Tue, 13 Apr 1999
Reps 6, Red Dawgs 4:
In a wild one that almost featured another blown save by Early Wynn, the
Reps (9-5) retained 1st place with a 6-4 win over the Red Dawgs (4-10).
Starting pitchers Walter Johnson (Reps) and former Rep Cy Young (Dawgs)
were each wild early, leading to a 4-4 tie after four innings. Two of
the Reps' first four runs were "driven in" by Ted Williams, though
Williams finished the game with no RBIs. In the bottom of the 1st,
Eddie Collins scored on Williams' double play ball. And in the 3rd,
Luke Appling's error allowed Williams to reach and led to two unearned
Reps runs. The Reps have scored nine unearned runs in their last two
games.
After a two run rally made it 6-4 Reps in the 8th, Johnson returned to
pitch the 9th. Leading off, Richie Allen sent a long fly ball to right;
Babe Ruth caught it at the wall. Clearly fatigued, Johnson then allowed
a single to Joe DiMaggio, and was pulled for Wynn. Wynn, who allowed 6
runs on 13 hits in 3 innings of work in his last outing, wasted no time
serving up a single to Hank Aaron. That brought the go-ahead run to the
plate with one out in the 9th. But Wynn battled back to strike out Carl
Yastrzemski, making it two on and two out for Appling. With a chance to
atone for his error, Appling got ahead in the count 2-1. But Wynn
battled back with two great curveballs, to strike out Appling and end
the game.
The Red Dawgs fell to 1-7 on the road; they will tie the mark for worst
road record ever. To avoid setting a new record, they must win their
final road game, which begins the final mini-season, and is against the
Powers. Meanwhile, the Reps now lead the streaking Powers by 1/2 a
game, and have played three consecutive nailbiters.
Winning pitcher: Johnson
Losing pitcher: Young
Save: Wynn
Double: Roy Campanella
Error: Appling
Upcoming game: Silicon Valley Chips (6-7, Jack Chesbro) at Karas Powers
(8-5, Ed Reulbach)
Klein Shocks Reps in Extra Innings
Saturday, April 10, 1999
Powers 9, Reps 7 (10 innings):
In the most exciting game played yet this season, Chuck Klein's two
run
blast in the bottom of the 10th off of Early Wynn gave the Powers
(8-5)
a shocking comeback win over the Reps (8-5). The three-time
defending
champion Powers won their third straight, and ran their record to 3-0 in
extra inning games, while the Reps, who maintain 1st place by
tiebreaker, took their second straight loss on the last at-bat of the
game.
With the Powers leading 3-0 in the 6th, the flood gates opened on a
Honus Wagner error. The scoring was questionable, as Wagner dove and
failed to come up with a fast ground ball that could have easily been
scored a hit. But the result was seven unearned Reps runs off of Powers
starter Addie Joss, and a 7-3 Reps lead at the 7th inning stretch.
That put Reps starter Mordecai Brown in a position to run his record to
5-0, and the Reps gave the ball to Early Wynn. Wynn, in his first
outing of the season, was not sharp. So "not sharp," in fact, that Reps
GM Kevin C. said after the game: "You'd never know he had a 1.96
lifetime ERA. And you never will know, because he's off the team come
next season!" When asked whether the recently deceased Wynn was still
the frontrunner for Season 12 Man of the Year, Kevin C.'s response was
equally disturbing: "Man of the Year my ass!"
Wynn gave up two runs in the bottom of the 7th, making it 7-5 Reps.
Then with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 8th, and the
Reps leading 7-6, Wynn walked Chuck Klein on four pitches to force in
the tying run. However, Wynn escaped with no further damage, and when
neither team scored in the 9th, the game went to extra innings.
Tris Speaker led off the Powers' 10th inning with a single, to bring up
Klein. This time, Wynn finally threw him a strike--one that was hit
well over the left field wall--to complete the Powers comeback.
