S-O-M 1961

  American League Washington 3, CWS 2                              WP-Daniels 1-0 LP-Pierce 0-1 SV-Kutyna 1 Baltimore 18, LA Angels 2                        WP-Barber 1-0 LP-Garver 0-1 Only games scheduled  WSH 3-7-1 CWS 2-6-2 Daniels 8.1 IP, Senators turn 3 double plays, Sox stole three bases (Aparicio, Minoso, Landis)  BAL 18-22-0 LAA 2-8-1 Orioles scored 8 in the 2nd, 4 in the 4th, 2 each in the 5th, 6th, 8th. Brooks Robinson went 5 for 6, 4 runs scored, Gus Triandos 4 hits, Jim Gentile, a pair of 2-run homers, Steve Barber, 8.1 IP, 7 strikeouts, 3-run homer in 2nd. National League San Francisco 13, Pittsburgh 6                WP-McCormick 1-0 LP-Law 0-1  LA Dodgers 4, Philadelphia 3 (10)            WP-Perranoski 1-0 LP-Farrell 0-1        ...

  Through games of April 11 Batting Average- 4 at (.750) Aaron (MIL), Pinson (CIN), Snider (LAD), Thacker (CHC) Hits- 6 at 3, Aaron, Larker, Pinson, Snider, Thacker, W. Davis Home Runs- 8 tied at 1 (Robinson, Bailey, Williams, Hobbie, Nelson, Boyer, Cunningham, Roseboro) RBI- Larker (LAD) 4 Runs scored- W. Davis, Snider 3 SB- Pinson, Alou, Wills 1 each Doubles- Aaron, W. Davis 2 each  Injury list- Coleman (CIN, 2 games) Callison (PHI, 2 games)

  Through games of April 11, 1961 Batting Average- Posada (KCA) . 1000 Hits-Posada (KCA) 5  Home Runs- 9 tied with 1 (Long, Cash, Kirkland, Skowron, Kubek, Stephens, T' Berry, Geiger, Runnels) RBI- 6 tied with 3 (Long, Cash, Skowron, Throneberry, Wertz, Runnels) Runs scored- 6 tied with 2 (Colavito, Skowron, Kubek, Lumpe, Siebern, Geiger) Doubles- 10 tied with 1 Triples- Smith (CWS) Green (MIN)  Stolen Bases- Aparicio (CWS) Wood (DET) Green (MIN)  Injury List- Bruton (DET, 1 game) Maris (NYY, 1 game) Cerv (LAA, 3 games)

Games of April 11  Chicago 9, Cincinnati 7               WP-Anderson 1-0 LP-O'Toole 0-1 SV-Schultz 1 Milwaukee 6, St. Louis 2             WP-Spahn 1-0 LP-Broglio 0-1 Pittsburgh 5, San Francisco 2       WP- Friend 1-0 LP-Jones 0-1 SV-Face 1 Los Angeles 10, Philadelphia 2   WP-Drysdale 1-0 LP-Roberts 0-1    CHC 9-11-0 CIN 7-12-0 Hobbie 3-run homer for Cubs in 6-run 2nd, Moe Thacker 3 hits, incl. double, Williams also homered for Cubs. Robinson, Bailey homered for Reds. MIL 6-11-0 STL 2-7-0 Spahn complete game, Aaron 2 doubles and an RBI single, Braves score 5 times in 2nd.  PIT 5-12-0 SFG 2-10-0 Nelson 3-run homer in 4th for Pirates, Friend 8-2/3 IP, 6 K's  LAD 10-16-1 PHI 2-6-0 Drysdale complete game, 7 strikeouts, Norm Larker 3 hits, 4 RBI  Copyright 1961, The Associated Press 

Games of April 10-11: Chicago WS 5, Washington 3    WP-Lown 1-0 LP-Donovan 0-1 SV-Baumann 1  Detroit 6, Cleveland 1                     WP- Bunning 1-0 LP-Perry 0-1   New York 6, Minnesota 1            WP-Ford 1-0 LP-Ramos 0-1 Baltimore 2, LA Angels 1             WP-Pappas 1-0 LP-Grba 0-1 SV-Stock 1 Boston 8, Kansas City 7              WP-Monbouquette LP-Herbert SV-Fornieles    CWS 5-10-2 WSH 3-6-1 CWS score 4 in 9th off Donovan, Lollar go-ahead RBI double scoring Landis. DET 6-11-0 CLE 1-6-1 Bunning complete game, Cash 2-3, homer, 3 RBI; Kirkland homered for lone Cleveland run. NYY 6-11-1 MIN 1-4-2 Ford complete game, Skowron 3 hits including 3-run homer, Kubek 2-run homer, Berra 3 singles. BAL 2-5-1 LAA 1-5-0 Gentile RBI single, Stephens solo homer, Orioles turn 4 double plays.  BOS 8-10-1 KCA 7-14...

I knew I had to scrap this latest 1961 replay. Sure, I made an expansion Washington team into an early pennant contender and Pedro Ramos pitched a no-hitter. But something told me, "Chuck, you pitched Whitey Ford on short rest." I did, thus on May 2, this replay hit a brick wall. Maybe it was posting every game every day and coming up with clever headlines for every game. When I start over again tomorrow, you won't see a post from me every day, I'll post at the end of the day I am replaying, which when I restart tomorrow will take me to Thursday. So for April 10-11, I'll play Chisox-Senators tomorrow, then I'll try 2 games a day, with the 2 games being an American and a National League game. When that cycle ends, I will post the game results via a daily newspaper format, including batting, pitching leaders and a highlighted game from that day.  With trying to play the games as scheduled, minus rainouts, the pitching rotations can be catch as catch can. That...

