National League Pitchers of the Week – randy JOHNSON – San Tan Valley
1-0 record, 9.0 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 3 hits, 10 strikeouts, & 3 walks.
American League Pitcher of the Week – David PRICE – Indiana
1-0 record, 9 innings pitched, 0.00 ERA, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts, & 2 walks
National League Player of the Week – Anthony Rendon – Detroit
.500 avg / 1.063 slg, 8 for 16, 6 doubles, 1 home run, 4 runs, 6 RBIs, 1 SB, & 2 walks
American League Player of the Week – Jack Clark – New Westminster
.417 avg / 1.167 slg, 5 for 12, 3 homers, 6 runs, 5 RBIs, &6 walks
Feature: This week in LEG Ball
As we prepare to end our inter-division play and go back to divisional play, there is not much change.
In the AL East, Lewisberry, Jack Street and Chicago are struggling to decide who wants the top spot as all three teams are in the midst of losing streaks. Kansa City (A’s), Middle Channel and Vegas are locked in a battle for king of the middle spots and Boston and Indiana are trying to get out of the cellar.
In the AL West, Ft. Worth sits soundly in first with a 9-game lead. Cincinnati claims the number two spot with New Westminster nipping at their heels as they continue on an upstream coarse. Purry and Menomonee, with records good enough to be in the top tier of the AL East, seem to have been pushed into the middle of the AL West. Madison and Kansas’ other team (the Blues) are looking toward next year and poor Wrigleyville is pinning its hopes on securing one of the top draft picks. As they prepare to face one another over the remainder of the season, we should see more separation as the top tier teams start jockeying for playoff positions.
In the NL East Coastline continues to maintain a comfortable lead over Detroit and West Michigan as those two teams try to figure out how they can overtake Coastline. Hint: beat them head-to-head cause nobody else is doing it. Climax, Fantomz, Virginia, and Nags Head are fumbling around
trying to figure out whether they are going to be playoff contenders or whether they can start worrying about player usage. And Pigtown? They’re going to get a real good draft pick.
Over in the NL West Clockwork has pretty much wrapped up the Division crown with a 21-game lead. Hoboken, Fire Lake, Motown, and San Tan Valley are in their own race for second place with only 6 games separating those four teams. Iowa and Hollywood? Yes, they’re still there. I like to see them as the foundation of their Division…everyone else is building powerhouses on top of them.
With the Division titles pretty much decided, with the exception of the AL East, the fun thing to watch is the playoff races. Several teams are in the running for spots and a battle is sure to develop as we head down the back stretch headed for the far turn. Good luck to all.
Finish last in your league and they call you idiot. Finish last in medical school and they call you doctor. –
Abe Lemons
| New Westminster Salmonbellies @ Lewisberry Country Blumpkins | |
| Series Preview: | The New Westminster Salmonbellies ambushed the Country Blumpkins as they were looking upstream along Mud Run for their arrival The PR guy forgot to tell the team they swim upstream… |
| Game #1: | Clark (solo & 2run), Dhigo (2run) and Campanella (solo) all homer for the Bellies as it wasn’t much of a game as Ruth loses again. I should trade him. Salmonbellies 9 Country Blumpkins 2 |
| Game #2: | It took 10 innings, but Beltran’s solo HR in the top of the inning proved to be the game winner. NWS had tied it up in the 8th. Freddie Freeman hits a solo shot for Lewisberry. Salmonbellies 5 Country Blumpkins 4 10inn |
| Game #3: | Jeff Tesreau was getting too many outs after 7ip, allowing only 4 hits as his manager costs him a POTW nomination. Campanella hits 2 HRs and Clark adds a solo in a laugher. Salmonbellies 10 Country Blumpkins 0 |
| Game #4: | Blumpkins’ David Ortiz’s solo Hr was no match for Dihigo’s 3run blast or Wynn’s solo as Bellies cruise to victory. Salmonbellies 4 Country Blumpkins 1 |