Powers GM J.Karas said after the game that "you can't go home again," an
apparent reference to the fact that both Brown and Wynn are former
Powers. He also said that, in fairness, his team would have won 3-0,
but for the Wagner error.
Brown had a different perspective. "I've beaten these guys twice and it
shouldn't have been thrice, I mean that's how many fingers I have," said
Brown. But Brown was amazingly understanding when asked about Wynn.
"We all have our off days," he said.
We certainly do.
None out when winning runs scored.
Game winning RBI: Klein
Winning pitcher: Joe McGinnity
Losing pitcher: Wynn
Upcoming games:Myers Red Dawgs (4-9, Cy Young) at Minneapolis Reps (8-5, Walter Johnson)
Silicon Valley Chips (6-7, TBA) at Karas Powers (8-5, Ed Reulbach)
Dawg Day Afternoon - Finally!
Fri, 9 Apr 1999
Red Dawgs 1, Chips 0:
Hank Aaron's controversial homerun down the rightfield line in the 4th inning,
and clutch pitching by Dawgs starter Whitey Ford in the late innings, gave the
Red Dawgs (4-9) an improbable win over their nemesis this season, the Chips
(6-7).
Aaron's homer appeared to sail over the foul pole, making a fair/foul call
difficult. The ball was called fair, much to the chagrin of the fans in
Detroit.
The Chips had runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings,
but clutch pitching by Ford bailed out the Dawgs each time. With two out and a
man on in the bottom of the 9th, Lefty O'Doul hit against Ford, with Stan Musial
on deck. It was the second consecutive time that a Chips game would be decided
on the last at-bat. And the stage appeared to set for another Chips
comeback--O'Doul and Musial have ripped apart Dawgs pitching all season.
O'Doul singled to put the winning run aboard and tying run at 2nd for Musial.
But Musial's fly ball to right was caught, just short of the warning track by
Aaron, to give the Dawgs their 1st road win of the season. The victory also
snaps the Dawgs losing streak (5) and losing streak against the Chips (4).
Winning pitcher: Ford
Losing pitcher: Stan Coveleski
Homerun: Aaron
Doubles: Bill Dickey 2, Ty Cobb
Upcoming game: Minneapolis Reps (8-4, Mordecai Brown) at Karas Powers (7-5,
Addie Joss)
Powers Edge Dawgs - Again...
Wed, 31 Mar 1999
Powers 2, Red Dawgs 1:
Ed Reulbach outdueled Lefty Grove and the Red Dawgs (3-9) set a record for
consecutive road losses (6) as the Powers (7-5) edged them by one run for the
2nd time this season, 2-1. The Dawgs are 3-3 at home; 0-6 on the road. In
these teams' four games, the home team has won each time. But both Powers wins
have been by one run. The Powers also beat the Dawgs at home, 1-0 in 11
innings. It was the 5th straight loss for the Dawgs, who have also lost 8 of
their last 9. The loss realistically eliminates the Dawgs from playoff
contention, although they are mathematically still in it. In what is shaping up
to be a three team pennant race, the Powers pulled within a game of first. They
also lead the 3rd place Chips by one game, but their tiebreaker advantage makes
it effectively a two game lead, with six remaining.
Honus Wagner doubled and scored in the 1st inning to lead the Powers attack.
The much maligned Pete Rose went 3-3 with an RBI. For the Dawgs, only Carl
Yastrzemski had more than one of the team's 8 singles. He also scored their
only run (driven in by Hank Aaron).
Winning pitcher: Reulbach
Losing pitcher: Grove
Double: Wagner
*END 4th MINI-SEASON*
Chips Out-Foxx Reps
Tue, 30 Mar 1999
Chips 5, Reps 3:
In an evenly played game with a storybook finish, the Chips (6-6) snapped the
Reps' (8-4) five game winning streak with a dramatic 5-3 win. Trailing 3-1
entering the bottom of the 6th, the Chips capatilized on an error by Babe Ruth
that led to runners on the corners with 2 out. Lefty O'Doul's RBI single meant
an unearned run for Reps starter Christy Mathewson and a 3-2 Reps lead. The
Chips scored the old fashioned way (earned) to tie it at 3-3 in the 7th, on a
double by Jimmie Foxx.
