Wed, 19 Jan 2000
Upper-Deckers 2, Red Dawgs 0: Cy Young pitched 8.2 strong innings, scattering
just singles against the league's top team, and Yogi Berra hit a two run homer
as the Burke Upper-Deckers (8-9) kept their playoff hopes alive, with a 2-0 win
over the Myers Red Dawgs (13-4). It was Burke's third straight win. It was
only the second Dawgs' loss of the year that didn't go to extra innings. They
were shut out in both games. The result also cost the Dawgs a date with
history. While the Dawgs still have a good shot at becoming the HBWRL's
winningest team ever in absolute terms (by winning one of their last three) and
in percentage terms (by winning two of their last three), they needed this game
to set the single season record for consecutive wins (nine). As it is, they
will share the record of eight with two other teams: the Season 8 Reps and last
year's Chips. The Upper-Deckers pulled within 1.5 games of the 2nd place Reps,
who play next in an elimination game for the Titans. The Chips will also face
elimination in their game.
Hits: Upper-Deckers 10, Red Dawgs 7
Winning pitcher: Young
Losing pitcher: Whitey Ford
Save: Nolan Ryan
Homerun: Berra
Caught stealing: George Sisler
Error: Barry Bonds
Thu, 13 Jan 2000
Upper-Deckers 5, Titans 0:
The 3rd mini-season concluded in an improbable fashion, as journeyman pitcher
Joe "Iron Man" McGinnity tossed a shutout of the team with the league's top
batting average entering play. The Burke Upper-Deckers (6-9) moved into 4th
place with a 5-0 win over the Tri-City Titans (6-9), and kept their slim playoff
hopes alive. While the Titans matched Burke with 14 hits, they couldn't get the
timely one, as McGinnity consistently pitched out of jams. Also, all 14 Titans
hits were singles. Burke, by contrast, capitalized on the extra-base hit,
scoring three of their five runs on a double and homer.
The league now braces for the final mini-season and pennant run. Also, this is
GMs' last chance to make lineup/rotation changes, and to trade players with each
other. Send any such moves to me within 24 hours. Week 16 features rematches
of Week 15, with home/road teams reversed.
Homerun: Ken Griffey, Jr.
Doubles: Mickey Mantle, Jim Rice
Dawgs Win 7th Straight
Wed, 12 Jan 2000
Red Dawgs 3, Powers 1:
The Myers Red Dawgs (12-3) won their franchise record 7th straight game, 3-1
over the defending champion Karas Powers (7-8). It was the 2nd straight 3-1 win
for the Dawgs, whose last loss was 10 inning affair in which they led 2-0 with
two out and two strikes in the bottom of the 9th. The Dawgs' magic number is
one for clinching a playoff berth; they can clinch with a win or Powers loss.
They have currently clinched a 2nd place tie with the Powers, but not the
tiebreaker. Dawgs starting pitcher Eddie Plank starred early, taking a
no-hitter into the 5th inning. But the Powers' Fred Clarke's RBI single made it
1-0.
But two ex-Powers bit hard for the Dawgs. Albert Belle made it four RBIs in two
games, as his two run single in the bottom of the 5th made it 2-1 Dawgs. The
Dawgs added a run in the 6th on a single by Tris Speaker for the final margin.
The game featured no extra-base hits but plenty of good pitching, as one might
have expected. The Dawgs, who have allowed exactly two runs per game this year,
brought their team ERA below 2.00, while the Powers' pitching staff is having
another excellent year, with little support from the offense.
A team with the exact opposite situation--the Titans--is up next against the
Burke Upper-Deckers. The Titans, who started 0-5, can tie the Powers for 3rd
place with a win. The Upper-Deckers need a win to stay out of last place. It
is a must-game for both teams, to keep their playoff hopes alive. It is also
the final game of the 3rd mini-season.
Hits: Red Dawgs 11, Powers 7
Winning pitcher: Plank
Losing pitcher: Stan Coveleski
Save: Hal Newhouser
Stolen base: George Sisler
Tue, 11 Jan 2000
Reps 7, Chips 3:
In a sloppily played game that involved seven of 10 runs being unearned, the
Minneapolis Reps (9-6) routed the Silicon Valley Chips (5-10). The Reps pulled
within 2.5 games of first place, while the Chips dropped their 10th decision in
12 games. The Reps struck early with five unnearned runs in the 3rd inning,
following a Rod Carew error. Then with the Reps leading 7-1 in the bottom of
the 9th and the Chips down to their last out, Reps shortstop Ernie Banks, not to
be outdone, allowed two runs to score on an error of his own. After watching
the game, many fans felt that the players--who are presumably the best that have
ever played the game--need a good talking-to--from B.Parcells.