| Series Summary: | Salmonbellies win 4 as scoring 7 runs in a series just isn’t gonna cut it in this league. Dihigo goes 6/17, 6RBI, 4R, 2HR. |
| Chicago Nine @ Cincinnati Knights | |
| Series Preview: | The Chicago Nine come to Cincinnati for a four game set. |
| Game #1: | CIN 4-5-0, CHI 2-7-2 |
| Game #2: | CIN 11-19-2, CHI 5-9-0 Sal Bando rips his 25th homer of the year and the his LEG-leading third GRAND SLAM. |
| Game #3: | CIN 7-9-1, CHI 2-12-0 |
| Game #4: | CIN 6-11-1, CHI 4-10-0 |
| Series Summary: | The Knights avenge an earlier series loss in the Windy City. Ted Williams makes his bid Player of the Week by going four-for-11 (.364 batting average), walks EIGHT times (.632 OBP — including his 100th walk of the year), clubs two homers (.909 slugging), scores five times, drives in five and has a 1.541 OPS for the series. |
| Wrigleyville Whales @ Jack Street Hustlers | |
| Series Preview: | The Wrigleyville Whales 36-69 travel to Jack Street to take on the Hustlers 53-52 in an interdivision matchup. The matchup was played live over Teamviewer. Thanks to Paul for the fun. I had saved the scripts to help my memory, but I forgot where I saved them. . . so it will kind of be from memory (which if you can’t remember where you store a file, this probably won’t be good). |
| Game #1: | Dutch Ruether (5-10) takes the mound for Wrigleyville against Hustler supposed ace Bill Byrd (7-5). Jack Street set the tone for this one, as they scored 5 in the first. The story of the game was Bill Byrd who completed 6 hitless innings against the Whales. The 7th was a little odd to say the least. An error and 3 walks led to the first run of the game for the Whales. Then up steps Yaz who belts a pinch hit grand slam to give Wrigleyville 5 runs on 1 hit. That’s all the hits and runs Wrigleyville could muster, as Jack Street takes the opener 12-5.
W 5/1/0 WP – Byrd 8-5 |
| Game #2: | Carl Mays 8-8 for the Whales against Carl Lundgren 4-2 for the Hustlers.
After game 1’s run fest, this game took a different route. Jack Street once again scored first in the bottom half of the first on a Medwick 2 run homer. That was all that they would get and were depending on Lundgren to pick them up. Carl was up to the task, giving up only a solo shot to Stan the Man in the fourth, as Jack Street takes game two 2-1. Rogers Hornsby shows the offense the way by going 4-4 with a double and a run. Stan the Man goes 2-2 with a double, homer, run and an rbi. W 1/4/0 WP – Lundgren 5-2 |
| Game #3: | The Whales, looking for a little revenge, sends Dave McNally 1-3 to the mound to face Dan Haren 4-11.
Both starters were dealing donuts until the bottom of the 6th, when the Hustlers, once again, took the early lead on a solo shot by JD Drew. That was the last runs that they would score but, unlike Lundgren in game 2, Haren couldn’t make it hold up. In the top of the 7th, Wrigleyville plated 4 runs on RBIs by Combs, Musial and Meusel. Dave McNally was dealing the whole game, going the distance giving up 4 hits, a run, 3 walks and striking out 10. W 4/7/0 WP – McNally 2-3 |
| Game #4: | The final game of the series. Wrigleyville was hoping Dick Rudolph 1-3 could gain a series split against Tom Glavine 12-4 for Jack Street.
As has been a series staple, Jack Street scored first in the bottom of the 1st with a single run and followed that up in the second and third with a run in each to take a 3-0 lead after 3. The Whales stormed back in the 5th posting a big 5 on the scoreboard and posted single runs in the 6th and 7th to take a 7-3 to the bottom of the 7th and things were looking bleak for the home team. The Hustlers went nuts in the bottom of the 7th and posted 7 to take the game 10-7. Lots of hitting in this one as Bob Horner and Johnny Bates each picking up a pair of hits (including a double for each) and Bates and Lazzeri (ph double) each droive in a pair. The Hustlers were lead on offense by Bob Meusel who went 2-3 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, a walk and 3 rbis. Crash in LF sends Drew (7 days) and Bartell (12 days) to the injured list for Jack Street. W 7/10/3 WP – Jones 3-4 |
| Series Summary: | Jack Street takes a hard fought series 3-1.
