The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

So, who is the active leader in the MLB in career runs?

• Willie McCovey, SF, 1401
• Billy Williams, CAL, 1309
• Vada Pinson, -, 1292
• Carl Yastrzemski, BOS, 1279
• Orlando Cepeda, -, 1203

All-time leader: Ted Williams, 2119

[luckymann]

John Candelaria gets his first nod, Rich Gossage his second but that's all from our club this year.


American League

• SP Len Barker (DET) - 11-3, 2.20 ERA, 143.1 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 6.6 K/9, 3.2 WAR
• SP Ed Halicki (CWS) - 7-6, 3.48 ERA, 144.2 IP, 1.24 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 2.5 WAR
• SP Bob Knepper (CAL) - 5-9, 2.64 ERA, 143.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 4.4 K/9, 2.5 WAR
• SP Doc Medich (DET) - 10-3, 2.32 ERA, 124.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 4.2 K/9, 2.0 WAR
• SP Phil Niekro (CWS) - 8-4, 2.59 ERA, 132.0 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 4.0 K/9, 1.0 WAR
• SP Frank Tanana (DET)* - 10-4, 2.85 ERA, 145.1 IP, 1.25 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 3.8 WAR
• RP Jim Kaat (MIN) - 8-2, 2.22 ERA, 65.0 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 3.3 K/9, 1.0 WAR
• CL Rollie Fingers (OAK) - 6-3, 19 SV, 2.09 ERA, 43.0 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 4.6 K/9, 1.4 WAR
• CL John Hiller (NYY)* - 5-4, 17 SV, 2.08 ERA, 52.0 IP, 1.54 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 0.5 WAR
• CL Manny Sarmiento (CAL) - 3-4, 12 SV, 2.66 ERA, 61.0 IP, 1.28 WHIP, 3.7 K/9, 0.8 WAR
• C Thurman Munson (NYY) - .309/.335/.419, 246 AB, 6 HR, 7 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
• C Gene Tenace (BOS)* - .268/.384/.487, 224 AB, 12 HR, 3 SB, 155 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
• 1B Chris Chambliss (TEX) - .328/.364/.524, 311 AB, 9 HR, 160 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
• 1B Cecil Cooper (DET)* - .323/.350/.538, 325 AB, 13 HR, 11 SB, 157 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
• 2B Phil Garner (CWS)* - .276/.339/.442, 312 AB, 7 HR, 15 SB, 125 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
• 3B George Brett (KC)* - .333/.402/.511, 282 AB, 7 HR, 12 SB, 159 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
• 3B Roy Howell (CWS) - .290/.345/.461, 293 AB, 10 HR, 2 SB, 135 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
• 3B Paul Schaal (DET) - .305/.444/.395, 220 AB, 3 HR, 5 SB, 149 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
• SS Robin Yount (ML4)* - .339/.373/.432, 310 AB, 1 HR, 9 SB, 138 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
• LF Johnny Grubb (TEX) - .336/.406/.456, 274 AB, 4 HR, 1 SB, 156 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
• LF Roy White (NYY)* - .285/.389/.452, 281 AB, 10 HR, 18 SB, 147 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
• CF Chet Lemon (DET)* - .297/.341/.463, 313 AB, 6 HR, 7 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
• RF Oscar Gamble (CWS)* - .264/.363/.468, 284 AB, 13 HR, 5 SB, 134 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
• RF Reggie Smith (BOS)* - .307/.382/.492, 309 AB, 13 HR, 5 SB, 152 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
• RF Rusty Staub (KC) - .279/.359/.489, 262 AB, 15 HR, 146 wRC+, 2.6 WAR

