Publisher – Performing Arts Software

Release Year – 1986

Platforms – Apple ][, IBM PC

Credits

Unknown – if anyone can provide this information, please post a Comment and I will update this section accordingly.

Review

So much for chronological order.. I skipped Baseball Fanatic early in my series of retro computer baseball games reviews but I’m finally able to revisit it now. The chief reason for omitting the game on my first time through the lineup is that I no longer possessed the game disk. I purchased the game circa 1986 or 1987 for my Apple ][e computer. I still have the manual and scanned a copy to help with the preservation of game’s existence. However I regrettably sold my Apple computer along with the software in the mid-1990’s shortly after purchasing my first IBM PC clone (a Micron tower). I don’t recall spending a lot of time with Baseball Fanatic – MicroLeague Baseball, APBA Major League Players Baseball and later Earl Weaver Baseball consumed most of my leisure time back then. When I started writing my Retro Review series, I remembered Baseball Fanatic and located my manual but I couldn’t find any references of the game on the Internet. The lone proof of it’s existence online was an advertisement that I tracked down in the April 1987 issue of Computer Gaming World along with a brief blurb about the game:

I finally tracked down a demo of the IBM PC version of the game which only allows the user to play two innings and most of the other features are disabled. You can view my playthrough video on my HardballRetro Youtube channel:

Still no luck locating the Apple ][ version or the full version of the IBM PC edition of Baseball Fanatic.. but the demo at least allowed me to reacquaint myself with the game almost four decades after my first encounter. Unfortunately, it matched my initial recollection – a fairly bland simulation of the National Pastime that doesn’t do anything particularly well. There is no “one-pitch” mode so you have to slog through every pitch of every at-bat. This might have been a tolerable exercise if the play-by-play contained any variation or imagination. Baseball Fanatic came with 32 World Series teams from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s or a 1986 season disk. An optional stat compiler / file editor disk was sold separately.

If you decide to play a single game, you can choose from four “playing levels”: Super Slugfest, Slugfest, Pitcher’s Duel and Average Big League to adjust the scoring production and strategies to be utilized on a per-game basis. Once the game begins, the defense must select the pitch type and location. The manager on offense has to guess the pitch type and location, then the result is displayed. Instead of playing individual games, there is also an option to “Watch the Scoreboard”. The file editor allows you to modify player characteristics.

Ratings

Graphics – [1] While I don’t have the Apple ][ version of Baseball Fanatic, my recollection is that the game screen was ordinary and consistent with the baseball sims of that era: Full Count Baseball, Monday Morning Manager, Avalon Hill Pro Manager, Radio Baseball and the APBA Major League Players Baseball. The color scheme for the IBM PC version is off-putting – a mix of browns and greens, a generic stadium and players with minimal animation.

Sound – [1] A few bleeps and bloops.. with two runners aboard, I was treated to a bleep-bloop rendition of a “Here We Go!” chant.

Strategy – [1] There’s not much strategy going on here.. You’re guessing at pitches and can attempt to bunt or steal a base. On defense I could pitch out with a runner on base or issue an intentional walk.

Artificial Intelligence – [1] I’m only able to play two innings at a clip so this limits my ability to determine if the computer AI is adequate.

Box Score – [1] Perhaps it’s a limitation of the demo but when my two-inning game concluded, I was booted back to the main menu after pressing a key (no option to view a box score). While setting the lineups pre-game, Baseball Fanatic displays offensive statistics in a peculiar order: at bats, hits, home runs, doubles, RBI, average and triples!

Rosters – [1] – The Create a New Team option allows you to build a ballclub from scratch. However you are limited to a 20-man roster (the World Series teams are bare-bones – only 11 batters and 5 pitchers per squad!). You do not have the ability to trade or draft players. Each player is assigned a position, then you enter their speed, power and batting average ratings. Batters additionally get a fielding rating. The sole rating for pitchers is their “ERA range”.

Statistics – [1] – Depending on your preference when plunking down your hard-earned cash for Baseball Fanatic, you received a game which included 32 World Series teams from the 1960’s through early 1980’s or a 1986 season disk with 26 team rosters. Addition data disks may have been available for purchase and an optional stat compiler / file editor disk was offered as well. I don’t have access to the stat compiler and the manual fails to specify what statistics are tracked.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [1] – Pitchers will become tired in the game according to the manual – “The computer keeps tracks of the number of pitches thrown by each pitcher and there is a fatigue factor, so watch for signs that your pitcher is tiring late in the game.” Injuries and ejections do not occur as far as I can tell.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [1] – Baseball Fanatic only depicts a generic stadium in-game and the manual does not mention anything about ballpark factors.

Commentary – [1] – Play results appear below the scoreboard at the top of the screen. The play-by-play is extremely bland with mostly one or two-word responses.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Total Score: 11 out of 50

Observations

Baseball Fanatic offers a straightforward pitch-by-pitch simulation but doesn’t do anything particularly well. In a marketplace with five very similar titles, a primarily text-based simulation had to offer something special to separate itself from the rest of the pack. Apart from my desire to track down this game nearly forty years later for the sake of fully documenting my favorite gaming genre, I cannot recommend Baseball Fanatic.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Baseball Fanatic.

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball		Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Baseball Fanatic

Additional Links

DOS Game Zone – play Baseball Fanatic (IBM PC demo) in your browser:

https://dosgamezone.com/game/baseball-fanatic-525.html

Playthroughs – Hardball Retro

IBM PC version:

Wilson, Johnny. “Baseball Game Survey.” Computer Gaming World. Volume 36, April 1987, p6-9, 42-44.

http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_36.pdf

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

This is the twentieth entry in a series focusing on computer baseball simulations to supplement the chapter “Play Retro Baseball Video Games In Your Browser” from my Hardball Retroactive book along with the corresponding post at Baseball Analytics. The series focuses on baseball simulations – games in which the primary emphasis is on managerial strategy and the ability to replay entire seasons with a degree of realism. Baseball video games that are strictly arcade representations of baseball (based solely on reflex and hand-eye coordination) are excluded.

Tony La Russa Baseball 3

Publisher – Stormfront Studios

Release Year – 1995

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Old Time Baseball

Publisher – Stormfront Studios

Release Year – 1995

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Tony La Russa Baseball 4

Publisher – Maxis

Release Year – 1997

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Interview

Don Daglow served as the Executive Producer for the Tony La Russa Baseball series along with Old Time Baseball. He graciously responded to my inquiries specific to TLRB3 & 4 and OTB.

DB – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 and Old Time Baseball were nearly released simultaneously in 1995. When was the concept for OTB conceived and was it intended to be a parallel project to TLRB3? Was there any concern about releasing two baseball products into the marketplace around the same time?

DD – The decision to release both was a calculated risk. Our theory was that the baseball history fans (like me) whose baseball desires were satisfied by Old Time Baseball and wouldn’t buy TLRB wouldn’t cannibalize too many TLRB sales. I also had dreamed for many years of creating something like OTB and we had our proprietary baseball engine upon which to base it, and that felt like the moment when I could “make the dream come true.” Of course, the factor we didn’t think about was the baseball strike!

DB – Is there any significance to the number “11” on the backs of the player uniforms?

DD – We weren’t yet at the point where available RAM and processor speed in the typical consumer machines would allow us to individualize the animations, and 11 was the least likely number to draw attention to that fact.

DB – The GM Challenge mode includes an undocumented feature where women begin to appear in the game after you progress into the 2040 season. MLB has been slowly moving in this direction on the field (female coaches and managers in the Minor Leagues) and the front office. Do you believe there is enough momentum towards this initiative to fulfill this prophecy within that timeline? When the Silver Bullets team was formed in the mid-90’s, there was some momentum in this direction.

DD – That’s outside my forecasting abilities, but I certainly hope we see more girls playing baseball in Little League etc. if that’s what they want to do. The hiring of Alyssa Nakken is also an encouraging signpost.

DB – Old Time Baseball featured the “Time Machine” to convert player statistics across different eras. What statistics were utilized when converting player data from one era to another? Did you utilize park factors, league runs per game, or a combination of formulas?

DD – We aggregated a series of factors, and I have to admit that 30 years later I don’t remember every step. Obviously, the toughest part was trying to maintain some kind of meaningful competition across the dead ball to modern ball transition. We even tried simulating 1871-92, though I’m not sure if that was a failed experiment.

DB – Tony La Russa 4 was the final edition in the series. Were further sequels with a revamped engine under consideration? What were some of the enhancements that you would have considered for a new game or series?

DD – There were two factors that caused us to end work on the series. First of all, the 1994-95 strike decreased consumer spending on everything baseball, even after play resumed. Our forecasts for unit sales of the games were dramatically affected. Second, over the course of the 1990s the large game publishers went public and started making games with much bigger budgets as a way to outsell and marginalize smaller publishers. Since we developed original games for publishers but baseball games were the only titles we published ourselves, this placed us at a big disadvantage. The combined effect of these two factors was to make another sequel a bad bet.

DB – You attempted to revive the La Russa product line in 2012 after a 15 year absence. “Tony La Russa’s Baseball With Fans” was targeted for Smartphone platforms but the Kickstarter support ultimately fell short. What would a re-imagined “Tony 5” look like and do you have any future plans for TLRB or perhaps an Old Time Baseball II with the ability to import statistics from online sources, internet play, etc.?

DD – That effort was undertaken when my passion for baseball caused me to not properly factor the fact that Kickstarter users usually support physical games, not digital ones. I always have dreams about making new kinds of baseball games, and one day one of them may come to life.

DB – If there are any important points about the Tony La Russa Baseball series and Old Time Baseball that I’ve missed, please share your thoughts here!

DD – Just that the roles of Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett and Hudson Piehl (in alphabetical order) in creating the games were critical in our initial and long-term success, and that without Katie Kelly coordinating everything the series would never have launched.

Review

Old Time Baseball

One of the neat features implemented in Old Time Baseball is the “Time Machine” which allows you to configure your league (universe) based on different eras in baseball history or you can select a specific season so the outcomes veer towards high, neutral or low-run environments. The available eras include:

All-Time Average, Early Baseball (1871-1892), Dead Ball Era (1893-1919), Babe Ruth Era (1920-1945), The Golden Age (1946-1960), Expansion Era (1961-1976), and Modern Baseball (1977-1994). The only competitor’s product offering similar functionality during this timeframe was Pursue the Pennant / Diamond Mind Baseball, to my knowledge. I imported the 1979 rosters and ran a test season using the Dead Ball Era to test-drive the Time Machine. Fred Lynn led the Majors with 10 round-trippers in the regular season. Five players tied for the runner-up spot with 6 circuit clouts apiece. Billy North (114 SB) was one of three players topping the century mark in steals as a dozen thieves pilfered at least 80 bags! David Palmer flummoxed the opposition, posting a Major League-best 1.44 ERA.

Experimenting further with the expansive Old Time Baseball statistics, I loaded the 1981 season into OTB and then imported that universe into TLRB3. Using the Player Stats function under the Utilities menu, I tabbed through each franchise and corrected the player names for individuals who were still active in 1995. Due to licensing issues with MLBPA, those player names in the OTB database were simply “Center Fielder” or “Pitcher”. However their actual statistics allowed me to easily discern their identities by browsing through the corresponding team roster on Baseball-Reference. So the Yankees “Pitcher” with an ERA of 0.77 and 46.2 IP became Rich Gossage while I ascertained the southpaw with the 2.05 ERA and 105.1 IP as rookie sensation Dave Righetti. I also encountered an issue with batter handedness. None of the players imported from the Old Time Baseball CD-ROM were listed as switch-hitters, so I had to scroll through each roster and compare to that season’s entry on the Baseball-Reference website. One other quirk involved primary positions for some outfielders. Many of them default to right field, making it necessary to peruse the actual games by position and correct those that should be in left or center field. I adjusted the lineups and rotations according to the historical record and simulated the season using a 162-game schedule.

I used the “Create Team” option in Old Time Baseball to build rosters from another project that I’m working on, tentatively titled “The Ones That Got Away”. I organized the best players that each franchise traded, released, or allowed to otherwise leave via free agency or other means, sorted by their WAR and Win Shares totals in their best seasons for their new club and divided into teams by decade. In this edition I elected to use the squads from the 1970’s as OTB contains all player-seasons through 1981. After I drafted the players on to their respective franchises, I selected starting lineups (vs RHP and LHP), starting rotations and bullpens. Stadiums were assigned to each team from the list of 16 beautifully rendered old-time ballparks that are included in the game. Since I had 24 teams (the 16 “original” franchises from the turn of the century plus the expansion teams through 1969), I opted to assign two teams to some of the stadiums.

The 70’s Yankees, Phillies, Athletics and Giants’ “Got Away” squads led their respective divisions at the All-Star Break. I signed on as the skipper for the American League All-Stars. A couple of left-handers, Vida Blue (OAK) and Wilbur Wood (PIT), were rewarded with the starting assignments. The afternoon affair at Fenway Park commenced with a scoreless first inning but George Foster (SFG) but the Senior Circuit on the board with a solo blast over the Green Monster. Davey Johnson (BAL) crushed a three-run shot into the netting above the left field wall to propel the Junior Circuit into the lead with two outs in the bottom of the third. He repeated the feat with two aboard in the fifth as the American Leaguers extended their advantage to 6-1. Foster tallied another RBI when he hit into a fielder’s choice with runners on first and second in the visitor’s sixth. Gaylord Perry (TEX) relieved Blue to begin the seventh frame and proceeded to set the NL crew down in order. Perry’s brother Jim held the opposition in check during the eighth inning and Andy Messersmith entered the contest to nail down the final three outs as the American League triumphed by a score of 6-2.

The season concluded with the Tribe outlasting the Bronx Bombers by a five-game margin in the AL East while the Angels, Athletics and Rangers each posted 90+ victories in the AL West. Texas emerged with the division title by a lone victory over Oakland. In the National League, Philadelphia claimed the Eastern Division crown and finished five games ahead of St. Louis. The Astros topped the Majors with 97 wins and prevailed in a tight race with the Reds to take the NL West.

Cleveland stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series. Tommy Harper clubbed a round-tripper and knocked in four runs while Dennis Eckersley hurled 8 strong innings as the Tribe took Game 1 by a score of 7-3.  Sonny Siebert (CLE) and Bert Blyleven (TEX) engaged in a pitcher’s duel in Game 2, trading zeroes for eight frames until Ray Fosse singled home Joe Rudi with the game’s lone run off Don Stanhouse to propel Cleveland to a 1-0 triumph. Harper led the Indians’ offensive ambush with 4 of the team’s 13 base knocks in Game 3. Jim Perry and Jim Kern held the Rangers at bay, allowing 4 base hits as Cleveland pushed Texas to the brink of elimination. The Rangers showed their resiliency in Game 4 with a 4-3 victory in a ten-inning affair. Texas hurlers Joe H. Coleman, Stan Thomas and combined for a 2-0 shutout in Game 5. Harper swatted a big-fly and Rudi drove in 3 runs to clinch the AL pennant as Cleveland defeated Texas, 6-5 in Game 6 to advance to the World Series.

Philadelphia prevailed 12-9 in Game 1 as Houston wasted a home run and 5 RBI from first-sacker John Mayberry and Joe Pepitone’s 3 RBI. The Phillies countered with four circuit clouts – a couple of taters off the bat of Barry Foote along with big-flies by John E Briggs and Don Money. Also known as “Brooks” for his fielding prowess, Money cashed in with a 5-for-5 day at the office. Everyone in the Phillies lineup contributed at least one base hit as Astros’ southpaw Dave A Roberts and a trio of relievers yielded 20 base knocks. The Fightin’ Phillies repeated the feat in the second contest, a 12-0 shellacking in which the Houston staff allowed 19 hits while Fergie Jenkins spun a 5-hit shutout. Dick Allen went yard twice and John “Bad Dude” Stearns delivered a solo shot. The Astros triumphed on the road in Game 3 as the ball club rallied with 2 runs in the ninth to secure a  7-6 victory. Rusty Staub plated three baserunners and Joe Ferguson added a pair of RBI. Ken Brett (PHI) twirled a 3-hitter to claim victory in a 1-0 affair in Game 4 despite a one-hitter by Houston’s Jerry Reuss. Unfortunately for the ‘Stros, that one hit was a solo round-tripper by Toby Harrah in the sixth inning. The visiting Astros held a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth in Game 5 when the hometown Phils erupted for 3 runs against Howie Reed and Fred Scherman to capture the NL pennant. I elected to skipper the Phillies in the upcoming Series.

Philadelphia travelled to Cleveland and the World Series commenced with a pair of aces on the hill for their respective clubs. Dennis Eckersley got the Game 1 nod for the Tribe while the Fightin’ Phillies countered with Fergie “Fly” Jenkins. Toby Harrah advanced to second on a two-base error by left fielder Joe Rudi. “Eck” walked John Stearns and Dick Allen to load the bases with nobody out. Oscar Gamble lofted a fly ball to center, deep enough to score Harrah. John E. Briggs rapped into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat. Tommy Harper laced a two-bagger off the center field wall to ignite a potential rally for the Indians. Rudi atoned for his earlier miscue to knot the game at 1-1 with a double to right-center field. Eckersley held the Phillies hitless until Cesar Tovar delivered a clean single to left with one away in the top of the fifth. The match remained tied until the bottom of the eighth when Jenkins yielded consecutive two-base hits to Alfredo Griffin and Harper. Cleveland assumed a 2-1 lead and Philadelphia elected to call upon Grant Jackson after issuing a free pass to George Hendrick. Jackson got out of the jam and the Tribe brought Jim Kern on to pitch the ninth inning. Oscar Gamble drew a base on balls. Briggs bounced a high chopper back to the mound. Kern whirled and fired to second to gun down the pinch-runner, Bill Robinson. Don Money drilled a double up the gap in left-center and Briggs was off to the races, scoring all the way from first to tie the game at 2-2! Cleveland’s skipper held up four fingers and Kern walked Del Unser intentionally to face Tovar. I countered with pinch-hitter Willie Montanez, who promptly whiffed on a 3-2 curveball. Dave Cash lined out to third for the final out of the frame. Jackson retired the Indians in order and the game headed into extra innings. Harrah belted a double high off the center field wall to commence the top of the tenth and he advanced to third on a slow roller to first off the bat of Stearns. Cleveland chose to pitch to Allen even though first base was unoccupied and the slugger drove in Harrah with a sacrifice fly to left to put the Phillies in front, 3-2. Darold Knowles shut down the Tribe offense in the home half of the tenth to notch the save as Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the Series.

Jim Perry merited the starting nod for the Indians in Game 2 while the Phillies countered with Rick Wise. Cleveland scratched across a run in the first when Toby Harrah booted Joe Rudi’s grounder to short with the bases loaded. Another miscue by Harrah with two outs in the second allowed George Hendrick to bat with a pair of baserunners aboard. “Silent George” took a mighty cut and deposited the ball far beyond the center field fence for a three-run bomb as the Indians extended their lead to 4-0. Harrah drew a leadoff base on balls in the fourth and later scored with two down on an opposite-field single off the bat of Oscar Gamble. Ron Schueler relieved Wise after he issued a free pass to Alfredo Griffin with one out in the sixth. Tommy Harper promptly rapped into a 6-4-3 double play to keep the score at 4-1. Rudi’s web gem, a diving catch that robbed Cesar Tovar of a base knock, keep the Phils at bay in the visitor’s seventh. Griffin laced an RBI double in the eighth to provide further cushion for the Tribe. Perry cruised to a complete-game six-hitter, retiring pinch-hitter Johnny Callison on a pop-up to Ray Fosse to end the contest and knot the series at one game apiece.

In the City of Brotherly Love, the two teams prepared to square off in Game 3. Tommy Harper worked a base on balls leading off the contest and Jose Cardenal followed with a two-run blast off Ken Brett which landed just inside the left-field foul pole. Tommy John served up a gopher ball to left-center field off the bat of center fielder Jerry Martin to cut the Indians lead in half. Toby Harrah and Dick Allen tagged solo shots off “TJ” in the third frame to put the Phillies on top, 3-2. Rico Carty belted a triple over Martin’s outstretched glove in center to start the visitor’s fourth. Brett whiffed Graig Nettles and Joe Rudi to nearly escape the inning unscathed, but Chris Chambliss laced a single to center to drive home the tying run. Alfredo Griffin singled to commence the fifth frame, moved to third on Harper’s two-base knock and scored on a solid single to center by “Silent” George Hendrick. Jackie Brown relieved Brett in the top of the sixth. The Tribe tacked on a run in the eighth after Harrah committed a pair of errors. John hurled scattered eight hits across eight innings before Jim Kern entered the game in the bottom of the ninth. The “Emu” yielded a one-out single to John “Bad Dude” Stearns but he induced a 6-4-3 double play ground ball off the bat of pinch-hitter Willie Montanez to secure the 5-3 victory as Cleveland assumed the advantage in the Series.

The Tribe had another ace up their sleeve as the wily right-hander Gaylord Perry got the starting assignment in Game 4. The Fightin’ Phils countered with southpaw Rudy May. I noticed a bug in the box score when Cleveland tallied an unearned run in the top of the third inning. Chris Chambliss singled and advanced to third base on a two-out base knock off the bat of Tommy Harper. However, Chambliss twisted his ankle on the play and had to be removed from the contest in favor of Vada Pinson. A surprise bunt by Jose Cardenal caught May off-guard and the pitcher bobbled the ball, allowing Pinson to score as Harper moved up to second and Cardenal beat the throw to first. The box score credited Chambliss with the run scored instead of Pinson. Regardless, the Indians held a 1-0 advantage after May whiffed “Silent” George Hendrick. Philadelphia knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Toby Harrah drilled a two-bagger up the gap in left field. Willie Montanez and John E. Briggs delivered consecutive base hits with Harrah coasting home when Cardenal trapped Briggs’ liner to center. May struck out nine batsmen through 6 2/3 innings but ran out of gas and yielded the bump to right-hander Dyar Miller. Harper drew a walk to load the bases. Cardenal jumped on Miller’s first offering and ripped a double that one-hopped the fence in left-center, scoring a pair to put the visitors out in front, 3-1. Hendrick struck out but the damage was done. Jim Kern entered the game in the bottom of the ninth after Perry held the Phillies to one run through eight frames. Don Money coaxed a base on balls leading off the inning and Johnny Callison blooped a base hit to right field. Del Unser slapped a single past a diving Pinson at first base, cutting the lead to 3-2. Kern proceeded to strike out the side as Oscar Gamble, Harrah and Richie Hebner were punched out in succession to slam the door shut on the Phillies’ rally.

Philadelphia returned to the ballpark for Game 5 facing a must-win scenario with Ferguson Jenkins on the hill for the hometown squad and Dennis Eckersley slinging for the visiting ball club. Both hurlers held the opposition in check until the visitor’s fifth when Jose Cardenal laced a sharp single over the head of second-sacker Dave Cash, scoring Ray Fosse from third. In the bottom of the seventh, Del Unser led off with a base hit to center field and reached second on a throwing error by Cardenal. Dave Cash delivered a single but Unser was only able to advance one base. John Stearns drew a base on balls following a strikeout by Toby Harrah. Dick Allen whiffed for the second out but Willie Montanez stroked a solid single back through the box and into center field to tie the game at 1-1. Johnny Callison slashed an opposite-field single to left with one away in the eighth, sending “Eck” to the showers in favor of the Tribe’s closer, Jim Kern. Cesar Tovar came on as a pinch-runner. Cash executed the hit-and-run to perfection, lining the ball up the right-center field gap for the go-ahead double. Grant Jackson replaced “Fly” to begin the ninth frame and he retired the Indians in order to secure the save as the Phillies prevailed, 2-1 and sent the Series back to Cleveland.

The skippers for Philadelphia and Cleveland turned to veterans Rick Wise and Jim Perry, respectively, for Game 6 matchup. Joe Rudi commenced the scoring with a two-run blast over the right-center field wall in the home half of the second inning. Ray Fosse drilled a one-out double to deep center field in the fifth to plate Vada Pinson. The Indians loaded the bases but Wise extracted himself from the jam with a pair of grounders to shortstop Toby Harrah, the first one resulting in a force out at home. John Stearns and Dick Allen rapped back-to-back two-base hits in the top of the sixth to put the Phillies on the board. Oscar Gamble ripped a hot grounder past a diving Tommy Harper to drive in Allen, cutting the Cleveland advantage to 3-2. Darold Knowles replaced Wise to start the sixth inning. He kept the Tribe in check for two frames before yielding to Dyar Miller in the eighth. Miller and southpaw Grant Jackson worked in and out of trouble in the eighth. Cleveland’s manager summoned Jim Kern from the bullpen to pitch the ninth. Gamble led off with a line-drive single to center. Don Money ripped a tailor-made double play grounder to shortstop but Tommy Harper failed to handle the throw from Alfredo Griffin and the ball sailed into right field for a two-base error. The unexpected gift gave the Phillies new life, placing runners on second and third with nobody out. Johnny Callison’s next swing silenced the hometown faithful as he connected on an opposite-field, three-run round-tripper over the left field wall. The FIghtin’ Phils loaded the bases on one-out singles by Dave Cash and Harrah, followed by a base on balls to Stearns. Kern struck out Allen but Willie Montanez laced his fourth base knock of the day to extend the Phillies’ lead to 6-3. Kern was mercifully removed in favor of portsider Brent Strom. Pinch-hitter Bill Robinson greeted him with a single to center, tallying another run for the visitors. Money grounded out to Griffin to conclude the inning with the Indians trailing 7-3. Bill Champion took the mound for the Phillies and promptly served up an opposite-field long ball to Rudi. Consecutive two-base hits by Chris Chambliss and Duke Sims brought the fans to their feet and sent Champion to the showers. Veteran left-hander Woodie Fryman entered the fray with Sims on second base and the tying run at the plate with nobody out. Harrah made a diving stop on a hot grounder up the middle and fired to first base in time to retire Griffin. Harper went down swinging and Rusty Torres flew out to center for the final out as Philadelphia claimed a 7-5 victory to force a seventh game.

A couple of southpaws, Ken Brett for the Phillies and Tommy John for the Indians, received the starting assignment in Game 7. Both lineups were stacked with right-handed batsmen save for Graig Nettles. The visitors loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Bill Robinson and Jerry Martin, followed by a walk to Don Money. John whiffed Cesar Tovar but Barry Foote crushed an 0-1 curveball deep over the fence in center field for a grand slam! In the fourth, John Stearns ripped a two-run single to left which knocked John out of the contest. Brent Strom came on in relief as Cleveland trailed 6-0. Money deposited a long ball in the right-center field bleachers for a solo shot off Strom in the seventh. Brett yielded his first tally in the home seventh when Ted Ford drilled a two-bagger off the center field wall to plate Rico Carty. Jackie Brown entered the game in the eighth with a 7-1 lead. He skated through his first frame without issue but ran into trouble in the ninth as Duke Sims and Alfredo Griffin produced successive RBI singles. The Phillies’ skipper called upon the closer, Darold Knowles, to extinguish the fire. He got Tommy Harper to ground into a fielder’s choice and Jose Cardenal on a two-hopper to second-sacker Dave Cash for the final out. The Fightin’ Phils gathered near the mound to revel in the victory. Fergie Jenkins earned MVP honors with 15 1/3 innings pitched, 11 strikeouts and 3 runs allowed.

Tony La Russa Baseball 3

Tony La Russa Baseball 3 introduces the GM Challenge, a “career mode” option in which the user assumes the role of the General Manager. You begin in the currently selected universe’s year. I imported the 1961 Season from Old Time Baseball so I could oversee the roster construction for the expansion Angels’ ball club. So you have the players from 1961 on their actual teams to start the GM Challenge. You adjust the levers on the Scouting Emphasis screen to determine an order of preference with regards to available amateur talent in the upcoming draft. The drafting is performed behind-the-scenes and consists of fictional players. This is where my interest in this mode drifted… I am just unable to find any enjoyment managing fictional players when it comes to baseball simulations. I put the game through its paces for several seasons using the GM Challenge but it failed to capture my attention. One interesting note that I came across during my research – if you play into the 2040 season or thereabouts, female ballplayers will begin to appear on your rosters.

All three games include the Fantasy Draft. This allows you to create a brand new baseball universe using a variety of standard fantasy or Rotisserie baseball options. You can choose the draft order (cycle, snake or random) and whether to utilize “Rotisserie Points” or conduct an Auction Style draft, where owners can bid on each player. You can assign human or computer general managers to each team prior to the draft and the user is able to modify the General Manager Profile for each individual GM with custom or preset biases: Tony La Russa (balanced pitching, hitting, defense), Power Hungry (emphasis on homers), Steal Bases/Steal Hits (emphasis on speed and generating one run at a time), Pitching-Pitching-Pitching, and Tough in the Field (defense and pitching). Each draft can last for up to 40 rounds, provided there are enough players in the free agent pool.

I elected to simulate the 1995 season with the hopes that my favorite team, the Angels, would somehow avoid their September collapse and reach the playoffs. The Halos achieved this goal with 95 victories in the regular season. California triumphed over Baltimore in the first round, 3 games to 1. Chuck Finley went the distance in Game 1, yielding only two hits while striking out seven O’s. Mark Langston out-dueled Scott Erickson as the Halos took Game 2 by a score of 5-2. The Orioles prevailed in an extra-inning slugfest in Game 3, 9-8, in a contest featuring 8 circuit clouts. Mark Dalesandro, Tony Phillips and J.T. Snow cleared the fences at Camden Yards as the Angels advanced to the next round with a decisive 6-1 victory in Game 4.

Cleveland and Boston squared off in the other American League Division Series. Dennis Martinez blanked the BoSox on three hits in Game 1. Carlos Baerga rapped four base knocks as Cleveland prevailed 7-5 in Game 2. Albert Belle swatted a pair of big flies and drove in five runs to propel the Indians into the next round with a convincing 9-0 rout of Tim Wakefield and the Sox in the third contest.

The National League Division Series featured Cincinnati’s sweep of San Diego. The Redlegs’ Jerome Walton provided the margin of victory with a two-run jack in the top of the ninth off Scott Sanders. Eddie Taubensee clubbed a couple of long balls and knocked in four runs as Cincinnati rolled to a 9-1 triumph in the second game. Back on their home turf in Game 3, the Cincinnati lumber crew belted 4 round-trippers and David Wells twirled a 3-hit shutout to close out the sweep of the Friars.

Los Angeles won a hard-fought series over Florida in 5 games. The Dodgers outlasted the Marlins, 6-5 in Game 1 as Jose Offerman recorded 3 hits and Bill Ashley mashed a two-run tater. Bobby Witt whiffed 10 in 6 2/3 innings as Florida evened the series at one game apiece. The Marlins nearly wasted a brilliant effort by Chris Hammond in Game 3 (8 IP, 5 H, 0 R) when the Dodgers rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the ninth to tie the score, but the LA bullpen imploded in the bottom of the inning. Antonio Osuna walked Gary Sheffield, then Todd Worrell issued free passes to Charles Johnson and Jesus Tavarez before pinch-hitter Jerry Browne slapped a game-winning single! Hideo Nomo flummoxed the Fish in Game 4, striking out ten and allowing only three hits in an 8-0 rout as Offerman homered and knocked in 4 runs. Dave Hansen plated 3 baserunners and Tom Candiotti’s flutterball finished off Florida with a convincing 8-2 triumph in Miami.

The Angels took the Indians to six games in the American League Championship Series but California’s pitching staff took a collecting beating from the Tribe offense. Orel Hershiser struck out 13 Halos in Game 1 while Kenny Lofton and Paul Sorrento knocked in three runs apiece as the Tribe notched a 9-1 victory. Angels’ hurlers served up seven gopher balls in Game 2 including 4 jacks by Paul Sorrento! Shawn Boskie allowed 11 earned runs and Brian J. Anderson coughed up 5 of the round-trippers as Cleveland trounced California, 19-8. The Angels’ offense came to life in Game 3 as the club registered 19 base hits, but the Indians countered with 15 of their own in a 13-8 decision that put the Tribe in position to sweep the series. Tim Salmon produced 3 hits, a home run, 3 RBI and stole a base as California finally recorded a win, 6-5 in 10 innings. J.T. Snow, Rex Hudler and Spike Owen cranked circuit clouts and southpaw Mark Langston held Cleveland in check over 8 1/3 innings as the Halos claimed Game 5 by a score of 5-3. Alas, the Indians returned home for Game 6 and got their mojo back as Hershiser spun a five-hitter and blanked the Angels, 8-0. The “Bulldog” was mobbed by his teammates at the mound and Cleveland was headed to the World Series.

The Dodgers coasted to victory in the National League Championship Series in six games. Raul Mondesi launched two long balls and drove in four runs as the Dodgers defeated the Reds in Game 1. Cincinnati only registered three base knocks in Game 2 but they somehow managed seven tallies against one for Los Angeles while Pete Schourek scattered 9 hits over 8 innings. Todd Hollandsworth swatted a big-fly and knocked in 3 runs for LA to secure a 5-3 victory in Game 3. The Dodgers belted three solo shots but fell to the Reds, 4-3 in Game 4. With the series knotted at two games apiece, Los Angeles seized the upper hand when Raul Mondesi walloped a majestic three-run blast and his teammates scratched out a couple of late-inning tallies in a 5-4 triumph. Jose Offerman and Roberto Kelly delivered 3 hits each and the Dodgers prevailed in Game 6, 5-4 in 10 innings to claim the National League pennant!

The World Series commenced at Dodger Stadium and I elected to manage Los Angeles. Carlos Baerga delivered a solo blast off Ismael Valdes in the top of the first. Mike Piazza countered with a line drive that cleared the fence in left-center off Mark Clark to tie the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Paul Sorrento slapped a bases-loaded single just beyond the reach of shortstop Jose Offerman to briefly give the visitors a 2-1 lead in the sixth but Eric Karros led off the home half of the frame with a towering four-bagger into the center field bleachers to knot the game at 2-2. Valdes supplied seven strong innings of 5-hit ball but the manager summoned Antonio Osuna from the bullpen to start the eighth. Osuna immediately allowed a double up the gap in right-center to Kenny Lofton and later issued a pair of walks. John Cummings extinguished the blaze when he fanned Sorrento for the third out. LA loaded the bases against Clark on successive singles by Piazza and Karros followed by an intentional pass to third baseman Dave Hansen later in the frame. Pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez popped up to Jim Thome in foul territory to quell the threat. Light-hitting backstop Tony Pena greeted the Dodgers’ closer Todd Worrell with a deep fly that landed in the left field seats. The hushed crowd stared in disbelief as Worrell grabbed the rosin bag and tossed it behind the mound in anger as Pena trotted around the bases. He retired the next three hitters in order. I noticed a potential glitch in TLRB3 at this point. Jose Mesa was announced as the new pitcher, followed by a notification that Julian Tavarez and Paul Assenmacher were warming up in the bullpen. Immediately thereafter, the game advised that Tavarez was now pitching. To confirm that I wasn’t imagining this, I checked the box score and confirmed that indeed Mesa was listed for the Indians and removed without pitching to a batter. Perhaps he was injured on his journey from the bullpen to the mound, or hurt himself throwing warm-up tosses? Chad Fonville reached on a single and advanced to third when Offerman’s grounder snuck through the hole vacated by Omar Vizquel when the shortstop went to cover second on the hit-and-run play. Raul Mondesi stepped up to the plate with runners on the corners and nobody out. Tavarez whiffed Mondesi and Piazza hit a slow roller towards Vizquel who wheeled and fired to Baerga for the second out. However, Piazza just beat the relay to first and Fonville easily crossed home plate with the tying run! Vizquel settled under Karros’ pop-fly to shallow left and the game drifted into extra innings. Baerga belted a two-base knock into the left field corner to start the visitors’ tenth and the Dodgers elected to issue an intentional pass to Albert Belle. Willie Banks replaced Worrell on the bump and peered in to Piazza for the signs as Manny Ramirez took a couple of practice swings. Ramirez grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Belle from the base paths. One man out and runners at the corners for Thome, who delivered a liner between first and second for a run-scoring single as Baerga trotted home with the go-ahead run. Mondesi gunned down Belle at third base as Thome snuck into second. Sorrento drew a base on balls, so I summoned Pedro Astacio from the bullpen. Pena ripped a sharp single to left and Roberto Kelly came up firing. Inexplicably, Offerman cut off the throw and fired to first base which allowed Thome to reach home plate uncontested! Vizquel lined out to Fonville to end the inning but the Tribe now held a 5-3 advantage. Tavarez remained on the bump to begin the frame. Roberto Kelly scorched a hot grounder down the third base line. Thome gloved it, fired across the diamond and almost nailed Kelly but the ball ticked off Sorrento’s mitt and landed near the tarp. Pena backed up the play so Kelly did not attempt to advance. Jim Poole answered the call to the ‘pen. Hansen rapped a base hit to right sending Kelly scampering over to third. Brett Butler popped up to the catcher behind the plate. Billy Ashley, batting for Astacio, coaxed a base on balls to load ‘em up. Fonville lofted a fly ball to medium center, just deep enough to score Kelly. Offerman skied a pop-up behind the dish and Pena settled under it for the last out to secure a 5-4 triumph for the Indians.

Game 2 was slated to be the “Battle of the Martinez’s” as Ramon J. of the Dodgers prepared to square off against Dennis of the Indians. Sandy Alomar Jr. put the Indians on the board with a solo blast in the top of the second. Later in the frame, Dennis Martinez clubbed a two-run dinger off his counterpart to give the Tribe an early 3-0 advantage. Carlos Baerga belted a long ball leading off the third, which sent Ramon J. Martinez to the showers in favor of Pedro Astacio. Albert Belle walloped a tape-measure job deep into the left field bleachers. Manny Ramirez laced a double into the gap in left-center followed by a Jim Thome single. After Paul Sorrento popped up to third, Alomar slapped a base hit to right field to plate Ramirez. Omar Vizquel drilled a two-run triple to left-center, knocking in a pair of runs. When the dust finally settled, Willie Banks was on the bump for LA and the Tribe had a comfortable 8-0 lead!  Undaunted by the deluge of runs tallied by their opponents, the Dodgers mounted a comeback against “El Presidente” in the home half of the third. Jose Offerman and Raul Mondesi hammered back-to-back doubles with two outs to put LA on the board. Mike Piazza drew a base on balls and Eric Karros smacked a three-run bomb into the right-center field bleachers to cut the Indians’ lead to 8-4! Offerman injured himself on a defensive play in the fourth, so Chad Fonville moved from second to short and the Dodgers substituted Garey Ingram at second base. Los Angeles scratched out a run in the bottom of the sixth. With a pair of runners aboard, Fonville delivered a sacrifice bunt and pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth grounded out to short for an RBI fielder’s choice. John Cummings and Antonio Osuna held the Indians in check. Roberto Kelly led off the eighth with a base knock. Dave Hansen executed a perfect hit-and-run play as he slapped a slow roller through the hole vacated by Vizquel. Fonville’s two-hopper between short and third was fielded cleanly by the Tribe shortstop, who gunned the ball to second for a fielder’s choice. Dennis Martinez remained on the mound as the Dodgers sent pinch-hitter Henry Rodriguez to the plate with runners on the corners and only one away. Baerga snared Rodriguez’s liner for the second out and Brett Butler grounded out to short to retire the side. Todd Worrell served up a two-run blast to Sorrento in the ninth to extend the Indians’ lead. Martinez finished off the Dodgers to preserve the 10-5 victory and send the Indians home with a 2-0 advantage in the Series.

The festivities commenced in “The Forest City” with Charles Nagy on the hill for the hometown team. Japanese rookie sensation Hideo Nomo got the nod for the visitors with the added pressure of his squad’s 0-2 deficit entering the contest. Eddie Murray batted cleanup for Cleveland, making his first appearance as the designated hitter was implemented only in the American League ballpark per the rulebook. Nomo suffered control problems throughout the early innings, issuing 5 free passes through the third inning. He wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam when Manny Ramirez took a mighty cut and came up empty in the home half of the third. Kenny Lofton launched a moon-shot into the right-field seats to give the Tribe a 2-0 lead in the fifth. Nagy and Nomo racked up the strikeouts as both clubs flailed wildly at their offerings. Nomo yielded to Antonio Osuna to start the eighth frame after his pitch count climbed to 129 with his 10 strikeouts offset by 7 bases on balls but only 3 hits allowed. Nagy was absolutely dominant, completing a 12 strikeout, 2-hit shutout by fielding a comebacker off the bat of Eric Karros and flipping to Paul Sorrento to ice the game. The Indians shook hands at the center of the diamond and looked ahead to tomorrow’s match, confident that they would sweep the Dodgers and secure the trophy.

Veteran right-handers Orel Hershiser and Tom Candiotti took the mound for their respective ball clubs in Game 4. Paul Sorrento crushed a knuckleball deep into the right-center field bleachers to notch the first tally of the contest in the third inning. Later in the frame, Kenny Lofton drew a walk and scored on Carlos Baerga’s big fly. The Tribe led 3-0 and they had Candiotti on the ropes. Albert Belle struck out to end the threat but Pedro Astacio entered the game in the bottom of the fourth. Brett Butler led off the top of the sixth with a two-bagger off the center field wall. “Bulldog” escaped the jam with a soft fly out to right, a strikeout of Raul Mondesi, a free pass to Mike Piazza and a lineout to first by Eric Karros. Cleveland threatened to extend their lead in the seventh, loading the bases on a pair of singles by Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, along with an intentional walk to pinch-hitter Herb Perry. Mark Guthrie departed in favor of Antonio Osuna, who was called upon to face Sandy Alomar Jr. with the infield in and nobody out. Alomar delivered a sacrifice fly to center, easily plating Ramirez for the 4-0 lead. Thome wisely tagged up and reached third on the play. Omar Vizquel slapped a hard grounder to third which was fielded cleanly by Dave Hansen, who fired home in plenty of time for Piazza to apply the tag on Thome for the second out. Lofton flew out deep to center but the Dodgers’ hopes of extending their season were rapidly fading. Butler ripped a long single towards right-center to start the eighth. Hershiser induced Chad Fonville to hit a comebacker and he nailed Butler at second base, but Fonville beat the relay to first. Perry took the wind out of LA’s sails when he snared a liner off the bat of Mondesi and instinctively tagged Fonville for an unassisted double play! Hershiser retired Piazza on a one-hopper to Vizquel and appeared to be in complete command as he attempted to shut out the Dodgers and finish the series sweep. Eric Karros lined a double up the gap in left-center and he advanced to third on Roberto Kelly’s ground out to Baerga. Henry Rodriguez coaxed a base on balls and Hansen subsequently singled to left to drive in Karros with LA’s first run of the contest. Billy Ashley, batting for Garey Ingram, swung through a full-count off-speed delivery. Hershiser was mobbed by his teammates in the middle of the diamond and there was pandemonium at Jacobs Field as the Indians prevailed 4-1!  Cleveland thoroughly outplayed their opponents in all facets of the game, breezing through October with an 11-2 record in the playoffs to secure the World Series trophy.

Tony La Russa Baseball 4

Tony La Russa Baseball 4 comes with the 1996 Season and the 1997 Opening Day rosters. TLRB4 includes a Remote Game option (which I never tested) that permits a connection to another TLRB4 user via modem, serial or local area network (LAN). The ballpark resolution is enhanced from the prior iterations but the gameplay, announcers, and menu options will otherwise be familiar to individuals who played any of the first 3 editions in the series or Old Time Baseball. Additional bells and whistles in TLRB4 consist of League News, Trade Offers and Free Agents. League News will provide up-to-date information for your replay league such as injuries, recently released and traded players. Trade Offers indicates which players might be available in a deal with another ball club. Free Agents displays a sortable list of the players currently not under contract by any of the teams in your league.

I replayed the ’96 campaign and stopped the action at mid-season to manage the American League squad in the All-Star matchup. Both lineups were stacked and the Senior Circuit elected to send Al Leiter (11-8, 2.22) to the hill while I handed the ball to Pat Hentgen (6-7, 3.71). Both hurlers extracted themselves from jams in the first inning. The Senior Circuit loaded the bases with three walks in the third but Hentgen whiffed Gary Sheffield and Todd Hundley to keep the contest scoreless. Ivan Rodriguez plated Alex Rodriguez to draw first blood for the A.L. squad in the fourth. The pitcher was due up next so I pulled a double-switch with Hentgen, sending Cal Ripken up to bat. The “Iron Man” whiffed on a 3-2 pitch but I kept him in the game at third base, replacing Dean Palmer as Roger Clemens trotted in from the bullpen. Sheffield tied the score at 1-1 with a run-scoring single to left off the “Rocket Man” in the fifth frame. Alex Fernandez entered the ballgame for the AL in the sixth inning. “Rip” laced a one-out single off Leiter in the seventh and Roberto Alomar followed with a base hit. Chuck Knoblauch replaced Ripken as a pinch-runner at second base as Frank E. Thomas strolled to the plate. The “Big Hurt” grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat. Fernandez put up a pair of goose eggs to preserve the tie game. Leading off the next inning, Juan “Igor” Gonzalez belted a solo shot over the fence in left-center to propel the Junior Circuit into the lead. The National Leaguers failed to tally a run against Troy Percival in the eighth, saving their heroics for the following frame when pinch-hitter Ellis Burks launched a game-tying circuit clout into the center-field bleachers off John Wetteland. Leiter reluctantly yielded to Rich Batchelor as the match entered extra innings. “A-Rod” delivered a base knock to start the eleventh and advanced to second on a slow roller to the pitcher. Batchelor issued a free pass to pinch-hitter Terry Steinbach. The N.L. skipper made the call to the bullpen and Mark Petkovsek took the mound. Ivan Rodriguez flew out to left for the second out. Knoblauch slashed a liner through the hole between shortstop and third but it was hit with such force that the third-base coach signaled for the lead runner to put on the brakes. Two outs, bases loaded for Jim Thome. The lefty slugger took a mighty cut but fanned on a 2-2 changeup. Jose Mesa jogged in from the pen, took his warmup tosses and picked up the rosin bag as Jeff Bagwell knocked the dirt from his cleats and settled into the batter’s box. “BagPipes” worked the count to 3-2 before drawing a base on balls. Barry Larkin barely got a piece of the ball, tapping a little dribbler in front of home plate. “Pudge” Rodriguez pounced out it and threw down to first to nail the speedy Larkin as Bagwell advanced to second. Steve Finley was walked intentionally to set up the double play and bring up the pitcher’s spot in the batting order. Andres Galarraga took a couple of practice swings in the on-deck circle, surveyed the defense and walked up to the plate. Galarraga swung at Mesa’s 3-0 delivery and hit a sky-high pop up towards third base. Thome camped under it as the umpire ruled “infield fly”. Eric Young struck out on a 1-2 changeup and the contest extended into the twelfth inning. Scott Sanders entered the game for the National Leaguers and set the opposition down in order. Heathcliff Slocumb retired the side in order in the bottom of the twelfth and escaped a jam in the thirteenth when he struck out Finley with two outs and the potential winning run on third. Mike Piazza rapped a pinch-hit single down the left field fence off Andy Pettitte in the bottom of the fourteenth. Eric Young popped up to third for the first out. Ken Caminiti hammered a fastball over Ken Griffey Jr.’s outstretched glove in center field for the game-winning double!

The Cleveland Indians topped the Junior Circuit with 102 triumphs and the Texas Rangers snatched the AL Wild Card spot while the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners claimed the remaining division titles. The M’s rallied from a 0-2 deficit to defeat the Bronx Bombers with three consecutive wins at the Kingdome in the opening round of the playoffs. The Tribe swept the Rangers to advance to the next round. In an epic Championship Series, Seattle emerged victorious after a fierce seven-game bout with Cleveland.

The Atlanta Braves (96-66) recorded the highest victory total in the Senior Circuit. The San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals seized the other divisional crowns while the Montreal Expos outdistanced the Cincinnati Reds by a five-game margin to snag the NL Wild Card entry. The Braves trailed the Redbirds two games to one before rallying to take a pair of contests at home to prevail in the Divisional Series. The Friars obliterated the Expos in three games to move on to the Championship Series. Atlanta again found themselves behind the eight ball as San Diego nabbed a 2-1 lead in the NLCS before the Braves rebounded with three successive wins to secure a World Series berth.

A pair of portsiders prepared to square off in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series as Tom Glavine and Sterling Hitchcock warmed up in their respective bullpens. Atlanta quickly put a crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Hitchcock yielded a base hit to Mike Mordecai and issued successive walks to Chipper Jones and Fred McGriff. Ryan Klesko laced a long single that one-hopped the wall in right-center to drive home Mordecai and Jones. Side note: TLRB (all versions) seemed to suffer from an inordinate number of “long singles” – understanding that the occasional hard-hit ball in combination with a strong-armed outfielder will cause a slow-footed slugger to think twice about stretching a single into a double, the frequency of these outcomes seemed a bit off. I believe one or more patches attempted to resolve this issue, but thought I’d mention it here since it occurred in the fourth edition of the game. Back to the action.. Javy Lopez lofted a sacrifice fly to center field and McGriff cruised home with the third tally. Marquis Grissom sprinted into the gap in left-center and made a diving catch of a line drive off the bat of Jay Buhner for the first out in the fourth frame. Two batters later, “Hard-Hittin’” Mark Whiten belted a hanging curveball over the fence in left for a solo blast, cutting the Braves’ advantage to 3-1. Luis Sojo clubbed a long drive over Grissom’s head for a two-base knock leading off the fifth but Glavine retired the next three Mariners in succession. Glavine noticeably tired in the sixth when he allowed singles by Hitchcock, Edgar Martinez and Ken Griffey Jr. to load the bases with one out. As the Braves skipper in this series, I summoned Greg McMichael from the bullpen. Jay Buhner deposited a split-fingered fastball into the left field bleachers for a grand slam and the Atlanta crowd sat in utter disbelief as the M’s dugout erupted! Seattle suddenly had a 5-3 advantage. The Braves orchestrated a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning. Grissom reached via base on balls and Jermaine Dye delivered a pinch-hit single. Chipper Jones rapped a grounder back through the box that bounced into center field for a base hit, scoring Grissom and cutting the Mariners’ lead to 5-4. Seattle skipper Lou Piniella made the slow walk to the mound, retrieved the ball from Hitchcock and waited for Mike Jackson to jog in from the ‘pen. The “Crime Dog” stepped into the box and belted one high in the air towards the gap in right-center, but Buhner camped under it on the warning track and made the catch for the third out. Jackson got into trouble again in the seventh as Klesko ripped his third hit of the contest and Andruw Jones drew a free pass with one out. David Justice batted for light-hitting shortstop Rafael Belliard and promptly rapped into a 4-6-3 double play to extinguish the threat. The game doesn’t remind you that your pinch-hitting from the previous inning is now playing out of position, so you need to be cognizant of that scenario. I moved Chipper Jones over to shortstop and substituted Terry Pendleton for Justice. Mike Bielecki came into the ballgame in relief of McMichael and hurled a scoreless frame. Norm Charlton trotted in from the bullpen as the Mariners clung to a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth. With the Braves’ bench nearly depleted, Luis Polonia grabbed a bat and strolled to the plate to pinch-hit for Bielecki. The fleet-footed outfielder came through with a line drive single over the second baseman’s outstretched glove. Grissom fouled out to third baseman Dave Hollins. Dwight Smith, pinch-hitting for defensive replacement Ed Giovanola, flew out to Griffey Jr. for out # 2. Chipper Jones kept the inning and Atlanta’s hopes alive when he coaxed a four-pitch walk. The stadium was rocking as McGriff dug in to face Charlton. He connected on a deep drive down the right field line.. would it stay fair? … yes!! McGriff’s mammoth blast measured 496 feet. His teammates mobbed him at home plate after he circled the bases to celebrate the walk-off, come-from-behind, 7-5 victory for the Braves!

Greg Maddux and Chris Bosio received the starting assignments in Game 2. The Braves threatened in the bottom of the third when Maddux and Marquis Grissom produced back-to-back singles and Bosio issued a four-pitch walk to Mike Mordecai. Bosio carved up the heart of the Atlanta lineup, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts to Chipper Jones and David Justice around a line out by Fred McGriff. The Bravos botched another bases-loaded opportunity in the fourth when Maddux popped up into a double play and Grissom whiffed. Seattle placed a couple of runners aboard and Bosio successfully sacrificed them over to second and third, but Joey Cora hit a harmless fly ball to right field for the last out of the visitor’s fifth as both hurlers continued to put goose eggs on the scoreboard. Chipper Jones hammered an off-speed offering from Bosio deep into the center field seats (475 feet) to put the Braves on top, 1-0. Jay Buhner drilled a two-base knock to place runners on second and third with one out in the sixth. Maddux got a reprieve when Mordecai ranged into short right-center to snare a pop fly off the bat of Paul Sorrento, then whirled and fired a strike to home plate to nail Ken Griffey Jr. Maddux departed after a loud single of the bat of Edgar Martinez with two outs in the eighth. Terrell Wade entered the contest and induced “Junior” to bounce back to the box. Salomon Torres kept the Braves at bay after relieving Bosio with two down in the fifth before he finally ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth. Justice singled and Ryan Klesko doubled to begin the frame. After Javy Lopez whiffed, pinch-hitter Luis Polonia grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate Justice. Terry Pendleton, batting for Wade, delivered a worm-burner up the middle to score pinch-runner Andruw Jones to provide the Braves with a 3-0 cushion. Mark Wohlers took the mound in the top of the ninth. Buhner drew a base on balls and Sorrento singled to left field. Mark Whiten scorched a line drive to short which was snagged by defensive replacement Rafael Belliard. Buhner was caught in no-man’s land, too far off second base, and he was easily doubled off as Mordecai took the throw from Belliard. Luis Sojo lined out to short on a 3-0 heater from Wohlers to complete the shutout. The teams headed to the Pacific Northwest as the Braves held a commanding two games to none advantage.

Injuries to starting pitchers Randy Johnson and John Smoltz forced both managers to improvise. The M’s moved Bob Wolcott into the third slot of the rotation while the Braves countered with lefty Steve Avery. Alex Rodriguez returned to the Seattle lineup after missing the first two games in the series, as did Atlanta shortstop Jeff Blauser. After Joey Cora reached on an error to commence the bottom of the first, “A-Rod” ripped a double into the left field corner to put his squad ahead, 1-0. Avery battled control issues, loading the bases with only one out. Paul Sorrento drilled a double into the right-center field gap to plate two of his teammates. Dave Hollins contributed a sacrifice fly to put the M’s ahead by a score of 4-0. Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner produced back-to-back RBI singles to extend Seattle’s advantage to 6-0 in the bottom of the second. Jermaine Dye led off the visitor’s third with a long ball deep into the left field seats. Avery was replaced on the mound after only two innings of work in favor of right-hander Jason Schmidt. Dave Hollins drew a base on balls and later scored when Fred McGriff muffed a pop-up near the first base cutout (the “Crime Dog” claimed that the ball disappeared against the backdrop of the Kingdome roof). The Braves threatened in the fifth but Marquis Grissom lined into a double play with runners on the corners. Seattle scratched a pair of runs across in the home half of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Buhner and a sharp single off the bat of Sorrento. Atlanta unloaded their bench in the seventh inning, sending out five defensive replacements. Brad Clontz pitched two frames in relief of Schmidt, yielding an RBI single to Hollins in the eighth. “A-Rod” made a dazzling, diving stop of a hot grounder up the middle and then fired a strike to first to nab pinch-hitter Eddie Perez for the final out of the contest. Wolcott scattered eight hits for a complete game, 10-1 triumph.

The starters from Game 1 would greatly benefit from one more day of rest, so the bullpens would likely get a workout in the fourth match. Bob Wells of the Mariners and Mike Bielecki of the Braves received the unexpected honor of making a World Series start, but both right-handers were on a short leash. Darren Bragg blasted a three-run dinger off Bielecki with two outs in the bottom of the second to give Seattle a 3-0 lead. Bielecki got a quick hook from Atlanta’s skipper as southpaw Brad Woodall jogged in from the ‘pen. Meanwhile, Wells held the Braves hitless through four frames before David Justice grounded a clean single up the middle. Marquis Grissom connected on a 400-foot long ball over the fence in left-center field to put the Braves on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning. Later in the frame, Chipper Jones reached on an error by Sorrento. Fred McGriff laced a single to right to put runners on the corners and Ryan Klesko coaxed a walk to load the bases. Justice crushed an inside fastball from Wells into the right-center field bleachers for a grand slam and suddenly Atlanta went ahead, 5-3! Seattle stormed right back in the bottom of the sixth. Joe Borowski issued three bases on balls and he was rewarded with a quick trip to the showers. Bragg tied the contest at 5-5 with a base knock to shallow center and Dan A. Wilson slashed another single to plate the go-ahead run. Pedro F. Borbon recorded three outs and Greg McMichael struck out Jay Buhner to end the seventh. The Braves knotted the scoring at 6-6 when Chipper Jones led off the visitor’s eighth with a 385-foot drive to right-center that just cleared the wall. Mike Jackson relieved Wells with one out in the inning. Klesko earned another free pass but Jackson escaped without allowing any further damage. Seattle had McMichael on the ropes in the bottom of the eighth following back-to-back singles by Dave Hollins and Mark Whiten, but the Braves caught a break when Wilson whiffed and Hollins was inexplicably gunned down attempting to steal third base. Jermaine Dye greeted M’s reliever Norm Charlton with a big fly that landed in the left field seats to put the Braves back on top, 7-6! Mike Mordecai bounced back to the mound but Charlton fired the ball over defensive replacement Brian R. Hunter and down the right field line for a two-base error. Charlton regained his composure and retired the next three batsmen in order. Mark Wohlers was summoned from the Atlanta ‘pen to face the top of the Mariners’ lineup in the bottom of the ninth. Wohlers gave up three consecutive singles to Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez to load the bases with one out in the frame. Buhner struck out after battling Wohlers to a full count. Atlanta’s manager made the unorthodox move of the game as he called upon the young left-hander, Terrell Wade to face the right-handed Hunter. The gamble paid off when the first-sacker grounded into a 6-4 force play and the Braves outlasted the Mariners, 7-6.

Game 5 offered a rematch of the opening contest as Tom Glavine and Atlanta geared up to clinch the Series while Sterling Hitchcock and his Seattle mates hoped to stave off elimination. It was quickly apparent that both hurlers were dealing. Glavine held the Mariners hitless into the sixth frame when Joey Cora and Alex Rodriguez delivered consecutive singles. Ken Griffey Jr. sent Marquis Grissom back to the warning track to retrieve a long fly ball to center, easily scoring Cora on a sacrifice fly to put the M’s on top. Edgar Martinez ripped a two-bagger up the gap in left-center to knock in “Junior” for a 2-0 lead. Glavine retired Jay Buhner on scorching hot grounder to Chipper Jones at third for the final out. Atlanta threatened in the top of the seventh as Jeff Blauser led off the inning with a single back through the box and Chipper Jones drew a base on balls. The Braves’ middle-of-the-order batsmen failed to come through in the clutch as Fred McGriff and Javy Lopez flew out and Jermaine Dye lined out to third base. “Hard Hittin’” Mark Whiten started the home seventh with a base hit and advanced to third on a double by Dave “Head” Hollins. Glavine issued an intentional pass to Brian R. Hunter to set up a force at any base. Brad Clontz was summoned to face John Marzano. The backup backstop belted a base hit to left, plating Whiten. Joey Cora hit into a fielder’s choice but another run scored. “A-Rod” ended Clontz’s night with a solid single to left as the M’s went ahead, 5-0. Terrell Wade entered the contest and induced Griffey Jr. to hit a short pop-fly to right. Martinez laced a line drive to left-center to knock in Cora, then Buhner struck out to mercifully close out the frame as the Mariners assumed a commanding 6-0 advantage. Joe Borowski took the mound in the bottom of the eighth. Whiten coaxed a walk and with one away, Hunter put the icing on the cake with a two-run blast into the center field seats. Atlanta went quietly in the ninth and Hitchcock’s teammates greeted him at the pitcher’s mound with high-fives and handshakes. The southpaw etched his name in the record books with a two-hit shutout that sent the Series back to Georgia.

John Smoltz was healthy enough to go in Game 6, so the Braves’ skipper elected to start him and give Greg Maddux an extra day of rest, lining him up for a potential Game 7 assignment if necessary. Seattle countered with Chris Bosio. David Justice connected on a 401-foot blast to right-center in the bottom of the second to put the hometown team on top, 1-0. Bosio issued three successive walks to open the sixth before inducing a 4-6-3 double play grounder by Justice. However, Jeff Blauser scored on the play, and the Mariners called upon Terry Mulholland to face the left-handed hitting Ryan Klesko with a runner on third and two away in the inning. The crafty portsider pulled the string on an inside breaking pitch and Klekso swung right through it for the final out. In the seventh with Atlanta clinging to a 2-0 advantage, Andruw Jones drew a base on balls as a pinch-hitter for Mike Mordecai. After striking out Smoltz, Mulholland promptly picked off Jones to keep the contest tight heading into the eighth but the M’s were running out of chances. Smoltz was in complete command but the Braves began warming up a pair of relievers, Pedro Borbon and Greg McMichael, just in case. “Smoltzie” culminated a 1-2-3 eighth with a punch-out of Alex Rodriguez. Atlanta went quietly in the bottom of the eighth, registering merely two safeties against Bosio and Mulholland. Smoltz was back on the hill for the ninth with Mark Wohlers getting ready down in the ‘pen. Facing the heart of the Seattle lineup, he got Ken Griffey Jr. on a pop fly to short right field that Fred McGriff snared for the first out. Edgar Martinez ripped a base hit to center field and that was it for Smoltz. Jay Buhner worked the count to 2-0 against Wohlers, then scorched a sizzling grounder to deep short. Jeff Blauser corralled it and fired to Rafael Belliard at second, who pivoted and fired a bullet to McGriff. The relay beat Buhner to the first base bag and the Braves’ bench and bullpen emptied as the Atlanta faithful erupted in cheers. The Mariners battled but came up short as the Braves took the Series in six games, with Smoltz and Wohlers combining for the 2-0 shutout.

Ratings

Note – ratings below for Old Time Baseball – deduct 1 point for Rosters in Tony La Russa Baseball 3 and 4

Graphics – [5] – All three games deliver the goods with stunning ballpark renderings that are highly detailed and based on blueprints from the modern (TLB3 & 4) and classic (OTB) stadiums. The player animations are on par with the competition from that timeframe. I encountered some stuttering with the animation at times but that might be specific to my emulator configuration, so I’m not deducting points for it. The Jumbotron display also lagged a bit for me; while amusing at first, I ended up disabling this option. The menus are well-designed and intuitive but TLB4’s scroll bars hinder navigation instead of helping. You can select a manager view (overhead) or close-up view for balls in play and there are four options when watching the batter/pitcher matchups: (camera behind the) batter or pitcher, or home team / visiting team view which alternates the camera angle depending on the team that is currently on the field. Instant replay is available for the previous play in all versions. However TLB4 adds the ability to change the camera angle between a preset view and free-floating, allows the user to zoom in/out, and load/save a highlight. TLB3 includes a “Making of Tony La Russa Baseball 3” video – you can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_d05f46_X8&t=2s

Sound – [4] – Ambient crowd noise is a welcome addition to the three games covered here. The audience will offer an occasional “boo” when the visiting team scores. The original music that is heard as you navigate the various menus is upbeat and memorable. The organist delivers a bubbly rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch and blasted several different versions of “Charge!” when the home team attempted to rally from behind in the late innings.

Strategy – [4] –

The offensive and defensive strategy options remain consistent through the entire TLB series (including OTB). TLB3 & 4 incorporated “Tony’s Tips” videos highlighting La Russa’s insights and strategies for various pre-game and in-game situations. This link contains all of the Tony’s Tips in a single video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOqlgM6hLFo

Artificial Intelligence – [4] – Customized manager profiles enable the granular configuration of each team’s skipper with regard to lineup selection and game-level strategy. “Tony” effectively handles the in-game decisions with enhanced algorithms, giving the illusion that you’re facing a human opponent. TLRB3 introduced the “Argue with Umpire” option. You can give the ump an earful but don’t wait too long before walking away, or you might find yourself ejected from the contest! (You can go back into the Game Options and restore yourself as the manager.)