Nominees for weekly awards: |
| Middle Channel Sturgeons @ Purry Cowpokes | |
| Series Preview: | The Sturgeons of Middle Channel (48-61) travel to Purry to face the Cowpokes (62-47). |
| Game #1: | Rickey Henderson, Ted Strong, and Shane Victorino each drive in 3 runs as the Cowpokes take game 1, 13-5. |
| Game #2: | Javier Vazquez records his 16th win and Carlos Santana and Graig Nettles drove in 2 runs apiece as Purry wins 7-4. |
| Game #3: | Steve Carlton holds Middle Channel to 1 run on 3 hits over 6.3 innings. Purry wins 3-1. |
| Game #4: | Willie McCovey homered for the 3rd game in a row and Carlos Santana drove in Shane Victorino in the bottom of the 9th for a 3-2 Purry victory. |
| Series Summary: | Purry sweep the visiting Sturgeons. Javier Vazquez improves his record to 16-5. Willie McCovey goes 7-17, with 3 homers, 4 rbi’s, and 4 runs scored. |
| Las Vegas Pirates @ Fort Worth Cats | |
| Series Preview: | |
| Game #1: | Prince Fielder drove home two on a single and a solo home run – his 18th while Jake Arrieta stymied the Cats offense as they could only score twice. Homerun Baker had his 5th homer of the year bringing Ft. Worth to within one in the 8th, but they went down quietly in the 9th.
Final Score: Pirates 3, Cats 2 |
| Game #2: | Back to back two out doubles by Moises Alou and Al Oliver gave the Cats a 2-0 lead after one inning. In the third two 1 out doubles by Alou and Hunter Pence padded the lead to 4-0. In the 4th Prince Fielder nearly erased the lead with a three run jimmy jack for his 19th blast of the year. Joe Dimaggio would however tie the game in 5th for Las Vegas with a two out RBI single. It didn’t take long for the Cats to take back the lead. After Hunter Pence singled in the go ahead run, Ken Singleton pinch hit for Pete Runnels, “The runners take their lead … the pitch … SINGLETON ’77 puts a charge into this one a big fly to deep left … FALK ’26 will run out of room … that’s a Baltimore special … a three-run homer … SINGLETON ’77 has his 12th homer … and the CATS are out in front 8-4” Ft. Worth would another run in the 5th and hang on to win game two.
Final Score Cats 9, Pirates 7 |
| Game #3: | Kaat allowed a leadoff walk in the first and it came back to bite him when Joe Dimaggio singles home Craig Biggio to give Las Vegas a 1-0 lead. Ft. Worth would tie the game in the 5th on a sac fly by Toby Harrah in the 5th. The Pirates go back in front in the 7th on a fielder’s choice, but the Cats tie the game in the bottom of the 7th on a double by Keith Hernandez. The Cats would take the lead for good in the 8th on an error by the Pirates shortstop, “CHANCE ’25 with the pitch grounded to short … KESSINGER ’74’s there … this should do it … and he fires it right by MADLOCK ’85 … OLIVER ’83 rounds third … he’s headed for home … he’ll score … CATS lead! … ALLEY ’68 never made the turn toward second and has to settle for first … that should be an error on KESSINGER ’74 … and it is…E6 … oh! … the streak is over … 25 straight games without a miscue. And the CATS break the tie and now lead 3-2”
Final Score Cats 3, Pirates 2 |
| Game #4: | Three different Pirates drove in a run and two other hitters had triples, but the Cats scored three times in the 6th for the win. They could have score more if not for a weird play, “Infielders back … the runners take their lead … the pitch … DANNING ’38 lashes one to right base hit … MAY ’69 scores … ALOU ’00’s around third … they’re waving him home two runs score … tie game! … going first to third is Ken SINGLETON ’77 the throw comes into second … and DANNING ’38 is on with a single BUTTS ’47 with a bat in hand … Steps up to face FINGERS ’84 … in the box now wait a minute … what’s this … FINGERS ’84 steps off the rubber … throws to HOAK ’54 there’s an appeal at third … and he’s out! … ALOU ’00 missed third base … one run scores DANNING ’38 loses the hit and an RBI” Not sure why Danning had to lose the hit. Thankfully for Ft. Worth home crowd Tommy PeeWee Butts followed with a double officially scoring the 2nd and 3rd runs of the inning.
