COVID-19(73) Baseball Version 3 ALCS game 1

Game 1 of the ALCS was a long sloppy, slugfest, 27 hits, 16 walks, 5 errors, 5 double plays and 12 pitchers used between the 2 teams.

The Bay Area Mikes struck early and mostly never looked back.

• With 2 outs in the top of the first, Willie McCovey singled off of Bill Lee
• Lee then walked Gene Tenace (Tenace walked 4 times in the game)
• Sal Bando singled, scoring McCovey
• Tenace and Bando moved to 3rd and second on the throw home
• Garry Maddox singled to score 2 more before Lee got Tito Fuentes to fly out to end the inning

The RedsSox of Leonardi struck back in the second

• Reggie Jackson led off the bottom of the second with a triple off Vida Blue 
• Bert Campaneris bobbled Carl Yastrzemski's grounder - but was able to hold Jackson at 3rd
• But Reggie Smith singled home Jackson on hte next pitch to cut the lead to 3-1
• After a Dave Concepcion lined out, and a Johnny Bench walk, pinch-hitter George Foster hit into an inning ending 3-6-3 double play

The Leos scratched out another run in the 4th

• Jackson started it again with a single Yaz followed with a walk. 
• Smith erased Yaz and himself with another 3-6-3 DP, but Jax took 3rd
• Concepcion singled home Jackson to make it 3-2

Bobby Bolin couldn't keep the momentum going in the top of the 5th

• With 1-out, Bolin walked Bando
• Maddox followed with a triple, scoring Bando
• Fuentes singled in Maddox to put the Mikes back up 5-2
• In the 6th Bolin walked Gary Mathews, this forced a call to Mel Stottlemeyer
• Stottlemeyer got McCovery on a 3-1 ground out, Mathews moving to second
• Yaz couldn't handle Tenace's ground ball putting runners on 1st and 3rd
• Bando singled home Matthews to make it 6-2

 Bob Veale let it slip all hope slip away in the 7th,

• Chris Speier's base hit led off the inning
• Veale walked Bill North
• After Mathews flew out to left, McCovey hit a 3-run homer to right making it 9-2

 More bullpen failure led to 1-run each in the 8th and 9th

• McCovery singled home Speier in the 8th
• Speier walked with the bases loaded in the 9th making it 11-2

Tony Perez brought a little spark in the bottom of the 9th, homering with Pete Rose on base off of Randy Moffitt, making the final score 11-4

COVID-19(73) Baseball Version 3 NLCS game 1

Opening up this 3rd version of the COVID playoffs was the first game of the NLCS and the Gotham Pauls traveled to Dodger Stadium to take on the Bi-Coastal Script Jersey Matts.

• The Matts struck early in the bottom of the first. After walking Merv Rettenmund, Tom Seaver left a mistake over the heart of the plate and Willie Crawford deposited it in the seats for a 2-0 lead
• Don Sutton was pitching well and it looked like that would hold up until the top of the 6th
• Matty Alou walked, moved to second on Bobby Murcer's deep fly ball and scored on Thurman Munson's single - only the second hit off Sutton.
• Munson took second on the throw to the plate. Then Munson scored on Ron Blomber's single to tie the game at 2.
• The tie held until the bottom of the 7th 
• Boog Powell lead off the inning with a double
• Seaver struck out Ron Cey
• Joe Ferguson singled and Powell was able to score on a tight play
• That ended the night for Seaver 
• Mark Belanger greeted Fred Beene with a single, scoring Ferguson to make it 4-2
• Paul Threatened in the top of the 9th 
• Munson walked toe lead off the inning
• Blomberg singled. putting runners on first and second with nobody out
• Then Cey took over
• Rusty Staub hit a hard grounder to Cey who made the diving stop, tossed to Bobby Grich at second, who then pivoted and relayed to Powell to turn the double play
• Munson moved to third 
• Roy White, pinch-hitting for Bud Harrelson, also grounded to Cey, Cey didn't think he could get the speedy White at first and threw home, Ferguson applied the tag on Munson and sealed the 4-2 win

COVID-19(73) Baseball is Back (Version 3)

We're back, new-ish and improved (who knows).

