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Nick Soulis · 07-28-2022, 10:46 AM

PRELIMINARY ROUND
Series #134
1978 Baltimore Orioles (90-71) vs 1901 Cleveland Blues (54-82)

There was an adage called the "Oriole Way" that manager Earl Weaver implemented in his teams and by 1978 the formula had almost been perfected. Excellent starting pitching, defense, and the three run home run would win most games for you, but even more then that it was an attitude of winning. Baltimore came up a little short in 1978 but still won 90 games and at the forefront as always was their starting pitching. Jim Palmer was head of the class of the four man rotation logging 296 innings with six shutouts, a 2.46 ERA, and only 19 home runs allowed. Palmer was still at the very top of his game at 32 while Mike Flanagan was hit a little harder with a 4.02 ERA but still managed 19 wins in 281 innings worked. He made 40 starts and was likely the least effective of the group where as Dennis Martinez had a 100 ERA+ and a 3.54 FIP with some nasty breaking stuff and some real charisma at 24 years of age. Scott McGregor was the 4th man and had a fine season with a 3.32 ERA and four shutouts while holding a 1.13 WHIP and a great effectiveness against left handed hitters. Nelson Briles made 8 starts but it was the four arms mentioned that Weaver rode on with good reason. Don Stanhouse as the closer when needed with 24 saves and a nice 2.89 ERA while Tippy Martinez was the closer in making appearing in 42 games but a worrisome ERA of 4.83. Tim Stoddard and Joe Kerrigan were two more pen names to watch. On offense, Lee May hit 25 home runs as the DH with with 80 RBI but struck out 110 times with a .246 average, symbolic of the DH position of the time. Ken Singleton was still a productive player hitting 20 home runs with a .871 OPS and a .409 OBP while Larry Harlow tried to use his speed and 14 steals to make up for a .243 average. Pat Kelly fit in well in the lineup with a 131 OPS+ in 100 games with 40 RBI and 10 steals but he shared time with Carlos Lopez who was a similar type player. Catcher Rich Dempsey was beloved by his teamates and especially pitchers for the way he called games and played defense while his hitting at .259 was average for the position. Mark Belanger by now had established himself as a dynamic shortstop even at the age of 34 but his bat was basically gone hitting only .213 with no pop to speak, he had 16 RBI in 135 games played. Rich Dauer at second hit 6 home runs and only struck out 22 times while at third base Dou Decinces lead the team in WAR and drove in 80 runs with 37 doubles slugging .526. Eddie Murray had his typical superstar season with 27 home runs and 95 RBI and a .286 average and Murray was always a beast with runners on base. Billy Smith hit 5 home runs off the bench and had the most pinch hits while Kiko Garcia and Andres Mora played where and when they could. Playing a club from 1901 should be an interesting proposition.

With the worst attendance in the league and one of the worst records, baseball in Cleveland was not off to a rousing start coming into the 20th century. The American League was still trying to establish itself even before there was a world series, and clubs like the Blues were starving for some talent. Only four players in the lineup played in over 100 games and five of the regulars were over the age of 30 bogging down the roster. Right fielder Ollie Pickering lead the club in steals with 36 and scored 102 runs as the 31 year old was the most exciting player in the lineup and worth keeping an eye on. Two Jacks manned the other outfield spots as McCarthy and O'Brien both hit from the left side but neither played over 100 games. McCarthy was a .321 hitter with seven triples but seeing 45 games was another outfield bat, Zaza Harvey, who stole 15 bases and hit .353 at 22 years of age. Bill Bradley was the third baseman with 55 runs driven in and a good .739 OPS. Bradley at 23 years old was one of the few really good young players on the roster and his 95 runs and 15 steals are a big part of the prospects of this team. Frank Schiebeck played in 93 games at short and hit all of .213 with an amazing 47 OPS+, Danny Shay was his only hope as a backup but the position was a dumpster fire. At second, Erve Beck was only 22 and hit .289 with 79 RBI and 26 doubles making him a great pair with Bradley. George LeChance at first hit .303 with 75 RBI and 9 triples but at 31 years old he was becoming a below average player especially in the field. Bob Wood hit .292 at the catcher position with 23 doubles but catcher was more of a revolving door as George Yeager and Joe Connor added to the position. Manager Jimmy McAleer could also play at his age, but decided to only get into a handful of contests. The pitching staff had a 4.12 ERA, very high for the deadball era. Pete Dowling made the most starts with 30 but lost 22 games with a 3.86 ERA including hitting 15 batters and throwing 6 wild pitches. Earl Moore lead the team in wins with 16 and had a good 2.90 ERA with 4 shutouts and a good deal of promise at 23. Five other pitchers had over 10 starts with Bill Hart going 7-11 with a 3.77 ERA and then it only got worse from there. Ed Scott and Bill Hoffer had ERA's around 4.50 with WHIPs at 1.5 and finally Jack Bracken was hammered in his 12 starts with an ERA north of 6. Even some of the mentioned hitters had their chance on the mound in an era when two way players was not unheard of, but none of them will remind you of Ohtani; Jimmy McAleer and Bill Bradley each got into games.This Cleveland team really is a patchwork squad with the pitching likely no where near a level where they should be able to compete. There is some useful talent in the lineup but Oriole pitching should be good enough to cruse through.