Up next, the league's top two pitching teams; each have a shot at breaking the
HBWRL record of team ERA for a season (2.04). The Dawgs come in at 2.01; the
Powers at 2.09.
Hits: Chips 16, Reps 14
Winning pitcher: Mordecai Brown
Losing pitcher: Carlton
Double: Carew
Stolen bases: Eddie Collins 2, Ty Cobb, Rickey Henderson
Caught stealing: Cobb, Richie Allen
Errors: Carew, Banks, Babe Ruth
Fri, 7 Jan 2000
Red Dawgs 3, Upper-Deckers 1: In the 6th consecutive game decided in the 8th
inning or later, the Myers Red Dawgs (11-3) clinched the first winning season in
franchise history, with a 3-1 win over the Burke Upper-Deckers (5-9). Trailing
1-0 in the 8th, the Dawgs rallied for three runs, capped by Albert Belle's two
run homer off of Burke starter Chief Bender, who had been masterful in pitching
seven shutout innings. Mickey Cochrane drove in a big insurance run after Frank
Robinson's error on Frank Baker's routine single. Baker ended up at third base
before Cochrane drove him in. The Dawgs clinched a tie with both the
Upper-Deckers and Red Dawgs; and opened up a three game lead on the Reps, with
six games remaining.
Homerun: Belle
Doubles: Tris Speaker, Ken Griffey, Jr., Ray Chapman
Stolen base: Barry Bonds
Error: F.Robinson
Chips Stave off Elimination; Dawgs Clinch First Place
Tue, 18 Jan 2000
Chips 7, Reps 4: In the week 16 finale, the Silicon Valley Chips (6-10) stayed
alive with seven unanswered runs, to beat the Minneapolis Reps (9-7). The
result gives the Red Dawgs their first regular season title in franchise
history. Trailing 2-0, the Chips scored four runs in the 4th inning, but the
decisive blow came in the 6th, when Rod Carew hit a three run homer off of Reps
starter Lefty Grove, making it 7-2. Carew was 3-5 with five RBIs. The Reps
added single runs in each of the 8th and 9th innings for the final score. There
is significance to each game in the upcoming week. The Chips will again face
elimination, as will the Titans. And the Red Dawgs will try to set single
season records for wins (14) and consecutive wins (9).
Hits: Chips 14, Reps 11
Winning pitcher: Carl Mays
Losing pitcher: Grove
Homeruns: Carew, Babe Ruth
Stolen base, Caught stealing: Rickey Henderson
Sun, 9 Jan 2000
It was said during the commentary of the last game that the Red Dawgs had not
been shut out this season. The Powers shut out the Dawgs, 4-0, in the teams'
first meeting of the year. It is the only Dawgs' loss this season that was not
decided in extra innings. The Powers and Dawgs rematch in the upcoming "week,"
the Dawgs (I think) clinch a playoff berth with a win and a Reps loss.
Dawgs Clinch Playoff Berth
Mon, 17 Jan 2000
Red Dawgs 4, Powers 2:
The Myers Red Dawgs (13-3) won their 8th straight and clinched a playoff berth
with an intense 4-2 win over the defending champion Karas Powers (7-9). The
defeat put the champs on the brink of elimination, while the Dawgs/Maids
franchise will go to the playoffs for the first time since Season 3, and the
first time ever under current GM Jak Myers. The game had playoff intensity,
instigated mostly by J.Karas, who waxed poetic about how their should be an (*)
next to this season, mostly because he lost a .268 hitting third basemen to a
team that he wasn't even playing against.