National League

• SP John Candelaria (PIT) - 12-1, 1.97 ERA, 123.1 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 2.7 WAR
• SP Mark Fidrych (HOU) - 10-5, 2.35 ERA, 149.2 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 4.1 K/9, 2.7 WAR
• SP Dave Goltz (CIN) - 13-4, 2.27 ERA, 162.2 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 3.8 WAR
• SP Sandy Koufax (LAD)* - 11-6, 3.09 ERA, 151.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 3.8 WAR
• SP John Montefusco (SD) - 10-7, 2.65 ERA, 146.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, 3.0 WAR
• SP Tom Seaver (NYM) - 10-5, 2.74 ERA, 147.2 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 4.1 WAR
• RP Bob Apodaca (CHC)* - 3-5, 4.44 ERA, 46.2 IP, 1.74 WHIP, 5.0 K/9, 1.2 WAR
• CL Rich Gossage (PIT) - 2-3, 23 SV, 1.60 ERA, 39.1 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, 1.0 WAR
• CL Bruce Sutter (PHI) - 4-1, 15 SV, 2.70 ERA, 53.1 IP, 1.09 WHIP, 7.4 K/9, 1.4 WAR
• CL Jim Umbarger (SF) - 5-3, 12 SV, 1.66 ERA, 48.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 5.9 K/9, 1.3 WAR
• C Gary Carter (MON)* - .293/.362/.454, 229 AB, 9 HR, 140 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
• C Ted Simmons (STL) - .288/.336/.396, 250 AB, 4 HR, 111 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
• 1B Keith Hernandez (STL)* - .329/.412/.523, 298 AB, 10 HR, 3 SB, 169 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
• 1B Joe Torre (ATL) - .327/.374/.490, 300 AB, 9 HR, 3 SB, 152 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
• 2B Joe Morgan (CIN)* - .286/.415/.480, 269 AB, 14 HR, 34 SB, 162 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
• 3B Graig Nettles (CIN) - .292/.357/.480, 277 AB, 13 HR, 3 SB, 146 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
• 3B Pete Rose (HOU)* - .341/.440/.474, 287 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 165 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
• 3B Mike Schmidt (PHI) - .277/.404/.458, 260 AB, 10 HR, 15 SB, 154 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
• SS Dave Concepcion (CIN)* - .291/.348/.399, 268 AB, 2 HR, 12 SB, 118 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
• LF George Foster (CIN) - .328/.389/.509, 293 AB, 13 HR, 4 SB, 159 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
• LF Hal McRae (CHC)* - .335/.387/.489, 313 AB, 7 HR, 6 SB, 155 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
• LF Richie Zisk (MON) - .302/.356/.495, 295 AB, 13 HR, 146 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
• CF Lyman Bostock (SD)* - .325/.371/.462, 305 AB, 4 HR, 6 SB, 148 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
• CF Garry Maddox (CIN) - .291/.332/.446, 316 AB, 6 HR, 29 SB, 127 wRC+, 4.5 WAR
• RF Bobby Bonds (SF)* - .262/.339/.401, 294 AB, 8 HR, 37 SB, 118 wRC+, 3.3 WAR

Richie Hebner beats Graig Nettles 9-5 in the HR Derby, making him the first winner from our club since the 1930s, with Dave Concepcion MVP in the big game, won 3-0 by the NL.

[luckymann]

June starts in epic fashion as we beat the Mets 8-7 in a 6-hour, 19-inning classic. Good for the spectators, but it leaves our squad a bit of a wreck in the middle of a long run of games without a break. A walkoff loss at Montreal the next day almost feels like a blessing.

We kick away to a handy little break but lose Sangy in mid-June for 5 weeks to a forearm strain. Gary Alexander (PIT 1978), who has leapfrogged Ed Ott in our Depth Chart, gets his first callup to the bigs.

That throws us for a bit of a spin and, while we recover quickly and maintain our healthy break atop the NL East, I can’t help feel we’re a bit of a paper tiger made to look far better than we are by our division-rivals, none of whom has a winning record to this point. Nor are they miles behind us, mind you, so I guess we’ll see if I am right as the stretch run unfolds.

The Phils quickly make some inroads by sweeping us 3-from-3 at home, making us 0-5 against them so far this season, and when we lose Scoop Oliver for a month with a foot fracture we are suddenly looking very vulnerable. We are fortunate to have Bernie Carbo (PIT 1980 IRL) down at AAA and he gets the call-up. Then Sangy returns, with the hitherto impressive Gary Alexander staying with us and Ron Brand off to Lincoln. All the same, the All-Star Break is a handy opportunity just to take stock, catch our breath and regroup.

We do just that, starting positively when play returns and stretching our advantage back out to 8 games.

At the same time, the Cards keep coming along quietly and then make a bit of a move in the final part of this sectional, winning 7 on the trot to keep alive their hopes of catching us.





Ourselves and the Cards have plenty of games left against each other, and this thing is far from over as we enter the stretch run.




