1979 Replay NL End Of July Report

As those of you who may have been following along know, I am replaying the 1979 baseball season with the APBA tabletop game for the second time. The first time was with the cards that came with my first game, no options. This time I am using advanced options, the Orsino Board, trades, the works. I do NOT use actual line-ups or actual call-ups. I AM THE MANAGER, as it used to say on the game box.

STANDINGS

PIT    68-37  ---

MON 57-47  10.5

NYM 53-52  15

STL   52-52  15.5

CHI  50-52   16.5

PHI  49-56   19

In the first replay at the end of July, last place Philadelphia was in first (!) 3 up on PIT and 4 up on STL. MON was scudding along at .500, 13 games back. Like the Orioles in the AL, the original set really hurt Montreal with ungenerous pitching grades and lack of important subs. The new card set has fixed this. 

LAD  62-44  ---

CIN   58-51   5.5

SFG  49-58  13.5

SDP  48-59  14.5

HOU 47-61  16

ATL  41-65  21

The first time, the Reds were up top, a game and a half up on Houston, with LA at .500 and 16 back. As you can see, Houston is faring much less well this time. 

TEAM BEST & WORST

RA--PIT   368, ATL 615

CG--SD 45, ATL 11

SHO--CIN 13, ATL 5

SV--PIT and LA 29, SD CIN and PHI 12

HRvs.--PIT 63, ATL 118

DP--STL 140, ATL 50

ERR--LA 57, ATL 100

RF--CIN 547, SD 399

2B--NY 211, SD 138

3B--STL and HOU 39, ATL 17

HR--LA 129, HOU 29

SB--HOU 110, STL 41

CS--HOU 49, LA 19

GIDP--LA 59, ATL 103

Times Shut Out--PIT 4, HOU 13

Walk-Off Hits--CIN 8, LA and HOU 2

Grand Slams--PIT 4, LA STL and CHI 0

He does not find it funny.

Pretty easy to see why Atlanta is in last place!

LEADER BOARD (with first replay leader in parenthesis, where available--I didn't keep very extensive leaders the first time.)

WINS: Seaver-cin 15-4, P.Niekro-atl 15-10, Kison-pit 14-4, Sutcliffe-la 13-6, Carlton-phi 13-10, Perry-sd 13-10 (Carlton 16-3)

That face you make when you know you'll get shelled again.

LOSSES: Matula-atl 4-15, Shirley-sd 5-14, Solomon-atl 4-13

CG: Perry-sd 15, Carlton-phi 13, Seaver-cin 12, 2 tied with 10 

SHO: 5 tied with 4 (Richard 6)

Ready to go one inning any time!

SAVES: Castillo-la 26, Tekulve-pit 26, Sutter-chi 22, Lockwood-ny 20 (Littell-stl 17) 

2B: Hernandez-stl 45, Parker-pit 44, Cromartie-mon 37, Knight-cin 36 (Parrish 32)

3B: Templeton-stl 13, Taveras-ny 10, 3 tied with 9 (Templeton 12)

HR: Schmidt-phi 34, Horner-atl 27, Clark-sf 25, Kingman-chi 24, W.Robinson-pit 24 (Stargell 39) 

Go for it, girl.

RBI: Clark-sf 90, Matthews-atl 82, Horner-atl 81, Schmidt-phi 81 (Schmidt 90)

RUNS: Parker-pit 81, Clark-sf 79, North-sf 76, Madlock-pit 74, Schmidt-phi 74 (Lopes 83)

STEALS: North-sf 36, Moreno-pit 34, Lopes-la 27 (North 47)

GIDP: Hendrick-stl 19, Concepcion-cin 16, Frias-atl 16, Montanez-ny 16

ERRORS: Frias-atl 27, Landestoy-hou 23 

TEAM CAPSULES (with July record in parenthesis)

Pops chillin' at the geezder gala. He has just had an "accident."

PIT-BURGERS (17-15) Pops Stargell spent most of the month at the old age home, resulting in fairly anemic numbers of 20 HR and 45 rbi. He hopes the prunes will help. "Cobra" Parker continues to be all-world, smashing x-base hits all over Three Rivers Stadium. Bill Robinson *finally* got  a few games off with the return of the Buccos to full health, or close enough. "Stargell sits there watching 'Sanford & Son' while I'm out here busting my tail! Fuck this 'family' shit." Easy there, Bill! 