Box Score – [3] – When the ballgame ends, you are taken to the first of several screens to review the results from the contest. After perusing the line score, the user can navigate between expanded batting and pitching box scores for the visiting and home team. The pitching box also contains the location, time, attendance, runners left on base and double plays. There are no options to view a game summary (how they scored). You can save the box score to disk or print out a hard copy (the box score is automatically saved if you selected that option in the Season / Games of Note menu.

Rosters – [5] – You manage a 40-man roster with 25 active and 15 reserve players at any time (excluding exhibition games, where all of your players are available). The active roster is divided among 15 batters and 10 pitchers with reserve slots allotted for up to 9 additional batsmen and 6 hurlers. All 3 games come with the Fantasy Draft option. The Old Time Baseball CD allowed the user to import 110 seasons with more than 12,000 ballplayers!

Statistics – [5] – The number of categories for record-keeping increased from 19 batting, 22 pitching and 7 fielding in TLB2 to 33 batting and 35 pitching in TLB3 with a nod to Sabermetric formulas such as RC (Runs Created), RP (Runs Produced), ISO (Isolated Power) and OP (Opponents Production). The ability to sort the league leaderboards with a multitude of options persisted through the balance of the series. TLB4 offered a League News feature to provide the latest injury and other pertinent information.  

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [4] – Just like your real-life counterparts, as the manager of your squad, you now have the ability to argue with the umpire. Spend too much time debating “The Boys in Blue” or say the magic words and you’ll get the heave-ho. Unlike real life, you are able to go into the Game Options screen and resume your managerial responsibilities if you wish, or you can allow the computer skipper to manager the remainder of the contest once you’ve been tossed. The injury and fatigue options from TLRB2 remain the same in TLRB3/4 and OTB. You can elect to use Injuries but a player’s stint on the sidelines is capped at 30 days. Pitcher usage must be monitored as they can become fatigued with regular or over-use (denoted by a “#R” in the Days Unavailable column on your roster).

Ballparks / Park Factors – [4] – TLRB3 and 4 deliver the 28 ballparks that were currently in use in the mid-1990’s. Old Time Baseball allows the user to select one of sixteen classic ballparks such as Crosley Field, Ebbets Field, Forbes Field, Griffith Stadium, L.A. Coliseum, and the Polo Grounds. Park effects – altitude, wind speed and direction, average humidity and temperature – add another level of realism. OTB also provides “Stadium Histories” with succinct, well-written outlines of each ballpark along with one or two postcard photographs depicting the exterior and interior.

Commentary – [3] – You get to choose among three broadcasters for the play-by-play in TLRB3 and 4: Yankees legend Mel Allen, Lon Simmons and Hank Greenwald. Old Time Baseball offers the voices of Allen and Curt Gowdy. The player’s names are spoken if they were among the words vocalized during the recording sessions with those announcers, otherwise the program will identify them by their position. In comparison to APBA Broadcast Blast, there does not appear to be nearly as much variety in the narration.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – Total Score: 40 out of 50

Old Time Baseball – Total Score: 41 out of 50

Tony La Russa Baseball 4 – Total Score: 40 out of 50

Enhancements and Features

Observations

If you want to visualize how baseball was played at the turn of the (Twentieth) century with fully rendered ballparks restored to their original glory, look no further than Old Time Baseball. The organ music, stadium histories and Time Machine will stimulate your senses and whisk you back in time to the early days of the National Pastime. Tony La Russa Baseball 3 and 4 represented significant progress in the baseball simulation field. The ability to select among three announcers, the beautiful and highly detailed depictions of modern stadiums along with the GM Challenge helped to deliver the most complete product on the market in the mid-1990’s.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Tony La Russa Baseball 3, Old Time Baseball and Tony La Russa Baseball 4.  

Screenshots

Old Time Baseball

Tony La Russa Baseball 3

Tony La Russa Baseball 4

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Playthroughs – Hardball Retro

Tony La Russa Baseball 3

Old Time Baseball

SABR Stay at Home – Don Daglow

Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – Gindin, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – Gindin, Jim. “Swinging For the Fences: Stormfront Studios Goes For the Long Ball With Tony La Russa 3”. Computer Gaming World. August 1995. p110-112. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_133.pdf

Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – Jones, George. “Holiday Top 100: Sports”. Computer Gaming World. December 1995. p110. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_137.pdf

Tony La Russa Baseball 3: 1996 Edition – McCauley, Dennis. “Atop the Mound: Baseball Slides Head-First Into Your PC”. Computer Gaming World. July 1996. p76. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_144.pdf

Tony La Russa Baseball 3: 1996 Edition – Green, Jeff. “Holiday Hot 100: Sports”. Computer Gaming World. December 1996. p180. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_149.pdf

Tony La Russa Baseball 4 – McCauley, Dennis. “Sim World Series: Winners and Losers in This Year’s Baseball Sim Contest”. Computer Gaming World. December 1997. p312.

http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_160.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/tony-la-russa-baseball-3

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/tony-la-russa-baseball-4

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/old-time-baseball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0ckttRyjdU, Tony La Russa Baseball 3, video by John Fowler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVF8xLHkh_A&t=63s, Tony LaRussa Baseball 1996 Edition, video by John Fowler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YroFO5Dz2Ls, Tony La Russa Baseball 3: 1996 Edition (PC) – Gameplay, video by 30-30 Club – Baseball Video Game Encyclopedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOqlgM6hLFo, All of Tony’s Tips from Tony La Russa Baseball 3: 1996 Edition (PC), video by 30-30 Club – Baseball Video Game Encyclopedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_d05f46_X8&t=2s, The Making of Tony La Russa Baseball 3, video by Zeke Miller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dNPQpMvDLc, Tony La Russa Baseball 3 | Sports Game Ballparks, video by Pichu London Sports and Stadiums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wRGnIopRww, Tony La Russa Baseball 4 | Sports Game Ballparks, video by Pichu London Sports and Stadiums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOgVEP_Lo18&list=PLc2AYL7_CrPGUavZpH4EDVDwY376047TU, Old Time Baseball Opening Sequence, video by Brad Kay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nNSLV5DmYU, Old Time Baseball PC Game 1941 Redsox @ 1910 Philadelphia A’s, video by mrwrestlingII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhlzNb8Vj7g, Old Time Baseball Full Game (’27 Yankees v. ’68 Cardinals), video by Enrico Dandolo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95g0DJ3Ilc, Old Time Baseball | 1975 Reds and Red Sox, video by Beatles Eternally

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examines the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

Pursue the Pennant

Publisher – Pursue the Pennant (versions 1 through 5)

Release Year – 1987 – 1995

Platforms – IBM PC (DOS)

Credits

Diamond Mind Baseball

Publisher – Tippett Software (versions 6 through 7)

Release Year – 1996 – 1997

Platforms – IBM PC (DOS)

Credits

Diamond Mind Baseball

Publisher – Tippett Software (versions 8 through 9)

Release Year – 1998 – 2006

Platforms – IBM PC (Windows)

Credits

Diamond Mind Baseball

Publisher – Imagine Sports (versions 10 through 12)

Release Year – 2006 – 2022

Platforms – IBM PC (Windows)

Credits

Programmer Interview

Tom Tippett developed and programmed Pursue the Pennant / Diamond Mind Baseball through nine iterations. He responded to a series of questions about the product.

DB: How did you conceive the original design of Pursue the Pennant? Did you have any prior game development or programming experience?

TT: I started playing the Strat-O-Matic board game in the early 1970s, and I got into it in a big way.  My biggest SOM project was a 140-game season featuring 10 teams from the real-life 1972 season that took me three years to complete.  I kept a detailed scoresheet for every one of the 700 regular-season games and painstakingly maintained a ledger with season-to-date stats for every player.  One wall of my bedroom was devoted to a large piece of plywood that I painted Fenway green and fitted out with hooks and cardboard numbers so I could always look up and see the current standings.

A few years later, when I was studying math and computer science in college, I started to wish that someone would create a computer baseball game so I wouldn’t have to do all the work of looking up the play results on cards and charts and then compiling all the stats. After college I got a job as a mainframe programmer.  A year later, I decided to learn how to write apps for PCs.  Apple computers had been out for a few years and the IBM PC had been launched a few months earlier.

I wasn’t much interested in doing a little toy program like so many of the assignments one is given in a programming course, and the only thing more challenging that I could think of was a baseball game. I started by sketching out a user interface, a database design, and some ideas for using the power of the computer to achieve a higher degree of realism and statistical accuracy than could be achieved with a board game.  Lots of great board games have been created over the years, but a board game simply can’t capture all the complexity of real-life baseball and still be playable by ordinary people in a reasonable amount of time. 

For the next eight months, I spent my evenings and weekends working on the game before putting it on the back burner while I went to graduate school for two years.  After graduating, I got a day job with a software company and once again spent my evenings and weekends working on the game.  I managed to get it ready for its first public demo at the national SABR convention in 1986.

That’s where I first met some people from Pursue the Pennant.  The PTP board game was designed by Mike Cieslinski and had launched the year before.  I’d never heard of it, but when I got a chance to check it out a little later, I was impressed. It didn’t take long for us to realize that Mike’s board game and my computer game were similar at the surface level even though both were designed with absolutely no knowledge of the other.  For example, both games used a five-point scale for most player ratings, so we could rate the players once and use the same ratings in both games. We started talking about having PTP license my game and market it as their computer version.  In late October I flew to Milwaukee to finalize the terms.  After a long day of discussions that led to an agreement, I went back to my hotel room, flipped on game six of the World Series, promptly fell asleep, and woke up just in time to watch the Mets rally against the Red Sox. After I made a few cosmetic changes to make my game look a little more like the PTP board game – such as displaying player ratings as Ex/Vg/Av/Fr/Pr instead of 1/2/3/4/5 – the first version of the game now known as Diamond Mind Baseball was published in the spring of 1987 under the name Pursue the Pennant PC Baseball.

DB: Did you take any computer programming courses in high school or college?

TT: I graduated from high school in 1976.  At that time, there were no programming courses, but one of the math teachers started a programming club in my senior year.  The only computer in our school district was miles away at another school, and our club was only able to get an hour of processing time each week.  We would write our programs using punched cards after class one day, the teacher would take them to the other school and run them the next day, and a week later we would find out whether our code would even compile, let alone run.

College was much different.  I went to the University of Waterloo, which had one of the best data centers in Canada.  My class was the first that didn’t have to use punched cards.  We were lucky enough to have access to data entry terminals for writing our code. There were a lot more students than terminals, though, so terminal time was hard to come by.  And when we were ready to submit our code, it could take an hour or more for our jobs to get through the queue for compilation and execution.  If there was a syntax error in your code, the job wouldn’t run and you’d be looking at another long wait before you got to see the results of your next attempt. At Waterloo, I learned to code in COBOL, FORTRAN, PASCAL, and assembly, but the most valuable course I took there was data modeling.

DB: Did you consider porting the game to other popular computers such as Macintosh, Amiga, etc.?

TT: Not really.  The game was on the market for five years (through PTP) before I could afford to quit my day job and work on baseball full time.  I didn’t have time to think about porting it to other platforms when I was limited to evenings and weekends. In 1994, the relationship with PTP ended and I founded Diamond Mind.  Over the next few years, I thought about building a Mac version.  But that was a time when the market share of the Mac had dropped into single digits, so it was hard to make a business case for it. And I was sure it would be a bad idea to save money on the development work by simply porting the PC version to Mac.  Mac users would only be happy with a version that fully embraced the Mac UI and ecosystem, and I figured the cost of building a true Mac version would be too high. In the late 1990s, I started thinking about building an Internet version, but we were fully occupied with our first Windows versions at that time.  When Imagine Sports approached us in 2005 about collaborating on an Internet-based game, we were ready.

DB: Describe your role in the development of each product. Were you the sole developer / programmer throughout the entire DOS-based series of PTP/DMB? Did anyone else contribute to utilities, season disks, play-testing?

TT: We were a very small company.  It was me plus one full-time programmer, a part-time office manager, and for a few years, one baseball researcher. I was the lead architect and lead developer of every DMB version until I sold the company to Imagine Sports in 2006.  I was also the project manager and lead ratings analyst for the annual season disks. Luke Kraemer, the full-time programmer, did a lot of work on the DMB game and a bunch of utilities and testing tools.  Luke is still working on DMB at Imagine Sports and has been on the Retrosheet board throughout its history. The baseball researcher was Zack Scott, who worked on player ratings for both new and past seasons and did a bunch of baseball research projects related to improvements in the sim engine.  He left Diamond Mind in 2004 to join the Red Sox, where he was part of four World Series winners and rose quickly through the ranks to become Director of Baseball Operations and later Assistant GM and head of all their baseball research and development efforts.

DB: Were any features scaled back or omitted due to budgetary or time constraints? Were those features considered or implemented in later editions?

TT: We always wanted to do more than we really had time for, so each release would start out with a somewhat ambitious list of hoped-for features.  When you’re trying to invent something new, it’s hard to predict how long things will take, so we were always reevaluating what was possible.  Sometimes we would reassign a few of the less-important features to the next release.

DB: The DOS versions of PTP/DMB focused on the gameplay and the engine. Some of your competitors migrated their DOS products to Windows in the early to mid-1990’s and added stadium graphics, broadcasters to provide the play-to-play commentary, etc. Did you consider migrating the products to Windows during that timeframe? Did you consider adding any “eye” and “ear candy” to the product?

TT: We didn’t seriously consider building a Windows version until the mid-90s.  I think a lot of people would agree that the first really good Windows version was Windows95.  The only eye candy in our Windows version came from the colorful scale 2D drawings of the ballparks.  They were done by our friend Keith Conforti, a terrific graphic designer and avid baseball fan who loved scouring the internet for photos, architectural drawings, and anything else that would help him make highly-realistic diagrams for both current and historical parks. For a few reasons, I wasn’t too interested in adding more graphics, animation, and sound during those years.

First, we were busy making the sim engine more realistic by simulating every pitch. A lot of real-life baseball strategy involves decisions that are heavily influenced by the ball-strike count. For instance, if the batter gets into a good hitter’s count, you probably don’t want to squander that advantage by bunting or stealing on the next pitch. And in situations where a bunt or steal makes sense, opposing real-life managers often try to guess whether what the other will do from pitch to pitch. By going to a pitch-by-pitch model, we gave the offensive manager more freedom to choose when to use these tactics.  And we gave the defensive manager the tools to defend against these tactics with pitchouts and pickoff throws.  In games that only support batter-by-batter mode, the defensive manager is just a passive observer on these plays. In addition, when a real-life batter takes a strike on a steal play or fails to get a bunt down, he falls behind in the count and gives the pitcher an advantage.  That also became true in DMB when we went to the pitch-by-pitch model, but it doesn’t happen in games that only offer batter-by-batter mode. By the way, DMB lets you decide whether to play in pitch-by-pitch or batter-by-batter mode, but it simulates every pitch in both modes.  In pitch mode, it reports the result of every pitch and gives you a chance to change tactics for the next pitch.  In batter mode, it simulates pitches silently until the plate appearance is resolved or some other event, such as a wild pitch, changes the game situation.

Second, most of our customers were avid baseball fans, not casual gamers. Before they started playing DMB, they had seen loads of games on TV and listened to tons more on the radio.  DMB’s play results were displayed as a textual, radio-style play-by-play commentary that I believed would allow them to create a mental image of the play that would be far more realistic than anything we could provide with the graphics and animation tools that were available then.

Third, it was a business decision.  We didn’t have enough revenue to fund efforts like that, so we would have had to bring on investors to raise enough capital.  Some other small baseball game companies had done that and then gone out of business within a few years because they were not able to pay back the initial investment.  That was a risk I couldn’t take because I was married with a young child and a wife who had just quit her job to go to graduate school.

Finally, it was a matter of emphasis.  In those days, and probably today, too, every baseball game claimed to be the most realistic one you could buy.  But there’s more than one type of realism. It seemed to me that other companies viewed realism as making their games look and sound like baseball on TV.  That’s a perfectly good goal, and there are plenty of gamers who want that, but it wasn’t what interested me most and not what I thought our customers wanted most. I wanted DMB to feel and work in a realistic manner by being very accurate statistically and offering the same risk-reward profiles for different tactics that real-life managers faced.

DB: Your competition in that era included APBA, Full Count and Strat-o-Matic for text-based sims along with the Earl Weaver and Tony La Russa Baseball games which delivered both arcade and simulation options. What were your impressions of those products at the time and in what areas do you feel that the PTP/DMB series excelled in comparison?

TT: I was too busy with my own work to spend a lot of time playing other games, and I wasn’t too focused on trying to one-up the competition.  I felt that if we kept our eyes on what we were trying to build, we’d find enough customers who wanted the type of game we were building.

I was very familiar with Strat-O-Matic from my younger days and always thought it was a terrific board game, but my sense was that they wanted their computer version to be identical to the board game, while we were trying to take advantage of computing power to do things that board games weren’t ideally suited for.  With our pitch-by-pitch simulation, for instance, the probabilities of the different outcomes are quite different on a 2-0 count than on an 0-2 count.  I don’t know how you do that with a board game and still make it playable in a half hour.

I was very impressed when APBA’s Baseball for Windows added the Ernie Harwell commentary.  They did a great job with that.  At the same time, I was never tempted to follow suit because it took me much longer to play a game while listening to the commentary than when reading it, and I thought our customers would rather get the play result quickly and get on with the next tactical decision.

Every one of the products you mentioned were good games with some unique features that I liked.  But I strongly believed that it would be a mistake for DMB to try to be everything to everybody.  Different gamers like different things, and it was perfectly fine with me if the gamers who wanted more animation and sound passed us by and used other products.  We were trying to build a game that would be the first choice of customers who valued strategy and realism above all else, and I was just hoping there would be enough of them to keep us in business.

DB: The Red Sox hired you in 2003 and you spent more than a decade with the club as a Senior Baseball Analyst. How did your experiences with designing and programming PTP/DMB translate into your role with the Red Sox? Did you utilize DMB to run through various scenarios?

TT: When we first started consulting with the Red Sox in September 2003, they asked us to help them simulate the Division Series before it started to see if it might offer them any insights that would help them choose the 25-man roster and perhaps give some insight into in-game tactics. Later that winter, we simulated the 2004 season with different what-if scenarios around trades and free agent signings.  After that, we routinely ran simulations of the upcoming season each year. But that wasn’t the biggest part of the relationship.  In 2004 the Red Sox became aware that Diamond Mind had built a suite of databases and programs for analyzing player performance as a natural part of our data-driven process for coming up with player ratings for the game. Back then, when the Red Sox (and presumably other teams) were preparing for the amateur draft or the MLB trade deadline, they asked their interns to scour the public internet for stats they could cut and paste into spreadsheets that could be printed out, copied 20 times, and put into thick binders for the scouts and senior front office people.  Those printouts became more and more outdated as new games were played each night. There were questions we could answer with our systems in minutes or hours that would take them days or weeks, so they hired us to build a baseball information system that would give their senior decision makers immediate access to the data on their laptops through an app with a consistent user interface.  It started with tools we had already built at Diamond Mind and quickly expanded to include scouting reports, player contracts, and many other things. My role with the Red Sox was a blend of building that system, building new analytical tools that used data from that system, running simulations from time to time, and (when asked) offering my opinion on proposed trades and free agent signings.  Lots of people were involved in those decisions, so my opinion was just one of many, but it was amazing to be in the room after being a baseball outsider for a quarter century.

DB: In reviewing the documentation and playing PTP/DMB, I gained an appreciation towards the amount of time, effort and attention to detail which you poured into the development of the game. There are rare events that are omitted from other games, but it’s those strange and unusual plays that enhance the manager’s immersion in the simulation and help to distance this product from the competition. Were you utilizing scoresheets from Retrosheet or other sources to determine the frequency of these events?

TT: Yes, we were very data driven.  In 1984, Bill James announced the idea of creating a network of volunteers who would keep pitch-by-pitch scoresheets (using a common format) whenever they watched games and then send them to a central location where they would be copied and mailed to other volunteers who would enter them into a database.  That organization was called Project Scoresheet. I started keying in games for Project Scoresheet while I was still working on the first version of the game.  I wanted my player ratings to be based on as much objective data as I could find, and that was the only way to get it. A year or two later, the leadership of Project Scoresheet couldn’t agree on whether to stay as a volunteer organization with no hard deadlines or professionalize the effort and try to publish game accounts overnight.  The group that wanted to go pro ended up leaving the project and becoming the core leadership team at STATS, Inc., where they were extremely successful. The rest of us were left with the question of whether to keep Project Scoresheet alive.  Among other things, we would need a new data entry program because the previous one had been written by two of the people who left for STATS. We decided to give it a go, so I collaborated with my friend David Nichols on new tools.  Project Scoresheet came to an end a couple of years later, but the software was licensed to The Baseball Workshop, Retrosheet, a short-lived company called Total Sports, and finally to MLB, where it formed part of MLB’s scoring system for about 20 years. Years later, Diamond Mind was able to jumpstart the Red Sox information system project because we had already written more than 50 programs to compile stats, splits, game logs, park factors, and metrics for evaluating player performance from data in “Retrosheet” format and because MLB had adopted the same format for the data feed it provided to the teams.

DB: I was particularly intrigued by the weather modeling in relation to park effects and pitcher fatigue. How did you compile and correlate this data in order to factor it into the game?

TT: From the first days of Project Scoresheet, the play-by-play files contained weather information for each game – temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, cloud cover, and the condition of the field.  Extracting weather details from those files was easy, but we had to do some of our own work when retractable-roof stadiums came along.  When the roof was closed, the game account would just say the there was no wind and it was 70 degrees inside.  But we needed to know what the weather was outside the stadium for these games.  In DMB, we generate a set of weather conditions that are typical of that location and time of year.  Only then does the sim decide whether the roof should be closed for that game. That meant searching the internet for data from weather stations located near the parks with retractable roofs and building our own database of weather data for those roof-closed games.  We then merged those readings with the data from the play-by-play files to get the full-season weather picture. If instead we had relied only on the data in the play-by-play files for roof-open games, our system would have been seriously biased.  For games in Toronto and Milwaukee, we would have data only for the nicest summer days and not for the cold April nights.  And the outdoor-game readings in Arizona and Houston would have been limited to the cooler days of spring and fall and ignored the summer heat.

DB: Is your original code utilized in the Windows versions? Do you have any involvement with the current or previous Windows releases of DMB?

TT: I led the development of DMB through the first two Windows versions (8 and 9) before I sold the company to Imagine Sports in 2006.  After the sale, I did some work on DMB 10 on a consulting basis until I took a full-time job with the Red Sox in late 2008.

DB: Do you have any involvement with Diamond Mind Baseball now? Can you share any projects that you’re currently working on?

TT: I left the Red Sox after the 2016 season because my work in baseball didn’t leave me nearly enough time for my non-baseball interests.  I did a few small consulting projects in baseball in 2017 and 2018, but since then I’ve made no effort to get back into that world in a big way. But I never lost touch with the folks at Imagine Sports, including the Diamond Mind people who are still there.  In recent years, I’ve helped them out with a few things, such as updating the sim engine to accommodate MLB’s recent rule changes.  But it’s a limited part-time role that comes and goes, and these days I’m spending most of my time on pursuits that have nothing to do with sports.

Review

This entry will include a review of Diamond Mind Baseball (IBM PC – DOS, version 6.0) along with the current Windows version (12.0). I also have Pursue the Pennant (version 5.0) which is nearly identical to DMB 6.0 in terms of content and gameplay (minus a number of enhancements). I will chronicle the differences between the three games but focus solely on DMB versions 6.0 and 12.0 for the in-depth review.

Pursue the Pennant and Diamond Mind Baseball (DOS versions)

Running in DosBox emulation, DMB 6.0 completed a week’s worth of games in about two minutes and thirty seconds, or about three seconds per contest, using the following settings:

Display Mode:                               Show Standings

Speed of Play Results:                   Super Fast

Generate Boxscore:                       Yes

Boxscore Format:                           Expanded

Generate Scoresheet:                   Yes

Output to:                                      File

The Cleveland Indians triumphed in 92 contests to pace the American League in victories. Boston edged New York and Seattle to claim the Wild Card in the Junior Circuit. The Tribe battled the Red Sox while the division-leading Angels and Orioles clashed in the opening round of the playoffs. Over in the Senior Circuit, the Braves cruised to the N.L. East title and the Astros finished only two games out in the Central to secure the Wild Card entry. The remaining divisional crowns were claimed by the Reds and the Dodgers.

PTP/DMB did not automatically schedule the playoff rounds, so it was necessary to play the games using Exhibition mode. The user must refer to the injury and fatigue reports if they wish to utilize those data points from the end of the regular season. Injured players on playoff-bound teams included Javy Lopez (ATL), Mark Lewis (CIN), Dave Hansen (LAD) and Rudy Seanez (LAD). All with the exception of Hansen, who suffered an injury during a brawl on September 25, were expected to be available for the Championship Series if their clubs advanced to that round.

ATL – Lopez 10 games 9/30                          E. Perez

CIN – Lewis 10 games 9/29                           E. Owens

LAD – Hansen 25 games 9/22                      Treadway

LAD – Seanez 6 games 9/30                         Fe. Rodriguez

AL Division Series – Cleveland sweeps Boston, 3 games to none

CLE 13 @ BOS 1

CLE 6 @ BOS 3

BOS 7 @ CLE 8

AL Division Series – California defeats Baltimore, 3 games to 1

CAL 10 @ BAL 6

CAL 7 @ BAL 8

BAL 0 @ CAL 2

BAL 0 @ CAL 5

NL Division Series – Houston defeats Atlanta, 3 games to 1

ATL 1 @ HOU 2

ATL 2 @ HOU 3

HOU 4 @ ATL 6

HOU 2 @ ATL 1

NL Division Series – Cincinnati sweeps Los Angeles, 3 games to none

CIN 3 @ LAD 2   

CIN 10 @ LAD 5

LAD 4 @ CIN 9

AL Championship Series – California defeats Cleveland, 4 games to 1

CAL 2 @ CLE 3

CAL 7 @ CLE 6

CLE 4 @ CAL 5

CLE 2 @ CAL 5

CLE 4 @ CAL 8

NL Championship Series – Houston defeats Cincinnati, 4 games to 3

HOU 0 @ CIN 5

HOU 4 @ CIN 0

CIN 4 @ HOU 1

CIN 2 @ HOU 8

CIN 2 @ HOU 3

HOU 5 @ CIN 6

HOU 4 @ CIN 2

The Baltimore skipper twice pinch-hit Gregg Zaun for Cal Ripken Jr. in the late innings of close games during the Orioles – Angels playoff series. While I’m sure that the virtual Gregg Zaun was both shocked and thrilled to have this opportunity, it detracted from the “realism” of the game in process. In the fifth game of the American League Championship Series with the Tribe trailing 8-4 in the top of the ninth, the Cleveland manager elected to send Tony Pena up to the plate for leadoff hitter extraordinaire, Kenny Lofton. Granted, southpaw Bob Patterson just entered the contest but I’d rather take my chances with the table-setting All-Star to start a late-inning rally than my veteran backup catcher.

World Series

The Halos prepared to take on the ‘Stros at the Astrodome with the World Series trophy at stake. California’s ace left-hander Chuck Finley finished his warm-ups in the bullpen while Shane Reynolds strolled to the mound for the hometown team. Brian L. Hunter wreaked havoc on the base paths to register the first run for the Astros. He singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and slid under the tag at home plate following a hard grounder to short by Craig Biggio. Reynolds escaped a bases-loaded jam in the visitor’s sixth and the score remained 1-0. Reynolds helped his own cause with a 2-run single to right in the seventh, knocking Finley from the contest. Derek Bell delivered a base hit against Mike James to knock in the Astros’ fourth run of the inning. Todd Jones relieved Reynolds to commence the top of the eighth and pinch-hitter Spike Owen greeted him with a two-bagger off the wall in center field. Jones quickly rebounded by striking out Tony Phillips, Jim Edmonds and Tim Salmon in succession.  Rex Hudler rapped a single with two outs on the ninth. Tony Eusebio blocked a Jones’ offering in the dirt. It skipped a few feet away from him but he pounced on it and proceeded to gun down Hudler as he tried to advance to second for the final out of the game. Reynolds and Jones combined for the 4-0 shutout and the Houston faithful roared with approval as their ballclub assumed the 1-0 advantage in the Series.

Veteran hurlers Mark Langston and Doug Drabek received the starting nods in Game 2 for the Angels and the Astros, respectively. Garret Anderson slapped a base hit leading off the second inning and advanced ninety feet when Drabek drilled Rex Hudler with an inside fastball. A subsequent wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Greg Myers hit a fielder’s choice to Craig Biggio, plating Anderson with the Halos’ first tally of the Series. Tony Phillips tapped a little dribbler down the third base line which stopped on the infield grass in fair territory, scoring Hudler. In the home half of the same frame, Craig Shipley singled, stole second and scored easily on a double off the bat of James Mouton. Drabek blooped a base hit into right field to drive Mouton home with the tying run. Langston issued consecutive walks to Biggio and Jeff Bagwell later in the inning to force in a run. Derek Bell followed with a two-run base knock and Houston held a 5-2 advantage. Eusebio ripped a two-base hit to increase the lead to 6-2. Langston exited the contest in favor of right-hander Shawn Boskie. California’s offense came right back against Drabek in the third. Anderson singled and moved up to second base on a balk. Hudler delivered a base hit to cut the lead in half at 6-3. Gary DiSarcina slashed a single to right-center which sent Drabek to the showers. Houston skipper Terry Collins summoned Jim Dougherty from the bullpen.  Jorge Fabregas, batting for Boskie, laced a single down the right field line which knocked in Hudler and sent DiSarcina scurrying over to third. Phillips drilled a double up the gap in left-center to reduce the ‘Stros lead to 6-5. Collins signaled for Dougherty to issue an intentional walk to Jim Edmonds, loading the bases for Tim Salmon. “Kingfish” roped a line drive to center but Brian L. Hunter tracked it down. Portsider Brian J. Anderson entered the match as the Astros prepared to bat in the bottom of the third. “Antic” held Houston in check with a couple of scoreless frames. Doug Brocail relieved Dougherty in the fifth and promptly yielded a game-tying round-tripper to Myers. John Habyan allowed four singles in one-third of an inning as Houston reclaimed the lead in the home half of the fifth by a score of 8 to 6. Eusebio hammered a two-run single back through the box against Mike Butcher in the sixth to extend the lead to 10-6. Collins elected to bring in his closer, Todd Jones, to start the top of the eighth inning. He gave the fans a scare when J.T. Snow lofted a deep fly ball to center with two on and two outs, but Hunter flagged it down at the warning track. In the ninth, Anderson and Hudler opened with successive singles. Jones bounced one in the dirt which ricocheted off Eusebio’s chest protector and rolled towards the dugout as both baserunners advanced. Myers turned on a Jones’ heater and deposited it deep in the right field seats for a three-run blast, cutting the Angels’ deficit to one run. Jones recovered to strike out DiSarcina and retire pinch-hitter Chili Davis on a lazy fly ball to left. Bagwell booted Phillips’ grounder to keep the Halos’ hopes alive with two down in the ninth. Edmonds hit a high hopper back to the mound, which Jones gloved and fired to first to secure the victory. Both teams boarded flights bound for the Golden State with the Astros up two games to none.

The Angels were counting on Jim Abbott to put one in the win column after the club dropped consecutive games at the Astrodome. Houston countered with fellow left-hander Greg Swindell. California broke through in the bottom of the third when Gary DiSarcina crushed a three-run blast into the left field bleachers. Tim Salmon socked a two-run double into the left-center field gap, giving the Halos a 5-0 lead in the fifth. Jim Dougherty came on to replace Swindell and face the top of the Angels’ batting order in the home half of the seventh. He got into a bit of a jam but induced a 6-4-3 double-play grounder off the bat of Chili Davis. Abbott continued to put zeroes on the scoreboard until he yielded to Troy Percival in the ninth after allowing a leadoff two-bagger to pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio. Craig Shipley cracked a single to left and then Luis Gonzalez lofted an opposite-field, three-run circuit clout down the left field line! The Angels lead was trimmed to 5-3 so Lee Smith began to warm up in the bullpen just in case Percival got into any further trouble. Dave Magadan hit a harmless fly to left and Percival threw his blazing heater past John Cangelosi and Brian L. Hunter as California celebrated their triumph in Game 3.

Both teams elected to go with a three-man rotation, so Game 4 featured a rematch of Shane Reynolds and Chuck Finley. Tony Phillips ignited the Angels offense when he led off the bottom of the first with a wallop into the right-field seats. Reynolds held the Halos hitless through the next four frames but Finley kept Houston off the board as well. Gary DiSarcina started the sixth with a base knock and Jim Edmonds crushed a two-run shot into the second deck in right to provide Finley with a 3-0 cushion. Chili Davis contributed a solo swat in the seventh. Houston went quietly in the ninth as California knotted the Series at two games apiece. Finley was credited with a six-hit shutout as his teammates greeted him with handshakes and high-fives on the mound after he recorded the final out.

Houston had the Halos on the ropes immediately in Game 5. After retiring Brian L. Hunter on a grounder to Gary DiSarcina, Mark Langston allowed three consecutive singles to Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Derek Bell to put the ‘Stros ahead, 1-0. An errant curveball plunked Tony Eusebio to load the bases. Mindful of Langston’s atrocious outing in Game 2, I made a call down to the bullpen and advised my coach to have Shawn Boskie begin to loosen up. I didn’t want the game to get out of hand before the Angels had a chance to bat. Craig Shipley lifted a medium fly ball to center which Jim Edmonds caught but it was deep enough to allow “Bagpipes” to tag up and score. Langston escaped further damage when James Mouton grounded out to shortstop. Doug Drabek issued a walk to Tony Phillips but the Angels failed to advance him in the bottom of the first. Langston yielded three more hits and a walk in the following frame including an RBI knock by Hunter. Boskie entered the contest with the sacks juiced, only one out and California trailing 3-0. Bell hit into a fielder’s choice, plating the fourth run for Houston. Tony Eusebio tapped a slow roller towards second. Rex Hudler gloved it and fired to first to retire the side. Biggio rapped a double into the left field corner, scoring John Cangelosi, who hit a two-bagger of his own leading off the fourth. Bagwell subsequently drilled another two-base hit down the left field line to drive in Biggio as the ‘Stros built a 6-0 lead. Bell clubbed a 2-run dinger over the fence in right-center and the rout was officially on. Mike Bielecki relieved Boskie with two down in the visitor’s fourth and the Halos behind 8-0. He immediately botched an easy grounder back to the box, allowing Mouton to reach base and keep the inning alive. Orlando Miller drew a walk to load the bases, but Cangelosi mercifully popped out to DiSarcina. Garret Anderson got the Angels on the scoreboard with a two-base knock into the right-center field gap, driving in Chili Davis and sending J.T. Snow to third. Hudler subsequently smacked a two-run single and the previously silenced crowd began to perk up. After Greg Myers whiffed, DiSarcina and Hudler perfectly executed a hit-and-run to place runners at first and third with two away. Phillips coaxed another free pass to put ducks on the pond. Edmonds singled up the middle to register a pair of tallies. The Angels had clawed their way back into the contest and Tim Salmon strolled to the plate representing the tying run! Drabek reached back for something extra and he induced a check-swing ground ball to Biggio. Houston had been in command moments earlier but now clung to a tenuous 8-5 advantage after four frames. Hunter led off the fifth with a single, stole second and came home on Bell’s single off John Habyan. Snow cut off the throw home and gunned down Bell trying to sneak into second. Anderson dropped a can of corn to left off the bat of Shipley which proved costly later in the inning. Miller greeted reliever Mike Butcher with base hit to left, scoring Shipley. Cangelosi walked to load the bases. Snow bailed the Angels out with a superb 3-2-3 double play! Eusebio launched a three-run shot over the wall in right-center off Butcher in the seventh to restore the previous 8-run lead for the Astros. Houston padded the score when Biggio commenced the ninth with a solo shot to left and Eusebio delivered an RBI single later in the inning. Doug Brocail hurled a pair of scoreless frames to close out the 15-5 blowout. The clubs travelled back to the Lone Star State with the Astros needing just one more victory to secure the title.

Portsiders Jim Abbott and Greg Swindell squared off in Game 6 and both pitchers put up goose eggs early. Abbott ran into some trouble in the fifth as the ‘Stros loaded the bases with two outs, prompting a call to the bullpen. Shawn Boskie came in to face Derek Bell, gaining the platoon advantage (Bell batted .410 versus left-handers in ’95). The move paid off as Jim Edmonds camped under Bell’s shallow fly ball to center to close out the frame. In the top of the seventh, successive two-baggers by Gary DiSarcina and pinch-hitter Damion Easley finally broke up the dual shutout. Terry Collins immediately responded with a double-switch, replacing Swindell on the bump with Dave Veres and inserting Derrick May in left field. Tony Phillips skied one a mile high and Orlando Miller settled under it for the first out. Collins summoned the lefty, Dean Hartgraves, to pitch to Edmonds. Another good move, as Edmonds grounded to short and Easley remained anchored to the bag at second. The Astros’ skipper ordered an intentional pass to Tim Salmon. Snow coaxed a base on balls, putting ducks on the pond. Garret Anderson hit a slow roller to Jeff Bagwell to end the threat. Luis Gonzalez, batting for May, crushed a one-out solo shot to right field to knot the score at 1-1 off Halos’ reliever Mike James. Doug Brocail pitched a scoreless eighth for Houston. James rebounded to strike out Bagwell, Bell and Rick Wilkins in succession during the home half of the inning. Spike Owen, batting for James, flared a base hit into left field to open the top of the ninth. Phillips drew a walk but Edmonds whiffed and Salmon popped up to short. Craig Shipley caught Snow’s foul fly and the contest drifted to the bottom of the ninth, tied at 1-1. Troy Percival drilled pinch-hitter John Cangelosi who promptly swiped second. That decision backfired for Houston as it allowed for an intentional walk to Gonzalez. Percival blew away Brian L. Hunter with a blazing heater as he struck out the side. Collins placed another call to the bullpen after Brocail worked a pair of scoreless frames. Todd Jones strolled to the mound to do battle with the lower half of the California batting order. He sandwiched a couple of strikeouts around a medium fly ball to center by Rex Hudler. Percival survived a scare in the bottom of the tenth. Bell took a walk with two outs and pilfered second base. Rick Wilkins drove one deep to center but Edmonds hauled it in at the warning track. In the eleventh, pinch-hitter Tony Eusebio sent Edmonds to the fence with two outs but again the ‘Stros came up just short. Veteran reliever Mike Henneman picked off Chili Davis with two down in the top of the twelfth. California countered with Lee Smith in the home half of the twelfth. The Astros committed their own base running blunder in the bottom of the frame when Hunter was caught stealing second with two down and Bagwell at the dish. Two innings later, the Angels nailed Ricky Gutierrez attempting to pilfer second with two outs. Henneman finally tapped out after putting up three zeroes as Jim Dougherty took the mound in the top of the fifteenth. Salmon legged out an infield hit when Bagwell fielded a grounder in the hole between first and second but Dougherty failed to cover the bag in time. California’s last reserve position player, Jose Lind, batted for John Habyan. He tried to sacrifice Salmon over to second base but popped up to the pitcher. Anderson ripped a single to center and “Kingfish” advanced to third with one away. Hudler lofted a fly ball to center which Hunter caught but he was unable to throw Salmon out as the Angels assumed the lead, 2-1. Mike Bielecki got the call in the bottom of the fifteenth to face Gonzalez followed by the top of the order. He fielded Gonzalez’ dribbler up the third base line and threw him out. DiSarcina made a diving stop of Hunter’s bounding ball up the middle and fired to first in time for the second out. Reviewing the platoon splits again, the Angels’ manager made one more call to the bullpen. Mike Butcher versus Craig Biggio – Butcher carved him up with an inside fastball for strike three! California survived 2-1 in 15 innings and the exhausted teams would lock horns again in less than 24 hours with the World Series trophy hanging in the balance.

Houston struck quickly in the first as staff aces Chuck Finley and Shane Reynolds dueled for the third time in the Series. Brian L. Hunter led off the contest with a clean single to center. He swiped second and advanced to third on Greg Myers’ errant throw. Craig Biggio collected an RBI on a ground out to shortstop. Myers redeemed himself with a two-base knock to start the visitor’s third and he scored on a ground-rule opposite-field double off the bat of Gary DiSarcina. Reynolds bobbled a comebacker by Finley, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Tony Phillips reached on an infield hit to shortstop, scoring DiSarcina. After Jim Edmonds went down on strikes, Tim Salmon’s bloop single down the left field line knocked in Finley and sent Phillips scurrying over to third. J.T. Snow ripped a base hit between first and second. Phillips trotted home but Salmon was cut down at third by a laser peg from Derek Bell. Back-to-back base knocks by Garret Anderson and Rex Hudler sent Reynolds to the showers with the Halos ahead, 5-1. Jim Dougherty was called upon to stop the bleeding as the Houston faithful voiced their displeasure. Myers, batting for the second time in the inning, laced a single over a leaping Biggio to keep the carousel turning. DiSarcina tapped a slow roller to Dougherty, who wheeled and fired to first for the final out of the inning. Snow swatted a solo shot to left field leading off the fifth as the Angels advantage increased to 7-1. Derek Bell doubled in a run and Tony Eusebio hammered a two-run single as the Astros chipped away at the deficit in the home half of the fifth. Craig Shipley drilled a two-bagger and Eusebio evaded the tag to make it 7-5. Mike James relieved Finley and promptly issued a walk to James Mouton. Orlando Miller knotted the score at 7-7 when he slapped a two-run double in the right field corner. The mood in the stadium did a complete 360 as the fans were on their feet and cheering for the ‘Stros again! Pinch-hitter Phil Plantier drew a base on balls but James got Hunter on a fly ball to Edmonds to end the onslaught. Dave Veres entered the contest for Houston and he retired the side in order. Eusebio plated the go-ahead run on a sinking liner to left, scoring Biggio as the Astros assumed the lead, 8-7. Dean Hartgraves twirled a scoreless seventh as the outs ticked away on the Angels’ campaign. Bob Patterson picked off Miller but yielded a two-out triple to Hunter in the bottom of the seventh. Troy Percival walked Biggio and Jeff Bagwell to load the bases but he recovered to induce a ground out to second by Bell to maintain the one-run deficit. Terry Collins called upon Todd Jones to record the final six outs of the season. He pitched a clean eighth inning and stomped off the mound to rile up the crowd. Percival held Houston at bay in the bottom of the eighth. Chili Davis, relegated to pinch-hitting duties in the National League ballpark, went down swinging against Jones to open the ninth. Phillips clubbed Jones’ 1-2 offering deep towards the gap in right-center field. Hunter raced back to the warning track but the ball reached the seats. The crowd sat in stunned disbelief as Phillips circled the bases and touched home plate to knot the score at 8-8! Edmonds laced a single between first and second, bringing “Mr. Angel” to the dish. Salmon stepped into the box and connected on a 1-0 fastball, sending it into orbit towards right-center. Hunter could only watch as the ball easily cleared the wall for a 2-run blast! The Angels dugout erupted in unison while Jones screamed into his glove. Damion Easley, batting for Percival, whacked a single to center. Anderson socked a double to left-center to drive in another run. Collins finally replaced Jones with Doug Brocail. Hudler hit a bounding ball to Bagwell and slid head-first to beat him to the bag. Myers delivered a single to right as Hudler scooted to third and Anderson jogged home for a 12-8 Angels’ advantage. DiSarcina mercifully ended the frame for Houston when he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Lee Smith took the mound in an attempt to register the last three outs. Biggio flew out to Salmon at the warning track in right and the Angels stormed the field in celebration of their hard-fought victory! Garret Anderson hit safely in every game and registered 13 hits in 32 at-bats (.406 BA) to secure World Series MVP honors.

World Series Results:

CAL 0 @ HOU 4

CAL 9 @ HOU 10

HOU 3 @ CAL 5

HOU 0 @ CAL 4

HOU 15 @ CAL 5

CAL 2 @ HOU 1 (15)

CAL 12 @ HOU 8

Diamond Mind Baseball (Windows) – Version 12

I purchased Diamond Mind Baseball through the company’s website and downloaded the free DMB Encyclopedia as well. I searched the web for custom / homebrew user-created seasons and located several file repositories:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/fansofdmb/homebrew-season-repository-with-version-11-files-t5397.html

https://github.com/fishinnabarrel/dmb-homebrew/tree/master/Compilations

For the purposes of this review, I chose the All-Time Greats created by Keith Hemmelman. DMB v12 allows you to import databases from any of the prior Windows versions (v8 through v11) so I followed the instructions to convert the files from version 11 to 12. I selected View – Roster/Manager Profile and then chose the first team on the list (Anaheim Angels). The user is presented with the following tabs: Roster, Pitching, Saved Lineup, Depth Chart, Mgr Tendencies, Player Tendencies and MP Report.

I reviewed the lineups, rotations and relievers preferences for each team and made several adjustments. For the organizational settings I decided to utilize the designated hitter in both leagues but otherwise kept the default rules intact (using the pre-2020 rules for extra innings, for example). I made a backup of the organization and proceeded to play through the schedule one month at a time, modifying the active rosters, lineups and pitching depth charts along the way to account for injuries and ineffectiveness.

All-Star Break

standings (American League)

batting leaders (American League)

pitching leaders (American League)

standings (National League)

batting leaders (National League)

pitching leaders (National League)

Regular Season standings, leaders, etc.

standings (American League)

batting leaders (American League)

pitching leaders (American League)

American League index (Individual, Team Totals, etc.)

standings (National League)

batting leaders (National League)

pitching leaders (National League)

National League index (Individual, Team Totals, etc.)

When the regular season ended, I backed up my files again and prepared for post-season action. DMB permits multiple playoff scenarios and allows the user to configure the contestants for each round, generate the schedule, incorporate planned days off, etc.

The Orioles travelled to New York to battle the Yankees in the American League Wild Card game. Baltimore’s ace Jim Palmer was on the bump for the O’s while the Bronx Bombers countered with “Louisiana Lightning”, Ron Guidry. “Diamond” Jim Gentile put the visitors on the board with a big fly into the right-center field bleachers in the top of the second. Roger Maris laced a laser shot into the lower deck in right to knot the score at 1-1 leading off the home half of the second. The Orioles reclaimed the lead with two outs in the visitor’s third when George Sisler reached on a two-base error by Graig Nettles and scored on a Brady Anderson double. “Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio clubbed a three-run jack into the stands in left field to stake the Pinstripers to a 4-2 advantage in the bottom of the fourth. Pat Dobson relieved Palmer after “Cakes” yielded back-to-back singles to open the fifth. Following a strikeout of Tony Lazerri, Nettles atoned for his fielding miscue when he crushed a three-run shot into the Yankees’ bullpen to extend the Bombers’ lead to 7-2. Derek Jeter sliced a triple into the right field corner and DiMaggio’s subsequent single registered another tally. Ken Williams got one run back for the O’s with a blast deep into the lower deck of the right field seats to start the top of the sixth. Jeter booted a hot grounder off the bat of Gentile and the Orioles’ capitalized when Cal Ripken Jr. lined a base hit down the left field line for a single. Guidry held an 8-4 advantage as he induced Chris Hoiles to pop up to the “Yankee Clipper” in shallow left-center for the final out of the sixth. Brad Brach was announced as the new pitcher for Baltimore. The right-hander retired nine of the ten Yankees that he faced to keep his team in the game but the O’s still trailed by four runs entering the ninth inning. Ripken Jr. ripped a one-out double up the gap in left-center. “Gator” retired Brooks Robinson on a slow roller to third to secure the victory for the New Yorkers.

The Cardinals and Giants squared off in the National League Wild Card match. Juan Marichal got the nod for the hometown squad while Bob Gibson earned the start for the Redbirds. Willie McCovey broke up the pitcher’s duel in the fourth with a solo blast into the right field seats. The “Dominican Dandy” held the Cards in check until the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Jesse Burkett led off the frame with a screaming liner that just cleared the wall in right to knot the score at 1-1. Jason Isringhausen replaced “Hoot” on the hill and he retired the Giants in order in the home half of the eighth. Robb Nen entered the contest to commence the top of the ninth. He yielded a one-out single to Mark McGwire and issued a base on balls to Albert Pujols with two away. Joe Medwick tattooed a low, inside heater deep to left field for a three-run bomb! The Cardinals skipper summoned “The Mad Hungarian”, Al Hrabosky, to protect the lead. Buster Posey collected his third hit of the game with two outs, but Jeff Kent grounded out to Rogers Hornsby as the stunned crowd exited the Polo Grounds as the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs.

The Tigers claimed a 5-4 victory in Game 1 of their divisional series. The starting pitchers did not figure in the decision as Justin Verlander and Pedro J. Martinez both failed to make it through 5 innings. Detroit’s backstop Johnny Bassler led off the sixth inning with an opposite-field wallop that easily cleared the Green Monster. Ty Cobb snapped a 5-5 tie in the seventh frame as the Tigers prevailed and returned to Motown with a 2-0 advantage in the series. Boston rebounded with a 4-3 win at Navin Field in Game 3 on the strength of eight solid innings by Cy Young. A slugfest ensued in Game 4 with the score knotted at 11-11 at the end of nine innings. Fred Lynn capped a 5-run outburst by the Sox in the top of the tenth with a grand salami and the visitors sent the series back to Boston with the 16-12 triumph. Verlander bested Martinez 4-2 in the deciding game at Fenway Park.

The Athletics scored in every inning except the fifth as they pummeled the Yankees 14-6 to kick off the other A.L. divisional matchup. Five A’s registered three hits each including Jimmie Foxx. “Double X” contributed a pair of long balls and knocked in six runs. Roger Maris belted two round-trippers and Derek Jeter rapped four safeties in a losing effort. New York dug a deeper hole as the Athletics battered Jack Chesbro (6 IP, 15 ER), calling the Yankees’ decision to carry only nine hurlers in the short series into question.  Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson launched two homers each and five A’s recorded 3 RBI. Dave Stewart pitched into the ninth inning and Dennis Eckersley notched the save as Philadelphia swept New York to advance to the A.L. Championship Series with a convincing 7-4 win over Lefty Gomez.

Wrigley Field served as a launching pad for the Braves in their Game 1 triumph over the Cubbies as the squad clubbed seven circuit clouts including two apiece by Chipper Jones and Javy Lopez. Chicago evened their series with a 7-4 decision. Both teams swatted four big-flies apiece but John Clarkson went the distance for Chi-Town. Chipper Jones’ fourth inning single was the lone knock against Jake Arrieta as the Cubs assumed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series with an 8-0 whitewashing. John Smoltz whiffed seven in 8 2/3 innings of work while Lopez produced 3 two-baggers, a tater and 4 RBI to keep the Braves’ hopes alive in a 9-2 drubbing of the Cubs. Greg Maddux twirled a complete game and racked up 8 strikeouts as Boston defeated Chicago 10-2 in the fifth and final contest in the divisional round.

Stan “The Man” Musial racked up three hits and Mark McGwire went yard in the opening tilt between the Cardinals and the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Duke Snider connected on a two-run, walk-off shot to right field off Jason Isringhausen to knot the series at one game apiece. McGwire drilled a game-ending dinger off Hung-Chih Kuo, one of four circuit clouts for the Redbirds in Game 3 as St. Louis outlasted Brooklyn, 7-6. Bob “Hoot” Gibson outpitched Dazzy Vance and the Dodgers at Sportman’s Park to propel the Cardinals into the N.L. Championship round.

A’s southpaw Mark Mulder scattered 10 hits over 8 innings in the opening game of the American League Championship Series as Philadelphia cruised to a 10-2 victory over Detroit. “Bucketfoot” Al Simmons contributed a pair of long-distance dedications and drove in 4 runs. The second match was tied 4-4 going into the ninth when the Athletics cobbled together 3 hits and a couple of bases on balls against Tigers’ closer John Hiller. Dennis Eckersley allowed one tally in the bottom of the ninth but preserved the 6-5 triumph. Detroit handed Philadelphia their first playoff defeat in Game 3. Miguel Cabrera clubbed a game-tying two-run jack in the eighth. The Tigers scratched out a run in the eleventh and the trio of Frank Lary, Mark Fidrych and John Hiller flummoxed the A’s with 8 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The word “slugfest” fails to adequately describe Game 4 at Shibe Park as the Motor City Kitties outlasted the Athletics by a final score of 27-24 in 14 innings! Hank Greenberg cranked three long balls in a 5-for-7 effort while plating 9 baserunners. Both teams emptied their respective bullpens and ended up using the projected Game 5 starters, forcing them to shuffle their rotations. Cecil Fielder mashed a 3-run tater as Denny McLain and Willie Hernandez bested Mark Mulder and the Athletics 4-3 as Detroit assumed a 3-2 advantage in the series. The action returned to Navin Field but the hometown crowd fell silent when “Double X” Jimmie Foxx annihilated a John Hiller offering with two outs in the eighth inning of Game 6. The two-run bomb propelled Philadelphia to a 4-3 triumph as Catfish Hunter earned the victory and Keith Foulke notched the save with two hitless frames. “Prince” Hal Newhouser twirled a four-hit shutout in Game 7 to send the Motown squad to the World Series. Cecil Fielder’s two-RBI base knock capped a three-run uprising against Philadelphia ace Lefty Grove and the Tigers never looked back on the road to a decisive 4-0 victory in the finale.

St. Louis trailed 9-6 heading into the top of the ninth in Game 1 of the NLCS, but the Braves bullpen imploded as Craig Kimbrel and John Rocker yielded 5 hits and a walk en route to a 10-9 defeat. Redbirds’ third-sacker Joe Torre plated the go-ahead run on a two-out infield single. Hugh Duffy rapped four extra-base hits including a solo homer as Boston prevailed 9-3 to even the series at one game apiece. St. Louis second-sacker Rogers Hornsby registered a 5-hit effort in Game 3 including a couple of four-base knocks as the Cards cruised to a 9-3 triumph. John Tudor contributed 8 innings of 6-hit ball. Greg Maddux and Bob Gibson locked horns in a pitcher’s duel in the fourth contest. Jim Edmonds coaxed a leadoff walk against “Mad Dog” in the ninth. Craig Kimbrel entered the game and yielded a base on balls followed by back-to-back singles to Joe Medwick and Yadier Molina as Boston suffered their third loss in the series. Kid Nichols hurled a 5-hit complete game and Wally Berger recorded 3 hits including a dinger and 5 RBI as the Braves routed the Cardinals, 15-1 to keep Boston’s hopes alive. In Game 6 the Braves were on the brink of elimination, trailing 4-1 entering the home half of the ninth. Al “The Mad Hungarian” Hrabosky served up a three-run clout to Javy Lopez and Jason Isringhausen surrendered a two-run walkoff wallop off the bat of Dale Murphy as Boston survived, 6-4. John Tudor and John Smoltz pitched seven innings of three-run ball but both skippers turned the game over to their respective bullpens in the eighth frame. Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff hammered the game-winner, a two-run opposite-field clout off Isringhausen in the bottom of the eighth. Craig Kimbrel retired Willie McGee on a liner to left fielder Rico Carty to seal the deal as the Braves prevailed 5-3 and advanced to the World Series. 

Boston and Detroit lined up their respective aces, Greg Maddux and Justin Verlander, to start the opener in the final round. After the pre-game festivities concluded, Detroit promptly registered the first run of the contest on back-to-back doubles by Sam Crawford and Hank Greenberg. Tommy Holmes rocked a two-bagger off the base of the right field wall, moved to third on a wild pitch by Verlander and scored easily on a slow roller off the bat of Henry Aaron to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Crawford cracked another two-bagger with one away in the visitor’s sixth and Greenberg slapped a single into right field to plate the go-ahead run. “JV” was in cruise control until two outs in the seventh when Bobby Lowe sent a curveball high and deep over the fence in right for a solo shot to even the score at 2-2. Hugh Duffy hammered a long fly to left-center that soared over the wall leading off the home half of the eighth as the Braves assumed the lead, 3-2. Craig Kimbrel fanned two of the three Tigers he faced in the ninth to secure the save.

Denny McLain got the nod in Game 2 for Detroit while Boston countered with Charles “Kid” Nichols. Hugh Duffy led off the bottom of the first with a single, swiped second and came around on a base hit by Chipper Jones. The Tigers battled back to tie the game in the top of the second when Norm Cash laced a double off Eddie Mathews’ glove and later scored on an Alan Trammell sacrifice fly. Jones drove in his second run of the contest with a two-out double in the home half of the frame as Herman Long sprinted around the base paths and dove in safely just under the tag by Bill Freehan. The Braves suffered a severe blow when Hank Aaron was injured running out a grounder to first. Fred McGriff replaced “Hammer” on defense in the top of the fourth. Trammell laced a two-out knock to plate Norm Cash as Detroit evened the score again. Wally Berger and Brian McCann belted back-to-back jacks to center off McLain with two gone in the sixth as Boston reclaimed the lead, 4-2. McLain served up a gopher ball to Long leading off the seventh. The Tigers’ skipper made the move to the bullpen, summoning Frank Lary to face the top of the order for the Bostonians. Duffy greeted the right-hander with a double and trotted home on a triple off the bat of Tommy Holmes. Jones hit a little dribbler up the first base line. Hank Greenberg hoped it would roll foul but the ball came to a stop in fair territory. Holmes crossed home plate effortlessly and the Braves extended their advantage to 7-2. Detroit had failed to record an out in the inning as the heart of the Boston order eagerly took their practice swings. Lary settled down and induced a pair of fly outs to right, but Berger blasted one out to deep left-center. Mark Fidrych, the third Tigers’ hurler to take the mound in the seventh, mercifully got McCann on a ground out to shortstop to end the frame with his club trailing 9-2. Buzz Capra entered after Nichols issued a free pass to Sam Crawford to begin the eighth inning. Greenberg grounded into a double play but Cash deposited one deep into the right-field seats. Cobb legged out a three-base hit in the visitor’s ninth to cut the Braves’ lead to 9-4 but Capra got Harry Heilmann on a two-hopper to third for the final out.

The series shifted to Motown and “The Georgia Peach” was determined to make his presence known. He led off the bottom of the first with a base knock, swiped second and third on consecutive pitches, and then dashed home on a Harry Heilmann grounder to the right side of the infield to give Detroit the 1-0 lead.  Cobb drove John Smoltz to distraction in the third to generate the Tigers’ second run of the ballgame. After reaching first on a fielder’s choice, he safely stole second despite a pitchout by the Braves. The home plate umpire called a balk on Smoltz, moving Cobb up ninety feet. Heilmann laced a single to left to complete the sequence. The Motor City Kitties proceeded to load the bases on a ground-rule double off the bat of “Wahoo” Sam Crawford and a free pass to Hank Greenberg. Smoltz dug in, reached back for a little extra, and whiffed Norm Cash for the final out to keep the Braves’ deficit at two. Johnny Bassler rapped a base hit to start the fifth frame for the Bengals and Cobb drove him in with a three-bagger up the right-center field gap. Heilmann plated Cobb with a sharp line drive past a diving Eddie Mathews. The Braves’ pen began to stir with their club trailing by four tallies but “Smoltzie” escaped the threat without any further damage. Detroit scratched across another run in the sixth on consecutive base hits by Miguel Cabrera and Charlie Gehringer followed by an error by Mathews and a a fielder’s choice. Phil Niekro replaced Smoltz as the menacing Cobb peered in from the on-deck circle. Boston’s skipper wisely elected to issue a free pass with first base open. “Knucksie” got Heilmann to fly out to left field. Meanwhile “Prince” Hal Newhouser was dominating the opposition, yielding only a pair of safeties through seven frames. The Tigers tacked on three runs in the seventh against Niekro, so Boston summoned right-hander Johnny Sain for a mop-up appearance. Jeff Blauser slashed an RBI double up the alley in right-center to end Newhouser’s bid for a shutout. Hugh Duffy and Rico Carty followed with successive infield hits, plating Blauser to make it an 8-2 game. Alan Trammell botched an easy grounder by Chipper Jones to load the bases for the Braves. Willie Hernandez relieved Newhouser and got Javy Lopez on a high chopper to the “Mechanical Man”, Gehringer, to retire the side. Boston began the top of the ninth with three straight hits off Hernandez including a two-bagger by Dale Murphy to cut the Tigers’ advantage to 8-3. John Hiller entered the contest as the hometown fans tried to spur their ball club to victory. Murphy raced home and Fred McGriff moved up to second on Davey Johnson’s worm-burner to shortstop. Pinch-hitter Bobby Lowe flew out to Cobb for out number two, but Duffy ripped a single up the middle to pick up McGriff for Boston’s fifth run. Hiller’s full count delivery to pinch-hitter Wally Berger caught too much of the plate and it sailed over the left field fence for a two-run dinger! Chipper Jones strolled to the plate with a chance to tie the score. He lofted a can of corn to center… Cobb settled under it and made the catch, and the Tigers’ fans breathed a collective sigh as the club barely held on for an 8-7 triumph.

Detroit was aggressive on the base paths early in Game 4. Ty Cobb cracked a single off Tom Glavine in the bottom of the first and Harry Heilmann walked. The Tigers executed the double steal to perfection against Glavine and his battery-mate Javy Lopez. Sam Crawford’s slow roller to short allowed Cobb to score easily from third. In the second frame, Cobb lined a two-out single to left and Charlie Gehringer barely evaded Lopez’ tag at home as Detroit added to their lead. Mickey Lolich grooved a four-seamer to Eddie Mathews who deposited the ball deep in the right-field seats to knot the score at 2-2 in the third. One inning later Wally Berger laced a single up the middle and Jeff Blauser just beat Cobb’s rifle throw from center as Boston assumed the 3-2 advantage. Gehringer commenced the home half of the fourth with a two-base knock to deep right-center and Alan Trammell followed with a shallow single to left, placing runners on first and third with no outs. Dale Murphy gloved Bill Freehan’s lazy fly ball to right but subsequently fell down, allowing the “Mechanical Man” to tag up and score without a play at the plate. Lopez crushed a long ball after Mathews walked leading off the fifth, putting the Braves back on top 5-3. That was the final straw for Lolich’s outing as the Tigers’ skipper summoned Frank Lary from the bullpen. Cecil Fielder smoked a hot grounder to Blauser in the bottom of the fifth for an infield hit, scoring Hank Greenberg and cutting the Boston lead to one run. Glavine hit the showers after issuing a free pass to Gehringer to load the bases. Gene Garber got the call in the perilous situation. Trammell sliced the ball towards the right field corner. Murphy made the catch but Miguel Cabrera tallied the tying run on the sacrifice fly and Fielder moved up to third. Freehan grounded out to second but the match was again even at 5-5. Ralph Garr, batting for Blauser, ripped a double down the right-field line to start the sixth. Lary buckled down and retired the top of the Boston order. Niekro ceded the mound to John Rocker after yielding a walk to Gehringer and a single to Trammell to begin the home eighth. Norm Cash, batting for Freehan, sent one to the warning track in left. Berger snagged it but Gehringer tagged up and advanced to third. Boston elected to issue an intentional walk to “The Georgia Peach”. The sacks were juiced for Heilmann with one out and the go-ahead run standing only ninety feet away from home plate. “Slug” hammered a two-base knock to the right-center field gap, plating all three Detroit baserunners as the hometown team took command of the ballgame, 8-5. “Wahoo Sam” lashed a liner over the mound and into center field to drive in another run. Willie Hernandez held the Braves in check for two innings and remained on the bump to start the visitor’s ninth. After a one-out base on balls to Chipper Jones, Detroit elected to bring Jim Bunning into the contest. He whiffed Mathews and got Lopez on a three-hopper to Gehringer for the final out as the Tigers picked up their second straight victory to even the series at 2-2.