Final Score: Cats 4, Pirates 3 |
| Series Summary: | Cats take the series 3 games to 1.
The Cats are a little sad to see their interdivision time on the schedule come to an end after next weeks series in Chicago as they’ve gone 50-10 against the AL East. Overall Ft. Worth has gone 71 and 17 since starting the season at 10 and 11. Starting next week the Cats begin a difficult stretch playing 25 of the next 32 games on the road including series at Cincinnati and at New Westminster as those two teams hope to narrow the gap between them and Ft. Worth. Even with their great record after 109 games anything can happen the last third of the season among the top 5 teams of the AL West. Buckle your seat belt it’s gonna be a wild ride to the end! |
| Kansas City A’s @ Menonomee Minutemen | |
| Series Preview: | The KC A’s head to the state of Beer and cheese to face the Minutemen of Menomonee. |
| Series Summary: | KC took 3 of 4 from the struggling men of minutes and ran from town with cases of beer and cheese curds laughing about how they stole the series. Let’s be honest all they stole was the alcohol for which we drown our tears. Although that would be a lie because there was plenty of brandy and whiskey to go around still. So happy drinking A’s |
| Boston Braves @ Kansas City Blues | |
| Series Preview: | Bottom feeders face each other |
| Game #1: | Blues 14 hit attack win 8-4 |
| Game #2: | Blues pull it out in bottom of the 12th win 6-5 |
| Game #3: | The Braves A. Gonzalez and Mo Vaughn both homer 4 rbi each win easily 12-2 Koosman gives up 10 er |
| Game #4: | Braves 14 hits too much for Blues win 13-8 |
| Series Summary: | Boston and the Blues split 2-2 |
| Madison East Puregolders @ Indiana Indians | |
| Series Preview: | Series split. Indians take first two then lose 2 in a row. |
| Series Summary: | Series split. Indians take first two then lose 2 in a row. |
| Coastline Bobcats @ Fire Lake Segers | |
| Series Preview: | Coastline (72-33) leading the NL East travels to Fire Lake (54-50), 3rd in the NL West, for a 4 game series.