  Without going through a long Abbott & Costello-type routine, here's who's really in 2nd place as we enter the May part of my 1961 Strat Advanced replay: Bypassing the weather postponements that made up the early portion of April's schedule, these are the actual Strat records of the top teams in each league, which contradict earlier recaps claiming they were in 2nd for a certain number of innings and other confusing gobbdily-gook. Standings are as of 4-30-1961: AL DET 13-5 WSH 11-7(.611) NYY 12-8(.600) NL CIN 14-4 LAD 12-8 STL 10-7 PIT 10-8 What this really means, my next game Yanks-Senators, will be for sole possession of 2nd. What this also means, I gotta keep track of these things on a daily basis!  Here's to May!

  In replaying the games of 4/30/1961, I am aware that on this day, Willie Mays slugged 4 homers. I haven't gotten to that game yet, but in three games I have replayed from that day, some interesting "3 of a kinds" have played out, unique in their own way, not exactly in a major headline kind of way, but still worthy of a blog in 2022. 3 DOUBLES IN A GAME: Pitcher Don Mossi of the Detroit Tigers, against Baltimore. Don't know if that ever happened to an actual pitcher, but Mossi managed to get enough rolls off his opposite pitcher cards to make it happen. Mossi was #2 hitting card, batting left with N power.  3 DOUBLES IN A GAME, TAKE 2: Catcher Haywood Sullivan of the Kansas City A's, enough to drive in 4 runs in a victory against the LA Angels. 3 TRIPLES IN A GAME: OF Willie Davis of the Dodgers, though his "triple-triple" happened with no runners on base in each instance, though he did score twice. His 3-baggers were on the 3-10 roll on the RH side of...

Rickey Henderson was only 2-1/2 years old in 1961. But somewhere in MLB, there was someone who was getting on base and leading off games with home runs. This pre-Rickey was born in Omaha and had already played with some guy named Mays. His name, John George Brandt Jr., but here, we'll just call him Jackie.    In the recent doubleheader with the Tigers, Jackie was just all over the place for the Orioles, drawing 4 walks, scoring 4 runs and if that weren't enough, he led off game 2 with a home run. 5 runs scored in a doubleheader is pretty good, what Jackie did over the course of 1961 was pretty good itself, .297 average, 153 hits in 516 at-bats, 73 RBI, 93 runs scored and a .371 OBP. Of course, Rickey would obliterate those numbers, but Jackie did what any lead-off hitter did in 1961 and did it well. I really haven't kept track of stats, but Jackie's Strat numbers have to be consistent with what he did in 1961. Rickey was great, but Jackie in this replay is exceptional r...

  Neither team did much from the bottom of the 7th on, so we head to the 10th still tied at 3. After Duffalo grounded to short and Hiller struck out, Harvey Kuenn singled, moving to second on Willie Mays' single to 3rd. Orlando Cepeda then hit into a force at 3rd, ending the inning. Bottom of the 10th, pinch-hitter Billy Martin(remember him?) and Roy McMillan each flied to right. Frank Bolling then walked, setting the stage for... Nelson: "Here's Eddie Mathews, Mathews is 0 for 4, flied to left, popped to 1st, flied to center and struck out looking. Bolling takes a slight lead at 1st, Duffalo gets the sign from Bailey, 2 outs, bottom of the 10th, scored tied 3-3. Duffalo checks the runner, he winds, he pitches, it's a drive to center field, Mays looks up at the track, at the wall, it is GONE and this ballgame is over! Eddie Mathews being greeted at home plate after hitting the game-winning home run here in the 10th inning as the Braves beat the Giants by a final score ...

  Jim Duffalo took over for Marichal in the 3rd and pitched outstanding long relief down the stretch. In the top of the 7th, Willie McCovey led off with a fly to Aaron at center, Orlando Cepeda then hit a comebacker to Burdette, who bobbled the ball, putting Cepeda at 1st. Up stepped Felipe Alou: Nelson: "Alou doubled in the 5th, also grounded to 2nd. Burdette gets the sign from Lau, the pitch to Alou is swung on and hit to right, DeMerit goes back to the wall, looks up, that ball is out of here for a home run! Felipe Alou takes a fastball from Burdette and unloads into right field with Cepeda on and the Giants have caught the Braves to tie it up at 3 apiece" The Giants later got runners on 2nd and 3rd, but Chuck Hiller bounced one to Adcock to end the top of the 7th, score tied at 3.

  "You'll find the lowest rates at Valley Bank. KMJ, Fresno."  "NBC presents Major League Baseball. Today, it's the San Francisco Giants versus the Milwaukee Braves from County Stadium in Milwaukee. Hello everybody, this is Lindsey Nelson along with Joe Garagiola, all set to bring to bring you this National League matchup between the Giants and the Braves. The Giants won last night's meeting by a score of 2-0(based on my 1961 replay) and will send Juan Marichal to the mound, where he'll be opposed by fellow righthander Lew Burdette."  The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd on a leadoff single by Orlando Cepeda. Cepeda then stole 2nd and took 3rd on a throwing error. Ed Bailey drove in Cepeda with a sac fly to right. Onward to the home half of the 2nd: Nelson: "Here's Henry Aaron leading off the bottom of the 2nd, Giants lead it 1-0. Marichal fires, here's the pitch to Aaron, it is hit deep to right field, Cepeda looks up, that ...