Norm Cash clubbed a solo circuit clout in the bottom of the second off Greg Maddux to put Detroit on the scoreboard in Game 5. The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the third on a single, walk and a fielding error by Bobby Lowe. Harry Heilmann ripped a single to center to plate one run. “Mad Dog” buckled down and escaped further damage with an assist from Tommy Holmes, who gunned down Johnny Bassler when the Tigers’ backstop tried to tag up and score on Hank Greenberg’s fly ball to right. In the fourth inning, Charlie Gehringer lined a two-base hit up the gap in right-center, plating Cash with Detroit’s third run. Boston finally got to Verlander with four successive singles to open the seventh. Fred McGriff registered the first tally but Wally Berger was cut down at home when Bassler blocked the plate upon receiving the throw from Heilmann. Hugh Duffy stepped to the dish and promptly connected on a three-run shot with silenced the hometown crowd and put the Bostonians ahead, 4-3! That signaled the end of Verlander’s outing as Jim Bunning was summoned from the ‘pen. He retired Holmes on a ground out to Greenberg and then proceeded to load the bases on a Chipper Jones double followed by a throwing error by third baseman Miguel Cabrera and a hit by pitch. Luckily for the Tigers’ faithful, the right-hander froze Fred McGriff on an inside fastball to get out of the jam with Detroit only trailing by a lone run. Maddux left the contest in favor of John Rocker. The fire-balling left-hander whiffed a pair of Tigers in the seventh. Boston added to their lead on a two-out line drive single to center by Holmes. Ty Cobb pegged Herman Long attempting to advance from first to third, the second Braves’ baserunner to be snuffed out on the base paths in the last two frames. The Tigers came roaring back after Gene Garber relieved Rocker with one down in the eighth. Gehringer and Alan Trammell rapped back-to-back doubles to narrow Boston’s lead to 5-4. Bassler’s single to shallow center placed runners on the corners with two away. Detroit knotted the score at 5-5 when Garber uncorked a wild pitch while battling Cobb. Boston’s skipper elected to walk “The Georgia Peach” and then he called upon Buzz Capra to deal with Heilmann. Eddie Mathews backhanded a hot smash off Heilmann’s bat, whirled and threw to second base for the force out. John Hiller opened the visitor’s ninth and Jones greeted him with a blast to the left field warning track which was snared by “Wahoo” Sam Crawford. Hiller walked Mathews but got two more fly ball outs to retire the side. Crawford was injured trying to leg out an infield hit leading off the bottom of the ninth. Craig Kimbrel jogged in from the bullpen to relieve Capra. Greenberg reached on an error by Long and shocked everyone when he swiped second. However, this allowed Boston to walk the left-handed hitting Cash in favor of Cabrera. Kimbrel won the battle, striking out “Miggy” and getting the “Mechanical Man” on a pop-up to Mathews. Al Kaline replaced Crawford in right field and the game proceeded into extra innings. Berger strolled to the plate, dug up and walloped a deep fly into the left-field seats leading off the top of the tenth. Kimbrel remained on the hill in the bottom of the tenth as Detroit sent Al Wingo up as a pinch-hitter for Trammell. Wingo drilled a base knock past a diving stab by Bobby Lowe. Lou Whitaker batted for Bassler and hit into a fielder’s choice for the first out. Cobb’s liner to right sent “Sweet Lou” scurrying to third. Kimbrel appeared to be tiring so Johnny Sain came into the contest with runners on first and third, one out and a very tenuous 6-5 lead. Heilmann smacked a liner back to the box. It ricocheted off Sain and bounced over to Mathews, but he had no play. Whitaker scored and the game was tied 6-6! The potential winning run was perched at second base and Kaline sauntered from the on-deck circle to the batters’ box for his first at-bat of the day. He flared a little liner over second base and Duffy quickly raced in to grab it on one hop. Cobb tried to score but Duffy’s throw beat him to the plate and Lopez applied the tag! Sain still had to contend with Greenberg with runners on first and second, two out. “Hammerin’ Hank” worked the count full before whiffing on a breaking ball. Dale Murphy, batting for Holmes, lined a single between first and second to start the eleventh. Hitting from the right side against Hiller, Jones followed with an opposite-field hit to set the Braves up with first-and-third, nobody out. Mathews coaxed a base on balls to load ‘em up. Frank Lary got the call and struck out Javy Lopez with the sacks juiced. “Crime Dog” lofted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Murphy and sending Jones to third. Berger grounded into a force play. Cash walked to commence the bottom of the eleventh. George Kell pinch-ran and dashed to third on Cabrera’s base knock to left-center. Gehringer reached on an infield hit as Kell scored. Detroit was in the driver’s seat with runners on first and second with nobody out. Phil Niekro, Boston’s last arm in the bullpen, was called upon to prevent his team from being swept at Navin Field. “Knucksie” froze Wingo with a floater for out # 1. Tigers’ backstop Bill Freehan hit a lazy fly ball to right fielder Murphy and then Niekro completed his Houdini act by inducing Cobb to pop up to Mathews. Ralph Garr, batting for Lowe, tapped a little dribbler in front of home plate and beat the throw from Freehan for an infield hit leading off the visitor’s half of the twelfth frame. Mark “The Bird” Fidrych relieved Lary. The “Roadrunner” was erased on a fielder’s choice as Long narrowly avoided rapping into a double play. Duffy split the gap in left for a two-bagger and the relay was just a tad late as Long slid into home with the go-ahead run. Murphy muscled a base hit into right but Kaline nailed Duffy at the dish, the third baserunner kill for Detroit in the game, to keep the score at 8-7. Cobb dropped Jones’ liner to center but Murphy inexplicably held up initially at second and failed to score on the play. Mathews made the play academic when he slashed a two-run triple to the wall in left-center, plating Murphy and Jones to give the Braves a 10-7 cushion. Detroit’s manager slowly walked to the mound to get Fidrych as Willie Hernandez jogged in from the bullpen. Lopez unloaded on Hernandez’s first offering. Cobb just turned and watched as the ball landed in the center field bleachers, over 464 feet away from home plate! Detroit fans sat in disbelief as their club imploded while the chance to take a commanding lead in the World Series disintegrated. McGriff mercifully flew out to Kaline. Niekro retired the side in order as the Braves prevailed by a final score of 12-7. The teams headed back to Beantown with the World Series outcome in the balance.

Detroit came out swinging in Game 6 as Ty Cobb and Harry Heilmann delivered consecutive singles of Kid Nichols before the crowd settled into their seats. Al Kaline, replacing the injured Sam Crawford in right field along with the coveted third slot in the batting order, slapped an infield hit to load the bases. “Hammerin’ Hank” Greenberg lifted a shallow pop fly to the shortstop Herman Long for the first out. Norm Cash coaxed a base on balls, forcing in the first run of the contest. Miguel Cabrera sliced a long fly to the warning track in right, just missing a grand slam. Heilmann tagged up and scored while Kaline advanced to third. Charlie Gehringer ripped a single through the hole in the right side of the infield and the Braves’ bullpen became a beehive of activity as a “3” went up on the scoreboard for the visiting club. Alan Trammell grounded out to second and Nichols remained in the game by a thread. Hugh Duffy lofted a high pop fly down the right field line. Gehringer raced back and nearly made a spectacular grab but the ball clinked off his glove at the last moment and Duffy was credited with a double. Chipper Jones laced a single through the left side to drive in Duffy. Greenberg walloped a four-bagger leading off the top of the third inning as Detroit extended their advantage to 4-1. Phil Niekro got the nod after Nichols issued a free pass to Cobb to start the fourth. “The Georgia Peach” tried to swipe second base but a strong throw by Brian McCann combined with a sweet scoop and tag by Bobby Lowe cut him down. Heilmann followed with a single and Kaline crushed a two-run shot over the left field wall as the Tigers took a 6-1 lead. “Knucksie” yielded a walk to Greenberg along with back-to-back safeties by Cabrera and Gehringer as the Tigers’ lumber crew continued to mash the Braves’ offerings. The Boston skipper reluctantly trudged to the mound, took the ball from Niekro and handed it over to Johnny Sain. Trammell’s high chopper to Lowe mercifully ended the inning. The home team capitalized on an error by the Tigers’ shortstop which allowed Eddie Mathews to safely reach base leading off the bottom of the seventh. McLain served up a two-run gopher ball to the red-hot Wally Berger as Boston crept within striking distance at 7-3. Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff made it back-to-back jacks with a long fly over the wall in center, ending McLain’s night earlier than he anticipated. Detroit made the call to the ‘pen and Jim Bunning trotted to the mound. He retired the next three Braves in order. The Motor City Kitties called upon Mark Fidrych to pitch in the eighth with a three-run lead. Jones dialed long-distance with a solo blast to right-center with two away in the inning to cut the Tigers’ lead to 7-5. Buzz Capra relieved Sain (4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief) after a leadoff walk to Cash to begin the visitor’s ninth. Cabrera was looking to add to his three knocks but the submarine-throwing Capra induced “Miggy” to rap into a 4-6-3 double play. “The Bird” returned to his perch atop the mound as the home ninth got underway. Berger grilled Fidrych’s 2-0 offering to left-center and Heilmann just turned and watch the ball soar over the fence. Boston now trailed by a lone run. McGriff rocked one to deep center but Cobb flagged it down for out #1. McCann hit a worm burner to Trammell for the second out and Fidrych caught pinch-hitter Dale Murphy looking on a 2-2 fastball on the inside corner. Detroit collectively exhaled as the squad held on for a 7-6 triumph. The Series would be decided in 24 hours.

The pesky Ty Cobb was up to his usual antics in Game 7. He worked a walk against John Smoltz leading off the contest and nabbed second. Taunting Smoltz on every pitch, Cobb zoomed around the bases on Hank Greenberg’s sharp single to right as Detroit struck first. “Smoltzie” appeared to be rattled as he hung a curveball to Norm Cash that was promptly deposited into the right-field seats for a two-run dinger. Boston wasted no time in responding as Tom Glavine and Buzz Capra began to loosen up in the bullpen. Miguel Cabrera hit a lazy fly ball to left for the third out but the Braves had their work cut out for them. “Prince Hal” Newhouser allowed a pair of baserunners but escaped the first frame with a zero on the scoreboard. Smoltz settled in and retired the bottom of the lineup in order. In the home half of the second with one away, Fred McGriff legged out a three-bagger that landed in the right-center field gap and rolled all the way to the wall. Davey Johnson drilled a hard grounder through the left side for an RBI base knock – his first hit of the Series. Smoltz plunked Cobb with an 0-2 fastball to commence the third inning. Al Kaline singled to left after Harry Heilmann whiffed and then Greenberg took a free pass to load the bases. Tom Glavine relieved Smoltz with the lefty Cash due up. Boston fans were up in arms when the umpire called “ball four” to Cash which forced in a run. The hometown team trailed 4-1 and the bags were full of Bengals. “Miggy” took care of that with a liner past a diving Eddie Mathews and into the left field corner, scoring a pair to give Detroit a 6-1 advantage. Charlie Gehringer belted the next offering from Glavine high and deep over the center field fence for a three-run blast, and the rout was on! The Braves’ faithful vehemently booed as the manager marched briskly to the mound to remove Glavine in favor of Capra. Alan Trammell rudely welcomed the right-hander with a loud triple up the gap in left-center. Cobb produced a two-out single to left. Trammell trotted home easily with the Tigers’ tenth run but “The Georgia Peach” hurt himself on the play and Detroit replaced him on the base paths with Al Wingo. Heilmann crushed a triple to the opposite field as Wingo scampered around the bags to register the eighth run in the inning as the Tigers took an 11-1 lead! Kaline finally ended the frame with a fly out to left but the Boston faithful were stunned by the outburst. Newhouser issued back-to-back walks with one out in the third and the “Mechanical Man” botched a routine grounder to put ducks on the pond. The southpaw buckled down and whiffed Javy Lopez and McGriff to escape the jam. Gehringer swatted a two-run big fly in the top of the fourth to extend the Tigers’ advantage to 13-1. Phil Niekro was summoned in the fifth for some mop-up work. “Hammerin’ Hank” Greenberg clouted a two-run job of his own off “Knucksie”. Three batters later, Gehringer blooped a single to center for his sixth RBI of the day. Trammell collected his third hit and drove in another run as Detroit now led 17-1. Bill Freehan joined the hit parade and Gehringer slid in under the tag for another tally. The Tigers batted around again and Niekro’s 37^th pitch of the inning retired Wingo on a ground out to second. Gene Garber hurled a scoreless sixth for the Braves and the fans reacted with sarcastic applause. Detroit’s skipper removed Newhouser after five innings and nine strikeouts. Frank Lary walked McGriff and yielded a single that ticked off Kaline’s glove, allowing the “Crime Dog” to dash over to third. Pinch-hitter Herman Long rapped into a fielder’s choice as McGriff safely touched home plate to cut the deficit to 16. Hugh Duffy drew a base on balls which ended Lary’s stint on the hill in favor of Mark Fidrych. Cabrera made a nice play on Wally Berger’s high chopper to third and Rico Carty lifted a routine fly to left. Trammell whacked an RBI double in the seventh. John Rocker replaced Garber in the eighth and gave up a triple off the bat of Heilmann. Kaline drove in Detroit’s 20^th run of the game with an RBI groundout to shortstop. Berger’s bloop single off John Hiller in the home half of the eighth plated a pair. The Tigers’ manager finally unloaded his bench in the ninth. Carlos Guillen coaxed a walk by John Rocker. Craig Kimbrel came on and surrendered a single to pinch-hitter “Sweet” Lou Whitaker and a sacrifice fly by Trammell. Hiller put the final nail in the coffin, setting Boston down quietly in the ninth to complete the absolutely crushing 21-4 defeat. Detroit reveled in the middle of the diamond. Charlie Gehringer (.467/2/11) accepted the World Series MVP trophy. In a losing effort Wally Berger batted .462 with 6 round-trippers and 12 RBI.

Playoff Results

AL Wild Card – BAL 4 @ NYA 8

NL Wild Card – SLN 4 @ NYN 1

AL Divisional Round – NYA(4th seed) @ PHA(1st seed)

1 – NYA 6 @ PHA 14

2 – NYA 8 @ PHA 18

3 – PHA 7 @ NYA 4

AL Divisional Round – DET(3rd seed) @ BSA(2nd seed)

1 – DET 5 @ BSA 4

2 – DET 6 @ BSA 5

3 – BSA 4 @ DET 3

4 – BSA 16 @ DET 12 (10)

5 – DET 4 @ BSA 2

NL Divisional Round – SLN(4th seed) @ BRK(1st seed)

1 – SLN 5 @ BRK 4

2 – SLN 2 @ BRK 4

3 – BRK 6 @ SLN 7

4 – BRK 2 @ SLN 3

NL Divisional Round – BSN(3rd seed) @ CHC(2nd seed)

1 – BSN 12 @ CHN 7

2 – BSN 4 @ CHN 7

3 – CHN 8 @ BSN 0

4 – CHN 2 @ BSN 9

5 – BSN 10 @ CHN 2

AL Divisional Round – DET(3rd seed) @ PHA(1st seed)

1 – PHA 10 @ DET 3

2 – PHA 6 @ DET 5

3 – DET 6 @ PHA 5 (11)

4 – DET 27 @ PHA 24 (14)

5 – DET 4 @ PHA 3

6 – PHA 4 @ DET 3

7 – PHA 0 @ DET 4

NL Divisional Round – SLN(4th seed) @ BSN(3rd seed)

1 – SLN 10 @ BSN 9

2 – SLN 3 @ BSN 9

3 – BSN 3 @ SLN 9

4 – BSN 2 @ SLN 3

5 – BSN 15 @ SLN 1

6 – SLN 4 @ BSN 6

7 – SLN 3 @ BSN 5

World Series – DET(3rd seed) vs. BSN(3rd seed)

1 – DET 2 @ BSN 3

2 – DET 4 @ BSN 9

3 – BSN 7 @ DET 8

4 – BSN 5 @ DET 9

5 – BSN 12 @ DET 7 (12)

6 – DET 7 @ BSN 6

7 – DET 21 @ BSN 4

Note – ratings below for Diamond Mind Baseball 12 – deduct 1 point for Pursue the Pennant 5 / Diamond Mind Baseball 6 (1 point for graphics)

Ratings

Graphics – [2] – The DOS versions of Diamond Mind Baseball are strictly text-based while the Windows editions include the ability to import ballpark images. The DOS editions display the pertinent game information using white text on a blue background by default (you can change this in the setup options). The game screen is divided into eight sections. The batting team’s lineup and current batter’s statistics consume two boxes in the upper left corner. The mid-left square serves three different purposes: offensive and defensive play selection, followed by the play-by-play commentary. A small rectangle in the upper right notifies the manager(s) of any bullpen activity. A large box in the middle-right displays the defensive alignment and the corresponding fielding ratings for those individuals. The bottom slice of the screen shows the defensive and offensive strategy choices (during the play-by-play commentary), scoreboard, and balls/strikes/outs. The Windows editions are a slight variation on the same theme. The center of the screen contains (from top to bottom): the scoreboard, offense/defense/play-by-play results, and a field diagram with the defensive players and ratings. The user can toggle between visitor/home lineups and visitor/home reserves in the left column while the right side reveals batter and pitcher “stat cards”. At the top left corner of the screen below the menu bar, you can choose between the Main (game view), Boxscore, Scoresheet and Game Log. DMB 12 allows the user to customize the font size along with the text, highlight and background colors for the various game screen sections.

Sound – [1] – There are no sound effects in Diamond Mind Baseball.

Strategy – [5] – In addition to specifying a human or computer manager for a particular game, you have four granular options: starting lineups, substitutions, game tactics, running/throwing. For example, I can choose for both teams to have a human manager with regards to selecting the starting lineup, but the computer can handle the other tasks for one or both teams. Defensive options are comprised of normal, infield in, in at the corners, guard lines, hold runner and play behind runner. Defensive shifting is not implemented as of version 12. Offensive strategies encompass the typical options: swing away, bunt, hit and run, steal. However the bunt play contains several nuances. If you opt to bunt with no runners on base it automatically becomes a bunt for a hit attempt. If there is a runner on third (but a non-bases loaded situation) the manager is asked whether or not to send the runner from third home. A “yes” response increases the risk if the batter is unable to make contact with the ensuing pitch. DMB prompts the user to update their defensive lineup after substituting for a batter in the previous inning. You can also toggle the bullpen warm-up rule on or off depending on your preferences. If selected, the user must choose to warm up a pitcher and wait for two at-bats before that pitcher’s status changes to “Ready”, otherwise the reliever may be ineffective for the first batter or two that he faces. A pitcher that is warmed up more than four times in a game will become “Tired”. This forces the manager to prepare for the possibility of using a pitcher before visiting the mound and replacing the current hurler.

Artificial Intelligence – [5] – The computer manager conducted player substitution and strategic moves accurately. Diamond Mind Baseball provides a complex weather modeling system which you may wish to incorporate in your replays. If you choose to utilize this option, the weather can influence the offensive levels, pitcher fatigue and plays on the field (players slipping or mishandling a wet ball). Hurlers may not return after a long rain delay. The forecast will affect the opening/closing of the roof in ballparks with a retractable roof. The attention to detail is extremely evident once you’ve completed several series and peruse the game logs and scoresheets. Pitcher fatigue, injuries, percentage of events that occur based on the era and ballpark all play a major role in Diamond Mind’s ability to accurately simulate a baseball game or an entire season.  The latest version features recent MLB rule changes and regulations, allowing the user to implement no-pitch intentional walks, the extra-inning “ghost” runner, home plate collision rule and limit the ability to move position players into pitching roles. You may also specify the minimum number of days that injured batters and pitchers must remain out of action while spending time on the injured list. DMB 12 also includes a “Netplay” option which enables head-to-head play with another DMB user over the Internet. This requires both participants to be running the same version of DMB on their computers and a bit of local firewall configuration.

Box Score – [5] – PTP/DMB offered one of the best box score options in the 1990’s and the current version maintains this level of excellence. DMB 6 introduced the ability to view a newspaper-style box or an expanded box score. Scoresheets allow the user to view detailed play-by-play information. You can elect whether you wish to save box scores, game logs and scoresheets when you configure your league in version 12 (DMB 6 only permits storing of box scores).

Rosters – [5] – Flexibility is the key to roster management in any game. DMB 6 introduced the Trade function and the capability of track combined and team-specific statistics for each player.  Every franchise can accommodate up to 60 players on their rosters. You can add free agents, release players, promote to the active roster or move a player to the farm (minor league) team. The current version of DMB adds the ability to place an individual on the Injured List and activate those players when they become healthy enough to contribute to the ball club. The Draft function in later editions grants the capacity to create entire leagues from scratch or a conduct a partial draft in which teams carry a number of players over from a previous season and the balance are selected from the draft pool. You can trade draft picks, add optional (supplemental) picks, undo an incorrect selection, save a draft in progress and generate reports.

Statistics – [5] – Twenty different report types and nearly 100 standard reports are included in DMB 12. Additionally the user can customize the reports and save the configuration for future report generation. You can select from the actual (real-life) statistics or the results generated during a season replay. Depending on the report type, you can toggle through various tabs such as primary, secondary, analytical, vs RHP / vs LHP (for batters) and start / relief (for pitchers). Users can generate an entire website for their league reports with DMB 12. The DOS-based versions allow you to print the output or save reports to disk.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [5] – The injury rule can be configured for one of three possible choices: None, Random and Injury Rating. “Random” does not take a player’s injury rating into account. Ejections can occur during games and you will be prompted to substitute for the player(s) who were tossed from the contest. Player usage can be managed in several ways. Manager profiles allow you to place limits on position player and pitchers to ensure that they don’t exceed their real-life at-bats or innings.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [5] – A very detailed accounting of each ballpark is possible with DMB. Version 12 accommodates some additional aspects such as city name, time zone, universal ID, image file name (you can provide your own 600×600 JPEG ballpark images). DMB 6 and 12 both incorporate general and physical data such as the park name, stadium type (outdoor/dome/both), surface (grass/artificial turf), amount of foul territory, distance and fence height. Weather patterns encompassing rain frequency, average temperature and wind speed, and fluctuations during the season further enhance the realism as do the park factors based on right- and left-handed rates for singles, doubles, triples and home runs.  

Commentary – [3] – I feel like the play-by-play is not as descriptive and imaginative as some of the competition in the text-based gaming genre. It gets the job done but doesn’t paint a picture in your mind’s eye. Here’s an example of the play-by-play in DMB 12: “here’s Hugh Duffy again.. one hit so far today.. the infield at double play depth.. 3-2, Verlander comes home.. Duffy hits one well to left and that ball is outta here.. a good fifteen feet over the wall! A home run for Duffy! Duffy is 2 for 4 with 1 HR, 3 RBI. SCORING: HR.3-H;1-H.”

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Pursue the Pennant / Diamond Mind Baseball (DOS) – Total Score: 40 out of 50

Diamond Mind Baseball (Windows) – Total Score: 41 out of 50

Observations

The Diamond Mind Baseball series excels in almost every phase of the game. The attention to detail and amount of research that Tom Tippett and company poured into this product over the years is clearly evident. My lone nitpick is that the commentary could use some more flavor. I highly recommend Diamond Mind Baseball if you are a fan of text-based simulations and are looking to squeeze out every extra ounce of realism in your replays.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Pursue the Pennant and Diamond Mind Baseball.  

Screenshots

Pursue the Pennant 5

Diamond Mind Baseball 6

Diamond Mind Baseball 12

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Play a demo of Pursue the Pennant v4.04 in your browser -> https://archive.org/details/PTPDEMO

Diamond Mind Baseball – Tapatalk Discussion Forum -> https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/dmbforum/

Diamond Mind Baseball newsletters (1999-2015) -> https://diamond-mind.com/blogs/newsletters/

Custom / Homebrew Seasons for Diamond Mind Baseball ->

https://github.com/fishinnabarrel/dmb-homebrew/tree/master/Compilations

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/fansofdmb/homebrew-season-repository-with-version-11-files-t5397.html

Pursue The Pennant

Teverbaugh, Rick. “Sports Scoreboard”. Computer Gaming World. Volume 38, June-July 1987. p40.

https://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_38.pdf

Widner, Duane E. “Baseball is the Numbers”. Computer Gaming World. Volume 71, May 1990, p20-21. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_71.pdf   

Gindin, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

Diamond Mind Baseball

Gindin, Jim. “By the Numbers: Diamond Mind Isn’t Pretty, But It Deserves a Turn At Bat”. Computer Gaming World. December 1997. p342. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_161.pdf

McCauley, Dennis. “Atop the Mound: Baseball Slides Head-First Into Your PC”. Computer Gaming World. July 1996. p78. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_144.pdf

PC Magazine Staff. “Diamond Mind Baseball 9”. PC Magazine. June 1, 2005. https://www.pcmag.com/archive/diamond-mind-baseball-9-152807

Simeone, Jonathan. “Reviewing Diamond Mind Baseball”. April 27, 2020.

https://www.jonathansimeone.com/2020/04/27/reviewing-diamond-mind-baseball/

Todd, Brett. “Diamond Mind Baseball 9 Review”. Gamespot. May 17, 2006.

https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/diamond-mind-baseball-9-review/1900-6099585/

Bill (no last name given). “Product Review: DMB”. What Is Baseball. “ June 12, 2019.

https://whatisbaseball.com/product-review-dmb/

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/diamond-mind-baseball-80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPtuFFhIqZ4 Diamond Mind Baseball v11 video by idjester

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6qt9E7WddY Diamond Mind Baseball v11 video by Baseball Demos

Diamond Mind Baseball v12 Enhancements -> https://diamond-mind.com/pages/version-12-enhancments

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

Hardball 3

Hardball 3

Publisher – Accolade

Release Year – 1992

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Hardball 4

Hardball 4

Publisher – Accolade

Release Year – 1994

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Hardball 5

Hardball 5

Publisher – Accolade

Release Year – 1995

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Hardball 6

Hardball 6

Publisher – Accolade

Release Year – 1998

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Review

This entry will focus on the later iterations of the Hardball series (editions three through six) as the original Hardball! along with the sequel  (Hardball II) were purely built around the arcade aspects of baseball with no tactical (manage-only) mode to speak of.

Hardball 3

Hardball III incorporates the capacity to import teams from Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball or Earl Weaver Baseball II. I opted to import the All-Time Teams from TLUB and found that they were missing players who were still active when the product was released. I updated those rosters in order to include those players, objectively selecting their best seasons (through 1990). After making a backup copy of my revised league file and selecting the appropriate stadium for each team (initially all teams defaulted to Dodger Stadium), I chose the Schedule option and decided to “Simulate” the first week of the season. Every game took about 7 to 10 seconds to complete. You can simulate one week’s worth of games at a time so each week finished in about 15 minutes. The simulated contests are displayed as an in-progress box score. However I don’t see an option to view the box scores (or league leaders) after the games are over. You can only check the standings and it’s necessary to edit rosters and click on individual players to view their simulated stats. When setting up the rosters, you are limited to one lineup. I did not see any bench players utilized in the American League given the presence of the designated hitter and no option to enable injuries. In spite of the lack of a DH in the National League, the managers all conspired against the use of pinch-hitters and defensive substitutes as well. At the season’s halfway point, the computer selected players for the “Stars” game. The 25-man rosters were chock full of all-time greats. No relievers were chosen for either squad. I opted to manage the American League entry (the “Accolade” team) while the computer handled the National League crew (the “Mindspan” team). As I reviewed the options for full-game mode, I realized that “one pitch mode” was omitted. There is no way to swap defensive positions during a game and you receive no warning when a defender is playing out of position.

Steve Carlton (12-3, 2.37) took the mound for the Senior Circuit. He yielded consecutive singles to Rod Carew and Harry Heilmann and then whiffed Al “Bucketfoot” Simmons for the first out. Hank Greenberg laced a liner to right to load the bases. George Brett smacked one over Bill Terry’s head to plate Carew with the first run of the contest. “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Heilmann. Al Kaline delivered an opposite-field safety to reload the bases with two outs. Rudy York lofted a lazy fly ball to center as “Lefty” escaped with merely a two-run deficit. Mickey Lolich (13-2, 2.61) strolled to the hill and promptly retired 3 Hall of Famers (Honus Wagner, Rogers Hornsby and Bill Terry) in succession. Lolich breezed through four innings with relative ease before encountering trouble in the fifth. He allowed four consecutive singles as Wagner drove in the first run for the National League squad. After retiring Hornsby on a liner back to the pitcher, Terry delivered a two-run base knock up the gap in right-center. Wagner swiped third base but Lolich got out of the jam when he snared Chuck Klein’s liner.  Rudy York and Cal Ripken, Jr. supplied back-to-back hits to mount a threat in the top of the sixth. However pinch-runner Nap Lajoie was caught napping when Carew’s hot smash was snared by Hornsby, who turned and fired to second to complete the double play. Roger Clemens replaced Lolich with one away in the bottom of the sixth. Hack Wilson greeted the “Rocket Man” with an opposite-field single. Clemens caught Joe Torre’s liner back to the box and nearly doubled Wilson off first base. He got Joe Medwick on a fly ball to right to end the frame. Wilbur Cooper relieved Carlton to commence the top of the seventh. Simmons, Greenberg and Brett slashed successive safeties. “The Yankee Clipper” strolled to the dish and scalded a hot smash towards Wagner. “The Flying Dutchman” snatched it on the fly and flipped to Hornsby for a double play. Babe Ruth batted for Kaline with two outs and runners at the corners. “The Bambino” came up short, as his line drive was easily grabbed by Klein in shallow right. Ruth trotted out to the mound to face the National Leaguers in the home half of the seventh. He set down the side in order. Earl Battey led off the eighth with a solid single to center. Carew coaxed a base on balls with one out. Heilmann hammered his fourth safety of the game to load the bases. Wagner handled Simmons’ grounder to short and fired home for the second out. The bases remained juiced for Greenberg. Cooper induced “Hammerin’ Hank” to loft a high fly to center field for the final out of the inning. “The Sultan of Swat” sliced through the heart of the Senior Circuit’s batting order like a hot knife through butter. Cooper remained on the mound as Brett, DiMaggio and Ruth were due to bat for the American Leaguers in the top of the ninth. “Mullet” and DiMaggio rapped base hits to right-center field. The fans were on their feet as Ruth sauntered to the plate. Ruth worked the count full before drawing a base on balls. No outs, bases loaded, top of the ninth… and Cooper is still on the mound.  Al Rosen pinch-hit for Battey and hit a slow roller to the right side. It skipped under a diving Hornsby into right field as Brett crossed the plate with the tying run! A walk to Ripken forced home the go-ahead run. Carew hit into a fielder’s choice, scoring Ruth as the American League increased their advantage to 5-3. Wagner left his feet to snag a hot liner by Heilmann. Simmons launched a three-run blast into the left-center field bleachers, giving his club a five-run cushion. Greenberg ripped a single down the left field line and Brett followed with another base knock. Hornsby booted a grounder off the bat of DiMaggio to register another tally. Ruth mercifully sliced a foul pop to third to end the rally. Bob Feller jogged in from the bullpen and set down Wilson, Torre and Medwick to close out the contest as the Americans defeated the Nationals with a final score of 9-3.

Standings at the All-Star Break HB3

I proceeded to simulate the remaining regular season games. The Tigers topped the Majors with a record of 108-54 to outpace the Yankees by a five-game margin. The Twins secured a division crown by three games over the Athletics. In a pair of tightly contested divisions, the Phillies squeaked past the Cardinals by a single game while the Giants survived challenges from the Reds and the Dodgers.

Final Standings – Regular Season HB3

I scanned each team’s roster to check out the simulated stats for individuals since the League Leaders option is omitted from Hardball III. Here are some noteworthy numbers. As far as I could tell, none of the bench players were utilized at all and some relievers were barely used.

Playoff results –

Detroit defeated Minnesota, 4 games to 3. San Francisco defeated Philadelphia, 3 games to 2. I elected to manage the underdog Giants while Hughie Jennings was tabbed to skipper the Tigers.

The World Series commenced in the Motor City with the visiting Giants batting against the Tigers’ ace, southpaw Mickey Lolich. Willie Mays coaxed a two-out walk in the first frame and advanced to third on a solid single to right off the bat of Willie McCovey. Mel Ott drilled a hot grounder up the middle but Charlie Gehringer gloved it and flipped to Alan Trammell covering the bag at second to retire the side. Juan Marichal set down the Tigers in order in the home half of the first. Hank Greenberg led off the bottom of the second with a ringing single to center field. Sam Crawford ripped a one-hopper to “Laughing” Larry Doyle, who lunged forward to tag Greenberg as he attempted to advance to second, then tossed over to first baseman Bill Terry to complete the double play. Gehringer pummeled an offering from Marichal over the left-center field fence leading off the bottom of the fourth to plate the first run of the Series. Detroit loaded the bases in the fifth against the “Dominican Dandy” on a pair of singles sandwiched around an error by Doyle. Harry Heilmann clubbed a two-out grand slam into the upper deck and the crowd roared in approval! Mel Ott got the Giants on the board with a solo blast that nearly landed on the roof with two down in the top of the sixth, ending Lolich’s bid for a shutout. Marichal cruised through the sixth inning but he was replaced by left-hander Gary Lavelle following a leadoff double in the seventh by Rudy York (his second two-base hit of the game). The southpaw got out of the jam when Freddie Lindstrom made a leaping grab behind third base of an opposite-field liner by Cobb and Gehringer flew out to “Stretch” in left-center field. The “Say-Hey Kid” crushed a mammoth home run deep into the upper tank in center field with one out in the top of the eighth, cutting the Tigers’ margin to 5-2. Lolich rebounded to finish the frame with successive line drive outs by McCovey and Ott.  “Toothpick” Sam Jones entered the match to face the middle of the Detroit batting order. Greenberg greeted him with a sharp single to center but he was immediately erased when Bill Terry snared a foul liner off Crawford’s bat and then stepped on the bag to complete the twin-killing. Lolich sauntered to the mound in the top of the ninth to face Frankie Frisch, batting for Walker Cooper. Hoping to spark a rally, “The Fordham Flash” laced a liner over Gehringer’s outstretched glove for a base hit to right field. Lindstrom stroked a 1-0 pitch from Lolich towards the left field seats.. the ball barely cleared the wall for a two-run blast. The home team clinged to a 5-4 lead and the fans went silent.  Mark Fidrych replaced Lolich and Roger Bresnahan stepped to the dish, batting for Travis Jackson. The fleet-footed backstop ripped a double up the left-center field gap on the first offering from the “Bird”. Kevin Mitchell grounded to short and Alan Trammell tried to cut down Bresnahan when he broke for third. The runner reversed course and both runners were safe. The count ran full to Doyle before he whiffed. Terry cuffed a single that fell just in front of Crawford but the runners played it safe to make sure the ball wasn’t going to be caught, so Bresnahan had to stop at third base. The bases were loaded with one out in the ninth as Mays settled into the batter’s box. Mays rapped a base hit over Trammell’s head, scoring Bresnahan. Tie ballgame! Cobb quickly retrieved the ball and fired it home as the Giants’ third-base coach wisely held Mitchell up at third. Crawford made a shoestring catch of McCovey’s liner for the second out, with Mitchell again staying anchored to third. Jennings finally decided to bring John Hiller into the contest to relieve Fidrych with Ott at the plate with a 2-1 count. Ott fought off several tough pitches before lining out to Greenberg. Al Kaline delivered a base hit to right field to start the ninth against Jones as Giants’ closer Frank Linzy heated up in the ‘pen. George Kell rapped a two-hopper to Lindstrom, who fired to Doyle to force Kaline at second. Kell beat the relay to first. York supplied his third hit of the day, a frozen rope to right that almost allowed Ott to gun down Kell at second base. Manager Bain signaled to the bullpen and Linzy jogged to the mound. Trammell responded with a base knock into right field but Ott gathered it quickly and fired home as Detroit’s coach opted to hold the runner Kell at third. One out in the bottom of the ninth, bases full of Tigers with Cobb (0-for-4) coming to bat. San Francisco brought their infield in, respecting Cobb’s speed. After fouling off several pitches, Linzy stuck an inside fastball past the “Georgia Peach” for a rare and much-needed strikeout! Gehringer grounded out to first and the game advanced into extra innings. Frisch drew a base on balls to begin the tenth frame and then promptly pilfered second. Hiller struck out Lindstrom and retired the next two batsmen. Greenberg rapped a one-out safety to right against Linzy in the home half of the tenth. Lefty Johnny Antonelli came in to face Crawford, who grounded up the middle for a force out at second. “Wahoo Sam” took off on Antonelli’s first pitch to Kaline and easily swiped the bag. Kaline connected on the next pitch, sending Mays back towards the warning track in center. The ball glanced off his glove and Crawford steamed home with the winning run!

Christy Mathewson and Denny McLain opposed each other in Game 2. Larry Doyle kicked off the affair with a ringing two-bagger into the right field corner. Bill Terry sliced a base hit to left but Doyle had to hold up at second to ensure that the low liner evaded the third baseman, so he only advanced one base. McLain struck out Willie Mays on three pitches. Willie McCovey plated Doyle with a solid base hit to left. With a 2-2 count on Mel Ott, McLain made consecutive attempts to pick Terry off at second, to no avail. The right-hander whiffed “Master Melvin” on the next pitch and got Freddie Lindstrom on a bounding ball to first baseman Hank Greenberg to escape further damage. Mathewson allowed a two-out single to Harry Heilmann and generated a trio of line-drive outs in the bottom of the first. McLain served up a solo shot to Walker Cooper with one out in the second to give San Francisco a two-run cushion. Al Kaline and George Kell delivered back-to-back safeties, placing runners on first and third with one down in the home half of the second inning. “Big Six” retired Rudy York on a shallow fly but Alan Trammell plated the run with a base knock that landed in front of Ott. Ty Cobb remained hitless in the Series after lining out to Doyle and the Tigers trailed 2-1 after two. San Francisco extended their lead with three successive one-out base hits in the top of the third. Travis Jackson’s slow roller squirted under Charlie Gehringer’s glove and Will Clark steamed home from second base. Doyle delivered a base knock up the middle to load the bases for Terry. McLain induced a grounder to Trammell who flipped to the “Mechanical Man” for the force out at second base, but Detroit now trailed 3-1. Crawford tried to ignite the Tigers’ offense with a walk and a stolen base leading off the home half of the fourth. Kaline drilled a single past Jackson and into center fielder. Crawford froze initially, assuming the liner would be caught, so he advanced only one base. Jackson booted Kell’s bouncer to short, allowing Crawford to breeze home as the Tigers closed the margin to 3-2. With runners on first and second and no one out, Mathewson took a deep breath and a slow walk behind the mound to compose himself. “Stonewall” Jackson made up for his miscue when he made a diving stab of Rudy York’s low liner and quickly fired to Doyle to complete the double play! Mathewson grooved a fastball to Trammell, who deposited the ball into the right-field seats for a two-run dinger. Detroit assumed the lead, 4-3, as Mathewson kicked the dirt in disbelief. Cobb finally ended his slump with an opposite-field two-bagger up the gap in left-center field. San Francisco’s bullpen began to stir. Terry prevented further damage when he dove headlong into foul territory to snare a looping liner off Gehringer’s bat. Ott and Lindstrom strung together consecutive two-out hits in the fifth, but Cobb snared a sinking liner by Clark to close out the frame. Mathewson yielded three consecutive base hits with two outs in the fifth, prompting the manager to emerge from the dugout and signal to the bullpen. Johnny Antonelli extinguished the blaze when Lindstrom scooped up a two-hopper off the bat of York and stepped on third base. Detroit took a 5-3 lead in the sixth on a two-out double by Gehringer followed by a single to center by Heilmann. Sam Jones relieved Antonelli and swiftly retired Greenberg on a liner back to the mound. McLain found his mojo and carved up the Giants’ lineup through eight innings. Trammell drew a free pass to start the ninth against Jones. Successive singles by Gehringer and Heilmann brought Greenberg to the dish. “Hammerin’ Hank” delivered a solid single to left as Trammell trotted home with an insurance run. Mike F. McCormick entered to oppose the left-handed hitting Crawford. “Wahoo Sam” ripped a one-hopper to Doyle who fired home to nail Gehringer for the second out. Kaline slashed an opposite-field knock between first and second, scoring Heilmann as the Tigers opened up a four-run advantage. Kell lofted a long fly ball to center which Mays flagged down for the final out of the frame. McLain headed for the showers and Mark Fidrych took his warmup tosses. Frankie Frisch batted for Doyle and coaxed a walk on four pitches. Terry nearly grounded into a double play as he barely outran the relay to first. Mays rapped into a force out at second. “The Bird” flummoxed McCovey as the slugger was caught looking at a change-up on a full count. The teams headed to the “City by the Bay” to resume the Series with San Francisco trailing, two games to none.

The winds were swirling at Candlestick Park as “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity prepared to square off against “Wabash” George Mullin. In the bottom of the first, Mullin got himself into hot water when he loaded the bases with a pair of walks sandwiched around a Willie Mays single. Orlando Cepeda delivered a base hit to right field to plate Bill Terry with the first run of the contest. Freddie Lindstrom had similar ideas and sliced a Mullin offering towards the right side but a leaping grab by first baseman Hank Greenberg extinguished the Giants’ rally. San Francisco threatened again in the second inning as Walker Cooper and Bill Terry supplied base knocks and the “Say Hey Kid” coaxed a base on balls with two away. A diving catch in foul territory by George Kell saved Mullin’s bacon as Willie McCovey could only stare down the third base line in disbelief. Lindstrom lunged into foul ground to snare a liner off the bat of Ty Cobb with two gone in the top of the third, whipping “The Georgia Peach” into a frenzy. Mel Ott coaxed a walk and “Lindy” ripped a one-out double down the left field line. Cooper lofted a long sacrifice fly to center as Ott tagged up and easily trotted home. Mullin punched out Travis Jackson for the final out of the frame, again limiting the damage to a lone tally. “Laughing” Larry Doyle led off the fourth with a base on balls. Terry and Mays followed with successive safeties, placing ducks on the pond for McCovey. Mullin was holding on by a thread but Detroit’s manager Jennings remained confident in his right-hander as no one stirred in the bullpen. “Stretch” slapped a screaming liner right at Harry Heilmann for the first out and Doyle bluffed but decided to stay at third. Ott knocked in the run with a ringing opposite field single. Kell booted a potential double-play ball off the bat of Cepeda, allowing Terry to cross home plate with the fourth run for San Fran. In yet another Houdini act, Mullin retired Lindstrom and Cooper to keep the Tigers within striking distance. McGinnity worked around a couple of two-out safeties by Alan Trammell and Cobb to maintain a shutout through five frames. Mark Fidrych began to stretch and toss a few pitches down in the Detroit ‘pen. Mullin’s struggles continued as he issued a free pass to Doyle and yielded a single to Terry with one away. The rally was snuffed out when Mays lined to Greenberg for an unassisted double play. Jennings finally relieved Mullin when Fidrych took the mound for the third straight game in the home half of the sixth. “The Bird” walked Cepeda with two outs in the inning and gave up successive singles to Lindstrom and Cooper as the Giants added to their advantage. Batting for Jackson, Kevin “World” Mitchell slapped a base hit to right but Heilmann hastily fired to the catcher to hold the runners at bay. Doyle strolled to the plate with the sacks juiced. “Laughing Larry” fouled off a couple of inside fastballs and then stroked the next offering into left field for a single, with all of the baserunners moving up ninety feet. Terry drilled his fourth hit of the day just in front of Heilmann and San Francisco extended the lead to 7-0. The crowd roared in approval as Mays stepped up to the plate. Jennings called down to the bullpen and Dizzy Trout sprang up from his seat to start warming up. Fidrych snared a line drive back through the box to mercifully douse the fire as Mays stranded three runners on base. McGinnity gave up back-to-back hits with two outs in the visitor’s seventh but he got Charlie Gehringer on a grounder to Doyle. Trout came on in relief of Fidrych to commence the bottom of the seventh. Heilmann smoked a double into the right field corner leading off the eighth. Greenberg laced a line drive through the hole between short and third but Heilmann inexplicably dove back into second, perhaps thinking that Lindstrom would make an amazing play to his left to trap the sinking liner. San Francisco’s bullpen stirred and Rube Marquard began to play catch with Roger Bresnahan. Detroit finally plated a runner when “Wahoo” Sam Crawford punched a two-bagger up the left-center field gap. McGinnity received a rousing ovation and he doffed his cap as he exited in favor of Marquard. Al Kaline worked the count full before striking out. Kell flew out just shy of the warning track in right field, but Greenberg elected not to challenge Ott’s arm. Rudy York’s two-out single brought “Hammerin’ Hank” home and the Tigers continued to chip away at the Giants’ lead. McCovey raced in and grabbed a soft liner off the bat of Trammell for the third out. Frank Linzy worked around a Gehringer safety to record the last 3 outs of the contest including a strikeout of “Hammerin’ Hank”. Final score: Giants 7, Tigers 2. San Francisco would look to even up the Series the following day at Candlestick Park.

Southpaws Carl Hubbell and Hal Newhouser received the starting nods for their respective ball clubs in Game 4. The Giants ripped three straight singles with two outs in the bottom of the first but “Prince Hal” eluded harm when Orlando Cepeda grounded into a force play at second base. Freddie Lindstrom and Walker Cooper delivered consecutive base knocks in the second inning and Travis Jackson successfully sacrificed to move both runners into scoring position. Frankie Frisch, substituting for Larry Doyle against the left-handed Newhouser, lined an opposite-field single to right to plate “Lindy” with the first tally of the match. Bill Terry followed with a slap hit that curled underneath George Kell’s glove for another hit, scoring Cooper. Willie Mays got jammed with a Newhouser fastball and rolled over to shortstop where Alan Trammell scooped and fired to Kell to force the lead runner. Willie McCovey whiffed but the home team had a 2-0 advantage. Travis Jackson swatted a three-run blast over the chain-link fence in left field with two down in the third to extend San Fran’s lead to 5-0. The G-Men continued to bash Newhouser’s offerings an inning later as Terry and McCovey thumped a pair of base knocks. Terry darted home and McCovey bolted to third when Mel Ott’s single scooted underneath Harry Heilmann’s glove for an error. Cepeda sliced another hit towards the right field line to deliver “Stretch” and move Ott up to second. Despite a fully-rested bullpen with the exception of Mark Fidrych, Detroit’s skipper Hughie Jennings elected to permit the pummeling to proceed. At this point Newhouser had surrendered 7 runs and allowed the opposition to rack up 13 safeties. Lindstrom flared a single into shallow center to load the bases. Mercifully Cooper rapped into a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play and the Tigers jogged back to their dugout only behind by seven runs. Hubbell got into hot water in the fifth, putting ducks on the pond after serving up a pair of singles to Sam Crawford and Al Kaline followed by a one-out walk to Rudy York. Trammell drove in the Tigers’ first run with a line-drive single into right field. Ty Cobb slapped a worm-burner towards Frisch who fired home to force out Kaline. Charlie Gehringer lashed a one-hopper to Lindstrom who took three steps to his right and stepped on third base for the last out of the inning. The Giants’ lumber crew licked their chops when Newhouser ambled to the mound for the bottom of the fifth. Jackson and Frisch whacked back-to-back hits but Jackson got a little overconfident and was nearly doubled off the bag at second when Cobb raced in to snare a liner off Terry’s bat. Mays and McCovey rapped into fielder’s choices as Newhouser notched his second goose egg of the day. Jackson absolutely obliterated an inside fastball from “Prince Hal” for a three-run wallop into the upper deck in left as the Giants padded their lead. Obviously the algorithm for the computer AI to consider removing the current pitcher is flawed as the bullpen remained idle in spite of 10 runs and 18 hits produced by the home club. Frisch sliced one to the opposite field with Heilmann and Cobb converging in deep right-center but the ball bounded off the warning track and the wall before Heilmann corralled it. Frisch pulled into second base with a stand-up double. Newhouser wanted to hide but Jennings wouldn’t budge from his perch in the visitors’ dugout. Terry lofted a lazy long fly to center and “The Georgia Peach” camped underneath it to record the third out of the inning. Jack Morris relieved Newhouser to begin the bottom of the eighth and he contributed a goose egg to the scoreboard. Detroit was unable to muster any offense as the “Meal Ticket” was in complete command. “King Carl” whiffed Kaline to complete a masterful four-hit, one-run effort to knot the series at two games apiece.

The aces returned to the mound in Game 5 as Denny McLain matched up against Christy Mathewson. McLain put a pair of runners aboard in the home half of the first but he wriggled out of trouble when Mel Ott grounded into a force play, shortstop to second base. “Wahoo” Sam Crawford laced a double to the opposite-field up the left-center field gap to start the visitor’s second. Al Kaline’s shallow single to right placed runners at the corners with nobody out. Freddie Lindstrom made a brilliant diving stab of George Kell’s line drive in foul territory for the first out, nearly doubling off Crawford in the process! Detroit struck first as Rudy York delivered a clean hit to left field as Crawford jogged home. “Matty” was clearly struggling with his control as Alan Trammell worked the count full before drawing a walk to load the bases. Ty Cobb smashed a liner directly at Larry Doyle, who snared it and fired over to Travis Jackson covering second base to double York off the bag. Crawford coaxed a leadoff walk in the fourth and stole second with one out. He got a little bit greedy and broke for third two pitches later. Walker Cooper fired a perfect peg and Lindstrom applied the tag. The botched stolen base attempt proved costly when Kell drove the next pitch to the right-center field wall for a two-base knock. York slapped a safety to right, barely over the outstretched glove of Doyle, advancing Kell to third. The Tigers failed to capitalize when Ott made a shoestring catch of Trammell’s sinking line drive. In the subsequent inning Detroit made another crucial mistake on the base paths. Cobb spanked a single to right field to start the fifth and promptly pilfered second base. “The Georgia Peach” broke for third and Cooper’s throw was right on the money. Heilmann followed with a single up the gap in left which would have easily scored Cobb. Instead, “Big Six” escaped unscathed when Jackson went up the ladder to snare a sizzling line drive off the bat of Hank Greenberg. San Francisco finally mounted a rally against McLain in the bottom of the fifth, putting ducks on the pond with a walk and a pair of singles. Doyle went down on strikes. Bill Terry got a hold of an inside fastball but it hooked foul at the last moment. He drove the next pitch into right-center for a base hit, plating Lindstrom and Cooper as the Giants took a 2-1 lead. The pitchers remained locked in a duel into the eighth. Ott stroked a two-out base hit and pinch-runner Roger Bresnahan stole second in broad daylight. McLain struck out Lindstrom on three pitches to send the game into the ninth. “Matty” strolled to the hill while the Giants got Gary Lavelle and Frank Linzy ready down in the ‘pen. On a 2-0 delivery, Kaline drilled the ball off the top of the chain-link fence in left for a leadoff double. Kell swung over the top of a 2-2 curveball for the first out. York rapped a bullet back through the box which deflected off Mathewson’s glove and rolled behind the mound for an infield hit as Kaline held up at second. Linzy entered to face Trammell with two on and one away. The shortstop hacked at an 0-1 fastball and poked a looping liner towards right fielder Ross Youngs, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement. Youngs dashed in and made a running catch to preserve the game for San Fran. Cobb pounced on the next offering from Linzy and slapped it into right for a base hit. Kaline got a late jump and had to hold up at third. The Giants’ skipper leapt from his perch in the dugout and sprinted to the mound where he proceeded to signal for the left-hander, Lavelle, to face Charlie Gehringer. Lindstrom nearly ended the contest with another fielding gem but the foul fly by “The Mechanical Man” landed just out of his reach. With the count 2-1, Lavelle threw one low and outside. Gehringer reached out and slashed a low liner towards third. Lindstrom gloved it cleanly for the final out as the home crowd cheered wildly. The Giants were heading back to Motown ahead 3 games to 2.

Detroit players and fans remained upbeat in spite of the San Francisco sweep as Mickey Lolich prepared to even the Series while Giants’ right-hander Juan Marichal attempted to put the finishing touches on a World Championship season. Both pitchers traded zeroes for the first three frames. Willie Mays blasted an opposite-field wallop into the upper deck in right-center leading off the fourth inning. San Francisco extended their lead to 2-0 when Freddie Lindstrom deposited a fastball from Lolich in the vicinity of May’s big fly to commence the top of the fifth. Two outs later, Frankie Frisch turned on an off-speed delivery and crushed it into the upper tank in left-center. Hank Greenberg lined a clean single to left to break up Marichal’s no-hit bid leading off the home half of the fifth. “Wahoo” Sam Crawford followed with a base hit up the middle. The Tigers’ faithful started to make some noise to spur on the hometown team. Al Kaline went down on strikes but George Kell scratched out an infield hit to load the bases. Greenberg tagged up and scored on a sacrifice fly to right off the bat of Rudy York, cutting the visitor’s advantage to 3-1. Alan Trammell lined out to his counterpart as the “Dominican Dandy” escaped the jam. Ty Cobb and Charlie Gehringer supplied back-to-back base knocks to start the sixth. Greenberg ripped a one-out single through the left side of the infield. Cobb had to hold up briefly at second and he had to scamper to third as Willie McCovey quickly retrieved the ball. Bases loaded and only one away for Crawford as the Giants’ bullpen began to stir. The left fielder hit a dying quail to center which dropped in front of Mays for a base hit, plating Cobb. Marichal whiffed Kaline for the second out and Kell lined out to “Lindy” at third to quell the rally. Gary Lavelle relieved Marichal in the bottom of the seventh after Detroit began the inning with successive singles by York and Trammell. Cobb delivered a base hit to right but York slammed on the brakes after making the turn at third. On a full count with ducks on the pond, Gehringer watched as Lavelle’s offering was called a ball to force home the tying run! Sam Jones jogged in from the bullpen and promptly struck out Harry Heilmann for the first out. The Tigers took the lead when “Hammerin’ Hank” lofted a medium-deep fly ball to left, which allowed Trammell to score easily. “The Georgia Peach” was gunned down attempting to pilfer third base but the Giants now trailed, 4-3. Jones yielded a pair of safeties along with a walk but Mike F. McCormick got “The Georgia Peach” on a fly ball just in front of the warning track in left to retire the side. Lolich sauntered to the mound to face the heart of the San Francisco batting order in the top of the ninth. He snared a hot liner off the bat of the “Say Hey Kid” for out #1. “Stretch” stroked a single to center and Roger Bresnahan entered the game as a pinch-runner. In a daring move, Bresnahan broke for second and slid safely under the tag for a stolen base. Greenberg dove into foul territory to snare a line drive by Ott for the second out. Lolich sat Orlando Cepeda down on three pitches to complete the Tigers’ comeback victory and force a seventh game, winner-take-all matchup on the following day.

The stage was set for an epic battle at Tiger Stadium as George Mullin and “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity drew the starting assignment for their respective teams. San Francisco threatened almost immediately as Bill Terry rocked a long one-out single to right and Mullin walked Willie Mays on four straight pitches. Consecutive strikeouts by Willie McCovey and Mel Ott elicited cheers from the hometown fanatics. Pitching carefully to Ty Cobb, McGinnity issued a leadoff walk.  After Charlie Gehringer went down on strikes, Harry Heilmann split the gap in left-center for a two-base knock. Cobb had ideas but wisely held up at third. Hank Greenberg grounded out weakly to second baseman Larry Doyle. Cobb bluffed towards home but did not advance. Sam Crawford was retired on a one-hopper to third, so both clubs failed to score in the first despite placing runners in scoring position. The pitcher’s duel raged into the fifth frame. Will Clark delivered a one-out single to right and Frankie Frisch pinch-ran for him. “The Fordham Flash” wasted no time, taking off for second on Mullin’s next offering to Walker Cooper. The umpire flashed the “safe” sign and Frisch dusted himself off. Cooper laced a base hit to left which dropped right in front of Crawford but the ferocious liner prevented Frisch from advancing. Travis Jackson whiffed but Doyle came through with a clutch single to center, scoring Frisch for the first run of the game. Terry followed with a ground ball base hit between first and second. Cooper took a wide turn but reluctantly returned to the third base bag. The “Say Hey Kid” dumped a bases-loaded single in front of Heilmann in shallow right to drive in Cooper with the second tally of the inning for the visitors. “Stretch” had an opportunity to blow the game wide open, but he bounced weakly into a 6-4 force out. The Tigers rallied in the home half of the fifth. Rudy York and Alan Trammell supplied successive singles. York scored and Trammell advanced to third when Trammell’s hit deflected off Mays’ glove for a two-base error. McGinnity caught Cobb looking at an off-speed offering for strike three. “The Mechanical Man” rapped a line drive into center field, sending Trammell home with the tying run. Greenberg hammered a two-out single to left which prompted action in the Giants’ bullpen. Doyle gloved a hot liner off Crawford’s bar to keep the game even. George Kell put Detroit ahead with an opposite-field screaming line drive that just cleared the top of the fence in right-center. The Tigers’ faithful roared in approval! Cooper led off the top of the seventh with a booming single that landed between Cobb and Heilmann. Roger Bresnahan substituted for Cooper on the base paths and immediately nabbed second base on a straight steal. Jackson lined into a 4-6 double play as Bresnahan was caught too far off the bag. Carl Hubbell replaced McGinnity on the mound to oppose the top of the lineup. Cobb nearly beat out a two-hopper to the third baseman. Gehringer got a hold of Hubbell’s screwball and deposited the ball into the right-center field bleachers to extend the Tigers’ lead to 4-2. Dizzy Trout entered the match in relief of Mullin to commence the top of the eighth. After Terry struck out looking, Mays absolutely demolished Trout’s slider and broke into a slow home run trot as the ball settled into the upper deck. Detroit maintained a one-run advantage as “Stretch” took a couple of practice cuts in the on-deck circle before proceeding to the plate. McCovey worked the count full before taking a base on balls. Orlando Cepeda sprinted down to first as San Fran brought another pinch-runner into the game. Ott launched a rocket off the left-field wall but Cepeda tripped as he rounded the bag and had to hold up at second. Freddie Lindstrom ripped a hard grounder towards third. Kell smothered the ball, sprang to his feet and then couldn’t decide where to throw it. All of the runners were safe and the Giants had the bases loaded with only one out! On a 3-2 pitch, Frisch lined back to Trout and Ott was nearly doubled off second base. Bresnahan smashed one up the middle but Trout lept and grabbed it for the final out of the frame. Trammell supplied an insurance run when he singled to right with two on and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. John Hiller inherited a two-run lead as he trotted to the mound in the top of the ninth. Matt D. Williams, batting for Jackson, flew out to Cobb for the first out. Doyle lofted a routine fly to center and Cobb corralled it. The Tigers’ fans were on their feet. Terry looked at a called strike three over the outer half of the plate. Bedlam ensued as the players met in a dogpile near the mound and the stadium security was overwhelmed by spectators. The home team emerged victorious in every Series matchup!

Hardball 4

Hardball 4 only permits importing and exporting of Hardball 4 team files, so there is no method to bring in leagues or teams from Hardball 3 or competitor’s products. This edition is similar to its predecessor with the addition of the League Leaders option being among the few product enhancements to speak of, at least in terms of the simulation aspects. The manager is still unable to create more than one lineup or swap defensive positions and the game is missing a “one-pitch” option so the manage-only mode can be a bit tedious. Utilizing the 1994 MLBPA Players Disk, I set out to re-create the ’94 campaign without all of the acrimony surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Electing to use the default lineups and starting rotations, I simulated the first half of the schedule (one week at a time).

Standings at the All-Star Break HB4

The All-Star Break appeared on the calendar and I chose to manage the American League in the Mid-Summer Classic. The algorithm to select the All-Star batters and lineups functioned as expected. However I found that both AL and NL pitching staffs did not include any relievers. While managing the All-Star contest, I noted several differences between Hardball 3 and Hardball 4. When the players ran out to the field, the umpires followed suit. As the running on/off the field takes about 30 seconds every half-inning, you can press the SPACE bar after Al Michaels wraps up the post-inning scoring update to skip ahead to the start of the next inning. Depending on the batter’s handedness, the center fielder moves slightly towards left or right field. After a strikeout, I noticed that the infielders threw the ball “around the horn” left-handed (?!) That doesn’t speak well for the QA testing – any casual baseball fan should know that it’s an extremely rare occurrence for an infielder (other than a first baseman) to throw lefty. Not to mention that I’m playing with patch #2 installed… nobody noticed this? Another issue that should have been addressed – an at-bat should not be charged when a batter hits a sacrifice fly. While managing against the computer in the All-Star Game and World Series, I noted that the AI often replaced a pitcher during the middle of an at-bat. This situation is a very rare occurrence in the Majors and usually limited to substitution of an injured hurler. On a brighter note, kudos to Brian Shaw for the funky soundtrack!

Ramon Martinez (12-7, 3.42) squared off against Dennis Martinez (14-0, 4.05). Ramon struck out the side in the top of the first.  Dennis walked the bases loaded in the first but escaped without yielding a run after striking out Darren “Dutch” Daulton. The computer appeared to adjust his management style specific to the All-Star Game as he warmed up relief pitchers in the third inning of a scoreless match. John Dettmer relieved Dennis Martinez and got the final out of the frame and then David Cone entered the contest in the fourth. “Coney” issued free passes to Moises Alou and Kevin Mitchell. Subsequently he plunked Daulton to put ducks on the pond with nobody out. Randy D. Johnson and Steve Karsay began to stir down in the ‘pen. Ken Caminiti coaxed a base on balls after working the count full. Cone kicked the mound in disgust as Alou jogged home with the first run of the game. Shawon Dunston, the free-swinging never-walking shortstop, drew a walk and the carousel continued. That was the end of Cone’s disastrous outing as Karsay strolled in from the bullpen. Wally Joyner made a leaping stab of a Bip Roberts’ liner to prevent a hit and Marquis Grissom lined out to shortstop to retire the side. Somehow the National Leaguers notched a couple of runs while remaining hitless through four frames.  Consecutive safeties by Roberto Alomar, Robin Ventura and Mike Stanley in the top of the fifth provided the first tally of the day for the Junior Circuit. Karsay got into trouble in the fifth, allowing back-to-back singles to Tony Gwynn and Jeff Bagwell followed by a base on balls to Alou. Kevin Mitchell took a couple of practice cuts in the on-deck circle and then calmly walked up to the plate as the American League skipper raised his left arm to signal for the southpaw, Randy D. Johnson. “World” took four straight pitches off the plate to force in another run. Daulton flew out to shallow right field in foul ground and the runners were unable to advance. Caminiti whiffed but Dunston delivered a pair with a single down the left field line. Roberts lifted a can of corn to left which Albert Belle settled under for the final out, but the Senior Circuit now held a 5-1 advantage after five frames. Belle crushed a two-out, two-run jack into the right-center field bleachers to close the margin to 5-3. One inning later, Chili Davis laced an opposite-field safety to deep left field and John Valentin tripled up the right-center field gap to drive home the fourth run for the AL squad. Lofton’s sacrifice fly to left-center scored Valentin with the tying run. Roger Clemens relieved the “Big Unit” to commence the bottom of the seventh and he retired the side in order. Joey Hamilton relieved Ramon Martinez in the top of the eighth after Wally Joyner sliced an opposite-field double that bounced off the left-center field wall. Alomar grounded out to short to end the threat. Grissom led off the home eighth with a booming double in the left field corner and he swiped third with one away and Bagwell at the dish. Scott Kamieniecki relieved Clemens and got Bagwell on a medium fly to left. Grissom inexplicably failed to challenge Belle’s arm and stayed glue to the third base bag. Alou lined a two-out single to deep left, scoring Grissom with the go-ahead run. Mitchell hammered a two-base knock which Belle briefly bobbled, allowing Alou to cruise home with an insurance tally. Jimmy Key entered the contest and struck out Daulton to prevent further damage but the NL held a 7-5 lead heading to the top of the ninth. Hamilton set the American Leaguers down in order, inducing a two-hopper to shortstop by pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga to finish the game.