Series played using TeamViewer |
| Game #1: | CLB C.Finley vs FLS R.Guidry This game was a good old fashioned pitcher’s duel. Finley and Guidry trade scoreless inning through the 5th. After Guidry strands Kemp on third in the T6, the Segers come looking for some runs in the B6. FLS Bench answers with a lead-off solo-HR to start things, Sanders 1bs, Rolen 1bs and Sanders moves to 3rd on M.Williams throwing error. Finley then throws a WP letting Sanders socre and a 2-0 FLS lead. That’s all the scoring as FLS Louisiana Lightning tosses the CG Shutout giving up only 4 hits. FLS Guidry (8-10) with the win and CLB C.Finley (14-5) with the loss.FLS 2, CLB 0 |
| Game #2: | CLB S.Maglie vs FLS E.Rixey FLS opens the scoring in the B1 when Pinson 2bs, Votto bbs, and Rolen rips an rbi-1b. CLB wastes no time evening the score in the T2 on a Skowron solo-HR. In the B5 FLS retakes the lead when Menke 1bs, PH Daniels 1bs, Rose 1bs to load the bases, and Pinson gets an FC-rbi on a grounder to 3rd. But Maglie, as in the 1st, manages to get out of the 5th giving up only 1 run.FLS brings in Soto in the T6 and CLB wastes no time as PH Becker 2bs; FLS then brings in Gullett to face PH G.Jenkins and he fans him. But CLB C.Ripken follows with a 2-run HR for a 3-2 CB lead, Wilson 1bs chasing Gullett, and Skowron rips an rbi-3b off new reliever J.Smoltz.FLS came storming right back in the B6 when Cardenal 1bs, Menke executes a perfect H&R 1b with 2 out, and Evers follows with a 2-run 2b to tie the score at 4-4! But the theme of this game holds true as CLB regains the lead in the T7 when PH Goslin 1bs, steals 2nd, and scores on a Becker rbi-1b.However, this time, the CLB bullpen of Albers, Marshall, and Sutter close out the game for a CLB win. CLB S.Maglie (6-0) gets the win, Sutter earns Save#44, and FLS J.Smoltz (5-3) takes the loss.CLB 5, FLS 4 |
| Game #3: | CLB D.Stieb vs FLS D.McLain After 3 scoreless innings CLB opens the scoring in the T4 with a Howard solo-HR. On the mound CLB Stieb is in control giving up only 4 hits through 7 innings. In the CLB T8 G.Jenkins hits a solo-HR for a 2-0 CLB lead. CLB then puts the game away with a Gordon 3-run HR in the T9. CLB Stieb gives up 1 more hit but no runs for the CG Shutout.CLB D.Stieb (14-5) with the win and FLS D.McLain (9-8) gets the loss.CLB 5, FLS 0 |
| Game #4: | CLB K.Brown vs FLS M.Morris CLB gets on the board in the T2 when Howard 3bs and then scores on a Gehrig groundout. In the CLB T3 Jenkins 1bs and then scores on a C.Ripken H&R rbi-2b. CLB adds another run in the T4 when Gordon 2bs and then scores on M.Williams rrbi-1b (Williams cut down at 2nd on the cutoff).FLS breaks though against K.Brown in the B4 when Pinson 1bs, Votto with a H&R 1b, and Rolen hits a Sac Fly. Cardenal 1bs, but Brown bears down and fans Roseboro and gets Larkin to F8. FLS cuts the CLB lead to 1 with a run in the B6 when with 2 outs Cardenal 2bs and scores on a Roseboro rbi-1b.FLS completes the comeback and ties the game in the B8 with back-to-back 2bs by Cardenal and Roseboro. But, once again, with Gullett still on for FLS, CLB strikes back in the T9 when M.Williams 1bs and Skowron hits a 2-run HR. CLB calls on Sutter and he tosses a perfect 9th for his 45th save.CLB S.Casilla (5-3) gets the win, Sutter gets Save #45, and FLS Gullett (3-7) takes the loss.CLB 5, FLS 3 |
| Series Summary: | Overall a close fought series with Coastline squeeking out a 3-1 series win over Fire Lake. FLS Guidry and CLB Stieb are Pitcher of the Week candidates for their Shutouts. CLB Skowron has a big series going 4-10, 4-rbi, 1-3b, and 2-HRs. But what was of more importance was that every one of his hits and rbis were crucial in each game. |
| Hoboken Zephyrs @ Detroit DeLoreans | |
| Series Preview: | The Hoboken Zephyrs (59-46) visit the Detroit DeLoreans (64-41) for a rematch four-game NL divisional crossover series between a pair of second place teams. |