Tim Foli having an excellent year, Scoop Oliver an altogether forgettable one.




Candy Man just killing it, but is alone among our SP on that front. Rick Rhoden in particular (the 1-hitter he throws v the Mets just a couple of days prior to posting notwithstanding) is still struggling to find his footing in the bigs.




An excellent middle section gives the Tigers the inside running on the AL East, while the White Sox waste a handy lead with an 11-18 July that tightens the AL West right back up once more, with three of the clubs from last year’s epic dogfight featuring with the A’s standing in for the Halos.


News, Leaders and Top 20s











Monthly Award Winners

June

American League

• Batter – Joe Rudi (Royals): 362 / 5 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Jim Kaat (Twins): 5-0 / 0.51 / 9 K / 35.1 IP
• Rookie – Len Barker (Tigers): 4-0 / 2.21 / 31 K / 40.2 IP

National League

• Batter – Jason Thompson (Cubs): 355 / 4 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – John Candelaria (Pirates): 5-0 / 1.32 / 24 K / 47.2 IP
• Rookie – Mark Fidrych (Astros): 4-1 / 1.52 / 20 K / 47.1 IP

July

American League

• Batter – Gene Tenace (Red Sox): 357 / 6 HR / 15 RBI
• Pitcher – Bob Knepper (Angels): 5-0 / 1.25 / 33 K / 50.1 IP
• Rookie – Bob Knepper

National League

• Batter – Mike Schmidt (Phillies): 380 / 4 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Les Cain (Reds): 4-0 / 1.69 / 30 K / 48 IP
• Rookie – Ken Kravec (Astros): 3-0 / 2.49 / 22 K / 47 IP

Milestones and Observations of Note

• As IRL, The Bird is The Word in this timeline, with him at 12-5 / 2.11 at the time of posting.
• Just noticed Billy Bucks is at the Mets now – will this timeline flip the IRL on its head and have him there for ’86? Currently only signed thru 1978, but one can only hope.
• The Rangers lose reliever Jerry Augustine for a year at least to an elbow blowout, while SP Joe Horlen of Detroit also has his season cut short by problems in the same region.
• With the looming Expansion Draft, we sit pat but there are a few Deadline trades of note:

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[Lord Byron]

@luckymann, I have a question. How do you handle World War I and II in your simulation? A lot of baseball players did serve in varying capacities...

Good diary, BTW, and it's interesting that the Pirates are becoming this TL's Yankees in terms of championships won...

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Lord Byron

@luckymann, I have a question. How do you handle World War I and II in your simulation? A lot of baseball players did serve in varying capacities...

Good diary, BTW, and it's interesting that the Pirates are becoming this TL's Yankees in terms of championships won...

Thanks mate and welcome aboard!

There is an option you can selected upon setup (or, I think, at anytime subsequent) whereby players miss seasons according to history. So if you want them to be affected by missed seasons due to war, injury or league changes, that's how you do it.

In this timeline, I have not done so.

Re the Buccos' success, I like winning as much as anyone but I feel this is just too many. I have applied all sorts of house rules to make it harder for us to win but the simple fact is that the AI Management isn't very smart and needs to be greatly improved.

G

[Lord Byron]

Well, it is different from the Yankees winning...

[Pelican]

On the issue of AI management, I forget where your sim is on TCR. The higher the TCR, the less certain you can be that Sandy becomes the Koufax of the early Sixties, or Maris hits 61HR. To me, the human has the advantage over AI for players like that in historical sims. High TCR tends to reduce that advantage. True even with the 2023 Season players. I am using max TCR of 200 for my replay, and it is amusing to see, among younger players, who develops and who does not. Some real surprises.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Lord Byron

Well, it is different from the Yankees winning...

By which, I hope you mean better!

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Pelican

On the issue of AI management, I forget where your sim is on TCR. The higher the TCR, the less certain you can be that Sandy becomes the Koufax of the early Sixties, or Maris hits 61HR. To me, the human has the advantage over AI for players like that in historical sims. High TCR tends to reduce that advantage. True even with the 2023 Season players. I am using max TCR of 200 for my replay, and it is amusing to see, among younger players, who develops and who does not. Some real surprises.

