnesota Twins. For some reason, Cookie seems to be allergic to using Jose Mejias. He's been used twice, period, and hasn't been great either time, but we gotta start giving people the benefit of the doubt when the relief carousel has produced a 7.08 ERA and a few broken metal horses. Last edited by bpbrooksy; 05-09-2020 at 09:05 PM. |
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05-09-2020, 09:25 PM
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#25 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 74
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Time to promote Tony Oliva & create a little excitement with the fans. Give them a reason to come out to the ballpark, rather than stay away. The additional run production could make it less likely the bullpen blows so many games.
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05-10-2020, 08:03 PM
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#26 | ||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 1st, 1961
As mentioned, a short dip in to get lined back up with the calendar. Games two and three in Kansas City are up next. Quote:
Up 5-1 in the seventh, Minnesota surrendered eight runs to the A's over the next two innings and dropped their third in a row. What's almost a relief is that the blame ISN'T on the relief. Don Lee didn't record an out in the seventh and coughed up six earned on his final line. Here's something you just have to see to believe. A day after mentioning that Jose Mejias needs more work, Cookie puts him into the game in the middle of the home eighth. With RF John Wojcik on first base for Kansas City, Mejias attempts a pickoff throw and sails the ball way wide of Killebrew at first, sending Wojcik to second free of charge. Then the batter Jerry Lumpe taps a little roller to the Killer, just right of first. Mejias heads over to cover, receives Harmon's throw, and drops the ball. He then got Norm Siebern looking to end the inning, but how about that. Guy has barely played in a month, comes in, and his line reads 0.1 IP, K, 2 E. And no runs allowed. July 2nd, 1961 Quote:
We escape the A's without being swept,on the back of a solid start from Jack Kralick, whose ERA falls slightly to 3.78. Included in the nice pitching performance was Johnnie Stott, who notched his third career save with two shutout innings and only one hit allowed. Meisner, Versalles, Killebrew, and Green all had doubles today, and Zoilo homered (7.) Week in Review
The rookie Casidy certainly jumped into the spotlight last week, going 7-for-10 and making his case for full-time catcher as the Giants attempt to supersede the Reds again. And there was no other choice but Mantle, whose hitting streak is at 16, and whose 7-game homer streak ties one other man (Pittsburgh's Dale Long in 1956) for most in major-league history. Fans waited with bated breath as the Yanks took on the Senators on July 2nd, but Mantle "only" went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, preventing him from setting a new mark. POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (49-32) 2. Baltimore Orioles (52-32) 3. Detroit Tigers (48-31) 4. Cincinnati Reds (46-31) 5. Boston Red Sox (42-34) ...15. Minnesota Twins (34-45) If the season ended today, it would be Baltimore vs. Cincinnati in the Fall Classic. Both races are tight and have been tight all year, but I'll make a midseason prediction. Despite the constant shuffling in the American League, I think Baltimore has what it takes to stave off the Yankees, and I think that Norm Cash can't muscle the Tigers to the top alone. But I do think that San Francisco will make up the ground and replace the Reds at the top of the National League. You heard it here first, folks, it's gonna be O's and Giants this October. As far as notable streaks go, the Dodgers have won five in a row and are four games under .500. Nobody's predicting them to go on a tear and make a break for the pennant, but they're feeling a lot better about themselves after a tough start to the year. |
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05-11-2020, 03:08 PM
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#27 | ||||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 3rd, 1961
 VSPretty exciting time in the baseball world, as this is the last week before the All-Star Game. The starting lineups (and full rosters) will be announced on Sunday. It looks like we're going to be sending Pascual, and his sexy strikeout numbers might even earn him the starting job, if the fan voting is any indication. Pascual is nowhere near the best starting pitcher in the American League, but it would be a fun thing to watch. I hope that Killebrew can find his way into a crowded first base mix. Speaking of crowded mixes, the National League center field competition is between Curt Flood, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. Talk about a tough call. Mays being injured is pretty much the only tiebreaker here. Our first of three series this week is with the Chicago White Sox. Three games in two days, then another pair here at home against the Angels. Then it's off to Washington, and then four days off (save whoever's heading down to Candlestick Park.) Quote:
The team crossed 330 runs today with a 13-hit attack against the White Sox, one that made up for our three errors in the field. What's more, we did it with just one homer, a fourth-inning three-run blast by Joseph Christian. Everyone had a hit but Killebrew, who still knocked in a run on a bases-loaded HBP. The standouts were Christian (2-for-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB) and Lenny Green (3-for-5, 2 R, RBI, BB). Green's average is up to .295; his career best was .294 last season. Kaat went the distance, and we knocked the rookie Locker out of the game in the fourth. Elsewhere...reliever Ron Kline is on his fourth team in three years, after the Angels shipped him to Baltimore for a catching prospect. Looks like another situation of a pitching coach wanting to get his hands on an underperforming arm. Kline has to be pretty happy jumping from the ninth-place Angels to the first-place O's. July 4th, 1961 Quote:
Happy Fourth of July! There's no better way to celebrate than with a double dose of ballgames. There is, however, a better way to celebrate than giving up ten runs in the first game. Ramos got hit pretty hard, and three walks didn't help, either. Neither did the three fielding miscues we committed this afternoon, including a Bob Meisner gaffe that runs his season total up to 22. Ramos homered today; that's his third shot of the year, to go with a pair of doubles and a triple. If there were Silver Sluggers yet, he'd be on track for one. Quote:
Let's go, Jose Mejias! The rookie left-hander earned his first major-league win today, nearly completing the game and striking out eight Sox. It's a cool moment for the 21-year-old Puerto Rican, who was signed by the team in 1959 and has found himself in the bigs just two years later. (In his first professional season at age 19, he went 14-5 with a 3.18 ERA and 5.3 WAR.) Zoilo hit leadoff today and knocked in three on two hits. Pretty much everybody went 1-for-3 or 1-for-2 with a walk or so this afternoon, and nobody was fooled by Chicago's pitching, which only struck out four batters today. All six runs came in the fourth. Norm Cash and Brooks Robinson both reached game 20 of their hitting streaks today. Who blinks first? July 5th, 1961  VSWe're facing the Angels for the first time this month, and we still haven't been back to Los Angeles since the very early days of this 1961 season. The Angels are one spot behind us in the standings, but we have a four-game lead on them. Quote:
Lots to talk about in a deceptively wild game. Pascual hits 10 wins before the break, if you care about that sort of thing. He's also crossed the three-WAR threshold and that ERA is a sparkling 2.37. His last loss was over a month ago now. Today, he allowed eight hits, but just one run, and struck out 12 Angels. Suddenly, he's beginning to enter the Triple Crown radar, as he leads the AL with 109 strikeouts, is tied for the lead with 10 wins, and is among the ERA leaders. He's certainly making a case for leaguewide "ace" status, and not just team ace. While L.A. racked up eight hits, we only had two today. However, if you can believe it, we scored a run each in four different innings. How? Well, we got an immense boost from Grba, who walked 10 hitters - the most since Bill Turley (BAL) in '54. The one big hit was a Killebrew solo shot (21.) After the game, the Angels sent veteran outfielder Bob Cerv (.284/.398/.514, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 0.7 WAR) to the Boston Red Sox. The Sox are doing what they can to get back up there with the heavy hitters in the American League. Cerv was a Yankee for most of the 50's, but his best years (and lone All-Star selection) came with the Athletics. July 6th, 1961 Quote:
The Angels are about as easy an opponent as we've faced this year; our record against them goes to 7-1 after a drubbing on Thursday. Everybody in the lineup had a hit, with Green going 4-for-6 with 4 RBI, and Allison going 3-for-4 with three. Earl Battey had a triple and a homer today (6), and both Green (8) and Killebrew (22) went yard. Don Lee was quietly successful, with 8.2 IP and just five hits allowed. The big leaguewide news today was Dodger LF hitting for the cycle in a 10-0 home win over the Cards. L.A. is now two games under .500 and have seriously turned the ship around. The Cardinals have a losing record in fourth place, which shows you how different the two leagues are right now. Cash's streak ended but Robinson is still rockin' and rollin'. July 7th, 1961 VS  Back to Washington to end the first half of the season. It's a great deal of fun to get to face both expansion teams in short order; however, we've only beaten the Senators once this season. They're the worst team in baseball, and I think we should be making them work a little harder than we have. Quote:
What is it about Washington? Today, a five-run second sinks us completely; with the wind out of our sails, the team commits four errors during the rest of the game, including two by Lenny Green. Looks like the mental side of things is slipping. Maybe Cookie will throw a new squad out tomorrow. Mickey Mantle has finally hit 20 games on his hit streak, and that average is up at .320 with 33 homers. July 8th, 1961 Quote:
Seriously, is there like a curse on our old ballpark? Maybe it's just two weird for this team to go back there. This one was tied at one until the eighth, at which point 2B Danny O'Connell, already battling a strained rib cage something or other, broke the tie with a two-run double. Kaat was great again, though, and he's really beginning to prove himself. His 4.72 ERA in May was the only month in which that mark has been above 2.90. He's given up just eleven hits in his last 16 innings. Brooks Robinson's streak ended at 22 games. It seems to be the summer of 20-game streaks. July 9th, 1961 Quote:
On the last day before a much-needed break, we headed out in style with an extra-inning victory over the Senators. Ramos had a great outing, with 7.2 innings and six strikeouts, and the bullpen combined for two and a third and didn't give up hardly anything. With the game tied at two in the top of the tenth, Killebrew drove his 23rd homer into the seats, scoring himself and Zoilo. We end the first half of the year nine games under .500, at 39-48. There's been no evidence as yet that this could be a team with an even record, but it's still not out of the question, which is about as much as I could ask for out of a 7th-place ballclub. The first division is 7.5 out - could be an interesting goal down the stretch. Mantle's streak is over now at 21 games. Week in Review
POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (54-34) 2. Detroit Tigers (52-34) 3. Baltimore Orioles (55-36) 4. Cincinnati Reds (50-35) 5. San Francisco Giants (48-36) ...13. Minnesota Twins (83.7) The Tigers are so darn good this year. Jim Bunning and Don Mossi are a stellar one-two punch, and of course, Norm Cash is the greatest player in the world right now. San Fran and Cincy remain the only National League teams making a splash. The third place Phillies are 42-40 and the only other team in the league with a winning record. |
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05-13-2020, 03:45 PM
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#28 | |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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 Welcome to the 1961 Midsummer Classic! The All-Star Break is one of my favorite times of the year, period. For many players, this is the only time they'll ever face their counterparts from the opposite league. Guys Norm Cash and Mickey Mantle are in the lineup together. Fierce rivals turn double plays together. And, of course, league-wide honor and bragging rights are on the line. This year's game will be played at Candlestick Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. (We'll pretend that the Boston game is, uh...rained out. After all, this was the second-to-last season in which more than one ASG was played.) Fans are pretty excited about this venue, as while the Giants have been in San Fran since 1958, this is only their second year in the new park. *x* - x = number of All-Star appearances AMERICAN LEAGUE - STARTING LINEUP
This is pretty cool for Pascual, and not just because he's our guy. Pascual has been named to the All-Star Game in each of the last three years, but for the last two summers he's been unable to play when the game rolled around. Now, he's healthy, rested, and he'll be getting the ball. The middle of the order is just pure comedy, with four Yankee teammates batting back-to-back. As though the pitchers in this league weren't already tired of facing the M&M boys. This is Mantle's 10th game, and Yogi's 14th. It's worth noting that the middle infield for Baltimore is ridiculously talented on the defensive side of the ball. Jerry Adair and Ron Hansen should each be winning Gold Gloves this year. As expected, the expansion Angels and Senators will not feature one of their players in the starting nine. Norm Cash was the easy vote leader, with 1,245,757 ballots. NATIONAL LEAGUE - STARTING LINEUP
The National League talent pool is a bit more spread out, but there's still three pairs of teammates here. Still, nothing beats four straight Yankees, right? Ernie Banks is the early NL MVP candidate here, and how about that 2-3-4 of Boyer/Aaron/Robinson? Post, Pancho, and Marichal are all here for the first time. Robinson lead the NL fan voting with 1,077,897 votes. AMERICAN LEAGUE RESERVES
A lot of first-timers here, as is usually the case with the reserves, who frequently get honored with an All-Star nod in the middle of a career year. The Yankees have a million players here, too - they send eight players total. Very happy to see Harmon get the nod in a loaded first base category. Jim Bunning, the Tiger ace, is the only injured player on the roster. He sprained his elbow earlier this week against the Angels, in a game in which he struck out nine and earned his 11th win of the year. It's nothing too serious, but he certainly won't be seeing exhibition action this afternoon. NATIONAL LEAGUE RESERVES
A glut of talent at third base, catcher, and in the pitching department. The pitching in the National League is totally lights-out right now, and it will be up to the AL hitters to break through. Eddie Mathews on the bench tells you all you need to know about the hot corner in the senior circuit. Eddie has more All-Star appearances than anyone else on his side.  Mel Allen and Russ Hodges are on the call today - a couple of legends in the broadcast booth. Fans can tune into NBC to watch this one shake out. The highlights here:
Quote:
Just like that, the Midsummer Classic is over. I'll be back with this kind of coverage for the World Series, but until then, our usual at-a-glance reports will continue. It was a brilliantly-pitched game by the National League, who - as I predicted - had the pitching to quiet a group of torrid hitters. The league won't be handing out All-Star Game MVP Awards until next season, but if they were doing so this year, Boyer gets the nod pretty easily. The Cardinal third baseman went 2-for-3 with a run and one knocked in. He was the only guy on either side with more than one hit. As far as Twins content goes, there wasn't much to be found here. Pascual is tagged with the loss, but it was awesome to have a Minnesota man on the mound at the start of the game. Killebrew goes 0-for-1, but I bet he'll have a shot at the starting lineup within the next few years. Congratulations to the National League! It will be interesting to see if their dominance this summer translates to the World Series later this fall... |
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05-15-2020, 01:46 PM
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#29 | ||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 12th, 1961
Some big news comes out of Los Angeles over the break. 1B Steve Bilko is heading out of town, as the Angels deal their best slugger to the Cleveland Indians. The Indians are one of the worst power-hitting teams in the league, and Bilko will slot into the middle of their lineup. Meanwhile, the Angels, who aren't so much rebuilding as building in the first place, get three prospects back from Cleveland - catcher/shortstop (?) Jackie Hernandez, pitcher James Schamp, and second baseman Joseph Teague. Hernandez looks like the centerpiece of this deal, an excellent defender at two (!) of the most difficult positions on the field. I cast out Billy Gardner's name again. No bites. No kidding? Jim Lemon's turn. This roll of the dice actually hits something. Let's parse through some of the options.
It certainly looks like Antonelli is the best call here. I'm going to give Frank Lane a dial back and see if I can't sweeten the pot for myself a little bit. I'm thinking about money - as it stands, it looks like we're on track for about $132k in profit this season, despite falling way short of projected attendance. I'd like a little bit more room to play when contract re-negotiation comes up, though. Lemon is already my most expensive player, so getting rid of that contract will be a boon. But I'm wondering if I could convince Frank Lane to take Gardner in the deal, too. I'd dress it up real nice...free of charge, just a slow start, needs a change of scenery, et cetera, et cetera. Peter Cetera, even. That's $57k off the books overnight (minus the Antonelli contract, which is just $14k.) Lane says he'll think about it. Trading for a reliever is reminding me of trading away a reliever just two weeks ago. How is Ray Moore doing, anyhow? Well, he's agreed to trot on town to Triple-A Tacoma and re-work his mechanics. At age 35 with an 8.17 ERA, you kind of have to see the writing on the wall. Either go down to the minors and rehabilitate your whole thing, or put on a headset and get your broadcasting career started. July 13th, 1961 Well, I'll be darned. This is maybe the first time in all of my past lives that I've had a guy say he'll mull it over, then call back the next day and accept the terms and conditions as-is. I could barely believe it! Frank Lane took two bad contracts off our books Now, it's not exactly a swindling here, so don't get confused. Antonelli is no longer an All-Star closer. But he's way better than anything we've had on the roster this season, and yesterday nobody would touch Gardner with a ten-foot pole. TRADE - Minnesota Twins receive:
Visiting Cleveland will now come with a healthy dose of nostalgia. Johnny Antonelli looks pretty good in cream pinstripes! A quick profile - the 31-year-old lefty, a native of New York state, has a fastball, curve, slider, and screwball. He's a pretty level-headed guy, and has seen plenty of baseball. He debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in '48 and the Twins will be his sixth team. Now, this move necessitates some changes on the roster. I have a couple of options here.