Game 1 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 59
1901 Blues.....................12
1978 Orioles....................5 (12 inn)
WP: E. Scott (1-0) LP: D. Stanhouse (0-1)
HR: E. Murray (1), L. May (1)
POG: Eddie Murray
1901 Blues Lead Series 1-0
Both teams combined for 30 hits and three errors and played things out for 12 innings before the visiting side broke through. Cleveland scored 7 times in the 12th as Candy LaChance and Chuck Yeager each had 2 run hits against a tired Oriole pen. Eddie Murray drove in four including a home run for the home side who fought back from a three deficit to force extras but the Blues turned it on late in a big way.

Game 2 At Memorial Stadium
Clear 64
1901 Blues......................2
1978 Orioles....................4
WP: D. Martinez (1-0) LP: B. Hart (0-1)
HR: None
POG: Dennis Martinez
Series tied at 1
The Orioles got back on track in game two to tie the series behind Dennis Martinez who went the distance and allowed only one earned run with 4 hits allowed. Larry Harlow had a big two run single to put the Orioles up coming after a crucial error with two outs by Bill Bradley. Doug Decines went 4-4 in the win with three doubles.

Game 3 At League Park
Partly cloudy 53
1978 Orioles...........................2
1901 Blues.............................1
WP: J. Palmer (1-0) LP: E. Scott (1-1) S: D. Stanhouse (1)
HR: E. Murray (2), P. Kelly (1)
POG: Jim Palmer
1978 Orioles lead series 2-1
Earl Weaver saved Jim Palmer for the crucial game three in Cleveland and the Baltimore ace came through. Palmer shut down the Blues going seven innings with seven strikeouts before Dan Stanhouse closed out the last two innings. It was a Pat Kelly home run in the 8th inning that broke a 1-1 tie Ed Scott in what was a quick and well played ballgame.

Game 4 At League Park
Rain 47
1978 Orioles........................5
1901 Blues..........................2
WP: M. Flanagan (1-0) LP: B. Hoffer (0-1) S: D. Ford (1)
HR: None
POG: Mike Flanagan
1978 Orioles lead series 3-1
Steady pitching for the Orioles continued as they took their third game in a row to take control of this best of seven series. Mike Flanagan allowed 5 hits but only 2 earned runs striking out five over 8 innings. Flanagan also had a bases loaded single for 2 RBI and Rich Dauer drove in two more runs as Baltimore is beginning to show that they are the better all around club.

Game 5 At League Park
Clear 45
1978 Orioles....................1
1901 Blues......................0
WP: S. McGregor (1-0) LP: E. Moore (0-1)
HR: P. Kelly (2)
POG: Scott McGregor
A perfect way to finish this series with Scott McGregor throwing a shutout and confirming the dominance of Oriole pitching. Baltimore wins all three games in Cleveland and McGregor outduels Earl Moore striking out only one but walking none and allowing seven hits. The only run of the entire game was a solo home run by Pat Kelly to lead off the game, both of his homer runs this series have been crucial ones. The Orioles didnt flinch playing baseball the old fashion way.