Yeah, agreed but I'm always torn with TCR in these sorts of saves because I want to try find the Goldilocks zone in which the universe is recognisable without being boringly repetitive, but also without being wildly off-track as can happen with juiced up TCR. I have TCR set at 125 for this save and the A's one (although I'm going to tick that one up to 150 at the end of the current season). That's about as high as I'd ever take it for a historical game.

That's not my concern here. Nor, it must be said, is this a representative save for maxing out the challenge by the standard means available. I have Scouting at 100% in this one because I had all the NeL guys in and needed to be able to eyeball them. I could have reduced it after they'd all retired but wanted to keep it consistent. I just feel that, especially in historical saves where the human player has the huge advantage from knowing how the player is going to perform, it would be so much better if the AI was more capable of running a club. I see too many silly decisions being made by the AI all the time. Not just in this save, but all of them. I have come to terms with this for my historical saves but won't be doing any more after the A's and this without there being a fictional element included, as in my MSL one which is a hybrid. As enjoyable as they are, there's just no real challenge to them unless you incorporate heaps of house rules.

Currently working on another massive NeL-MLB-Indy hybrid project that I am super excited about. Hope I can get it to work how I want because it will be fascinating to follow along and challenging to play it if I do it right.

[luckymann]

As is usually the case, old Joe gets overlooked in the recap for this gem. He never threw one IRL, although surprisingly brother Phil did. At least to this point, he has this gem to brag to Knucksie about in this timeline.

[luckymann]

Rocky Mount dominates again and repeat as AAA Champions with a 3-1 win in the decider over Eugene.

[luckymann]

Get your reading glasses and grab a drink, then find a comfy chair to sit in - this could take a while...

Our four-game homestand with the Cards right at the beginning of August looms as a pivotal one but it proves inconclusive as we take the first two to make in six straight but drop the others, then go 26 innings without scoring a run against the Mets and eventually lose six on the trot.

We finally get Al Oliver back from injury and send Rick Miller to AAA, but that doesn’t seem to help initially as we continue our moonwalk back into a dogfight with three straight losses at Houston in which we score just 3 runs all told. Thankfully the Cards hit a rough patch as well at this point and make no further inroads on our lead.

Not even the hitherto untouchable John Candelaria can turn things around for us as we lose 3 more at San Fran to put us at an abysmal 2-13 over our last 15, scoring just 34 total runs and being shut out five times over that period. I’ve not seen anything like it in my tenure at this club but it highlights all the limitations we knew were always there but had somehow managed to overcome until this run.

We lose Sangy for another minimum IL stint just when this is the last thing we need, with Ron Brand back up to replace him and he’ll be able to stay for the remainder as the roster expands.

If we do hold on then the Cards only have themselves to blame for not taking more advantage of our horror stretch, as our lead remains 3½ games with 40 to play and they should be ahead of us or at least closer than that, everything considered.

We get a few wins to at least temporarily stem the tide but then lose Dave Parker for a fortnight to a hamstring strain and I’m starting to think the universe has it in for us this season.

While the boys are giving it a red-hot go and win successive walkoffs against the Jints, you can tell they are almost out of gas and when we lose bunch more in a clump (including 4 straight to the Expos), now both the Cards and Mets are nipping at our heels, 3 and 4 games back respectively, and it is the Mets who look more likely than the blundering Cardinals. Our offence has completely gone missing – our home run power, in particular – and our pitching is too inconsistent to cover for it. Other than that, we’re OK. Ha, if 11-23 since August 1 can be thought of as “OK”, that is.

Four wins on the trot against Philly just let us get our legs back underneath us. Sangy returns and then Cobra later the same week—no rehab luxury this time around, straight back into the fray for both, especially with one straight run of 17 games on the horizon—it is all hands on deck now. Of the 22 games left at this juncture, we have six against each of our closest pursuers. It will be a race to the death—we’ll have to earn this division title, that’s for sure.

We use up plenty of juice with two tight wins from three at home to the Expos, with Scoop Oliver and Cobra Parker doing almost all the heavy lifting, and it shows when we are flat and lose two from two at home to the Mets. We also lose Sangy for the rest of the regular season to a calf strain.

We head off for a fortnight-long road trip that will almost certainly decide our season.

It begins poorly as we drop two in Philly, cutting our lead to 3½ when we head to the Big Apple for four with the Mets, now tied with the Cards.

