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HBWRL Season 15

(For Season 15 Schedule Click Here)

ALL STAR GAME - Seniors Do It Again

10-30-2000
Senior Circuit 1, Junior Circuit 0:
Tom Seaver outdueled Juan Marichal, and Joe Morgan had an RBI single in the 5th inning, as the SC defeated the JC, 1-0, in the Season 15 All-Star Game. Neither team managed an extra-base hit, and both teams managed to get a runner to third base just once. But the SC capitalized on their chance--with Morgan's single--while Bill Dickey could not drive in the critical tying run for the JC. Even so, Dickey went 2-4, and the JC as a team outhit the SC. Gaylord Perry recorded the final two outs to record the save.

Hits: JC 12, SC 9
Extra-Base Hits: None

Winning pitcher: Seaver
Losing pitcher: Marichal
Save: Perry

Stolen base: Lou Brock
Caught stealing: Honus Wagner 2, George Brett

Powers, Defs Head in Opposite Directions

10-25-2000
Powers 1, Defenestrators 0:
Perhaps responding to criticism by Defs GM G.J. Cal III, Esq. that he was an "old fogey," Powers starting pitcher Addie Joss combined with newly acquired reliever Jack Chesbro on an eight hit shutout, as the Karas Powers (5-5) beat the Ballston Defenestrators (5-5), 1-0. It was the 5th straight win for the Powers, 4th straight loss for the Defenestrators, and 15th win in 17 games for the SC. In fact, the SC is 13-0 vs. the JC in games not involving the Reps. The game's sole run came in the 4th inning, when Amos Otis hit into a bizarre fielder's choice to score "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. Otis probably should have been credited with an RBI single, but Defs CF Kiki Cuyler, who played on the Powers last year, threw out Roy Campanella at second base from his shallow center field position. With only one out, Jackson scored easily from third, and Otis was credited with an RBI, but not a hit. Neither team earned an extra-base hit in this pitcher's duel. Rube Waddell, whom Powers GM J. Karas had referred to as a "retard" before the game, pitched a complete game for the Defs, allowing just one run in eight innings. The next game will determine 1st place in the JC entering the All-Star break.

Hits: 8-8
Extra-Base Hits: None

Winning pitcher: Joss (2-1)
Losing pitcher: Waddell (1-2)
Save: Chesbro (2)

Stolen base: Otis

Deckers Drop 6th Straight

10-24-2000
Reps 6, Upper-Deckers 0:
Ed Walsh pitched 6.2 shutout innings, and the SC won for the 12th time in 14 games, as the Minneapolis Reps (4-6) shutout the Burke Upper-Deckers (2-8), 6-0. The Reps scored early and often on Burke starter Walter Johnson, with five 1st inning runs. After that, both pitchers settled down. Sammy Sosa's 7th inning solo homer provided the game's only other run. Lou Gehrig went 4-5 for the Reps, while HBWRL batting leader Lou Brock managed only to go 1-4, after leading off the game with a single.

Hits: Reps 17, Upper-Deckers 6
Extra-Base Hits: Reps 2, Upper-Deckers 1

Homerun: Sosa
Doubles: Mickey Cochrane, Arky Vaughan
Stolen base: Jackie Robinson
Caught stealing: Vaughan
Error: Brock

Madness' Record is Unearned

10-23-00
Madness 4, Titans 3 (13 innings):
Al Simmons dropped a routine flyball, capping a four run rally, and making the Marshall Madness (10-0) the first team in HBWRL history to be undefeated at the All-Star Break. The Tri-City Titans (2-8) had scored three 1st inning runs off of Madness starter Warren Spahn, but were hurt when errors by Simmons and Pie Traynor each resulted in unearned runs for the Madness. It was the 2nd straight extra-inning game, 2nd game with a critical error, and the 2nd straight game in which Willie Mays homered, for the Titans. Mays homered twice, and made an error that led to three unearned runs, in the Titans' 10 inning, 7-6 win over the Reps last week. Mays' two run homer in the first, and an RBI single by Bill Dickey, accounted for the Titans' three runs. Frank Robinson hit a solo homer, and Mickey Mantle had a pair of RBI singles, to tie the game at 3-3, before Pete Rose's routine flyball ended the game in the 13th. Don Sutton pitched six shutout innings of relief to record the win for the Madness. Titans reliever Dizzy Dean pitched 5.1 innings without allowing an earned run, but was tagged with the loss. The SC is now 11-2 vs. the JC; with both JC wins by one run.