| Game #1: | HBZ 0 – DET 6: Back from a missed start due to injury, Detroit’s Allie Reynolds spun a complete game shutout. Yogi Berra went 2 for 4 with a homer and 2 RBI. |
| Game #2: | HBZ 1 – DET 3: A scoreless game until the eighth inning when the Zephyrs got on the board with an unearned run. However, a 2-run double from Anthony Rendon put the DeLoreans ahead in a 3-run bottom of the eighth. Jack Aker nailed down his eleventh save of the season in the ninth inning. Both Eddie Yost and Anthony Rendon had multi-hit games for their clubs. |
| Game #3: | HBZ 6 – DET 10: Detroit’s Anthony Rendon was the star of the game. He went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles, a homer, 3 RBI, 4 runs scored, and a stolen base. The Zephyrs hit four homers, getting round-trippers from C. Flood (1), E. Stanky (1), E. Yost (10), and T. Jackson (1). |
| Game #4: | HBZ 3 – DET 4 (18): After Hoboken tied the game in the top of the ninth inning, another game got played as Ripper Collins hit his 37th HR in the bottom of the eighteenth inning to win it for Detroit. Plenty of plate appearances for everyone. Wally Schang had three hits for the Zephyrs. Nap Lajoie and Roy White each had four hits for Detroit. |
| Series Summary: | Detroit avenges a sweep from earlier in the season with a sweep of their own. Player of the week considerations should be given to Detroit’s Allie Reynolds (9 Ips, 0 ER, 8 Ks) and Anthony Rendon (.500, 8 for 16 with 6 doubles, a homer, 4 runs, and 6 RBI). |
| Motown Yankees @ West Michigan Retrogrades | |
| Series Preview: | In a series played over TeamViewer, struggling West Michigan hosts Motown. |
| Game #1: | Motown 6 – West Michigan 4 (12 innings) |
| Game #2: | Motown 5 – West Michigan 1 |
| Game #3: | Motown 0 – West Michigan 1 |
| Game #4: | Motown 4 – West Michigan 1 |
| Series Summary: | Motown takes the series 3-1. West Michigan has now lost 7 of their last 10. The Yankees had timely hitting, the Retrogrades hit into more double plays than they scored runs. West Michigan isn’t lucky enough to win 82% of their home games like some teams. |
| Fantomz Force @ Hollywood Zombies | |
| Series Preview: | In the miracles of miracles, Hollywood takes 3 of 4 games!! Eddie Plank throws a 4 hit shutout which may finally get Hollywood a player-of-the-week! Of course watch out for a 1-hitter or a no-hitter this week that kills our spirits….. |
| Series Summary: | In the miracles of miracles, Hollywood takes 3 of 4 games!! Eddie Plank throws a 4 hit shutout which may finally get Hollywood a player-of-the-week! Of course watch out for a 1-hitter or a no-hitter this week that kills our spirits….. |
| Nags Head Surf Sox @ Clockwork Heroes | |
| Series Preview: | Clockwork decided to play Bob Watson more as hes been one off our best bats off the bench actually hitting similar to real life. Nagshead has just B starters and the way Clockwork has been playing it might be a tough series, |
| Game #1: | Clockwork is starting Kluber to get his innings in and once again he was solid allowing 3 runs in 7 innings and Samuel homers off Klubot. Hamels was solid 3 (2 earned) in 6.2. The game went into extra innings when in the 10th Bob Watson his a 3 run walkoff homer. Clockwork 6 Nagshead 3 (10) w-Gromek (6-0) L-Cordero (3-3) |
| Game #2: | Uhle shuts down Nagshead 3 hits one run(Hayes homer) in 7 innings. Valverde tries to blow it allowing 2 and leave two on, but Tekulve comes in and saves the day. Clockwork 5 Nagshead 3 W_Uhle(11-7) L-Mussina (10-7) S-Tekulve (28) |
| Game #3: | Matheson was great again throwing a CG 5 hitter allowing 1 run on a Hojo homer.Jim Palmer got blasted as Arky Vaughn, Foster and Melton homer in this 10-1 blowout. W_Matheson 19-3 L-Palmer (4-6) |