We win the first two of those but the Mets hold their nerve and claw back the last two, the second of them on just the third blown Save of the season for Gossage. He proceeds to blow another one in a series at the Cubs in a crazy 9-6 10-inning loss, a series in which we drop 2 of 3 games.

So much has happened, and yet in the end it seems to have been mere prelude to the final denouement of this twisting tale. Of our 8 remaining games, 6 are against the Cards—who still trail us by 3 ½ games and are one ahead of the Mets. Three in St. Louis and then, after we host the Cubs for two, three more in Pittsburgh to finish the season off.

The series in the Loo starts dreadfully for us as they thump us 10-3 in the opener, with Rhoden’s struggles at this level on full show. Worse than that, we lose Lee Lacy (and Bernie Carbo, although he’s done little for us) to injury but it looks like he’ll be able to play through it.

Things get even more complicated the next game when we lose it 4-1 and now it is Hebner injured. Unlike Lacy, an oblique strain means he is done for the entire season. We call up Bill Almon, his first appearance at this level. We do manage to salvage the third game as Candy man pitches a 6-0 gem for his 21st win of the year. He might need to give us a couple more yet.

We finally get an off-day, on which the Cards lose and the Mets win. Five to play, we lead NY by 2 and St. Louis by 3. By now, ours is the only show in town.

The Cubs flog Jerry Reuss, who has been unusually inconsistent all year, 8-1 in the first of our two games with them. The Mets and Cards both win. Then Joe Coleman earns us a split in the second game, with the Mets also winning to stay just one behind us but the Cards making it very tough for themselves with a loss. They can now only hope for a tiebreaker and will need to beat us 3-of-3 in the big showdown to get it. You’d have to think the Mets are in the box seat, although they have to travel to Philly for their final three games and have very little margin for error: our Magic Number sits at 3.

Jim Bibby picks the perfect time to notch just his 5th win of the year in the opener, eliminating the Cards in the process. With a Mets win, that makes our MN 2.

We know that means a win could clinch it for us and, with our young ace on the mound, feel confident we can at least do our part. Candy Man does indeed give us a good one, allowing just 2 runs over 9, but it takes a run in each of the 9th and 10th – the latter a walkoff RBI single by Scoop Oliver – to get us the win.

Still, it isn’t enough, as the Mets win and it all comes down to the final day.

Almost unbelievably, we once again face young gun Francisco Barrios, who no-hit us in the corresponding game a year ago (thankfully with nothing on the line).

We get him this time. Jerry Reuss pulls it together and the bats give him some run support – including a 1st-inning slam by Rennie Stennett – as we take it 6-2 to get home by 2 games after the Mets drop theirs.

Thus ends easily the most traumatic stretch run for us I can remember, although there were a came up short in that I’m sure hurt more at the time.





Unbelievable that we get it done given we go a combined 22-39 in August and September.




Clearly, our main guys have been off their best by some margin this year, with Parker's 5 home runs of particular note, compared to 28 a year ago.




The Candy Man mixes it with love to make the world taste good.


The Tigers and Reds do it easily, and for a while it looks like we are going to get another titanic tussle in the AL West. But Chicago put their foot down and then hang on to repeat as divisional champs. Three losses right at the death make it look closer than it ever was.




Batting titles to George Brett and Lamar Johnson (just pipping Ken Griffey), the first for each. Reggie Jackson's 33 HR and George Foster's 117 RBI lead the MLB this year. The MVP ballots should both be super close.

Frank Tanana leads either league with 24 Wins, and he also finishes tied with Bob Knepper for the low ERA (2.15) and as runner-up in the AL strikeout race to Nolan Ryan's MLB-leading 279. Dave LaRoche and Rich Gossage tie for the high Saves mark with 39.