2 out when winning run scored
Hits: 16-16
Extra-Base Hits: Madness 3, Titans 1

Winning pitcher: Sutton (1-0)
Losing pitcher: Dean (0-1)

Homeruns: W. Mays, F. Robinson
Doubles: Joe Morgan, Gabby Hartnett
Stolen bases: Morgan 2
Errors: Traynor, Simmons

W. Mays is Hero, Goat, and Hero Again

10-18-00
Titans 7, Reps 6 (10 innings):
The Minneapolis Reps (3-6) rallied from a 5-1 deficit to take a 6-5 lead, but it was not enough to prevent a 10 inning loss to the Tri-City Titans (2-7). It was the Reps' 2nd loss in three games, both to JC teams, and both by 7-6 margins. The Reps have also lost five of their last six games. Willie Mays hit a two run homer in the 1st inning, and Bill Dickey added a solo shot in the 2nd, to give the Titans an early 3-0 lead. The Titans then seemed to be crusing, leading 5-1 after six innings. But with two out and two on in the top of the 7th, W. Mays dropped Babe Ruth's routine fly ball to center, allowing two unearned runs to score. Lou Gehrig's RBI single added another, and it was 5-4 Titans at the 7th inning stretch.

Titans starter Carl Mays left leading 5-4, having allowed just one earned run. Entrusted with the lead, Catfish Hunter allowed two more runs in the 8th, as the Reps completed a dramatic comeback to take a 6-5 lead. Not to be outdone, Reps reliever Vida Blue served up an RBI single to Dickey in the bottom of the 8th, tying the game at 6-6. It stayed that way until the bottom of the 10th, when W. Mays "went yard" for the 2nd time in the game, this time off of Blue. "I guess Blue blew the save," said a drunken Kevin C.

0 out when winning run scored
Game Winning RBI: W. Mays
Hits: 17-17
Extra-Base Hits: Ttians 4, Reps 1
Inherited Runners/Scored: Hunter 2/2
Blown Saves: Hunter, Blue

Winning pitcher: Hunter (1-0)
Losing pitcher: Blue (0-1)

Homeruns: W. Mays 2, Dickey
Doubles: Mickey Cochrane, Hack Wilson
Caught stealing: Eddie Collins
Errors: W. Mays, Collins

Madness Break Record; Deckers Drop 5th Straight

10-17-00
Madness 7, Upper-Deckers 3:
The Marshall Madness (9-0) broke the HBWRL record for consecutive wins in a particular season, winning their 9th straight and handing the Burke Upper-Deckers (2-7) their 5th straight loss. It was the SC's 10th win in 11 interleague games against the JC. Another record streak was snapped, however. The Madness had not allowed more than one run in seven consecutive games. They led this game, 7-1 in the bottom of the 9th inning. With two out and two strikes on Ken Griffey, Jr., Griffey singled to left, scoring Lou Brock and ending the streak. A double by "Sweet" Billy Williams later in the inning plated Griffey for the final margin. The Madness did their damage early, scoring three runs each in the 2nd and 4th innings against Burke starter Chief ("been on a") Bender. Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, and Gabby Hartnett drove in two runs each for the Madness. Brock, the league's leading hitter, went 3-5, keeping his average over .500 through nine of 20 weeks.

Hits: Upper-Deckers 14, Madness 11
Extra-Base Hits: 1-1

Winning pitcher: Tom Seaver (2-0)
Losing pitcher: Bender (1-2)

Doubles: DiMaggio, B. Williams
Stolen bases: Joe Morgan 3, Brock
Error: Frank Robinson

Trends Continue as Powers Win 4th Straight

10-14-00
Powers 7, Circus Freaks 2:
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson went 4-5 and keyed a four run 5th inning, as the Karas Powers (4-5) won their 4th straight game, defeating the Picadilly Circus Freaks (5-4). The loss kept the Circus Freaks out of 1st place in the JC; it was their 4th loss in their last six games. It was also the 9th loss in the last 10 games (all interleague) for JC teams--ironically, the Circus Freaks have the only JC interleague win. The game was tied at 1-1 through four innings, before the Powers broke it open with four runs in the 5th, and two more in the 7th, inning. Amos Otis and Honus Wagner each had two run doubles, while Carl Hubbell limited the Circus Freaks to eight hits in 7.1 innings. Relievers Steve Carlton (Powers) and Bob Lemon (Circus Freaks) combined for 2.2 innings of shutout work.