1978 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 1

Series MVP:
Name: Pat kelly.png
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Name: Pat kelly.png
Views: 294
Size: 98.9 KB

Pat Kelly
(.300, 2 HR, .417 OBP, 4 R, 3 2B, 2 Game winning hits)

07-28-2022, 10:46 AM	#29
Nick Soulis Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 4,350	Series #134 PRELIMINARY ROUND Series #134 1978 Baltimore Orioles (90-71) vs 1901 Cleveland Blues (54-82) There was an adage called the "Oriole Way" that manager Earl Weaver implemented in his teams and by 1978 the formula had almost been perfected. Excellent starting pitching, defense, and the three run home run would win most games for you, but even more then that it was an attitude of winning. Baltimore came up a little short in 1978 but still won 90 games and at the forefront as always was their starting pitching. Jim Palmer was head of the class of the four man rotation logging 296 innings with six shutouts, a 2.46 ERA, and only 19 home runs allowed. Palmer was still at the very top of his game at 32 while Mike Flanagan was hit a little harder with a 4.02 ERA but still managed 19 wins in 281 innings worked. He made 40 starts and was likely the least effective of the group where as Dennis Martinez had a 100 ERA+ and a 3.54 FIP with some nasty breaking stuff and some real charisma at 24 years of age. Scott McGregor was the 4th man and had a fine season with a 3.32 ERA and four shutouts while holding a 1.13 WHIP and a great effectiveness against left handed hitters. Nelson Briles made 8 starts but it was the four arms mentioned that Weaver rode on with good reason. Don Stanhouse as the closer when needed with 24 saves and a nice 2.89 ERA while Tippy Martinez was the closer in making appearing in 42 games but a worrisome ERA of 4.83. Tim Stoddard and Joe Kerrigan were two more pen names to watch. On offense, Lee May hit 25 home runs as the DH with with 80 RBI but struck out 110 times with a .246 average, symbolic of the DH position of the time. Ken Singleton was still a productive player hitting 20 home runs with a .871 OPS and a .409 OBP while Larry Harlow tried to use his speed and 14 steals to make up for a .243 average. Pat Kelly fit in well in the lineup with a 131 OPS+ in 100 games with 40 RBI and 10 steals but he shared time with Carlos Lopez who was a similar type player. Catcher Rich Dempsey was beloved by his teamates and especially pitchers for the way he called games and played defense while his hitting at .259 was average for the position. Mark Belanger by now had established himself as a dynamic shortstop even at the age of 34 but his bat was basically gone hitting only .213 with no pop to speak, he had 16 RBI in 135 games played. Rich Dauer at second hit 6 home runs and only struck out 22 times while at third base Dou Decinces lead the team in WAR and drove in 80 runs with 37 doubles slugging .526. Eddie Murray had his typical superstar season with 27 home runs and 95 RBI and a .286 average and Murray was always a beast with runners on base. Billy Smith hit 5 home runs off the bench and had the most pinch hits while Kiko Garcia and Andres Mora played where and when they could. Playing a club from 1901 should be an interesting proposition. With the worst attendance in the league and one of the worst records, baseball in Cleveland was not off to a rousing start coming into the 20th century. The American League was still trying to establish itself even before there was a world series, and clubs like the Blues were starving for some talent. Only four players in the lineup played in over 100 games and five of the regulars were over the age of 30 bogging down the roster. Right fielder Ollie Pickering lead the club in steals with 36 and scored 102 runs as the 31 year old was the most exciting player in the lineup and worth keeping an eye on. Two Jacks manned the other outfield spots as McCarthy and O'Brien both hit from the left side but neither played over 100 games. McCarthy was a .321 hitter with seven triples but seeing 45 games was another outfield bat, Zaza Harvey, who stole 15 bases and hit .353 at 22 years of age. Bill Bradley was the third baseman with 55 runs driven in and a good .739 OPS. Bradley at 23 years old was one of the few really good young players on the roster and his 95 runs and 15 steals are a big part of the prospects of this team. Frank Schiebeck played in 93 games at short and hit all of .213 with an amazing 47 OPS+, Danny Shay was his only hope as a backup but the position was a dumpster fire. At second, Erve Beck was only 22 and hit .289 with 79 RBI and 26 doubles making him