Final Top 20s and Leaders








Monthly Award Winners

August

American League

• Batter – Rico Carty (Brewers): 373 / 8 HR / 21 RBI
• Pitcher – Frank Tanana (Tigers): 6-0 / 1.15 / 40 K / 47 IP
• Rookie – Moose Haas (Rangers): 6-0 / 1.17 / 25 K / 46.1 IP

National League

• Batter – George Foster (Reds): 344 / 6 HR / 24 RBI
• Pitcher – Ken Kravec (Astros): 6-0 / 1.40 / 28 K / 51.1 IP
• Rookie – Ken Kravec

September

American League

• Batter – Reggie Smith (Red Sox): 347 / 6 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Bob Knepper (Angels): 6-0 / 1.33 / 32 K / 54.1 IP
• Rookie – Bob Knepper

National League

• Batter – Lamar Johnson (Mets): 368 / 9 HR / 24 RBI
• Pitcher – John Candelaria (Pirates): 5-0 / 1.35 / 27 K / 40 IP
• Rookie – Tommy Boggs (Dodgers): 4-0 / 2.33 / 19 K / 46.1 IP

Milestones and Observations of Note

• 2500 Hits: Willie Davis
• 2000 Hits: Boog Powell
• The Padres lose Larry Dierker for the remainder to a torn meniscus, while St. Louis reliever Buddy Schulz goes down with elbow trouble and is done for the year, followed in quick succession by gun Catcher Ted Simmons. Gotta love being a Cards fan in this timeline…
• For anyone else, an 18-9 / 3.17 season would be a triumph. For Sandy Koufax, however, it is the first sign of slippage from the mountaintop. Will he be back next year?He is signed thru '78 and is currently on 326 career Wins. I'd love to see him get to 350 and sneak in to the all-time Top 5 but I think it is a longshot.

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[luckymann]

American League
Detroit Tigers (98-64) v Chicago White Sox (88-74)

The Sox came good at this stage last year against a more dominant side than this Tigers unit, but their chances of doing so again have taken a massive hit with the loss of gun OF Oscar Gamble for the year. Still, I’m not sure the Detroit lineup will send fear through their hearts and it will all come down to how well they handle a quality Tigers rotation led by youngsters Len Barker and Frank Tanana.

Barker gets the Motown Men off on the right foot with a solid Game 1 win and Tanana backs that up with another, albeit tight, win in Game 2.

The Sox are within six outs of being swept before a 3-run homer in the 7th by Phil Garner saves their bacon and extends the series, and when Knucksie Niekro outduels Gary Nolan the next day for a 2-0 win it’s an all-or-nothing decider back in Detroit.

And for the second straight year, the White Sox pull through against the odds with a thrilling 5-3 road win to book a ticket back in the Fall Classic.

Chicago 1B George Scott is named MVP.




National League
Cincinnati Reds (103-59) v Pittsburgh Pirates (86-76)

It’s funny how the same things that terrify you when you are the favoured side work in your favour as the underdog. In theory and on the form each side has shown this season, we have no chance whatsoever against this prime era Big Red Machine, even with Tony Perez out for the year. But these short series are cruel and with nothing to lose we can just go out there and play freely—almost without a care in the world. That’s what I have told the group to do here.

We get Sangy back just in time and Rick Miller is recalled to fill the spot left by Richie Hebner. Bernie Carbo is also on the IL for the remainder. Bill Robinson will continue to be our starting 3B in Richie’s absence.

That freewheeling approach gets us a surprise 6-5 win in the opener behind a 15-hit offensive effort and then again in Game 2 behind Candy as we win it 7-1 on 14 hits (including a 4-for-5, 3-ribbie onslaught from Jangles Robinson) to really send the cat among the Cincinnati pigeonry.

That sends us back home needing just one win for a massive upset, with Jerry Reuss getting the first shot at procuring it. He gives it a cracking effort but sadly Jim Slaton quietens our bats and they get a 2-1 victory. Ken Brett pitches beautifully for them in Game 4 to beat us 5-2 and, just like in the AL it will all be decided in Game 5.

And would you believe it, the bats come alive again with 15 hits to give us a famous 4-2 victory and shock ourselves, if not the entire baseball world.

Rennie Stennett hits 421 to win the MVP.

[luckymann]

Chicago White Sox v Pittsburgh Pirates
Best-of-seven, Pirates with the home-field advantage.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX S+ PAGE

PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE

I hope you’ll excuse my keeping it brief here but I think I have said just about all I can. Can’t believe we are here and whatever happens from this point on is cream.

NB Nice to see the Nettles brothers playing side-by-side in this timeline.

[luckymann]

Game 1 in Pittsburgh

Jerry Reuss (14-16, 3.61) v Rick Langford (14-12, 3.91)

Home field advantage. Top of the rotation lined up. 74000 rabid Buccos fans cheering you on. Check, check, check. See what happens with increased expectations. Oh well, as my pugilist friends would say, Let’s get ready to rumble. Hot diggedy dog!

