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GREAT MOMENTS IN STRAT
Have you experienced a game of Strat-O-Matic so thrilling, unique or bizarre that you just HAVE to share it with someone? That would be us. Send your Great Moments in Strat to SOMTalkShow@aol.com. Please include your name and hometown. Readers like to see that and you deserve the credit.
TWO MEN, SEVEN HOME RUNS
I would like to share an extraordinary Strat-O baseball event with you! A bit of background: I first started playing Strat-O-Matic Baseball when I was in 7th grade, 1969 was the year. I had seen a small ad in The Sporting News for the game, so I sent a dime in for information brochure. I remember being in the on-deck circle of a 7th/8th grade baseball game when my Dad told me that the brochure had come in the mail.
I have played SOM for all of these years. My wife bought a computer for me in 1996 specifically so that I could start playing SOM Baseball again! I have played many seasons since. My preference is to assemble leagues of great teams from different eras. My current project is a pair of 14-team leagues comprised of championship teams (with a couple of interesting second-place teams) from what I call the Equality Era, 1946 to 1968. I use a balanced schedule – each team plays each other team 12 times, for a 156 game schedule. The American League replay is done, and I decided to write a book about my experience, in the form of an old TSN Baseball Guide. The book writing is keeping me busy, I must say!
I am slowly playing the National League replay, and the game that I have attached a box score for is the ‘64 Philadelphia Phillies (21-25) visiting the ‘51 New York Giants (22-22). By the end of the 11-inning contest, won by the ‘64 Phillies 10-9, Johnny Callison had hit four home runs, and drove in 6. But wait, there’s more! Joining Callison with three big solo blasts of his own for the Fightin’ Phils was Frank (Don’t call me Big Hurt) Thomas. And for the ‘51 Giants, well, Don Mueller went 3 for 5 with his 8th HR of the season, and he also drove in 6 runs! So, it was quite an eventful game for me ... I do not recall ever having had a player hit 4 home runs in a game for me, much less having two teammates hit 7 between them...
Peter Crapo, Middlebury VT
64 Phi Phillies AB R H RBI AVG 51 NY Giants AB R H RBI AVG C.Rojas CF 4 0 0 0 .284 E.Stanky 2B 4 2 2 0 .272 T.Taylor 2B 5 1 1 0 .215 A.Dark SS 6 0 0 0 .291 J.Callison RF 5 4 4 6 .286 W.Lockman 1B 3 2 0 0 .299 R.Allen 3B 6 1 1 1 .244 M.Irvin LF 6 1 1 1 .301 D.Cater 1B 6 0 0 0 .245 D.Mueller RF 5 2 3 6 .236 F.Thomas LF 6 3 3 3 .287 B.Thomson CF 6 0 1 0 .275 G.Triandos C 4 0 0 0 .297 H.Thompson 3B 5 1 1 1 .259
B.Wine SS 5 0 1 0 .169 W.Westrum C 5 0 1 1 .178
R.Culp P 2 0 0 0 .071 D.Koslo P 3 0 0 0 .000 A-T.Gonzalez PH 1 1 1 0 .240 G.Spencer P 0 0 0 0 .000 D.Green P 0 0 0 0 ---- A.Gettel P 0 0 0 0 ---- B-J.Herrnstein PH 1 0 1 0 .236 C-B.Rigney PH 1 1 1 0 .176 J.Baldschun P 0 0 0 0 .000 A.Corwin P 1 0 0 0 .000 B.Shantz P 0 0 0 0 ---- D.Bennett P 0 0 0 0 .111 D-W.Covington PH 0 0 0 0 .265 C.Short P 0 0 0 0 .063 -- -- -- --- -- -- -- --- Totals 45 10 12 10 Totals 45 9 10 9A-Pinch Hit For Culp In 7th InningB-Pinch Hit For Green In 8th InningC-Pinch Hit For Gettel In 8th InningD-Pinch Hit For Bennett In 10th Inning64 Phi Phillies. 0 0 0 1 0 3 3 1 1 0 1 - 10 12 251 NY Giants.... 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 - 9 10 264 Phi Phillies (22-25) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEETR.Culp 6 6 5 5 6 6 1 139 6.70 A1 D5D.Green HOLD(1st) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 10.61 D6 D8J.Baldschun 0 2/3 3 3 3 1 2 0 33 4.91 D9 E5B.Shantz 0 1/3 1 1 1 0 0 1 4 6.10 E6 E7D.Bennett 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 4.95 E8 F1C.Short WIN(5-3) 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 2.08 F2Totals 11 10 9 9 7 11 251 NY Giants (22-23) IP H R ER BB SO HR PC ERA SCORESHEETD.Koslo 6 6 4 4 2 2 4 121 3.18 A1 C8G.Spencer BS(3rd) 0 1/3 2 3 3 1 0 1 14 6.31 C9 D3A.Gettel 1 2/3 2 1 1 1 2 1 30 6.43 D4 E2A.Corwin LOSS(1-3) 3 2 2 2 1 3 2 35 5.06 E3Totals 11 12 10 10 5 7 8ATTENDANCE- 11,398 DATE- Saturday, June 1st 1996 TIME- Day WEATHER- BadT- 3:36LEFT ON BASE- 64 Phi Phillies: 8 51 NY Giants:10DOUBLE PLAYS- 64 Phi Phillies: 0 51 NY Giants: 0ERRORS- R.Allen, B.Wine, A.Dark-2DOUBLES- D.Mueller(5th)TRIPLES- D.Mueller(2nd)HOME RUNS- J.Callison-4(13th), R.Allen(10th), F.Thomas-3(6th), D.Mueller(8th), H.Thompson(6th)SACRIFICE HITS- C.RojasWALKS- C.Rojas, T.Taylor, J.Callison, G.Triandos, W.Covington, E.Stanky-2, W.Lockman-3, D.Mueller, H.ThompsonSTRIKE OUTS- T.Taylor, R.Allen, G.Triandos-2, B.Wine, R.Culp-2, E.Stanky, A.Dark, M.Irvin-2, D.Mueller, B.Thomson, H.Thompson, W.Westrum- 2, D.Koslo-2WILD PITCHES- R.Culp-2
WILD IN WASHINGTON
Here’s two great Washington baseball moments I wanted to share. With the Nationals struggling yet again, it’s nice to have Strat-O-Matic to remember and relive times when the nation’s capital was also the baseball capital.