a great pair with Bradley. George LeChance at first hit .303 with 75 RBI and 9 triples but at 31 years old he was becoming a below average player especially in the field. Bob Wood hit .292 at the catcher position with 23 doubles but catcher was more of a revolving door as George Yeager and Joe Connor added to the position. Manager Jimmy McAleer could also play at his age, but decided to only get into a handful of contests. The pitching staff had a 4.12 ERA, very high for the deadball era. Pete Dowling made the most starts with 30 but lost 22 games with a 3.86 ERA including hitting 15 batters and throwing 6 wild pitches. Earl Moore lead the team in wins with 16 and had a good 2.90 ERA with 4 shutouts and a good deal of promise at 23. Five other pitchers had over 10 starts with Bill Hart going 7-11 with a 3.77 ERA and then it only got worse from there. Ed Scott and Bill Hoffer had ERA's around 4.50 with WHIPs at 1.5 and finally Jack Bracken was hammered in his 12 starts with an ERA north of 6. Even some of the mentioned hitters had their chance on the mound in an era when two way players was not unheard of, but none of them will remind you of Ohtani; Jimmy McAleer and Bill Bradley each got into games.This Cleveland team really is a patchwork squad with the pitching likely no where near a level where they should be able to compete. There is some useful talent in the lineup but Oriole pitching should be good enough to cruse through. Game 1 At Memorial Stadium Clear 59 1901 Blues.....................12 1978 Orioles....................5 (12 inn) WP: E. Scott (1-0) LP: D. Stanhouse (0-1) HR: E. Murray (1), L. May (1) POG: Eddie Murray 1901 Blues Lead Series 1-0 Both teams combined for 30 hits and three errors and played things out for 12 innings before the visiting side broke through. Cleveland scored 7 times in the 12th as Candy LaChance and Chuck Yeager each had 2 run hits against a tired Oriole pen. Eddie Murray drove in four including a home run for the home side who fought back from a three deficit to force extras but the Blues turned it on late in a big way. Game 2 At Memorial Stadium Clear 64 1901 Blues......................2 1978 Orioles....................4 WP: D. Martinez (1-0) LP: B. Hart (0-1) HR: None POG: Dennis Martinez Series tied at 1 The Orioles got back on track in game two to tie the series behind Dennis Martinez who went the distance and allowed only one earned run with 4 hits allowed. Larry Harlow had a big two run single to put the Orioles up coming after a crucial error with two outs by Bill Bradley. Doug Decines went 4-4 in the win with three doubles. Game 3 At League Park Partly cloudy 53 1978 Orioles...........................2 1901 Blues.............................1 WP: J. Palmer (1-0) LP: E. Scott (1-1) S: D. Stanhouse (1) HR: E. Murray (2), P. Kelly (1) POG: Jim Palmer 1978 Orioles lead series 2-1 Earl Weaver saved Jim Palmer for the crucial game three in Cleveland and the Baltimore ace came through. Palmer shut down the Blues going seven innings with seven strikeouts before Dan Stanhouse closed out the last two innings. It was a Pat Kelly home run in the 8th inning that broke a 1-1 tie Ed Scott in what was a quick and well played ballgame. Game 4 At League Park Rain 47 1978 Orioles........................5 1901 Blues..........................2 WP: M. Flanagan (1-0) LP: B. Hoffer (0-1) S: D. Ford (1) HR: None POG: Mike Flanagan 1978 Orioles lead series 3-1 Steady pitching for the Orioles continued as they took their third game in a row to take control of this best of seven series. Mike Flanagan allowed 5 hits but only 2 earned runs striking out five over 8 innings. Flanagan also had a bases loaded single for 2 RBI and Rich Dauer drove in two more runs as Baltimore is beginning to show that they are the better all around club. Game 5 At League Park Clear 45 1978 Orioles....................1 1901 Blues......................0 WP: S. McGregor (1-0) LP: E. Moore (0-1) HR: P. Kelly (2) POG: Scott McGregor A perfect way to finish this series with Scott McGregor throwing a shutout and confirming the dominance of Oriole pitching. Baltimore wins all three games in Cleveland and McGregor outduels Earl Moore striking out only one but walking none and allowing seven hits. The only run of the entire game was a solo home run by Pat Kelly to lead off the game, both of his homer runs this series have been crucial ones. The Orioles didnt flinch playing baseball the old fashion way. 1978 Baltimore Orioles Win Series 4 Games To 1 Series MVP: Pat Kelly (.300, 2 HR, .417 OBP, 4 R, 3 2B, 2 Game winning hits) Last edited by Nick Soulis; 07-30-2022 at 10:02 PM.