| Game #4: | Bert Blyleven was great too as he goes 8 innings 2 hits 1 run(McCarver homer). Andujar did not fair as well as Foster hit a 3-run homer and Melton a 2-3 homer,. Clockwork 5 Nagshead 1 W-Blyleven 17-5, L-Andujar(4-15) |
| Series Summary: | Tough series for Nagshead pitching had trouble with the Hero bats, and more to the point the 18 starters all had similar games of a lone solo homer allowed and almost nothing else. Clockwork has now won 11 in a row, and have dominated at home like I have rarely seen, and have second best road record in the league. HOW – George Foster 2 homers 7 rbis POW – Bert Blyleven 81 games score 8 innings 2 hits 1 run no walks 7 K’s |
| Climax Cougars @ Wainwright Wranglers | |
| Series Preview: | Dwayne has a plate full of covid and craziness so asked me to play host for his Wranglers as they took on the Climax Cougars in a battle of western Canadian teams. |
| Game #1: | Nap Rucker couldn’t make it out of the 3rd inning as the Cougars piled up their runs early and then went to sleep, but it was enough as the Wranglers bats were equally drowsy in a 6-2 win for Climax. Sam Crawford has a couple of hits for Climax including a 3-run homer in the 1st inning as part of a 4-RBI day to pace the Cougars. Josh Gibson and Jim Fregosi each added two hits. Edwin Encarnacion had the honor of putting Climax starter Rune Waddell out of the game by blasting a no-doubter to left field in the 6th with Heinie Manush on base. Waddell left allowing only three hits in the game but he was a tad wild with six walks and just two Ks. FINAL: CLIMAX 6, WAINWRIGHT 2 W-Waddell (10-7, 3.52) L-Rucker (5-13, 4.75) HR-CMC: Crawford (9); WWW: Encarnacion (9) |
| Game #2: | Cannonball Redding and Lefty Grove had a heckuva pitchers duel going with Grove no-hitting the Cougars through 7, but then the bottom fell out for both pitchers with some late-inning heroics on both sides. Tony Gwynn was the first to break the scoring ice with a line drive single between 1st and 2nd that scored Eugenio Suarez and Darren Daulton in the 7th to make it 2-0. After no-hitting the Cougars for seven innings, Grove could do nothing right in the 8th and gave up four runs thanks to doubles by Harlond Clift, George Grantham and pinch hitter Ossee Schrecongost. With Climax in the driver’s seat heading into the 9th and Mr. Reliable Eric Plunk on the mound it looked like the Cougars had things well in hand – not so. Plunk was in trouble from the start with walks to Tony Gywnn and Mark Grace. He was able to get George Brett to foul out , but then gave up an infield single to pinch hitter Jose Vidro which jammed the bases. Plunkster praying for the double play that never came. He was able to get Bip Roberts to pop out to shallow left but then Johnny Kling hit a slow grounder through the infield and into right allowing Gwynn and Grace to score and tie it and move Vidro to 3rd. Daulton carrying a 185 game on base streak or something like that came through yet again for his team while Plunk did not … he ripped one over first base allowing Vidro to score easily with the winning run. FINAL: WAINWRGHT 5, CLIMAX 4 W-Ward (6-2, 1.25) L-Plunk (BS 2,2-3, 2.37) HR-none |
| Game #3: | Another game in which the Cougars pounced on the Wainwright starter early, but this time it was Vic Willis who staggered into but not out of the 4th inning in a 8-4 win by Climax. The Cougars were lucky in this one though as the Wranglers took advantage of weary Smoky Joe Wood and completely ineffective Jarrod Washburn to score runs in the 6th and 7th and then coming close to tying it up in the 8th but George Brett popped out to 1st base with the bases loaded. George Grantham had three RBIs thanks to a double and a triple with Mel Ott and Johnny Mize each driving in a pair. Sam Crawford had three hits and scored once while Harlond Clift had two hits and scored twice. Mr incredible Darren Daulton missed hitting for the cycle by the usual triple but scored twice and drove in a pair for Wainwright. Bip Roberts had two hits, scored once and drove in one run. FINAL: CLIMAX 8, WAINWRIGHT 4 W-Wood (8-6, 4.92) L-Willis (8-18, 4.01) HR-WWW: Daulton (18) |