Hits: Powers 17, Circus Freaks 9
Extra-Base Hits: 2-2

Winning pitcher: Hubbell (1-1)
Losing pitcher: Whitey Ford (1-2)

Homerun: Frank Thomas
Doubles: Otis, Wagner, Lefty O'Doul

Dawgs Chomp on Cone

10-13-00
Red Dawgs 6, Defenestrators 3:
The Myers Red Dawgs (6-3) won their 3rd straight game, handing the Ballston Defenestrators (3-6) their 3rd straight loss, in today's interleague play. SC teams thus ran their record to 8-1 in interleague games. The teams traded two run homers early, with Barry Bonds connecting for the Dawgs, and Kiki Cuyler for the Defenestrators. The Defs took a 3-2 lead in the 4th inning, scoring an unearned run on an error by Tris Speaker. But with the score tied 3-3 and the bases loaded with two out in the 7th, Defs starter Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander was removed in favor of David Cone. Cone, who wasn't charged with a run all day, served up a hanging slider to Al Rosen, who drove it to deep leftfield for a three run double. McGinnity was solid in the 8th and 9th innings to get the victory.

Hits: Red Dawgs 13, Defenestrators 8
Extra-Base Hits: Red Dawgs 2, Defenestrators 1
Double: Rosen
Inherited Runners/Scored: Cone 3/3
Winning pitcher: McGinnity (1-1)
Losing pitcher: Alexander (1-2)

Dawgs Take Wildcard Slot

10-10-00
Red Dawgs 3, Titans 0:
Eddie Plank and Dizzy Trout combined on a four hit shutout, as the two-time defending HBWRL champion Myers Red Dawgs (5-3) got into the playoff picture with a 3-0 win over the Tri-City Titans (1-7). The Dawgs lead the Circus Freaks (5-3) for the wildcard playoff berth by tiebreaker. Al Rosen extended his RBI streak to three consecutive games; and Bobby Bonds drove in the third run for the Dawgs, all against Titans starter Bob Gibson. The Dawgs have won back-to-back games, and the SC has won seven of eight interleague games. Despite that fact, they'd have only one team with a winning record, had the Dawgs not prevailed today. It was the 5th straight win for home teams. The 3-0 margin was tight, but it was the widest of Week 8, which saw four competitive games.

Hits: Red Dawgs 10, Titans 4
Extra-Base Hits: Red Dawgs 1, Titans 0

Winning pitcher: Plank (3-0)
Losing pitcher: Gibson (0-3)
Save: Trout (1)

Double: Barry Bonds

Streaks Continue as Powers Edge Deckers

10-10-00
Powers 2, Upper-Deckers 1:
Ed Reulbach didn't allow an earned run for the 2nd consecutive start, as the Karas Powers won their 3rd straight game, 2-1 over the Burke Upper-Deckers (2-6). It was Burke's 4th straight loss. The SC also continued its dominance over the JC in interleague play, running their record to 6-1. All of the game's runs were scored in the 5th inning. Frank Baker's RBI double gave Burke an unearned run and a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning, before "Shoeless" Joe Jackson's single tied the game at 1-1. Hal Trosky's RBI sac fly gave the Powers a 2-1 lead and was the decisive blow. For the 3rd consecutive start, Cy Young pitched well but lost for Burke. Steve Carlton recorded the final two outs, and saved the game with the tying run at third base, for Reulbach. The Powers, who again failed to get an extra-base hit and still have just one homerun on the year, moved ahead of the Reps by tiebreaker for 3rd place in the SC.

Hits: Upper-Deckers 12, Powers 8
Extra-Base Hits: Upper-Deckers 3, Powers 0

Winning pitcher: Reulbach (2-1)
Losing pitcher: Young (0-3)
Save: Carlton (2)

Doubles: Baker, Elmer Flick, "Sweet" Billy Williams
Stolen bases: Lou Brock, Amos Otis
Caught stealing, Error: Fred Clarke

Madness Tie Record

10-09-00
Madness 3, Circus Freaks 1:
The Marshall Madness (8-0) tied a record with eight straight wins to start a season, defeating the Picadilly Circus Freaks (5-3), 3-1. The Circus Freaks have lost three of their last five games. The Madness, an expansion team, will now gun for the all-time record for consecutive wins, which is 12 by the Burke Upper-Deckers. However, Burke's wins were split--six in each of two seasons. Fittingly, the Madness play the Deckers in their next game. Lefty Grove, who entered the game 2nd among starters in ERA, allowed just one run on five hits in 7.2 innings, and Gaylord Perry threw a few spitballs to pick up the save for the Madness. Offensively, the hero was Jimmie Foxx, who went 3-4 with two RBIs against his former team.