Then with 2 on and 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, O'Doul somehow managed to leg
out an infield hit on a controversial call. Arky Vaughan's throw to first on
the slow grounder appeared to beat the slow running O'Doul to the bag, but he
was called safe. That left the bases loaded with 1 out for Stan Musial.
Mathewson struck him out, setting up a showdown with Foxx.
Foxx batted in the storybook scenario: bases loaded, 2 out, bottom of the 9th,
score tied. He had already doubled off of Mathewson to tie the game. The Reps
had Hippo Vaughn ready in the bullpen, but elected to stay with Mathewson.
After fouling off the first pitch, Foxx drove the 0-1 to left center for a game
winning two run single. The hit was perhaps the most signifcant one of the
season for the Chips, evening their record at 6-6 and stopping a freight train
of momentum that the Reps had been riding.
2 out when winning runs scored
Game winning RBI: Foxx
Winning pitcher: Jack Chesbro
Losing pitcher: Mathewson
Double: Foxx
Caught stealing: Barry Bonds
Errors: Ruth, Edd Roush
Upcoming game: Myers Red Dawgs (3-8, Lefty Grove) at Karas Powers (6-5, Ed
Reulbach)
Joss Shuts Out Chips!
Fri, 26 Mar 1999
Powers 3, Chips 0:
Addie Joss threw a 6-hit shutout, Kiki Cuyler homered, and
Chuck Klein went 3-4 with 2 RBIs as the Powers (6-5) beat the Chips (5-6) for
the 4th time, despite a season high 13 strikeouts from Chips starter Juan
Marichal. Marichal was victimized for 17 hits on the day, but limited the
3-time defending champs to 3 runs in 3 separate innings. The Chips best chance
for a run came in the 8th. Bill Dickey's double moved Johnny Mize to third, but
Eddie Mathews hit into a double play, allowing Joss to preserve the shutout.
The Powers retain 2nd place and clinch the tiebreaker over the Chips.
Winning pitcher: Joss
Losing pitcher: Marichal
Homerun: Cuyler
Double: Dickey
Upcoming games: Minneapolis Reps (8-3, Christy Mathewson) at Silicon Valley
Chips (5-6, Jack Chesbro)
Myers Red Dawgs (3-8, Lefty Grove) at Karas Powers (6-5, Ed
Reulbach)
Reps Punish Dawgs
Thu, 25 Mar 1999
Reps 7, Red Dawgs 1:
The Reps (8-3) won their 5th straight and the
Dawgs (3-8) lost their 4th straight as a tight 2-1 game was blown open
by five late Reps runs. Mickey Cochrane's solo homer accounted for the
Dawgs' only run, and their only extra-base hit in the last two games.
It also stopped a consecutive scoreless innings streak for winning
pitcher Walter Johnson. Johnson had pitched 21.2 consecutive scoreless
innings (five shy of the record) when Cochrane homered. Man of the Year
Joe DiMaggio didn't help the Dawgs' cause either--he dropped Roy
Campanella's routine fly ball to center to allow two unearned runs to
score in the 8th. The Reps now have a 2.5 game lead over the Chips and
Powers, who will do battle for 2nd place in a CRITICAL game. The
three-time defending champion Powers have taken the teams' previous
three meetings this season.
Winning pitcher: Johnson
Losing pitcher: Cy Young
Homerun: Cochrane
Double: Barry Bonds
Error: DiMaggio
Upcoming game: Karas Powers (5-5, Addie Joss) at Silicon Valley Chips
(5-5, Juan Marichal)
Chips overcome Skeptibile-ness; Devour Dawgs for 4th Time
Wed, 24 Mar 1999
Chips 6, Red Dawgs 0:
Stan Coveleski (2.86 programmed ERA) threw a 4-hit
shoutout as the Chips (5-5) beat the slumping Red Dawgs (3-7) for the 4th
time, 6-0. The Chips have scored at least 6 runs in each of the 4 games.