Reviewing the league leaders at the All-Star Break, it was curious to note such “speedsters” as J.T. Snow (49), Spike Owen (45) and Dave Clark (42) among the stolen base leaders. The regular season leaders upon the conclusion of the season featured the usual suspects (Otis Nixon, Barry Bonds, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson, etc.) but the team totals were blown way out of proportion. Every team in the league pilfered more than 350 bases and San Francisco claimed the crown with 527 successful swipes! For the sake of comparison, Kansas City projected to lead the Majors with 197 stolen bases using the actual statistics from 1994 (pro-rated to 162 games) while the Mets would have finished with a paltry 35!

The pennant races in the six divisions gave many teams hope for a playoff run as all the second place teams were within three wins of the divisional leaders. The Orioles edged the Yankees by one game to win the American League East. The Indians finished with the best record in the Junior Circuit with 97 victories while the Athletics secured the Western Division title while barely finishing over .500 at 82-80. Over in the Senior Circuit, Montreal and Houston seized their division titles with 93 wins apiece. The Dodgers reached the 90-win mark to outpace the Padres by a five-game margin. The Yankees and Reds secured playoff berths as the Wild Cards in their respective leagues.  Oakland outlasted Baltimore, 3 games to 2 while the Bronx Bombers upended the Tribe in 5 games to advance to the Championship Series. In the National League, Montreal swept Los Angeles and Cincinnati took 3 of 4 from the ‘Stros. The Yankees and A’s split a pair in the Big Apple and then the Pinstripers outpitched the Green and Gold back in Oaktown. The Expos lost two contests in the Queen City but stormed back to triumph in four straight, punching their ticket to the World Series.

Final Standings – Regular Season HB4

Yankee Stadium was filled to capacity as Scott Kamieniecki took his warm-up tosses. Marquis Grissom ignited the Expos’ offense with a base hit followed by a pair of stolen bases. Cliff Floyd grounded out to shortstop but Montreal notched their first tally when Moises Alou hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field. New York answered back in the home half of the first against Pedro J. Martinez. Luis Polonia singled, advanced to second on a liner to center off the bat of Don Mattingly, and scored when Danny Tartabull lifted a wind-blown pop fly that evaded Sean Berry’s glove just beyond the cut of the infield behind third base. Tartabull wandered too far off the first base bag on Paul O’Neill’s line drive to right and he was doubled off when Larry Walker fired a perfect laser to Floyd. “Pedro el Grande” served up a couple of solo shots by Mike Stanley and Mike Gallego in the bottom of the second as the Bronx Bombers seized a 3-1 lead. New York kept Martinez on the ropes as Pat F. Kelly laced a single to left and Polonia roped a two-bagger into the right field corner. Wade Boggs lined out to right for the second out, but Mattingly mashed a three-run opposite-field tater. The Yankee fanatics were jubilant as Tartabull and O’Neill produced back-to-back safeties, knocking Pedro from the game in favor of long reliever Gil Heredia. Stanley collected his second hit of the inning to drive in Tartabull. Bernie Williams flied out to right to close out the rally with the New York squad ahead by 6. Polonia slapped another two-base hit into the left field corner with two outs in the third and Boggs blasted a two-run dinger into the right field bleachers. Behind 9-1 with two away in the home half of the fifth, southpaw Kirk Rueter was called upon to face the top of the order. The pesky Polonia drilled a hot smash under Mike Lansing’s outstretched glove for his fourth hit of the game. Rueter plunked Boggs in the shoulder and both benches jawed at each other. “Donnie Baseball” hammered another single to increase the Yankees’ advantage to 10-1. Buck Showalter sent Kamieniecki to the showers after pitching 5 innings of 1-run ball. Sterling Hitchcock entered the contest and promptly set down the ‘Spos in order. Tim Scott poured gasoline on the fire in the seventh as the Yankees loaded the bases, tallied a run on a base hit by Mattingly, and brought the house down with a Tartabull grand salami. Jeff Shaw got torched in the eighth inning for three runs as the scoreboard displayed 18 runs for the hometown team. Kamieniecki and Hitchcock scattered seven hits over nine frames as the Expos were outplayed and overmatched in the opener.

Veteran left-hander Jimmy Key squared off against Ken Hill in Game 2. New York picked up right where they left off in the previous contest, battering Hill with four base knocks in the first five at-bats to take a 1-0 lead. Mike Stanley stepped to the dish and deposited an 0-1 curveball well beyond the fence in left for a grand slammer! Hill pawed at the mound while the Yankees batted around. Bernie Williams singled and Pat F. Kelly belted a two-out double to bring Luis Polonia to the plate for the second time in the first inning. Gil Heredia and Kirk Rueter hurriedly fired warm-up tosses down in the Expos bullpen. Polonia slapped a two-run single to right and the rout was officially on as the Bombers went ahead by seven. Wade Boggs lined out to first-sacker Randy Milligan as a dejected Hill headed slowly towards the visitor’s bench. Gil Heredia relieved Hill to commence the bottom of the second. He yielded four hits over 1 2/3 innings but did not allow a run. Kirk Rueter trotted in from the bullpen and retired Boggs on a grounder to first baseman Randy Milligan. Montreal attempted to rally in the visitor’s fourth as Key allowed base hits by Wil Cordero and Larry Walker. Lenny Webster broke the ice with a two-out single to right field as Cordero raced around and slid under Stanley’s tag. Rondell White lined out to shortstop but the Expos were on the board, trailing 7-1. Don Mattingly singled to right leading off the home half of the fourth inning and the Montreal manager leapt from his perch in the corner of the dugout, sprinted to the pitcher’s mound and waved his right arm. The outfield gates swung open and Tim Scott sprinted in to become the fourth Expos hurler to partake in the contest. Danny Tartabull hit a bullet to left which Moises Alou corralled on the first bounce. After Paul O’Neill lined out to deep right, Stanley dialed long-distance and connected on a blast that landed halfway up the left-center field bleachers. Williams belted a low change-up into the right field seats as the Pinstripe squad extended their advantage to 11-1. Key finally tired a bit in the eighth. He gave up back-to-back singles to Milligan and Mike Lansing. Polonia dropped a routine fly to left-center off the bat of Marquis Grissom, allowing Milligan to cross home plate and placing runners on second and third with nobody out. Moises Alou lashed a one-out base hit to right field, driving in Lansing with the Expos’ third run of the day. Key whiffed Walker and got Sean Berry to ground into a 6-4 force play to end the inning. Montreal mounted another rally with three consecutive hits to start the top of the ninth. Lansing’s laser to shortstop was caught by Randy Velarde. Grissom’s base knock to right landed directly in front of defensive replacement Daryl Boston, scoring the Expos backstop, Lenny Webster. Cordero bounced back to the box and Key fired home to initiate a 1-2-3 game-ending double play. The Bombers secured the 11-4 victory and both teams prepared to fly North of the Border to continue the Series.

Olympic Stadium was filled to capacity as the visiting Yankees enlisted Melido Perez in their quest for a third straight victory while Montreal countered with left-hander Jeff Fassero. In the bottom of the third, Perez got into a bases-loaded jam after yielding a couple of hits along with a walk to Cliff Floyd. Expos’ left fielder Moises Alou rapped a two-base hit that eluded Danny Tartabull, normally the Bombers’ DH, as two runs crossed the dish. Larry Walker followed with a three-run rocket that just cleared the right field fence. After getting absolutely demolished in the Big Apple, Montreal finally had something to cheer about! Wil Cordero drilled a two-base knock off the left-field wall and Darrin Fletcher knocked him in with an opposite-field single as the Expos opened up a 6-run cushion. Steve Howe entered the game with no outs in the third after Marquis Grissom led off the inning with a double to deep left. Alou walked and Cordero hammered a two-out single to left field to drive Grissom home. Fassero left the game after four innings having allowed three hits and no runs. Tim Scott, appearing in his third straight contest, yielded a run when pinch-hitter Luis Polonia blooped a base hit into center to knock in Randy Velarde. Bernie Williams delivered a solid single to left to put ducks on the pond and Wade Boggs drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to force in a run. Mel Rojas replaced Scott and extinguished the threat when Don Mattingly smoked one to right that Walker snagged in front of the warning track. Yankees’ skipper Buck Showalter called upon left-hander Sterling Hitchcock to hold the Expos in check. Mike Lansing greeted him with a single and Rojas slapped a base knock over the shortstop’s glove and into shallow left field. Grissom hit a scalding liner past Boggs but Lansing was only able to advance one base. The sacks were juiced and Lenny Webster was announced as the pinch-hitter. The belting backstop blasted a base hit between Velarde and Boggs. The ball ticked off Tartabull’s glove for an error and Montreal’s third base coach waved Rojas around. The two-run safety pushed the Expos’ advantage to 9-2. Velarde made a diving stop and potentially saved at least one run on a grounder by Alou. However Walker connected on a long drive into the right-field bleachers to give the home team a 10-run lead! Cordero cranked the next pitch just inside the left field foul pole as New York was in full meltdown mode. Tartabull’s misadventures in left field continued as he turned a Berry base hit into a two-bagger. Lansing flew out to left field to finally conclude the frame but the Pinstripe crew now trailed 13-2. Rojas endured control problems as he plunked a pair of Bombers including pinch-hitter Daryl Boston with the sacks full. Jeff Shaw strolled in from the pen and swiftly induced a double-play grounder and a harmless fly ball to right to prevent any further damage. Showalter summoned Bob Wickman to the mound as both managers inserted reserves into the lineup. Montreal tacked on a run in the bottom of the sixth when Rondell White’s single to left plated Juan Bell. The combination of Shaw, Butch Henry, Gil Heredia and John Wetteland shut New York down in the final frames as the Expos closed out a 14-3 victory.

Jim Abbott took his turn on the mound while Montreal brought Pedro J. Martinez back on three day’s rest for Game 4. The Yankees were eager to get on the scoreboard following their Game 3 debacle. The visitors rapped four base hits in their first five at-bats against “Petey” to take an early 1-0 lead. Abbott worked in and out of a bases-loaded jam in the home half of the first. Paul O’Neill knocked in a run with a single in the visitor’s third. Moises Alou turned on an inside cut fastball and sent a high drive into the left field bleachers with two out and no one aboard in the home third to cut the Yankees’ advantage in half. Larry Walker hammered a single up the middle and then New York’s outfield adventures continued as Luis Polonia misplayed Wil Cordero’s fly ball to left into a two-bagger as Walker raced all the way around from first to knot the scoring at 2-2. Lenny Webster reached on an error when his hot smash deflected off third baseman Wade Boggs’ glove. Martinez was lifted for pinch-hitter Juan Bell after yielding nine hits in three innings. Bell responded with a single down the left field line but Abbott pulled another Houdini act and the game remained tied at 2. Gil Heredia got the nod in long relief and entered in time to face the heart of the Bronx Bombers’ batting order. Don Mattingly laced a single to center but he was gunned down on a broken hit-and-run play. Sterling Hitchcock replaced Jim Abbott as the home team prepared to bat in the bottom of the fourth.  The hometown team responded with three straight singles. Sean Berry struck out but Lenny Webster cleared the bases with a deep drive into the upper deck in left, staking the ‘Spos to a 6-2 lead. One inning later, Moises Alou tattooed a Steve Howe heater into the left-center field seats for a two-run job. The lower half of the lineup scratched out three hits against the portsider. Showalter called on Bob Wickman to staunch the bleeding but Mike Lansing drilled a base hit into left to plate another run. Lou Frazier, batting for Kirk Rueter, got drilled by an inside fastball by Wickman to force home another run. Marquis Grissom put a charge into the next pitch but Polonia flagged it down at the warning track for the final out. Montreal fans were on their feet as their team took the field in the seventh inning, eight runs ahead of the vaunted Yankees squad. The Expos’ skipper signaled for Jeff Shaw. Bernie Williams lashed an RBI single on a hit-and-run play with two outs in the frame. Alou absolutely annihilated a Wickman offering with one away in the home half of the seventh, sending a rocket down the left field line just inside the foul pole for his third round-tripper and fifth base knock of the contest! Walker subsequently slashed a double up the right-center field gap for his fourth hit of the game. Polonia picked up his teammate with a fine sliding catch of a line drive off the bat of Freddie Benavides and he caught Walker too far off second base for an inning-ending double play. Shaw served up an opposite-field wallop to Mike Gallego with one down in the eighth. Tim Scott twirled a scoreless ninth as the Expos triumphed 11-4 and evened the series at two games apiece.

The momentum has swung in Montreal’s direction and Yankees were feeling the pressure to turn things around as Game 5 got underway. Ken Hill cruised through the top of the first and his teammates spotted him a two-run cushion when Wil Cordero delivered a bases-loaded single to left field. Scott Kamieniecki suffered control issues, plunking a pair of batters and yielding an RBI base hit to Sean Berry in the home half of the second inning. Hill turned in a defensive gem when he caught Mike Stanley’s line drive back to the box, whirled and fired to first to double off Paul O’Neill in the top of the third. Darrin Fletcher’s sky-high pop-up inexplicably landed just beyond the line delineating the back of the infield (perhaps Wade Boggs lost it in the lights?) Sean Berry turned on a Kamieniecki breaking ball and swatted it deep into the left-field seats for a two-run shot to extend Montreal’s advantage to 5-0 in the bottom of the third. Buck Showalter made the call to the bullpen and selected Sterling Hitchcock to relieve Kamieniecki as the home team prepared to take their hacks in the bottom of the fourth. The Yankees’ skipper was conferring with his coaches in the corner of the visitor’s dugout when Marquis Grissom belted the lefty’s first offering into the left field seats. Moises Alou drilled a one-out double, pilfered third base and tallied another run on a Larry Walker’s single to right field. Hill ran into some trouble with two outs in the fifth as he served up a hard-hit two-bagger into the left field corner by Stanley followed by a pair of walks to Mike Gallego and Pat F. Kelly. Matt Nokes, pinch-hitting for Hitchcock, hammered a two-run base knock that dropped in front of Walker. Luis Polonia’s subsequent single drove in Kelly and precipitated another relief outing for Gil Heredia as Hill was sent to the showers. Boggs lined out to the pitcher to kill the rally but the Yankees were within striking distance at 7-3. The Expos loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning against Pinstripers’ reliever Bob Wickman. Mike Lansing looped a safety that landed just in front of Polonia and everyone moved up 90 feet. Juan Bell, batting for Heredia, ripped a single down the right field line. O’Neill swiftly corralled it to prevent two runs from scoring, but the ‘Spos now led 9-3 and Wickman had yet to retire a batter in the frame. Showalter’s pitching coach finally placed a call down to the ‘pen and Paul Gibson quickly began to warm up. Wickman found his mojo as he settled down and escaped the inning without further incident. Montreal tacked on a run in the home eighth when Walker greeted Gibson with a titanic blast into the upper deck in right field for the Expos’ twentieth hit of the game. Tim Spehr raked a two-bagger into the left field corner with one away and he came around on a single to left by Lansing. Tim Scott relieved Butch Henry to start the top of the ninth as his club held a comfortable lead, 11-3. He allowed three straight singles and then the Expos gifted the Bombers a run when Alou dropped Stanley’s routine fly ball to left. Gallego smacked a base hit down the line in left to plate O’Neill. Scott issued a bases-loaded walk to Kelly as New York moved within striking distance at 11-6. The exasperated Expos’ skipper relieved Scott of his duties as Mel Rojas jogged in from the ‘pen. John Wetteland was waiting in the wings. Still no one out as Danny Tartabull was announced as the pinch hitter. Another bases-loaded walk forced home the Yankees’ seventh run of the contest. Rojas finally got the first out of the inning on a shallow fly to left by Polonia. Boggs bounced one to Cordero who fired home to get the second out. Mattingly cut the Expos’ lead to 11-8 with an opposite-field knock. John Wetteland was summoned in a save situation, two outs and the sacks full. Paul O’Neill silenced the crowd when he crushed Wetteland’s first pitch over the center field fence for a grand slam! Suddenly New York was on top, 12-11. The Yanks scratched out three successive singles to precipitate the Expos’ fourth pitching change of the inning. Jeff Shaw got the final out when Kelly lined out to Lansing. Showalter handed the ball to Xavier Hernandez with his ball club ahead, 12-11 in the bottom of the ninth and facing the top of the Montreal batting order. Boggs snared a line drive off Grissom’s bat and Cliff Floyd lofted a can of corn to O’Neill. Down to their final out after holding an eight-run lead, Alou sent a long drive to left but Polonia collected it at the warning track. New York players and coaches gathered near the mound to high-five each other while the Montreal players and fans alike sat in stunned disbelief. The Series returned to the Big Apple with the Yankees in control, 3 games to 2.

A couple of southpaws were slated to start Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Jimmy Key took his warmup tosses for the hometown team while his opponent, Jeff Fassero, began to throw lightly in the visitor’s bullpen. The Expos recorded the first tally of the day when Mike Lansing and Moises Alou delivered back-to-back opposite-field doubles with one out in the opening frame. Alou curiously broke for third on Key’s first pitch to Larry Walker and a strong peg from Mike Stanley cut him down for the second out. This proved costly when “Booger” ripped a base hit to right on the subsequent offering. Wil Cordero lined out to the pitcher and the ‘Spos had an early lead. Bernie Williams was stranded on first following a leadoff knock in the bottom of the first. Key and Fassero dueled into the fourth when Montreal’s bats came to life. Alou rocked a leadoff double off the right field wall and Cordero laced a one-out single which was swiftly retrieved by Paul O’Neill. Sean Berry drove in Alou with a base knock. The Yankees answered in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back walks by Don Mattingly and Stanley followed by an O’Neill single down the right field line. Jim Leyritz coaxed a base on balls to put ducks on the pond. Fassero plunked Gerald “Ice” Williams on the left hand to force home the tying run. The Expos’ manager made the call to the bullpen and Jeff Shaw jogged in to take his warm-up tosses. Randy Velarde worked the count to 2-2, and then drilled the ball towards third base. Berry made a leaping attempt but just missed snagging the hard-hit liner. O’Neill scampered home with the Bombers’ third tally of the frame. Pat F. Kelly turned on an inside heater and smacked it down the left field line for another RBI single. Mattingly stepped up to the plate and laced a two-out, two-run single to right and Stanley’s looping fly to center plated another run. Danny Tartabull lined out to mercifully end the inning, but Yankees sent twelve men to the plate and turned a 2-0 deficit into a 7-2 advantage. Lou Frazier and Marquis Grissom slashed successive singles against Key to start the fifth. Lansing grounded into a fielder’s choice but Alou clubbed a one-out double up the right-center field gap to cut the Yanks’ lead to 7-4. Leyritz swatted a two-run big-fly into the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh off Butch Henry. “Ice” hit a frozen rope into the same spot for back-to-back blasts, effectively putting the icing on the cake and whipping the hometown fans into a frenzy. Mel Rojas poured gasoline on the fire when he served up a three-run gopher ball off the bat of Bernie Williams that landed 25 rows into the right field seats. The crowd went absolutely bonkers as the Yankees padded their lead and were only six outs away from another trophy! “Ice” blasted his second round-tripper of the match in the eighth off Kirk Rueter. This one sailed over the bullpen and into the left-center field bleachers. Down to their final three outs, the Expos sent rookie outfielder Rondell White to the plate to pinch-hit for Randy Milligan. White slashed a single to center which prompted Buck Showalter to emerge from the dugout. He signaled for the left-handed veteran Steve Howe, allowing his ace Jimmy Key to walk off the field to a standing ovation. Frazier took an inside change-up on a full count to draw a base on balls. Grissom bounced into a fielder’s choice as Kevin Elster threw to third in time to eliminate the lead runner. The hometown fans let out a collective groan as Lansing and Alou coaxed back-to-back walks to force in a run. Montreal wasn’t going down without a fight. Walker made his way to home plate after Sterling Hitchcock was pressed into action to face the Expos’ cleanup hitter. “Booger” drove the ball to the base of the wall near the 399-foot designation in left-center field. Two runs crossed the dish as the Yankees lead was sliced to 14-7. Cordero lined out to Hitchcock for out # 2. Berry ripped an 0-1 offering towards third base but Leyritz timed his leap perfectly and snared the hot liner. The Yankees dog-piled near the back of the mound and Showalter pumped his fist in the air triumphantly as the Bronx Bombers added more hardware to the trophy case!

Hardball 5

I launched Hardball 5, selected the League Play menu and immediately noticed several upgrades to the product. The manager has the option to create lineups vs. RHP and LHP along with the ability to propose trades and sign players off the waiver wire. I’m running version 5.13 and have the 1996 MLBPA Players Disk installed which utilized 1997 Opening Day lineups. The graphics engine remains essentially unchanged from HB4 (the facelift would come in the next release). Perusing the team rosters, lineups, etc., I made a few minor corrections and opted to sim the entire season. You can choose to simulate the entire season or one week at a time. I enjoy checking the League Leaders and Standings every month, so I clicked Simulate Week. The box scores flashed hurriedly across the display and the entire week’s worth of contests completed in less than ten seconds!  Repeating this process until I reached the All-Star break, I reviewed the results to that point prior to playing the “Stars” game. In terms of realism, the majority of the leaderboards and statistics appeared to fall within the realm of possibility with two exceptions – stolen bases and reliever’s innings pitched. Andres Galarraga had 44 stolen bases at the halfway point (the top 10 base-stealers all had 40+ steals) and multiple closers pitched more than 75 innings. Managing the Mid-Summer Classic, I instantly noted several improvements: one pitch mode, the ability to proceed to the next half-inning without watching the defensive run off the field, and the infielders were now throwing with their right arms. The current pitcher displays a stamina bar instead of the pitch count. However the bullpen screen shows the number of pitches thrown. The baserunner window(s) received an upgrade as the runner’s last name and speed rating are shown.

Standings at the All-Star Break HB5

Bret Saberhagen earned the starting assignment for the American League while Greg Maddux got the nod for the National League squad. Both pitchers cruised through their first inning of work. Mike Piazza put the Senior Circuit on the board with a titanic blast into the upper tank at Camden Yards. “Sabes” yielded a gopher ball to Greg Vaughn in the fifth frame as Roger Clemens began to get loose down in the bullpen. “Rocket” entered the contest in the top of the sixth with his ballclub behind 2-0. He allowed a single to Jeff Bagwell but induced Henry Rodriguez to hit into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. Maddux was masterful, twirling a perfect game through 7 2/3 innings before Jim Thome clubbed a solo shot over the “Hit It Here” sign in center field. That was the only blemish against “Mad Dog” as he cruised to victory, 2-1.

Seattle dominated the American League with 108 victories to finish 29 games ahead of Texas in the Western Division. Cleveland and Boston claimed their divisions by healthy margins while Baltimore earned the Wild Card with the only remaining record over .500 in the Junior Circuit. Cincinnati tallied 104 wins to top the National League as Atlanta and Los Angeles paced their divisions with slimmer margins. Florida attained Wild Card status with 89 triumphs. Harold Baines collected the AL batting title by a single point over Brian S. Giles (.330 to .329) while Cubs’ backstop Tyler Houston grabbed the NL crown with a .324 mark. Jim Edmonds rapped 65 doubles to lead the Majors. Dante Bichette (Rockies) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (Mariners) tied for the big league home run title with 47 circuit clouts apiece. All-Star starters Greg Maddux (19-4, 1.85) and Bret Saberhagen (19-3, 1.75) paced their respective leagues in victories while Rick Aguilera and Billy Wagner notched 47 saves. The teams with the most wins were ousted in the playoffs as the Orioles bested the Mariners and the Marlins outlasted the Reds. The Braves and Indians were also eliminated in the divisional round by the Dodgers and Red Sox, respectively. In the championship round, Florida upset Los Angeles in 6 games while Boston prevailed, 4 games to 1 in their tilt with Baltimore to set the stage for the World Series.

Final Standings – Regular Season HB5

Fenway Park was filled to capacity as Game 1 got underway with Bret Saberhagen slated to start against Kevin J. Brown. The Red Sox drew first blood as Shane Mack doubled off the Green Monster to knock in Reggie Jefferson in the bottom of the second. In the third frame, Mike Stanley rapped one just over the outstretched glove of Moises Alou. The ball clanked off the top of the scoreboard and John Valentin scooted home with the Sox’ second tally. “Sabes” baffled the Marlins into the sixth when Gary Sheffield crushed a long ball into the center field bleachers to cut the BoSox lead in half. The Marlins mounted a threat in the top of the eighth when pinch-hitter Cliff Floyd slapped a single to center and Luis A. Castillo bunted for a hit. Saberhagen managed to escape without allowing the tying run to score, inducing a pop-fly to shortstop, a fielder’s choice and a shallow fly out to right. He allowed a two-out single to Alou in the ninth, but John Valentin snared Jim Eisenreich’s low liner to shortstop for the final out as Boston held on for the 2-1 victory.

Right-handers Tom Gordon and Alex Fernandez received the starting assignment for their respective clubs in Game 2. Each hurler posted zeroes through three innings. Jeff Conine connected on a long fly to left-center that cleared the Green Monster leading off the visitor’s fourth. Mike Stanley knotted the scoring at 1-1 with a mammoth blast over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth. Gordon pitched eight solid innings while Fernandez lasted nine before turning the game over to the bullpen. Multiple relievers held the opposition in check until the bottom of the 14^th inning, when Reggie Jefferson sent the fans into a frenzy with a deep drive into the right-center field bleachers off Pat Rapp. The Red Sox achieved their second straight 2-1 win and hopped on their flight to South Florida up 2 games to none.

Southpaw Al Leiter took the mound for the Marlins while knuckleballer Tim Wakefield got the nod for the Sox. Rudy Pemberton launched a long ball over the left field scoreboard to put Boston ahead 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Wakefield perplexed the Fish, holding them hitless until Gregg Zaun led off the sixth with a bloop single down the right field line. In the bottom of the seventh, Gary Sheffield roped a two-base hit up the left-center field gap and advanced to third on Bobby Bonilla’s base hit. Jeff Conine knotted the scoring at 1-1 when he lined a single that barely evaded a leaping attempt by shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. Cliff Floyd, batting for Zaun, slashed a safety to center and Conine dove headfirst to record the go-ahead run. Luis A. Castillo connected on a knuckleball that failed to break and deposited the pitch over the center field wall for a three-run jack. Leiter left the game after finishing the eighth inning. Mark Hutton fired a scoreless ninth to secure the “W” for Florida.

Bret Saberhagen and Kevin J. Brown came back on three days’ rest to compete for their respective clubs in Game 4. Tim Naehring initiated the scoring with a line-drive single down the left field line which drove Mo Vaughn home with two out in the third. The aces battled each other until the eighth when Brown tired, yielded back-to-back singles and exited in favor of Jay Powell. Wil Cordero drilled a base hit to left that skipped under Moises Alou’s glove, allowing Vaughn to lumber around third and slide safely across home plate. “Sabes” was cruising along with a four-hit shutout through eight frames but he was lifted for pinch-hitter Reggie Jefferson in the top of the ninth. Heathcliff Slocumb nailed down the 2-0 victory and the BoSox regained command of the Series, up 3 games to 1.

Boston and Florida traded zeroes into the fifth inning in Game 6. Darren Bragg lined a solo shot to right off Alex Fernandez to put the Red Sox ahead, 1-0. Tom Gordon stymied the Marlins, taking a one-hitter into the seventh until Gary Sheffield uncorked an opposite-field blast into the bleachers in right-center. Bobby Bonilla stepped up to the plate and belted a long ball into the same location as “Flash” turned and watched in disbelief. Mark Hutton relieved Fernandez in the top of the eighth with the Fish leading 2-1. Mo Vaughn ripped a two-out single into right field but Hutton got Reggie Jefferson on a line out to the second baseman to retire the side. Robb Nen started to get loose in the bullpen as Gordon remained in the game to face the bottom of the Marlins’ batting order. Florida was unable to get the ball out of the infield, so Nen jogged in to take the mound in the ninth. The Marlins’ fans were on edge, hoping their ballclub would be able to hang on and force a return to Beantown. Tim Naehring flied out to left but Troy O’Leary grounded a hard single to right past a diving Luis A. Castillo. Bragg, who had homered earlier in the contest, drilled a line shot to the exact same spot but the second-sacker picked it clean this time. Mike Stanley grabbed a bat off the rack and strolled to the dish to pinch-hit for fellow backstop, Bill Haselman. O’Leary swiped second but Stanley was now in the hole with a count of no balls, two strikes. Nen looked in for the sign, reared back and threw a high heater. Stanley’s eyes lit up.. he swung and connected, took a few steps towards first and watched the ball sail over the left field scoreboard. The Red Sox dugout went ballistic as Stanley circled the bases. Boston reclaimed the advantage, 3-2! Pinch-hitter Jeff Frye and Nomar Garciaparra reached on consecutive singles but John Valentin popped up to shortstop to end the frame. Heathcliff Slocumb took over on the mound as the Marlins were three outs from defeat. The top of the order came up to bat. Devon White hammered a fastball into the left-center field gap and slid safely into second for a two-base hit. Edgar Renteria legged out an infield hit to shortstop but White wisely held up at second. “Sheff” lofted a harmless pop fly to shortstop for out # 1. Bonilla laced a base hit to left that landed right in front of Jefferson. Both runners were only able to advance ninety feet. Florida fans were now on the feet, the fate of their season in the hands of their first baseman, Jeff Conine. “Mr. Marlin” calmly took a few practice swings and then stepped into the batters’ box. He hit Slocumb’s 1-0 offering on the ground towards second. Running from first base, Bonilla crossed in front of John Valentin. The ball skipped under his glove and into right field. White scored and Renteria streaked around third and scored without a throw to give the Marlins a 4-3 comeback victory!

Flutterballer Tim Wakefield and veteran left-hander Al Leiter prepared for their Game 6 starts down in the Fenway Park bullpens. The managers huddled with the umpires at home plate exchanging lineup cards and the festivities commenced. Both pitchers twirled a clean first inning and Jeff Conine collected the first hit of the day on a sharp single up the middle. In the home half of the second, Mike Stanley coaxed a base on balls. Inexplicably Stanley attempted to steal but Gregg Zaun’s peg was on the money and Stanley was out by a wide margin. The boneheaded move cost his club a run when Wil Cordero clanked a long single off the Green Monster and Reggie Jefferson swatted a two-out, two-run big fly later in the frame. Wil Cordero lofted a towering drive that cleared the Monster in left-center with two down in the fourth to extend the Sox advantage to 3-0. Wakefield was spinning a three-hit shutout through 7 2/3 innings and just posted back-to-back strikeouts when Boston skipper Jimy Williams emerged from the dugout. He reached the mound, signaled for his closer Heathcliff Slocumb, patted Wakefield on the back and sent him off the field to a standing ovation. Zaun lined out softly to the shortstop. Pat Rapp relieved Leiter in the bottom of the eighth inning to oppose the lower third of the Red Sox batting order. He whiffed Nomar Garciaparra with a runner in scoring position to keep Florida within striking distance. The Marlins failed miserably in their final at-bats, dribbling three consecutive weak grounders that were gobbled up by the Boston tandem of Garciaparra and John Valentin. The Beantown faithful stormed the field when Valentin flipped to Mo Vaughn for the last out of the Series as the Sox outlasted the Fish, 4 games to 2!

Hardball 6

Using modern hardware I was able to install and run Hardball 6 on a Windows 98 virtual machine in VirtualBox. The audio and visual enhancements were welcome but long overdue. Greg Papa replaced Al Michaels in the broadcast booth. New league play options included toggling whether injuries can occur and the ability to create manager profiles. This version came with 1998 MLB rosters utilizing statistics from 1997. I started a new season in League Play and simulated games (one week at a time) through the All-Star Break. Each week’s worth of contests resolved in under five seconds. Stolen base frequency remained problematic. Craig Biggio topped the Majors with 62 stolen bases which would be expected given his speed rating of 99! Fifteen players swiped at least 45 bags in the first half of the simulated season. The box scores never evolved from the bare minimum in terms of statistics. In fact the game fails to denote the winning and losing pitchers (or saves for that matter) nor does it log extra base hits, stolen bases, caught stealing or errors by individual fielders. 

Standings at the All-Star Break HB6

The Mid-Summer Classic pitted Randy Johnson against Darryl Kile at Coors Field. Roberto Alomar led off the contest with a double down the right field line but he was stranded without advancing further. Craig Biggio pounded a two-base hit up the left-center field alley and moved to third on a single between first and second off the bat of Henry Rodriguez. The “Big Unit” got Ellis Burks on a shallow fly to center which pinned Biggio to the bag at third. Andres Galarraga’s hard grounder up the middle plated the runner and moved “Oh Henry” up ninety feet. The third Rockies’ All-Star to bat in the frame, Larry Walker, roped a two-base hit into the right field corner. Rodriguez scored to give the Senior Circuit the 2-0 lead with only one out. Chipper Jones’ long sacrifice fly to center allowed the “Big Cat” to trot home with the third run of the inning. Johnson paced around the mound, angrily fired the rosin bag into the area behind the mound and then returned to the rubber to glare in at the next batter, Jeff Reed. Consecutive hits by Reed and Royce Clayton tallied another score as the American League’s bullpen began to stir. Johnson retired Kile on a lazy fly ball to left field but the National League held a 4-0 advantage after one inning. Dan Naulty relieved Johnson and pitched a scoreless frame in the bottom of the second. Dave Justice laced a two-out double in the third, sending Ivan Rodriguez to third. Kile buckled down and got Ken Griffey Jr. on a can of corn to his counterpart, Burks. The National Leaguers load the bases against Jaret Wright in the home half of the third, but Kile bounced weakly into a fielder’s choice at second for the last out. Alex Rodriguez followed successive singles by Matt Stairs and Cal Ripken with a booming double that one-hopped the fence in left-center, driving in the first run for the AL squad. Wright was lifted for a pinch-hitter so Bret Saberhagen assumed pitching duties in the bottom of the fourth. Walker drilled a two-base knock and Jones delivered a single into left-center field to increase the NL advantage to 5-1 against southpaw Arthur Rhodes in the seventh. Jon Nunnally added an RBI single in the eighth and Mark Wohlers set the American Leaguers down in order to secure the 6-1 victory.

Atlanta broke away from the pack to claim the National League Eastern division title with 112 victories as the second-place Mets finished 26 games behind. Colorado hit the century mark in wins to secure the NL West while St. Louis edged Houston for the crown in the NL Central. The Astros seized the NL Wild Card spot. The Junior Circuit divisional winners (Baltimore, Cleveland and Seattle) tallied 90+ victories. The Yankees and Blue Jays triumphed in 90 contests apiece, tying for the AL Wild Card but the playoff schedule listed New York as Baltimore’s opponent in the Division Series. I’m not sure how Hardball 6 broke the tie (sorry Toronto fans!) In a best-of-five series, the Yankees bested the Orioles 3-2 while the Mariners defeated the Indians, 3 games to 1. The Braves advanced with a sweep of the Astros and the Rockies survived their matchup with the Cardinals, 3 games to 2. In the League Championship Series, the Yankees prevailed in six games over the Mariners while the Braves outlasted the Rockies in seven to set the stage for a rematch of the 1996 World Series.

Final Standings – Regular Season HB6

I signed on as the Braves’ skipper to match wits against Joe Torre and the Bronx Bombers. Setting my lineup for Game 1 at fabled Yankee Stadium, I settled in the virtual visitor’s dugout as David Cone took his warmup tosses for New York. John Smoltz sat next to pitching coach Leo Mazzone, absorbing some last-minute counsel as the Series got underway. The pair of aces dueled in the early innings, matching zeroes on the scoreboard through the second frame. Keith Lockhart legged out a triple when the right fielder Paul O’Neill missed a diving attempt at his low liner. Chipper Jones followed with a two-bagger into the right field corner, plating Lockhart with the first run of the Series. “Coney” whiffed Ryan Klesko but Smoltz took a 1-0 lead to the hill. Michael Tucker played Jorge Posada’s routine fly ball down the right field line into a triple with one out in the bottom of the third. “Smoltzie” got out of the jam when Lockhart snared a line drive off the bat of Scott Brosius and Derek Jeter hit a can of corn to the center fielder, Andruw Jones. Chuck Knoblauch laced a triple up the left-center field gap to lead off the fourth but the Pinstripers failed to capitalize as Smoltz induced a couple of line-outs and a ground ball to first. Atlanta loaded the bases against Cone with two down in the visitor’s fifth but Andres Galarraga popped up to Posada. New York knotted the score at 1-1 on consecutive singles by Tim Raines and Posada followed by a Brosius double up the gap that rolled to the wall in left-center.  After an intentional pass to Jeter, Smoltz extracted himself with a shallow fly to center and a fielder’s choice ground ball to Lockhart. Tucker crushed an opposite-field three-base hit beyond the outstretched glove of Raines with one away in the sixth. Cone jammed Andruw Jones, who skied a foul pop fly that Brosius gathered as he brushed up against the tarp near the third-base seats. Former Yankees’ outfielder Gerald “Ice” Williams lifted a routine fly to left and the score remained tied. Tino Martinez smoked a Smoltz offering that one-hopped the center field wall for a two-base hit. O’Neill singled and Chili Davis followed with a double to right-center, scoring Martinez with the go-ahead run. Smoltz exited and Alan Embree escaped the frame on a shallow fly ball and a double play grounder. The Yankees padded their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Embree yielded three hits and gave way to right-hander Mike Cather. Davis rapped a single to right-center to plate Bernie Williams. “Rock” Raines supplied a bloop double that eluded Andruw Jones. Posada grounded out to first but the Bombers now held a 5-1 advantage. Galarraga ripped a rocket over Bernie Williams’ head and lumbered into third base with the leadoff triple to begin the eighth inning. Unfortunately his teammates stranded him at third base. Cone retired the Braves in order to close out the contest as New York prevailed.

Joe Torre awarded the Game 2 starting assignment to southpaw Andy Pettitte while Atlanta countered with Greg Maddux. Both aces held the opposition scoreless through three frames. Chipper Jones led off the visitor’s fourth with a solo blast into the bullpen. Ryan Klesko teed off against Pettitte in the top of the fifth, crushing a 484-foot circuit clout into the center field bleachers. In the bottom of the seventh, Andruw Jones dove and came up empty on a Bernie Williams’ liner down the line. The ball rolled to the warning track and Williams ended up on third base with a stand-up triple. “Mad Dog” induced a ground ball to shortstop, an infield fly and a pop-up to right field to maintain a 2-0 lead. Scott Brosius finally got the Bombers on the board with a wallop into the left-field seats but New York still trailed Atlanta, 2-1 with two outs in the eighth. Maddux whiffed Derek Jeter to send the game to the ninth with the starting pitchers remaining on the hill. After Pettitte sliced through the heart of the Braves’ batting order, the Braves’ skipper called upon Mark Wohlers to lock down the game. Wohlers complied with his manager’s wishes, retiring Tino Martinez on a sky-high pop-up to end the contest. The series shifted to Hotlanta tied at one game apiece.

Atlanta claimed an early lead in Game 3. After Tom Glavine posted a scoreless frame in the top of the first, the Braves’ offense went to work against fellow left-hander David Wells. “Boomer” yielded a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to Andruw Jones. Ryan Klesko followed with a base hit to center to place ducks on the pond again. Gerald “Ice” Williams drilled a comebacker through the box and into center field to plate Chipper Jones. A fielder’s choice ended the threat but the Yankees trailed 2-0 after one inning. Glavine laced a double to center leading off the bottom of the second. Javy Lopez crushed a two-bagger to deep center beyond the reach of Bernie Williams with two away in the third, extending Atlanta’s advantage to 3-0. Chuck Knoblauch broke up Glavine’s shutout with a solo jack down the left field line to commence the top of the fourth inning. Gerald Williams delivered a long single to center in the fifth, driving home Javy Lopez to give the Braves a three-run cushion again. Graeme Lloyd relieved Wells to start the sixth and supplied two scoreless innings. Derek Jeter belted a long fly into the left-field seats to cut the Braves’ lead to 4-2 with two down in the eighth. The Yankees called on Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the eighth and Curtis Pride entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Glavine. Pride whiffed and Keith Lockhart popped out to third base. Chipper Jones took “Mo” deep with a line shot over the fence in right-center. The hometown fans went wild as Atlanta increased their advantage to 5-2 while closer Mark Wohlers warmed up in the ‘pen. The Yankees went down in order against Wohlers in the ninth with Lockhart gloving Paul O’Neill’s soft liner for the last out.

New York skipper Joe Torre brought David Cone back on short rest while Atlanta opted for portsider Denny Neagle in Game 4. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the second on three consecutive hits by Paul O’Neill, Scott Brosius and Tim Raines. A two-out double by Derek Jeter plated Brosius and then Chuck Knoblauch produced a base hit to deep center to drive home a pair. Neagle regrouped and struck out Bernie Williams but when the dust settled, the Braves trailed by four tallies. The Bombers continued to pummel Neagle in the following frame and Dennis Martinez was summoned from the bullpen after a Brosius’ single plated the fifth run. In the visitor’s fourth, Jeter and Knoblauch clubbed back-to-back two-base hits to increase the NY advantage to 6-0. Pinch-hitter Eddie Perez ripped a two-run triple that split the defenders in the left-center field gap to break up “Coney’s” shutout with one down in the bottom of the fifth. “Rock” beat out a potential double-play grounder in the seventh with the sacks full, pushing across another tally for the Yanks. Tony Graffanino made things interesting with a pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth, but Cone retired Gerald Williams on a liner to Jeter to secure the 7-3 victory.

John Smoltz and Andy Pettitte squared off in Game 5. Pettitte extracted himself from a no-out, bases loaded jam in the second inning. Gerald Williams hit into a force play at home plate for the first out.  Rafael Belliard’s fly ball to left was too shallow to allow Javy Lopez to tag up and score. “Smoltzie” grounded out to second to end the frame. Belliard injured himself running the bases when he singled in the fourth following a two-bagger off the bat of Ryan Klesko. The game paused after prompting “Injury – Belliard” then launched the lineup screen so I could insert a replacement (Walt Weiss). Derek Jeter stepped to the dish with ducks on the pond and two outs in the seventh. He got ahold of an inside breaking ball from Smoltz and curled it just inside the left field foul pole for a grand salami! New York tacked on a run in the eighth against relievers Alan Embree and Kevin Millwood. The Pinstripers blew the game open with three in the visitor’s ninth, courtesy of a Tino Martinez double and a two-run single by Tim Raines off Millwood. Pettitte retired the Braves in order to close out an 8-hit shutout as the Yankees wrapped up the 8-0 victory and headed home with a 3-2 advantage in the World Series.

The New York faithful packed Yankee Stadium to watch their beloved Bombers as the ball club attempted to seize yet another World Series trophy. David Wells was on the bump for the Yankees while the Braves countered with “The Professor”, Greg Maddux. The Yanks placed runners on second and third in the home half of the second on a single by Paul O’Neill and a two-bagger up the right-center field gap off the bat of designated hitter Chili Davis. Maddux somehow escaped without allowing a run when Tim Raines flew out to shallow right, Jorge Posada whiffed and Scott Brosius popped up to short. Wells worked himself into a similar situation in the top of the fourth. Javy Lopez led off the frame with a safety and Ryan Klesko blasted a double that one-hopped the wall in right-center, putting runners on second and third. Torre ordered an intentional walk to Gerald Williams, loading the bases for the Braves’ backup backstop, Eddie Perez (Lopez was in the lineup as the DH today). A short fly ball to right was not deep enough to allow Lopez to tag up. Managing in a must-win game, Atlanta’s skipper summoned Danny Bautista off the bench to bat for Rafael Belliard. No dice – Bautista popped up weakly to the third baseman Brosius for the final out of the inning and the contest remained scoreless.  O’Neill took care of that with a two-run clout deep into the right field seats, giving the Yankees an early lead against the “Mad Dog”. Atlanta battled back with a leadoff hit by Klesko in the sixth followed by a long double by “Ice” Williams. “Boomer” was up to the task, retiring Perez on a soft fly to center, Walt Weiss on a foul fly to third and Tony Graffanino on a line drive to short. The Yankees were only nine outs away from a World Series championship. Chuck Knoblauch and Bernie Williams rapped back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the eighth to extend New York’s advantage to 3-0. That was all for Maddux, as Alan Embree was called upon to face the lefties in the middle of the Yankees’ batting order. The southpaw was up to the task, inducing a couple of fielder’s choices and whiffing Chili Davis. Wells took a shutout into the ninth and faced the top of the Braves’ lineup. The Yankees’ faithful were on their feet. The crowd roared when Jeter fielded a two-hopper and threw out Tony Graffanino for the first out. Chipper Jones lined one back to Wells for out # 2. Bernie Williams glided into right-center to snag Andres Galarraga’s liner and the Yankees’ bench and bullpen emptied onto the field to join the celebration as New York secured another World Championship! Scott Brosius (.455/1/4) was awarded the World Series MVP trophy.

Ratings

Note – ratings below for Hardball 6 – deduct 1 point for Park Factors and 4 points for Statistics in Hardball 3; deduct 1 point for Rosters and Commentary and 2 points for Sound and Injuries in Hardball 3 and 4; deduct 1 point for Sound in Hardball 5

Graphics – [5] – Ballparks are beautifully rendered throughout the series and the player animations are relatively smooth, aside from the aforementioned left-handed throwing middle infielders and third basemen that went uncorrected for several revisions of the software. The graphics engine remained unchanged for versions 3 through 5 before getting a 3-D makeover in Hardball 6. You can view the instant replay before the next pitch is thrown and save highlights, but your options are restricted to normal, fast speed or frame-by-frame. With the exception of Hardball 6, you cannot view the highlights from different angles. In that version you may select from several batting and fielding camera angles prior to the delivery of a pitch. Batting camera options include behind the mound, behind home plate or “both” (which shows the view from behind the mound while you are pitching and behind home plate when you’re batting). Fielding camera shots consist of normal, press box, ground level, crane shot and random.

Sound – [4] – The earlier versions offer some basic sound effects when the batter makes contact or when a fielder catches a ball. You can toggle background music on/off during the game. I found the looping tune to be a distraction; however the lack of crowd noise was perceptible. The programmers corrected this oversight in Hardball 5. Organ music at the appropriate intervals and crowd reactions highlight the aural enhancements in version 6.

Strategy – [4] – Granular infield and outfield positioning can be deployed to optimize your defense against the tendencies of the current batter. You can also choose from an array of pre-set defenses such as Outfield In, Outfield Right, Outfield Left, Infield In, Double Play Depth, Guard Lines, and Hold Runner or you may leave the fielders in their standard locations. The user needs to track player substitutions as the game will not warn you when someone is playing out of position. Otherwise your options as the skipper are fairly straightforward. Depending on the current game situation, you can signal to your batter to take a pitch or bunt. If there are runners aboard, you can opt to hit-and-run, steal, double steal or attempt a squeeze play. Defensively, you can issue an intentional walk and if there are baserunners you can call for a pitchout or a pickoff attempt.

Artificial Intelligence – [2] – Managerial moves were handled properly in the games that I played against the computer. However the decisions surrounding base running and throwing to the correct bases left much to be desired. Even in Hardball 6, the computer was caught stealing third at least four times. On defense with a runner on second, the AI opted to go for the lead runner on a ground ball numerous times. 

Box Score – [1] – In-game box scores are fairly limited and you cannot review box scores at a later date. You can’t see extra base hits, stolen bases, caught stealing, hit batsmen or sacrifices for batters while the pitching statistics omit walks, earned runs, hit batsmen, wild pitches, etc. Fielding stats don’t exist on an individual level in the box scores. The omission of standard categories from the box score can only be described as intentional based on the fact that it was never corrected throughout the lifespan of the series. When the game is over, you are unable to review box scores at all.

Rosters – [4] – Player movement between teams is non-existent in Hardball 3 and 4, and you are limited to the 25-man active roster (no reserves or injured list). Roster construction is greatly enhanced in later editions of the game. Trades are permitted and free agents can be signed. You can move a player between the active roster and minors. Injured players can be transferred to the disabled list. Player names and ratings can be edited but real-life statistics cannot be changed in version 5 and 6, which is strange because this option was available in the earlier editions. Hardball 6 includes a Draft function.

Statistics – [5] – Hardball 3 did not allow users to view League Leaders as the compilation of statistics was completely neglected. However, this omission was rectified in Hardball 4. Versions 4 through 6 offer a plethora of options for viewing and sorting 40 stats based on fielding position, highest/lowest, specific league or team, and individuals/team totals. Split stats such as vs. RHP/LHP, home/away, etc. are logged. Hardball 4 and 5 offer the option to print the results and Hardball 6 adds the ability to export the data to a file.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [3] – The ability to toggle injuries on/off was included in versions 5 and 6.  Ejections do not exist as far as I can tell. I noticed that pitcher usage was tracked when I played the World Series (usually the starting pitchers required several days off between starts). I did not observe any reference to fatigue for batters.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [3] – All of the contemporary stadiums at the time of each game’s release are included and rendered in fine detail. While you are unable to modify stadium dimensions, you may alter a park’s wind, surface, temperature and humidity in Hardball 4 through Hardball 6.

Commentary – [2] –Al Michaels anchors the in-game commentary through Hardball 5. As version 6 received a substantial makeover, Greg Papa provided a fresh batch of dialogue. for the sixth edition of the game “PR Echo” is an interesting effect that was included in Hardball 5 and 6 though I’m not sure I would want to listen to an entire game in that mode. The play-by-play includes the ballplayer’s names in versions 5 and 6 whereas the prior issues only identified them by position.  

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Hardball 3 – Total Score: 23 out of 50

Hardball 4 – Total Score: 28 out of 50

Hardball 5 – Total Score: 33 out of 50

Hardball 6 – Total Score: 34 out of 50

Enhancements and Features

Observations

The Hardball series evolved from strictly arcade fare to a product that accommodated action and simulation / manage-only diehards alike. The end result, particularly Hardball 6, delivers plenty of eye and ear candy but falls short in the simulation department. Quirks that remained unresolved over multiple iterations detract from the overall experience.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Hardball 3 through Hardball 6.

Screenshots

Hardball 3

Hardball 4

Hardball 5

Hardball 6

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Play Hardball III in your browser -> https://archive.org/details/msdos_HardBall_III_1992

Hardball III – IBM PC – Playthrough

Hardball III Interactive Code Wheel –https://www.oldgames.sk/codewheel/hardball-3

Hardball 4 patch 2 -> https://archive.org/details/swizzle_demu_HB4

Gindin, Jim. “Double Play: Turn Two With Reviews of Hardball IV and ESPN Baseball Tonight”. Computer Gaming World. April 1995. p132, 134, 136. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_129.pdf

Gindin, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

Gindin, Jim. “Back to the Bullpen: Accolade’s Hardball 5 is More a Changeup Than a Fastball”. Computer Gaming World. January 1996. p274, 276. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_138.pdf

Jones, George. “Holiday Top 100: Sports”. Computer Gaming World. December 1995. p110. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_137.pdf

Kaiafas, Tasos. “Strike Six (HardBall 6 Review)” . Computer Gaming World. August 1998. p208. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_169.pdf

Rogers, Win. “Sights and Sounds of the Summer Game – Al Michaels Announces Hardball III”. Computer Gaming World. August 1992. p78-79. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_97.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/hardball-iii

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/hardball-4

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/hardball-5

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/hardball-6

https://youtu.be/XLblVUzR9p4 Hardball 3 gameplay video by Squakenet

https://youtu.be/nPjraYeR-14 Hardball 4 gameplay video by Squakenet

https://youtu.be/yITytcP20bc Hardball 5 gameplay video by Squakenet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1qu2M4Z38I Hardball 6 gameplay video by Darkhour’s Retro PC Games

Hardball 3 manual (PDF) ->

https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Microsoft_DOS/manual/Formated/HardBall_III.pdf

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

IBM PC version

ESPN Baseball Tonight

Publisher – Sony Imagesoft

Release Year – 1994

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Programmer Interview

Don Daglow and the Stormfront Studios team collaborated with Sony Imagesoft on this title. He replied to a series of questions about the ESPN Baseball Tonight – PC version.

DB – Please tell me about the ESPN Baseball Tonight. Who proposed the development of this title and how did the Stormfront team along with Sony Imagesoft determine which features to keep or omit from the “Tony La Russa Baseball 2” engine? Were any features specifically added or removed in order to differentiate the products?

DD – We created the ESPN National Hockey Night game for Sony, and they were looking to build a sports line across all the major leagues that ESPN supported. We agreed to do a modified version of Tony La Russa Baseball for them to publish under the ESPN brand. We met and mutually agreed on which features to keep — they wanted a simpler game that didn’t feel like a La Russa clone. I’m afraid I don’t remember the details.

DB – Were any design choices implemented in order to mimic the console versions? While there is a “sim” component to the game, it feels like the product was catered towards arcade play.

DD -That’s accurate — the ESPN brand is about showing all the action, so what we today would call more of a console style game was the target. I don’t remember the degree to which we used the Sega Genesis version of La Russa as a template.

DB – Comparing this title to other baseball simulations, I immediately noticed the omission of box scores along with the ability to view scores or results from completed games. Was this a direct result of gearing the title towards the casual gamer?

DD – Yes, this was to be more about the gameplay of the moment rather than the long term of how stats could guide strategy. We also wanted to keep a clear differentiation between the titles.

DB – Were there any features left on the cutting room floor due to time constraints or deadlines?

DD – None that were frustrating enough for me to remember them now after 30 years.

DB – Did you or any Stormfront team members have the opportunity to interact directly with any of the on-air talent or crew from the ESPN Baseball Tonight show?

DD – No, that was handled by the team at Sony. Publishers doing this themselves when working with outside studios was already the norm in the 1990s.

Review

In the same vein as the Earl Weaver and Tony La Russa Baseball games, ESPN Baseball Tonight is a hybrid as it offers the opportunity to play an arcade-type baseball game or manage a simulation with human or computer opponents. However it differs greatly from EWB and TLBB as a number of core features that I would consider must-haves in a competent baseball sim are either de-emphasized or stripped entirely from this effort. For these reasons I strongly considered omitting ESPN Baseball Tonight along with Accolade’s later Hardball releases from my “Retro Review” series. I ultimately decided to include them for the sake of completeness while noting the differences between these entries versus pure baseball simulators.

Cranking up the game in Dosbox, the audio and video segments catch your attention immediately as the Baseball Tonight theme song blares through your computer speakers. The mouse-driven main menu facilitates batting practice, trades, viewing player statistics, league play and exhibition play. Selecting the League Play option, I immediately noted the inability to edit or manipulate my roster. As far as I can tell, there is no way to create new players or teams nor is there an option to modify existing rosters except for the “Trade Player” module. This frustrated me to no end when I purchased the title back in 1994 but I was determined to forge ahead and attempt to simulate a season. Moving on to lineup creation, you can create a default lineup and defensive positions for each team, but you don’t get to select different batting orders based on the pitcher’s hand. The default lineups and pitching rotations are riddled with mistakes. A few examples – rookie catcher Chris Turner (86 plate appearances) batting leadoff for the ’93 Angels or Jeff Bagwell hitting atop the Astros’ order instead of third or fourth. If the batting orders were computer-generated, those algorithms needed more fine-tuning to improve the realism.

Box scores?  They don’t exist in this game – at all! Understanding the desire to craft a more action-based (arcade-like) game, I’m perplexed by this omission. In hindsight, perhaps a feasible compromise would have been the inclusion of a standard box score without all of the bells and whistles of the expanded (USA Today-style) box scores. While hardcore users would likely miss the detailed record of each game, my assumption is that the casual hardball fan would want the option to peruse the results of the contest. Given the available storage mediums at the time, I would expect at least the option to save box scores to a hard drive. This missing feature along with the lack of a player editor nearly led me to exclude the game from my review list.

Quirks – I found that it’s possible to substitute a pitcher into the game after he’s been removed. After the regular season ended, I selected the Start Playoffs option in the schedule. Then I realized that I forgot to grab screenshots of the final regular season league leaders. Too late! Those statistics are wiped out. During the playoffs I noticed that the graphic displaying the current batter’s statistics failed to calculate batting average correctly (all hitters were listed with a .000 BA). It is possible that a subsequent patch remedied some of these issues but I was unable to locate this file a quarter-century after the game was released.

1993 Season Replay

ESPN Baseball Tonight game comes with the 1993 and 1994 seasons, so I decided to simulate both seasons using the default lineups and pitching staff configurations with injuries enabled. Working in chronological order, I selected “Start New Season” from the main menu, chose 1993 from the available leagues and reviewed the settings (DH for the American League, number of games in each playoff round, etc.) I browsed ahead on the schedule, choosing a game just prior to the All-Star Break (July 16) and all of the games up to that point were simulated in under 15 seconds!

For the Mid-Summer Classic, I opted to use rosters based on the simulated stats up to that point in the season. The results were an interesting mix of players that I expected to make the team (Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Greg Maddux) along with a group that hadn’t quite reached All-Star status during their careers (Mike Pagliarulo, Troy Neel). The contest was held in Baltimore at the new home of the Orioles, Camden Yards. The National Leaguers jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the opening frame but the home team returned fire with 3 runs of their own. Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff rocked a pair of home runs including a grand slam and Lenny “Nails” Dykstra added a 3-run blast as the Senior Circuit opened up a 14-3 lead with a 10-run third inning against AL starter Ben McDonald and Kevin Tapani. “Junior” followed singles by Kenny Lofton and Roberto Alomar with a deep drive into the center field seats in the bottom of the fifth to help the American Leaguers close the gap to 15-9. Twice in the fifth inning, Roberto Alomar fielded a ground ball with runners on first and second. He stepped on the bag and proceeded to throw to third (the runner was safe both times) instead of wheeling and throwing to first. This move cost the American League All-Stars a pair of runs. Griffey mashed a two-run tater to center after Alomar walked with two outs in the fifth, running the score to 17-11 after five complete frames. Wayne Housie, apparently batting .984 on the season (?), replaced Barry Bonds in the NL lineup and knocked in one of the six runs that they tallied against David Cone and Jesse Orosco in the top of the sixth. Every pitcher yielded multiple hits and runs although I have no way to document this (no option to view box scores?). The game concluded with Pedro Martinez on the hill for the National League. Griffey was caught stealing third with two outs and his team trailing by 12 runs! Guess he wanted to catch an early flight back to Seattle after this debacle. The final score (25-13!) appears, Dan Patrick signs off and you are promptly returned to the main menu. Besides the lack of a box score to peruse after the fact, this would have been a great place to deliver a highlight reel or a “scores from around the league” segment.  

I had the computer simulate the remaining regular season contests along with the Championship Series in both leagues. The Braves swept the Phillies and the White Sox outlasted the Orioles to advance to the World Series. I elected to manage Atlanta while Gene Lamont skippered the Southsiders.  The team’s aces squared off in Game 1 – “Black” Jack McDowell on the hill for the hometown Pale Hose against the “Professor”, Greg Maddux. “Neon” Deion Sanders led off the game with a deep drive to center. Sensing a three-base hit, he sprinted out of the box but Lance ”One Dog” Johnson dove at the last moment and made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch for the first out of the contest! Jeff Blauser ripped a single to center and Fred McGriff followed with a two-base knock, placing a pair of runners in scoring position for the heart of the Braves’ order. Dave Justice beat out a slow roller to short which allowed Blauser to score. Ron Gant walked to load the bases and Terry Pendleton delivered McGriff on a sacrifice fly to center. McDowell nearly escaped the threat when Joey Cora gloved Mark Lemke’s weak roller towards second, but Gant snuck into second before Cora’s throw reached Ozzie Guillen. Damon Berryhill cashed in a pair of runs with a two-run double up the left-center field gap. Maddux lifted a pop-fly into short right field which landed between Cora and the right fielder, Ellis Burks, extending Atlanta’s lead to 5-0. Sanders popped out in foul ground on the third base side as an exasperated McDowell finally retired the side. Johnson doubled to left-center field to kick off the home half of the first inning. Tim “Rock” Raines laced a rocket to left but Johnson wisely held up at third with his squad behind by 5 runs. Frank Thomas aka “The Big Hurt” knocked in the first ChiSox run with a hot smash to left field. Robin Ventura coaxed a base on balls to bring Burks up to the dish with the sacks juiced. Lemke snared a soft liner up the middle for out #1. Maddux exhaled and then proceeded to whiff the Sox mustachioed backstop, Ron Karkovice. Cora uncorked a long fly to right, driving Justice to the warning track and sending the home crowd into a brief frenzy before the ball settled into the right fielder’s glove for the third out of the frame.  Donn Pall relieved McDowell in the fifth after he yielded his 12^th hit of the game to put runners on second and third with no outs. Justice delivered an RBI groundout to increase Atlanta’s advantage to 6-1. The Sox scratched across a run in the bottom of the ninth but Kent Mercker extinguished the threat with a punch-out of third baseman Robin Ventura.

Tom Glavine took the hill against Alex Fernandez in Game 2. Ron Gant doubled to center to drive home Otis Nixon with the first run of the contest. Terry Pendleton ripped a two-base hit off the base of the right field wall in the fourth, scoring Dave Justice all the way from first base. Chicago tied the score in the bottom of the fourth. Frank E. Thomas tripled to center field to plate Lance Johnson. Tim Raines followed with a single back through the box. “Neon” Deion Sanders laced an opposite-field double down the left field corner as the Braves reclaimed the lead in the visitor’s fifth. Atlanta tacked on a run in the sixth when Ellis Burks booted Damon Berryhill’s single and then made an errant throw to third which skipped past Robin Ventura, allowing Mark Lemke to score. Norberto Martin lofted a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to pull the Pale Hose within a run in the bottom of the seventh. “One Dog” Johnson delivered the tying run with a sharp single to left, knocking Glavine out of the game. Thomas greeted Steve Bedrosian with a two-bagger up the left field gap and Johnson scooted around the bases to give the ChiSox the lead, 5-4. Pendleton blooped a base hit against Fernandez and Lemke blistered a double up the right-center field gap. Sox manager Gene Lamont summoned reliever Donn Pall who promptly escaped from the frame when Sid Bream hit a foul pop to third and Nixon grounded out to Ventura. In the top of the ninth, Roberto Hernandez yielded a leadoff single to Sanders. Fred McGriff lashed a safety between first and second, sending “Neon Deion” to third with nobody out. Gant coaxed a walk to load the bases. Justice whiffed but Pendleton came through with a base hit that dropped in between the right fielder (Burks) and the second baseman (N. Martin) to knot the game at 5-5. Hernandez was lifted in favor of veteran right-hander Jose DeLeon. Lemke hit a can of corn to Johnson, but McGriff tagged up and slid safety under the tag as the Braves regained the advantage, 6-5. The White Sox came to bat in the home half of the ninth. Mike Stanton got two quick outs but Johnson dunked a base hit into right field just over the outstretched glove of Lemke. Greg McMichael entered the match and got Thomas to bounce a one-hopper to Pendleton, who fired wildly to second. With the tying run only 90 feet away and the potential winning run standing on second, McMichael was ordered to issue an intentional pass to Tim “Rock” Raines. Robin Ventura strolled to the dish with the sacks juiced and the home crowd was whipped into a frenzy. Unable to find the strike zone, McMichael hurled four consecutive balls to walk Ventura as the White Sox tied the game at 6-6. Jay Howell jogged in from the pen. Burks got the green light on a 3-0 offering and smashed a hot grounder up the middle. Jeff Blauser fielded and flipped to Lemke for the second out. The relay throw appeared to nab Burks but the umpire ruled “safe!” and the ballgame ended with the Sox claiming a 7-6 victory! Atlanta argued vehemently and lodged a formal protest with the League, but to no avail.