My first great moment is a super-advanced, dice and cards replay of Game 7 of the 1924 World Series between the Washington Nationals and New York Giants. I used Retrosheet to get the exact line-ups and starters. The ending was even more amazing than the real game and it involved Walter Johnson, of course!
Like Nats’ manager Bucky Harris, I lifted starter Curley Ogden after one batter to put in George Mogridge, the southpaw after McGraw had some key lefties in his starting line-up -- Ross Youngs, Bill Terry. Virgil Barnes started for the Giants. For the Nats, Roger Peckinpaugh was out, with Ossie Bluege at short and sub Tommy Taylor at third.
After 5 innings, the Senators led 2-1, with small ball scores on a sac fly by Bucky Harris and RBI bunt single from Joe Judge. George Kelly hit a 2-run homer in the 6th to give New York a 3-2 lead. A bases loaded walk to Sam Rice tied the game in the bottom of the 6th.
In the 8th, Harris’ 2-out single scored Muddy Ruel (4-4, 3 runs in the contest) and Washington was 3 outs from its first championship. In the 9th, a PH double by Billy Southworth and single by Travis Jackson gave super-reliever Firpo Marberry a blown save. Jack Bentley retired Rice, Goose Goslin, and Judge in order in the bottom of the 9th.
Extra innings! The great Walter Johnson in to pitch for the Nationals. The Big Train retired New York in order in the 10th. In the bottom of the 10th, Ruel singled and Johnson came to the plate. No way does any manager pinch hit for Johnson in the 7th game of a World Series!
Bentley threw, Johnson swung ... and lifted a double to the centerfield gap. Ruel attempted to score, Hack Wilson relayed the ball to Frankie Frisch. Ruel, was a 1-15 chance. I rolled the 20-sided die and ....”8.” The Senators win the World Series on Walter Johnson’s game-winning RBI! I can’t imagine a better finish than that!
The second great moment was my cards and dice advanced replay of Stephen Strasburg’s debut. Again, Retrosheet provided the details needed. After 3 innings, Strasburg had 6 Ks, but was losing 1-0 (RBI single from Nats-bust Lastings Milledge, yet another Jim Bowden bonehead move!). Jeff Karstens was mowing down the Nats.
In the 4th, Washington took the lead on a Josh Willingham RBI ground out and a Pudge Rodriguez double. The Nats and Strasburg cruised from there. The rookie phenom pitched 7 innings, with 5 hits, 2 walks, 1 run allowed, and 13 strike outs!
The Nats scored 3 more runs after Strasburg departed to turn a 4-1 game into a 7-1 rout. Tyler Clippard and Matt Capps added 4 more strike outs for 17 in all – just like the real game.
While his injury ruined any hopes for 2011, re-living this game helps heighten the anticipation for his return. Eventually, I will replay all his 2010 starts to see how his Strat performance compares to his actual 2010 season.
There’s also been lots of great moments from playing Strat-O-Matic with my three sons. We’ve almost finished a 2005 draft league (each person crafts a 30-man roster from 2 teams, actual combined record can’t exceed .500). Next, we’re doing the same with 2010 cards, but each team gets to draft one Hall of Fame or Negro League batter and one pitcher. My 8-year old son is using his personalized Strat hitting (think Honus Wagner) and pitching (think Tom Seaver) cards. I, for their Washington connections, took The Big Train and Josh Gibson. Lots of fun, having my son pitch to Hall of Famers!
That’s the best of great moments, playing face-to-face with my boys!
Stephen J. Walker, Ellicott City, MD