Take it from The Big Orange himself!

OH CANADA (17-14) Even with the Pirates dropping out of warp to mere impulse, Les Expos were able to pick up only a half game on the distant Buccos. Part of the reason was the Expos dropping 3 of 4 at home to Pittsburgh. This Expo team is good, but not quite good enough, especially with Tony "Big Doggy" Perez good for just 2 Hr and 7 rbi all season. Yes, you read that right. I had finally started platooning him with Tony Solaita, who was then sold off to Toronto when the club re-acquired expansion-year hero Rusty "Le Grande Orange" Staub, who already has 3 HR and 10 rbi in just a short time. So now it's Staub at first base against right-handers and Perez flailing away against lefties.  

Who are you, Tom Hausman? What do you want with my replay?

METS-ALLANEOUS (14-15) Like the monster in a horror movie, these Mets just won't die! On July 1st, the Amazin's dropped their 10th straight game, but then they rallied and find themselves back in third place at month's end. They lead the league in doubles. The rotation is in shambles except for Craig Swan (11-6) ad Tom "Who?" Hausman (7-2) but the big three of Younglbood, Mazzilli and Montanez keep the Mets scoring machine going. <<Hey, I said that without laughing. The Mets' 20-14 record in 1-run games and their 9-4 log in extras explain a lot. They do seem to just find a way. 

Why drive them in? They look so happy out there on the bases!

BIRD BOMBS (15-13) They think they can, they think they can! The disappointing Cardinals at least got to .500 and hope to surge above it if only their bloops and bleeders can create enough runs to make up for spotty pitching. The team is loaded with high average hitters who do not walk or hit home runs--the team has just 54 circuit clouts, ahead of only the absurd Astros. Neither do they run, which seems odd for a Redbird squad on the carpet at spacious Busch. They are dead last in the NL in steals with a mere 41. Keith Hernandez is chasing a 70-double campaign with 45 so far, and a hefty .345 batting average to go along with all the two-baggers. Now if only Ted Simmons (15, 47) hitting behind him would wakey wakey.  

Didn't quite get all of it this time. Rats!

CUB PORRIDGE (12-17) Yegods. The Cubbies finally started scoring a little, and Dave Kingman finally started driving balls out of Wrigley. However, the pitching, which had been excellent, decided to fade like a baseball card left all summer in a sunny window. But Kong! He belted 11 baseballs over the ivy and into the stands in July. Despite being hampered by being a sexist asshole, big Dave has not only been hitting homers, but also collecting timely singles to up his rbi count to 65. Good times! 

Greg Luzinski says, "FEED MEEE!"

PHILLIE FANATICISM (14-14) In the morass of mediocrity that was the NL east in July, the Phillies at least can take comfort in the fact that one good streak could move them up several rungs. Hard to do, though, with only one good pitcher. Steve "Carlton Your Doorman" Carlton started the campaign 0-5 but has since regained form and boasts 170 K's already to go with 13 wins in his last 18 decisions. In fairness, #2 starter Randy Lerch (11-6) has been steady as well. A 21-14 record in 1-run games has kept the club from fading away entirely. It hasn't been thanks to the bullpen, which has sucked mightily all year. Meanwhile, slugger Mike Schmidt, stung at being (deservedly) left off the NL All-Star squad, got angry and hit 14 homers in July, most of them in the second half of the month. He wishes he had some help--Garry Maddox is second on the team with 13 round trippers and Luzinski third with just 7, though he has 21 doubles. Greg is currently shelved with a double cheeseburger lodged in his mouth. 

"I did not receive my one-year contract this year. Who is that guy in my office? Where am I? Where are Koufax and Drysdale and that other left-handed fellow...uh...when is dinner? It's almost 430!"

DODGER BLUE (18-9) The Dodgers went through part of the month with several starting pitchers lying in the morgue and being replaced by the likes of Charlie Hough, Bob Welch and some guy named Hannahs. Nonetheless, the timely arrival of a cold Mets team helped the Dodgers get over until their hurlers returned and they ended up turning in the best record in the NL in July. The team continues to mash homers, leading the loop with 129. "Bobbo" Castillo never goes more than 1 inning, but is tied for the league lead in saves with 26. He is a J-4, so if the Orsino Board ever nabs him, the Dodgers will be in dutch, because there's nobody else. 

"I'm a little tea pot...."

