OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

luckymann · 11-30-2022, 01:03 AM

April 23, 1985: Boston Red Sox (9-3) @ New York Yankees (4-6)

Well, kids, this is what it is all about – the big house, the one Ruth built. Three here kick off a tricky little stretch for us that ends up over at Oakland in early May. Playing a bunch of games in a row with no break is one thing. Doing so from one side of the country to the other like we’re about to is something completely different. Especially for the old cats like me.

Oil Can Boyd gets the ball tonight up against Joe Cowley, who has owned me so far with ten outs from ten, covering last season and back in ’82 when he was with the Braves. Not even a cheeky HBP to my name against him. Let’s fix that, then, shall we?

Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game

Game Recap

A 2-run trip in the 1st by Tony Armas gets us off and running, but I can only ground out to 3B to end the inning and leave him ashore. Boggsy stretches our lead in the next with a run-scoring single after Geds had led it off with a two-bagger.

Can doesn’t give up a hit until the 4th but Cowley has settled right down, too, and they get on the board in the 5th when Winfield singles and Pagliarulo doubles him in. Only a force out at home keeps it at just the one.

I get a base on balls in the 6th (having flown out back in the 4th), but we can’t advance me any further than second. We do, however, get our 3-run cushion back in the next on a Dewey Evans single—and lucky we do because Dennis serves up a hanger to Butch Wynegar in the 7th with a man aboard and suddenly it’s 4 to 3.

Bob Shirley comes into the game for the Yanks and, after we each have a scoreless 8th, Dave Righetti then takes over and we manage to get an insurance run off him, before I end the inning with a deep fly to dead CF.

Just as we think we’re home free, all hell breaks loose.

I hate second-guessing our mighty Skipper especially given how much I admire Mac’s belief in our starting pitchers and his adherence to the old-school mentality of You started it, You finish it. But I can't help wonder what makes him step away from it here. Boyd is up to 115 pitches, which may be the deciding factor. And Steve Crawford has been so reliable for us. So, there’s plenty of potential reasons for it.

Whatever they might be, the strategy doesn’t pay off tonight.

Catcher Ron Hassey can take most of the credit for their comeback when he fouls off pitch after pitch and eventually works a 12-pitch walk to lead it off. We put ourselves right under the pump when Boggsy muffs a fairly routine DP ball, bringing the winning run to the plate. After Ken Griffey fans, Pagliarulo singles to load them up. We look like we’ve got ourselves out of the jam when Crawf gets Wynegar to fly out to RF, too shallow to score anyone, for out number two. But then Bob Meacham chops one off the plate and beats it out, scoring a run to make it 5-4 and that’s it for Steve, with Bob Stanley called upon to get that final out.

It never comes.

Rickey Henderson – one of the hardest outs this game has ever known with perhaps the smallest strike zone in history – works his way back from 0-2 to a full count with a couple real close calls going his way like they usually do, then slaps a long single into the gap in left to score two for a walkoff win. I’ve heard some noise in my time, but rarely if ever as much as the Yankee fans make when their boys pull off this Houdini Act. Don't fancy ever hearing as much again, if it's all the same to you - especially in NYC.

This one’ll sting for a while.

Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day

A similar fate befalls the White Sox as their Red-Stockinged brethren, with Milwaukee scoring a run in the 9th and then three in the 11th to pinch one off them at Comiskey.
California's Bob Kipper kicks off his MLB career in fine style, shutting out the A's on 6 hits in a 3-0 win in Anaheim.

The Real Deal

MLB Debuts: Teddy Higuera
Daily Notes: On this day in 1954, Hank Aaron hits his first career home run off Vic Raschi. Twenty-six years later, in 1980, current BOS pitcher Bruce Kison has a no-no broken up with one out in the 9th by a double to Minnesota's Ken Landreaux.