The way I see it, the bullpen improves if I can the worst reliever. Antonelli and Stott become the back end of the bullpen and everybody else hides and tries not to be seen by Cookie when he trots out to the mound. On the flip side, demoting a reliever would mean I need to call up two position players. In terms of my outfielder, it's looking like Tony Oliva, our top prospect. (Ernie Oravetz and Dan Dobbek are other options.) The infielder is a little harder to choose, simply because we have fewer options there. Around the diamond at Syracuse, there's a lot of 35-year-olds trying to provide an experienced defense for the pitchers in front of them. We don't have a lot of infield prospects. The exception is Tony Frulio - the guy we got in return for Ray Moore. Frulio has only made ten starts for the Chiefs, but he has a .412 OBP and can play everywhere but first, even left field. My question, though, is whether or not he would even get playing time in Minnesota. His main competition is Frank Franchi, who can play second base. After that, it's Consolo and Bertoia, who are at the very least proven to have passable defense. With that in mind, now I'm leaning towards keeping the current relievers and just calling up...Oliva? Well, now I'm thinking along another line. We could always move Harmon to left and go Killer-Green-Allison. That would free up first base for Mincher to get some consistent playing time. But, that still necessitates calling up a position player, and if we're going to call up our top prospect, we're going to use him. All right. Time to pull the trigger. ROSTER MOVE
I should clarify that Oliva's WAR and zone rating are both way lower than they should be because we've been trying to see if he can play center field. So far, some growing pains, for sure. We'll table that development now that he's in the big leagues and save it for spring training. Sheesh. This was my vacation? June 14th, 1961 VS After the roster shake-up, we find ourselves back in Detroit for the first time in a month, facing Norm "Still Hitting .405" Cash and the second-place Tigers. It's go time now for the Kitties, who are in the pennant race after a sixth-place finish last year. They're newer to the scene than the Orioles, who were runners-up last year. Detroit's been looking for this kind of interesting baseball for a while. Quote:
No run support for Pascual today, who pitched a decent ballgame but was tagged with the loss for the first time in a while. On the opposite side, Frank Lary was great for the Tigers - a oomplete-game shutout with seven strikeouts and only five hits allowed. The bigger story was Tony Oliva's debut game. The #20 prospect in the bigs, and our best young guy in the system, was hitting third today in a huge vote of confidence from Cookie. And he didn't disappoint - he went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles on a day when no other Twin could find a way to reach more than once. There were four complete-game shutouts across the league today: Lary's, Jim Archer's, Don Drysdale's, and Billy O'Dell's. June 15th, 1961 Quote:
Try this on for size - this one goes scoreless through nine, and both pitchers throw in the tenth inning. It wasn't just a duel, it was all-out war between Kralick and Mossi, who both came in at just under 140 pitches (not an absurd total in 1961.) Kralick allowed only five hits the whole afternoon, striking out nine Tigers. After a few innings of various threats and non-threats, the Twins plated the first run of the game in the top of the tenth, when Zoilo Versalles doubled home Kralick and Green to break it open. A batter later, Oliva doubled home Zoilo to make it 3-0 - the first career extra-base hit and RBI for the outfiedler. He jammed his knee sliding into second base, but it's not a significant injury and he should be right back in the field. To top it all off, Antonelli got into his first game for Minnesota and got two quick outs. Elsewhere, the Cubs send Don Zimmer to the Dodgers for a pair of minor-league arms. July 16th, 1961 VS It's the world's quickest series - we play two games with Cleveland and then get out of Dodge. The Indians are two gams above us in the standings, at the top of the second division. They've won three in a row. Quote:
The first game went as well as you could ask, with Cleveland never really stringing together a rally, and the Twins holding three different Indian pitchers accountable for three or more runs. This game was 2-1 Twins in the seventh; Minnesota then scored five in that inning, another in the eighth, and three more in the ninth. We only had ten hits on the whole day. Bob Allison had a quiet June, but he has a .442 OBP in July so far. He knocked two homers, scored three times, and drove in four. Thirteen dingers on the year for him. Killebrew had one as well (24.) Tony Oliva went 0-for-5, and Consolo drove in four runs. The rotation is now 5th-best in the league with a 3.61 ERA. Quote:
The bats were a bit groggy from the first game, and we leave Cleveland with a split. Ramos struck out eight, but the Indians' nine hits all came at the right times, and a four-run sixth broke a tie and put this one away. Once again, Oliva had more hits than anyone else, going 2-for-2 with a walk and the lone run scored. Meisner singled him in. Poor Pedro Ramos is on track to lead the league in losses for the fourth consecutive year. He has a career ERA+ of 94 - just below average - and a lifetime record of 70-102. Week in Review
The White Sox could have been having a very different season were it not for injuries. Warren Hacker is out for the year; so is Jim Landis. Billy Pierce only pitched nine innings. Minnie Minoso has been out for overa month. All that, and they're still 51-44. The Sox definitely seem to be on the wrong end of their window. They were great in the 50's, winning 90+ games multiple times, and the 1959 pennant. But they're on track for a fourth-place finish, a year after sitting in third, and they have one of the oldest rosters in baseball. I'm interested to see if they make a big splash this offseason and try to make one more run at it. Joe Torre is making a great Rookie of the Year case; 3.0 WAR and an All-Star game at the age of 20. POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (57-35) 2. Detroit Tigers (54-36) 3. Baltimore Orioles (58-37) 4. San Francisco Giants (51-37) 5. Cincinnati Reds (52-37) ...13. Minnesota Twins (41-50) Nearly identical Power Rankings; with only the Reds and Giants flip-flopping. Cincinnati has a half-game lead, as do the Yankees; the Tigers are two back. Norm Cash's batting average has gone UP to .408. Wow. Mickey Mantle has 38 homers. Wow. We may be seeing some history here this year. The July record is now 8-6 for us, and we're looking for our first winning month with two weeks to go. |
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05-15-2020, 02:40 PM
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#30 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 18th, 1961
VSIt's been ages, but we're back in Los Angeles. We've still got that shiny 7-1 record against the Angels this year, and in all three games over the next two days, we're looking at projected starting opponents with ERAs up around the 5.00 mark. The bats got a day off yesterday, and we're ready to wreak some more havoc on 10th-place pitching. Quote:
The ball was absolutely jumping today in the warm L.A. weather. Killebrew hit his 25th homer today, but the Angels had five long balls for themselves, with Ken Hunt going yard twice. The Angels were up 2-0 in the first; the Twins tied it in the third, but Los Angeles scored another pair in the home half. Minnesota went up 5-4 in the seventh, but the Angels got one each in the eighth and ninth to win the game. Antonelli let in an inherited runner on a Jim Fregosi single in the eighth, then allowed the walk-off shot to Ken Hunt. Versalles, Battey, and Meisner all had two hits each. Bob Allison walked three times. July 19th, 1961 Quote:
Pascual scattered four hits through eight innings and earned his eleventh win of the year. He's now tied for the league lead, has an AL-best 117 strikeouts, and his 2.20 ERA is not far behind Juan Pizarro's 2.02 mark. Something to keep an eye on. Versalles went deep and scored three times today. Killebrew had a pair of hits, and Allison knocked in three runs. Oliva went 0-for-5. Quote:
L.A. becomes the first team to hit 60 losses this year, just squeezing by the Senators, who have dropped 59. We're now 9-2 against the Angels, with two sets left to play together in 1961. This was an excellent way to roll into a day off; the team is now just eight games under .500 and tied with Cleveland for sixth place. Goodness gracious, does the ball ever jump here. Harmon was brilliant today; 3-for-5 with two homers (27). He knocked in three, and so did Oliva, who was also 3-for-5, but with two doubles. Allison doubled, Meisner doubled, Green doubled...Consolo homered for just the second time all year. Strzyzewski got the spot start today and allowed five hits through eight innings. July 21st, 1961 VSA pretty familiar foe this weekend, as we have another three games with the Cleveland Indians. This series will decide who takes sixth place, as they've got a half-game lead on us entering play on Friday night. Quote:
The bats are absolutely rocking right now. Allison (15) and Battey (8) clocked two homers each, as Minnesota's tally from innings 3-7 went as follows: 1-1-2-2-3. In addition to the homers, Zoilo went 4-for-5 with a pair of run-scoring doubles. He reached 50 ribbies on the season today. Absent from the onslaught were Oliva and Killebrew, with a combined 0-for-9 (though Tony O. did drive a run in.) Elsewhere...Mickey Mantle reaches 40 home runs on July 21st. He's well on track to break Babe Ruth's home run record. At this point, it's almost just a matter of whether or not he can stay healthy. July 22nd, 1961 Quote:
Four in a row for the Twins, who are 6-3 since the break ended. Even with a loss tomorrow, we'll end the week alone in sixth place, and we're just five behind the Red Sox for fifth. Bob Meisner had a lot to do with the win today; he had a two-run homer and three driven in total. Green and Oliva both went 2-for-4. Jim Kaat had a nice afternoon, and Antonelli recorded his third save of the year, pitching the final two innings and only allowing one hit. 41 homers for Mantle. July 23rd, 1961 Quote:
Five in a row for the Twins, who are on the best active run in the majors right now. It's been an exciting week in Twins Territory, as the offense has heated up and Johnny Antonelli - who pitched a perfect ninth today - breathing some life into the later innings for the first time all year. Ramos hit his fourth homer of the year, and managed to collect his fourth win. It was a group effort today; Billy Consolo had the only multi-hit game (3-for-4, R, RBI). Meisner knocked in two. Allison and Zoilo each drove in a runner. Peter Olsen gave up five runs in six innings in a spot start for Cleveland. He was optioned back to Triple-A Salt Lake City after the game was over. Week in Review
The Reds are a game back after a 5-5 week, with Post on a little hit streak and a couple of three-hit games on his ledger in the last few days. Mickey is being Mickey right now, as we've discussed. He's even closing in on Cash for the WAR lead (Cash is at 7.9 and Mantle is at 7.1.) Speaking of Cash, that average has finally dipped to .392. Still a remarkable number at this point in the season. He also leads the world with 90 RBI. POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (62-37) 2. Detroit Tigers (59-38) 3. San Francisco Giants (55-40) 4. Cincinnati Reds (55-42) 5. Chicago White Sox (55-46) ...8. Minnesota Twins (46-51) Look at us at eighth place in the Power Rankings! Our resurgence has not gone unnoticed. The Reds and Giants are the only winning teams in the National League. The Baltimore Orioles have slipped down into third, 3.5 back of the Yankees. |
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05-16-2020, 02:11 PM
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#31 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 25th, 1961
VS The homestand continues (and ends in three days) as we welcome the Washington Senators into town. After that, it's another long east coast trip - a quick stop in Detroit kicks us off, and then we see Memorial Stadium, Yankee Stadium, and Fenway Park before getting back home. Can the run continue against some legitimate teams? First we have to get through the Senators, who are 9-11 this month and tied with Los Angeles for last in the league. Quote:
It's always disappointing to lose a Pascual start, but when a rolling offense can only muster up a single run, it's hard to ask for your ace to be absolutely perfect. Pascual went 7 strong, striking out eight, and lowering that ERA to 2.16. Antonelli pitched a pair of scoreless innnings, too. The game went into extras knotted up at one, and Stott allowed the go-ahead two-run double to Gene Woodling. We went down without a fight in the home tenth, and Washington took the first game of the week. Allison and Meisner had a pair of hits each out of the five and six slots. Elsewhere...Stan Musial has been recovering from bone spurs in his elbow for about a month now, and his recovery isn't going all that well. It's now up in the air as to whether or not he will even reappear on the field in 1961. At 40 years old, have we seen the last of the Cardinal legend? Stan the Man is a 17-time All-Star and three-time MVP, and one of the most surefire Hall of Fame players still active. The Cubs ship 3-time All-Star Frank Thomas to Kansas City for a couple prospects. With the deadline a matter of days away, what other last-minute deals will we see? July 26th, 1961 Quote:
The bats are back today, as a four-run first sets the tone for the Twins. Three different Twins had three-hit ballgames: Versalles, Oliva, and Meisner. Zoilo and Meisner had an RBI each, and Oliva had three for himself. The Killer and Allison each walked twice. Kralick went the distance and struck out eight. He leads the American League with 4.5 pitching wins above replacement. July 27th, 1961 Quote:
This has been an almost unbelievable run after the way we started this season. Fresh off a losing month, the Twins are now 15-8 in July, and a winning record now isn't that far beyond belief. We're by ourselves in sixth and three back of the Boston Red Sox. Killebrew went 3-for-5 with a trio of runs batted in, doubling and hitting his 28th homer of the year. Oliva had two hits, a pair of walks, and scored three times. Billy Consolo is now hitting .284 after three hits and four driven in. He's got to be enjoying Gardner's departure more than just about anybody. Thirteen hits in total aided Kaat's complete-game performance, where he was the absolute definition of effectively wild. Five hits allowed, seven walks, twelve strikeouts. (Pascual set the team record last year, with 15 Ks.) After the game, the Reds ask if we have any interest in giving them Pedro Ramos. Their offer is LF Carlos Bernier; maybe they're thinking we want a corner outfield vet to spell Oliva from time to time. We don't, and we don't want to give up Ramos for peanuts, either. July 28th, 1961 VSBefore we can blink, we're right back in Detroit, lining up for three weekend games after splitting a two-game set two weeks ago. The league is abuzz to see which teams - if any - will be making last-minute deadline deals. Sunday is our last game of the month, and Monday marks the end of July. Quote:
Bunning vs. Ramos never looked like it was going to shake out in our favor, but we almost had this one. After the Tigers scored two in the first, it was all blanks until we tied it in the fifth. Then, Billy Consolo doubled home the go-ahead runner in the eighth. But Rocky Colavito was ready for Johnny Antonelli, and he drilled a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to steal a big win for the Tigers. Detroit has taken six straight, and trail the Yankees by only a half-game. Is this their year? Green doubled twice and had three hits; Meisner had two. Speaking of the Yankees, Mickey Mantle knocked homer number 43 today. All eyes are on the box scores out of the Bronx. July 29th, 1961 Quote:
Today, it was our turn to win it late. In the top of the ninth, Killebrew and Meisner each hit solo homers off Tiger closer Terry Fox. The late heroics would have been the story of the game, were it not for what happened with the pitching. On the second batter of the game, Don Lee had to come out. He's still being evaluated. This meant that swingman John Strzyzewski effectively had to make a start with a just a few seconds' worth of notice. Boy, did he ever deliver, pitching 6.1 innings and only allowing one run to the second-place Tigers. Johnnie Stott and Johnny Antonelli combined for a shutout inning, and Chuck Stobbs got the win with an inning and a third of scoreless relief. That's an almost unprecedented performance from the bullpen. I'll take it. Antonelli was also injured today, with a minor ankle sprain. He'll be monitored. Cincinnati finds a suitor for Carlos Bernier - the Pittsburgh Pirates, who return the Reds closer Roy Face. Face was an All-Star in '59 and '60. I love the move for Cincy, who needed bullpen help. July 30th, 1961 Quote:
Great pitching matchup today - Don Mossi at 13-5 with a 2.81 ERA, and Pascual at 11-4 with a 2.16 mark. Mossi comes away with the win, firing a complete-game shutout and keeping the Twins off the board despite nine hits. The American League race gets crazier every day; the Yankees have dropped four in a row and Baltimore has won seven straight. Now the Tigers and O's each have an even share of first place, and the Yanks are a game back. This has been thrilling to watch, and it's only July. Mantle has 44 homers. Reds center fielder Vada Pinson has a 20-game hitting streak. The big news is Sandy Koufax - the 25-year-old lefty has hurled a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He walked only one batter and struck out eight. This is the second no-hitter of the season, after Bob Gibson did it in May. There were three last year. Week in Review
Gordy Coleman gets some recognition for being a very consistent player on a team loaded with title-worthy talent. Coleman is 27 and this is his first season with a starting job. He's hitting .292/.341/.501 with 21 homers and a 3.0 WAR. Wagner came up with the Giants, and has yet to cross 240 plate appearances in a season, but he's started 49 games this year and has a .328 average. POWER RANKINGS 1. Baltimore Orioles (67-42) 2. Detroit Tigers (64-39) 3. Cincinnati Reds (62-43) 4. New York Yankees (64-41) 5. San Francisco Giants (58-43) ...7. Minnesota Twins (49-54) Hard to believe we're up to seventh in the Power Rankings. The aforementioned jostling is reflected in the rankings this week. The O's are reminding us why they've been in the conversation all year, and the Tigers are just as complete as the Yankees are, even if the New York players are more well-known nationally. The Tiger rotation - Jim Bunning, Frank Lary, Don Mossi, Hank Aguirre - is made up of guys with sub-3.00 ERs. They've got the best rotation in the league, and a lineup featuring Al Kaline, Rocky Colavito, and Norm Cash. What more do you want? ~~~ Bad news from our trainer Chris Brinkman. Don Lee has an inflamed shoulder and will be out for the rest of 1961. That wraps up his line for the year, and it was a pretty solid one as the number five guy: 6-5 record, 108.2 IP, 3.89 ERA, 2.8 BB/9, 4.1 K/9, 106 ERA+, 1.1 WAR. In his stead, I'm promoting a 26-year-old from Syracuse called John Davolio. He's probably the best option at Triple-A that hasn't already appeared, and blown up, in the majors for us this year. ROSTER MOVE
