OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

luckymann · 06-22-2023, 01:30 AM

We keep our streak alive by racking up 87 losses to "top" last season's 86. Amazingly, we outdo our Pythag by 7. It is just the second time ever and the first since 1923 that we have finished 7th.

Meanwhile, the Twins end up doing it relatively easy, while the Giants can add another choke to their impressive list as they falter down the stretch yet again and the Dodgers take the NL by three games.

Batting titles to Pete Rose and Tony Gonzalez, with Ron Santo narrowly leading the league with 40 HR and Billy Williams' the only player to reach triple figures with 105 RBI.

Sandy Koufax misses the Triple Crown by 1 win to Gaylord Perry's 21, with his 1.86 ERA and 292 K the highest in either league. Masanori Murakami is the MLB saves leader for this year with 39, just one more than Hal Reniff.

And then there's the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club - read 'em and weep...

Look, we have been poor this year - I'll not argue that fact. But we have also been unlucky with injuries and sequencing and various other things - as so often tends to happen when you are playing poorly. We still have a strong core group at our disposal, and that gives us something to work with so all is not lost by any measure.

Clearly it is our pitching that needs most work, and yet if there is one stat that is, for mine, most emblematic of this season it is the 1.8 runs per game we scored in support of Bill Hands, and the 5-15 / 3.61 record it left him with. We just haven't delivered when we needed to, again a clear sign of a group low on confidence.

It goes without saying I have a busy offseason ahead of me. Likely the two or three to follow that one, as well. We are a bit of a mess and I have set myself the goal of having us back being competitive by the time me move to our new Three Rivers Stadium for the 1970 season.

Final Top 20s and Leaders

Monthly Award Winners

August

American League

Batter – Deron Johnson (Senators): 406 / 8 HR / 20 RBI
Pitcher – Catfish Hunter (Athletics): 6-0 / 1.86 / 24 K / 48.1 IP
Rookie – Dave Baldwin (Tigers): 1-0 / 1.26 / 6 SV / 5 K / 14.1 IP

National League

Batter – Ron Santo (Cubs): 344 / 10 HR / 26 RBI
Pitcher – Jim Nash (Mets): 5-2 / 2.47 / 39 K / 54.2 IP
Rookie – Jim Nash

September

American League

Batter – Jose Cardenal (Angels): 368 / 6 HR / 26 RBI
Pitcher – Mike Cuellar (Orioles): 5-0 / 1.54 / 38 K / 52.2 IP
Rookie – Stan Bahnsen (Twins): 3-1 / 2.27 / 16 K / 31.2 IP

National League

Batter – Rico Carty (Cubs): 400 / 3 HR / 11 RBI
Pitcher – Larry Dierker (Astros): 4-1 / 1.90 / 30 K / 42.2 IP
Rookie – Steve Blass (Pirates): 3-0 / 1.80 / 23 K / 40 IP

Milestones and Observations of Note

2000 Hits: Dick Groat
There's no doubt the loss in early August of Giants OF Jim Ray Hart to a fractured finger is a key factor in how the NL race pans out.
Senators rookie pitcher Pat Jarvis has his season curtailed by a bout of shoulder inflammation.

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REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

06-22-2023, 01:30 AM	#2078
luckymann Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 13,232	The View from the Gangplank: end of regular season, 1966 We keep our streak alive by racking up 87 losses to "top" last season's 86. Amazingly, we outdo our Pythag by 7. It is just the second time ever and the first since 1923 that we have finished 7th. Meanwhile, the Twins end up doing it relatively easy, while the Giants can add another choke to their impressive list as they falter down the stretch yet again and the Dodgers take the NL by three games. Batting titles to Pete Rose and Tony Gonzalez, with Ron Santo narrowly leading the league with 40 HR and Billy Williams' the only player to reach triple figures with 105 RBI. Sandy Koufax misses the Triple Crown by 1 win to Gaylord Perry's 21, with his 1.86 ERA and 292 K the highest in either league. Masanori Murakami is the MLB saves leader for this year with 39, just one more than Hal Reniff. And then there's the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club - read 'em and weep... Look, we have been poor this year - I'll not argue that fact. But we have also been unlucky with injuries and sequencing and various other things - as so often tends to happen when you are playing poorly. We still have a strong core group at our disposal, and that gives us something to work with so all is not lost by any measure. Clearly it is our pitching that needs most work, and yet if there is one stat that is, for mine, most emblematic of this season it is the 1.8 runs per game we scored in support of Bill Hands, and the 5-15 / 3.61 record it left him with. We just haven't delivered when we needed to, again a clear sign of a group low on confidence. It goes without saying I have a busy offseason ahead of me. Likely the two or three to follow that one, as well. We are a bit of a mess and I have set myself the goal of having us back being competitive by the time me move to our new Three Rivers Stadium for the 1970 season. Final Top 20s and Leaders Monthly Award Winners August *American League* Batter – Deron Johnson (Senators): 406 / 8 HR / 20 RBI Pitcher – Catfish Hunter (Athletics): 6-0 / 1.86 / 24 K / 48.1 IP Rookie – Dave Baldwin (Tigers): 1-0 / 1.26 / 6 SV / 5 K / 14.1 IP *National League* Batter – Ron Santo (Cubs): 344 / 10 HR / 26 RBI Pitcher – Jim Nash (Mets): 5-2 / 2.47 / 39 K / 54.2 IP Rookie – Jim Nash September *American League* Batter – Jose Cardenal (Angels): 368 / 6 HR / 26 RBI Pitcher – Mike Cuellar (Orioles): 5-0 / 1.54 / 38 K / 52.2 IP Rookie – Stan Bahnsen (Twins): 3-1 / 2.27 / 16 K / 31.2 IP *National League* Batter – Rico Carty (Cubs): 400 / 3 HR / 11 RBI Pitcher – Larry Dierker (Astros): 4-1 / 1.90 / 30 K / 42.2 IP Rookie – Steve Blass (Pirates): 3-0 / 1.80 / 23 K / 40 IP Milestones and Observations of Note 2000 Hits: Dick Groat There's no doubt the loss in early August of Giants OF Jim Ray Hart to a fractured finger is a key factor in how the NL race pans out. Senators rookie pitcher Pat Jarvis has his season curtailed by a bout of shoulder inflammation. S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME __________________ HISTORICAL DO-OVERS A'S RED SOX DODGERS CUSTOM SAVES ECLIPSE LEAGUE MOON SHOT LEAGUE EVERYMAN LEAGUE GULF LEAGUE USBA Last edited by luckymann; 06-22-2023 at 01:31 AM.