Hits: Madness 13, Circus Freaks 5
Extra-Base Hits: None

Winning pitcher: Grove (1-0)
Losing pitcher: Juan Marichal (2-1)
Save: Perry (1)

Stolen bases: Joe Morgan 3, Frank Chance.
Caught stealing: Chance
Error: Carl Yastrzemski

Reps Snap Four Game Skid

10-09-00
Reps 5, Defenestrators 3:
Lou Gehrig hit a three run homer against Sandy Koufax, who never should have been pitching today anyway, as the Minneapolis Reps (3-5) defeated the Ballston Defenestrators (5-3). It was the Defs' 2nd straight loss, and snapped a four game losing streak for the Reps. The game was tied at 1-1 when the Defs' Johnny Mize hit a solo homer against Reps starter Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, making it 2-1 Ballston. "Fitting that he should homer against me--I told them to pick him!" said Reps GM Kevin C. But with the game tied 2-2, Gehrig's homer against Koufax--who probably shouldn't have been pitching given the Jewish holiday--put the Reps ahead to stay. Brown survied a 9th inning rally by the Defs, during which Albert Belle (4-4, two doubles) scored on a double play ball, to get the complete game win.

The Reps, who had double digit hits in only one of their first six games, did so for the 2nd game in a row. And for the first time this season, the Reps--who entered the game batting a league low .272--outhit their opponents.

HBWRL Commissioner Kevin C., who is also a rabbi, said he would forgive Koufax for pitching on the Holy Day, but that the score would not be reversed. The two run margin of defeat was not enough to unseat the Defs from 1st place in the JC; they continue to hold that spot over the Circus Freaks by tiebreaker.

Hits: Reps 13, Defenestrators 12
Extra-Base Hits: Defenestrators 5, Reps 1

Winning pitcher: M. Brown (1-1)
Losing pitcher: Koufax (2-1)

Homeruns: Mize, Gehrig
Doubles: Belle 2, Rickey Henderson, Johnny Bench

Musial's 5 RBIs too Much for Reps

10-06-00
Circus Freaks 7, Reps 6:
The Minneapolis Reps (2-5) tied a season high with six runs, and got double-digit hits for only the 2nd time, but it was not enough to prevent their 4th straight loss, 7-6 to the Picadilly Circus Freaks (5-2). The Reps led 2-0 entering the 5th inning, and 2-1 when Stan Musial batted against Ed Walsh. Musial's grand slam appeared to break the game open, giving the Circus Freaks a 5-2 lead. But the Reps rallied for four runs, due largely to the fact that Circus Freaks reliever Randy Johnson couldn't keep inherited runners from scoring, of their own in the top of the 6th inning, and Walsh ultimately turned a 6-5 lead over to newly acquired Reps reliever Greg Maddux. Maddux, making his Season 15 debut as Rep, is the HBWRL leader in saves. But that didn't keep his old GM, G.J. Cal III, Esq., from blaming him for every Defs loss--even games he didn't appear in.

Maddux made Cal's fears seem legitimate today, pitching out of trouble in the 7th, but then allowing two runs in the 8th--giving Randy Johnson--who had blown a save moments before--the win. The tying run came on an RBI sac fly by Musial, his 5th of the game. George Brett drove in the winning run. The Reps have been outhit in all seven games this season, as they fell into the SC cellar. The Circus Freaks' margin of victory was not enough to put them back into the JC lead.

Hits: Circus Freaks 18, Reps 12
Extra-Base Hits: Circus Freaks 1, Reps 0

Winning pitcher: R. Johnson
Losing pitcher: Maddux

Homerun: Musial
Stolen base: Frank Chance
Inherited Runners/Scored: R. Johnson 2/3
Blown Saves: R. Johnson, Maddux
Season 15 Game Links:
8/27/2000 - 9/07/2000 (~) 9/13/2000 - 10/05/2000 (~) 10/06/2000 - 10/30/2000