The Series was knotted at one game apiece and I fully expected the action to move southeast to Atlanta. Apparently the schedulers did not agree with me as I fired up Game 3 to find the White Sox listed as the home club. John Smoltz got the call for the Braves while the ChiSox countered with Wilson Alvarez. Smoltz exited the contest after injuring himself warming up in the top of the second. He was later diagnosed with sore ribs and ruled out for the remainder of the series. Southpaw Kent Mercker replaced “Smoltzie” on the bump. The contest remained a pitcher’s duel into the bottom of the sixth when Mercker loaded the bases on walks and Chicago pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice as Jeff Blauser tried for a 6-4-3 double play instead of throwing home for the force play. Alvarez held the Braves hitless through six frames but manager Gene Lamont removed him due to a high pitch count. Veteran righty Jose DeLeon came on in relief and issued a base on balls to pinch-hitter Javy Lopez. After striking out Ryan Klesko (who batted for reliever Jay Howell), third-sacker Robin Ventura made a diving stab of a line drive off the bat of Otis Nixon to preserve the no-no with one out in the seventh. Blauser followed with a slow roller to shortstop Ozzie Guillen for an infield hit and Fred McGriff rapped a base hit up the middle to load the bases. Ron Gant busted out the boom-stick, launching a long ball to right field for a grand slam! DeLeon recovered to retire David Justice on a fly ball to right, but Atlanta suddenly held the 4-1 advantage. Side-arming right-hander Greg McMichael entered the game and retired the Sox in order to secure the victory as Atlanta went ahead two games to one.

Game 4 – wait, now we’re in Atlanta?! Yes, the Series has finally shifted to Georgia albeit one game later than expected. The young left-hander, Steve Avery, took the ball for the Braves while veteran right-hander Tim Belcher got the nod for the ChiSox. Terry Pendleton tomahawked a two-run shot over the right-center field fence to stake Atlanta to an early lead in the bottom of the second. Belched yielded a 442-foot blast into the center field bleachers by “Neon” Deion Sanders leading off the fifth frame. Avery worked his way out of a jam in the top of the seventh. With Sox on the corners, the southpaw whiffed pinch-hitter Bo Jackson and retired Ozzie Guillen on a harmless comebacker. Mark Lemke tallied an insurance run against reliever Jose DeLeon in the bottom of the eighth when he beat out an infield hit to short, scoring Fred McGriff. Steve Bedrosian twirled two hitless innings to close out the contest, combining with Avery to shut out Chicago. The Pale Hose managed only three hits against Avery and trailed Atlanta 3-1 in the Series with the top of the each club’s respective rotations set to square off in Game 5.

Otis Nixon’s fleet feet contributed to Atlanta’s first run of the game as he legged out an infield single to the shortstop, swiped second and advanced to third when Mike Lavalliere’s throw sailed into center field. Jeff Blauser promptly laced a liner to left and Nixon trotted home. “Black” Jack McDowell retired the heart of the Braves’ order to escape further damage.  The swift center fielder smacked a single to his opposite number in the second frame to knock in Terry Pendleton. Chicago loaded the bases against Greg Maddux in the top of third but only mustered a lone tally on a fielder’s choice. Fred McGriff launched a long ball to left-center leading off the home half of the third and the bottom of the Braves’ batting order tacked on three additional runs for a 6-1 lead. Sox skipper Gene Lamont displayed no sense of urgency as he left McDowell on the mound instead of seeking an assist from his relief corps. Chicago battled back in the fifth, scoring a pair on a fielder’s choice groundout by Joey Cora and a long double over Nixon’s head off the bat of Ozzie Guillen. Maddux departed with a 6-3 advantage after hurling 108 pitches in 5 1/3 innings while McDowell lasted five frames, replaced by Pete Smith and Jose DeLeon, respectively. In the top of the seventh, the Sox crept closer on a two-base knock by Ellis Burks and a single by Cora. Southpaw Mike Stanton jogged in from the ‘pen to take over for Smith. He induced a harmless pop fly by Guillen and then Lamont signaled for Bo Jackson to pinch-hit for Lavalliere. Atlanta countered with right-hander Jay Howell. On a 1-2 delivery, the slugging former multi-sport star swung and missed, and the inning ended when Damon Berryhill gunned down Cora attempting to steal second! Dave Justice plated a couple of insurance runs with a two-run single off Donn Pall in the bottom of the eighth. Ron Gant ripped a base hit to left and Pendleton followed with a hot smash up the middle as the Braves took a commanding 10-4 lead. Atlanta emptied the bench with defensive changes in the ninth. Greg McMichael pitched the final inning and got Guillen on a fly ball to right field for the last out of the Series. The Braves celebrated their victory and took turns hoisting the World Series trophy high above their heads as their fans hollered enthusiastically.

Ratings

Graphics – [4] – The batter/pitcher matchups, ball-in-play camera angles and animations are patterned closely after the Tony La Russa Baseball series. An instant replay option allows the user to review the previous play in super-fast, regular speed or frame-by-frame, but only from the original angle (you can’t switch cameras, zoom in/out, etc. like EWB2 or the FPSBB series). A scroll option facilitates access to sections of the ballpark which were not in the original shot (left or right field corners, or the outfield scoreboard / upper deck).  In-game menus are accessible via the ESC key and the on-screen statistical displays look similar to the ESPN broadcasts from that era.

Sound – [3] – The crowd will boo or cheer at the appropriate intervals and there is an ambient crowd noise throughout the game. The sounds of the crack of the bat and the ball popping into the mitt are realistic.

Strategy – [3] – Standard options are available here. Bases empty choices are limited to pitching around the batter or issuing an intentional walk. With a runner on base, the defense can elect to pitchout or toggle the hold runner / play off the bag option in addition to the pitch around and intentional walk selections. On offense, with no runners on base, the only option is to take a pitch. Once you have baserunner(s), your variety increases: steal, double steal and hit & run. You can customize the defensive positioning for each fielder after every pitch or leave them at their default locations. Double-switch rule is offered along with the usual substitution options. There is no indication when a replacement is playing out of position.   

Artificial Intelligence – [1] – The computer manager usually replaced his pitcher at the appropriate instances. However on several occasions the AI waited until the score was fairly lopsided before pulling the trigger. A number of offensive player substitutions were questionable such as swapping out a veteran or star player in a tight contest for a youngster with hardly any big league experience.

Box Score – [1] – There are no box scores available during or post-game.

Rosters – [1] – Player names and statistics are licensed from the 1993 and 1994 seasons. Unfortunately you are unable to edit rosters, draft players or create your own teams. The trade function is the only means of transacting player movement in this game.  If player ratings exist, there is no way to edit them.

Statistics – [2] – In league play, you can display the historical statistics for the given season or the simulated stats through the current (scheduled) date. No advanced or split stats here – your options are constrained to at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and batting average for offense while the pitching side shows wins, losses, ERA, saves, innings pitched, complete games, strikeouts, walks and shutouts. The user can switch between individual and team leaders. There is no ability to print or export results.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [1] – Injuries (on/off) are listed in the menu although I don’t recall encountering any notifications during the game in which I managed. Pitcher stamina appears to be tracked based on the comments below the current pitcher’s name when you visit the mound. Without having access to the manual, I’m not sure if ejections are possible and whether player usage is monitored during league play.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [2] –

The game comes with 15 ballparks (circa 1994) and a generic stadium. Graphics are rendered in sufficient detail. I’m not certain if park factors come into play. In the stadium selection screen, I noted that temperature, wind, humidity and altitude are documented along with each park’s dimensions.

Commentary – [2] – Dan Patrick handles the play-by-play commentary while Chris Berman hosts the pre- and post-game show. Player names are not implemented so Patrick refers to them by position – “Now batting, the center fielder…” Of course strikeouts are described with Patrick’s trademark call – “The whifffffffff”.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

ESPN Baseball Tonight – Total Score: 20 out of 50

Observations

Although it was derived from the fine Tony La Russa Baseball series, ESPN Baseball Tonight is not intended for serious simmers. Only recommended for a quick fix of nostalgia from the classic intro theme music to Dan Patrick’s dry delivery.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of ESPN Baseball Tonight.

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

SABR Stay at Home – Don Daglow

Play ESPN Baseball Tonight in your browser -> https://archive.org/details/msdos_ESPN_Baseball_Tonight_1994

ESPN Baseball Tonight – Gindin, Jim. “Double Play: Turn Two With Reviews of Hardball IV and ESPN Baseball Tonight”. Computer Gaming World. April 1995. p132, 134, 136. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_129.pdf

ESPN Baseball Tonight – Gindin, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

ESPN Baseball Tonight – Jones, George. “ESPN Baseball Tonight: Chris Berman Charisma, Tony La Russa Design”. Computer Gaming World. February 1995. p132, 134. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_127.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/espn-baseball-tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWJOEk66K9o ESPN Baseball Tonight preview from IE (Interactive Entertainment, video by fmvgamer2010

The Sega Genesis manual (PDF) for ESPN Baseball Tonight ->

https://r.mprd.se/Sega%20CD/Manuals/ESPN%20Baseball%20Tonight%20(U).pdf

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

IBM PC version

Front Page Sports Baseball ‘94

Publisher – Sierra On-Line

Release Year – 1994

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Front Page Sports Baseball ‘96

Publisher – Sierra On-Line

Release Year – 1996

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Front Page Sports Baseball ‘98

Publisher – Sierra On-Line

Release Year – 1998

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Programmer Interview

Glen Wolfram’s role on the FPS Baseball design and development team at Dynamix expanded from one of the main programmers for the ’94 and ’96 editions to director of the ’98 game. I contacted Glen and he responded to a series of questions about the FPS BB series.

DB: What was your computer gaming experience prior to your arrival at Dynamix?

GW: I joined Incredible Technologies in 1988 and began working on a port of some game (can’t remember what) to the Atari ST. But that project was quickly cancelled. I then was given the opportunity to design and program a computer version of Blood Bowl. We never got the license, so at the very end, like one week before release, we changed the name to Grave Yardage and updated the art. Welcome to the unstable world of game development.

I later joined the Harley-Davidson: The Road to Sturgis team to help them finish that. The last full game I worked on was co-designing and programing the arcade game HotShots Tennis. I also did the managerial menu system for Golden Tee golf and Ninja Clowns. I then worked on a CD-I project for United Airlines (while still at IT). I was looking to leave the Chicago area and found an ad in the Portland paper for a job at a games company in Eugene that wanted CD-ROM experience.

I was hired to port Red Baron to the Nintendo, but by the time I moved out to Eugene, Sierra On-Line had cancelled the project.

DB: Did you take any computer programming courses in high school or college?

GW: Hah, never in high school. There was no such thing. Also, I hated the idea of computers. They were the things that sent out $1000 utility bills by mistake.

In college I earned my BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. I also took enough CS classes to earn the Comp-Sci option, although I didn’t really like those classes. I had to do some programming in assembler in my engineering classes to control hardware at a low level. I liked that stuff. Then, when I joined the real world, I liked that kind of programming a lot more than designing hardware. Actually, my first game was writing 10 pin league bowling for the new Brunswick pinsetter system in “C”, which was also more fun than the “data structures using Pascal” type courses in college.

DB: What influenced your decision to join the gaming industry, and were you interested in sports games or any specific genres, in particular?

GW: I just sort of landed in the gaming industry. It wasn’t a big thing back then. Nintendo was pretty much brand new. Before that, we just had the big crash of the Atari 2600. I wasn’t pulled in any particular direction early on.

When I ended up at Dynamix, I worked on the military flight sims for a while. That was a great project to work on. I was asked by Pat Cook if I was interested in joining the new sports team to work on football. Sure! I love football. We hammered out a great product with Front Page Sports Football. Then we just naturally rolled into trying baseball. Another sport I loved at the time. But when it was all over, I can’t watch baseball anymore. It’s lost all appeal. I think the last game I watched on TV was Game 7 between the Cubs and Indians, and I fell asleep. I’ll go to a local minor league game maybe once a year on “Marvel” or “Star Wars” night.

DB: You were heavily involved in the entire FPSBB series. Describe your role in the development of each product.

GW: For the original I duplicated the role I had on FPS Football. I wrote what we called the shell. That is, the league management system. That was everything associated with teams, rosters, schedules, training camp, statistics, team AI, etc. Basically, anything that wasn’t in the actual simulation (3d) portion.

For the next release (’96) I was not part of the development team initially. I was working on the next version of football. But then, the project was languishing in an attempt to make it work with Windows ’95. There was talk of just killing it. I couldn’t let that happen to something I worked so hard on originally. So I asked to join the team, and worked on making sure the shell worked on ’95.

For the last version, I asked to be the project manager so I could get the team to clean up a bunch of, well, crap that had crept into the last version. Our theme was “Easier to play. Plays better baseball.” The focus was to take baseball back to a time when fans felt “anyone could play it (baseball)”. Kind of a “pull out dat bum Yogi and put me in!” approach. We tried to clean up as much ugly code, user interfaces and gameplay as possible.

DB: Which features were scaled back or omitted due to budgetary or time constraints? Were those features considered or implemented in later editions?

GW: So many. We wanted live head-to-head play right from the start (’94). But internet connectivity just wouldn’t let that happen. We wanted a client-server league setup. But again, that was going to be too complicated for most people to set up back in the day. At the end we had the email league thing. You would send out game files to the home team’s manager, who would sim the games, then send back the result file. It was clunky, but it worked. Now of course, you’d write like 3 lines of python and you’d have the server up and running.

DB: Did the development team consider incorporating the data entry (player editor) program into the main application? Was there a specific reason for keeping “DATAIN” as a separate executable that was not accessible within the game?

GW: I’m trying to remember the rigamarole around that. Part of the team wanted the game to be “pure”. That is, you get what we give you. We spend all this time trying to balance the physics and AI, and letting players modify everything would generate out of whack stats and records. Another part said, you bought it, you play it the way you like. If you want a team of 99ers (the highest rate for each skill), go ahead and make one. I started in the first camp, because I had programmed all that AI about player development, trades, etc. It seemed a shame to waste it. But then I drifted into the second. I considered the game more of an artist’s canvas at that point. Here’s some colors and brushes. . . have at it.

DB: The competition in that era included the Tony La Russa Baseball and Hardball series. What were your impressions of those products at the time and in what areas do you feel that the FPSBB series excelled?

GW: I didn’t pay much attention to the other products out there. We had our own deadlines and whatnot to keep us busy. But the one thing the development team was really proud of was the long term playability via the league system. It was amazing to hear that players were playing dozens of seasons, carefully grooming their team over the years. That’s what we were shooting for.

DB: I encountered several bugs in FPSBB ’94 and ’96 that were difficult to overlook or work around. Given the ever-increasing size of the development teams in this timeframe and the complexity of the game, what hindered the process in tracking and resolving these issues?

GW: Well, let’s just say pressure from “above”. We were aware of bugs/playability issues, but the mantra was “just get it out the door”, which didn’t seem right in terms of serving our customers. But then we were in the trenches, pouring our heart and souls into the game, and others were looking at costs, wondering when this was going to be a revenue stream.

DB: Once the product was on its third iteration (FPSBB ‘98), do you feel that the process was refined to facilitate a more finished product?

GW: Front Page Sports was a successful product line and many people wanted to jump on that bandwagon. I’m surprised someone in marketing didn’t suggest “Front Page Sports: Darts, or Cycling or Water Polo”. We added quite a few people, and correspondingly tried to add many new features. That was a disaster (see the killing the project comment). For ’98, we cut the team way down. That allowed us to focus on the “better baseball, easier to play” thing. We were back in the “we’re all on the same page (no pun intended) mentality”. This was probably going to be the last one we made, so let’s make it a good one.

DB: Since the development of the FPSBB series ended in the late 1990’s, have you been involved in any other computer baseball products?

GW: No. I’ve helped out some friends on a military simulation and a card game. I’ve been out of games for a while now. Although I’m kind of back in. I’m working at a company that supports game companies by providing NFT block chain technology.

DB: Given today’s technological capabilities, what would your vision of a re-imagined FPSBB ’21 look like?

GW: Well, for one thing we’d have the real-time simulation with multiple players. However, we still would have the problem that until it’s your turn to bat, you’ll just be sitting there on the bench with nothing to do. Maybe we could have you play darts while you’re waiting?

Review

I vividly recall my heightened expectations when I purchased this game in 1994. As a fan of the Front Page Sports: Football game, I anticipated a strong showing from the developer (Dynamix) and the publisher (Sierra On-Line) for their initial foray into simulating the National Pastime. FPSBB ’94 promised a number of intriguing wrinkles such as a career mode with player aging and retirement. I’m not a fan of using fictitious players in my simulations but it’s an interesting concept nonetheless. Regrettably I discovered that the product might have been released before it was fully debugged. In hindsight I feel that I put ample time in an attempt to justify my purchase, returning to the game after one patch was released (and then another) only to become exasperated. I eventually shelved it and moved on to other computer baseball sims.   

Several patches were issued subsequent to the initial product release. For this review, I installed the most current version – the “BBTHANX” patch (version 1.03). I stumbled upon an active website to download patches for the Front Page Sports series here -> http://sierrahelp.com/Patches-Updates/Patches-Updates-Games/FPSSeriesUpdates.html

Running the game in the DosBox emulator, I consistently encountered crashes after simulating a day’s worth of games even though my configuration indicates plenty of free conventional and expanded memory available prior to launching the executable. The program processes the statistics for the completed contests, attempts to “Process Injuries” and then the game dumps out to the command prompt. The issue occurred regardless of the association that I selected. The “injury” bug cropped up during the middle of a day’s worth of games in the Continental League. Repeating the same steps and ending up in the same scenario, I reviewed the team notes for the next game on the calendar and discovered that Tony Perez suffered an injury and would be out for 2-3 months. Once I sent him to the disabled list, recalled Woody Woodward as a substitute and made the appropriate lineup adjustments, I was able to overcome the hurdle and advance to the next day on the schedule. Yet the game crashed again after simulating the following day. I made a last-ditch attempt to bypass the bug by creating a new association and turning off the injury function. No dice – the application crashed after completing the first day on the schedule. As I don’t have an old IBM PC from that era, I considered the possibility that the crashes are due to my DosBox configuration. However it definitely brought back memories of the problems I endured with this game nearly a quarter-century ago.

I also triggered a major bug when I attempting to assign a free agent to the 1995 Mariners. The player was successfully claimed by the M’s and I went to move him onto the active roster. The program crashed and when I restarted, my association was no longer listed! The files were present in the proper directory on my hard drive but FPSBB94 failed to recognize them. I restored a backup copy of the association along with the BB.CFG file but no luck! Unfortunately I had spent several hours tweaking my lineups and rotations, and all of my work was lost. 

Each simulated game takes approximately one minute to complete, so a full 162-game schedule would take at least 36 hours! The stadium view and line score is displayed while your system computes the results. The player editor (Datain) is a separate executable, so you need to exit the main program and launch Datain to create or modify player data and ratings. Datain is chock full of options with regards to statistical splits and ratings, allowing the most granular numerical breakdowns to date. In addition to the standard total and vs. left stats, the user can proceed deep into the weeds with home vs. away, runners in scoring position and monthly stats. If you have the data, go ahead and enter the number of hits to each outfield location, ground balls vs. fly balls, etc. You can specify ratings for each pitch type and the tendency to pull the ball vs. hitting straightaway or to the opposite field.

In a last-ditch attempt to complete a full season with the FPSBB ’94 edition, I created a new association using the “Continental League” which encompasses 16 teams from the Expansion Era (1961-1976). Having to restart the game upon the completion of every day on the schedule was a bit tedious but I worked my way up to the All-Star Break. The scheduling function would not allow me to play or simulate the All-Star contest or proceed to the games that were scheduled after the break. I posted in several forums about this issue which failed to yield any solutions. However several responders advised me that they were running FPSBB ’98 without issue so I bailed on FPSBB ’94. I installed both FPSBB ’96 and ’98 editions in VirtualBox on a Windows 98 virtual machine and crossed my fingers. I immediately noticed two positives – I was able to simulate multiple days without crashing (with injuries enabled!) and the time to simulate one day’s worth of games was approximately 30 seconds. Although the user interface retained a similar look-and-feel to the original version, I must give kudos to the development team for their perseverance with the product. Despite the various bugs that I’ve encountered along the way with this game, I wanted to give the later versions a fresh look and evaluate them on their own merits.   

FPS Baseball ’96 –1995 MLB Season Replay

I elected to manage the ’95 Angels in the playoffs against the Mariners. Two issues quickly arose that I was unable to resolve. First and foremost, the computer AI insisted on placing Ken Griffey Jr. at the bottom of the Mariners lineup versus LHP. I made multiple attempts to adjust the lineup. I saved the changes and sure enough, when I went to check the lineups in the playoff games, “Junior” was batting ninth. (I had 3 left-handers in the Angels rotation – Mark Langston, Chuck Finley and Jim Abbott). As I had so many issues with FPSBB ’94 I didn’t bother adjusting rosters, lineups and pitching roles when I simulated the 1995 MLB schedule. I found that the Angels GM, for example, allowed Troy Percival and Brian Anderson, both key members of the real-life squad in ’95, to languish in the low minors. Three Angels were missing from my lineup so I checked the team news page and found that Tim Salmon, Gary DiSarcina and J.T. Snow were all injured and unavailable for the playoffs. Snow’s injury was particularly disturbing (broken skull, out 6 months or more?!)

In Game 3 of the Angels – Mariners series in the Divisional round, Ken Griffey Jr. crashed into the center field fence in an unsuccessful attempt to chase down Tony Phillips’ home run. The game indicated that Griffey was “100% injured” yet he remained in the game and was in the starting lineup for the subsequent matchup!

The Expos and the Yankees advanced to the World Series and I chose to play the role of Felipe Alou. The issues with lineup selection persisted. Due to an injury to Bernie Williams, the computer version of Buck Showalter tried to play Derek Jeter in center field while healthy outfield alternatives such as Dion James and Darryl Strawberry rode the pine. I implemented a workaround to combat this problem, starting the pre-game as the manager for both squads and selecting appropriate lineups. Once the National Anthem concluded, I went into the Game Options menu and selected the computer manager for the Yankees.

Carlos Perez and “Black” Jack McDowell were locked in a pitcher’s duel in Game 1. Tony Tarasco singled home Darrin Fletcher to give Montreal a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Both squads put up goose eggs until the home half of the ninth. I brought Expos’ closer Mel Rojas into the contest to start the frame and Mike Stanley greeted him with an opposite field into the right-center field bleachers. Paul O’Neill ripped a double to right field and I elected to walk Ruben Sierra intentionally to set up the double play. Jim Leyritz, playing first base for an injured Don Mattingly, popped up to the catcher for the first out. Gerald Williams, slotting in as the center field for Bernie Williams, coaxed a walk to load the bases against Rojas. I visited the mount and signaled for Greg A. Harris to face the switch-hitting shortstop, Tony Fernandez. The veteran infielder lined a clean single to center field to end the game. Although the final score was technically 2-1, FPSBB ’96 credited Fernandez with 2 RBI and the Yankees with a 3-1 victory.

Andy Pettitte struck out 14 Expos but yielded 3 runs in the seventh inning and received a no-decision for his effort. Wade Boggs ripped a two-run single off Pedro J. Martinez to knot the score at 3-3 in the home half of the seventh. The bullpens held both clubs scoreless until the top of the tenth when Montreal scratched across the winning run against Josias Manzanillo when Sean Berry delivered a base knock to plate Yamil Benitez. Tim Scott retired the Bronx Bombers to notch the save while Gil Heredia (2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R) picked up the victory.

David Cone and two relievers shut out the ‘Spos 7-0 in Game 3. The Yankees knocked Jeff Fassero out of the contest with a 5-run fifth inning. Gerald Williams sparked the New York offense with 4 RBI on a pair of singles. Montreal only managed three hits on the evening and fell behind 2-1 in the Series.

A couple of left-handers squared off in Game 4 as Butch Henry took the hill against Sterling Hitchcock. The Expos tallied a run in the home half of the third on a Sean Berry single but the Yankees countered with 3 in the visitor’s fourth after Wil Cordero dropped a pop fly off the bat of Ruben Sierra to open the frame. Here’s another substitution bug: Yankees ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Computer replaces several New Yorkers on defense, including Derek Jeter to center field and for some unknown reason, backup infielder Robert Eenhorn takes the mound. My assumption is that the computer failed to warm up a reliever when Dion James pinch-hit for Hitchcock in the top of the frame, but I’m fairly certain an unprepared pitcher would have been called upon in the Majors. Well, perhaps the AI skipper knows something I don’t because Eenhorn proceeded to get Rondell White to pop out in foul ground behind first base and whiffed Moises Alou! Sean Berry stroked a single and headed to third on a hit by David Segui, but the Yanks gunned down the trailing runner at second base to end the inning. Dion James tacked on a couple of insurance runs with an opposite-field blast off Tim Scott in the top of the ninth.  Bob Wickman retired the Expos in order to notch the save as New York prepared to clinch the title in Canada.

The third contest at Le Stade Olympique featured a rematch of Game 1 starters, Jack McDowell versus Carlos Perez. Sean Berry singled home Mike Lansing in the bottom of the first to give Montreal the 1-0 advantage. Wil Cordero launched a long fly ball to left-center field that barely cleared the top of the fence for a solo shot in the fifth. The Expos struck again in the sixth when Moises Alou and Sean Berry reached base on successive singles, and then “Black Jack” plunked Rondell White and David Segui to force in a run. Darrin Fletcher grounded into a double play but Berry tallied another run to increase the Expos lead to 4-0. Josias Manzanillo relieved McDowell in the bottom of the seventh. Tony Tarasco lashed an opposite-field triple into the left field corner and just beat a bang-bang play at the plate when Wade Boggs elected to throw home on a slow tapper to third off the bat of Lansing. Carlos Perez was cruising with a three-hitter into the eighth. He issued consecutive walks with one out in the frame, and then Randy Velarde crushed an outside pitch into the right field seats for a 3-run blast. Tim Scott entered the frame and retired pinch-hitter Dion James along with third-sacker Boggs. Mel Rojas hurled a spotless ninth to notch the save and send the Series back to the Big Apple.  

Pedro J. Martinez and Andy Pettitte locked horns again in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium. Another pitcher’s duel ensued until the Bronx Bombers broke through in the bottom of the fourth. A two-out single to center field by Gerald Williams plated Paul O’Neill with the first tally. Pettitte continued to put up goose eggs until he was relieved in the seventh inning. New York retained the 1-0 advantage until the visitor’s eighth when a steady rain began to fall. Montreal evened the score against reliever Scott Kamieniecki when F.P. Santangelo coaxed a walk, took second on Moises Alou’s single to center field and came around on a base hit to right by Sean Berry. Rondell White walked to load the bases, prompting a mound visit from Buck Showalter. Bob Wickman was summoned to the hill with one out and David Segui at the dish. With the infield playing in, Segui bounced a two-hopper to second-sacker Randy Velarde, who fired to backstop Mike Stanley to force Alou at home plate. Wil Cordero popped up to the first baseman to extinguish the threat. Ruben Sierra ripped a long single to right off Expos’ reliever Gil Heredia to lead off the home eighth. Pinch-runner Pat F. Kelly swiped second base as the rain intensified. Darryl Strawberry smashed a hot grounder that skipped under Mike Lansing’s glove and into right field, scoring Kelly with the go-ahead run on Montreal’s fourth error of the game. Wickman returned to the mound to begin the top of the ninth and Tony Tarasco greeted him with a pinch-single to right field. Mark Grudzielanek batted for the catcher, Tim Laker. Tarasco immediately broke for second base on Wickman’s next pitch and arrived safely under the tag. Grudzielanek worked a full count and drew a base on balls. Lansing whiffed but Santangelo flared the ball beyond the outstretched glove of defensive replacement Todd Benzinger at first base. Tarasco sprinted home with the tying run and the ‘Spos had runners on first and third with one away. Alou laced a sharp grounder through the drawn-in infield to put the visitors on top, 3-2. Berry topped a slow roller towards second. Velarde tried to turn the double play but the relay to first was not in time and Grudzielanek recorded an insurance run. Wickman walked Berry but got Segui on a ground ball to second to conclude the frame. New York wasn’t about to roll over. Benzinger led off the bottom of the ninth with a base knock. Heredia struck out Velarde while closer Mel Rojas was warming up in the bullpen. Rojas got the call to face Wade Boggs, who lashed a single to center. The potential tying run (Boggs) took a tentative lead off of first base as Rojas buckled down and induced Tony Fernandez to pop out to the catcher. Kelly rapped a hard-hit ball up the middle but Lansing fielded this one cleanly and stepped on the bag at second to force Boggs. Montreal lived to play another day and the stadium crew prepared for Game 7.

Jeff Fassero and David Cone battled to a scoreless duel through five innings with each hurler yielding a lone hit. The Expos unraveled in the sixth following an error by XXX to allow Randy Velarde to reach base leading off the frame. Wade Boggs’ base hit to right field advanced Velarde to third. Fassero plunked Paul O’Neill to load the bases, and Ruben Sierra blasted a changeup into the center field bleachers for a grand salami! The portsider recovered to whiff Gerald Williams but the damage was done and the crowd was on their feet as the Yankees were 9 outs from another World Series title. Montreal mounted a minor threat in the eighth when F.P. Santangelo beat out an infield hit and Tony Tarasco lashed a liner to right that dropped in front of Ruben Sierra, but Tarasco inexplicably got caught in a rundown between first and second. With eight innings of 4-hit, no-run ball in the books, Buck Showalter thanked “Coney” for his efforts and turned the game over to Josias Manzanillo. Mike Lansing commenced the top of the ninth with a sharp liner to left field for a base knock. Moises Alou topped a high bouncer to first which Jim Leyritz gloved and fired down to second to nip Lansing for the first out. Sean Berry hammered a two-bagger up the gap in left-center and Alou wisely held up at third base as Williams delivered a strong relay throw to shortstop Tony Fernandez. Rondell White drew a base on balls and the Expos brought the tying run to the plate. The baserunners had to hold up to determine whether O’Neill would catch David Segui’s soft liner to left. O’Neill fielded the ball on one bounce and threw immediately to Velarde covering second base to force out White for the second out as Alou scampered home with Montreal’s first run of the contest. Jimmy Key relieved Manzanillo and Yamil Benitez batted for Darrin Fletcher. Benitez walked and the sacks were full of Expos as shortstop Wil Cordero strolled to the dish. The stadium was rocking as the home crowd rooted for Key to close out the game. On a 2-2 pitch, Cordero lofted a soft liner towards second base which Velarde handled easily for the final out. The pinstripe crew mobbed the field as the Yankees claimed victory. 

FPS Baseball ’96 –1995 MLB Regular Season

Final Standings and League Leaders

FPS Baseball ’96 –1995 MLB Playoffs

Playoffs and World Series Results

FPS Baseball ’98 –1997 MLB Season Replay

Upon completion of the 1995 MLB season replay using FPSBB ’96, I fired up the third and final offering in the Front Page Sports Baseball series – the 1998 Edition. This one came with two associations – 1996 MLBPA End of Season and 1997 MLBPA Opening Day. I chose the latter and began reviewing the rosters, lineups, etc. I converted all teams to human-controlled and deselected the options for the computer to propose trades, sign free agents and draft new players. I opened Baseball-Reference to the final team-by-team statistics for every franchise in 1997 to verify lineup and pitching role information. Continuing a trend with the previous FPSBB versions, I discovered a number of players with fake names (likely due to licensing issues) or slotted into incorrect positions.Utilizing the DATAIN application which is now a Window-based application but still accessed separately from the main program, I combed the rosters to edit the first and last names of “Mickey Kelly” and “Eddie Grove” (for instance) to their proper names – Darin Erstad and George Arias.  Orioles third-sacker B.J. Surhoff was hiding out in the FPSBB Witness Protection Program as “Angel Sherid”.

Seattle and Colorado emerged as the pennant winners in the American and National League, respectively. I summoned my inner “Groove” as Don Baylor to manage the Rockies in the Series while the Mariners were skippered by an AI representation of “Sweet” Lou Piniella.

Randy Johnson (25-7, 2.72) took the hill for the M’s in Game 1 at Coors Field. Colorado countered with Jamey Wright (21-7, 4.20). Seattle jumped on Wright immediately. He plunked Joey Cora leading off the contest and Alex Rodriguez followed with a sharp line drive single to left field. Ken Griffey Jr. deposited Wright’s next offering in the left field stands for a 3-0 advantage. Edgar Martinez laced a single to center and Paul Sorrento’s subsequent opposite-field two-bagger increased the lead to 4-0 as Wright had yet to record an out. After a walk to Jay Buhner, Wright extracted himself from the frame with a strikeout of Dan Wilson and a double-play grounder off the bat of Rich Amaral. In the top of the second, “A-Rod” blasted a solo shot deep into the left-field bleachers. Roger Bailey pitched two scoreless frames until faltering in the fifth inning. The Mariners loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batsmen. Amaral connected on an offering that floated over the outside half of the dish and the smash resulted in a grand slam, giving Seattle a 9-0 cushion! “Kid” Griffey launched a no-doubt dinger over the center field fence to start the sixth against reliever Jeff McCurry. Joey Cora joined the hit parade when he belted a big-fly over the wall in center with one away in the seventh. McCurry elected to pitch to “Junior” Griffey with “A-Rod” on first. Griffey took a mean cut at a hanging slider and circled the bases as the ball landed in the left-center field seats for his third round-tripper of the game. An exasperated Baylor trudged to the mound to retrieve the ball from McCurry and called upon Curt Leskanic to mop up in a 13-0 laugher. Sorrento greeted him with a bomb to center field as Seattle went ahead by two touchdowns. Meanwhile Randy Johnson held the Rockies hitless through the six innings before Eric Young laced a clean single to center field. Cora clubbed his second circuit clout of the game off Leskanic in the eighth, a two-run shot to run the score up to 16-0. Griffey Jr. had a chance to go yard for the fourth time in the contest, but he popped up to first-sacker Andres Galarraga. The Mariners tacked on a seven-spot in the eighth inning, capped by a grand slam off the bat of Rodriguez. Colorado went quietly in the ninth and the hometown crowd filtered out of the stadium in near silence after watching Seattle dominate their club – final score Seattle 23, Colorado 0.

Jamie Moyer (15-11, 5.29) faced off against Kevin Ritz (17-13, 5.43) in Game 2 as the Rockies tried to regroup from the pummeling sustained in the initial contest. Ritz retired the side in order which calmed the nerves of the Colorado faithful. Then in the bottom of the first, Walt Weiss rapped a base hit and Andres Galarraga followed with a single to right. With two outs and baserunners on first and third, Dante Bichette crushed a changeup for a 3-run blast to put the Rockies on the board. Vinny Castilla dialed long-distance leading off the second. Moyer finished the inning but Piniella pulled him for a pinch-hitter (Mike Blowers) in the bottom of the frame. Bob Wells was summoned from the M’s bullpen for a long relief outing. Weiss opened the home third with a base knock and he scooted to third on a solid single to center by Ellis Burks, who advanced to second when “Kid” Griffey tried to nail the lead runner. With first base open, Wells elected to pitch to Galarraga. The “Big Cat” pounced on a fastball and propelled it into the upper-deck in right-center field to increase Colorado’s advantage to 7-0. Ritz cruised until the fifth when he drilled Edgar Martinez in the shoulder to commence the inning, and then yielded back-to-back singles to Paul Sorrento and Jay Buhner as the M’s pushed across their first tally of the contest. Dan Wilson followed with a base hit to center which cut the Rockies’ lead to 7-2. Ritz induced Lee Tinsley to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and Wells whiffed to strand Buhner on third base. Alex Rodriguez hammered a chest-high heater to the opposite field for a solo shot in the sixth, sending Ritz to the showers with a 7-3 lead. Darren Holmes entered the game and set down the heart of the Mariners’ batting order. Eric Young rapped a two-out line drive single in front of Griffey to plate Jeff Reed with Colorado’s eighth run of the game. The M’s showed some life in the eighth when “Junior” knocked in Brent Gates with a two-base hit and Sorrento greeted reliever Curt Leskanic with a two-run double off the center field wall, reducing the deficit to 8-6. In the top of the ninth, Seattle loaded the bases on 3 consecutive walks issued by Leskanic and Jerry DiPoto after Wilson whiffed leading off the frame. Rodriguez laced a two-run single to center to knot the score at 8-all. Griffey followed with a grounder through the hole between shortstop and third base, plating Joey Cora with the go-ahead run! Martinez drew a base on balls to reload the bases. Bruce Ruffin jogged in from the ‘pen and immediately issued four straight balls to Sorrento, forcing in another run. Buhner capped the comeback with a grand slam into the upper deck in right field. Colorado came to bat in the home ninth trailing by six runs. Seattle reliever Tim Davis plunked pinch-hitter Quinton McCracken and Burks subsequently slammed a long fly ball over the right-center field fence for a two-run homer. “Big Cat” beat out a slow dribbler down the third base line. Bichette blistered a heat-seeking missile off the left-field wall and evaded the tag on the relay throw, giving the Rockies runners on second and third with no outs. Seattle skipper Lou Piniella summoned Josias Manzanillo to face Larry Walker. “Booger” lofted a harmless pop fly to Cora for the first out. Four successive deliveries from Manzanillo missed the plate, so Castilla trotted down to first. Jeff Reed, the potential tying run, strolled to the dish with the sacks juiced and one away. He swung and mashed a hard grounder back up the middle. Manzanillo gloved it and fired home for the force on Galarraga, and then Wilson threw a perfect strike to Sorrento to complete the double play. The teams boarded their planes headed for the Pacific Northwest with the Mariners ahead two games to none in the Series.

The Rockies were reeling from the beat-down in Game 1 and the tremendous Mariners’ comeback in Game 2 when they arrived in Seattle to resume the Series.  Back-to-back base hits by Eric Young and Walt Weiss placed runners on first and third against Jeff Fassero (13-14, 5.41). Andres Galarraga grounded into a fielder’s choice as Young sprinted home to register the first tally of the contest. Colorado countered with Bryan Rekar (12-8, 6.04). Ken Griffey Jr. reached second base on a dropped throw by Galarraga and scored on a long single by Edgar Martinez off the right-field wall. Larry Walker ripped a two-bagger down the first base line leading off the top of the second. One out later, Jeff Reed crushed a pitch on the outer half of the dish into the left-field center stands as the Rockies moved ahead by a score of 3 to 1. Successive singles to center by “A-Rod” and “Junior” plated Rich Amaral and Joey Cora to knot the match at 3-all. Martinez beat out an infield chopper behind third base, and then Rekar issued a free pass to Paul Sorrento with the sacks juiced. Quinton McCracken made a potential game-saving catch as he dove on the warning track in left field to rob Jay Buhner of an extra-base hit for the final out of the frame. Steve Reed replaced Rekar to commence the home third. He put up a goose egg but yielded a two-base knock to Cora in the fourth. Griffey Jr. pounced on an inside heater from lefty reliever Bruce Ruffin and belted it over center fielder Larry Walker’s outstretched glove for an RBI double. “Gar” followed with a ringing single up the middle as the Mariners took a 6-3 lead. Roger Bailey eventually extinguished the uprising when he induced Russ Davis to bounce out to the shortstop. A two-out walk by Weiss and a sharp single to right by Ellis Burks brought the tying run to the plate against Fassero in the visitor’s fifth. The “Big Cat” rapped a two-hopper that was deftly fielded by Sorrento and converted into an out. Singles by Rodriguez, Martinez, Sorrento and Davis extended the Mariners’ advantage to 11-3 in the fifth. Dante Bichette opened the sixth with a booming double to right-center and Larry Walker subsequently scalded a line drive into the right field corner as Colorado tried to exhibit some signs of life. Castilla reached on an infield hit and Reed was safe on a fielder’s choice, bringing in Walker with the fifth tally of the day for the Rockies. Fassero escaped further damage and returned to the M’s dugout with an 11-5 lead. Burks smashed a clean base hit to left off reliever Bob Wolcott to commence the top of the seventh inning. Rodriguez started a crisp 6-4-3 double play on Galarraga’s grounder, and then Bichette flew out to Amaral in deep left field. Griffey launched a missile that just cleared the right-center field wall, sending Burke to the showers and pushing the M’s advantage to 12-5. Wolcott exited after two scoreless innings in favor of Edwin Hurtado. Burks drew a two-out walk in the ninth against Hurtado. Running on contact, he motored around the bases on a two-bagger by Galarraga and notched Colorado’s sixth run when he was ruled safe after colliding with Dan Wilson. Bichette lashed an opposite-field base hit between first and second, knocking in the “Big Cat” and closing the margin to 12-7. Bichette advanced to second on a passed ball, and then Walker coaxed a base on balls. Castilla followed with a single back through the box and Bichette blazed homeward to continue the Rockies rally. Jeff Reed’s slow chopper to second was fielding cleanly by Cora who tossed to Rodriguez for the force out. Seattle survived a scare in the final frame to put themselves on the brink of clinching the Series.

Lou Piniella elected to start Scott Sanders rather than bring Randy Johnson back on short rest, especially given the fact that the M’s held a three-game cushion. The Rockies’ starting nod was granted to the oft-injured Bill Swift. Alex Rodriguez initiated the scoring with a two-run opposite-field blast in the bottom of the first. Edgar Martinez followed a walk to Ken Griffey Jr. with a shot of his own into the right-field stands. Swift had yet to record an out and his club trailed 4-0! The bullpen quickly stirred as Roger Bailey and Bruce Ruffin rushed to stretch out their arms. Paul Sorrento hit an excuse-me single between short and third, bringing a rapid end to Swift’s evening. Ruffin jogged in, delivered a few warm-up tosses, and then proceeded to square off against Jay Buhner. The M’s slugger lofted an eminently catchable fly ball down the line in right field, whereupon Dante Bichette lost the ball in the lights and it dropped in for a base hit. Sorrento had to hold up at first and he barely beat Bichette’s rifle throw into second base. Colorado finally recorded an out when Mike Blowers grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Dan Wilson lined to center and the Rockies breathed a collective sigh as they returned to the visitor’s dugout. Andres Galarraga led off the top of the second with a blistering liner to right which Jay Buhner initially misjudged but he recovered to make a leaping catch to prevent an extra base hit. Roger Bailey came on to work as a long reliever in the home half of the second. “Junior” poked a long fly ball that just cleared the left-center field wall for a three-run jack. Bailey got Sorrento out on a towering can of corn to right, and then he plunked Buhner in the helmet. A dejected Colorado crew looked on as any chance of salvaging the Series was evaporating before their eyes. Darren Holmes, the fourth Rockies hurler of the game, strolled to the hill with runners on first and second and a 7-0 deficit. Blowers skied out to center for the final out of the frame. Sanders yielded four hits in six scoreless frames when Piniella pulled him in favor of Bob Wolcott. Jeff Reed and Walt Weiss sandwiched a pair of singles around a strikeout by John Vander Wal, placing runners on first and second with one out in the seventh. Eric Young, not usually a power threat, connected on a blast to left field that sailed into the stands for a three-run homer! The Seattle faithful let out a collective groan as Wolcott kicked the mound in disgust while “EY” circled the bases. Larry Walker coaxed a two-out walk but the “Big Cat” popped up in foul territory. Blowers settled under the ball and squeezed his glove tightly for the third out. Seattle needed just six outs to secure the first World Series trophy in franchise history. Bichette drew a walk leading off the eighth and Vinny Castilla rapped a base hit up the middle. Reed ripped a screaming line drive over Buhner’s glove and it banked off the right field wall. Buhner quickly recovered and relayed the ball to Joey Cora, who whirled and fired to the plate. Wilson snared the ball just as Bichette barreled into him and the ump called him safe at the dish. The Mariners now held a 7-4 lead with the tying run heading to the batter’s box. Vander Wal swung valiantly but got underneath the ball, a sky-high pop to Sorrento in foul ground near first base for the first out. Edwin Hurtado relieved Wolcott and the Rockies’ shortstop Weiss tapped his cleats and prepared to do battle. On a 2-1 count, Weiss took a cut at a Hurtado heater and similar to the previous hitter, popped up to Sorrento. Young flew out to medium-deep center field to end the threat. Steve Reed pitched a scoreless eighth, the sixth consecutive goose egg posted by the Colorado relief staff. Piniella made the call to the ‘pen, with lefty Norm Charlton looking to close out the victory while facing the heart of the Rockies’ batting order. Ellis Burks promptly crushed a double over Rich Amaral’s outstretched glove in left-center. Walker grounded out to “A-Rod” for out # 1 with Burks scooting over to third. “The Sheriff” threw four wide ones to Galarraga, putting runners on the corners with one away. Colorado again had a chance to even the score with Bichette at bat and Castilla in the on-deck circle. “Sweet Lou” stomped to the mound, his face beet-red with exasperation. He barked at Charlton and signaled for the right-hander. Charlton angrily handed the ball to his manager and the new pitcher, Bobby Ayala made his way to the mound. The Seattle fans were in a frenzy, pleading with Ayala to close the deal. Bichette swung and lifted a pop-fly behind the bag at second base where Rodriguez made the catch for the second out. Bichette snapped his bat in disgust. Colorado’s last hope, Castilla, chopped a slow roller towards Cora, who scooped it up and tagged second for the final out. The M’s dog-piled Ayala near the pitcher’s mound and the team celebrated the sweep! 

FPS Baseball ’98 –1997 MLB Regular Season

Final Standings and League Leaders

FPS Baseball ’98 –1997 MLB Playoffs

Playoffs and World Series Results

Ratings

Note – ratings below for FPSBB ’98 – deduct 1 point (AI) for FPSBB ’96 and 5 additional points for FPSBB ’94 (2 points for rosters, 2 points for ballparks and 1 point for AI)

Graphics – [5] – The CAMS (Camera Angles Management System) offers the ability to manage your vantage point during the game, view instant replays and save highlights. Expanding upon the system originally introduced in Earl Weaver Baseball II, the user can adjust the location, height, zoom and rotation along with the ability to position the camera, track specific targets, etc. Stadium graphics can be tweaked by modifying the level of detail which allows the program to run properly on your system, such as displaying the sky and weather textures or choosing to show or hide the crowd. In the FPS ’96 and ’98 editions, you can reposition the scoreboard and conceal some of the on-screen menus. The interaction between batter and pitcher is shown from the viewpoint of a fan seated directly behind home plate. If the ball is put into play, CAMS mode is activated and the current settings are utilized to render the resulting play. If you opt to show all menus, you will see the scoreboard, strategy menus, top view and game updates along with the current camera view. You can pause the action and modify the camera settings at your discretion. Player animation is fairly realistic although at times the motion is not very fluid and I observed numerous instances when a fielder appeared to hesitate when making a play (not sure if this was by design?)   

Sound – [3] – The umpire calls each pitch with vendor calls and hecklers periodically adding some flavor. However the limited number of phrases can become a bit repetitive at times (“Get in the game, buddy!”, “Make him bring it” and the infamous “Kiss my tuckus!”). The user can adjust the action, heckler and crowd sound effects.  Realistic re-creations of the crack of the bat or catching a ball enhance the experience.

Strategy – [4] – Every pitcher can be rated on up to seven different pitch types: fastball, curveball, change-up, slider, sinker, screwball and knuckleball. However, only the four highest-rated pitches may be selected during a game. Standard defensive options are available prior to delivering the pitch and the manager can store up to 3 sets of custom positioning. Depending on the number of runners on base, the offensive menu provides all of the various stolen base attempt options along with the squeeze bunt and a “take” sign. You may warm up one or two pitchers in the bullpen. Relievers may be ineffective or present a higher risk of injury if they are not adequately warmed up (generally 2 or 3 batters before the reliever’s status changes to “ready”).

Artificial Intelligence – [4] – I played several playoff rounds and a handful of exhibition contests with the three editions of FPSBB. In most instances, the computer skipper conducted offensive and defensive substitutions at the appropriate times.   

Box Score – [3] – The game provided standard newspaper-style box scores. One week’s worth of box scores will be accessible for later review during single season or career mode replays. Time of game, temperature, wind speed and direction are indicated. Substitutes are not indented in the listing or otherwise flagged, obscuring when they entered the contest and who they replaced in the game.

Rosters – [4] – Flexibility is the key to roster manipulation in career mode and FPSBB afforded the user several improvements over the competition in this regard. The active roster consists of 25 players but the mix of position players and pitchers is not restricted to the standard 15/10 ratio. In addition each franchise can maintain a 15-man reserve list and up to 10 players in the “low minors”. If the computer is managing a team, you have the option to permit or deny its ability to make trades, reassign players, sign free agents or select players in the annual Amateur Draft. When creating a new Association, you can opt to utilize the players and league structure from an existing league or draft players from a free agent pool.   

Statistics – [5] – Historical and simulated statistics along with team totals can be viewed throughout the season. Simulated stats are available in three flavors: weekly, season-to-date and career (if you’re playing in career mode). FPSBB offers situational split stats such as versus left- or right-handers, home or road, runners in scoring position, “close and late”, and specific months of the year. You may customize the columns to be displayed in the current report (up to 8 at a time), sort any column in ascending or descending order and view the top 10 or top 50 players in a particular category. Statistics can be filtered by league, team or retired players. Player ratings can change over the course of their career (in career mode only) and are handled on a 0 to 99 scale.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [3] – Players can suffer injuries (assuming you enable the option) that can last several days, weeks, months or even end their careers. Pitcher’s fatigue can be toggled on/off by the user as well. Each pitcher has their own Endurance rating and the number of pitches thrown in the current game will also determine their effectiveness as the game progresses. Position players are not affected by fatigue, therefore it is possible for players with minimal “actual” playing time to be overused by computer and human managers. Ejections do not occur in the FPS Baseball series.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [4] – FPSBB ’94 came with 12 ballparks and Sierra later offered a “Legends and Stadiums” add-on which provided the remaining 16 stadiums. The ’96 and ’98 releases incorporated all of the ballparks that were in use at the time of release. Park effects include temperature, wind, rain and humidity specific to the geographic location of each stadium. 

Commentary – [1] – The game does not include any play-by-play commentary.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

FPSBB ’94 – Total Score: 30 out of 50

FPSBB ’96 – Total Score: 35 out of 50

FPSBB ’98 – Total Score: 36 out of 50

Enhancements and Features

Observations

The Front Page Sports Baseball series offered hardball enthusiasts another alternative with several innovative elements. The aging and retirement aspects of the career mode add to the realism of a long-term league. A fresh look beyond the bug-plagued initial release afforded me the opportunity to play the game as it was originally intended. The data entry program (DATAIN) is a bit tedious to work with, so unless you’re up to the task, I recommended sticking to the included associations or the Legends teams. Further I would concur with the suggestion to skip directly to FPSBB ’98. As stated previously, you’ll need to install this game on an old PC or an emulator running Windows 95 or 98.   

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of the Front Page Sports: Baseball series.

Screenshots

Front Page Sports Baseball ’94

Front Page Sports Baseball ’96

Front Page Sports Baseball ’98

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – IBM PC – Playthrough

Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – Computer Gaming World. November 1994. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_124.pdf

Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – Ginden, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

Front Page Sports Baseball ’98 – McCauley, Dennis. “Sim World Series: Winners and Losers in This Year’s Baseball Sim Contest”. Computer Gaming World. December 1997. p312. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_160.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/front-page-sports-baseball-94

https://www.mobygames.com/game/front-page-sports-baseball-pro-96-season

https://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/front-page-sports-baseball-pro-98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ZUy461Kh0 Front Page Sports Baseball ’94, video by SquakeNet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZZ-7iMFM_0 Front Page Sports Baseball ’98, video by Pichu London Sports and Stadiums

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

IBM PC version

Tony La Russa Baseball II

Publisher – Strategic Simulations Inc.

Release Year – 1993

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Review

Tony La Russa Baseball II, the second in a series of four titles developed by Stormfront Studios (previously known as Beyond Software), introduced major upgrades over its predecessor. Roster sizes expanded from 30 to 40 players per team, an assortment of stadiums were either included or offered in an expansion disk and Ron Barr voiced the play-by-play commentary. The user now has the ability to view scores of other games in progress along with the option to store box scores and find results that contain special events such as no-hitters and cycles with ease. Managerial profiles enhance the game by allowing you the option to customize the computer manager’s strategic tendencies for each ball club.

Originally released in 1993, an updated version (1.3R) shipped in the “1994 Edition” to accommodate MLB divisional realignment and incorporate several fixes to the original game code.  Since I have both versions I opted to install and review the 1994 Edition. The main menu consists of 5 options: Baseball, Season, Manager, Utilities and Home Plate. Choose the baseball icon and a sub-menu appears. You can play an exhibition game, load a previously saved game, view the credits or general help instructions, or exit from the application. If installed, the Fantasy Draft (initially an expansion pack but later integrated into the ’94 edition) is also accessible from the Baseball menu. Fantasy Draft facilitates the drafting of entirely new leagues from the pool of available players. The inclinations of every General Manager can be tweaked to focus on specific player types or organizational approaches. Your GM can opt to look for power, speed, pitching, defense, a customized ranking among those classifications, or they can simulate La Russa’s team-building preferences. Draft options include the order (cycle, snake or random), salary cap and scale (real world dollars vs. Rotisserie-style) and style (auction vs. draft). The Season menu grants the ability to begin a new season, play a scheduled game or review the calendar for upcoming games that you wish to manage. Game and box scores are available here along with the ability to schedule an All-Star contest and view playoff results.  The Manager menu permits roster, lineup and pitching alterations. You can ask “Tony” for advice regarding your pitching rotation, batting orders and defensive alignment versus left and right-handed hurlers. If you wish to override La Russa’s suggestions, simply click the Restore button to revert the proposed changes. Amendments to the manager profiles can be implemented here as well. Sliding scales enable adjustments for in-game tactics and lineup selection (the computer skipper will inevitably need to substitute for an injured player). League configuration tasks such as editing player statistics, team names and uniform colors are handled via the Utilities menu. You can initiate trades, sort through league leaders in dozens of categories, team totals and individual statistics, assign stadiums to each club, and import stats. The Home Plate icon aids in the viewing and printing of statistics, either to a printer or a file. Context-specific Help can be accessed here. TLBB2 comes with 26 classic teams, 26 “All-Time Teams” (one per franchise) and 2 All-Star teams. Season disks were available for purchase.   

I conducted a draft using a player pool from the classic teams in order to assemble rosters from my Retro World Baseball Classic research (Baseball Birthplaces and the Retro World Baseball Classic), based on the 1961-1980 teams. After the draft ended, I manually entered the statistics for the players who were on the Retro WBC rosters but missing from the Classic Teams in TLBB2. I prepared the lineups, pitching rotations and defensive alignments, assigned a stadium to each team (choosing ballparks in close proximity to their Retro WBC team locations whenever possible) and opted to utilize the default managerial profile for all teams. Once the season commenced, I tasked TLBB2 with the simulation of a week’s worth of games so I could periodically peruse the box scores, leaderboards and check each team for injuries. In the event that an injured player would miss a substantial amount of games (generally 7 or more days unavailable), I intervened to substitute the appropriate bench or reserve player while documenting temporary lineup or rotation changes. The roster automatically expands from 25 to 40 players on September 1. The Retro WBC 1961-1980 Rosters complete with lineups, rotations and schedule are available here for TLBB2 ->

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/w2g51qnn2dm3v/TLBB2

Note:  Download and extract 6180W.zip to your Tony2\Teams subfolder.  Open TLBB2 and select Utilities -> Change Leagues. Select 6180W from the list. Go to Season -> Standings and confirm all teams have a record of 0-0 and the date is April 1.

A quick rundown of the Retro WBC 1961-1990 season is presented below along with standings, league leaders and team totals, followed by the team-by-team batting and pitching breakdowns. For the World Series, I exported the box scores and play-by-play scripts from every contest.

Retro World Baseball Classic: 1961-1980 Regular Season

Ohio (20-7) and California (21-6) sprinted out of the gates while it was evident that Puerto Rico (4-23) and the Mexico / Central America (7-20) squads were going to be in for a long season. Al Oliver (.356 BA) and Carl Yastrzemski (.291/15/30) set the offensive pace through April. On the mound, Tom Seaver posted a 5-0 record with a 1.82 ERA through 6 starts. Knuckleballer Phil Niekro (4-0, 0.86) limited the opposition to 3 earned runs in 39 2/3 innings.

USA Southeast triumphed in 19 contests to claim the top spot in the Eastern Division. The eventual league batting champion Rod Carew (.368) along with runner-up Rico Carty (.335) assumed the top two slots in the rankings as the calendar turned to June. Koji Yamamoto of the Canada-Europe-Japan team tied “Yaz” for the home run lead with 24 apiece. Dean Chance paced all hurlers with an ERA of 1.19. J.R. Richard (82) and Mario Soto (80) battled for the top spot on the strikeout charts.

Pennsylvania pulled into contention with 20 victories in the month of June. Yamamoto blasted 11 round-trippers in June to overtake Yastrzemski. Carew paced the circuit with 111 base hits entering July while Willie “Pops” Stargell rapped a League-leading 29 doubles. The race for the stolen base crown featured Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines (39 each) followed closely by Billy North with 38. USA Southeast lefty Mike Caldwell topped the leaderboards with 13 wins against 1 loss. Tom Seaver (113 strikeouts) was one of four starters to surpass the century mark in whiffs at the halfway point, joined by J.R. Richard (108), Mario Soto (106) and Nolan Ryan (104). Jim Kern (18 saves, 0.28 ERA) and Ron Perranoski (18 saves) ranked tops among closers along with Rich “Goose” Gossage (17 saves). Chance (1.26 ERA) retained a significant advantage in the ERA category over runner-ups Seaver and Gaylord Perry (2.14).

USA South overtook California in the Western Division after averaging 17 wins per month since May 1.  The batting and home run leaders maintained their positions as July came to a close. Yamamoto (41) outpaced Yastrzemski in dingers as Dave Kingman (33), Rico Petrocelli (31) and Mike Schmidt joined the 30-homer club. No less than twelve speedsters pilfered at least 30 bases. Three flamethrowers were tied atop the strikeout charts with 145 – J.R. Richard, Tom Seaver and Mario Soto. Southpaw Dave A. Roberts lowered his ERA to 2.27, nearly a run higher than Dean Chance’s 1.36 mark.

Rickey Henderson aka “The Man of Steal” took a commanding lead with 72 stolen bases, 9 ahead of fellow outfielder Billy North. Mike Caldwell (18-5) maintained the leadership in the wins column over Mike Scott (17-6). Rich Gossage (28) surged into the lead in saves, one ahead of Ron Perranoski. Rosters expanded to 40 per ball club on September 1 and several non-contenders responded by shuffling a few of their battered hurlers into long relief. John Candelaria (56 HR allowed) and Juan Berenguer (52 HR allowed) were among those who found themselves demoted to lesser roles.

Mike Schmidt pulled even with Koji Yamamoto with 50 circuit clouts each as the campaign careened towards its conclusion. Schmidt paced a group of 10 batters with at least 100 RBI. Ohio’s precarious lead in the East stood at two games ahead of USA Southeast while USA South preserved a 3 1/2 game advantage over California on October 1. Rod Carew sustained a 10-point cushion in batting average over Rico Carty.  Texas’ reliever Donnie Moore tied Rich Gossage with 30 saves. Four starting pitchers eclipsed the 20-win plateau – Mike Caldwell, Jim Palmer, Dave A. Roberts and Mike Scott.

Perennial batting champion Rod Carew (Mexico-Central America) secured another title with a .363 BA despite a long-year threat mounted by the “Beeg Boy” Rico Carty (.355). Representing the Dominican Republic squad, Carty outpaced Carew and Koji Yamamoto in on-base percentage, .450 to .421. Yamamoto slugged .662 for the Canada-Europe-Japan club to register the top spot ahead of Ohio third-sacker Mike Schmidt (.630). Carty (216), Carew (207) and California shortstop Alan Trammell (201) surpassed the 200-hit mark. Illinois teammates Wes Parker (45) and Fred Lynn (44) placed one-two on the doubles chart while Carew, Dave Parker (USA South) and Manny Trillo (Carribean-South America) ended in a three-way tie for triples. A late-season injury allowed Schmidt (54) to edge Yamamoto (53) for the home run crown. Jack Clark (Pennsylvania) embodied the “Three True Outcomes” with 37 blasts and a League-best 140 walks while placing runner-up to Texas third baseman Billy Grabarkewitz (155) with 149 strikeouts. Schmidt emerged as the RBI leader, outdistancing George Foster (USA South), 138 to 133. Yutaka Fukumoto (Canada-Europe-Japan) tallied 129 runs, four more than Rickey Henderson (Illinois). However, Henderson aka the “Man of Steal” nabbed another title as his 91 stolen bases firmly trounced the 77 swipes recorded by his principal opponent, Billy North (USA West).

Tony La Russa Baseball II allows the user to store the box scores for all games played by a specific team or all teams on their hard drives. Additionally you can select from twelve “special” box score categories in order to search for highlights, such as hitting for the cycle, no-hitters, etc. Individual single-game feats documented during the regular season included a no-no by Juan Berenguer (Mexico-Central America), seven one-hitters, seven contests in which a slugger belted 3 home runs, and a pair of batters who hit for the cycle.  Twenty players posted 5 or more hits in a game including opponents in the same game (Ron Cey & Davey Lopes, June 24) and teammates in the same game (Larry Hisle & Al Oliver, Sept. 30). Four batters achieved the feat twice: Rod Carew, Ken Griffey, Dave “Cobra” Parker and Willie “Pops” Stargell. Griffey and Parker deserved special mention as Griffey notched 6 safeties on September 26 and Parker racked up 12 RBI with his 5-for-5 performance on July 26!

Regular Season – Batting Highlights

Regular Season – Pitching Highlights

Wins by Month

Retro WBC 1961-1980 Regular Season

Final Standings and League Leaders

Rosters

Team-by-Team Statistics

Team Totals

Retro WBC 1961-1980 World Series

I took the managerial reins for the USA South ball club while Tony La Russa strategized for the Ohioans. Dean Chance (14-5, 1.76) and Ron Guidry (13-9, 2.77) faced off in Game 1 at Riverfront Stadium. “Louisiana Lightning” was lit up like a Christmas tree and yanked in the second frame trailing 7-0 after yielding gopher balls to Jimmy Wynn, Garry Maddox and Mike Schmidt. USA South scratched a pair of runs across in the fifth on a RBI groundout by Johnny Bench and an infield hit by Ozzie Smith. Frank Linzy allowed two inherited runners to score in the bottom of the fifth and then served up a grand slam to Ohio backstop Thurman Munson. Shortstop Eddie Brinkman belted a two-run shot off Chuck Taylor to extend the lead to 15-2. Bench along with pinch-hitter Rusty Staub delivered RBI singles against reliever Kent Tekulve, but the submariner retired Cleon Jones and “The Wizard of Oz” to wrap up the blowout. Pinch-runner Amos Otis twisted his ankle during a pinch-running appearance in the ninth and the South recalled Lyman Bostock to take his place on the roster.

The USA South squad, still reeling from the beatdown issued by Ohio in the first contest, sent crafty right-hander Don “Black & Decker” Sutton (19-13, 3.84) to the hill. The Buckeyes countered with knuckleballer Phil Niekro (17-9, 3.47). In the bottom of the first, Sal Bando singled to center to knock in Al Oliver with the game’s first tally. Ron Oester, a .242 batter with only one homer in the regular season, connected with a Sutton offering for a solo shot in the bottom of the second. Following a base hit by Eddie Brinkman, left fielder Pete Rose cranked a round-tripper over the right field wall to increase Ohio’s advantage to 4-0. The match swiftly descended into a carbon copy of Game 1. With a depleted bullpen, Sutton remained on the bump as the Ohio lumberjacks took turns pummeling his pitches. The home team opened the inning with four straight safeties and a walk to extend their lead to 6-0. In his second bases loaded situation in as many days, Thurman Munson clubbed a deep fly ball to the opposite field. The dejected hurler could only watch in disbelief as “Tugboat” circled the bases – grand salami! Potential Game 4 starter Doyle Alexander was pressed into a long relief role and struggled initially to stop the bleeding. Rose ripped a run-scoring double to register Ohio’s eleventh run before the inning came to its’ conclusion. Bobby Murcer put the South on the board with an RBI base knock in the top of the fifth and Tommy Harper lofted an opposite-field long ball into the right-field seats in the subsequent frame. Alexander settled in and cruised into the bottom of the sixth when he suddenly signaled the trainer and walked off the mound. Diagnosed as a sore arm, Alexander was forced to miss the rest of the Series. Reliever Ken Tatum twirled an inning and one-third of scoreless ball. Lee Smith entered the contest in the home half of the eighth, looking to get some work in. The move backfired as Smith was torched for 6 runs after allowing 9 opponents to reach base. Niekro struck out 7 in 8.2 innings and Doug Bair retired Lyman Bostock for the final out. Brinkman racked up 5 hits and Ohio outscored the opposition 32-6 as the Series shifted to Houston, Texas.