11-30-2022, 01:03 AM	#35
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 13,939	Anatomy Volume 1: Game 13 of 162 April 23, 1985: Boston Red Sox (9-3) @ New York Yankees (4-6) Well, kids, this is what it is all about – the big house, the one Ruth built. Three here kick off a tricky little stretch for us that ends up over at Oakland in early May. Playing a bunch of games in a row with no break is one thing. Doing so from one side of the country to the other like we’re about to is something completely different. Especially for the old cats like me. Oil Can Boyd gets the ball tonight up against Joe Cowley, who has owned me so far with ten outs from ten, covering last season and back in ’82 when he was with the Braves. Not even a cheeky HBP to my name against him. Let’s fix that, then, shall we? Bill Buckner YTD stats entering the game Game Recap A 2-run trip in the 1st by Tony Armas gets us off and running, but I can only ground out to 3B to end the inning and leave him ashore. Boggsy stretches our lead in the next with a run-scoring single after Geds had led it off with a two-bagger. Can doesn’t give up a hit until the 4th but Cowley has settled right down, too, and they get on the board in the 5th when Winfield singles and Pagliarulo doubles him in. Only a force out at home keeps it at just the one. I get a base on balls in the 6th (having flown out back in the 4th), but we can’t advance me any further than second. We do, however, get our 3-run cushion back in the next on a Dewey Evans single—and lucky we do because Dennis serves up a hanger to Butch Wynegar in the 7th with a man aboard and suddenly it’s 4 to 3. Bob Shirley comes into the game for the Yanks and, after we each have a scoreless 8th, Dave Righetti then takes over and we manage to get an insurance run off him, before I end the inning with a deep fly to dead CF. Just as we think we’re home free, all hell breaks loose. I hate second-guessing our mighty Skipper especially given how much I admire Mac’s belief in our starting pitchers and his adherence to the old-school mentality of You started it, You finish it. But I can't help wonder what makes him step away from it here. Boyd is up to 115 pitches, which may be the deciding factor. And Steve Crawford has been so reliable for us. So, there’s plenty of potential reasons for it. Whatever they might be, the strategy doesn’t pay off tonight. Catcher Ron Hassey can take most of the credit for their comeback when he fouls off pitch after pitch and eventually works a 12-pitch walk to lead it off. We put ourselves right under the pump when Boggsy muffs a fairly routine DP ball, bringing the winning run to the plate. After Ken Griffey fans, Pagliarulo singles to load them up. We look like we’ve got ourselves out of the jam when Crawf gets Wynegar to fly out to RF, too shallow to score anyone, for out number two. But then Bob Meacham chops one off the plate and beats it out, scoring a run to make it 5-4 and that’s it for Steve, with Bob Stanley called upon to get that final out. It never comes. Rickey Henderson – one of the hardest outs this game has ever known with perhaps the smallest strike zone in history – works his way back from 0-2 to a full count with a couple real close calls going his way like they usually do, then slaps a long single into the gap in left to score two for a walkoff win. I’ve heard some noise in my time, but rarely if ever as much as the Yankee fans make when their boys pull off this Houdini Act. Don't fancy ever hearing as much again, if it's all the same to you - especially in NYC. This one’ll sting for a while. Best Performances, News & Highlights of the Day A similar fate befalls the White Sox as their Red-Stockinged brethren, with Milwaukee scoring a run in the 9th and then three in the 11th to pinch one off them at Comiskey. California's Bob Kipper kicks off his MLB career in fine style, shutting out the A's on 6 hits in a 3-0 win in Anaheim. The Real Deal MLB Debuts: Teddy Higuera Daily Notes: On this day in 1954, Hank Aaron hits his first career home run off Vic Raschi. Twenty-six years later, in 1980, current BOS pitcher Bruce Kison has a no-no broken up with one out in the 9th by a double to Minnesota's Ken Landreaux. __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS PIRATES 2.0 & MARINERS COMING SOON! CUSTOM SAVES LGB NEXUS Last edited by luckymann; 11-30-2022 at 01:26 AM.