| Game #4: | Van Lingle Mungo fanned nine and gave up just three hits as he combined with the bullpen to blank the Wranglers 1-0 in a great pitchers’ duel. Doc Whte was steady but not flashy in his start for the Wranglers. Although he only struck out one and walked four his only real hiccups came in the 3rd inning when he allowed a one-out triple to Buck Leonard followed by a double to Mel Ott that accounted for the only run of the game. Leonard had two hits for Climax while Tony Gwynn did the same for Wainwright. Mungo had little problem with any of the Wranglers save for Kirby Puckett who apparently put the fear of God into him and wound up with all three walks the righty issued on the day. FINAL: CLIMAX 1, WaINWRIGHT 0 W-Mungo (7-5, 2.85) Sv-Plunk (10, 2.25) L-White (11-14, 4.37) HR-none |
| Series Summary: | A close series with Climax taking three of four, but being outhomered a whopping 2-1. Darren Daulton was a modest 6/15 in the series but was always in the thick of whatever mayhem Wainwright was brewing up. I hope things settle down for Dwayne! |
| Virginia Cavaliers @ San Tan Valley Moonrakers | |
| Series Preview: | Two middle of the roaders meet in hopes of something getting started for an end of the year push. |
| Game #1: | Lefty Gomez wins his 10th. Keith Foulke saves his 26th and Virginia gets homers from Frank Robinson (2), Kevin McReynolds, and Lance Parrish in the Cavaliers 6-4 win. |
| Game #2: | Alan Trammell’s 2 run 8th inning homer gives the Cavs a 4-2 win. Foulke saves another. Keltner homers for the Moonrakers. |
| Game #3: | Another 8th inning game winning homer, this time from San Tan’s Earl Averill. Moonrakers win 2-1. |
| Game #4: | Hal Trotsky and Mike Piazza go long for San Tan, but that’s not the big story. It’s…..wait for it…..Randy Johnson with yet another shutout, a 3 hit, 10 K, no walk gem. It’s his 9th shutout of the year. |
| Series Summary: | A series split. Kind of figures it would be.
Johnson with yet another Player of the Week candidacy..9 shutouts in this league…whew!!!! |
| Iowa Giants @ Pigtown Bombers | |
| Series Preview: | A battle of two leading contenders to get the 1st pick in the 2021 LEG draft… |
| Game #1: | Pigtown gets a lead off homer from Edmunds in the 1st and then…absolutely nothing. Bob Feller dominates for Iowa and the visitors win 5-1. Schalk goes 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs (2B & 3B). Pigtown does win the injury battle by getting three guys hurt for 5 games each (Tiant, J, Robinson and Flick). |
| Game #2: | Pigtown takes the 2nd game with a makeshift line up 6-1. Johnny Taylor is the star, going 8 innings giving up 6 hits and only 1 run. More impressively, he went 2-3 from the plate with 3 RBIs on a bases clearing 2B (who says pitchers can’t hit). |
| Game #3: | Pigtown continued its string of luck with a 3-2 win. Greenberg had a 2 run double and Edmunds hit the go ahead HR in the 8th. Doak (Iowa) pitched great (6 IP, 2hits and 2 runs), but the Iowa bats stayed asleep. |
| Game #4: | The rooster finally did his job and woke Iowa’s bats for the finale. Iowa jumps out to an early 6-1 lead and never looked back. Final score 8-4 Iowa. York goes 3-3 with 2 2B, 1 3B to lead the way. |
| Series Summary: | 2-2 series split. Pigtown gets a chance to continue to play guys to make sure that everyone gets the required 50% PAs to keep them on the team for next year (almost done). Possible SoW candidates – York (5-16 with 4 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 3B) and Johnny Taylor (8 IP, 1 run, 2-3 batting with 3 RBIs) |