As expected, though, Davolio will be in the pen and Cookie will be handing starts to Strzyzewksi. I'm cool with that - but will this be enough of a setback to cool down our run? |
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05-16-2020, 02:29 PM
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#32 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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July 1961 - Review
AMERICAN LEAGUE
MONTHLY AWARDS
BATTING RACE
HOME RUN RACE
ERA LEADERS
STRIKEOUT LEADERS
We're at that point in the season now where the statistical leaders are starting to weed out the flukes and the hot starts, and we're getting a clearer picture of who the elite players actually are this year. As you can see, little has changed in things like the batting and home run races; the pitching leaders have stabilized with guys like Pizarro, Brown, Bunning, and Pascual routinely in the mix. There's two months left to go and the pennant race isn't any clearer than it's been all year. It's shaping up to be a thrilling ride to the end between the powerhouses of the American League - Detroit, Baltimore, and New York. At his current pace, Mickey Mantle is due to hit 68 (!) home runs. He has some breathing room on his path to break another Yankee legend's record, a mark that's stood for over 30 years. NATIONAL LEAGUE
MONTHLY AWARDS
BATTING RACE
HOME RUN RACE
ERA LEADERS
STRIKEOUT LEADERS
Almost no movement in the National League, as only the Braves and Cubs have swapped positions since the end of June. Outside of the Reds-Giants race, the rest of the NL feels almost non-existent; from third place on down, it's losing records and mediocre seasons. The Pirates are enduring one of the worst championship hangovers of all time. Should the Reds keep hold of first place, it'll be their first pennant in 21 years, when the won the 1940 World Series. It was their second pennant in a row; they have three total. The Giants, of course, have a lot more success - and a lot more recent success, too. They won it all in '54, one of two pennants they scored in the 50's. The Reds could be contenders for a loooong time if things break right. Their rotation is led by Jim O'Toole (24 years old) and Claude Osteen (21 years old.) MVP candidate Frank Robinson is only 25. Leadoff man Vada Pinson is 22 and is hitting .351. How about this batting race? Cardinal teammates Ken Boyer and Curt Flood have been hitting in the same lineup for four years, and now they're competing for the batting title, within two points of each other. Neither has ever won it before. And within three points of the lead is veteran Eddie Mathews, who's never won one, either. |
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05-16-2020, 03:58 PM
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#33 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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June 1961 - Twins Review
THE STARTING LINEUP
The lineup is starting to come together, and their increased production and cohesion has been as much a factor in our winning July as the more stable relief pitching was. Only two hitters have below-average wRC+s - one of them is a promising rookie in his first two weeks of major-league action, and one is our Gold Glove catcher who is still plenty worth having in the lineup. Consolo has been thrilled about the opportunity to prove himself. He's hitting eighth, but hitting well; he has the ability to drive the ball into the gap and take walks when he needs to. Is he the second baseman of the future? Maybe not "into the 1970s" the future, but the near future is reasonable. If I can upgrade to a strong bat there, I will. But he won't worry me nearly as much as Gardner did. Couple players worth shouting out - the Bobs. Allison hasn't been an All-Star since his rookie season, but it looks like he'll hit another 20 homers and OPS around .850. He's got one of the most consistent profiles in the batting order and I keep forgetting that he's only 27 and could be here for a while. Meisner is having a heck of a rookie season for himself. It's not gonna win any awards, but he's a league-average hitter and a real nice eye at the plate. THE BENCH
Once again, not a ton to talk about here on the bench. I've debated sending Mincher back to Syracuse just so he can get some consistent playing time, but he's already pretty much developed and needs major-league at-bats more than anything. I'm starting to wonder if maybe he's an interesting trade chip with Killebrew blocking him at first. Originally, I had considered moving the Killer to third (or left, were Oliva to figure out center field) to make room for Mincher, but the more I think about it, the more I'm intrigued by the possibility of scoring some pitching for Mincher this offseason. We'll see how that goes. THE STARTING ROTATION
Our top three guys are pretty legit. Pascual is having a dominant season, Kralick has great peripherals, and Kaat is succeeding despite relative unfamiliarity with the league. Obviously, Don Lee won't be pitching for the rest of the year, so it's time to see what we have in Strzyzewski, who was quite solid at Syracuse this season. I wonder if we can't swing a trade for a veteran starter this offseason - nothing too fancy, just a #3-type guy. Somebody to go Pascual-Kralick-Veteran, pushing Ramos into the five-spot and putting less pressure on Kaat. We'll see what teams are asking for. THE BULLPEN
Yes, this is still the absolute weak spot of the team. But things are at least trending upward. Antonelli has provided us with experience and has locked down a few wins that the pen ordinarily wouldn't have since he got here. No, he's not perfect, but he's a step in the right direction. So is Stott, whose walk rate is suspect (who's isn't/?), but who remains perhaps the only reliever with long-term prospects in the bullpen. Stobbs can't miss bats for the life of him, but he's managed to be serviceable lately. Seward has been unlucky more than anything - his 3.62 FIP and 0.3 WAR are the best out of the relief corps. The jury is still out on guys like Griggs and especially Davolio, who I just called up. May 1961 - Farm Report STANDINGS
Nothing too exceptional here; the Erie Sailors are having a great season and are leading their division. TOP PROSPECTS
With the Oliva promotion, everybody moves up a slot. Everyone on this list is having a good season - Allen is tearing it up and may see himself skipping a level next year if he continues to mash the ball. Rollins is looking like a pretty well-rounded player. Hall needs a little bit more offensive consistency. Uhlaendar is the new name here, a lefty corner outfielder whose bat might play. He's one of our top ten offensive prospects. |
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05-17-2020, 03:20 PM
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#34 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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August 2nd, 1961
VS Two months to go in the inaugural season for the Minnesota Twins. My main goal for the rest of the year is to squeeze a winning record out of this time. We're only five games under par, and we've been making steady improvements all season. The first division is within reach, as the fifth-place Red Sox are 52-52. However, it's put up or shut up time, as we have a gauntlet to run through this week. Two games in Baltimore, then four with New York; last time we ran this trip, we played a little spoiler here and there. With our success in July, we have a bit more dignity and a bit more to play for going forward. The O's still have more wins than any other team; lately the conversation has been on Detroit and New York, but credit where credit is due. The Orioles are an excellent club this season, and it's hard to believe that there's three teams all playing at this level right now. The three leaders in batting WAR are Detroit's Norm Cash (8.1), the Yankees' Mickey Mantle (7.6), and the O's own Jim Gentile (5.4.) That pretty much sums it up right there. Also, there were no major trades in the last days of the deadline. Teams are doubling down on their own guys and heading into the stretch run. Quote:
What was nearly another late loss turned into a nice opening win for the Twins. Up 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Stott gave up a pair in a wild frame. But in the eighth, youngster Tony Oliva doubled home two runs to swing the pendulum back in Minnesota's direction. Kralick strained an oblique today - he shouldn't miss his next start - and struck out five through six innings. Antonelli pitched two almost-perfect frames. Lenny Green was the standout hitter, going 4-for-5 with a triple and two runs. August 3rd, 1961 Quote:
We come away from Memorial Stadium with a two-game sweep of the O's, who fall to 2.5 back after running into the clicking Twins. Kaat allowed four hits across eight innings, and Mejias got his first major-league save. Green and Killebrew had two hits; Allison had three, and Meisner knocked in a pair of runs. August 4th, 1961 VS The Yankees have taken three in a row, but the Tigers have taken four, so New York still sits a game behind Detroit as we enter the weekend. On Wednesday afternoon, the Bronx Bombers played a double-header with the A's, and Mickey Mantle hit three homers total on the day. He's up to 47 on the season in the first week of August. With Cash beginning to cool down, and Mantle now on track to shatter Ruth's record, it's looking more and more like the Commerce Comet could be taking home his third MVP. Can our pitching put any sort of stop to him? Quote:
A pretty even game today, but it goes to the Yanks. Both teams had seven hits and an error, and it came down to the pitching - specifically, it came down to Elston Howard's deciding two-run double in the Yankee sixth. Elsewhere, young Vada Pinson's hit streak ends at 23. August 5th, 1961 Quote:
A bit of a bloodbath today, but the Twins lineup comes through. Allison, Meisner, and Oliva all had homers today - Oliva's, of course, being the first of his career. We were pretty economical on the basepaths, with all eight runs coming on ten hits. Meisner and Consolo each had two hits, two runs, and at least an RBI from the bottom of the order. Zoilo went 2-for-5. Mantle went hitless but scored three times thanks to three free passes from our own frightened pitching staff. Of course, Mantle pretty famously has protection, and the man hitting behind him, Roger Maris, had three hits, two of them homers, and four RBI. Even with the 6 runs allowed today, it's worth noting that Minnesota's staff as a whole has allowed the 4th-fewest runs in the American League. That's pretty good for a losing team! August 6th, 1961 Quote:
Getaway day here at Yankee Stadium involves a double-header, and game one involved a beatdown. Strzyzewski was tagged for ten hits and eight runs in barely over five innings - he pitched five clean frames and then fell completely to pieces in the sixth, when New York scored all of their runs. A Tony Kubek single, a Maris single, a Howard single, and a three-run triple from Clete Boyer were the big offenders. Mantle was held hitless again, using only one walk, to boot. The lone run came on a 6-4-3 double play off Battey's stick. Zoilo had a pair of doubles. Quote:
What a display by the Twins offense in the last game of the series. We won't be back to Yankee Stadium until 1962, but fans in the Bronx aren't gonna forget the eighth inning tonight any time soon. Let's back it up before we dive in. The Twins scored in the first, then put the bats on ice for a bit. Jose Mejias gave up a run in the fourth and the sixth, then allowed to in the seventh to give the Yanks a bit of a lead. Entering the top of the eighth down 4-1, here's what happened.
Crooked numbers just don't get crooked-er. A twelve-spot for the Twins is more than enough to put this away, even with New York rallying in the ninth to score three more. Green goes 3-for-5 and scores three times. Versalles knocks in two and walks thrice. Oliva was 2-for-5 with two RBI; Killebrew was 2-for-6 with one knocked in, and Allison had a pair of hits. Oh, and Battey? He came in as a pinch-hitter that inning. His final line reads 2-for-2, two runs, five RBI. He never even took the field. Week in Review
Bilko is back in the news, this time for Cleveland. The 32-year-old slugger, who got off to such a hot start this year, had a three-homer game this week and was a key part in the Indians taking six in a row. They've moved up to fifth. Everything was falling for Cepeda, who collected 13 hits. POWER RANKINGS 1. Cincinnati Reds (66-45) 2. San Francisco Giants (62-44) 3. New York Yankees (69-43) 4. Baltimore Orioles (68-46) 5. Detroit Tigers (67-43) ...8. Minnesota Twins (53-56) We find ourselves down in seventh, with a game separating ourselves, Boston, and fifth-place Cleveland. Cleveland is a game under .500, which means that the fourth-place White Sox and up are the only winning teams in the American League. New York has a game on Detroit, who have a game on the O's. The Reds still lead the Giants by a game and a half, with both teams completely matching each other over the last few weeks of play. |
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05-18-2020, 01:11 PM
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#35 | |||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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August 7th, 1961
VSStill on the road for four more days. When last we saw the Boston Red Sox, they were 39-34 and had an outside chance at being in the mix with the three powerhouses of the league. Now, the long season has ground a bit of reality out of Boston, who have the same number of losses as we do, but two more wins. They're in 6th and we're exactly a game back - just ahead of both of us are the Cleveland Indians, who have taken six in a row and nearly have themselves a winning record. That's how we're trying to be! Quote:
Another steady stream of rolling offense gives us a 5-2 record so far this August. Tony Oliva got us started with a two-run homer (2) in the top of the first inning. Through six, we had touched Monbouquette for seven earned. Meanwhile, Kralick threw nine and allowed one unearned run; he brings that ERA down to 3.21 and struck out six. For some reason, Harmon was caught stealing today. August 8th, 1961 Quote:
Looks pretty similar to yesterday, doesn't it? While the Sox got one more run off Kaat than they did Kralick, but once again the Twins scored seven runs, and Oliva played a big part. He had a solo shot off Brewer in the sixth, and then a break-it-open three-run homer off Chet Nichols, Jr. in the top of the ninth. Green doubled twice and walked twice. Killebrew walked twice, as well. Battey and Allison each had three hits. Minnesota is now 6-2 on the month. We slide by Boston, and now occupy sixth place by ourselves. One game under .500! August 9th, 1961 Quote:
This may be the most consistent series ever. In each game so far, we've scored seven runs, and each day the Red Sox are able to get one more run than they did last time. We scored four in the second and three more in the third. Allison had a three-run shot (17) as one of his two hits today. Battey doubled twice, and both Zoilo and Oliva had a pair of hits. So far this month, Oliva has a .939 OPS. Elsewhere, George Altman reaches 20 games on a hitting streak for the Cubs. The Indians have won eight in a row. August 10th, 1961 Quote:
A winning record! It's been a while, but it feels good to be heading in the right direction. It's my belief that this team is only a key piece or two away from clicking as a unit and making some unexpected noise within the next couple of years. We're now in a tie with Cleveland for fifth place after winning five straight. And, if you can believe it, we scored seven runs for the fourth straight game. You could pretty much set your clocks by it this week. Wow. These seven runs were thanks to three key hits. Tony Oliva homered for the fifth time, a solo shot that opened the scoring for the Twins. Billy Consolo had a two-run blast in the sixth inning. And big congratulations are in order for Mr. Harmon Killebrew, who hit his 30th shot of the year this afternoon. Harmon is fifth all-time in franchise history with 114 homers. White Sox first baseman Roy Sievers holds our record, with 180 dingers as a member of the Senators. He and Killebrew share the single-season record; both have hit 42 in a year (Sievers in '57, Killebrew in '59.) August 11th, 1961 VSSquaring up with the Tigers once again. We're the hosts this time, back at home for the first series since July 27th. Six games at the Met, and then another six back on tour. It's the Tigers' turn to sit in third place. Norm Cash is in a big slump, and Mantle has well overtaken him in WAR. That pristine batting average is now to down to "only" .364, and it's New York's Elston Howard who leads with a .380 mark. Both the O's and Yanks have crossed the 7-win threshold; the Tigers have 68. Can we exacerbate their dip? Quote:
Six in a row! With the game tied at two in the bottom of the seventh, Bob Meisner knocked in two with his 26th double of the season. It was a right-place, right-time performance by the offense; we only had six hits total. Killebrew went 0-for-1 with three walks. Strzyzewski pitched nine innings, walked three, but only gave up two runs. It was a nice bounceback performance from giving up eight earned in New York. Mickey Mantle is on a five-game hitting streak, but hasn't homered since the 2nd. August 12th, 1961 Quote:
Holy Moses. This game was just body blow after body blow to both sides, until both fighters collapsed and one just happened to be pinning the other to the ground. Thankfully, it was the Twins on top, and we've taken seven straight ballgames and are three over the .500 mark. It's the second-longest winning streak in the MLB - the Indians have 10 in a row. In that time, we've improved our on-base percentage to .337 - best in the league - and our weighted On-Base Average is second-best. We've also allowed the 5th-fewest runs in the American League. It's been an impressive stretch. Today, specifically, was nuts. We ran up against Don Mossi, and I figured if there were ever a day for the streak to end, this might have to be it. But this one deserves a bit of a play-by-play.