J.R. Richard (17-5, 2.79) received the starting assignment for Game 3 with his team trailing in the Series, 2 games to none, and staggered by the fireworks generated by their opponent’s lineup. Crafty southpaw Bob Knepper (14-11, 5.47) got the nod for Ohio. Tommy Harper sparked the South when he singled, stole second and came around on a Willie Wilson two-base hit in the bottom of the second. One inning later, Dave “Cobra” Parker uncoiled on a Knepper changeup and blasted a two-run bomb into the second deck in right field. The visitors broke up Richard’s shutout in the fifth when Sal Bando launched a long ball to left-center. Batting from the right side against Knepper in the home half of the sixth inning, Ozzie Smith drilled a shot towards the center field fence. Garry Maddox aka “The Secretary of Defense” drifted back and made a leaping attempt at the wall, but he came down empty handed. The folks in the stands went crazy as the “Wizard” rounded the bases. This was a stunning development as Smith had not left the yard during the regular season! Johnny Bench provided an insurance run with a solo shot in the eighth frame. Jimmy Wynn cranked a four-bagger off the left field foul pole in the ninth, but it was not enough as Richard spun a complete game four-hitter to earn the victory and save his ball club from a 3-0 deficit.

Ron Guidry was seeking redemption for his dreadful effort in the Series opener and he locked horns with Joe Niekro (12-15, 4.10). Both hurlers tossed scoreless ball into the sixth frame, when Niekro got into a bit of trouble. Willie Stargell ripped a line drive that dropped in front of Garry Maddox in center for a base hit. George Foster followed with a nearly identical hot smash, advancing “Pops” to second base. Niekro whiffed Dave Parker for the second out of the inning but Johnny Bench belted a hanging knuckler into the “batter’s eye” in center field for a 3-run dinger. The “Gator” held a 3-0 lead heading into the top of the eighth. After Eddie Brinkman laced a clean single to center, Pete Rose reached base when Stargell booted his grounder to first. However, “Pops” recovered quickly and gunned down a startled Brinkman as he raced for third! Jimmy Wynn went down on strikes for the second out. Mike Schmidt drove a slider from Guidry into the right-field seats for a two-run jack, clipping USA South’s advantage to 3-2. Guidry departed and his replacement, Chuck Taylor, yielded successive singles to Sal Bando and Al Oliver before retiring Thurman Munson to end the threat. Lee Smith rebounded from a horrific outing in Game 2 to pitch a hitless ninth inning as the South knotted the Series at two games apiece.

Bob Veale (4-2, 2.87) was activated off the USA South reserve roster to replace Doyle Alexander and he was pressed into a starting assignment as Vida Blue (injured list) and Don Sutton were unavailable. Ohio returned to the top of their rotation with Dean Chance making his second appearance in the Series. Veale loaded the bases in the top of the first and yielded a pair of runs on an RBI single off the bat of Thurman Munson and a walk to Garry Maddox. Veale’s control issues continued in the second inning as he issued free passes to Pete Rose and Jimmy Wynn. He managed to strike out Mike Schmidt but got behind in the count to Sal Bando. The designated hitter crushed a fastball over the right-center field wall to stake the Buckeyes to a 5-0 lead. Chuck Taylor trotted out of the bullpen as Veale headed to the showers. Taylor held Ohio scoreless for 2 1/3 innings and his mates tallied twice in the bottom of the fifth on a Bill Madlock RBI double and a fielder’s choice groundout by Willie Wilson to cut the gap to 5-2. Schmidt demolished a Cecil Upshaw change-of-pace in the sixth and Wynn went yard after Frank Linzy plunked Rose with two outs in the top of the seventh. USA South answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Dave Parker and Lyman Bostock reached on consecutive singles. Parker scored on a double by Ozzie Smith and Bostock crossed the dish on a slow roller by Wilson. Following a scoreless inning from the reliable arm of Ken Tatum and with the South behind by 4 runs entering the ninth, Lee Smith strolled in from the ‘pen. In a performance reminiscent of his Game 2 outing, Smith poured gasoline on the fire as the Ohioans erupted for 4 runs. Pete Rose laced a hard single to right and Wynn coaxed a walk. The “Toy Cannon” rolled his ankle but safely slid into second on a fielder’s choice by Schmidt. Bando’s sharp grounder skipped through the infield and into left, scoring “Charlie Hustle” and moving pinch-runner Larry Hisle to third. Al Oliver connected on a 3-run circuit clout to center and Smith kicked the dirt in the front of the mound, wishing he had that pitch back. In the home ninth, Lou Brock and Bostock delivered back-to-back two-base hits to chase Chance from the contest. Al Oliver fractured his fibula as he fielded a bounding ball off the bat of Rusty Staub. Doug Bair whiffed the next two batters to send the Series back to Ohio with his club ahead, 3 games to 2.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation as they filtered into Riverfront Stadium. The hometown team took the field and veteran right-hander Phil Niekro strolled to the mound to take his warmup tosses. After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, the home plate umpire cried “Play Ball!” and the match got underway. “Knucksie” yielded a one-out single to Bobby Murcer and a walk to Willie Stargell, but he escaped unharmed when George Foster and Dave Parker flailed helplessly at his flutterball. Vida Blue sauntered out to the hill in the bottom of the opening frame, taking the ball for the first time in a month after recovering from a hamstring injury. “True Blue” coasted through the first 3 innings as he traded goose-eggs with Niekro. Ohio third baseman Mike Schmidt launched a long ball in the bottom of the fourth to put his ball club on the scoreboard. Blue faltered in the sixth as he yielded back-to-back gopher balls to Jimmy Wynn and Sal Bando. The southpaw was beginning to show signs of fatigue following the extended layoff due to injury. Though Blue struck out 11 through 6 frames, his manager relieved him of his responsibilities as Cecil Upshaw came in to pitch in the seventh inning. “Schmitty” clubbed a one-out four-bagger into the left field seats extending the Buckeyes’ lead to 4-0. Niekro was cruising along with a shutout into the eighth when he stumbled a bit. Murcer delivered a base hit and the speedy Lou Brock entered the contest as a pinch-runner. One out later, Foster coaxed a base on balls which prompted the Ohio skipper to emerge from the dugout. After a brief conference with Niekro and Thurman Munson, Doug Bair was summoned from the bullpen. Dave Parker had an opportunity to drive in Brock at the very least, or if he could get a hold of one, make it a 1-run game. Instead he hit a worm-burner to Ron Oester for the third out. Tommy Harper blasted a big fly to left-center in the top of the ninth off Bair, but Rollie Fingers quashed the South’s comeback attempt as Willie Wilson grounded out to Eddie Brinkman to end the Series as Ohio claimed the trophy with their fourth victory!

Several candidates emerged for World Series MVP honors. Eddie Brinkman compiled a .542 BA (13 hits in 24 at-bats). Thurman Munson supplied a pair of grand slams and drove in 10 runs. Mike Schmidt bashed 5 round-trippers and knocked in 9 baserunners. Dean Chance and Phil Niekro (1.10 ERA) both pitched 16 1/3 innings and won both of their starts. In a close call, “Schmitty” seized the award with a .345 BA (10-for-29) to supplement his home run exploits.

Retro WBC 1961-1980 World Series Boxscores

Ratings

Graphics – [5] – The batter / pitcher matchups are rendered from a behind home plate perspective. The offensive and defensive strategy menus are briefly displayed along the first and third base lines, then the hurler delivers the pitch. You can toggle the scrolling option such that the camera pans according to the path of the ball if scrolling is enabled, otherwise the view cuts to the location where the ball is destined to land. The fly ball cursor helps track balls in flight (especially useful in arcade-style play). Portraits, last names, and the historical ERA or BA of the current pitcher and batter are presented in the bottom left and right-hand corners of the screen. The scoreboard resides between the portraits, detailing the current score and inning along with the ball-strike count and the number of outs.  The player graphics incorporate diving stops and leaping grabs while umpires are added to the mix, making animated safe or out calls. Canned replay video is shown on the Jumbotron monitor if this option is enabled, or you can press the ‘R’ (replay) button to review the actual play.

Sound – [2] – The organ belts out the last few bars of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. The announcer, Ron Barr, identifies himself and welcomes the listener to the specific ballpark where today’s game is being played. Authentic sounds include the crack of the bat and the ball meeting the glove. “Charge!” is played by stadium’s organist at the appropriate times. The crowd remains silent when an opponent launches a long ball. Barr provides scoring updates, lineup announcements by fielding position (“Now batting, the center fielder”) and some play-by-play commentary (“High fly ball.. up the alley to left.. it’s a home run!) The game still suffers from a lack of ambient crowd noise and minimal cheering as with the case with Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball.

Strategy – [4] – The defensive team has a selection of three standard pitches (fastball, curve, changeup) along with one that is contingent upon the current hurler’s specialty (slider, knuckleball, screwball, etc.) The skipper can elect to hold a runner on first base or play off the bag, pitch around the batter, attempt to catch a baserunner with a pitchout, or deliver an intentional walk. The playing depth and alignment can be adjusted on a per-batter basis. Offensive options include the hit & run, steal or double steal, or the coach can advise the batter to take a pitch with runners on base. Before each at-bat you can guide your batsmen to try to hit for power, choke up and hit for contact, or direct them to execute a bunt. One or two relievers can be called upon to warm up in the bullpen, but take care not to allow them to remain active in the bullpen indefinitely or they will become fatigued. Normal substitutions are permitted along with the double switch. When facing a computer manager, you will receive notifications when your opponent has pitcher(s) warming in the ‘pen and when they substitute players during the game.

Artificial Intelligence – [4] – Customized manager profiles enable the granular configuration of each team’s skipper with regard to lineup selection and game-level strategy. “Tony” effectively handles the in-game decisions with enhanced algorithms, giving the illusion that you’re facing a human opponent.

Box Score – [3] – Upon completing of a contest (or if you’ve opted to save box scores during League Play) you can sift among four screens worth of data. The visitor and home batting screens include the player’s names with fielding positions in parentheses listed in descending order based on their slot in the batting order. Substitutes are indented to clearly denote them as such. Pitching results are also separated into home and away teams, with the top half enumerating the participants in their order of appearance. The bottom section of the pitching display contains the line score while the mid-section reports the hurlers credited with a win, loss and save along with the time, attendance and location. Twelve categories are tabulated for batters and eleven are recorded for pitchers. If the number of participants exceeded 18 batters or 9 pitchers in a given match, which is possible when rosters expand to 40 in September, you can click on MORE to view the additional contributors.

Rosters – [4] – The 25-man active rosters are comprised of 15 position players and 10 pitchers. Reserves have expanded to 15 players (9 batters and 6 pitchers). The computer General Manager will make suitable substitutions during league play for injured players but you may override those selections. The Fantasy Draft add-on utility aids in the formation of new leagues with an abundance of choices, such as draft order and type, salary cap, player pools, etc.   

Statistics – [5] – Historical and simulated statistics along with team totals can be viewed throughout the season via the Utilities – Statistical Leaders option. You may sort on any of the available categories and filter by best/worst, leagues (both, AL or NL-only), all players/one team/by position, and vs. RHP/vs. LHP or total stats. Editing individual players allows the user to select a player portrait, change their historical statistics and edit totals or split stats. Offensive ratings such as speed, power, bunt, hit and run, clutch and pitching grades including control, velocity, endurance, pickoff, release and quality and enhanced with the esoteric assessments:  morale, leadership, streak and day/night.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [5] – If you choose to play with Injuries enabled, any player can be knocked out of commission for up to 30 games. Fatigue is a factor for pitchers, denoted by a number and an “R” listed in the Days Unavailable column. Injured players are not permitted to participate in league games until they fully recover from their ailments. Fatigued hurlers can be used at the risk of pitching poorly along with an increased likelihood of injury. Ejections do not exist in TLBB2. 

Ballparks / Park Factors – [4] – TLBB2 comes with 11 classic ballparks – Baker Bowl, Connie Mack Stadium, L.A. Coliseum, Old Comiskey Park, Crosley Field, etc. Additional stadium disks (AL, NL and expansion parks) could be purchased, increasing the number of available ballparks up to 39. Park effects are factored into each stadium, comprised of altitude, wind speed and direction, average humidity and temperature.

Commentary – [2] – Ron Barr of Sports Byline USA fame lends his voice to the play-by-play. The dialogue is limited and repetitive, as Barr does not announce the players by name:  “Now batting, the catcher.. Hot grounder to short.. He throws to first. One away.” Given the physical media limitations of the day (’93 and ’94 editions were issued on multiple 3.5” floppy disks instead of CD-ROM, hard drive capacity on most home PC’s was minimal), I recognize the constraints and welcome the added flavor.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Total Score: 38 out of 50

Enhancements and Features

Observations

Tony La Russa Baseball 2 leapt to the forefront of graphical baseball simulations in 1993. A combination of major enhancements (beautifully illustrated stadiums, voice commentary and myriad tweaks to the original version) in conjunction with the demise of the Earl Weaver Baseball series and the stagnation of MicroLeague allowed the La Russa Baseball series to position itself as the leader in the genre. Sadly the MLB players strike in 1994 coupled with the subsequent cancellation of the World Series and lockout in ’95 Spring Training greatly affected sales of the follow-up TLBB3 product and ultimately knocked Stormfront Studios out of the baseball business after the release of TLBB4 in 1997. Circling back to “Tony2”, I had a blast with this game and urge you to track it down and try it out!

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Tony La Russa Baseball II.  

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Download Derek’s Retro WBC Rosters for Tony La Russa Baseball II – https://www.mediafire.com/folder/w2g51qnn2dm3v/TLBB2

Play Tony La Russa Baseball II in your browser -> https://archive.org/details/msdos_Tony_La_Russa_Baseball_II_1993

Playthrough – HardballRetro

SABR Stay at Home – Don Daglow

Poulter, Wallace. “Tony La Russa 2 Earns Some ‘A’s’”. Computer Gaming World. June 1993. p24,26. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_107.pdf

Wilson, Johnny L. “Another At Bat For Tony La Russa”. Computer Gaming World. April 1993. p8-10. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_105.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/tony-la-russa-baseball-ii

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV223Hl7BIg Tony La Russa Baseball II, video by SquakeNet

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here.  “Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle)

Apple ][ version:

IBM PC – DOS version:

IBM PC – Windows version:  Baseball, Advanced Draft, League Manager, StatMaster

APBA Major League Players Baseball

Publisher – Miller Associates

Release Year – 1985

Platforms – Apple ][, IBM PC

APBA presents: Baseball for Windows (version 1.0 through 5.5)

Publisher – Miller Associates

Release Year – 1993

Platforms – IBM PC

APBA presents: Baseball for Windows (version 5.75)

Publisher – APBA Games

Release Year – 2012

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

(through version 5.5)

(version 5.75)

Review

APBA (“American Professional Baseball Association”), like several competing computer products produced in the final quarter of the 20^th Century, has its origins in tabletop gaming. The original APBA dice and card game was designed by J. Richard Seitz and released in 1951. Tim Ponisciak penned an exceptional article entitled “How Would You Like to Manage in the Majors?: Baseball Board Games and Their Dedicated Players,” which appeared in the Fall 2011 volume of the SABR Journal. Ponisciak reviews the origins of the APBA and Strat-O-Matic board games along with the key differences between them.

The initial computer version, “APBA Major League Players Baseball”, appeared on the market in 1985. I purchased the Apple ][ edition and enjoyed the game immensely despite the fact that I had not played the dice/card game in my youth. The computerized APBA relied on text play-by-play descriptions and permitted standard input for game management along with coaching decisions that required prompt decision-making (such as base advancement, whether to throw to a particular base or cut off a throw, etc.)

APBA Major League Players Baseball was initially released for Apple and IBM PC in 1985. The IBM product was ported to Windows and released in a number of iterations throughout the 1990’s. Play-by-play commentary by legendary Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell enhanced the “Broadcast Blast” version of the game in the mid-90’s. The latest release (version 5.75) allows the game to be played on 32- and 64-bit Windows computers (Windows XP SP3/Vista/7/8/10).  Once the Windows version is installed, the game is divided among four modules: Baseball, Advanced Draft, League Manager, and Statmaster. 

Advanced Draft

The Advanced Draft application allows the user to create or modify data disks which, in turn, encompass one or more organizations, leagues, divisions and teams. Players can be imported and assigned to teams. “Farm” organizations can be created and affiliated with an existing organization to enhance roster flexibility. For example, I can establish a roster limit of 25 players per team and assign the “extra” players to the affiliated farm teams. The general manager can trade, sign and waive players, adjust their ratings while the manager can create multiple lineups. Scouts and General Managers can be created and various ratings assigned to facilitate a variety of draft types, or you can simply import players and assign them to teams if you wish.  

League Manager

You can schedule a series of games or an entire season with the League Manager module. This is where you configure the rules for an organization or league and decide which teams will be managed manually or by a computer skipper. You may prepare lineups and starting rotations for every ball club and tweak those settings on a per-game basis. When you’re ready to play ball, you can view the scores of games in progress, choose to have the computer automatically play matchups that will not be manually managed, and check the box scores when the games are completed. Additional features include Advanced Injury Management (A.I.M.) which allows you to regulate playing time for individuals, assign injured players to the disabled list and monitor usage.  If you permit rain outs to occur, you have the ability to reschedule postponed contests by displaying the open dates between the opposing clubs. Highlights Search lets the user quickly locate box scores that meet specific individual or team criteria, such as players with 5+ hits or 3+ home runs in a game, pitchers with 14+ strikeouts or players that hit for the cycle. A full slate of games running in Background Mode (all games set to computer vs. computer) took approximately 6 seconds to complete. For testing purposes I simulated an entire 162-game schedule with no human intervention in 20 minutes.

Statmaster

You can view the accumulated standings and leader boards along with team and individual statistics using the Statmaster module. Standard and custom reports are available on an organization, league, division or team level. Reports can be printed or exported to HTML files.

Baseball

The Baseball module enables the user to manage individual contests or view matchups between the computer-controlled skippers. It can be started separately for exhibition games or launched automatically from League Manager. Pre-game adjustments consist of tweaking the lineups and selecting the starting pitchers. The ballpark background image, music and sound effects, announcer and play-by-play levels of detail can all be modified.

A multitude of add-on products were produced for the DOS and Windows editions. Wizard allowed the user to create players from scratch or modify existing players. The Bill James Baseball Encyclopedia, developed by Colby Duerk, gave users the ability to perform high-speed searches and compare players (before the advent of Baseball-Reference.com) and eventually integrated with Advanced Draft to permit the importing of any player from the dawn of professional baseball through the mid-1990’s. MicroManager extended the game’s capabilities by facilitating the creation and customization of computer managers. Ballparks, schedules, season and various all-time team disks round out the offerings in the APBA catalog. Here’s a brochure from Miller Associates circa 1993 highlighting APBA Baseball for Windows and DOS versions along with the various add-on disks. http://apbagames.com/wp-content/uploads/baseball/Miller_Assoc_1993.pdf

I purchased APBA 5.75 in order to play the latest version of the game on my Windows 10 computer. However I wanted to create an organization using the Wizard and Bill James Baseball Encyclopedia utilities which have not been converted for use on 32-bit computers. I had to jump through a number of hoops to facilitate this task. First, I installed VirtualBox on my Windows 10 system and created a virtual machine running the Windows 98 operating system. Then I loaded APBA Baseball for Windows 5.5 (the last 16-bit release) along with Wizard and BJBE on the virtual host. I created the new organization using Advanced Draft. The league would utilize “Original” rosters filled with players who made their MLB debut between 1961 and 1990 (with a handful of exceptions) based on my research for Hardball Retrospective. I selected the best season for each player based on their highest WAR and/or Win Shares single-season totals in most instances. It was necessary to generate new players with the Wizard application for any player-seasons beyond 1994 (based on the last season available on my BJBE CD). After importing the players and placing them on the appropriate teams, I limited the active rosters to 25 and demoted 15 players per team to their corresponding farm clubs. Primary lineups for every ball club versus right and left-handed opposition pitchers were carefully chosen along with starting rotations. When the organization was ready for prime time, I transferred the file from my virtual Windows 98 machine to my Windows 10 system, then executed the Migration Tool that comes with APBA 5.75. From that point I utilized 5.75 exclusively, including the creation of American and National League schedules (162 games per team), rules configuration, etc. Duke Robinson Jr., one of the computer micro-managers, managed all of the in-game strategy for every team during the regular season. I intervened at the end of each day to replace injured players, reviewed the standings and statistics periodically and generated reports at the end of each month. After September 1 I recalled the reserves in groups of five players at a time over the period of one week in order to simulate September call-ups. Upon conclusion of the regular season, I followed the process outlined in the help file to copy the organization and schedule the Championship Series in League Manager. Subsequently I repeated those steps to play the World Series, where I opted to manage one of the clubs (St. Louis) against one of the computer micro-managers (Oakland). The Hardball Retro 1961-1990 rosters with lineups, reserves, starting rotations and schedule are available here for APBA 5.75 -> http://www.mediafire.com/folder/mbnr0ql6evjgj/APBA_BBW_575

A brief synopsis of the Hardball Retro 1961-1990 season is offered below along with standings, league leaders and team totals, followed by the team-by-team batting and pitching breakdowns. For the playoffs and World Series, I exported the box scores and play-by-play scripts from every contest.

HBretro 1961-1990 Regular Season

Boston sprinted out to a 4-game cushion by the end of April while Oakland trailed the Royals by one game. Montreal led the tightest divisional race by a single contest heading into May while the Reds and Giants battled to a dead-heat in the NL West. John Olerud set a blistering pace as he batted at a .400 clip. Cecil “Big Daddy” Fielder launched 14 long balls to top the Majors in the first month. The Red Sox maintained a 4.5 game advantage over the Orioles while the Twins edged in front of the A’s to close out the month of May. The Redbirds raced to the front of the pack in the NL East as the “Big Red Machine” opened up a 6.5 game lead. Astros’ third-sacker Ken Caminiti topped the charts with 25 round-trippers. Bob Gibson entered June with an 8-1 record while White Sox ace Gary Peters led all moundsmen with a 2.07 ERA. The American League reached the halfway point with the Red Sox maintaining an 8.5 game cushion over the Brewers while the Athletics outpaced the Twins by a 4-game margin. The Senior Circuit featured tightly contested divisional races with St. Louis holding a slim lead over Montreal as the Astros nearly pulled even with the Reds. The .400 mark was still within Olerud’s grasp (.399 as of July 1). Bucs outfielder Barry Bonds belted his 35^th home run. Dwight “Doc” Gooden maintained the MLB lead with 122 K’s and the lowest ERA belonged to Don Sutton at 2.44. George Brett caught fire in August to pull within 15 points of Olerud (.361 to .346) in the batting race. Bonds retained a small lead over Fielder and Mark McGwire in the home run race (57 to 51). “Hoot” Gibson led all Cy Young candidates with 19 wins and a 2.44 ERA. Coming down the stretch, Boston stretched its’ lead over Milwaukee to 15 games while St. Louis outdistanced the Metropolitans by an 11-game cushion. The A’s were 5 games up on the Twins entering September but the NL West remained unsettled as Cincinnati and Houston were dead even at 76-55. When the dust settled, the Red Sox breezed to a division title with 107 victories, 26 games ahead of the runner-up Brew Crew. Oakland outlasted Minnesota to take the AL West by 2 games while the Redbirds fended off a late run by the Mets to take the NL East. The Big Red Machine emerged with the NL West pennant as the Astros faded down the stretch. George Brett claimed the AL batting title after missing most of September due to injury while John Olerud slumped to a second-place tie with Rod Carew at .338. Larry Walker paced the National League with a .332 BA to collect the batting crown ahead of Al Oliver’s .319. Barry Bonds topped the leader boards in OBP (.456), SLG (.793), Runs Created (196.4), runs (144) in addition to notching the home run title with 70 blasts. Cecil Fielder clubbed 67 long balls to take the American League homer crown and led the Majors with 160 RBI. On the pitching ledger, John Tudor (Boston) and Bob Gibson (St. Louis) were the lone 20-game winners. Greg Maddux posted the lowest ERA among qualifiers with a 2.35 mark while Tudor paced the Junior Circuit at 2.61. Dwight Gooden struck out 229 opposition batsmen to lead the Major Leagues and Ron “Louisiana Lightning” Guidry whiffed 195 to edge Frank Tanana (191) in the American League.  Individual game highlights include 5 no-hitters, 10 contests in which a batter belted 3+ homers, and 3 cycles. 

Final Standings

American League Team-by-Team Batting and Pitching

National League Team-by-Team Batting and Pitching

HBretro 1961-1990 American League Championship Series

Boston claimed a 5-1 victory in the Game 1 of the ALCS when Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski clubbed 3 hits including a first-inning long ball off Oakland ace Vida “True” Blue. “Rocket” Roger Clemens twirled 7 frames of 5-hit ball and yielded an unearned run. The Athletics evened the Series with a 6-2 triumph as John Tudor was roughed up for 6 tallies in 7 innings. Rickey Henderson led off the contest with a three-base hit over the head of center fielder Fred Lynn and he scored the game’s first run on a double-play grounder. Mark McGwire crushed a four-base hit to straightaway center to put the A’s ahead 2-0 in the opening frame. Darrell Evans launched a 2-run shot in the sixth. Tudor gave up gopher balls to Gene Tenace and “Big Mac” in the seventh. Jim “Catfish” Hunter went the distance for Oakland despite allowing solo blasts to Dwight “Dewey” Evans and Fred Lynn in the eighth inning.

The Series shifted to the West Coast where the Athletics tied the game in dramatic fashion and won it in extra innings to take a 2-1 advantage in the ALCS. The hometown A’s were down 7-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Don Aase enters the contest for the Sox and promptly issues a base on balls to Gene Tenace. Darrell Evans laces a two-bagger into right-center field and the third-base coach wisely signals for Tenace to stop at third. Felix Millan squares around a bunts the ball foul for the first strike, then he lunges and misses in a failed attempt to squeeze the run home and “Steamboat” is a dead duck, tagged out by Carlton Fisk. Evans sneaks into third on the play. With one out and two strikes on Millan, the squeeze play is on again! This time, Millan gets the bunt down and Aase throws him out at first, but Evans crosses the plate with the tying run. Aase remained on the bump into the 12^th frame when Evans and Millan reached on consecutive singles. Phil Garner sliced a double down the right field line to secure the walk-off win! Mark McGwire slammed a pair of circuit clouts in the contest while Jim Rice racked up four hits for the BoSox.

Mike Norris held the Sox to 2 runs over 7 innings and the Athletics launched 3 long balls (Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Gene Tenace) to take a commanding lead in the Series with a 6-4 victory in Game 4. Southpaw Bruce Hurst (7 IP, 5 ER) took the loss and Jim Rice provided a pair of RBI in the losing effort. Oakland annihilated their opponent with a convincing 10-2 victory in the fifth matchup. Vida Blue pitched 7 strong innings allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run. “Big Mac” crushed 3 round-trippers while Bert Campaneris and Mickey Tettleton added solo shots. McGwire collected the ALCS MVP Award as he hit .455 with 8 big-flies. The A’s celebrated and waited in the Bay Area for their World Series opponent to be determined by the outcome of the NLCS.

HBretro 1961-1990 National League Championship Series

Mike Cuellar bested Bob Gibson in the initial matchup of the top teams in the Senior Circuit. Cuellar spun a 5-hit shutout against the Redbirds and a couple of two-run dingers off the bats of Johnny Bench and Lee May in the home half of the second inning provided all of the tallies in a 4-0 triumph. St. Louis turned the tables in Game 2 to even the Series at one game apiece. Trailing 3-0 entering the top of the eighth, Andy Van Slyke rocked a two-base hit off the wall in right-center and then advanced to third on a groundout by Ted Simmons. Willie Montanez drew a free pass from Joaquin Andujar. Jose Cruz slashed a bounding ball deep in the hole. Barry Larkin made a diving stop but had no run as Van Slyke notched the first run for the Cardinals. Jeff Russell relieved Andujar and got Garry Templeton to pop up to Larkin in foul territory for the second out. Lance Johnson ripped a line drive past Lee May and into the right field corner. “One Dog” ended up with a three-base hit and the contest was knotted at 3-3! Russell recovered with a strikeout of Tommy Herr to end the threat. In the ninth, Keith Hernandez beat out a slow roller towards second baseman Cookie Rojas for an infield hit. Terry Pendleton delivered a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop, and Larkin’s only play was the long throw to first. Van Slyke coaxed a base on balls so St. Louis now had runners on first and second with one away. Tom Hume entered the game with Simmons due up. The switch-hitting “Simba”, batting from the left side, hooked a fair ball into the right field corner, scoring “Mex” easily as Van Slyke strolled into third. Rojas fielded a hot grounder off the bat of Montanez and fired home to cut down a stunned Van Slyke at the dish! Nelson Briles hurled 2 2/3 hitless innings in relief of Steve “Lefty” Carlton to pick up the win.

The Big Red Machine prevailed in Game 3 behind a complete game by Charlie Leibrandt and a trio of four-base knocks by Barry Larkin, Tony Perez and Lee May. Terry Pendleton provided the lone tally for the Redbirds with a solo shot in the ninth. Jerry Reuss absorbed the loss as he yielded 5 earned runs over 6 2/3 innings. The Cardinals prevailed 4-3 in consecutive contests to send the Series back to Cincinnati while holding a 3-2 lead in the Series. Bob Forsch and Al Hrabosky combined on a 5-hitter in Game 4. Mario Soto gave up 8 hits and 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings including a 2-run shot by Pendleton while Eric Davis and Lee May swatted big-flies for the Reds. Bob Gibson and Mike Cuellar pitched wire-to-wire in Game 5. The scoreboard indicated a 3-3 tie entering the bottom of the ninth. Andy Van Slyke ripped a single to right, then swiped second to put himself in scoring position. Todd Zeile, who blasted a solo shot in the seventh to knot the score at 3-all, punched a two-base knock up the gap in left-center to drive home Van Slyke with the winning run!

Joaquin Andujar outdueled Steve Carlton with a solid performance in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all matchup on the following evening. Hal McRae contributed a two-run bomb in the second frame and Danny Tartabull broke out of a mini-slump with 3 safeties. St. Louis rallied in the ninth inning to send Game 7 into extra innings. Jeff Montgomery strolled to the hill for the Reds, replacing Jeff Russell and his 2 1/3 scoreless frames. He retired Ted Simmons on a harmless fly ball to right and Andy Van Slyke on a short pop fly to shallow center. Todd Zeile hit one up the gap in right field. Tartabull cut it off and made a strong throw to second as Zeile barely slid under the tag for a two-bagger. Jose Cruz singled down the line in right, scoring Zeile with the tying run. Cruz pilfered second and the skipper replaced Montgomery with Tom Hume. Garry Templeton struck out to end the inning, but Nelson Briles set down the Reds in order in the bottom of the ninth. Tom Herr worked a one-out walk against Hume and scooted over to third as Keith Hernandez executed a perfect hit-and-run single through the hole at shortstop when Barry Larkin went to cover second base.  Terry Pendleton lined a hard smash over a drawn-in infield to plate Herr with the go-ahead run. Simmons drilled a base hit to right to load the bases. Van Slyke followed with a three-run triple over Pete Rose’s outstretched glove in left field. Zeile’s grounder to second failed to bring in Van Slyke, but he scored when Hume sailed a high fastball over Johnny Bench’s head. The Reds scratched a run across in the bottom of the tenth against reliever Bill Caudill, but St. Louis claimed the 8-4 victory and advanced to the World Series!
 

Bob Gibson squared off against Vida Blue as the World Series got underway in Oakland. The Cards were dealt some bad news when catcher Ted Simmons suffered an injury when Darrell Evans barreled into him in the bottom of the first. “Simba” was expected to miss several games. Both aces matched goose-eggs on the scoreboard until the fifth inning when A’s backstop Mickey Tettleton connected on a long blast to deep left-center off “Gibby” to plate the first run in the Series. Terry Pendleton silenced the crowd with a three-run jack in the top of the sixth. St. Louis extended the lead in the subsequent frame with a ribbie-single off the bat of Garry Templeton and a two-run double by Lance Johnson. Gibson held the mighty Athletics to 4 hits over 8 strong innings. Jim “Catfish” Hunter got roughed up for 6 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings and Terry Kennedy clubbed a three-run blast off reliever Paul Lindblad as the Cardinals opened up an 8-0 lead in Game 2. Oakland stormed back with 7 unanswered runs in the latter half of the contest, but Todd Worrell held the A’s scoreless in the ninth inning to secure the 8-7 victory and a 2-0 lead as the Series headed to Missouri.

Jerry Reuss and Todd Worrell combined on a 5-hitter as the Cardinals defeated the A’s 3-1, placing Oakland in a must-win situation for the remaining contests. Rickey Henderson tallied the lone run for the Athletics when he led off the game with a single, advanced to second on a walk to Jose Canseco, swiped third and strolled home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mark McGwire. St. Louis countered with 3 unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth against Mike Norris. With two outs and no one on base, Norris issued a free pass to Jose Cruz. Felix Millan booted a hard bouncer off the bat of Garry Templeton, putting runners at the corners. Lance Johnson followed with a single to right which plated Cruz. Templeton and Johnson each advanced one base when the ball bounded off Reggie Jackson’s glove for another error. Tom Herr launched a long drive over Jackson and into the right-field corner for a two-run double, giving the Redbirds a 3-1 lead. In the ninth, Canseco greeted Worrell with a leadoff single but the Cardinals’ closer retired the next three A’s sluggers in order to lock down the game.

Oakland staved off elimination in Game 4 with a 2-1 victory. Bob Gibson left the game after recording 5 outs with a wrist injury. Bob Forsch replaced “Hoot” on the mound and pitched admirably under the circumstances, allowing 4 hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings. St. Louis scratched out a run in the bottom of the second. Andy Van Slyke led off the frame with a bases on balls and Jose Cruz rocked a one-out double off Vida Blue to give the Cardinals runners at second and third. Tom Pagnozzi’s hard bouncer to Phil Garner permitted Van Slyke to streak homeward for the first run of the game. Mark McGwire tied the match with a deep drive over the left-center field wall with two down in the fourth. Darrell Evans reached on a fielder’s choice with two out in the sixth. Forsch plunked Jose Canseco, placing Evans in scoring position. “Big Mac” laced a solid safety to left… Evans steamed around third and plowed into Pagnozzi, knocking the ball loose and touching the dish as the A’s took the lead! The Cardinals had an excellent opportunity to tie the game in the eighth with Lance Johnson on first and Garry Templeton on third, but Johnson was caught stealing and Templeton got caught too far off third and Mickey Tettleton picked him off! Rollie Fingers picked up the save with two scoreless innings.

Jim “Catfish” Hunter opposed Steve “Lefty” Carlton in Game 5 but it wasn’t much of a pitcher’s duel. The Redbirds teed off against Hunter as he retired only 7 batsmen before getting hooked in the third inning following a two-run bomb off the bat of Andy Van Slyke. Carlton managed to make it through six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) but Gene Tenace tagged him for a pair of round-trippers. Sal Bando and Chet Lemon launched solo homers off reliever Bill Caudill to bring the A’s within one run (7-6). The Cards pushed a run across in the bottom of the eighth on a base hit by Tom Herr, a hit-and-run single by Garry Templeton, and a sac-fly by Lance Johnson. Todd Worrell whiffed Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire to clinch the World Series trophy for St. Louis as the Redbirds took Game 5 with a final tally of 8 to 6.

HBretro 1961-1990 World Series

Ratings

Graphics – [2] –APBA comes with several static stadium backgrounds and additional ballpark images are available as add-ons.  By default the scoreboard appears in the top center of the right. It is possible to relocate the scoreboard along with the defensive player names. The decision panel which contains the action buttons for offense and defense is positioned in the lower-right corner. Defensive players are listed by last name along with their fielding rating. The throwing (arm) rating is added for outfielders and catchers. Baserunners are shown with their speed rating while the batter is accompanied by a platoon rating (indicating a tendency to pull the ball to the left / right or hit straightaway). The accumulated (simulated) statistics for the current batter and pitcher appear at the bottom of the screen. You can toggle the lineup display on the scoreboard on / off. The play-by-play account, which appears in the lower center of the scoreboard, is occasionally replaced by an animation (Charge! , home run animation, etc.) A dynamic decision panel (throw to a particular base, try to advance) appears in the lower-right corner while the play is occurring. 

Sound – [5] – Upon completing team and lineup selection, the organist plays the National Anthem. The crowd noise amps up as Ernie Harwell announces the lineups. The user has complete control over the volume levels for the crowd, announcer and stadium sound effects. Tommy Walton, the famous singing hot dog vendor from the Cardinals’ Spring Training ballpark (Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida), greatly enhances the ambient sound effects. Walton delivers “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch along with a variety of hot dog sales pitches between at-bats. The crack of the bat is audible and the crowd volume ebbs and flows based on the action.

Strategy – [3] –The tactical options are a bit sparse as the offense is limited to swinging away, bunting, hit & run or attempting a stolen base. The defense can pitch, issue an intentional walk, play the infield in or at normal depth, and toggle whether the fielders should hold the baserunners. You do not have the ability to shift or adjust the depth of the defenders (with the exception of infield in vs. normal depth), guard the lines, or charge from first or third on a suspected bunt attempt. There is no mechanism to warm up relief pitchers – you simply replace a pitcher when you’re ready to do so. This eliminates some strategy compared to other simulations where the reliever’s ability can be affected by a lack of warm-up tosses or overuse. Substitutions are easily accomplished through the point-and-click interface and the manager is notified if their defensive lineup is incomplete. The lack of strategy options at the start of the at-bat is offset to some extent by the coaching options during the middle of a play. You decide whether to have the baserunner(s) advance, whether to throw to a specific base or cut off a throw. Three skill levels determine the amount of time for those decisions: Amateur = 20 seconds, Semi-Pro = 15 seconds, Pro = 10 seconds.

Artificial Intelligence – [4] – Version 5.75 comes with 4 MicroManagers. Cap Spalding, Jr. and Larry Pepper are specifically designed for use when Advanced Injury Management (A.I.M.) is NOT activated while Duke Robinson, Jr. and Johnny McCoy are familiar with the intricacies of A.I.M. Each manager has certain tendencies (outlined in the Help file) and additional “Fan Manager” bundles are available for purchase through the APBA website. A MicroManager add-on utility was available for the DOS edition of the game but I’m not aware of an equivalent program for the Windows product. I opted for Robinson Jr. to manage all of the teams in my Hardball Retro replay season. Player usage patterns and overall strategy were in line with my expectations, especially given the fact that each roster was essentially an All-Star team culled from 30 seasons of each franchise. Several of my roster choices (certain teams had only 4 active relievers) and rule selections (DH for every team) affected bullpen use and lack of pinch-hitting or player substitution in some instances.  

Box Score – [5] – APBA offers a newspaper-style or extended box scores. In addition to the standard stats, both feature player fatigue status, starting pitchers’ Game Scores, batters faced and inherited runners. The extended box adds fielding statistics for individual players. Substitutions are denoted with indented entries. The first initial and position of each player assists with identification.

Rosters – [5]– Each organization may carry up to 100 players per team. Farm organizations can be created and the farm team will be affiliated with its corresponding Major League counterpart. Players can be promoted or demoted via the Advanced Draft module. You can prevent a player from being used in a game with the BENCH option, in particular when you wish to prohibit the usage of a starting pitcher in relief or ensure that a player is rested. Other transaction types include add, drop and trade. MicroManagers do not manipulate rosters so you need to manually promote and demote reserves, place injured players on the disabled list, etc. Advanced Draft offers 3 types of drafts – formation drafts (used when all teams begin with no players), regular player drafts (teams are adding free agents and prospects) and waiver drafts (supplemental draft). You can manually draft players onto teams, automate the process or institute a combination of manual and auto-draft.

Statistics – [5] – Batting, pitching and fielding statistics along with player ratings and “card” numbers can be edited in Advanced Draft. Ratings encompass offense (Type, Platoon, Speed, Steal Allowance, Steal Success), general (Injury), defense (Fielding by Position, Arm) and pitching (Starting Grade, Relief Grade, Durability, Strikeout, Control, Home Run, Move to First, Wild Pitch, Hit Batsmen, Balk). Type indicates whether the batter has a tendency to pull the ball or hit straightaway. Intentional Base on Balls, Sacrifice Flies and Grounded into Double Plays may be entered with a value of -1 if those stats were not officially recorded during a particular year. Historical split stats are not incorporated into the player cards and they are not tracked in StatMaster. As mentioned above, canned and custom league and team reports can be viewed, printed or exported to HTML files via Statmaster.  The Wizard utility (sold separately for the DOS and Windows versions prior to 5.75) facilitates the creation of new players but it is not compatible with APBA 5.75.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [5]– The Advanced Injury Management (A.I.M.) feature can be enabled or disabled and comes with a variety of settings to simulate fatigue and injuries during a season. If you don’t want players to become fatigued or injured, simply turn off A.I.M. You can choose “Fatigue Only” or “Reduced Injuries and Fatigue” if you desire some realism without the potential for long-term disabled list stints. Significant interaction and intervention is required when you opt for “All Injuries Enabled” as you may wish to frequently consult the Team Status Report and the Injured-DL Players. You have full control over the fatigue and injury status of individual players. In the replay that I just completed, I tweaked the availability for several players whose best single-season efforts occurred during strike-shortened campaigns in 1981 or 1994. Automatic substitution allows the computer manager to replace players in the current lineup or rotation. If you have this feature enabled and an injured or highly fatigued (tired/bushed/worn out) player is in the lineup, the skipper can replace him without human intervention and juggle the lineup accordingly. Umpires can eject a player during a game and the manager will need to make the appropriate substitution. There are no long-term repercussions for an ejection (i.e. fines or suspensions).

Ballparks / Park Factors – [2] – Several ballparks come with the Windows versions of the game. APBA 5.75 includes Wrigley Field (Chicago), Old Yankee Stadium (1976-2008), Forbes Field, Tiger Stadium, Riverfront Stadium and the Humphrey Metrodome (Minnesota). Additional ballpark disks are offered as add-on purchases. Outdoor venues offer daytime and nighttime images. Field effects can be modified via an .ini file – the years in which the park was in use along with seasonal parameters encompassing wind strength, how often the wind is blowing in or out of the park, and the ballpark rating (whether the park was pitcher-friendly or not). Domed stadiums are designated as such in the Wind Strength option. Ballparks can be assigned to teams. The Ballpark Effects option was introduced in version 5.0 but it did not function properly. This has been addressed in 5.75.

Commentary – [5] – The user may choose from three levels of commentary in the Baseball module: Play-by-Play, Light Commentary, or Full Broadcast. Another neat feature is the option for the announcer to be affiliated with the visiting team, home team or to have no affiliation. In all of the Broadcast Blast versions of the game (3.5 and above), the in-game audio is enhanced by the legendary voice of the Detroit Tigers – Ernie Harwell! This is one of my favorite features in the game as I love listening to Ernie’s play-by-play regardless of whether I’m managing a game or have a game playing in the background while I’m performing other tasks. Commentary for the 5.75 edition has been updated and tweaked on a number of occasions.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Total Score: 41 out of 50

Observations

As a whole-hearted fan of the APBA game for the Apple ][ and the early Windows-based versions, I advocated this product to my fellow gamers back in the day. My enthusiasm increased exponentially when Ernie Harwell lent his voice to the Broadcast Blast editions. Coupled with the breadth and depth of the integrated game modules along with the range of supplementary options both past and present, I unequivocally recommend APBA 5.75!  

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of APBA Baseball for Windows / Broadcast Blast.  

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

APBA Games (version 5.75) – information and link to purchase –

http://apbagames.com/apbabaseball/baseball-5-75

https://apba.stores.yahoo.net/apcobaga.html

APBA Go (online version) – https://baseball.apbago.com/baseball/index

APBA BBW 5.75 – Playthrough – HardballRetro

Download Derek’s Hardball Retro Rosters for APBA Baseball 5.75 – http://www.mediafire.com/folder/jhfkfloqwkfo4/EarlWeaverBaseball2

Baseball Sim Auctions – In Search of the Perfect Team Using the APBA BBW Computer Game – http://baseballsimauctions.com.user.s457.sureserver.com

Computer Chronicles – “Baseball Software” (includes a segment on APBA Baseball for Windows with Stewart Chiefet and Kenneth Miller) – https://archive.org/details/Baseball

Ginden, Jim. “Baseball: Diamonds Are A Fan’s Best Friend”. Computer Gaming World. May 1995. p54, 62. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_130.pdf

Gindin, Jim. “The Old Ballgame: Baseball for Windows Boasts a New Sound, But the Same Old Gameplay”. Computer Gaming World. November 1995. p206. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_136.pdf

McCauley, Dennis. “Atop the Mound: Baseball Slides Head-First Into Your PC”. Computer Gaming World. July 1996. p78. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_144.pdf

Murray, Rink. “386 Down the Power Alleys: Baseball Simulations Emerge From Spring Training.” PC Magazine. April 28, 1992, p493. https://books.google.com/books?id=HERlo0BgpGYC&pg=PT475&dq=pc+magazine+386+apba+baseball+simulation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZipuBgZjoAhUCc98KHcOkDqoQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=pc%20magazine%20386%20apba%20baseball%20simulation&f=false

Ponisciak, Tim. “How Would You Like to Manage in the Majors?: Baseball Board Games and Their Dedicated Players.” SABR Journal, Fall 2011. https://sabr.org/journal/article/how-would-you-like-to-manage-in-the-majors-baseball-board-games-and-their-dedicated-players/

Poulter, Wallace. “A 3.1-Run Homer”. Computer Gaming World. November 1993. p134, 136. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_112.pdf

Rogers, Win. “Miller Associates’ APBA Major League Players Baseball 1.5”. Computer Gaming World. August 1992. p72–74. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_97.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/apba-major-league-players-baseball

https://www.mobygames.com/game/win3x/apba-presents-baseball-for-windows

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmBLdboK7A APBA Baseball for Windows 5.75, video by Beatles Eternally

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

What’s New

The Help files included in the Baseball for Windows 5.5 modules outline the new features implemented in each version.

Baseball for Windows Version 5.0

New features added to Baseball for Windows (BBW) version 5.0 include:

·               Ballpark Effects – Ballpark Effects are a user option in the new Windows 95 version that make play more realistic. Ballpark Effects allow the game to adjust for wind conditions and size and altitude of the ballpark. 

·               Ballpark Report – The report menu now contains a Ballpark Report which lists the wind condition, ballpark rating and wind probabilities for the ballpark being used. The ballpark factors are set at the beginning of the game and any changes to the park after the game starts will not change the ballpark effects the game uses.

·               New Color Commentary – Ernie now comments on ballpark effects, standings, streaks, leader board positions, series play and other colorful events before, during and after the games. This new commentary also appears in the text box during the game.

·               Print to File – All reports printable in Baseball can also be printed to an HTML file.

·               End of Game options and Series and End of Game Options (from the Options menu) include Print to File Boxscore and Print to File Script options.  The files created are HTML files

·               The boxscores have been updated to indicate who hit a grand slam home during the game.  The boxscore also indicates the ballpark effect settings in force during a game (if ballpark effects are enabled).

·               Multi-purpose key – the M key on the keyboard can be used for both the Pitch and Hit Away allowing the user a single key to perform both tasks.

·               Micromanagers – The micromanager topic has been updated to list all managers released as of this publishing. It also provides a link to our website, FanPark, where new managers may be downloaded. Downloading new fanmanagers is a benefit of FanPark membership.

Baseball for Windows Version 4.0

New features added to Baseball for Windows (BBW) version 4.0 include:

·               Bunt for a Hit – Now you have the option of bunting for a hit with any batter by clicking the Lay It Down button on the decision panel.  This option is available regardless of the on base situation.

·               Infield in at the corners – This defense setting has been added to the game to guard against batters bunting.  It greatly deters successful bunts for hits, but it can backfire if the batter swings away and hits it along the first base or third base line.

·               Reports – the following reports have been added or updated in BBW:

·               League Standings

·               Team AIM Status reports (for both the home and visiting teams)

·               Boxscore  – the box scores has been updated to include batting averages, pitchers win/loss/save/hold/blown save/game score and era.

·               Ballpark Customization – the ballpark layout can now be customized to allow the user to detach and move all sections of the scoreboard to any location on the display.  The decision panel can now be located anywhere.  The fonts for each section on the display can be set independently of each other and the colors of each text element can be user defined. 

·               Special Sound Effects – BBW allows the user to add new sounds and animations to events.

·               Mouse Controls – Baseball for Windows now offers users more mouse options using both the left and right buttons.

·               Play outcomes have been updated.

League Manager Power Tool Version 5.5

League Manager 5.5 adds the following features to League Manager:

·               Reports –

·               Boxscores –

1.            The boxscore report has been revised to provide the player statistics for any box score during the season (not just the last game played). This feature applies to box scores for any games played
after this version of League Manager was installed.

2.            The box score can now be displayed in either the “traditional Baseball for Windows” format or a “Newspaper” format. To set one form or the other as the default, use the Options menu.  The  newspaper box score provides year to date totals for most offensive and defensive stats as well as many pitching stats.  It is also designed to printout on one page. If your printout doesn’t fit on one page, you can adjust the printer font by selecting Preferences from the Options menu (experiment with a 9 point printer font for best results.)

·               Standings – The Standings report can now be displayed for any day on the schedule by choosing the Standings On Day option from the Report menu. This will display standings for whatever day is highlighted on your schedule. To display the current schedule for the league, click Standings Current from the Report menu.

·               Injured/DL Players – This report has been modified to separate the Injured players from the players in a DL status. The DL status players appear at the bottom portion of the list.

·               Year-to-date/DL Players – This report provides a cumulative list of players who are injured throughout the season. The top portion of the list displays every injury received during the year that was for 1 or more games. It also indicates if the injury was received as a game injury (G) or an A.I.M. injury. The second portion of the list displays all players who were placed on the DL during the season. In addition, this report has various sort options.

·               Schedule Generator – the Generate New Schedule dialog now allows you to create schedule without double headers. The schedule generator algorithms were also adjusted.

·               League Play Setup – League Play setup has been modified to allow for use of the Farm Team Affiliation that is a function of Advanced Draft (3.5 or higher). This feature allows all the organization files from both the Parent and Farm organization to be included in the same Commissioner file. The option will also include the roster files from both the parent club and farm club in just one franchise file. This feature requires that all league members be using League Manager 5.X or higher and Advanced Draft 3.5 or higher.

·               Reduced Injury and Fatigue Option – This option has been added to the AIM options. It provides for a setting that tracks all fatigue, all game injuries and AIM injuries. However, this option reduces the severity of AIM injuries. This option is set on the Set Schedule Options dialog.

·               Platoon Lineups – The auto-substitution lineup generator can now be set to build platoon lineups. This is an optional feature and is set on the Set Schedule Options dialog. This option evaluates the specific players available on each roster to determine if a platoon situation exists, and if so, it places the appropriate batter (lefty or righty) versus the opposite side pitcher.

League Manager Power Tool Version 5.0

League Manager 5.0 adds the following features to League Manager:

·               Reports – The  following reports have been added or modified:

·               Day-By-Day Schedule – this report lists the day by day schedule for the entire organization in a list format.  It can be set to display the whole season or a range of dates. The report can also be
printed.

·               Team Schedule – this report lists the day by day schedule for a selected team. It can be set to display the whole season or a range of dates. The report can also be printed.

·               Day Starting Pitchers – this report provides a listing of the starting pitchers for the selected days games. It provides their current W-L record, innings pitched and era for the season, their last three starts and how they have fared against the current opponent.

·               Game Starting Pitchers – this report was added in version 4.1 and has been renamed from Starting Pitchers Report.  This report provides a statistical review of the starts to date for the scheduled pitchers for the game.

·               Rules

·               Rules dialogs for Organization, League, Division and Game have been updated to include the setting to Enable Ballpark Effects (valid only when using Baseball for Windows 5.0 or higher).

·               Team Home Fields – this option from the Rules menu was formerly labled Home Field. It allows you to assign a ballpark for the selected team.

·               Home Fields – this option from the Rules menu allows you to globally assign home fields to the teams in the organization. You can also display a Ballpark report for each stadium from the Assign Fields to Team dialog. This report displays the current ballpark rating and wind conditions and probabilities for the park.

·               Set Schedule Options (Schedule or AIM menu)

·               Bench Pitching Rotation – this option causes League Manager to review the scheduled starters assigned via the rotation column in the Select Manager, Rotation and Lineup dialog and automatically bench the starters for the next several days. The number of days of benched starters is based on the pitcher durability and recovery setting chosen.

·               Boxscores Not Saved – this option will turn off the automatic saving of boxscores when playing games from League Manager. This is a useful option when you have limited disk space or you are doing a quick replay where the boxscores are not important.

·               Lineup Assignment – The lineup assignment done in the Select Manager, Rotation and Lineup dialog has been modified so that the lineup assigned to position 1 is always the lineup that will be used in the next game (still subject to the pitching hand of the opposing team’s pitcher).  Lineup 2 would be used in the 2nd game, etc. It simplifies assigning lineups.

·               Reschedule Rainouts dialog has been modified to include a team or date sort for the display of the rained out games.

·               Disabled List Fatigue Status – Two new fatigue status categories have been added to AIM, 15-day DL and 60-day DL. To place a player in one of these categories use the Edit Current Player Status or Edit Current Team Status from the AIM menu. Players placed in either of these categories will have their injury duration adjusted upward from the date of injury to correspond to the DL list chosen (if necessary) and they will remain on the roster but ineligible for use in a game.

·               Export CSV Schedule File – This feature found on the Schedule menu allows you to generate a CSV text file of the current organization’s schedule. This is useful if you find just the right schedule and you would like to use it in another organization or if you like the current schedule but just want to modify it a bit and reload it.

·               Boxscore – the box scores have been updated to include the name of a player who has hit a grand slam homerun.

League Manager Power Tool  (Version 4.1)

League Manager 4.1 adds the following features to League Manager:

·               Starting Pitcher Report – Highlight a game box for a game not yet played and click Report, Starting Pitchers and see a statistical review of their starts to date.

·               Play Rating 930 Control – The PR 930 was designed for “innocuous players (SLG + OBP < .600) and is automatically assigned to all players fitting this category regardless of actual playing time.  Now, you can choose not to have the PR 930 assigned and these players will receive a PR based on their actual number of games and plate appearances.

·               Play Rating Bonus – The PR bonuses given to players were refined to increase the accuracy in playing time for all players.  The PR bonuses were changed for regulars (from 5% to 2%), utility players (from 20% to 15%) and platoon players (from 40% to 20%).

·               Edit Team Initial Status and Edit Team Current Status – These two new commands have been added to the AIM Menu.  These options allow you to quickly focus on and edit the AIM values for players on a selected team.

·               Rules options have been changed to allow settings for Bunt for a Hit and Allow Infield IN when 3rd base is empty. (Applicable to Baseball for Windows Version 4.0 and up.)

·               Additional items updated or changed:

·               The Highlights search output dialog now displays the number of innings for each game.

·               The box score for the last game played by each team now displays the current batting averages, pitchers Won/Loss records, and Save/Blown Save/Hold stats.

·               Wild Card Standings have been shortened to show only the top three contenders or those within 5 games of the lead.

·               Standings report has been updated to show the current Won/Loss streak for each team.

·               Select Manager, Rotation and Lineups dialog has been updated.  The available lineups now show all lineups for a team, both DH (designated hitter) lineups and non-DH lineups.  This makes assigning lineups in interleague play (where rules DH rules are different) easier.

·               Maximum Batters Faced (MBF ) calculation for split grade pitchers has been modified to give these pitchers the MBF when starting based on their starting durability instead of the former bonus batters added to their reliever workable batters.

·               The Help topic for Micromanager was updated to reflect all managers published by Miller Associates (either developed by Miller Associates or developed by Baseball for Windows fans and released as part of the Fan Manager collections).  The topic included brief descriptions on the managers’ tendencies and designed eras of use.

·               League Manager was updated to track and accumulate data for streaks, this data is used in StatMaster (Version 4.0 and higher).

League Manager Power Tool (Version 4.0)

League Manager 4.0 adds the following features to League Manager:

·               League Play  – Powerful new League Manager Tool to make it easy to play in leagues with other players located throughout the world.  Also contains features useful for the Solo Replayer.

·               Highlights  – Highlight your league boxscores for meaningful statistical events so they can easily be reviewed at any time.

·               Rescheduling Rainouts – Now League Manager makes it easy to reschedule rainouts with a couple of quick clicks.

·               Backup and Restoring Organizations – Backing up organizations is now a built in feature on the Select menu.  It allows for complete backups with box scores, or just the essential files (no box scores). 

Restoration of a backed up organization is now just a simple click from the Select menu.

·               Wild-Card Standings  – Adds Wild-Card Standings to your league standings if your organization allows for Wild-Card teams to qualify for post-season play.

·               Magic Number – The Standings report has been updated to include a Magic Number feature.  When 80% of the schedule is completed, the standings report will display the magic number needed to clinch the title (division, league or wild-card).

·               Import CSV Schedule – Makes it easy to import, match and build a schedule from a CSV schedule file.

·               Additional items updated or changed:

·               Pitcher Durability and Recovery Settings:  If you change these settings during a season, the Maximum Readiness Rating for starting pitchers is automatically adjusted to the new durability amounts.  These changes stay with an organization if it is copied or reset.

·               Pitchers whose Injury Ratings have been modified either through Advanced Draft or Baseball Wizard will have their daily workable batters recovery rate adjusted to the level of their modified Injury Rating.

·               Team Status Report has been updated to reflect more information about all the players.

·               Select Manager, Rotation and Lineups dialog has been updated.  The Available Pitchers window now displays the number of starts the pitchers had during their actual season.

·               The Lineup Edit screen accessed from the Select Manager, Rotation and Lineups dialog has been modified to reflect the players’ current fatigue status.  If the player or pitcher is in a fatigue condition other than Ready or Rested, the letters I, A, T, B or W will appear to the left of the player’s name indicating Itchy, Available, Tired, Bushed or Wornout.

·               AIM pitcher roles are automatically updated if a player is modified in Advanced Draft or Wizard from a Starter to a reliever or reliever to a starter.  This change applies when the pitcher no longer has a Starting Grade to support a starting role or a relief grade to support a relief role.

·               Auto Lineup Generator has received the following modifications:

1.            The lead off position has been modified to check the selected players runs batted in totals.  If he is one of the top 3 producers in the lineup he will be placed in one of the power slots in the lineup.

2.            The pitchers for both teams are filled first.  They are filled either from the Rotation List or automatically selected.  If the rotation pitcher is replaced due to fatigue it is done before a lineup is selected.  This insures that the selected lineup, if chosen from preassigned lineups set for vs RPH or vs LHP, will be the appropriate lineup based on the game’s chosen pitcher.

3.            A preassigned lineup will not be readjusted if the pitcher was not saved in the lineup, or the pitcher was the only player replaced due to fatigue.  Prior to this change, the entire lineup was reorganized based on the League Auto Substitution lineup criteria.  However, if the missing pitcher, or the fatigued pitcher, was in the lineup in a batting position other than 9th or as the pitcher in a DH lineup, the lineup will still be readjusted to reflect the new pitcher and the other players in the lineup.

·               Boxscores were updated to indicate the players involved in triple plays.  If a triple play occurs in a game, an extra column appears on the boxscore to indicate which players were involved.

·               A Schedule Generation Suggested Settings help dialog has been added to help.  The dialog provides possible settings based on popular league structures.

·               The Help topic for Micromanager was updated to reflect all managers published by Miller Associates (either developed by Miller Associates or developed by Baseball for Windows fans and released as part of the Fan Manager collections).  The topic included brief descriptions on the managers’ tendencies and designed eras of use.

·               Internet Access – The Technical Support help topic now gives you the ability to directly access FanPark(TM), the Miller Associates World Wide Web site.  This feature is available if you have Internet access and supports Netscape, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mosaic browsers.

League Manager 3.5

League Manager 3.5 added the following features to League Manager:

·               Schedule Generator – Quickly build a full season schedule for any organization.

·               Pregame A.I.M. Autosubstitution  – Let League Manager generate lineups and rotations and handle pregame substitutions.

·               New level of Pitcher Recovery and Durability – A mid-20th Century A.I.M. level recovery and durability level has been added.

·               New automatic game shut-down options – Now set League Manager to stop automatic games on a specific date.

·               The ability to delete box scores for an organization – Now deleting box scores from an organization is as easy as a click of the mouse directly in League Manager.

·               Delete unplayed games from a schedule – With a quick click you can delete all the unplayed games from an organization.

·               Assign a Micro-Manager to all teams at one time – Assigning or removing a Micro-Manager to all the teams in an organization is now a two click operation.

Advanced Draft 5.5

The following lists the new features added to Advanced Draft Version 5.5.

·               The ability to Edit Draft Results was added to the drafting features of Auto-Draft. If during a draft the wrong player is inadvertently added to a team, the Edit Draft Results features allows you to go back and correct the player.  Making the change will update the roster and player list to put the players in the correct places and it also updates the Draft Report.

·               The ability to trade previous draft picks has been added to the Trade Draft Picks option.  This is basically an editing function for use in situations where a draft pick was traded but inadvertently not recorded by the time the pick was made.  As a result the wrong team gets the player.  This feature allows you to go back to the pick and effect the trade.  It will also put the players on the correct rosters and update the Draft Report.

Advanced Draft Version 5.0

The following lists the new features added to Advanced Draft Version 5.0.

·               Player Drafting has been added to Advanced Draft. This feature allows the user to conduct player drafts to populate team rosters for new organizations or to conduct rookie/free agent drafts for existing leagues. Auto-drafting even encompasses the ability to conduct waiver drafts within organizations. The new drafting features allow for:

1.            Manual or automatic drafting for teams (any combination can be set within an organization).

2.            Assigning Scouts to evaluate the available players.  Scouting criteria is user definable.

3.            Assigning General Managers to each team.  The GMs evaluate team needs and available players and pick players (or make recommendations for manually picking teams) for the assigned team.  General Manager tendencies are user definable. GMs can be assigned different competency levels to provide a random value to a draft.

4.            Establishing a straight or serpentine draft.

5.            Setting the length of draft (e.g. number of rounds, set roster size or until all players are drafted).

6.            Draft allows the trading of draft picks and records that within the draft report.  Trading can be done while a draft is in progress.

7.            GMs and Scouts can be exported/imported to other computers to be used in league drafts or what-ifs with friends.

8.            Draft allows selecting players who are not on the data disk (i.e. future prospects ).

9.            Rate players – this feature ranks the available players in the player pool (in accordance with the current scout criteria) and can be sorted by best overall or best overall at each position.

10.          Draft reports for both regular drafts and waiver draft. Reports can be sorted by overall pick or team picks and can display only the players drafted or the entire draft (for those not completed yet).

11.          Waiver draft setup that includes both roster cuts and waiver claims. The waiver claims can be restricted to just the players cut during the initial waiver process or to all available players.