But it was also a good baseball game. The Powers overcame an early 1-0 deficit
with solo homers by Chuck Klein and Eddie Mathews (the replacement for said
third baseman) and led 2-1 entering the late innings. After George Sisler's
single tied it at 2-2, the stage was set for the 9th inning. Powers reliever
Dolph Luque, effective in the 7th and 8th, couldn't hold off the Dawgs in the
9th. Nap Lajoie, who was 1-5 on the day, came through with a bases loaded
single when it counted, giving the Dawgs a 3-2 lead. One insurance run later,
they led 4-2. Then with two on and two out in the bottom of the 9th, Wilbur
Cooper got the complete game, when Ray Chapman robbed Honus Wagner of a basehit
with a leaping catch in shallow left field. The Powers fall to 4th place by
tiebreaker, as Burke has beaten them in two of three meetings. Those two teams,
along with the Reps, will battle for the 2nd and final playoff spot.
Hits: Red Dawgs 15, Powers 10
Winning pitcher: W. Cooper
Losing pitcher: Luque
Homeruns: Klein, Mathews
Doubles: Sisler, Frank Baker
Error: Wagner
Fri, 14 Jan 2000
Upper-Deckers 9, Titans 2: Jackie Robinson's three run homer capped a nine run
outburst by the Burke Upper-Deckers (7-9), who kept their playoff hopes alive
with a 9-2 win over the Tri-City Titans (6-10). The Upper-Deckers took sole
possession of 4th place, and moved within 1/2 game of the 3rd place Powers.
Walter Johnson pitched a complete game for Burke, which had shutout and led 9-0
through six. The Titans scored single runs in the 7th and 9th for the final
margin. Burke outscored Tri-City 14-2 during this home-and-home series.
Hits: Upper-Deckers 14, Titans 10
Winning pitcher: Johnson
Losing pitcher: Bob Gibson
Homeruns: J.Robinson, Johnny Mize
Doubles: Joe Cronin 2, Jim Rice, Bill Dickey
Stolen base: Paul Molitor
Error: Mike Schmidt
Fri, 7 Jan 2000
Red Dawgs 3, Upper-Deckers 1: In the 6th consecutive game decided in the 8th
inning or later, the Myers Red Dawgs (11-3) clinched the first winning season in
franchise history, with a 3-1 win over the Burke Upper-Deckers (5-9). Trailing
1-0 in the 8th, the Dawgs rallied for three runs, capped by Albert Belle's two
run homer off of Burke starter Chief Bender, who had been masterful in pitching
seven shutout innings. Mickey Cochrane drove in a big insurance run after Frank
Robinson's error on Frank Baker's routine single. Baker ended up at third base
before Cochrane drove him in. The Dawgs clinched a tie with both the
Upper-Deckers and Red Dawgs; and opened up a three game lead on the Reps, with
six games remaining.
Homerun: Belle
Doubles: Tris Speaker, Ken Griffey, Jr., Ray Chapman
Stolen base: Barry Bonds
Error: F.Robinson
Thu, 6 Jan 2000
Titans 4, Reps 1: Willie Mays' dramatic three run homer with two in the bottom
of the 9th lifted the Tri-City Titans (6-8) to their 6th win in nine games,
beating the Minneapolis Reps (8-6), 4-1. Titans starter Eddie Cicotte outdueled
the Reps' Lefty Grove for most of the game, and the Titans led 1-0. After Babe
Ruth doubled with two out in the bottom of the 8th, Lou Gehrig's RBI single
scored Ruth and made it 1-1. Red Faber replaced Grove and retired the first
four batters he faced. But with two out in the bottom of the 9th, Bill Dickey
and Joe Cronin each singled, forcing the Reps outfield in. On the next pitch,
Mays homered, ending the game and pulling, improbably, the Titans within two
games of 2nd place. It was
2 out when winning runs scored
Game Winning RBI: Mays
Hits: Reps 12, Titans 9
Winning pitcher: Cicotte
Losing pitcher: Faber
Homerun: Mays
Double: Ruth
Caught stealing: Eddie Collins
Wed, 5 Jan 2000
Powers 3, Chips 2 (10 innings): A tense pitchers' duel between the Silicon
Valley Chips' (5-9) Juan Marichal and the Karas Powers' (7-7) Urban Shocker was
broken up in the bottom of the 8th inning, when Powers CF Fred Clarke came
through with a two run single. Shocker had a 2-0 lead and was working on a four
hit shutout entering the 9th inning, but it wouldn't last. Rod Carew led off
with a single, then Lefty O'Doul doubled; Carew to third. Stan Musial's single
scored Carew and moved O'Doul to third, making it 2-1 Powers. But Shocker then
got Jimmie Foxx to hit into a double play, on which Musial was also retired.