What a way to continue a streak. Looking at some of those individual performances...Green was 2-for-6 with 3 RBI. Zoilo was 3-for-6 with 2 RBI and two runs scored. Killebrew had two hits, two ribbies, and two runs. Allison walked three times. Battey went 3-for-4, scored three time, and knocked in two. We raised Mossi's ERA from 2.87 to 3.03 in this one. That's the first time in well over a month that his earned run average hasn't started with "2." The poor Tigers are now three and a half back, which is one of those deficits that feels crushing at this point in the season. Elsewhere...George Altman's on 23 games now, which is tied with Pinson for the longest streak this season. August 13th, 1961 Quote:
As I said yesterday, I expected Mossi to end our streak. Similarly, I expected Bunning to do the same on Sunday afternoon. Instead, Jim Kaat kept the Tigers off the board, and despite making three errors, we win our eighth straight ballgame. A complete-game shutout for Kitty, who held the Tigers to four hits all afternoon and takes home his tenth win of the season. That ERA is down to a gorgeous 2.82, and his ERA+ is 147 on the whole. How about this young lefty! All five runs came in the fifth inning. Versalles had a two-run triple, Battey had a two-run single, and Oliva had an RBI knock. Week in Review
Look, ma, we made it! I felt this one coming after the week we had, and I'm thrilled to see that it's Oliva getting the nod as our first Player of the Week this season. The kid is really starting to find his groove, which is impressive considering he hasn't even logged 130 big-league at-bats yet. Clemente missed some time with an elbow injury, but recently qualified for the NL batting title, and now leads the hitting race with a .360 mark. POWER RANKINGS 1. Baltimore Orioles (75-46) 2. New York Yankees (73-45) 3. San Francisco Giants (66-45) 4. Minnesota Twins (60-56) 5. Cincinnati Reds (67-50) Look at us, hanging with the big hitters! A brilliant week and impeccable start to August has the Twins placed just over second-place Cincinnati, in a week where the skidding Tigers fall off the board, and the streaking O's (seven straight wins) climb back on top. We're a game and a half behind the White Sox for fourth place, and have finally crossed into the first division. Let's go, Twins! |
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05-19-2020, 02:42 PM
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#36 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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August 14th, 1961
VSNext up are the Kansas City Athletics, who are a game away from their 70th loss of the year. They're not quite in the Angels/Senators camp of the absolute cellar, as they've kept their winning percentage above .400. The tough matchup here looks to be the first one - Jim Archer, their best pitcher...but we'll be countering with ours, Pascual. Can the run continue? Quote:
Nine in a row for the Twins! Zoilo Versalles goes 5-for-5 with a double and boosts his average to .293 in the win. It was an eighteen-hit attack on the A's; Killebrew went 3-for-4 with a triple, and Battey knocked in three with his 11th homer. Christian and Pascual each had a pair of hits. Allison nabbed two singles. Green had a single and a triple. Camilo struck out eight and gave up seven hits. That's his 13th win on the year, and he's on track to set or tie his career high of 17. Elsewhere, George Altman officially claims the longest streak of 1961, with 25 games hitting safely. Mickey Mantle is still sitting on 47 home runs, and is STILL OPS'ing 1.116 in August despite not going yard in a while. August 15th, 1961 Quote:
The run will have to end at nine, as Pedro Ramos combusts in the third inning, and Kansas City gets their 49th win of the season. The A's got on the board in the first, then plated six in a difficult third for Ramos. Four different Athletics homered, including their starter, Krausse, Jr. Neither Wally Seward nor Jose Mejias could stop the bleeding, either; both gave up runs in their appearance today. Bob Meisner hit his 10th homer of the year, and Killebrew had the other two RBI. He leads the team with 72. That's just our third loss of the month! We're 12-3 in August, and everyone's starting to take notice of the fact that the Twins have one of the best offenses in baseball. Even Billy Consolo has a 109 OPS+ out of the number-eight slot. Maybe we go full pitching this winter... August 16th, 1961 Quote:
The A's wind up taking the series, scoring all seven runs between the fifth and eighth innings, after Minnesota carried a 2-0 lead through the first half of the game. Both runs came on the same long ball from Killebrew (32.) Strzyzewksi walked five today, which is more than you can manage if you still want to win the ballgame. We get our first day off in two weeks to regroup, before heading off to face our absolute favorite opponents - the Los Angeles Angels. August 18th, 1961 VSThree games in Los Angeles will close out this weekend. We have one more matchup with the Angels, but this will be our last trip to California until 1962. Hard to believe we're getting into the "lasts" already, but the summer is waning and before we know it, the baseball season will be over. Quote:
We avoid slipping into a losing streak by winning the opener here in Los Angeles. Once again, it's a major offensive effort guiding us to victory. Green (10) and Killebrew (33) both homered. Tony Oliva went 4-for-5 with three RBI. Allison had a pair of walks and a pair of runs. On the hill, Kralick outlasted McBride, who had to be pulled in the fourth with a tight forearm. It was a blessing for the batting order, who played pepper with reliever Laurin Pepper's fastball and scored five times off him. Kralick is close to becoming the third 10-game winner in the rotation. He, Kaat, and Pascual have combined for 14 WAR, and have an average ERA+ of 150. August 19th, 1961 Quote:
Another decisive win for Minnesota, and another series win against the Los Angeles Angels. We now have as many losses as the White Sox; fourth-place Chicago is next on our schedule. Pascual was brilliant again, keeping the Angels from reaching home and striking out eight along the way. Killebrew had another triple today, and scored twice. Green was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Everyone but Consolo managed a hit. Elsewhere, George Altman's hit streak is up to 31. August 20th, 1961 Quote:
L.A. picks up the Sunday game and avoids the sweep on the last day of the series. The Angels got six runs between the fourth and fifth, and none of Minnesota's runs were earned. Corner outfielders Johnny Blanchard and Mickey Harrington combined for four Angel runs. Billy Consolo had the best day at the plate for the Twins, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, a pair of runs, and a pair knocked in. Elsewhere, 19-year-old Milwaukee starter Dennis Ribant absolutely baffles the Philadelphia Phillies. He strikes out 16 in a complete-game performance. That's a franchise record for the Milwaukee Braves, and just two shy of Bob Feller's all-time record of 18. George Altman is up to 32 straight games with a hit. Week in Review
A couple of Chicago boys get the honor this week. The White Sox are doing their best to stave us off as we come charging up the standings. Amusingly, Cleveland has lost eight in a row after their big 10-game winning streak. One of those things that you can chuckle at so long as it's not your team giving up all the ground they just made up. POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (79-46) 2. San Francisco Giants (71-46) 3. Detroit Tigers (75-50) 4. Baltimore Orioles (78-50) 5. Cincinnati Reds (71-52) ...6. Minnesota Twins (63-59) The Yankees have won six straight. The Tigers just took four of five from the Boston Red Sox. But still, New York has a 2.5-game lead on the O's, and Detroit find themselves four back of the Bombers. Are the Yanks finally pulling away? Are the Tigers going to watch as Baltimore and New York duke it out for the pennant? In the other league, San Fran is three up on the Reds. When this month started, Cincinnati had a two-game advantage. |
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05-19-2020, 06:13 PM
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#37 | |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,624
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Quote:
How can you set it with a 4 man rotation and pick your 5th starter(s) if everyone is tired?? At least in perfect leauge i have never got a EMERGENCY SP to pitch |
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05-19-2020, 06:15 PM
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#38 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,624
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Did you manually have to create the Minors...or is that part of historical setup?