A few changes for this season. Joe is unable to go so he was replaced with Paul's brand-spanking-new Son-in-Law, Matt.
We are using the 1973 cards again (saving paper) but went with slightly different drafting. This time each manager was allowed to pick the entire roster of two of the 1973 squads, one from each league, and would then cut down to 25 for their final team.

Since Matt is a first-timer we let him pick first and he chose the Baltimore Orioles. Leo had second pick and chose the Oakland A's. I whined until Leo would trade me the A's for the Cincinnati Reds plus a player from the A's of his choosing. Paul then picked the Mets.

Round two went in reverse order, Paul stayed in the Big Apple and took the Yankees. I selected the Giants (and traded Reggie Jackson to Leo with the Reds). Leo took the Boston Red Sox, and Matt finished up the draft with the LA Dodgers.

One other trade sent Luis Aparacio from Leo's Red Sox to Paul for Mel Stottlemeyer.

The final cuts to 25 left the following:

Matt		Paul		Mike		Leo
Don Sutton		Tom Seaver		Catfish Hunter		Bill Lee
Jim Palmer		Jerry Koosman		Vida Blue		John Curtis
Tommy John		George Stone		Ken Holtzman		Jack Billingham
Andy Messersmith		Doc Medich		Tom Bradley		Luis Tiant
Grant Jackson		Fred Beene		Elias Sosa		Roger Moret
Bob Reynolds		Sarky Lyle		Randy Moffitt		Pedro Borbon
Charlie Hough		Lindy McDaniel		Don McMahon		Bobby Bolin
Doug Rau		Ray Sadeki		Rollie Fingers		Bob Veale
Jim Brewer		Wayne Granger		Darold Knowles		Tom Hall
Pete Richert		Bob Miller		Horacio Pina		Ray Culp
Eddie Watt		Thurman Munson		Glenn Abbott		Mel Stottlemeyer
Joe Ferguson		Ron Hodges		Dave Rader		Tony Perez
Earl Williams		Ron Blomberg		Willie McCovey		Joe Morgan
Steve Garvey		Felix Millan		Tito Fuentes		Dave Concepcion
Boog Powell		Horace Clarke		Chris Speier		Carl Yastrzemski
Davey Lopes		Wayne Garrett		Gary Matthews		Johnny Bench
Mark Belanger		Graig Nettles		Garry Maddox		Reggie Jackson
Ron Cey		Bud Harrelson		Bobby Bonds		Reggie Smith
Manny Mota		Luis Aparacio		Chris Arnold		Pete Rose
Willie Crawford		Bobby Murder		Steve Ontivernos		Dan Driessen
Merv Rettenmund		Matty Alou		Gene Tenace		Phil Gagliano
Al Bumbry		Rusty Staub		Sal Bando		George Foster
Don Baylor		Cleon Jones		Bert Campaneris		Andy Kosco
Paul Blair		Roy White		Bill North		Tommy Harper
Bobby Grich		John Milner		Jesus Alou		Carlton Fisk

Paul will take on Matt in the NLCS (No Lehtinen Championship Series)
I will face Leo in the ALCS (Aware of Lehtinen Championship Series)

COVID World Series 1973 Players Edition - Part 17

The two teams battled into the 16th inning, Paul used all 24 of his players, but once again Darrell Evans was the hero.