RED SCARE (18-13) When the Rhinelanders have all their parts, they are very good, and this month they did. The Reds surged into the league lead in runs scored and Tom Seaver upped his log to a gaudy 15-4. Still, the team lost 2 games in the standings. If anyone is to challenge the Dodgers in the west, it will have to be the Reds, because the other 4 teams are shit. (<<a technical term meaning "lacking in skill" or "inadequate.") George Foster (21, 72) has really picked it up in the hot weather as the Cincy crew seems to score at will. Skipper John McNamara has only to sit in an uncomprehending drunken stupor and let the veterans take care of it all without him. "I frashed a shign and they...they...zzzzz." Okay, John!

Mike Ivie takes a vicious cut at nothing, 3 hours before game time.

GIANT GIBBERINGS (13-16) I was wrong wrong wrong. I thought that the departure of Bill Madlock (to be replaced by Rob Andrews, Joe Strain, and Roger Metzger) would result in the demise of the Giants offense. Not so! Jack Clark just cannot be stopped, Mike Ivie has 22 round trippers, and Darrell Evans has chipped in significantly as well, as the Giants have been able to hold on to third place. They might be better except that the starting pitching is putrid. "We've got to WANT to get better!" they opine ironically. Even Vida Blue, who started the season so well, is just a pedestrian 10-10. 

2/5ths of the beautiful but doomed Padre rotation. 

POD PEOPLE (13-14) I like the Pods. I don't know why. I think I just feel sorry for them. They have two players: Gene Tenace, who walks constantly and adds occasional power (18 HR) and of course, Dave Winfield (55 xbh) who has no protection at all in the line-up. The Padre pitchers try gamely to keep the other teams in check, but more often than not, a lack of support does them in. Geezer Gaylord Perry leads the NL with a whopping 15 complete games. "Watch and learn, toddlers!" he says. 

"Who stole my insignia from off my batting helmet?! Who??!!"

MAJOR ASTROS (11-15) I give up. This team contended the first time, but the second time around, they are the most frustrating team I have ever managed on my tabletop. They have more triples (39) than home runs (29) as they actually did, the last team ever to do it. Moreover, the departed Bob Watson hit 10 of those. One would think they might steal bases, and they do lead the league, but the high water mark is Cedeno's 22. Plus, they get thrown out a lot. The Spacmen are a dismal 9-22 in one-run games and seem to have a real knack for doing just enough to lose. JR Richard, inexplicably downgraded from AXYZ to BK in the reissue, is a sad 7-11, but has 194 K's and a shot at my APBA NL record of 292, set by 1965 Sandy Koufax. 

" 'Buy Braves season tickets,' she said. 'It'll be fun,' she said. Another brilliant idea, Blanche!" 

BRAVE NEW WORLD (10-17) Bobby Cox has skippered this ball club exactly nowhere and will never amount to anything. You heard it here first! Bob Horner, an enfant terrible through the season's first half, went down for a nap in July, slugging just 3 HR and driving in a piddling 8 runs. Injuries to Nolan, Benedict and Pocoroba forced wunderkind Dale Murphy back behind the dish, from whence he came. Seizing opportunity, though, were Phil Niekro, who reeled off 5 wins in a row, and Gary Matthews, who surpassed Horner in rbi 82-81. Unsung Larry Bradford leads the Braves with 13 saves. The low point for Atlanta was when they hosted the Reds for 4 games and won the opener handily, only to be shut out in all of the remaining three tilts.

"We lost interest," they explained helpfully. Bless your hearts. 

NOTABLE JUNK FROM JULY:

7/3 Mike Schmidt hits 3 HRs for the Phils in 14-7 win vs. the Mets.

7/3 Joe Niekro no-hits the Reds at Riverfront, winning 2-0 for the NL's only no-no so far. He fans 4 and walks 8.

7/5 Spare part Jim Mason of the Expos smacks 4 doubles in a win at Chicago. 

7/12 Larry Parrish hits 3 homers at home against SF, then hits 2 more the next day for a two-day total of 5.

7/12 Dave Collins of the Reds hits for the cycle vs. Chicago at Riverfront, saving the home run for last. It is the only NL cycle so far. 

7/15 JR Richard fans 14 Cardinals in a 2-hit victory at the Dome. 

See you next time for the end of August report!

Me, if I looked like I would like to, instead of how I do! Today an archaeologist tried to collect me as a sample.