Did you manually have to enter all the GM, Coaches and umps? |
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05-20-2020, 04:40 PM
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#39 |
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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The way I like to do it is to run a five-man rotation, but make sure that the highest-rested pitcher is always starting. That way the #5 guy doesn't get a ton of innings, and only really comes in when we enter a busy stretch. I like that better than relying on the "emergency SP" designation like you were saying.
Historical minors are created in set-up. All the managers are historically accurate, but the other coaches are fictional. I edited all the owners and GMs for historical accuracy, but I let deaths/team sales/hirings + firings happen organically. |
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05-20-2020, 04:41 PM
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#40 | ||||||
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Minors (Single A)
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 99
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August 22nd, 1961
VSI mentioned earlier this year that we may develop a natural rivalry with the Chicago White Sox now that they're our closest geographic opponent. There's no bad blood between the teams yet, but we do have something to compete for - fourth place in the American League. It's up for grabs this series, as we each have 59 losses, with Chicago ekeing out three more wins than we've got for a game-and-a-half advantage. With the Indians slumping heavily, we've got a comfortable cushion keeping us in the AL's first division. Hey, credit to Cookie for keeping the team engaged all the way through. We were in last place as late as June 8th, and look at us now. Quote:
Are you surprised that the offense won us another one? Because I'm not. Fifteen hits and nine innings later, the Twins lineup has tallied another one in the win column. Green and Versalles each had three hits at the top of the order; Green is now hitting .307 and Zoilo is at .295. Oliva scored three times and drove in two. Allison had three hits and three RBI. All nine runs were scored by the first four hitters in the order. This has been a career year for Lenny Green, who's setting highs in WAR, OPS, home runs, RBI, walks, average, on-base percentage, doubles, everything. We're now tied for fourth place. Being the team first in line after the New York-Baltimore-Detroit gauntlet feels impossible, yet here we are. Elsewhere...Ernie Banks hits career homer #300. He's emerged as the likely National League MVP, with 8.6 WAR - Frank Robinson is next-closest at 5.8. The Cubs have wormed their way up to third place, but still sit at just 59-60, and are 13.5 back. Altman, another Cubbie, makes it to 33 games. August 23rd, 1961 Quote:
Pizarro got the start for Chicago today. As noted, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he almost had us. We were off the board for six innings, and the White Sox notched four runs in the home sixth. We got two back in the seventh, but going into the ninth, it wasn't looking good. Then the offense jolted back to life. Oliva doubled in Mincher and Green to tie the game. Then Bob Allison had a two-run single to give the Twins the lead. Meisner would add a two-run base hit of his own, and before the fans could even blink, Minnesota had put up a 6-spot and held on to win the ballgame. Chicago has dropped four in a row. We now hold sole possession of fourth, 14.5 back of the New York Yankees. The Yankees, by the way, are beginning to make a statement. The Orioles are 3.5 back and the Tigers have slipped to six behind. New York has taken eight straight ballgames. Roger Maris hit three homers in their last one, and Mantle has hit four in four games to bring his total up to 51 on the year. He's now within nine home runs of Babe Ruth's record. And finally, George Altman goes hitless. That streak ends at 33 games after the outfielder goes 0-for-5 in Philly. August 24th, 1961 Quote:
The ChiSox manage a win on the last day of the series. It was a good, steady ballgame; no major gaffes or comebacks on either side. The Twins had three early runs, and Chicago pecked away to score four in the middle innings. Pascual fanned nine and still leads the American League with 169 whiffs. He and Kralick are third and first, respectively, where pitching WAR is concerned in the American League. Can Pascual crack 200 K's for the first time in his career? August 25th, 1961 VS The Orioles are in an enviable position, racing for the pennant as late as August. Still, there's a part of me that appreciates not going through the daily stressors of playing catch-up against the Yankees, trying to claw your way to the top, and watching someone else's magic number tick down every day. Of course, I'd switch positions with them in a heartbeat. This is all about the pennant, after all. Who knows? We COULD be switching positions with them in a year or two. The stats have certainly been trending upward. We now have a top-4 pitching staff (yes, even with that bullpen) and we put more runners on base than anyone else in the league. Will it be enough to win the series against Baltimore? The O's are coming to the Met, looking for their 80th win of the year. Quote:
Another close one goes Minnesota's way. This was pretty much exactly how you draw it up. Kaat had a fantastic start - seven strong, two runs allowed, eight punchouts. Then we handed it to Antonelli, who tossed two scoreless innings and got his fifth save of the year. Zoilo went 2-for-4 and he and Green had a run each. Allison, who didn't have a hit but walked twice, had the last one. Big day around baseball. Ron Santo goes 5-for-5 and hits for the cycle. 30-year-old Willie Mays hits his 300th career homer days after Banks does the same. And, for the first time this season, a team is officially out of it:
And Mickey Mantle is making up for his dinger-light first half of August. He hit two homers today, after hitting two a couple days ago, and has a four-game homer streak during which he's gone deep six times. He's up to 54 home runs on the season. August 26th, 1961 Quote:
The Orioles needed a big win, and they got it. They make up a game on the Yankees, and are 3.5 back. All-Star Jerry Adair homers, as do Earl Robinson and Whitey Herzog. Jackie Brandt, Herzog, and All-Star Ron Hansen each have two RBI and combine for six hits. Not much happening on the Minnesota front, except for Bob Allison going 2-for-4 with a homer. Strzyzewski gives up five runs in five innings; Wally Seward pitches two shutout frames. Elsewhere once again...more and more news as the season begins to both wind down into peacefulness and hurtle toward a thrilling conclusion of some great pennant races. After a 23-game streak earlier this season, Vada Pinson has hit in 20 straight again. Giants closer Stu Miller - who leads the world with 19 saves - is going to be out for the rest of this season and maybe even the whole of next year, after tearing a UCL in a game against the Cards. Will it be enough to get Cincinnati (three games back) on top again? August 27th, 1961 Quote:
Another decisive win for the Orioles. The Twins were up 5-2 in the fourth, then failed to score again; Baltimore had three in the fifth, another in the sixth, and four in the ninth. Killebrew had a two-run homer (34) in the third inning. Stott, Mejias, and Griggs all got scoreless work in, but the Baltimore bullpen was better, with five shutout innings after we knocked out Billy Hoeft pretty early. Week in Review
It's entirely possible that we're looking at the MVPs this week. Mantle goes on an absolute ambush of opposing pitching, with eight homers this week. He has 56 and we're not even done with August. Were it not for his teammate Elston Howard's .382 mark, he would be making a serious run at the Triple Crown. Still, would you rather see a Triple Crown, or somebody finally break Babe Ruth's home run record? POWER RANKINGS 1. New York Yankees (83-48) 2. Cincinnati Reds (76-54) 3. Baltimore Orioles (81-53) 4. Detroit Tigers (78-53) 5. San Francisco Giants (74-49) ...8. Minnesota Twins (66-62) While Mickey Mantle brute forces the Yankees through their schedule, the O's and Tigers try to stay relevant. Baltimore is 3.5 back and the Tigers are down five. All three teams won their last game. The Reds have rubberbanded back to just 1.5 out. I think no matter what the matchup is, if the National League representative wins the World Series this season, it will be considered an upset. That goes double if it's the Yankees who do wind up winning this pennant.
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