We play some solid baseball in early August to just nab a little break on our pursuers but then undo all of our good work with a dreadful stretch and things tighten right up once more.
If we do get home this year, we may well look at the game I have previously posted about against the Astros as one of the crucial wins, one of three straight in which we get home with the last play of the game.
That leads into arguably our best stretch of the season as we eventually win seven straight only to finish off an otherwise positive August with three losses that put us at 77-55 and leave us 5 clear with 30 to play.
Without playing our best baseball after that, we do enough to maintain a comfortable lead into the final 20 games.
With the winning post in sight, we get an untimely dose of the staggers losing four of five but we pull ourselves together and eventually take out the NL East in relatively uncomplicated fashion.
However, we do lose Steve Nicosia for the remainder to really test our depth at catcher, with age-39 Carl Taylor the best option available to us and he makes his first MLB appearance in seven years.
Dave Henderson also has a hamstring issue and will need to be nursed through the rest of the regular season.
Far from ideal preparation for the playoffs.
No dramas in the two West races, with the Dodgers and Royals both getting the job done easily in the end.
The AL East is another matter entirely as the season-long dogfight between the Red Sox and Yanks persists to the very end. At one point, Boston looks to have kicked clear but then collapse and the Yanks pounce, overhauling them to lead by a couple games with 10 to play.
They cling to a 1-game advantage with six games left and then take two of three in a home series with the BoSox to lead by two with three to go.
Both teams lose their 160th game to reduce the Yanks’ MN to 1 but a BoSox win and Yankee loss the next day sends them to their final games with the division still unresolved. The Yanks couldn’t possibly do it again, could they?
They could, and do, setting up a one-game tiebreaker, which they also lose. Amazing how the fortunes of these two clubs are pretty much the inverse of the IRL.
Final Leaders and Top 20s
Batting titles to Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn, surprise, surprise. Eddie Murray leads the MLB with 39 homers, while Harold Baines and Jesse Barfield tie for the most RBI with 118. Tim Raines' 113 SB just edge out Rickey's 112.
Presumptive NL RoY Orel Hershiser leads the pack in Wins with 22 from a bunch including teammates Fernando Valenzuela and Steve Carlton on 20. Bulldog also posts the low ERA this year with 2.63 and must be a real chance for the double. JR Richard takes out this year's King of K title with 253, with Dave Lemonds' 40 Saves the most of any pitcher.
On the topic of strikeouts, Nolan Ryan ends 1983 with 4483 for his career, just 13 short of second-placed Satchel Paige. He still needs nearly 900 to catch all-time leader Sandy Koufax's 5293 but should give it a shake in a few seasons.
Monthly Award Winners
August
American League
Batter – Harold Baines (White Sox): 375 / 9 HR / 24 RBI
Pitcher – Sid Fernandez (Twins): 4-2 / 2.40 / 48 K / 48.2 IP
Rookie – Sid Fernandez
National League
Batter – Andre Dawson (Expos): 390 / 7 HR / 21 RBI
Pitcher – Fernando Valenzuela (Dodgers): 5-1 / 1.86 / 55 K / 48.1 IP
Rookie – Orel Hershiser (Dodgers): 3-1 / 1.38 / 29 K / 52.1 IP
September
American League
Batter – Eddie Murray (Orioles): 389 / 5 HR / 21 RBI
Pitcher – Britt Burns (Tigers): 4-0 / 1.41 / 31 K / 44.2 IP
Rookie – Sid Fernandez (Twins): 4-2 / 2.50 / 40 K / 50.1 IP
National League
Batter – Willie McGee (Cardinals): 381 / 2 HR / 13 RBI
Pitcher – Don Sutton (Dodgers): 5-1 / 2.38 / 27 K / 45.1 IP
Rookie – Ray Fontenot (Cardinals): 4-0 / 1.99 / 11 K / 22.2 IP
Milestones and Observations of Note
250 Wins: Don Sutton
200 Wins: Vida Blue
2000 Hits: Bill Russell, Hal McRae
Glenn Wilson’s 6-for-6 performance with 2 homers and a whopping 9 ribbies (for an astounding 149 GSc!) powers the Cards in a 22-3 thumping of Houston.
Indians’ Closer Rollie Fingers has his season derailed by bone chips in his elbow, while an elbow injury also curtails 1983 for O’s veteran Al Bumbry.