The shutout sets a new HBWRL record for shutouts in a season (all teams
combined). Travis Jackson's 2nd inning grand slam off of Dawgs starter
Whitey Ford (2.75 programmed ERA) was the key. Ty Cobb also tripled for
the Chips; he is the first HBWRL player (all-time) to hit multiple triples.
There have been three triples this year (all at Fenway); the league had two
(one by Cobb) in its previous 10 seasons.
Asked to comment on the game, Dawgs GM Jak Myers had this to say:
"Impossible. I refuse to accept it. The pitcher with the lower programmed
ERA always wins. Stuff like this never happens. Skeptible!!!" Myers had
protested before the game that league's "elite" teams, the Reps and Powers,
have hogged all of the pitching talent (read: low programmed ERAs) and
that current rules make it impossible for other teams to compete. When
confronted with counterxamples, Myers dismissed them as "outliers." In the
HBWRL, we don't know what those are, but we do understand that Jackson's
blast clocked a sunbather who was "out lying" in the Fenway parking lot.
She was in stable condition at last check.
When it was pointed out to Myers that his team is 3-3 against the league's
"elite teams with low programmed ERAs," including winning 2 of 3 against
the 3-time defending champion Powers, and 0-4 against the higher programmed
ERA Chips, his response was simply: "Skeptible."
The win vaults the Chips into a 2nd place tie; the Powers still hold 2nd by
tiebreaker.
Winning pitcher: Coveleski
Losing pitcher: Ford
Homerun: T. Jackson
Triple: Cobb
Double: Stan Musial
Upcoming games: Minneapolis Reps (7-3, Walter Johnson) at Myers Red
Dawgs (3-7, Cy Young)
battle for 2nd place: Karas Powers (5-5, Carl Hubbell) at Silicon Valley
Chips (5-5, Juan Marichal)
Reps Romp Over Powers
Tue, 23 Mar 1999
Reps 11, Powers 1:
Barry Bonds went 4-5 with a 3 run homer,
and Mordecai Brown ran his record to 4-0, as the Reps (7-3)
won their 4th straight, blowing out the Powers (5-5), who have
now lost 3 straight. Bonds' 3 run
homer against Powers starter Carl Hubbell accounted for the game's only
runs, until the Reps exploded for 8 in the 8th. In that inning, as Hubbell
clearly fatigued, the Powers bullpen was inexplicably empty, and the
screwballing southpaw was "left out to dry." He wasn't helped by a Harmon
Killebrew error either, which led to 3 unearned runs. Leading 11-0 after
8, the Reps were in a position to match the largest margin of victory of
the season, and Brown was in a position to record his second consecutive
6-hit shutout. But Chuck Klein doubled to lead off the 9th and eventually
scored, to ruin the shutout. Brown, who went 5-0 in Season 3, and the
Powers' Ed Reulbach, who went a perfect 6-0 in Season 8, are the only
pitchers in HBWRL history to go undefeated during a full season of starts.
Winning pitcher: Brown
Losing pitcher: Hubbell
Homerun: Bonds
Doubles: Killebrew, Klein, Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins
Error: Killebrew
Upcoming game: Silicon Valley Chips (4-5, Stan Coveleski) at Myers Red
Dawgs (3-6, TBA)
ALL-STAR GAME RESULTS!