Jerry Reuss gives us a strong outing and the bats do the rest as we get off to the perfect start with a near-flawless display in a 7-1 win. Jerry even puts one into the seats, as do Oliver and Sangy in a 14-hit barrage.

Game 2 in Pittsburgh

John Candelaria (21-5, 2.35) v Burt Hooton (13-11, 3.65)

Pirates lead series 1-0

Candy Man up for us trying to send us over to ChiTown two to the good.

He does his job to a tee. Sadly the same can’t be said for Terry Forster, who has had a poor year and blows a 3-1 lead here in the 8th before they get another one off Gossage in the 10th and close it out to tie things up.

Game 3 in Chicago

Ed Halicki (13-13, 3.30) v Jim Bibby (5-16, 3.33)

Series tied 1-1

DHs deployed for the next three as we are in the AL park. Lee Lacy into that role for us against righty Ed Halicki.

The extra bat doesn’t help us as Halicki shuts us out on 5 hits. Bibby is good, but you can’t protect zero runs.

Game 4 in Chicago

Jim Slaton (10-7, 4.09) v Steve Barber (7-9, 4.38)

White Sox lead series 2-1

“Mr Fountain of Youth” himself, Phil Niekro, killing it in his age-37 season and just living his best life in general. We’d not want to lose here or trouble abounds.

And he gets us in this one, as the bats go totally AWOL with just 7 hits and a solitary late run when it’s far too little, too late. Oscar Gample goes downtown twice for the victors.

Game 5 in Chicago

Rick Langford (0-1, 10.80) v Jerry Reuss (1-1, 1.10)

White Sox lead series 3-1

Last roll of the dice for our boys, but we know if we can just send this thing back to Three Rivers we’re not without hope of the miracle.

Unfortunately it’s pretty much over before it starts as they get to Reuss early and we’ve got no ammo to fire back with. If our unbelievable charge this season had to end then I’m happy it was to the White Sox, who have worked so hard these past two years to give their long-suffering fans some joy and they have finally done so by bringing home their first title since 1908.

Appropriately in a series in which their pitching is so dominant, Ed Halicki is named MVP.

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[luckymann]

Sorry, was caught up in the WS hoopla and then deleted these messages without screenshotting - back with them in '77!

[luckymann]

The Blue Jays and Mariners join the fold and we'll have all the news from the Expansion Draft when it happens.

OUTS & OUTS

The Astros are sold (already!?).

Frank Papish (Yankees Manager) and Warren Huston (Braves Manager) are the only two executives cut this time around.


ROSTER MOVES

We void Ramon Hernandez's option year and exercise Bill Robinson's. We send Kurt Bevacqua to arb but non-tender Rick Miller, freeing up another CC spot.

Loads of salary freeing up this year with Ron Brand, Bernie Carbo, Joe Coleman, Tom Griffin, Ramon Hernandez and Woody Woodward all walking - a total of almost $600k.


SIM ACCURACY




*Ignore the SB figure, I often bump it up in the LTMs if I feel it's too low.


HANGIN' THEM UP

Nothing like the exodus of a year ago, nevertheless some quality guys are bidding us farewell. I don't, however, see any of them getting much love from the HoF.

[luckymann]

AL 1976 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1976 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


A rare double with Frank Tanana taking out both the Johnson-Waddell and Wagner-Lajoie in the AL (his first for both), with Candy Man winning the pitching gong in the NL and Joe Morgan the MVP. Rich Gossage gets us another award, taking out his first Paige Plate with Dave LaRoche winning his second in the AL. Bob Knepper and Garry Templeton win the Mantle Mays Awards this year.


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[luckymann]

I had been leaning toward making this switch anyway but when Hebner's 3B rating tanked I got more serious about it, especially with a 1976 trade ticket still unused. It cost us a decent SS prospect and we'll have to cough up some extra $$ to extend Bill, who is in his walk year in 1977, but I still feel this is a good deal for us and an undisputed upgrade.

[Lord Byron]

Originally Posted by luckymann

By which, I hope you mean better!

Yes, it is better than the Yankees winning, @luckymann...

At least the White Sox won their first one since 1908...