But the lead runner, O'Doul, remained at third, with two out in the 9th inning
for Joe DiMaggio. The count ran to 2-2, meaning the Chips were down to their
last strike, before DiMaggio singled to right, scoring O'Doul and tying the game
at 2-2. Shocker then retired George Brett to send the game to extra innings.
In extra innings, Tom Seaver--who had pitched a near perfect 9th in relief of
Marichal--faltered. He didn't retire a batter as Rogers Hornsby, Clarke, and
Honus Wagner all singled. The Chips were forced to bring the infield and
outfield in as Joe Jackson batted with the bases loaded and none out in the
bottom of the 10th. He hit it over everyone's head; the ball bounced just shy
of the warning track for a game winning single.
None out when winning run scored
Game Winning RBI: Jackson
Thu, 30 Dec 1999
Reps 2, Powers 1:
In a tightly contested pitchers' duel, the Minneapolis Reps (8-5) held off the
defending champion Karas Powers (6-7), 2-1. It was the Powers' third straight
loss, and it marks the first time in Powers history (under J. Karas) that the
team has been under .500 after the all-star break. Meanwhile, the Reps stayed
within two games of the league leading Red Dawgs, with seven remaining. The
Dawgs effectively have a three game lead, however, by tiebreaker. Honus
Wagner's error on Babe Ruth's routine grounder to shortstop in the bottom of the
3rd inning allowed Eddie Collins to score, giving the Reps a 1-0 lead. It
appeared that that would be the game's only run, until the fireworks started in
the 8th inning.
Reps starter Rube Waddell had pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only one
hit after the 2nd inning. Dizzy Trout, in relief of Waddell, allowed a walk and
to singles as the Powers loaded the bases with one out in the top of the 8th.
But Trout got out of it; and Ruth immediately homered to start the bottom of the
8th, giving the Reps a 2-0 lead. Powers starter Carl Hubbell retired the next
two batters, but then allowed two singles. When Powers reliever Harry Brecheen
allowed a third single, the Reps had the bases loaded with two out.. But
Brecheen, like Trout, got out of it.
In the top of the 9th, Trout had the Powers down to their last out, with Wagner
at first base. Then Wagner stole second, and moved to third on a single by
JoeJackson. With runners on the corners and two out in the 9th, Kiki Cuyler's
single scored Wagner and made it 2-1 Reps. The Powers now had the tying run in
scoring position. Undaunted, Trout served up a single to Chuck Klein, loading
the bases with two out in the 9th inning of a one run game. Mercifully for the
Reps, Trout managed to strike out Frank Thomas to end the game and conclude Week
13--a week in which every game was decided in the 8th or 9th inning.
Wed, 29 Dec 1999
Red Dawgs 4, Titans 3:
The Myers Red Dawgs (10-3) clinched the first season of double digit wins for
the Maids/Dawgs franchise, with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Tri-City Titans
(5-8). The Dawgs now lead 2nd place Reps by 2.5 games. Like the last time
these teams met, the Dawgs earned an early 2-0 lead. Ray Chapman's RBI double
made it 1-0 after three innings; Barry Bonds' solo homer made it 2-0 after four.
In the teams' previous meeting, the Titans rallied for three unanswered runs.
That happened today too, as Hank Aaron's three run blast gave the Titans a 3-2
lead in the 5th inning. It was 3-2 Titans in the bottom of the 6th when Tris
Speaker's RBI single tied it at 3-3. Then Bonds struck again in the bottom of
the 8th, with an RBI single off of Titans reliever Don Drysdale, giving the
Dawgs a 4-3 lead. The Titans loaded the bases with one out in the top of the
9th, but Dawgs reliever Ron Guidry got Joe Cronin to hit into a game ending
double play.
By tiebreaker, the Chips hold 4th place, while the Titans are 5th, and the
Upper-Deckers are last. Each team is 5-8. How close are they? Had the Dawgs
scored one more run, the Titans would be in last, with Burke 5th. The Reps and
Powers play next; in an attempt to keep the Dawgs from running away with first
place. A Powers win would give the Dawgs a three game lead (plus tiebreaker
advantage) with seven games remaining.