• The Mikes struck first in the top of this first - Jerry Koosman walked Toby Harrah with 2 outs
• Bill Melton doubled him home before Koosman got Mayberry to end the inning
• Paul answered back in the bottom 
• Dave Concepcion led off with a single off Vida Blue and stole 2nd
• Blue got Rod Carew to fly out then walked George Scott
• Evans hit what should have been an inning ending double play, but Bill Melton mishandled it and loaded the bases
• Blue then walked Bob Watson to tie the score
• Ted Simmons hit a grounder to Ron Hunt who tried to get Scott at home, but Scott beat the tag to take a 2-1 lead. 
• Blue got out of the inning without any further damage
• In the Top of the 2nd George Hendrick homered to tie the game at 2
• It stayed that way until the bottom of the 7th.
• With 2-outs Bobby Murcer doubled
• Reggie Jackson singled and Murcer beat the throw to the plate to put the Pauls up 3-2
• Again the Mikes answered right back in the next half inning as Dave Winfield, pinch-hitting for Blue, homered off Chuck Taylor - tying the game at 3
•  Outs on the basepaths highlighted the next few innings
• Garry Maddox threw out Carl Yastzremski trying to take 3rd on Murcer's single for the 2nd out of the 9th
• Ralph Garr was caught stealing by Simmons in the 12th
• Double plays ended threats for Paul in the 12th and 14th
• Ellie Rodriguez gunned down Rod Carew trying to steal in the 13th
• Yaz threw out 2 runners in the top of the 13th
•  Cliff Johnson trying t0 take 3rd on Ellie Rodriguez's single
• Then Rodriguez trying to score on Garr's 2-out single
• Roger Moret starting his 5th inning hung a curveball to Evans leading off the bottom of the 16th and that was the ballgame and the series
  

COVID World Series 1973 Players Edition - Part 16

A pitcher's duel through 7 innings turned into a rout in the 8th and 9th as the Fighting Mikes bullpen failed to take advantage of a great performance from Bert Blyleven.

• Frank Tanana had a rocky first inning 
• Ron Hunt singled with 1 out
• Toby Harrah doubled, but Hunt held at 3rd
• Tanana intentionally walked Bill Melton to get to the lefthanded John Mayberry
• Mayberry popped out to Ted Simmons and Ellie Rodriguez grounder to Darrell Evans ended the inning
•  Paul's best threat against Blyleven was in the 5th
•  Simmons singled and Carl Yastzremski singled after a Bobby Murcer strikeout
• Dave Concepcion hit into a double play to end the inning - but his day would get better a few innings later
• In the bottom of the seventh against Tanana
• Ralph Garr singled and stole second 
• George Hendrick couldn't move him to 3rd on a ground out to Concepcion
• With Blyleven due up, Mike first announced Manny Sanguillen to pinch-hit
• That ended the day for Tanana and brought in Chuck Taylor
• Last night's hero, Dick McAuliffe then pinch-hit for the pinch-hitter and scratched out an infield single, Garr went to third, but no further
• Garry Maddox then hit into an inning ending 5-4-3 double play 
• Roger Moret started the top of the 8th and gave up a single to Murcer
• Paul pinch hit George Scott for Yaz, ending Moret's night
• Pedro Borbon came in and forced a Scott popup to Rodriguez
• Dave Concepcion - made up for his double play grounder with a 2-run homer
• The Paul's got another run off Borbon after Rod Carew singled, stole second and scored on Willie Horton's single
• Sparky Lyle had troubles of his own in the 9th, walking Evans and Simmons
• Murcer followed with a single to load the bases 
• Diego Segui relieved Lyle and allowed singles to Bob Watson and Concepcion again making it 5-0
• The Fighting Mike's took offense to Don Kessinger coming in trying to squeeze home a 6th run - but after some shouting the sides calmed down

•  Horton flew out to end the inning
• Bob Reynolds pitched a perfect 9th to make that the final

COVID World Series 1973 Players Edition - Part 15

Game 4 was another extra inning nail-biter. The Fighting Mikes scored in the 12th to even the series at 2 games apiece.

George Stone faced off against Tommy John in a battle of left handed starters. As in the previous 3 games, the Battling Pauls went with more of an Opener strategy as John only pitched one batter into the 3rd inning.