Mon, 22 Mar 1999
Season 1 Taylor Maids 1, Season 11 HBWRL All-Stars 0:
Walter Johnson
outdueled Mordecai Brown to lift the HBWRL's original champions over this
year's all-stars. Johnson, who pitched a 6-hit shutout and has more 1-0
MLB losses than anyone in history, finally got a 1-0 win. He also has 16.1
consecutive scoreless innings, meaning that a shutout in his next outing
would put him within 1.1 of Ed Reulbach's record of 26.2. Lefty Grove's
run at that streak ended in his last outing, at 22 innings. At one point,
Johnson retired 18 batters in a row. Lefty O'Doul's single with 1 out in
the top of the 1st was the last HBWRL hit until Stan Musial's single with 1
out in the top of the 7th. Johnson then benefited from double plays in the
7th and 8th, and had to throw less than 60 pitches for the shutout. But
the salt in the wound for the HBWRL was the Maids' offense: their only run
was driven in by Ralph Kiner. He is the only member of the Season 1 Maids
(hitter or pitcher) not currently on an HBWRL team. He won a ring in
Season 1 and (save for all-star and moonlight games) has not played since.
Winning pitcher: Johnson
Losing pitcher: Brown
Error: Rogers Hornsby
Upcoming event: Eddie Collins' live testimony re the impeachment crisis;
roundtable discussion on league expansion
Upcoming games: Silicon Valley Chips (4-5, Stan Coveleski) at Myers Red
Dawgs (3-6, Whitey Ford)
Karas Powers (5-4, Addie Joss) at Minneapolis Reps (6-3,
Mordecai Brown)
HBWRL Season 11 All-Star Team
Catcher: Mickey Cochrane, Red Dawgs. Cochrane continues to perform in his
new home, hitting .444 at the break.
First Base: Willie McCovey, Red Dawgs. GM Jak Myers was "skeptible" about
this pick. The guy is leading his team in slugging percentage and
batting percentage and batting average. Don't be skeptible--Willie can hit.
Second Base: Rogers Hornsby, Powers. The current fronrunner in MVP
voting, Hornsby was a shoe-in.
Third Base: Eddie Mathews, Chips. The pickings here are lean. Mathews'
.306 average in a league that hits .332 is hardly all-star caliber. But
who else are you going to pick? Besides, Mathews has hit for some power.
Shortstop: Luke Appling, Red Dawgs. Appling is the surprise choice over
the Powers' slumping perrenial All-Star, Honus Wagner.
Left Field: Stan Musial, Chips. Musial edges out the Reps' Ted Williams,
with a sparkling .450 average and .600 slugging percentage.
Center Field: Joe DiMaggio, Red Dawgs. He's the HBWRL Man of the Year.
Did we (viz. Sarte) really have a choice?
Right Field: Lefty O'Doul, Chips. O'Doul has more RBIs against the Red
Dawgs (10) than anyone else in the league has total. He will battle it out
with Horsnby and pitchers for MVP honors. Hitting ahead of Musial doesn't
hurt either.
Designated Hitter: Jimmie Foxx, Chips. New rule this year: the DH has to
actually play DH for his team. Based on that, Foxx is selected over the
Reps' Williams.
Starting Pitcher: Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown, Reps. This was a tough
decision, as a strong case could be made for both Brown and the Powers'
Carl Hubbell. While Brown's ERA is over a full run higher, he is 3-0, with
wins over each of the 3 other teams. Hubbell has not won a game in 3
starts. Besides, no Reps made it to the HBWRL team has batters, so there
is really no choice (see also DiMaggio selection). A selection of Hubbell
would have meant a rematch of the recent Reps/Powers game
(Johnson/Hubbell). How can a guy (Hubbell) fail to win a game in 3 starts,
with an ERA of 0.70? According to Powers GM J. Karas, it's the lack of run
production from one man: "the Stouffer's guy with funny hair." Karas was
apparently referring to his first baseman, Pete Rose. After the Powers'
recent 2-0 loss to the Reps, Karas even taunted Rose about Rose not being
in the Hall of Fame. Said Karas: "If you keep this up, won't be in 'The
Powers' either. We shoulda named you Pete Rhuse, because that's all you
are. A Rhuse!'"