12.          Time limits can be set for each pick (optional).

13.          Drafts can be paused and saved for later resumption.

See Help on Setting Up a Draft for further information on the auto-drafting features.

·               The ability to unaffiliate all players from the team rosters has been added. This option removes all the players from all the rosters in an organization. This command is available from the organization edit window.

·               A New Roster command has been added that drops all the players for the highlighted or open (and active) roster.  This command is available from the organization edit window and an active roster edit window.

·               The List command now contains SO/9 and BB/9 as sortable statistics for player list sorts.

Advanced Draft Version 4.0

Advanced Draft 4.0 was primarily a numerical release issued with Baseball for Windows version 4.0.  The only changes between version 3.5 and 4.0 were minor adjustments to the import algorithms.

Advanced Draft Version 3.5

The following lists the new features added to Advanced Draft Version 3.5.

·               Farm Team Organizations:  You can now manage large rosters in a parent-farm relationship.  You can demote and promote players, track fatigue status for players on both rosters from a single team status report and even trade players from farm teams of one team to active rosters of another team, and more.

1.            You can Create a Farm Organization to add to an existing organization.  This is useful for imported organization’s which have more than 25 players on each team. 

2.            You can Affiliate a Farm Organization with an existing organization.  This is useful for data disk where you have a parent organization that has limited rosters and also has a Farm Team organization (for example: official APBA/MA data disks which contain more than 26 players per team).

3.            See the Notes On Using Farm Teams for more things you can do with farm rosters.

·               New Import Options

1.            Import a League in one command.  This option allows you to set up a league in one step.  If you import the first league for a particular season the resulting league is set up to work with an actual season schedule from a schedule disk .  If you only desire to play the second league for a season, and want to use it with a season schedule from a schedule disk, use the Import an Organization option (described below) and then delete the first league.

2.            Import Missing Players to rosters – This feature, combined with the Encyclopedia, allows you to import missing players to rosters for season disks that didn’t come with every player.

3.            Import an Organization in one command.  This option lets you set up an entire organization (leagues, divisions and players) in one step.  The resulting organization is setup to work with an actual season schedule from a schedule disk .

·               Drafting/Analyzing of players is easier with the addition of new sorts, new data available on the Roster edit screens and player lists including AIM data.

·               The Roster Edit Screens have been updated to include:

1.            The Arm Rating for players rated as outfielders, the Play Rating (PR), and Season Factor (SF) for the players.

2.            The Home Run Allowance (HR), Games Started (GS), Maximum Readiness Rating (MRR), Recovery Factor (RF), and Maximum Batters Faced (MBF) for pitchers.

3.            The AIM terms only appear when AIM is turned on for the organization.

·               The Player list has been updated to:

1.            Print the team affiliations when printing a player list.

2.            Include the Play Rating (PR), and Season Factor (SF) for the players and Maximum Readiness Rating (MRR), Recovery Factor (RF), and Maximum Batters Faced (MBF) for pitchers.

3.            The AIM terms only appear when AIM is turned on for the organization.

4.            This feature is set by the Show Status choice from the List menu.

·               The Team Status Report (for AIM organizations) has been updated to include:

1.            The Season Factor (SF) for players and Maximum Readiness Rating (MRR), Recovery Factor (RF), and Maximum Batters Faced (MBF) for pitchers.

·               New Sorts added to the List function include: Team Sort (and the team affiliations now print with the player lists), Total Average, Home Runs, Games Started for pitchers and Walks per 9 Innings.

·               Additional items that have been upgraded or improved:

1.            The injury factor for imported players is now calculated for the whole season even when importing just one of their segments (applies to players who played for more than one team in a season).

2.            The import algorithm for the defensive rating for outfielders has been improved.

3.            The pitching grade import algorithm for pitchers who appeared as both starters and relievers has been modified to reflect their predominant roles.

4.            The Import function now imports all the defensive positions and statistics, grounded into double plays, intentional walks, and complete games and uses these values in rating the players.  The age of the player is also imported but as of now this value is not used in the game.

5.            The Player Report now displays all actual defensive statistics for each position the player actually played (imported players) and the player’s age (when the player is imported from the encyclopedia or if the age is entered in Baseball Wizard).

6.            The Team Roster Report has added the fields Injury Factor, Maximum Readiness Rating,  Recovery Factor and Maximum Batters Faced to the pitching section.  The AIM ratings only appear when AIM is being used.

StatMaster 5.5

StatMaster 5.5 adds the following features to StatMaster:

·               This is primarily a numerical update to stay in sequence with League Manager with no changes from the previous release.

StatMaster 5.0

StatMaster 5.0 adds the following features to StatMaster:

·               Team Roster Reports – The team roster reports for Player batting, Pitching, Relief Pitching and Fielding have added the field of Player Name to the available sort fields.

·               Club Report – The club Scoring, Batting Pitching and Fielding report can now be sorted by Team Name.

·               Game Summary Report – The Game Summary report (at the Team Level Only) now has the following sort options available:

By Opponent (review the game summaries verses a particular team)

By Opponent Runs (review for shutouts)

By Opponent Hits (review for low, or high hit pitching performances)

By Opponent Errors (see if you’re converting your opportunities)

By Opponent Starting Pitcher (see who you tee off on and who kills your team)

StatMaster 4.0

StatMaster 4.0 adds the following features to StatMaster:

·               Streak tracking has been added to Statmaster.  SM now tracks batting, pitching, defensive and team streaks.  The following streak tracking have been added:

For team streaks on the leader boards, by division, league, or organization, you get consecutive:

wins (current )  wins (season longest)

losses (current)                losses (season longest)

errorless games (current)            errorless games (season longest)

innings shut out (current)            innings shut out (season longest)

quality starts (current)   quality starts (season longest)

unscored upon innings (current)  unscored upon innings (season longest)

·               Added to the Standings report are the current Win or Loss streak, magic number needed to clinch the pennant and Wild Card standings if the Wild Card option is chosen in League Manager.

For player streaks on the leader boards, for players on any team or multiple teams, if he was traded, you get consecutive:

games with a hit               games with a hit (season longest)

games with a double      games with a double (season longest)

games with a triple          games with a triple (season longest)

games with a home run                games with a home run (season longest)

games with an extra base hit      games with an extra base hit (season longest)

games with a walk           games with a walk (season longest)

games on base  games on base (season longest)

games without a hit        games without a hit (season longest)

games without a home run         games without a home run (season longest)

games without a strikeout           games without a strikeout (season longest)

consecutive stolen bases             consecutive stolen bases (season longest)

Wins      wins (season longest)

Losses   losses (season longest)

starts without a win        starts without a win (season longest)

Saves    saves (season longest)

quality starts      quality starts (season longest)

shutout innings – starter               shutout innings – starter (season longest)

games without an error                games without an error (season longest)

games with an error       games with an error (season longest)

·               In addition to streaks, there are three new stats on the Batting Leader Board Report – hitting streaks (current and season), multi-hit games, and stolen bases (season).

·               Added to the custom leader board section are the stats: plate appearances per home run and plate appearances per walk, plate appearances per strikeout.

·               Streaks Leader Report – A streaks leader board has been added to the Standard Reports dialog under the Leaders in Players section.  This Standard Reports highlights the top five in various batting, pitching and fielding streak categories.

·               Multi display and printing of selected team and player reports.  The main menu in Statmaster now has a Multi menu choice that allows you to select various types of team and player reports and have all of those reports for an organization, league, or division either displayed or printed without choosing each report individually.

·               Dynamic Report Sorting – Most reports in StatMaster now contain a sorting capability.  Click the control menu icon in the upper-left corner of the report to open the Control Menu.  Then click sort and choose the field on which to sort the report.

APBA Baseball 5.75 FAQ –

http://apbagames.com/wp-content/uploads/baseball/APBABaseball_575_FAQ.pdf

IBM version:

Publisher – Electronic Arts

Release Year – 1991

Platforms – IBM PC

Credits

Review

Earl Weaver Baseball II augmented numerous elements that were pioneered in the original masterwork. Although the sequel suffered from several flaws, I found myself compelled to tinker with the copious options with the main program and the Commissioners Disk II utility. Spending time with the abundant editing modules gave me a newfound appreciation for the amount of effort that went into the creation of this series.

The Earl Weaver Baseball II: Commemorative Edition, released a few months after the main EWB II game, included the 256-color VGA edition of the game along with the Commissioner’s Disk II, MLBPA Player Stats and Manager Profiles and a copy of the book “Weaver on Strategy”.

Eddie Dombrower (the game’s designer) later acquired the rights to the code from Electronic Arts and subsequently ported it to a Windows version (I Got It Baseball) in 2001 and an iPhone release (EWB Baseball) in 2009.

• I Got It Baseball (Windows)

• EWB Baseball (iPhone)

I planned to simulate an entire season using the Old-Timer League provided with the game which included All-Star seasons from the best players in the history of the game through the 1975 season, divided into American and National Leagues in 15-year segments. However, I commenced an update of the league structure to incorporate 6 new teams from the past 45 seasons. I entered split stats for all players and adjusted their ratings, tweaked the Old-Timer rosters and lineups, and added 15 reserves per team. The resulting “All-Time” league is available for download here. Once the league configuration was completed, I selected the Create/View Schedule option from Commissioner’s Disk II. I generated a 162-game schedule with a 16-team league (8 AL and 8 NL All-Time Teams), choosing to play 98 games within the division (14 games x 7 teams) and 64 games against the other division (8 games x 8 teams). The DH rule was used in all games along with 5-man rotations, injuries enabled, starting pitchers allowed to pitch in relief, 4 maximum rest days and starter’s rest days based on the number of innings pitched in their previous appearance. The entire season took approximately 11 hours to simulate in Super Fast mode with the Auto-Accumulate Box Scores and Save Box Scores To Disk options selected. The process displays a line score for the current game in progress. The Play Schedule screen allows you to simulate part of a schedule if you wish and you’re able to adjust the options for viewing or participating in specific games. You can elect to manage games for one or more teams and have the computer simulate the remaining matches. The AI made substitutions for injured players during the season but it did not utilize the reserved players. The final standings, team-by-team statistics and league leaders are revealed later in the article.

I reached out to the game’s designer, Eddie Dombrower, to discuss the artificial intelligence and philosophy behind the creation of this innovative series.

DB: I’m having a blast updating the All-Time Great Teams while implementing 6 new ball clubs in order to create a 16-team All-Star league for this review. I revised the original “Oldtime” players using their split stats, tweaked the rosters a bit and added reserves. Using the 15-year grouping as a guideline, I created AL and NL teams for 1976-1990, 1991-2005 and 2006-2020. One of my favorite aspects of the EWB series is the ability and ease in which one can edit teams, ballparks and managerial traits.

ED:  Part of the ethos of EWB was the flexibility and expandability of the experience for the users.  Don Daglow and I were both inspired by the Strat-O-Matic and APBA games where you could get a yearly updated set of players, trade, them etc. Since we were thinking in terms of what computers had to offer, the ability to manage this at any time by giving the user tools was an easy leap for us.  We wanted the game to not just be a moment in time, but a “tool” that users could enjoy to create the experience they wanted – whenever they wanted to do it. I think this was a pretty big departure for other computer/video games of the era. In addition, the decision to make the computer simulation based on a virtual ballfield (this was envisioned and implemented in 1983 when I built Intellivision World Series Baseball… 4 years before the term Virtual Reality was coined!) led to the same philosophy about the physical environment of the gameplay model. With artificial turf, strong prevailing winds (no waterfront cities will be mentioned by me here!) and, of course, green monsters, porches, weirdly shaped foul ground, and other irregular configurations, it was necessary to allow US to configure the stadiums, so allowing users to do it was a pretty easy step to consider. So, EWB became as much a “system” as a game… this is why, in some respects, the game took so long to create!

DB: How much effort is involved with the implementation and testing of the physics model given the expansive possibilities for ballpark dimensions?

ED: It was a pretty large effort.  As you can imagine, with virtually unlimited combinations, we had to take approaches that would allow us to look for patterns… primarily patterns that were non-sensical.

So, in a similar set of ideas and decisions, we designed and built features for US that ended up being features for players:  Instant replay was built as a debugging tool (including the freeze frame, slow motion and, in the EWB II version, changing camera angles. It turned out to be a popular feature.  “Sharing” plays was created so the team in Redwood City could save a play and email it to me when they saw something odd (or cool!) I could then load it up, replay that saved play and, if need be debug it.  Because it was a virtual simulator, the game never relied on the screen’s drawings/pixels to determine the outcome of a play… In fact, displaying the 10-12 frames per second really slowed down the gameplay… We realized we could play the games without the graphics; a game would play in seconds. So, using the scheduler tool (again, we had to build for our own QA usage), we could play partial or complete seasons in very short order. Then, building a suite of comprehensive reporting tools allowed the team at EA and other alpha and beta test users (especially the folks at Computer Gaming World), to run series of games in all kinds of configurations looking for anomalies… We then had to figure out if the anomalies made sense or required adjustments to the model.

Yet another process was the auto-lineup feature… depending on what you did to your team, you could end up with all kinds of oddball lineups, so the Ask Earl feature was as much about debugging the system as it was a user feature.

After a while, as with any complex piece of software, the team (big shout out to Happy Keller and Dave Maynard) began to know what to look for and would set up situations that would tax the simulator to be sure it was doing “baseball” things and not inexplicable computer things.

DB: What features did you want to enhance from the original EWB when you began work on EWB II? Did you consider attempting to implement speech similar to the Amiga version of EWB in the IBM products or was this simply not feasible at the time?

ED:  Our main focus on EWB II was really trying to get the large animation/TV style effect that Don had envisioned and told me about the day he hired me at Mattel!  There was a little discussion about the play-by-play but the technology and the amount of memory we had to restrict ourselves to precluded spending much, if any, effort on that. It’s really too bad in retrospect as the Amiga experience was just so much better with the great audio design (based, again, on what we did at Intellivision).

Another feature was allowing Mods to the program so that users/other programmers could leverage the EWB engine to do other things… hardly anyone knew about this because it wasn’t really part of gaming yet (it was inspired, in fact, by the plug-ins that design software of that time allowed).

In fact, we did work with Bitwise software to build a product that leveraged this. I don’t recall what it was called, but, in conjunction with Stats Inc., we took their 15 minute delayed feed from the ballparks and replayed the REAL games that they were tracking. So, if someone hit a double in the right field gap that scored a runner from first, but the batter was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, we would have that data from Stats Inc. 15 minutes after the fact, then show it on your computer using the EWB II graphics.

Another feature was the programmable managers… So, the default AI was based on Earl, but you could modify the behavior of the manager on your team so he would make different choices in the simulation. We modeled a base set of selectable managers from the famous managers of the day and from history.

We also tried to simplify the flow of the pre-game… it became more of a wizard than a choose-your-own-adventure.

Music was original rather than Sousa’s Stars and Stripes. It was written by Nathan Wang who is an academy award music nominee and has been writing film and TV scores since the mid ’80s.

Background photography was added to give a more video/photo feel to get around a more animated style that most everyone else was doing. This was based on the original Ask Earl graphics from the Amiga version.

The commissioner’s disk was greatly expanded with new tools and reports including an import/export system to work with Stats Inc.

And, my favorite feature that was beta tested with Tony Hernandez (a local LA sportscaster at the time), was the daily simulation season. In this version of the game, you would manage your team’s roster and starting lineups, program your manager and design your field, Then every night we would download the game stats and play the next set of games on EWB using only the last game’s stats for each player… a radically different approach to Fantasy baseball that is truly addictive when you’re playing it… Each morning he would “post” the results as a telephone message reading the EWB box scores and game highlights.

Again, from the above, I hope it’s obvious that we were going more for a system than just a yearly game.

DB: What products did you consider as your main competition? In what respects did EWB or EWB II outperform your competitors, and which of their innovations or features impressed you?

ED: From the beginning, Hardball was always one of games most in our sights. Though EWB wasn’t only an action game, that was the game we started competing against. As the video game systems came back from the Atari/Mattel crash of the mid 80’s, we kept an eye towards the video game baseball games, but frankly, I can’t remember their names.

Honestly, as EWB was a hybrid, I think it had some trouble competing with the action-only games. Also, because of its complexity as a simulator, we gave up a lot of processing power to having to do both the simulation and the graphics which made the ill-fated Sega version never make it to market as I recall.

On a high end PC, I think you catch glimmers of how EWB II was way ahead of the trend in terms of looking like real baseball. Electronic Arts was working on other projects that attempted to do similar things at the time, but not inside a complete simulator. However, we really didn’t have the kinks worked out or the speed to have the bigger players and cameras working on more average computers.

I know that there were many innovations on the fielding aspect of the action games.  If I recall, Don’s Tony LaRussa Baseball really led the competition in the action of the game.  Also, if I recall, they didn’t try to make graphics that were beyond the typical home computer of the day and, in that, they made some great visual advances that were “between” the EWB overview and the over-reaching EWB II tv-style graphics. I’m sure there were many other competitors, but I really don’t recall.

Again, the EWB/EWB II systems were still, IMHO, way ahead of anything at the time.  Out of the Park and others that were more focused on non-graphical/limited graphical simulation may have had similar capabilities…

EWB had the stats+physics model which I think, in those days, still gave EWB a different, hopefully, realistic feel that we didn’t see in a lot of other games.

Finally, career mode may have just been invented when we decided to part ways (my company and EA), but it was the one major feature that would have been great to have added that has since become an important part of the genre.

DB: Are there any features that had to be cut from EWB II due to time constraints? I understand that there was an unreleased patch for EWB II, along with a third iteration of EWB (Baseball ’93) that Electronic Arts failed to publish.

ED: Yes, you have that right. The stats-testing was not as good in EWB II which was a disappointment and ended up costing us a lot in the product’s reputation. We did put together a beta testers group AFTER the release that helped fill this gap and then helped get us ready for the update/patch.  I do not recall why EA never released it/promoted it. It was, frankly, a pretty large disappointment.

Also, the time didn’t allow us to better tune the “director” to make a better visual experience.  I think we should have figured out a better way to make EWB II a better visual experience for the average computer and not released with the BIG tv closeups as the default for everyone.

Even the crowd graphics never got completely implemented.

The EWB ’93 project may have been the live “delayed broadcast” version. I’m pretty sure it is, but by then, EA seemed to be focused on EA Sports with new executives and no one really managing our relationship. We did make a deal and we did provide a) the design for the first EA Sports baseball game and b) all the EWB code that was going to be used for the basis of that game to be built internally under Earnest Adams. But the new producers had other plans and approaches that never melded with leveraging the EWB engine which was a disappointment to me.

DB: Do you have any plans to revive the I Got It Baseball project? Around the release date of the EWB Baseball – iPhone game, you posted about plans to implement internet play.

ED:  I would love to, but it would require someone to help me with the funding as we’d need to update the graphics and rebuild some of the code to work on modern machines… Someday with the right partners!

The updated All-Time rosters with lineups and schedule are available here ->   https://www.mediafire.com/folder/jhfkfloqwkfo4/EarlWeaverBaseball2

I decided against managing through a normal playoff series in favor of a single-elimination tournament in order to experience all of the rosters that I created or edited. I simulated two seasons using the All-Time League. I encountered a few issues based on oversights with manager profile selections on several teams along with several (since corrected) data-entry errors in the split stats. I applied the results below from the first simulated season for the purposes of the Tournament Seeding and included the complete results of the second season later in the article. A brief synopsis of every Tournament game is provided below along with the box score.

All-Time (Simulated Season, First Attempt)

AL Greats

            W   L   %

AL1991-05  92  70 .567

AL1946-60  88  74 .543

AL1931-45  87  75 .537

AL1976-90  78  84 .481

AL1916-30  76  86 .469

AL1961-75  76  86 .469

AL1901-15  73  89 .450

AL2006-20  60 102 .370

 

NL Greats

            W   L   %

NL1991-05 105  57 .648

NL2006-20  99  63 .611

NL1901-15  98  65 .601

NL1916-30  82  80 .506

NL1976-90  80  82 .493

NL1961-75  72  90 .444

NL1946-60  68  94 .419

NL1931-45  63 100 .386


Tournament Seeding

1.  NL1991-05
2.  NL2006-20
3.  NL1901-15
4.  AL1991-05
5.  AL1946-60
6.  AL1931-45
7.  NL1916-30
8.  NL1976-90
9.  AL1976-90
10. AL1916-30
11. AL1961-75
12. AL1901-15
13. NL1961-75
14. NL1946-60
15. NL1931-45
16. AL2006-20

Round 1

16 @ 1 – AL2006-20 @ NL1991-05

Greg Maddux took the mound in the tournament’s opening tilt against Justin Verlander at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Mookie Betts led off the game with a single and advanced to third on a throwing error by Chipper Jones (with Miguel Cabrera safe at first). Maddux obviated the threat when he converted a David Ortiz comebacker into a 1-6-3 double play. With two outs in the home half of the first, Barry Bonds clubbed a 460-foot solo blast over the right-field bleachers to give the home team a 1-0 advantage. In the third frame, Jones lined a solid base knock that dropped in front of right fielder Mookie Betts. Bonds stepped to the dish and absolutely demolished a high heater from “JV” for a 500-foot long distance dedication that cleared the scoreboard in center field! Maddux continued to put up goose eggs into the seventh. Robinson Cano reached on a bounding single up the middle. Pinch-runner Jose Altuve scored all the way from first on a long single off the right-center field wall by catcher Joe Mauer. Maddux induced a double-play grounder to short off the bat of Derek Jeter to extinguish the rally. Francisco J. Rodriguez replaced Verlander in the seventh and promptly retired the side in order. After Mookie Betts walked on four pitches with one down in the top of the eighth, the skipper decided to bring in a fresh arm. John Wetteland jogged in from the ‘pen to face Mike Trout. Wetteland’s errant pick-off attempt sailed over Jeff Bagwell’s head and down the right field line, allowing Betts to move up one base. Trout coaxed a base on balls, and the NL manager elected to bring in Eric Gagne to oppose Miguel Cabrera. Gagne tried twice to pick Betts off of second base to no avail and then he proceeded to whiff “Miggy” on 3 pitches. “Big Papi” struck out and Gagne pumped his fist in elation! Zack Britton came into the contest following a one-out infield hit by Craig Biggio. He retired Jones on a fielder’s choice and then issued an intentional pass to Bonds. Joe Nathan came into the contest to face Mark McGwire. “Big Mac” swung through Nathan’s slider, and the NL 1991-2005 squad clung to a 3-1 lead entering the ninth inning. “Hell’s Bells” blared out over the PA system as Trevor Hoffman strolled in from the bullpen. Hoffman plunked pinch-hitter Chris Davis, providing an ominous start to the frame. Altuve and Mauer were retired on fly balls, bringing Jeter to the plate with two away and pinch-runner Evan Longoria hugging the first-base bag. “The Captain” went down swinging as he was fooled by a change-up from Hoffman.

AL2006-20  vs   NL1991-05

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL2006-20 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   1  4  0  
   NL1991-05 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 x   3  7  3  
 WP:Maddux                           DPs V: 1
 LP:Verlander                            H: 2 
 SV:Hoffman                           Time: 3:37.20
 GWRBI:   Bonds
   Wind in from center at  3 mph
                              
How They Scored...
   Bottom of 1st
     With Verlander  Pitching, 2 out, 
     Bonds hits a 460 ft Home Run.  Score  0 -  1 
   Bottom of 3rd
     With 1 out, 
     Bonds hits a 500 ft Home Run 
      scoring Jones from 1st.  Score  0 -  3 
   Top of 7th
     With Maddux Pitching, 1 out, 
     Mauer singles 
      scoring Altuve from 1st.  Score  1 -  3 
                       Fielders                   AL2006-20
                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   M. Betts,RF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Trout,CF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  3  0  0   0  0       
   M. Cabrera,3B        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   D. Ortiz,DH          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   J. Abreu,1B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Davis,1B          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Longoria,1B       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Cano,2B           3  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Altuve,2B         1  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Mauer,C           3  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Jeter,SS          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Crawford,LF       3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               31  1  4  0  0  0   1  0  3  9  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL2006-20

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   J. Verlander ,L  6.0  6  3  3  2  0  5  0  0  0                       
   F. Rodriguez     1.1  1  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0                       
   Z. Britton       0.1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   J. Nathan        0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  7  3  3  2  1  8  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1991-05

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   C. Biggio,2B         4  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Jones,3B          4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   2  0       
   B. Bonds,LF          3  2  2  0  0  2   3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. McGwire,DH        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   S. Sosa,RF           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bagwell,1B        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Piazza,C          3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Edmonds,CF        3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   B. Larkin,SS         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  3  7  0  0  2   3  0  1  8  0  0   2  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1991-05

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   G. Maddux,W      7.1  4  1  1  0  2  6  1  0  0                       
   J. Wetteland     0.0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   E. Gagne         0.2  0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0                       
   T. Hoffman,S     1.0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  4  1  1  0  3  9  1  1  0                       

15 @ 2 – NL1931-45 @ NL2006-20

“King” Carl Hubbell began to warm up for the NL1931-45 club as Jacob deGrom and the NL 2006-20 crew trotted out to their positions at Dodger Stadium. Arky Vaughan drew a leadoff walk but he was promptly erased on a 6-4-3 double play grounder off the bat of Paul Waner. Hubbell had trouble finding the plate in the bottom of the first. He walked Bryce Harper on four pitches and then drilled Hanley Ramirez in the ribs with a tailing fastball. Albert Pujols laced a line drive single to center but Wally Berger cut down Harper at the plate with a laser throw. Hubbell extracted himself from the jam when he induced Giancarlo Stanton to smack a hot grounder to Vaughan, who initiated a beautiful 6-4-3 double play. In the home half of the second, Hubbell plunked David Wright and gave up a single to center by Andrew McCutchen. Chase Utley dribbled a slow roller down the first base line. Dolph Camilli charged in and exercised poor judgment when he attempted to turn a 3-6-3 double play. All runners were safe resulting in a bases loaded situation with Buster Posey due up. Fortunately for Camilli, his teammates pulled off a DP on a bounding ball by Posey to retire the side. Ernie Lombardi sustained an injury to his right hand when attempting to corral a pitch in the dirt from Hubbell with two outs in the fifth inning. He was replaced by Harry Danning. Billy Herman broke up deGrom’s no-hit bid in the visitor’s sixth with two away on a clean single up the middle. Pujols reached on a two-base error by Vaughan to commence the bottom of the sixth. “The Machine” scored the first run of the game on a long single to left field by Stanton. Joe Medwick doubled into the right-field corner leading off the top of the eighth. After a brief mound visit, deGrom settled in to strike out Camilli. He enticed Danning and Pepper Martin to ground out as the NL 2006-20 team held onto their one-run lead. Craig Kimbrel was on the bump to start the ninth after 8 brilliant innings from deGrom. Augie Galan, batting for Billy Herman, scalded a one-hopper to Utley who calmly flipped to Pujols for one out. Vaughan ripped Kimbrel’s offering towards the hole between first and second, but “Prince Albert” smoothly fielded the shot and scampered over to first for out #2. Waner tapped a little dribbler up the first base line. Pujols raced in, grabbed it and touched the bag for the final out to secure the 1-0 victory.

                        NL1931-45  vs   NL2006-20

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1931-45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0  2  1  
   NL2006-20 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 x   1  4  0  
 WP:deGrom                           DPs V: 3
 LP:Hubbell                              H: 2 
 SV:Kimbrel                           Time: 0:52.43
 GWRBI:   Stanton
   Wind in from right-center at  2 mph
   Ernie Lombardi was injured. Out  3 games 

                              How They Scored...
   Bottom of 6th
     With Hubbell Pitching, nobody out, 
     Stanton singles 
      scoring Pujols from 2nd.  Score  0 -  1
  
                       Fielders                   NL1931-45

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   A. Vaughan,SS        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   1  0       
   P. Waner,RF          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Berger,CF         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Ott,DH            3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Medwick,LF        3  0  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Camilli,1B        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Danning,C         2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Lombardi,C        0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   P. Martin,3B         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Herman,2B         2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Galan,2B          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               27  0  2  1  0  0   0  0  2  2  0  0   1  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1931-45

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   C. Hubbell,L     8.0  4  1  0  0  4  3  0  2  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  4  1  0  0  4  3  0  2  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL2006-20

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   B. Harper,RF         3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Ramirez,SS        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Pujols,1B         3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Stanton,DH        3  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Yelich,LF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Wright,3B         2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. McCutchen ,CF     2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Utley,2B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Posey,C           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               26  1  4  0  0  0   1  0  4  3  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL2006-20

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   J. deGrom,W      8.0  2  0  0  0  2  2  0  0  0                       
   C. Kimbrel,S     1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  2  0  0  0  2  2  0  0  0                       

14 @ 3 – NL1946-60 @ NL1901-15

Christy Mathewson toed the rubber for the NL 1901-15 ball club at the Polo Grounds while opposing hurler Robin Roberts prepared to face a formidable foe. Jackie Robinson delivered a ringing double down the left field line to commence the contest, but “Matty” left him stranded at second base with successive strikeouts of Ernie Banks and Duke Snider. The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when “Big Six” grooved a 3-2 fastball which Banks deposited into the right-field stands for a round tripper. Jesse Burkett’s two-bagger knocked in Gavvy Cravath with the tying run in the home half of the fourth. The pitcher’s duel extended into the ninth frame as Mathewson and Roberts continued to hold the opposition in check. “Laughing” Larry Doyle launched a long drive to left field with one out in the bottom of the ninth, easily clearing the wall for a walk-off four-ply swat!

NL1946-60 vs NL1901-15

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1946-60 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0   1  4  1  
   NL1901-15 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1   2  8  1  
 WP:Mathewson                        DPs V: 1
 LP:Roberts                              H: 2 
                                  Time: 0:51.22
 GWRBI:   Doyle
   Wind out to left-center at 11 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 4th
     With Mathewson  Pitching, nobody out, 
     Banks hits a 316 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  0 
   Bottom of 4th
     With Roberts Pitching, 2 out, 
     Doyle doubles 
      scoring Cravath from 2nd.  Score  1 -  1 
   Bottom of 9th
     With 1 out, 
     Doyle hits a 360 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  2 
 
                       Fielders                   NL1946-60

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   J. Robinson,2B       4  0  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   S. Musial,RF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Banks,SS          4  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   D. Snider,CF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   R. Kiner,LF          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Mathews,3B        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   1  0       
   R. Campanella,C      3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Mize,DH           3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Ashburn,DH        0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Hodges,1B         3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  1  4  1  0  1   1  0  1  3  0  0   1  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1946-60

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   R. Roberts,L     8.1  8  2  1  1  0  1  0  1  0                       
   TOTAL            8.1  8  2  1  1  0  1  0  1  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1901-15

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   J. Sheckard,LF       4  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Seymour,CF        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Wagner,SS         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   T. Leach,DH          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Cravath,DH        4  1  2  1  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Zimmerman ,3B     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Burkett,RF        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Doyle,2B          3  1  2  1  0  1   2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Bresnahan ,C      3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Chance,1B         3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               33  2  8  2  0  1   2  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1901-15

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   C. Mathewson ,W  9.0  4  1  1  1  1  3  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  4  1  1  1  1  3  0  0  0     

13 @ 4 – NL1961-75 @ AL1991-05

Pedro J. Martinez got the call for the AL 1991-2005 crew, primed to square off against a starting lineup featuring Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and 3 members of the Big Red Machine. The NL 1961-1975 stars were eager to take their hacks against “Petey” while their ace left-hander Sandy Koufax got loose in the bullpen at old Comiskey Park. Joe Morgan and the “Say Hey Kid” supplied back-to-back safeties with one down in the first, but Aaron rapped into a 6-4-3 twin-killing. In the top of the second, Willie McCovey destroyed an inside fastball from Martinez as he cleared the roof! Later in the frame, Albert Belle misplayed a scorched shot down the left field line by Roberto Clemente into a three-base hit. The Senior Circuit failed to push across any more runs as Maury Wills grounded out weakly to Frank E. Thomas. The Americans tied the game in the bottom of the second when Manny Ramirez blooped a double down the right field line to drive in Ken Griffey Jr., who had reached on a hit by pitch leading off the inning. Koufax got into a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning with two outs. Frank E. Thomas drew a base on balls to force in the go-ahead run and the bullpen began to stir. Griffey whiffed to quell the uprising. Aaron knotted the score at 2-2 with an opposite-field 506-foot clout into the upper tank in right-center. Don Drysdale relieved Koufax to start the bottom of the sixth. “Big D” issued a free pass to Manny Ramirez to start the seventh and then Ichiro Suzuki laced a two-bagger into the left field corner. Mike G. Marshall came on in relief with a pair of runners in scoring position and only one out. With the infield drawn in, Roberto Alomar barely got a piece of Marshall’s screwball and tapped it weakly in front of home plate. Johnny Bench scrambled to retrieve the ball, but his only play was to throw down to first base to get Alomar as pinch-runner Rafael Palmeiro streaked home to give the AL squad a 3-2 lead. Martinez exited the match after twirling 7 1/3 innings. Joe L. Morgan greeted reliever Roberto M. Hernandez with an infield hit and promptly pilfered second. “Little Joe” wreaked more havoc on the bases, advancing to third on an errant pick-off attempt by Hernandez. With the infield playing halfway, Mays hit a little dribbler past the mound towards short. Alex Rodriguez gunned the ball home but Morgan slid under Ivan Rodriguez’s tag to tie the game at 3-3. After Aaron coaxed a base on balls, the skipper had seen enough. He stomped out to the mound, took the ball from Hernandez, and handed over to Keith Foulke. Jim Thome made a heads-up play on McCovey’s grounder as he beat Mays to the bag at third for out #2. Dick Allen skied out to left to retire the side. Bench beat out a slow roller towards shortstop to start the top of the ninth. Pinch-runner Lou Brock swiped second. Clemente hit into a fielder’s choice with Brock moving up 90 feet. Jose Mesa entered the game and Billy L. Williams batted for Wills. Mesa intentionally walked “Sweet Swingin’ Billy”, electing to face Pete Rose with runners at the corners and one away. Rose made him pay for that slight, belting a single to right as Brock effortlessly ambled homeward. Morgan tacked on another run with a sharp single to center. Kevin Appier, the third pitcher of the frame for the American League, got Mays to hit into an odd 6-4-5 double play. “A-Rod” dropped Mays’ line drive, threw to second for the force and then Rose was tagged out in a controversial play at third which resulted in a heated argument between the NL skipper and the third-base ump. Marshall set down the side in order to seal the victory in the ninth.

NL1961-75 vs AL1991-05

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1961-75 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2   5 10  0  
   AL1991-05 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0   3  2  1  
 WP:Marshall                         DPs V: 1
 LP:Foulke                               H: 2 
                                  Time: 2:99.53
 GWRBI:   Rose
   Wind out to right at 19 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 2nd
     With Martinez Pitching, nobody out, 
     McCovey hits a 570 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  0 
   Bottom of 2nd
     With Koufax Pitching, 2 out, 
     Ramirez doubles 
      scoring Griffey from 2nd.  Score  1 -  1 
   Bottom of 5th
     With 2 out, 
     Thomas walks 
      scoring Ramirez from 3rd.  Score  1 -  2 
   Top of 6th
     With 2 out, 
     Aaron hits a 506 ft Home Run.  Score  2 -  2 
   Bottom of 7th
     With Marshall Pitching, 1 out, 
     Alomar grounds out 
      scoring Palmeiro from 3rd.  Score  2 -  3 
   Top of 8th
     With Hernandez  Pitching, 1 out, 
     Mays hits into a fielder's choice 
      scoring Morgan from 3rd.  Score  3 -  3 
   Top of 9th
     With Mesa Pitching, 1 out, 
     Rose singles 
      scoring Brock from 3rd.  Score  4 -  3 
     Morgan singles 
      scoring Williams from 2nd.  Score  5 -  3 
 
                       Fielders                   NL1961-75

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   P. Rose,LF           5  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Morgan,2B         5  1  3  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  1  0   0  0       
   W. Mays,CF           4  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Aaron,DH          3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   W. McCovey,1B        4  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   D. Allen,3B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   L. Brock,C           0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  1  0   0  0       
   J. Bench,C           4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Clemente,RF       4  0  2  0  1  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Wills,SS          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Williams,SS       0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               36  5 10  0  1  2   5  0  3  4  2  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1961-75

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   S. Koufax        5.0  1  2  1  0  4  8  0  1  0                       
   D. Drysdale      1.1  1  1  1  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   M. Marshall,W    2.2  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  2  3  2  0  6  9  0  1  0                       

                       Fielders                   AL1991-05

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   I. Suzuki,RF         4  0  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   R. Alomar,2B         3  0  0  0  0  0   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   F. Thomas,1B         3  0  0  0  0  0   1  0  1  2  0  0   0  0       
   K. Griffey,CF        3  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   A. Belle,LF          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  1  0  0   0  0       
   A. Rodriguez ,SS     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Thome,3B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Ramirez,DH        1  1  1  1  0  0   1  0  2  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Palmeiro,DH       1  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   I. Rodriguez ,C      4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               29  3  2  2  0  0   3  0  6  9  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1991-05

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   P. Martinez      7.1  6  2  2  2  1  4  0  0  0                       
   R. Hernandez     0.0  1  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   K. Foulke,L      1.0  1  1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   J. Mesa          0.0  2  1  1  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   K. Appier        0.2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0 10  5  4  2  3  4  0  0  0                       

12 @ 5 – AL1901-15 @ AL1946-60

Bob Feller opposed Walter Johnson in a bout of American League squads at old Yankee Stadium. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson crushed “Rapid Robert’s” high heat into deep center field and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run to lead off the game! Nap Lajoie walloped a towering solo shot into the left-center field bleachers with two outs in the top of the first to give his club a 2-0 lead. Larry Doby’s screaming line drive one-hopped the right field wall leading off the bottom of the frame but Jackson fielded the carom and relayed quickly to the infield, holding Doby to a single. “The Big Train” nearly yielded a game-tying circuit clout to Ted Williams, but Jackson hauled it in with his back against the right-field wall. Yogi Berra reached “Barney” in the bottom of the second with an opposite-field swat to reduce the AL 1901-1915 advantage to 2-1. George S. Davis and Jackson supplied back-to-back safeties in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Lajoie lofted a single into center to plate Davis. Lajoie stole second but Jackson was nabbed at the dish on a delayed steal of home. Doby drilled a two-bagger to right-center and Williams singled to shallow center with two outs in the bottom of the third. Al Rosen tapped a little roller towards shortstop. Everyone was safe and Doby scored. Johnson, clinging to a 3-2 lead, worked himself into deeper distress when Berra slapped a sharp single to left field, loading the bases for Rocky Colavito. After a brief mound visit, Johnson issued a free pass to force in a run and knot the score at 3-3. Rosen sprinted homeward on a passed ball charged to Ted Easterly and the AL 1946-1960 crew assumed the lead. Joe Gordon halted the rally when he flied out to Jackson in deep right field. Feller allowed a pair of singles and a walk to Davis with two away in the visitor’s fifth to load the bases. Jackson promptly whacked a two-run base hit into center field as AL 1901-15 reclaimed the advantage. After Eddie Collins coaxed a walk to reload the bags, the skipper had seen enough. Satchel Paige induced Cobb to ground out weakly to first base. Reb Russell relieved the “Big Train” in the home seventh. He pitched a scoreless frame, working around a one-out single by “The Splendid Splinter”. Joe Page entered the contest after George R. Stone slapped a single to left with two down in the eighth, only the second safety permitted by Paige in four scoreless innings. Pinch-hitter Sam Crawford flied out to left and the score remained 5-4 after 7 ½ innings. Ed Walsh ambled to the mound, attempting to preserve the lead and potential rack up a six-out save, but he immediately got into hot water when Colavito hammered a ground-rule double to right-center field. Gordon’s patience paid off with a base on balls. Pinch-runners Dom DiMaggio and Nellie Fox taunted Walsh as he prepared to face Mickey Vernon while the manager quickly got “Smoky” Joe Wood and Jack Coombs up in the ‘pen. Vernon hit a high chopper to third for an infield hit. Minnie Minoso, batting for Phil Rizzuto with the sacks juiced, pounded a worm-killer up the middle. The shortstop, George S. Davis, fielded and heaved the horsehide to home plate but “The Little Professor” evaded the tag. Nellie Fox dashed home on a wild pitch as the AL 1946-60 club recaptured the lead, 6-5! Doby produced a sacrifice fly to right, plating Vernon while Walsh finally recorded an out. Wood’s arm was finally loose and the skipper made his move, but the damage had already been done. Kaline welcomed Wood with a loud base knock that dropped in front of Jackson and allowed Minoso to amble home. Wiliams rapped into a 4-6-3 double play and the inning mercifully ended. Page capped the winning effort with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

AL1901-15 vs AL1946-60

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1901-15 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0   5 10  0  
   AL1946-60 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 4 x   8 10  0  
 WP:Page                             DPs V: 1
 LP:Walsh                                H: 0 
                                  Time: 3:57.45
   Wind out to center at  4 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 1st
     With Feller Pitching, nobody out, 
     Jackson triples.  Jackson scores.  Score  1 -  0 
     With 2 out, 
     Lajoie hits a 428 ft Home Run.  Score  2 -  0 
   Bottom of 2nd
     With Johnson Pitching, nobody out, 
     Berra hits a 358 ft Home Run.  Score  2 -  1 
   Top of 3rd
     With 2 out, 
     Lajoie singles 
      scoring Davis from 2nd.  Score  3 -  1 
   Bottom of 3rd
     Rosen hits into a fielder's choice 
      scoring Doby from 3rd.  Score  3 -  2 
     Colavito walks 
      scoring Williams from 3rd.  Score  3 -  3 
     the catcher allows a passed ball 
      scoring Rosen from 3rd.  Score  3 -  4 
   Top of 4th
     With 2 out, 
     Jackson singles 
      scoring Stone from 3rd and Easterly from 2nd.  Score  5 -  4 
   Bottom of 8th
     With Walsh Pitching, nobody out, 
     Minoso hits into a fielder's choice 
      scoring DiMaggio from 3rd.  Score  5 -  5 
     Walsh throws a wild pitch 
      scoring Fox from 3rd.  Score  5 -  6 
     Doby hits a sacrifice fly 
      scoring Vernon from 3rd.  Score  5 -  7 
     With Wood Pitching, 1 out, 
     Kaline singles 
      scoring Minoso from 3rd.  Score  5 -  8 

                       Fielders                   AL1901-15

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   J. Jackson,RF        5  1  3  0  0  1   3  0  0  0  0  1   0  0       
   E. Collins,2B        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   T. Cobb,CF           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   N. Lajoie,DH         4  1  2  0  0  1   2  0  0  0  1  0   0  0       
   H. Baker,3B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Davis,1B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Stone,LF          4  1  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Clarke,C          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   T. Easterly,C        3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  1       
   S. Crawford,C        1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   S. McInnis,SS        1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Davis,SS          2  1  2  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               36  5 10  0  0  2   5  0  2  2  1  1   0  1       

                       Pitchers                   AL1901-15

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   W. Johnson       6.0  6  4  3  1  2  2  0  0  0                       
   R. Russell       1.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   E. Walsh,L       0.1  2  4  3  0  1  0  1  0  0                       
   J. Wood          0.2  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0 10  8  6  1  3  2  1  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   AL1946-60

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   L. Doby,CF           4  1  2  1  0  0   2  1  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   A. Kaline,RF         5  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   T. Williams,LF       5  1  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Pesky,SS          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Rosen,3B          4  1  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   Y. Berra,C           4  1  2  0  0  1   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. DiMaggio,DH       0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Colavito,DH       2  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  2  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Gordon,2B         3  0  0  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   N. Fox,2B            0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Vernon,1B         4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Minoso,LF         1  1  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   P. Rizzuto,SS        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               35  8 10  1  0  1   8  1  3  2  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1946-60

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   B. Feller        3.2  8  5  5  2  2  1  0  0  0                       
   S. Paige         4.0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   J. Page,W        1.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0 10  5  5  2  2  2  0  0  0                       

11 @ 6 – AL1961-75 @ AL1931-45

On a bright and blustery day in Boston, Hal Newhouser sauntered out to the mound and warmed up while his counterpart Gaylord Perry stretched out in the visitor’s bullpen at Fenway Park. “Prince Hal” set down the side in order. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Jimmie Foxx banged a two-base knock high off the Green Monster near the left field foul pole. Hank Greenberg lofted a deep fly to center field but Mickey Mantle tracked it down just shy of the warning track. In the third inning, Newhouser yielded 3 consecutive base hits to Carl Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson and Roger Maris, with hometown hero “Yaz” notching the first tally of the game. “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio led off the bottom of the frame with a ground ball single to right. The “Yankee Clipper” advanced to second on a passed ball by Elston Howard. Perry threw a fastball high and outside to Harlond Clift. The ball travelled 540 feet into the right field stands for a two-run blast as the AL 1931-1945 crew snatched the lead. Newhouser ran into some trouble in the fifth when he loaded the bases on a single by Howard followed by a pair of walks. “Yaz” tied the game with a sacrifice fly as Howard beat the throw home from Jeff Heath. The rally ended when “The Judge” swung and missed at a breaking ball from “Prince Hal”. Joe A. Berry relieved Newhouser after Maris coaxed a base on balls to commence the sixth inning. He generated a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Harmon Killebrew and a harmless comebacker by Brooks Robinson. Schoolboy Rowe trotted in from the ‘pen to start the seventh. Howard belted his third hit down the left field line but Charlie Keller held him to a long single. Rod Carew bunted him over to second. Rico Petrocelli was retired on a grounder into the hole at short, but Luke Appling pulled a calf muscle on the play and had to exit the game. Mantle tested Appling’s replacement Lou Boudreau with a slow three-hopper which he flawlessly fielded to complete the inning. Dick Radatz assumed Perry’s position on the bump in the bottom of the seventh and “The Monster” proceeded to retire the side in order. With one out in the top of the eighth, Bill Dickey suffered a lacerated ring finger on his throwing hand attempting to block a ball in the dirt. Rick Ferrell substituted for Dickey and Wally Moses replaced Jeff Heath as the right fielder as the skipper shuffled his lineup. Radatz allowed a base hit by Moses and then plunked Clift with two outs in the ninth. The manager headed out to the mound and signaled for the left-hander, John Hiller. Ferrell lofted a can of corn to right, sending the contest into extra innings. Dean Chance entered the match with two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the tenth. DiMaggio bounced out to third to end the threat. Moses split the gap in right-center for a two-base knock to start the home half of the eleventh. After Keller’s slow roller to third failed to advance Moses, Chance intentionally walked Clift to get to Ferrell. The backup backstop won the game with a line-drive base hit into the left field corner as Moses scored without a throw.

AL1961-75 vs AL1931-45

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1961-75 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  7  0  
   AL1931-45 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 3  9  0  
 WP:Rowe                             DPs V: 0
 LP:Chance                               H: 1 
                                  Time: 1:20.45
 GWRBI:   Ferrell
 Innings:11   Wind out to left at  6 mph
   Luke Appling was injured. Out  2 games 
   Bill Dickey was injured. Out  3 games 

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 4th
     With Newhouser  Pitching, 1 out, 
     Maris singles 
      scoring Yastrzmski from 2nd.  Score  1 -  0 
   Bottom of 4th
     With Perry Pitching, 2 out, 
     Clift hits a 540 ft Home Run 
      scoring DiMaggio from 2nd.  Score  1 -  2 
   Top of 5th
     With 1 out, 
     Yastrzmski hits a sacrifice fly 
      scoring Howard from 3rd.  Score  2 -  2 
   Bottom of 11th
     With Chance Pitching, 1 out, 
     Ferrell singles 
      scoring Moses from 2nd.  Score  2 -  3 

                       Fielders                   AL1961-75

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   R. Carew,2B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Petrocelli,SS     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Mantle,CF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Yastrzmski,LF     4  1  2  0  0  0   1  1  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Robinson,RF       5  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   R. Maris,DH          4  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Killebrew ,1B     5  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   B. Robinson,3B       3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Howard,C          4  1  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  1       
   TOTAL               37  2  7  0  0  0   2  2  4  5  0  0   0  1       

                       Pitchers                   AL1961-75

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   G. Perry         6.0  5  2  2  1  2  1  0  0  0                       
   D. Radatz        2.2  1  0  0  0  0  2  0  1  0                       
   J. Hiller        1.0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   D. Chance,L      0.2  2  1  1  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL           10.1  9  3  3  1  4  3  0  1  0                       

                       Fielders                   AL1931-45

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   L. Appling,SS        2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Boudreau,SS       2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Gehringer ,2B     5  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Foxx,1B           5  0  2  1  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Greenberg ,DH     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. DiMaggio,CF       5  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Dickey,C          3  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Moses,RF          2  1  2  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Keller,LF         5  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Clift,3B          2  1  1  0  0  1   2  0  2  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Ferrell,C         2  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Heath,RF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               40  3  9  2  0  1   3  0  4  3  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1931-45

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   H. Newhouser     5.0  5  2  2  0  4  3  0  0  0                       
   J. Berry         1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   S. Rowe,W        5.0  2  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL           11.0  7  2  2  0  4  5  0  0  0                       

10 @ 7 – AL1916-30 @ NL1916-30

A battle between clubs featuring stars from the Roaring Twenties commenced at Braves Field in Boston with “Old” Pete Alexander taking the hill for the hometown National League representatives while the Americans countered with Eddie “Knuckles” Cicotte. “Gorgeous” George Sisler walked, went to second on a wild pick-off attempt, and came around on a single to right by Lou Gehrig. The “Iron Horse” repeated the feat in the top of the fifth, plating Tris Speaker on a long single into the right field corner. Cicotte cruised into the fifth, when a pair of mental errors resulted in ducks on the pond. Following a loud single to center by Chuck Klein, Gabby Hartnett dribbled a slow roller towards third. Ossie Bluege tried for the force at second but Klein beat the throw. The next batter, Zack Wheat, tapped one down the line to Gehrig. Instead of stepping on the bag and taking the sure out at first, “Laruppin’ Lou” tried for the 3-6-3 twin-killing. His throw was slightly off-target allowing Hartnett to sneak into second. With the infield playing halfway in, Cicotte induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Max Carey as Klein crossed the plate. Frankie Frisch delivered a base knock to right field, driving in Hartnett to tie the score at 2-all. In the top of the sixth, the Americans reclaimed the lead on a double down the left field line by Tony Lazerri and a subsequent safety by Mickey Cochrane. The skipper called upon southpaw Eppa Rixey to oppose the four consecutive lefties at the top of the AL batting order. “Jephtha” responded with a clean frame in the top of the seventh. Carey started a two-out rally in the home seventh with a base hit and then the “Fordham Flash” drew a walk. “Knuckles” served up a game-tying double to right-center by pinch-hitter Jim Bottomley, who was batting for shortstop Dave Bancroft. The manager bolted out the dugout and called for the right-hander, Firpo Mayberry, to pitch to Rogers Hornsby. “Rajah” promptly supplied a single through the hole between first and second to drive in the go-ahead run. Bill Terry’s soft grounder was fielded cleanly by Gehrig to retire the side. The Americans rallied with two down in the ninth. Rixey issued back-to-back free passes to pinch-hitter Harry Heilmann and the “Grey Eagle”. Charlie Root entered the match and Sisler greeted him with an opposite-field bingo as pinch-runner Willie Kamm scurried home to knot the score at 4-4. Ruth smashed a solid two-hopper to second-sacker Hornsby, who flipped to Bottomley for the final out. Marberry twirled a scoreless frame to send the contest into extra innings. Ray Kremer relieved Root with two out and two runners on base in the top of the tenth. He got Joe Cronin on a high chopper to second. Bottomley reached on a two-base throwing error by Lazzeri to open the bottom of the tenth. Marberry elected to issue a free pass to Hornsby, preferring to pitch to Art Fletcher. The NL skipper sent Kiki Cuyler up to bat for Fletcher, but the move failed to produce the desired result as Cuyler struck out swinging. Hack Wilson grounded into a fielder’s choice, leaving the National League squad with runners at the corners and two outs. The AL manager brought in the left-hander, Garland Braxton, to gain the platoon advantage against Klein. The slugger slapped a worm-killer through the hole between short and third as Bottomley scampered home with the winning run!

AL1916-30 vs NL1916-30

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1916-30 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 4 11  1  
   NL1916-30 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 5  8  0  
 WP:Kremer                           DPs V: 3
 LP:Marberry                             H: 1 
                                  Time: 1:31.42
 GWRBI:   Klein
 Innings:10   Wind in from right at  6 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 1st
     With Alexander  Pitching, 2 out, 
     Gehrig singles 
      scoring Sisler from 2nd.  Score  1 -  0 
   Top of 5th
     With 2 out, 
     Gehrig singles 
      scoring Speaker from 2nd.  Score  2 -  0 
   Bottom of 5th
     With Cicotte Pitching, nobody out, 
     Carey grounds out 
      scoring Klein from 3rd.  Score  2 -  1 
     With 2 out, 
     Frisch singles 
      scoring Hartnett from 3rd.  Score  2 -  2 
   Top of 6th
     With nobody out, 
     Cochrane singles 
      scoring Lazzeri from 2nd.  Score  3 -  2 
   Bottom of 7th
     With 2 out, 
     Bottomley  doubles 
      scoring Carey from 2nd.  Score  3 -  3 
     With Marberry Pitching, 
     Hornsby singles 
      scoring Frisch from 3rd.  Score  3 -  4 
   Top of 9th
     With Root Pitching, 2 out, 
     Sisler singles 
      scoring Kamm from 2nd.  Score  4 -  4 
   Bottom of 10th
     With Braxton Pitching, 2 out, 
     Klein singles 
      scoring Bottomley  from 3rd.  Score  4 -  5 

                       Fielders                   AL1916-30

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   T. Speaker,CF        4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Sisler,DH         4  1  3  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  2  0   0  0       
   B. Ruth,RF           5  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Gehrig,1B         4  0  2  0  0  0   2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Simmons,LF        5  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   T. Lazzeri,2B        5  1  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   1  0       
   M. Cochrane,C        5  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Cronin,SS         5  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Heilmann,3B       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   O. Bluege,3B         3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Kamm,3B           0  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               40  4 11  1  0  0   4  0  4  0  2  0   1  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1916-30

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   E. Cicotte       6.2  5  4  4  0  2  1  0  0  0                       
   F. Marberry,L    3.0  2  1  0  0  1  1  0  0  0                       
   G. Braxton       0.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.2  8  5  4  0  3  2  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1916-30

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   R. Hornsby,2B        4  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   K. Cuyler,SS         1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   B. Terry,1B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Fletcher,SS       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Wilson,DH         4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Klein,RF          5  1  3  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Hartnett,C        4  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   Z. Wheat,LF          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Carey,CF          4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Frisch,3B         3  1  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Bancroft,SS       2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bottomley ,1B     2  1  1  1  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               37  5  8  1  0  0   4  0  3  2  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1916-30

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   P. Alexander     6.0  9  3  3  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   E. Rixey         2.2  0  1  1  0  2  0  0  0  0                       
   C. Root          1.0  2  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   R. Kremer,W      0.1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL           10.0 11  4  4  0  4  0  0  0  0                       

9 @ 8 – AL1976-90 @ NL1976-90

Flame-throwing right-handers Dwight Gooden and Roger Clemens squared off at Jarry Park in Montreal. Ryne Sandberg roped a two-base hit off the base of the center field wall with one out in the bottom of the first. “Ryno” moved to third on a groundout to first and then dashed home on a wild pitch by the “Rocket”. The National Leaguers increased their lead to 3-0 when George Foster followed a walk to Mike Schmidt with a 516-foot bomb to straightaway center field. In the bottom of the third, Sandberg hit an innocuous chopper back to the mound, but Clemens’ throw sailed over Eddie Murray’s outstretched glove and into right field for a two-base error. He managed to escape the inning without incident but he encountered further trouble in the fourth. Darryl Strawberry singled and stole second. Andre Dawson belted a 448-foot blast to center, extending the NL advantage to 5-0. Gary Carter ripped a base hit down the left field line. Clemens retired Ozzie Smith and Tony Gwynn, but “Ryno” turned around an inside fastball for a 2-run jack. The AL skipper finally gave Clemens the hook in favor of submarine side-armer Mark Eichhorn. In the top of the seventh, the Americans finally got to “Dr. K”. Jose Canseco and Reggie Jackson coaxed back-to-back walks. Cal Ripken Jr. laced a base hit to right field, driving in “The Chemist” to break up Gooden’s shutout. Murray drew another walk, loading the bases for Jim Rice. Lee Smith jogged in from the ‘pen and proceeded to retire Rice on a short fly ball to right, forcing “Mr. October” to hold up at third. Carlton Fisk skied to medium right field for the final out of the frame. Rollie Fingers hurled a scoreless seventh for the Junior Circuit. Rich Gossage got the call with two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth. “Goose” got “Straw” on a lazy fly to left, “Hawk” on a long fly to center, and pinch-hitter Will “The Thrill” Clark on a three-hopper to second. Bill Caudill strolled out to the mound in the top of the ninth. The “Inspector” pitched a clean frame to secure victory for the NL crew.
AL1976-90 vs NL1976-90

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1976-90 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   1  4  1  
   NL1976-90 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 x   7  7  0  
 WP:Gooden                           DPs V: 0
 LP:Clemens                              H: 0 
                                  Time: 1:00.35
   Wind swirling  at  8 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Bottom of 1st
     With Clemens Pitching, 2 out, 
     Clemens throws a wild pitch 
      scoring Sandberg from 3rd.  Score  0 -  1 
     Foster hits a 516 ft Home Run 
      scoring Schmidt from 1st.  Score  0 -  3 
   Bottom of 4th
     With nobody out, 
     Dawson hits a 448 ft Home Run 
      scoring Strawberry from 2nd.  Score  0 -  5 
     With 2 out, 
     Sandberg hits a 396 ft Home Run 
      scoring Carter from 1st.  Score  0 -  7 
   Top of 7th
     With Gooden Pitching, 1 out, 
     Ripken singles 
      scoring Canseco from 2nd.  Score  1 -  7 

                       Fielders                   AL1976-90

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   R. Henderson ,CF     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   W. Randolph,2B       3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1   0  0       
   L. Whitaker,2B       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Boggs,2B          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Brett,3B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Canseco,RF        3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   R. Jackson,DH        3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Ripken,SS         4  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Murray,1B         2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   D. Mattingly ,1B     1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Rice,LF           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Fisk,C            3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  1  4  0  0  0   1  0  4  5  0  1   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1976-90

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   R. Clemens,L     3.2  6  7  7  3  2  2  1  0  0                       
   M. Eichhorn      2.1  0  0  0  0  0  5  0  0  0                       
   R. Fingers       1.0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   R. Gossage       1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  7  7  7  3  3  7  1  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1976-90

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   T. Gwynn,RF          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Sandberg,2B       4  2  2  1  0  1   2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   K. Hernandez ,1B     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Schmidt,3B        2  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  2  0  0   0  0       
   G. Foster,LF         4  1  2  0  0  1   2  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   T. Raines,LF         0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Strawberry,DH     3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  1  0   0  0       
   A. Dawson,CF         4  1  1  0  0  1   2  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   G. Carter,C          3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Santiago,C        0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Clark,C           1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   O. Smith,SS          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               32  7  7  1  0  3   6  0  3  7  1  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1976-90

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   D. Gooden,W      6.1  4  1  1  0  3  3  0  0  0                       
   L. Smith         1.2  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0                       
   B. Caudill       1.0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  4  1  1  0  4  5  0  0  0                       

Round 2

8 @ 1 – NL1976-90 @ NL1991-05

The second round matchups kicked off at Wrigley Field with Randy D. Johnson opposing Tom Seaver. Tony Gwynn led off with a two-bagger and tallied the first run on a single to center by Ryne Sandberg, who advanced to second on the throw home. The “Big Unit” compounded his problems with a wild pick-off toss which allowed “Ryno” to score! Johnson whiffed the next two batters and escaped without any further damage. Pedro Guerrero, subbing for the left-handed swinging Darryl Strawberry, demolished one of Johnson’s fastballs. The 440-foot bomb left the yard and landed on Waveland Avenue. In the visitor’s third, Gary Carter hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded but everyone was safe. Another fielder’s choice followed by a wild pitch, and the NL 1976-90 held a 6-0 advantage after three turns at-bat. “Tom Terrific” got himself into a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the frame but Eric Davis camped under Barry Bonds’ fly ball to left-center to extinguish the fire. Jose Rijo replaced Johnson to start the fourth inning. Seaver pitched shutout ball into the eighth when he finally tired. Barry Larkin coaxed a leadoff walk. Chipper Jones belted a 509-foot round-tripper over the scoreboard in center, cutting the lead to 6-2. The manager called down to the bullpen and Tug McGraw made his entrance. Bonds slashed a single that landed into front of Eric Davis but Mark McGwire grounded into a twin-killing to quash the rally. Billy Wagner trotted in to replace Rijo, who had thrown 5 scoreless innings in relief of Johnson. “Billy The Kid” allowed a safety to Ozzie Smith but kept the score intact. Bruce Sutter came on to get the final 3 outs. He yielded a 444-foot long distance dedication to Jeff Bagwell with one out but struck out Jim Edmonds to end the game. A shocker in Chi-Town as the eighth-best team based on the regular season standings progressed to the next round while knocking out the top seed in the process!