Hits: Red Dawgs 16, Titans 12
Winning pitcher: Pete Alexander
Losing pitcher: Drysdale
Save; Guidry
Homeruns: Bonds, Aaron
Double: Chapman
Stolen base: George Sisler
Caught stealing: Charlie Gehringer
Error: Willie Mays
Tue, 28 Dec 1999
Chips 6, Upper-Deckers 2:
In one of the more exciting finishes of year, Johnny Bench hit a grand slam with
the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, breaking a 2-2 tie and lifting the
Silicon Valley Chips (5-8) over the Burke Upper-Deckers (5-8). The Chips also
pass Burke for 5th place in the league standings by tiebreaker, with the
surprising Titans 1/2 game ahead of both teams. Burke started the game with a
bang, as Paul Molitor, Jackie Robinson, and Mark McGwire all singled, loading
the bases with none out. Ken Griffey, Jr.'s walk forced in Molitor, and Burke
led 1-0 before Chips starter Jack Chesbro had even recorded an out. Mickey
Mantle's RBI sac fly then made it 2-0. Rod Carew's RBI single in the bottom of
the 3rd made it 2-1, scoring Ty Cobb, who had doubled and stolen third.
It remained 2-1 Burke until the bottom of the 8th. Nolan Ryan had replaced
Burke starter Jim Palmer earlier in the inning. With two out and runners on the
corners, Lefty O'Doul tied the game with an RBI single, again scoring Cobb.
Ryan then retired Stan Musial, but the hit seemed to deflate him in the bottom
of the 9th. Jimmie Foxx, representing the winning run, led off with a double,
forcing an intentional walk of Joe DiMaggio. Then George Brett's single gave
the Chips the same situation in the bottom of the 9th that Burke had to start
the game--bases loaded, none out. The infield and outfield came in, as Ryan
faced Johnny Bench. Bench hit the first pitch over all of their heads--and the
wall--for a game ending grand slam.
Up next: last time the Titans and Red Dawgs played, the Titans were down 2-0 in
the bottom of the 9th and down to their last strike. They rallied to win the
game, 3-2 in 10 innings, on an Al Simmons homerun. The Dawgs haven't lost
since, and another Simmons homer was the decisive blow in the Titans' last win.
The rematch is next.
None out when winning runs scored
Game Winning RBI: Bench
Hits: Upper-Deckers 12, Chips 10
Winning pitcher: Freddie Fitzsimmons
Losing pitcher: Ryan
Homerun: Bench
Doubles: Cobb, Foxx
Stolen bases: Cobb 2, Brett, Molitor
Error: Molitor
IBB: By Ryan (DiMaggio)
Tue, 28 Dec 1999
Reps 6, Upper-Deckers 0: Edd Roush and Richie Allen drove in two runs each and
Greg Maddux pitched eight shutout innings, as the Minneapolis Reps (7-5) shut
out the Burke Upper-Deckers (5-7), 6-0. The perennial Cy Young award winner of
the 1990's, Maddux, outpitched Young himself, with considerable help from his
offense. The Reps led 1-0 after four innings, but broke the game open with four
in the 5th. Twelve of the Reps' 13 hits came from the top six in the batting
order. The win keeps the Reps within two games of the first place Red Dawgs.
Hits: Reps 13, Upper-Deckers 10
Winning pitcher: Maddux
Losing pitcher: Young
Doubles: Allen, Eddie Collins, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig
Stolen bases: Collins, Paul Molitor 2
Error: Allen
Spahn, Simmons lift Titans out of Basement
Tue, 28 Dec 1999 Titans 2, Powers 0: In the league's 4th consecutive shutout, the Tri-City Titans (5-7) won
for the 5th time in seven games, as their normally suspect pitching staff shut
out the defending champion Karas Powers (6-6), 2-0. The win puts the Titans out
of last place for the first time since last year's All-Star Break--22 weeks.
Warren Spahn scattered seven hits--five of them singles--through nine innings to
shut out the Powers. Powers starter Ed Reulbach, the league's all-time
winningest pitcher, pitched well but got no run support. Al Simmons' two run
homer off of Reulbach in the 2nd inning provided all the runs that Spahn needed.
The result concludes Week 12.
Hits: Titans 11, Powers 7
Winning pitcher: Spahn
Losing pitcher: Reulbach
Homerun: Simmons
Doubles: Johnny Mize, Joe Cronin, Kiki Cuyler, Frank Thomas