• John was pulled after giving up a lead-off triple to Garry Maddox. Chuck Taylor came in and struck out Ron Hunt, but Toby Harrah doubled to put the Mikes up 1-0
• That held up until the 5th inning. Stone gave up a lead-off single to Bob Boone, pinch-hitting for Taylor).
• Boone went to 3rd on a double by Dave Concepcion. 
• After striking out Rod Carew, Stone intentionally walked George Scott to face game 1 & 2 hero Darrell Evans.
• Evans hit a pop foul that Stone took care of himself for the 2nd out
• It looked like Stone would get out of the inning without allowing a run but Toby Harrah made a wild throw on Bob Watson's grounder to short allowing both Boone and Concepcion to score.
• Ted Simmons popped to 3rd to end the inning, but the Pauls now lead 2-1
• Paul decided to ride his ace reliever Don McMahon as long as he could after taking the lead. 
• McMahon was spotless in the 5th and 6th
• He gave up a single to George Hendrick in the 7th but ended that threat quickly
• Garry Maddox lead off the 8the with a double, Hunt moved him to 3rd with a ground-out
• Dick McAuliffe stepped in to pinch-hit for Harrah and singled home Maddox, tying the game at 2
• John Mayberry made a defensive gem in the 10th that stopped a potential rally - George Scott opened the inning with a walk off Grant Jackson. 
• Evans hit a hard liner to first that Mayberry hauled in and stepped on the base to double off Scott.
• In the bottom of the 12th Jim Rooker, who won game 1 and saved game 2, was working on his second inning of relief.
• The Mikes were down to one bench player so they opted to let Jackson hit for himself to lead off the inning - and it paid off with a slap single to left field
• Manny Sanguillen followed that with a single to center, the slow Jackson and the strong arm of Bobby Murcer held runners to 1st and 2nd
• Maddox got his 3rd hit of the day - another single to Murcer -this time Jackson was waved around to try to score - Murcer made a perfect throw for the first out of the inning
• Sanguillen and Maddox had moved to 2nd and 3rd on the throw, so with the base open, Rooker walked Hunt intentionally to set up the double play
• But McAuliffe came through again in the clutch with a base hit and Sanguillen scored the winning run to even the series at 2 games each

COVID World Series 1973 Players Edition - Part 14

If there first two games were low output offensively - game 3 was even more so. one - unearned - run was scored, in the 9th inning. There were 8 total hits in the game, but 13 walks and a hit batter. Ultimately the games only extra base-hit was the difference maker.

• Andy Messersmith and his bullpen counterparts, limited Paul's team to 4 hits on the night, but walked 10 - including loading the bases twice
• In the top on the 2nd Messersmith walked Ted Simmons, Bobby Murcer and Dave Concepcion around a strikeout of Carl Yastzremski - he was able to get out of the inning with a pop out from opposing pitcher Randy Jones and a line-out by Rod Carew
• My team loaded the bases in the 3rd. With 2 outs Jones walked Garry Maddox gave up a single to Ron Hunt then walked Toby Harrah. Bill Melton flew out to Center to end the inning.
• My defense turned double plays in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings to limit Paul's opportunities
• In the top of the 9th with 1 out Yaz walked and was out on Dave Concepcion's force. Concepcion stole second. Ray Burris walked Willie Horton and Rod Carew to load the bases again, but induced a ground-out from Don Kessinger to end the inning.
• Still scoreless to the bottom of the 9th. Don McMahon,and Bob Reynolds had not allowed a hit in 4 innings of relief of Jones. 
• Paul brought in Chuck Taylor to face Toby Harrah, Bill Melton and John Mayberry. Harrah grounded out and Melton hit a grounder as well, but Darrell Evans threw it away and Melton was safe at first (a speedier runner would have been on second).
• Cesar Tovar went in to pinch run for Melton, Mayberry smashed a double to left field
• Tovar is an A base-runner
• Horton in Left is a T3
• 11-42 he's safe, 43-88 out - I figured 40% chance hee is better than Ellie Rodriguez or Ralph Garr's chances of knocking in the run
• Random number was 26 - safe! 1-0 win and tightens the series to 2-1