Bullpen: Carl Hubbell, Powers; Stan Coveleski, Chips; Juan Marichal,
Chips; Lefty Grove, Red Dawgs; Grover Cleveland "Pete" Alexander, Powers.
SEASON 1 MAIDS TEAM
Catcher: Yogi Berra, Red Dawgs. He really didn't say everything he
said...
First Base: Hank Greenberg, inactive. First year that Hammerin Hank is
inactive, and he makes the All-Star team anyway. What a hellUVA guy.
Second Base: Eddie Collins, Reps. Collins had better play well and hope
for leniency from the impeachment manager.
Third Base: Mike Schmidt, Reps. With that pathetic batting average, it's
a good thing he walks a lot.
Shortstop: Arky Vaughan, Reps. Vaughan fills out an almost-all Reps
infield. He would have made the HBWRL team over Appling, but for a prior
commitment.
Left Field: Ralph Kiner, inactive. Kiner makes his annual appearance and
again wonders: "why doesn't anyone draft me?"
Center Field: Ty Cobb, Chips. The Maids team sports lots of speed with
Collins and Cobb at the top of the order.
Right Field: Babe Ruth, Reps. No point in having the Cobb vs. Ruth
debate when they are both on your team.
Designated Hitter: Harmon Killebrew, Powers. With Rose, on Karas' "brown
list."
Starting Pitcher: Walter Johnson, Reps. Only a quality start in his last
game saved him from a miserable 1st half.
Bullpen: Warren Spahn, Red Dawgs; Ed Reulbach, Powers; Gaylord Perry, Red
Dawgs; Rollie Fingers, Red Dawgs; Hoyt Wilhelm, Chips.
SEASON 1 MAIDS STARTERS: Reps 5, Red Dawgs 1, Chips 1, Powers 1 (2
inactive)
SEASON 1 MAIDS BULLPEN: Red Dawgs 3, Powers 1, Chips 1, Reps 0.
TOTAL ALL-STAR STARTERS: Reps 6, Red Dawgs 5, Chips 5, Powers 2.
TOTAL ALL-STARS: Red Dawgs 10, Chips 8, Reps 6, Powers 4.
Johnson and Williams Power Reps
Sat, 20 Mar 1999
Reps 2, Powers 0:
Walter Johnson and Rube Waddell combined on a 9-hit
shutout as the Reps (6-3) regained 1st place with a 2-0 win over the
3-time defending champion Powers (5-4). The Powers loss snapped an
HBWRL streak of 5 straight games won by home teams. The Powers are now
3-0 against the Chips; 2-4 against the rest of the league. Meanwhile,
the Chips are 3-0 against the Red Dawgs; 1-5 against the rest of the
league. And the Red Dawgs are 3-1 at home; 0-5 on the road.
Asked to comment on these trends, Powers C Yogi Berra said, "Well, the
key there is that everybody has strengths and weaknesses. To win,
you've gotta strengthen your weaknesses, without weakening your
strenghths. But you can't lose your strength while your trying to
strenghten your weakness, because then you might end up weaker than
before you started strengthening.
Ted Williams' homerun gave the Reps a 1-0 lead in the middle innings,
and may have cost Powers starter Carl Hubbell the start in the upcoming
All-Star game. If he gets it, it will be a rematch of today's pitchers,
as Johnson will start for the Season 1 Maids. Eddie Collins' 9th inning
single provided an insurance run.
Collins, who is over $8,000 in gin-and-hooker related debts, will
testify live in the HBWRL chatroom regarding the debt, and events during
last year's World Series. The Commissioner will preside and the
impeachment manager will be Red Dawgs GM Jak Myers.
Winning pitcher: Johnson
Losing pitcher: Hubbell
Save: Waddell
Homerun: Williams
Stolen bases: Collins, Kiki Cuyler
Caught stealing: Collins
Doubles: Arky Vaughan, Roy Campanella
Error: Vaughan