NL1976-90 vs NL1991-05

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1976-90 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0   6  9  0  
   NL1991-05 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1   3  7  1  
 WP:Seaver                           DPs V: 2
 LP:Johnson                              H: 2 
                                  Time: 0:58.34
 GWRBI:   Sandberg
   Wind in from left at 15 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 1st
     With Johnson Pitching, nobody out, 
     Sandberg singles 
      scoring Gwynn from 3rd.  Score  1 -  0 
     Hernandez  reaches on an error by Johnson 
      scoring Sandberg from 2nd.  Score  2 -  0 
   Top of 2nd
     With nobody out, 
     Guerrero hits a 440 ft Home Run.  Score  3 -  0 
   Top of 3rd
     With 1 out, 
     Carter hits into a fielder's choice 
      scoring Schmidt from 3rd.  Score  4 -  0 
     Smith hits into a fielder's choice 
      scoring Davis from 3rd.  Score  5 -  0 
     With 2 out, 
     Johnson throws a wild pitch 
      scoring Guerrero from 3rd.  Score  6 -  0 
   Bottom of 8th
     With Seaver Pitching, 1 out, 
     Jones hits a 508 ft Home Run 
      scoring Larkin from 1st.  Score  6 -  2 
   Bottom of 9th
     With Sutter Pitching, 1 out, 
     Bagwell hits a 444 ft Home Run.  Score  6 -  3 

                       Fielders                   NL1976-90

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   T. Gwynn,RF          5  1  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Sandberg,2B       4  1  1  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   K. Hernandez ,1B     5  0  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   M. Schmidt,3B        4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   G. Foster,DH         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Davis,CF          3  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  2  0  0   0  0       
   T. Raines,LF         0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   P. Guerrero,LF       4  2  2  0  0  1   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Carter,C          3  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Santiago,C        0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Strawberry,C      1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   O. Smith,SS          4  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               36  6  9  0  1  1   5  0  3  6  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1976-90

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   T. Seaver,W      7.1  5  2  2  1  3  6  0  0  0                       
   T. McGraw        0.2  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   B. Sutter        1.0  1  1  1  1  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  7  3  3  2  3  7  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1991-05

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   C. Biggio,2B         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Jones,3B          4  1  2  0  0  1   2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Bonds,LF          3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. McGwire,DH        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   S. Sosa,RF           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  3  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bagwell,1B        3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Piazza,C          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Edmonds,CF        4  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   B. Larkin,SS         2  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               32  3  7  0  0  2   3  0  3  7  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1991-05

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   R. Johnson,L     3.0  6  6  4  1  3  3  1  0  0                       
   J. Rijo          5.0  2  0  0  0  0  3  0  0  0                       
   B. Wagner        1.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  9  6  4  1  3  6  1  0  0                       

7 @ 2 – NL1916-30 @ NL2006-20

Clayton Kershaw climbed the hill for the NL 2006-2020 squad at Dodger Stadium as he was pitted against Dolf Luque and the NL1916-1930 crew. Hack Wilson swatted a 536-foot big fly to right field in the top of the fourth. In the home half of the fourth, Bryce Harper rapped a clean single to right and advanced to third on a line-drive double to center off the bat of Hanley Ramirez. “The Pride of Havana” elected to walk Albert Pujols to set up a force at any base. Giancarlo Stanton mauled his next offering, lacing a base hit between third and short which plated a pair of baserunners. Christian Yelich bounced into a 6-4-3 double play, with Pujols moving to third. Luque whiffed David Wright to end the inning. Harper singled again to begin the fifth frame and scooted over to third on a base knock by Stanton with two away. Yelich sliced a ground-rule double into the left field corner, driving “Bam-Bam” in to extend the NL2006-2020 lead to 3-1. Luque received a breather when Wright lined out to third. Burleigh Grimes entered the game in the seventh and pitched two scoreless innings. Kershaw went the distance with a three-hitter as the NL2006-2020 club earned the victory in a low-scoring affair.
NL1916-30 vs NL2006-20

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1916-30 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0   1  3  1  
   NL2006-20 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 x   3  7  0  
 WP:Kershaw                          DPs V: 1
 LP:Luque                                H: 2 
                                  Time: 0:30.04
 GWRBI:   Stanton
   Wind in from left-center at  6 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 4th
     With Kershaw Pitching, 1 out, 
     Wilson hits a 538 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  0 
   Bottom of 4th
     With Luque Pitching, nobody out, 
     Stanton singles 
      scoring Harper from 3rd and Ramirez from 2nd.  Score  1 -  2 
   Bottom of 6th
     With 2 out, 
     Yelich singles 
      scoring Harper from 3rd.  Score  1 -  3 

                       Fielders                   NL1916-30

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   R. Hornsby,2B        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   B. Terry,1B          4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Wilson,DH         3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   K. Cuyler,RF         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Hartnett,C        2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   Z. Wheat,LF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Carey,CF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   F. Frisch,3B         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Lindstrom ,SS     1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Fletcher,SS       2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               28  1  3  0  0  1   1  0  1  2  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1916-30

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   D. Luque,L       6.0  6  3  3  0  1  4  0  0  0                       
   B. Grimes        2.0  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  7  3  3  0  1  5  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL2006-20

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   B. Harper,RF         4  2  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Ramirez,SS        4  1  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Pujols,1B         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Stanton,DH        4  0  2  0  0  0   2  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   C. Yelich,LF         3  0  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Wright,3B         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   A. McCutchen ,CF     3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Utley,2B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   Y. Molina,C          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  3  7  1  0  0   3  0  1  5  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL2006-20

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   C. Kershaw,W     9.0  3  1  1  1  1  2  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  3  1  1  1  1  2  0  0  0                       

6 @ 3 – AL1931-45 @ NL1901-15

The visitors scrambled to recall injury replacements for Luke Appling and Bill Dickey after boarding a train bound from Boston to the Big Apple. Eventually the skipper got a hold of reserves Cecil Travis and Frankie Hayes and told them to meet the club at the Polo Grounds. When game time arrived, both players were suited up and in the lineup preparing to face “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity, while they were planning to counter with Lefty Grove. Charlie Keller put the visiting team on the scoreboard in the top of the second with a mammoth 530-foot blast to left field after a base hit off the bat of Joe DiMaggio. Travis scored on a single by Hank Greenberg in the third frame and the “Yankee Clipper” delivered another safety to put ducks on the pond for “King Kong” with only one out. Charlie Gehringer evaded the tag on Keller’s sacrifice fly, extending the AL1931-1945 advantage to 4-0. Harlond Clift laced a solid single to left, plating another run. McGinnity got the hook after issuing an intentional pass to Jeff Heath as the NL skipper elected to bring George McQuillan in from the bullpen. Hayes had a chance to put the game out of reach, but he bounced out to shortstop, bringing the rally to an abrupt end. Grove toiled through the third inning. He opened the frame with a walk to Johnny Evers and then yielded consecutive singles to Johnny Kling and Jimmy Sheckard to load the bases. Cy Seymour smacked a hard grounder between the hole at first and second, plating two runs for the National Leaguers. Honus Wagner thrashed a base hit to left, plating Sheckard. “Cactus” Gavvy Cravath rapped into a 6-4-3 double play to suppress the uprising. Ed Konetchy whacked a two-out solo shot into the left-center field bleachers in the fourth, trimming the Americans lead to 5-4. Grove averted potential disaster in the fifth after loading the bases with a single, fielder’s choice and an intentional pass to Wagner with one away. Cravath hit a one-hop bullet back to the box. Grove fired home for the force play, and Hayes relayed to first in plenty of time to complete the 1-2-3 double play! Mel Harder entered the contest in relief of Grove to begin the sixth inning. McQuillan and Harder matched zeroes into the ninth frame. Larry Doyle, batting for Johnny Evers, grounded out to second base for the final out as the AL 1931-1945 squad claimed the win by a one-run margin. In the defeat, McQuillan hurled 6 1/3 innings of 1-hit ball.

AL1931-45 vs NL1901-15

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1931-45 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0   5  8  0  
   NL1901-15 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0   4  7  2  
 WP:Grove                            DPs V: 2
 LP:McGinnity                            H: 3 
 SV:Harder                            Time: 4:21.26
 GWRBI:   Keller
   Wind out to left at  3 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 2nd
     With McGinnity  Pitching, nobody out, 
     Keller hits a 530 ft Home Run 
      scoring DiMaggio from 1st.  Score  2 -  0 
   Top of 3rd
     With 1 out, 
     Greenberg  singles 
      scoring Travis from 2nd.  Score  3 -  0 
     Keller hits a sacrifice fly 
      scoring Gehringer  from 3rd.  Score  4 -  0 
     With 2 out, 
     Clift singles 
     followed by an error by Sheckard 
      scoring Greenberg  from 2nd.  Score  5 -  0 
   Bottom of 3rd
     With Grove Pitching, 1 out, 
     Seymour singles 
      scoring Evers from 3rd and Kling from 2nd.  Score  5 -  2 
     Wagner singles 
      scoring Sheckard from 3rd.  Score  5 -  3 
   Bottom of 4th
     With 2 out, 
     Konetchy hits a 450 ft Home Run.  Score  5 -  4 

                       Fielders                   AL1931-45

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   C. Travis,SS         4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Gehringer ,2B     4  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Foxx,1B           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   H. Greenberg ,DH     3  1  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. DiMaggio,CF       4  1  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Keller,LF         3  1  1  0  0  1   3  1  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Clift,3B          4  0  3  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Heath,RF          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   E. Averill,C         1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Hayes,C           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Ferrell,C         0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               33  5  8  0  0  1   5  1  1  3  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1931-45

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   L. Grove,W       5.0  6  4  4  1  2  0  0  0  0                       
   M. Harder,S      4.0  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  7  4  4  1  2  1  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1901-15

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   J. Sheckard,LF       4  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   1  0       
   C. Seymour,CF        4  0  1  0  0  0   2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Wagner,SS         3  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  1  0   0  0       
   G. Cravath,DH        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Zimmerman ,3B     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Burkett,RF        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Konetchy,1B       4  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Doyle,2B          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Evers,2B          2  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   1  0       
   J. Kling,C           3  1  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               33  4  7  0  0  1   4  0  2  1  1  0   2  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1901-15

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   J. McGinnity ,L  2.2  7  5  5  1  1  2  0  0  0                       
   G. McQuillan     6.1  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  1  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  8  5  5  1  1  3  0  1  0                       

13 @ 5 – NL1961-75 @ AL1946-60

The NL 1961-1975 crew jumped on Early Wynn for 3 runs in the opening frame of their second round contest. Joe L. Morgan reached on a fielding error by Al Rosen and then pilfered second and third. Hank Aaron drew a two-out walk. Willie McCovey lifted a towering fly ball down the right field line which settled just inside the foul pole and into the third row at old Yankee Stadium for a 322-foot four-bagger. Bob Gibson started the contest for the National Leaguers, staked to a 3-0 lead. “Little Joe” ignited a rally in the top of the third with a single followed by a two-base knock to deep left off the bat of Willie Mays. “Hammerin’ Hank” laced an opposite-field single to drive in Morgan and “Stretch” lofted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring the “Say Hey Kid”. Wynn recovered to strike out Dick Allen but the Nationals extended their advantage to 5-0. Ted Williams served a base hit into left field leading off the bottom of the fourth, which broke up “Gibby’s” no-hit bid. In the fifth frame, “Hammer” blasted a 2-run shot over the center field wall to pad the National Leaguers already comfortable lead to 7-zip. Ellis Kinder sauntered in to relieve Wynn in the top of the sixth. “Hoot” was cruising along with a one-hit shutout through the sixth, but he injured his index finger fielding a comebacker off the bat of “Teddy Ballgame”. Ted W. Abernathy got loose in the bullpen and entered the match in the seventh in Gibson’s place. Abernathy fashioned two scoreless innings and Phil “The Vulture” Regan closed out the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning as the National Leaguers held the AL 1946-1960 squad to one safety.

NL1961-75 vs AL1946-60

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1961-75 3 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0   7  7  0  
   AL1946-60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0  1  2  
 WP:Gibson                           DPs V: 1
 LP:Wynn                                 H: 1 
                                  Time: 2:28.26
 GWRBI:   McCovey
   Wind out to right at  7 mph
   Bob Gibson was injured. Out  6 games 

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 1st
     With Wynn Pitching, 2 out, 
     McCovey hits a 322 ft Home Run 
      scoring Morgan from 3rd and Aaron from 1st.  Score  3 -  0 
   Top of 3rd
     With 1 out, 
     Aaron singles 
      scoring Morgan from 3rd.  Score  4 -  0 
     McCovey hits a sacrifice fly 
      scoring Mays from 3rd.  Score  5 -  0 
   Top of 5th
     With 2 out, 
     Aaron hits a 494 ft Home Run 
      scoring Morgan from 2nd.  Score  7 -  0 

                       Fielders                   NL1961-75

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   P. Rose,LF           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Groat,SS          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Morgan,2B         4  3  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  2  0   0  0       
   W. Mays,CF           4  1  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Aaron,DH          3  2  2  0  0  1   3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. McCovey,1B        3  1  1  0  0  1   4  1  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Allen,3B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Torre,C           1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bench,C           3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   R. Clemente,RF       4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   O. Cepeda,LF         1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Wills,SS          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Brock,LF          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               34  7  7  1  0  2   7  1  2  4  2  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1961-75

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   B. Gibson,W      6.0  1  0  0  0  2  3  0  0  0                       
   T. Abernathy     2.0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   P. Regan         1.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  1  0  0  0  2  4  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   AL1946-60

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   L. Doby,CF           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Kaline,RF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   T. Williams,LF       3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Rosen,3B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   1  0       
   Y. Berra,C           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Colavito,DH       3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   J. Gordon,2B         1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   N. Fox,2B            1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Vernon,1B         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   P. Rizzuto,SS        2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Pesky,SS          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               28  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  2  4  0  0   1  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1946-60

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   E. Wynn,L        5.0  7  7  4  2  1  2  0  0  0                       
   E. Kinder        3.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   M. Parnell       1.0  0  0  0  0  1  2  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  7  7  4  2  2  4  0  0  0                       

Round 3

13 @ 8 – NL1961-75 @ NL1976-90

Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Fergie Jenkins took their warm-up tosses at Jarry Park as the third round of the tournament commenced. The visitors placed runners on first and second on base knocks by Pete Rose and Willie Mays in the opening inning, but “Lefty” induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Hank Aaron to quash the threat. Willie McCovey started the second inning off with a bang as he belted a mammoth 537-foot homer beyond the swimming pool over the right field fence. Gary Carter clobbered an off-speed delivery from “Fly” to knot the score at 1-all in the third. Andre “The Hawk” Dawson had to exit the contest after a tailing fastball from Jenkins plunked him in the ribcage with two away in the fifth. Pinch-runner Eric Davis immediately moved into scoring position when he stole second, but Carter grounded out to short and the score remained tied at 1-1. Carlton walked Johnny Bench to start the seventh and Clemente reached on a fielder’s choice when “Lefty” fielded a comebacker but threw late to second base in an attempt to force Bench. Bill Caudill jogged in from the bullpen to extinguish a two-on, no out situation. Willie “Pops” Stargell, batting for Dick Groat, gave Caudill’s heater a good ride but Tony Gwynn flagged it down near the warning track. Rose flew out to Gwynn near the right field line for out #2, leaving the job to Joe L. Morgan. “Little Joe” hit a sharp single between third and short but George Foster quickly retrieved the ball so Bench had to hold up at third. Sacks juiced for the “Say Hey Kid”… Caudill threw four wide to force in the go-ahead run! The skipper called upon Lee Smith and he retired Aaron on a grounder to first base. In the bottom of the eighth, Ozzie Smith legged out an infield hit and Tony Gwynn bounced one towards Orlando Cepeda at first. “Baby Bull” tried to get the lead runner but the “Wizard” slid safely under the tag. Mike G. Marshall got the call with two runners on and two away. Keith Hernandez slapped a hard ground ball to the shortstop, Maury Wills, who fielded and fired in plenty of time to end the threat. Tug McGraw worked around an infield hit to Morgan in the visitor’s ninth. Marshall walked Strawberry with two down in the bottom of the ninth, but pinch-hitter Pedro Guerrero hit an easy two-hopper to Morgan to close out the contest. The #13 seed advanced to the Finals!

NL1961-75 vs NL1976-90

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1961-75 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   2  7  0  
   NL1976-90 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0   1  3  0  
 WP:Jenkins                          DPs V: 0
 LP:Carlton                              H: 2 
 SV:Marshall                          Time: 7:22.57
 GWRBI:   Mays
   Wind swirling  at  8 mph
   Andre Dawson was injured. Out  2 games 

                              How They Scored...
   Top of 2nd
     With Carlton Pitching, nobody out, 
     McCovey hits a 536 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  0 
   Bottom of 3rd
     With Jenkins Pitching, 1 out, 
     Carter hits a 418 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  1 
   Top of 7th
     With Caudill Pitching, 2 out, 
     Mays walks 
      scoring Bench from 3rd.  Score  2 -  1 

                       Fielders                   NL1961-75

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   P. Rose,LF           4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   M. Wills,SS          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Morgan,2B         5  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Mays,CF           4  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Aaron,DH          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. McCovey,1B        3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  1  2  0  0   0  0       
   O. Cepeda,1B         0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Brock,1B          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  1  0   0  0       
   D. Allen,3B          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bench,C           3  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Clemente,RF       4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Groat,SS          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Stargell,LF       2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               34  2  7  0  0  1   2  0  5  4  1  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1961-75

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   F. Jenkins,W     7.1  3  1  1  1  1  4  0  1  0                       
   M. Marshall,S    1.2  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  3  1  1  1  2  5  0  1  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL1976-90

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   T. Gwynn,RF          4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Sandberg,2B       4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   K. Hernandez ,1B     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Schmidt,3B        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  2  0  0   0  0       
   G. Foster,LF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Strawberry,DH     3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   A. Dawson,CF         1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Davis,CF          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  1  0   0  0       
   P. Guerrero,CF       1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Carter,C          3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   O. Smith,SS          3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               31  1  3  0  0  1   1  0  2  5  1  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1976-90

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   S. Carlton,L     6.0  5  2  2  1  3  3  0  0  1                       
   B. Caudill       0.2  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0                       
   L. Smith         1.1  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0                       
   T. McGraw        1.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  7  2  2  1  5  4  0  0  1    

6 @ 2 – AL1931-45 @ NL2006-20

Roy Halladay earned the starting assignment against Dizzy Trout in the semifinal matchup at Dodger Stadium. “Doc” allowed a leadoff single to Cecil Travis and subsequently walked Charlie Gehringer, bringing up the heart of the AL1931-1945 batting order in the top of the first. Jimmie Foxx grounded into a 6-4-3 twin-killing and Hank Greenberg skied out to center to avert the potential for a big inning. In the home half of the first, Hanley Ramirez ripped a ground ball single to left with one out. Albert Pujols hit into a fielder’s choice and then Trout issued free passes to Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich to load the bases with two outs. David Wright took an inside curve off the left elbow, forcing in a run. Andrew McCutchen drove a long fly into the left field corner, but Charlie Keller settled under it for the final out. Jeff Heath singled to start the visitor’s third, and he scored all the way from first on a double up the left-center field gap by Travis. Clint Brown entered the match after Trout walked Utley leading off the bottom of the seventh. He struck out pinch-hitter Cody Bellinger then induced a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Bryce Harper to maintain the tie score. Aroldis Chapman relieved Halladay following a pinch-hit single to center by Earl Averill. Bobby Doerr, batting for Travis, flew out to right-center field. Gehringer hit a slow roller to first which Pujols scooped up and touched the bag to retire the side. Brown served up a gopher ball into the left field bleachers with two outs in the eighth as Stanton golfed a low fastball out of the yard. Joe A. Berry jogged in from the ‘pen and got Yelich to pop up to the catcher, but the NL2006-2020 squad took a 2-1 lead into the ninth. Kenley Jansen trotted in to face Foxx, Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio. “Double X” started the rally with a long single to center and he promptly replaced by pinch-runner Wally Moses. “Hammerin’ Hank” sliced a one-hopper to Pujols who initiated a 3-6-3 double play. “The Yankee Clipper” was thrown out by Hanley Ramirez from deep shortstop on a bang-bang play at first.

AL1931-45 vs NL2006-20

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   AL1931-45 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0   1  6  0  
   NL2006-20 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 x   2  5  0  
 WP:Chapman                          DPs V: 2
 LP:Brown                                H: 3 
 SV:Jansen                            Time: 0:52.15
 GWRBI:   Stanton
   Wind out to left at  3 mph

                              How They Scored...
   Bottom of 1st
     With Trout Pitching, 2 out, 
     Wright is hit by a pitch 
      scoring Pujols from 3rd.  Score  0 -  1 
   Top of 3rd
     With Halladay Pitching, 1 out, 
     Travis doubles 
      scoring Heath from 1st.  Score  1 -  1 
   Bottom of 8th
     With Brown Pitching, 2 out, 
     Stanton hits a 344 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  2 

                       Fielders                   AL1931-45

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   C. Travis,SS         3  0  2  1  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Doerr,2B          1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Ferrell,C         0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Gehringer ,2B     3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Foxx,1B           4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. Moses,1B          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Greenberg ,DH     4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. DiMaggio,CF       4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Keller,LF         2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Clift,3B          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   J. Heath,RF          3  1  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   E. Averill,C         1  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Boudreau,SS       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   F. Hayes,C           2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  1  6  1  0  0   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   AL1931-45

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   D. Trout         6.0  4  1  0  0  4  3  0  1  0                       
   C. Brown,L       1.2  1  1  1  1  0  1  0  0  0                       
   J. Berry         0.1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  5  2  1  1  4  4  0  1  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL2006-20

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   B. Harper,RF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Ramirez,SS        4  0  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   A. Pujols,1B         4  1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   G. Stanton,DH        2  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  2  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Yelich,LF         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Wright,3B         2  0  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  1  0   0  0       
   A. McCutchen ,CF     3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Utley,2B          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Posey,C           2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   Y. Molina,C          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Bellinger ,C      1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               27  2  5  0  0  1   2  0  4  4  1  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL2006-20

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   R. Halladay      7.1  5  1  1  0  1  1  0  1  0                       
   A. Chapman,W     0.2  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   K. Jansen,S      1.0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  6  1  1  0  1  1  0  1  0         

Round 4

13 @ 2 – NL1961-75 @ NL2006-20

Jacob deGrom and Sandy Koufax were called upon to secure the final victory for their respective teams as the crowd filed into Dodger Stadium. The NL 2006-2020 squad put ducks on the pond against “The Left Arm of God” in the bottom of the second, but he escaped unscathed when Willie McCovey fielded Chase Utley’s hot smash and fired home for a force out followed by a strikeout of Buster Posey. “Stretch” was drilled by a deGrom slider in the fourth inning, knocking the potential tournament MVP out of the contest. To that point, McCovey clubbed three home runs in 10 at-bats while driving in 6 runs. Pujols aka “The Machine” crushed a 492-foot long ball over the wall in left-center to put deGrom and Company ahead by one. In the top of the fifth, Johnny Bench rocked a long two-base hit off the center field fence. Roberto Clemente stroked one of his 4 singles on the day to score Bench with the tying run. Both deGrom and Koufax showed signs of fatigue and they were replaced after seven frames. Craig Kimbrel whiffed two of the three batters that he faced in the top of the eighth. Phil “The Vulture” Regan entered the match in the bottom of the inning and he was greeted by a titanic 484-foot clout, a no-doubter by Kris Bryant to surrender the go-ahead run. Aroldis Chapman came on to close out the game in the ninth. Lou Brock pinch-ran after Clemente slapped a two-out safety to right, but Buster Posey gunned him down attempting to swipe second to seal the 2-1 victory! Jacob deGrom (15 IP, 1 ER) and Willie McCovey (3 HR, 6 RBI) shared Most Valuable Player honors.

NL1961-75 vs NL2006-20

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 x R  H  E
   NL1961-75 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0   1  7  0  
   NL2006-20 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 x   2  5  0  
 WP:Kimbrel                          DPs V: 0
 LP:Regan                                H: 2 
 SV:Chapman                           Time: 0:23.46
 GWRBI:   Bryant
   Wind in from left-center at 10 mph
   Willie McCovey was injured. Out  2 games 

                              How They Scored...
   Bottom of 4th
     With Koufax Pitching, nobody out, 
     Pujols hits a 492 ft Home Run.  Score  0 -  1 
   Top of 5th
     With deGrom Pitching, nobody out, 
     Clemente singles 
      scoring Bench from 2nd.  Score  1 -  1 
   Bottom of 8th
     With Regan Pitching, nobody out, 
     Bryant hits a 484 ft Home Run.  Score  1 -  2 

                       Fielders                   NL1961-75

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   P. Rose,LF           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   D. Groat,SS          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   J. Morgan,2B         4  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   W. Mays,CF           4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   H. Aaron,DH          3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   W. McCovey,1B        0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   O. Cepeda,1B         2  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   D. Allen,3B          4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   J. Bench,C           4  1  1  1  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   R. Clemente,RF       4  0  4  0  0  0   1  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   L. Brock,RF          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1   0  0       
   J. Torre,LF          0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   M. Wills,SS          2  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1  0  1   0  0       
   B. Williams,LF       0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  1  7  1  0  0   1  0  3  7  0  2   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL1961-75

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   S. Koufax        7.0  4  1  1  1  3  7  0  0  0                       
   P. Regan,L       1.0  1  1  1  1  0  0  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            8.0  5  2  2  2  3  7  0  0  0                       

                       Fielders                   NL2006-20

                       AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SH BB SO SB CS ERR PB
   B. Harper,RF         3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0  0  0   0  0       
   H. Ramirez,SS        4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   K. Bryant,3B         4  1  2  1  0  1   1  0  0  1  0  0   0  0       
   A. Pujols,1B         3  1  1  0  0  1   1  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   G. Stanton,DH        3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1  0  0   0  0       
   C. Yelich,LF         4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   A. McCutchen ,CF     3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   C. Utley,2B          3  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  0   0  0       
   B. Posey,C           3  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2  0  0   0  0       
   TOTAL               30  2  5  1  0  2   2  0  3  7  0  0   0  0       

                       Pitchers                   NL2006-20

                     IP  H  R ER HR BB SO WP HB BK
   J. deGrom        7.0  6  1  1  0  3  4  0  2  0                       
   C. Kimbrel,W     1.0  0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0                       
   A. Chapman,S     1.0  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0                       
   TOTAL            9.0  7  1  1  0  3  7  0  2  0                       

Ratings

Graphics – [4] Earl Weaver Baseball II introduced the ability to view the game from innumerable camera angles. The user can choose to zoom in/out, focus on the ball or a specific fielder and adjust the camera angle or position. Alternatively you can turn the Director off which limits the view to the behind the plate / full-batter view (with no runners on base) along with three preset overview cameras. The game features fully animated and fairly representative depictions of the pitchers, fielders, batters and baserunners performing their various tasks. Sliding baserunners kick up dirt, the seams on the ball are visible when the pitch is delivered, umpires signal safe or out. On the downside, the player sizes are sometimes distorted based on the play type or camera angle. In particular I noticed that the catcher emerged in front of home plate on a bunt or slow-moving infield chopper, he appeared to be half the height of the batter-runner. When a fielder attempts to scoop a low throw, they also appear to be smaller than the baserunner. My recollection is that the fielders remain upright on all plays (no diving stops in the infield or all-out attempts to snare drives in the outfield).  The pitcher’s last name, actual ERA and number of pitches thrown appear in the upper-half of the screen upon the start of each at-bat while the batter’s last name, batting average and run rating are displayed at the same time in the lower section.  Then the game status is presented briefly along the bottom of the screen prior to the pitch, consisting of the current score, inning, number of outs, and the ball-strike count. Between innings, the scoreboard appears along with the batters due up in the next half-inning.

Sound – [3] The ballpark organist ripped through “Charge!” and a series of ballpark favorites between innings and during appropriate lulls in the action. A hit batsman provokes a “bonk” sound effect immediately followed by chirping birds. Other in-game sound effects encompass the crack of the bat, ball hitting the glove and umpire calls. Crowd noise is noticeably absent.

Strategy – [4] The manager(s) can toggle the following options on or off through the use of the strategy menu: offense – aggressive baserunning, bunt, hit & run, run & hit, take (don’t swing), leadoff, steal second, steal third, steal home, double steal, squeeze, run (on contact from) third; defense – confer (visit mount), guard (the lines), hold, infield shift, infield depth, outfield shift, outfield depth, pitch around, pitch out, charge first, charge third, give run. You can also “Ask Earl” for advice about the current situation or switch to the lineup screen where you select pinch-hitters, pinch-runners, defensive replacements and relievers. You can warm-up relief pitchers and check their status here as well. I found it necessary to manually keep track of my substitutions as I was not prompted between innings if one of my pinch-hitters or pinch-runners were about to play out of position. It is also essential to monitor status of your bullpen as your relievers can become fatigued if you allow them to warm up indefinitely.

Artificial Intelligence – [5] Based on the additional teams that I constructed for my “All-Time” league, I created 8 new manager profiles. The user can modify any of the 19 managerial tendencies utilizing the “quick” and/or “zoom in” options. The quick edit offers a scale of 6 choices: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Average, Often, Very Often. Zoom-in editing permits more granular selections based on a percentage, inning or rating although I found that Zoom-In caused the game to crash within my DosBox session. The game comes with built-in profiles for several classic managers. The list below indicates the managers that I selected for each All-Time Team and an asterisk denotes the skippers that had pre-configured profiles within EWB II.

During my review of the simulated season stats, I noted the over-use of the bullpen staff on several teams, particularly in the teams from the last 5 decades. However it is possible that this trend could be at least partially due to the pitch counts selected in the manager profiles as I configured the managers of the contemporary squads with the setting to remove pitchers after 110 pitches. Moreover I limited most of the active rosters to 4 relievers, thereby restricting the ability of the computer manager to rest his bullpen arms during the course of the season. The All-Time League also utilized the designated hitter in all contests, reducing the need to deploy pinch-hitters.

Box Score – [4] The first page encompasses the team names and line score for the contest along with the winning/losing/saving pitchers, double plays, game-winning RBI, time of game, wind speed and direction. A “how they scored” summary shows the inning, event, home run distance (if applicable) and the score of the game after each event occurred. The box score includes all of the standard categories. The offense is listed in their proper batting order. I noticed that pinch-hitters and pinch-runners that are replaced prior to taking the field on defense are incorrectly listed in the defensive position of the player that they substituted for, instead of “PH” or “PR”. Pitchers are enumerated in the order in which they appeared in the ball game as well. Team totals appear at the bottom of each batting and pitching statistical column.

Rosters – [5] – Each team has a 25-man active roster and there are no specified rules regarding the number of position players vs. pitchers that you can carry. EWB II incorporates a reserve list for every team with no limits and each league has a free agent pool in which you can add or drop players. The computer managers do not access the reserve list to my knowledge, so adjusting your league rosters to accommodate injuries and ineffective players is a manual process. The user can configure one or two leagues containing one or two divisions with up to 8 teams per division. Players can be traded among teams and a draft function is included as well.

Statistics – [5] – Users have the option to modify their player’s name, primary and secondary positions, batting hand, skin tone, year, ID # and salary. The standard batting, pitching and fielding statistics are adjustable and you may auto-generate or assign various ratings to each player. The ratings are scaled from 1 (worst) to 10 (best) comprising Power, Hit & Run, Bunt, Runs, Range, Arm and Durability for batters while pitchers are evaluated on Speed, Control, Fatigue, Bunt, Hold and Durability. Player’s status can be set to Active, Reserve, Disabled List (DL), Farm, AAA, AA or Free. You have the ability to enter split stats (vs. left-handers and vs. right-handers) to further enhance the realism of simulated seasons. The player editor displays both historical and accumulated statistics for the individual that you’re currently viewing or modifying. Team nicknames can be revised and you may assign a manager and ballpark to specific teams.  The Commissioner’s Disk provides a utility to view or print a variety of reports. You can specify minimum # of at-bats, innings pitched, list length and sort order. Several season disks were available for purchase from Electronic Arts. .

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [4] – Players can be injured during the course of the game (based on their injury rating) and fatigue is also a factor for pitchers. Injured players are listed in the lineup screen as “Out for ## Games” while fatigued players are “Resting for ## Games”. You can opt to allow resting and/or injured players to be available through the Ground Rules or Schedule Settings screens. The Durability and Fatigue ratings figure heavily in the number of games each player may be unavailable. The manager will come out to argue close plays, resulting in an animated discussion with the umpire but the skipper and his players cannot be ejected from a ball game. The computer manager will substitute a healthy player from the bench. However the game does not recall players from the reserve list for an extended injury. If you’re so inclined, you will need to monitor and manipulate the extended (reserve) roster while tracking injuries on your own.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [5] – 30 current and old-time ballparks come with the game along with 2 fantasy stadiums (Homer Heaven and Weaver Stadium). One of my favorite aspects of the EWB series is the ability to modify the existing parks or create your own park from scratch. This utility allows the user to assign a stadium name, determine if the field is natural grass or artificial turf, indoor (domed) or outdoor construction, alter the fence heights and distances, allocate the dimensions of foul territory, primary color, and the wind characteristics (speed, percentage and prevailing direction). Although park factors are not specifically mentioned in the manual, the physics model does take the dimensions, turf type and wind factors into account.

Commentary – [1] – Commentary is limited to the umpire’s calls such as “Ball”, “Strike”, “Out!” and “Outta There!”

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Total Score: 40 out of 50

Observations

Despite the variety of enhancements to its predecessor, EWB II falls a bit short of the extremely high bar set by the original. The resulting effort still has plenty to offer and I highly recommend tracking down this game if you don’t already have it in your software library!

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Earl Weaver Baseball II.

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Playthrough – HardballRetro

SABR Stay at Home – Eddie Dombrower

Download Derek’s All-Time Rosters for Earl Weaver Baseball II – http://www.mediafire.com/folder/jhfkfloqwkfo4/EarlWeaverBaseball2

Play Earl Weaver Baseball II in your browser! –

https://archive.org/details/msdos_Earl_Weaver_Baseball_II_1991

Murray, Rink. “386 Down the Power Alleys: Baseball Simulations Emerge From Spring Training.” PC Magazine. April 28, 1992, p493. https://books.google.com/books?id=HERlo0BgpGYC&pg=PT475&dq=pc+magazine+386+apba+baseball+simulation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZipuBgZjoAhUCc98KHcOkDqoQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=pc%20magazine%20386%20apba%20baseball%20simulation&f=false

Poho, Seth. “Earl Weaver and the Greatest Baseball Game of All-Time.” RO Baseball. January 5, 2017. https://medium.com/ro-baseball/earl-weaver-and-the-greatest-baseball-game-of-all-time-e000bd94a92a

Rogers, Win. “Field of (Weird) Dreams.” Computer Gaming World. Volume 89, December 1991, p16, 18, 20. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_89.pdf

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/earl-weaver-baseball-ii/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2qdhUNkl7E Earl Weaver Baseball II, video by Squakenet

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. 

All-Time League – Final Standings (Simulated Season, Second Attempt)

      AL Greats                                        

                  W   L   %                                           

      AL1916-30  96  66 .592

      AL1901-15  85  77 .524

      AL1931-45  80  82 .493

      AL1991-05  79  83 .487

      AL2006-20  78  84 .481

      AL1976-90  77  85 .475

      AL1961-75  74  88 .456

      AL1946-60  69  93 .425

                                                                                   

      NL Greats                                        

                  W   L   %                                              

      NL2006-20  99  63 .611

      NL1991-05  98  64 .604

      NL1916-30  92  70 .567

      NL1976-90  88  74 .543

      NL1901-15  86  76 .530

      NL1961-75  72  90 .444

      NL1946-60  70  92 .432

      NL1931-45  53 109 .327

 

All-Time League, Team-by-Team Statistics

                                                                                   
     AL1901-15        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    T. Easterly,C *  .244   122  398   40   97   7   0   3   45   18   31   8       
    J. Clarke,C *    .178    64  169   13   30   2   3   1   12   15   24   0       
    H. Davis,1B      .220   162  592   46  130  17   3   5   73   23   70  15       
    S. McInnis,1B    .231    20   13    2    3   0   0   0    2    2    0   0       
    N. Lajoie,2B     .340   161  645   83  219  20   6   8  118    8   13  17       
    E. Collins,2B*   .288   162  618   95  178   9   5   5   74  103   30  42       
    H. Baker,3B*     .277   162  599   62  166  20   2   9   89   58   44  18       
    B. Bradley,3B    .344    31   32    5   11   3   1   0    5    2    5   0       
    J. Collins,3B    .308    12   13    0    4   1   0   0    2    3    1   1       
    G. Davis,SS#     .242   117  359   50   87   3   1   0   24   62   26  21       
    D. Bush,SS#      .253    52  166   16   42   3   0   1   10   24   18  10       
    T. Cobb,CF*      .350   162  649  106  227  14   9   6  111   51   54  59       
    J. Jackson,RF*   .309   162  674  107  208  11   6   5   63   53   55  50       
    S. Crawford,RF*  .400    54   60   10   24   0   1   1    4    4    2   1       
    G. Stone,LF*     .320   162  607   64  194  13   0   3   52   27   35  40       
    E. Flick,CF*     .154    15   13    2    2   0   0   0    1    1    1   0       
    M. McIntyre,LF*  .000     3    3    1    0   0   0   0    0    1    0   0       
 Total Stats         .289  1623 5610  702 1622 123  37  47  685  455  409 282       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    W. Johnson      16  12   0  3.13    250.0  33  238   87  22   85  150           
    J. Chesbro      11  11   0  2.96    243.0  33  231   80  24   99  118           
    C. Young        11  12   0  3.41    242.2  32  251   92  27   61   81           
    R. Waddell *    14   9   0  3.16    236.0  32  247   83  23   89  149           
    J. Coombs       13  10   1  3.12    238.2  31  218   83  31  121  128           
    J. Wood          2   7   5  3.77     59.2   1   68   25   8   24   46           
    E. Walsh        12  10  10  3.47     98.1   0  106   38  14   39   46           
    R. Russell *     6   6  10  3.51    105.0   0  111   41  14   47   40           
 Total Stats        85  77  26  3.23   1473.1 162 1470  529 163  565  758           
                                                                                   
     AL1976-90        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    C. Fisk,C        .226   162  557   55  126   6   0  18   49   54   99   1       
    L. Parrish,C     .333     4    3    0    1   0   0   0    1    0    0   0       
    D. Mattingly     .316    14   19    1    6   0   0   1    3    0    1   0       
    E. Murray,1B#    .261   162  563   63  147   8   1  13   57   80   81   0       
    L. Whitaker,2B*  .400    26   20    6    8   0   0   0    3    1    1   0       
    W. Randolph,2B   .252   162  635   81  160  11   0   5   61   98   77  15       
    B. Grich,2B      .000     1    1    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    1   0       
    G. Brett,3B*     .283   162  626   77  177  23   2  13   95   66   34  10       
    W. Boggs,3B*     .227    21   22    3    5   0   0   0    0    4    1   0       
    R. Yount,SS      .364     9   11    3    4   0   0   0    2    0    2   1       
    A. Trammell,SS   .250    17   16    8    4   0   0   2    5    1    3   0       
    C. Ripken,SS     .276   162  653   64  180  12   2  17   73   30  111   0       
    J. Canseco,RF    .273   162  615   81  168  16   1  22  114   70  145  24       
    R. Henderson     .244   162  660  106  161   5   0  15   49   89   70  45       
    J. Rice,LF       .238   162  596   57  142   7   2  22   65   38  131   1       
    R. Jackson,RF*   .207   162  603   69  125   4   1  29   79   75  137   0       
 Total Stats         .253  1550 5600  674 1414  92   9 157  656  606  894  97       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    R. Clemens      10  19   0  4.28    203.2  33  214   97  32  104  116           
    R. Guidry *     15  12   1  2.93    233.0  33  208   76  26   83  156           
    B. Saberhagen    9  12   0  3.93    187.1  32  195   82  26   58   99           
    F. Viola *       8  10   0  3.81    184.0  31  186   78  29   57  100           
    D. Stieb         8  11   0  4.49    186.1  31  221   93  29   96   89           
    M. Eichhorn      6   7   6  2.91    179.1   2  162   58  28   61  124           
    D. Quisenbrry    6   5  13  2.96     91.0   0   89   30   9   38   39           
    R. Gossage       6   3   4  4.15     86.2   0   86   40  12   44   47           
    R. Fingers       9   6   3  2.09    124.2   0   97   29  11   38   47           
 Total Stats        77  85  27  3.55   1476.0 162 1458  583 202  579  817           
                                                                                   
     AL1931-45        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    B. Dickey,C *    .269   162  554   72  149   3   1  22   68   48   29   0       
    R. Ferrell,C     .310    26   42    4   13   0   0   1    1    2    3   0       
    J. Foxx,1B       .304   162  611  107  186  11   3  54  122   91  118   0       
    H. Greenberg     .237   162  600   76  142   9   1  33   94   78  127   0       
    C. Gehringer     .266   162  635   74  169  12   1   4   52   77   37   0       
    B. Doerr,2B      .250    13    8    2    2   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    H. Clift,3B      .269   162  516   75  139   4   1  28   67   91   69   0       
    R. Rolfe,3B*     .231    11   13    2    3   0   0   0    1    1    0   0       
    L. Appling,SS    .248   162  660   55  164   7   2   2   50   71   35   0       
    L. Boudreau,SS   .211    21   19    3    4   1   0   0    2    1    1   0       
    J. DiMaggio,CF   .246   162  610   66  150   7   2  21   68   39   42   0       
    E. Averill,CF*   .393    25   28    3   11   3   0   0    4    3    0   0       
    J. Heath,RF*     .275   162  550   69  151  16   0  17   74   42   84   4       
    B. Johnson,LF    .273    26   11    5    3   0   0   0    0    4    1   0       
    C. Keller,LF*    .199   162  539   62  107   4   1  21   59   79   73   1       
    W. Moses,RF*     .333    18    6    2    2   1   0   0    0    0    0   0       
 Total Stats         .258  1598 5402  677 1395  78  12 203  662  627  619   5       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    H. Newhouser    16  10   0  2.27    233.2  33  225   59   9   98  116           
    L. Grove *      12  11   0  3.52    196.2  32  204   77  18   69   86           
    D. Trout        11  14   0  3.44    216.2  32  238   83  15   91   91           
    L. Gomez *      14   7   0  2.67    208.1  32  206   62  15   84   93           
    W. Ferrell       9  20   0  5.12    191.1  32  235  109  25   80   75           
    M. Harder        4   7  17  4.84    117.0   1  151   63  23   43   56           
    S. Rowe          2   2   4  4.82     50.1   0   82   27   6   24   30           
    C. Brown         2   0   1  6.35     17.0   0   22   12   2    8    6           
    J. Berry        10  11   9  3.44    206.1   0  200   79  16   74   87           
 Total Stats        80  82  31  3.58   1437.1 162 1563  571 129  571  640           
                                                                                   
     AL1991-05        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    I. Rodriguez     .240   162  570   53  137   7   0  14   55    9   68   5       
    J. Posada,C #    .350    10   20    0    7   0   0   0    2    4    4   0       
    F. Thomas,1B     .229   162  616   74  141   6   2  26   81   92  111   0       
    J. Giambi,1B*    .400     3    5    0    2   0   0   0    1    0    1   0       
    R. Palmeiro,1B*  .000    15    2    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    1   1       
    R. Alomar,2B#    .278   162  634   91  176  10   3  16   70   96  124  15       
    C. Baerga,2B#    .000     3    0    1    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    T. Glaus,3B      .000    13    7    2    0   0   0   0    0    1    4   0       
    J. Thome,3B*     .223   162  543   72  121   5   1  18   55  100  174   0       
    A. Rodriguez     .262   162  625   80  164  12   1  30   82   39  118  35       
    M. Tejada,SS     .000     2    0    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    K. Griffey,CF*   .240   162  638   84  153   9   2  40  100   57  145   2       
    A. Belle,LF      .234   162  633   75  148   6   0  39   91   49  112   0       
    M. Ramirez,RF    .250   162  551   63  138   6   1  27   73   71  172   0       
    E. Martinez,DH   .000     0    0    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    I. Suzuki,RF*    .312   162  709   73  221   4   0   8   50   28   65  10       
 Total Stats         .254  1504 5553  668 1408  65  10 218  660  546 1099  68       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    P. Martinez      4  15   0  4.08    200.2  33  214   91  36   56  135           
    J. Santana *    13  11   0  3.43    183.2  33  175   70  27   68  116           
    M. Mussina      16  11   0  3.86    205.0  32  215   88  21   68   91           
    P. Hentgen      11  13   0  4.02    192.1  32  202   86  32   80   95           
    K. Appier       12  13   0  4.40    184.0  32  180   90  25   96   96           
    M. Rivera       12   7  25  2.66    209.0   0  186   62  22   72  144           
    R. Hernandez     3   4   1  3.30     92.2   0   89   34  13   48   61           
    K. Foulke        5   2   2  3.11     98.1   0   83   34  13   25   66           
    J. Mesa          3   7   3  3.85     93.1   0  109   40  16   41   56           
 Total Stats        79  83  31  3.67   1459.0 162 1453  595 205  554  860           
                                                                                   
     AL1946-60        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    Y. Berra,C *     .308   162  634   70  195   8   7  17   87   41   16   0       
    S. Lollar,C      .217    15   23    1    5   0   0   0    2    1    1   0       
    M. Vernon,1B*    .286   162  581   61  166   9   2   4   44   44   72   1       
    F. Fain,1B*      .571    11   14    2    8   0   0   0    1    1    0   0       
    J. Gordon,2B     .210   162  599   67  126   6   2  22   54   47   82   0       
    N. Fox,2B*       .333    26   15    2    5   0   0   0    1    2    1   0       
    A. Rosen,3B      .279   162  645   84  180   5   0  40  105   69   54   0       
    G. Kell,3B       .100     6   10    0    1   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    P. Rizzuto,SS    .279   162  551   69  154   5   4   7   50   65   55   0       
    J. Pesky,SS*     .111    14    9    0    1   0   0   0    0    1    2   0       
    T. Williams,LF*  .274   162  588   87  161   5   1  33   97  115   62   0       
    R. Colavito,RF   .230   162  601   65  138   4   1  30   80   60  137   0       
    M. Minoso,LF     .238    35   21    5    5   1   0   0    2    2    1   0       
    L. Doby,CF*      .251   162  645   97  162   9   3  27   97   89  104   0       
    A. Kaline,RF     .283   162  682   79  193   5   3  11   54   64   87   0       
    D. DiMaggio,CF   .217    25   23    2    5   0   0   0    0    1    4   0       
 Total Stats         .267  1590 5641  691 1505  57  23 191  674  602  678   1       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    B. Feller       10  15   0  3.97    231.0  33  241  102  26  119  125           
    E. Wynn          5  16   0  4.33    197.1  33  208   95  30   99   98           
    M. Parnell *    11  13   0  3.42    215.2  32  208   82  24  103  103           
    B. Pierce *     11  12   0  4.49    202.1  32  224  101  30   94  108           
    B. Shantz *     11  11   0  3.32    219.1  32  213   81  23   85  107           
    J. Bunning       2   3   1  4.55     59.1   0   74   30   7   32   19           
    E. Kinder        4   9   9  4.63     87.1   0   88   45  10   51   28           
    J. Page *        6  10  13  4.98    104.2   0  111   58  13   72   61           
    S. Paige         9   4   7  4.27    151.2   0  152   72  16   91   99           
 Total Stats        69  93  30  4.08   1468.2 162 1519  666 179  746  748           
                                                                                   
     AL2006-20        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    J. Mauer,C *     .297   162  535   68  159   6   1  10   52   68   58   0       
    Y. Gomes,C       .171    27   41    4    7   1   0   1    5    3   11   0       
    D. Ortiz,1B*     .208   162  606   83  126   5   0  39   95   91  144   0       
    C. Davis,1B*     .222    13    9    3    2   1   0   0    1    1    4   0       
    J. Abreu,1B      .268   162  641   70  172   8   1  25   79   40  162   0       
    J. Altuve,2B     .288    61   52    9   15   0   0   1    5    5    7   0       
    R. Cano,2B*      .278   162  615   67  171   6   1  12   50   49   68   0       
    M. Cabrera,3B    .284   162  666   74  189  11   0  30  103   43  147   0       
    J. Donaldson     .200     6    5    1    1   0   0   1    2    1    2   0       
    E. Longoria,3B   .273    22   11    4    3   0   0   1    2    0    1   0       
    D. Jeter,SS      .261   162  547   73  143  10   4   9   56   50  104   9       
    C. Correa,SS     .261    17   23    3    6   0   0   0    0    3    6   0       
    M. Betts,RF      .266   162  665   91  177  16   1  31  100   63  126   8       
    J. Bautista,RF   .222    58   54    8   12   0   0   2    7    7   13   0       
    M. Trout,CF      .261   162  631   97  165   9   3  21   71   99  180   4       
    C. Crawford,LF*  .287   162  550   62  158  14   3   9   77   28  104  10       
 Total Stats         .267  1662 5651  717 1506  87  14 192  705  551 1137  31       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    J. Verlander    11  12   0  3.82    185.2  33  191   79  29   75   92           
    C. Kluber       10  16   0  5.11    170.2  33  192   97  35   80  109           
    Z. Greinke       9   9   0  3.65    172.1  32  188   70  19   81  103           
    C. Lee *        11  12   0  3.07    190.0  32  196   65  25   50  111           
    G. Cole          9  11   0  5.68    153.2  32  168   97  44   75  112           
    Z. Britton *     5   7   8  3.89    141.0   0  141   61  12   52  104           
    F. Rodriguez     8   6   1  7.19     76.1   0   91   61  12   53   54           
    J. Nathan        6   6   3  2.26    194.2   0  154   49  18   79  156           
    J. Papelbon      9   5  14  2.67    168.0   0  152   50  11   50  113           
 Total Stats        78  84  26  3.90   1452.1 162 1473  629 205  595  954           
                                                                                   
     AL1916-30        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    M. Cochrane,C *  .276   122  442   27  122   9   0   3   48   41   22   0       
    W. Schang,C #    .252    49  151   20   38   3   1   2   17   25   11   0       
    L. Gehrig,1B*    .319   162  611  102  195  11   0  39  157   94   81   0       
    G. Sisler,1B*    .360   162  684  137  246  22   2   7   90   56   18  36       
    T. Lazzeri,2B    .311   162  621   69  193  15   4  15   86   54   62   0       
    D. Pratt,2B      .999     3    1    2    1   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    W. Kamm,3B       .270    44  148   24   40   3   1   2   15   19   19   1       
    O. Bluege,3B     .217   120  433   51   94   7   1   0   22   29   24   2       
    J. Cronin,SS     .291   162  609   69  177  10   2   9   69   49   35   0       
    J. Sewell,SS*    .000     3    2    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    B. Ruth,RF*      .303   162  617  127  187   9   1  50  149  110  111   0       
    A. Simmons,LF    .239   162  633   84  151  14   1  32  114   38   47   1       
    H. Heilmann,RF   .769    13   13    7   10   0   0   1    2    0    0   0       
    T. Speaker,CF*   .310   162  675  129  209  19   4  14   69   83   20   0       
    G. Goslin,LF*    .167    14   18    1    3   1   0   0    2    1    1   0       
    H. Manush,LF*    .571    11   14    5    8   0   0   0    5    0    0   0       
    E. Combs,CF*     .500    11    6    2    3   0   0   1    4    0    0   0       
 Total Stats         .295  1524 5678  856 1677 123  17 175  849  599  451  40       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    E. Cicotte      20   7   0  2.85    236.1  33  226   75  23   98  128           
    R. Faber        21   8   0  2.94    238.2  33  235   78  23   88   86           
    G. Uhle         14  10   0  4.33    224.1  32  246  108  21  101  104           
    J. Bagby        10  12   0  3.60    202.0  32  218   81  26   77   53           
    S. Coveleski    13  13   0  3.37    229.1  32  236   86  23   89   76           
    F. Marberry      3   5   6  3.24     94.1   0   96   34  10   30   32           
    G. Braxton *     8   8  13  2.98     99.1   0   93   33   9   39   63           
    D. Danforth *    7   3  12  3.61    122.0   0  117   49  11   53   61           
 Total Stats        96  66  31  3.39   1446.1 162 1467  544 146  575  603           
                                                                                   
     AL1961-75        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    E. Howard,C      .314    54  159   14   50   1   2   6   17    9   19   0       
    T. Munson,C      .295   121  424   52  125   1   0   7   24   12   43   0       
    N. Cash,1B*      .316   123  437   82  138   6   3  15   67   97   67   0       
    B. Powell,1B*    .200     5    5    0    1   0   0   0    0    1    0   0       
    R. Carew,2B*     .307   162  693  113  213   9   1  17   57   67   57  15       
    H. Killebrew     .211    53  142   19   30   1   0   7   22   39   20   0       
    B. Robinson,3B   .246   162  589   60  145   7   2  19   57   38   69   0       
    R. Petrocelli    .240   162  596   79  143   5   2  36   91   73   79   0       
    B. Campaneris    .000    17    3    1    0   0   0   0    0    0    1   0       
    M. Mantle,CF#    .205   162  599   87  123   7   2  32  100  113  158   1       
    F. Robinson,RF   .255   162  599   84  153   9   1  34  114   70   91   0       
    C. Yastrzmski    .276   162  612   87  169   9   1  31  118   79   85   0       
    T. Oliva,RF*     .000     9    8    1    0   0   0   0    0    1    1   0       
    R. Maris,RF*     .201   162  587   79  118   3   0  34   85   71   67   0       
    R. White,LF#     .100    21   10    1    1   0   0   0    0    1    1   0       
    P. Blair,CF      .000     8    3    1    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
 Total Stats         .258  1545 5466  760 1409  58  14 238  752  671  758  16       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    G. Perry        14  11   0  4.44    235.0  33  254  116  32  100  100           
    J. Palmer        9  16   0  4.37    228.1  32  251  111  46   63  110           
    D. McLain       16  10   0  3.60    227.1  32  223   91  34   72  119           
    B. Blyleven      6  18   0  4.72    196.1  32  247  103  36   87  118           
    S. McDowell *   11  19   0  5.01    204.2  32  213  114  41   92  138           
    D. Chance        4   2   4  2.91     89.2   0   68   29   8   34   55           
    D. Radatz        5   3   1  3.91     62.0   0   67   27   8   31   45           
    R. Perranoski    5   2   5  3.14    108.2   0  103   38   5   50   55           
    J. Hiller *      4   7  15  3.53     84.0   1   89   33  13   35   61           
 Total Stats        74  88  25  4.15   1436.0 162 1515  662 223  564  801           
                                                                                   
     NL1961-75        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    J. Bench,C       .266   162  593   79  158  10   1  30   79   37  104   0       
    W. McCovey,1B*   .252   162  556   87  140  10   0  29   81  120   98   0       
    O. Cepeda,1B     .220    47   41    4    9   0   0   2    6    2    8   0       
    J. Morgan,2B*    .263   162  619  101  163  19   0   9   60  101   83  27       
    J. Torre,3B      .043    23   23    1    1   0   0   0    0    3    3   0       
    R. Santo,3B      .174    25   23    2    4   0   0   1    2    3    8   0       
    D. Allen,3B      .248   162  625   62  155   9   3  23   66   38  140   0       
    M. Wills,SS#     .266   124  376   43  100   6   0   1   28   19   32  23       
    D. Groat,SS      .302    75  182   14   55   2   1   0   12   12   15   0       
    W. Mays,CF       .252   162  634   83  160   6   1  38  116   67  106   0       
    H. Aaron,RF      .245   162  608   82  149   6   3  31   99   62   93   0       
    W. Stargell,LF*  .267    11   15    3    4   0   0   2    6    0    2   0       
    B. Williams,LF*  .417    12   12    2    5   0   0   1    4    2    1   0       
    R. Clemente,RF   .334   162  580   63  194   8   4  19   74   31  108   0       
    L. Brock,LF*     .200    47   35    5    7   0   0   0    0    3    9   2       
    P. Rose,LF#      .307   162  678   73  208   7   0   7   55   47   39   0       
 Total Stats         .270  1660 5600  704 1512  83  13 193  688  547  849  52       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    S. Koufax *      9  10   0  3.47    184.0  33  168   71  23   72  137           
    B. Gibson       11  12   0  3.56    192.0  33  195   76  27   62  118           
    F. Jenkins       8  14   0  6.15    146.1  32  195  100  27   60   93           
    J. Marichal     11  10   0  3.56    176.2  32  193   70  18   66   84           
    D. Drysdale     11  14   0  4.54    160.1  32  186   81  19   61   92           
    M. Marshall      3   5   8  4.37     92.2   0   97   45  14   51   63           
    T. Abernathy    12   8  12  2.90    251.1   0  222   81  27  133  139           
    D. Selma         1  11   9  4.97     97.2   0  108   54  13   62   65           
    P. Regan         6   6   8  3.78    150.0   0  162   63  18   43   70           
 Total Stats        72  90  37  3.98   1451.0 162 1526  641 186  610  861           
                                                                                   
     NL1901-15        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    R. Bresnahan     .229   128  402   35   92   6   0   1   49   47   77  26       
    J. Kling,C       .260    55  146   21   38   0   0   3   16   13   17   8       
    F. Chance,1B     .241   135  386   52   93   5   2   0   29   57   45  43       
    E. Konetchy,1B   .223    60  157   16   35   3   0   4   18   13   19   4       
    L. Doyle,2B*     .267   162  562   55  150  18   3   5   50   54   53  44       
    J. Evers,2B*     .265    27   34    1    9   0   0   0    2    1    1   2       
    H. Zimmerman     .274   162  649   62  178  12   1   9   67   22   97  26       
    A. Devlin,3B     .294    15   17    1    5   0   0   0    0    1    2   4       
    H. Wagner,SS     .314   162  649   65  204  23   4   8   94   40   37  60       
    J. Tinker,SS     .182     8   11    2    2   0   0   0    2    0    1   1       
    C. Seymour,CF*   .255   162  652   75  166  12   4   4   79   34   45  37       
    J. Burkett,LF*   .310   162  574   58  178   7   5   5   60   47   93  26       
    J. Sheckard,LF*  .272   162  622   99  169   6   4   8   64   75   69  89       
    S. Magee,LF      .271    52   59   10   16   0   0   1    7    8    3   5       
    H. Lumley,RF     .212    30   33    1    7   0   0   0    4    0   10   1       
    G. Cravath,RF    .195   162  579   64  113  10   1   9   61   75  119   3       
    T. Leach,CF      .250    11    8    2    2   0   0   0    2    1    1   1       
 Total Stats         .263  1655 5540  619 1457 102  24  57  604  488  689 380       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    C. Mathewson    16  11   0  2.60    259.1  33  247   75  33   73  164           
    J. McGinnity     6  15   0  4.29    226.1  33  261  108  36   99  111           
    J. Taylor       16  10   0  2.80    263.1  32  241   82  33   76   88           
    N. Hahn *       19   9   0  3.25    252.0  32  253   91  25   88   69           
    G. McQuillan     3  10  11  3.92    149.0   2  155   65  11   63   45           
    B. James         1   0   0  4.86     16.2   0   21    9   4   10    7           
    B. Adams *      14  14   0  3.01    221.0  30  209   74  23   66  100           
    M. Brown        11   7  13  2.29     98.0   0   93   25   6   42   48           
 Total Stats        86  76  24  3.20   1485.2 162 1480  529 171  517  632           
 
                                                                                   
     NL1931-45        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    E. Lombardi,C    .306   122  431   49  132  10   1  11   53   23   13   0       
    H. Danning,C     .223    62  175    8   39   1   0   0    6    3   23   0       
    D. Camilli,1B*   .209   162  569   61  119   5   0  22   57   86  154   0       
    E. Fletcher,1B*  .217    31   23    2    5   0   0   1    4    5    6   0       
    B. Herman,2B     .270   162  564   58  152  14   0   3   58   23   25   0       
    L. Frey,2B*      .348    37   23    5    8   0   0   0    0    5    1   0       
    P. Martin,3B     .278   162  586   71  163  16   1   6   47   35   44   3       
    S. Hack,3B*      .304    47   46    8   14   0   0   1    2    3    7   0       
    A. Vaughan,SS*   .296   162  636   93  188  10   2  16   67   92   21   0       
    D. Bartell,SS    .320    30   25    4    8   1   0   1    1    3    3   0       
    J. Medwick,LF    .267   162  648   64  173  17   2  15   68   20   67   1       
    M. Ott,RF*       .279   161  591   87  165   5   3  30  103   90   33   1       
    P. Waner,RF*     .312   162  658   78  205  14   8   5   75   69   23   0       
    P. Reiser,CF*    .229    66   48    3   11   2   0   0    8    2   10   0       
    W. Berger,CF     .203   162  650   59  132   9   1  24   85   29  103   0       
    A. Galan,LF*     .250    18   12    2    3   1   0   0    3    1    0   0       
 Total Stats         .267  1708 5685  652 1517 105  18 135  637  489  533   5       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    C. Hubbell *    10  16   0  4.25    234.2  33  283  111  24   73  100           
    B. Walters      10  18   0  3.93    258.2  33  262  113  35  123  115           
    D. Dean          5  17   0  5.16    188.1  32  243  108  31   81   99           
    B. Lee           6  20   0  3.62    203.2  31  209   82  34   79   79           
    L. Warneke       6  22   1  5.81    235.1  31  301  152  32   94   99           
    W. Hoyt          2   4   3  4.84     52.0   2   66   28   7   17   32           
    C. Davis         1   2   2  4.71     76.1   0   95   40  14   39   38           
    A. Adams         6   5   0  5.13    128.0   0  158   73  25   63   52           
    A. Karl          7   5   7  4.17     77.2   0  105   36  11   31   34           
 Total Stats        53 109  13  4.60   1454.2 162 1722  743 213  600  648           
                                                                                   
     NL1946-60        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    R. Campanella    .239   162  545   61  130   7   0  29   78   59   74   0       
    W. Cooper,C      .244    55   41    9   10   1   0   1    3    2    4   0       
    T. Kluszewski    .333    14   12    2    4   0   0   1    4    0    1   0       
    J. Mize,1B*      .234   162  560   62  131   6   0  30   77   47   39   0       
    G. Hodges,1B     .222   162  531   54  118   4   1  26   66   48   72   0       
    J. Robinson,2B   .283   162  660  109  187   6   2  11   33   72   28   0       
    R. Schndienst    .429     9    7    0    3   0   0   0    0    0    1   0       
    E. Mathews,3B*   .263   162  578   88  152   8   0  40   83   69   86   0       
    B. Elliott,3B    .545    16   11    2    6   0   0   0    1    3    1   0       
    E. Banks,SS      .244   162  671   83  164  15   1  43  110   36  129   0       
    P. Reese,SS      .300    18   10    2    3   0   0   0    0    0    1   0       
    S. Musial,RF*    .295   162  672  102  198  16   1  31   98   54   30   0       
    D. Snider,LF*    .252   162  592   73  149   9   2  30   90   59  108   0       
    R. Kiner,LF      .224   162  548   73  123   3   1  28   73   94   72   0       
    R. Ashburn,CF*   .302    66   43    8   13   0   0   2    4    9    8   0       
    E. Slaughter     .355    43   31    3   11   1   0   0    2    4    1   0       
 Total Stats         .254  1679 5512  731 1402  76   8 272  722  556  655   0       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    R. Roberts       7  13   0  4.27    202.0  33  241   96  29   64   80           
    W. Spahn *      15  11   0  4.32    216.1  33  236  104  20   83   99           
    H. Brecheen     16  10   0  3.75    225.1  32  238   94  28   87  117           
    J. Sain          4  20   0  5.02    177.1  32  224   99  28   91   71           
    E. Blackwell    10  15   1  5.00    206.2  31  246  115  34   94  132           
    H. Wilhelm       9   3  10  3.45     93.2   0   91   36  13   28   54           
    J. Konstanty     1  14   1  5.47    113.1   0  140   69  21   60   44           
    L. McDaniel      4   2   6  2.66     91.1   0   79   27   8   36   58           
    R. Face          4   4   9  3.26    115.2   1  121   42  17   39   83           
 Total Stats        70  92  27  4.26   1441.2 162 1616  682 198  582  738           
                                                                                   
     NL1976-90        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    B. Santiago,C    .174    23   23    2    4   0   0   1    3    0    4   0       
    G. Carter,C      .185   162  523   48   97   6   0  10   57   52   79   0       
    K. Hernandez     .315   162  639   87  201  12   5   9   78   76   94   0       
    W. Clark,1B*     .133    19   15    2    2   0   0   1    2    2    5   0       
    R. Sandberg,2B   .236   162  685   74  162  20   2  10   77   46  166  22       
    M. Schmidt,3B    .209   162  612   84  128  14   3  31  109   62  145   0       
    O. Smith,SS#     .286   162  500   73  143   5   2   2   44   63   35   5       
    D. Concepcion    .150    24   20    0    3   0   0   0    0    0    7   0       
    E. Davis,CF      .234    75  175   28   41   0   1  12   23   21   53   8       
    D. Strawberry    .216   162  547   81  118   9   1  24   64   94  143  20       
    G. Foster,LF     .309   162  632   77  195  11   1  30  103   46  111   2       
    T. Gwynn,RF*     .341   162  671   88  229   8   4   4   70   64   50  29       
    P. Guerrero,LF   .222    35   36    5    8   2   0   2    9    1    6   0       
    T. Raines,LF#    .306    55   49    4   15   1   0   0    0    9    8   4       
    A. Dawson,CF     .276   129  453   51  125  12   5  11   50   14   98  20       
 Total Stats         .264  1656 5580  704 1471 100  24 147  689  550 1004 110       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    D. Gooden        7  17   0  4.05    222.0  33  214  100  36   78  142           
    T. Seaver       16  12   0  3.37    216.0  32  218   81  33  101  119           
    S. Carlton *    16   8   0  3.53    221.1  33  210   87  18   96  143           
    O. Hershiser    11  12   0  3.39    209.1  32  212   79  31   93  113           
    P. Niekro        3   0   2  1.82     24.2   0   10    5   1    7   21           
    M. Scott        13  10   0  3.09    209.1  32  186   72  23   85  121           
    B. Caudill       0   0   0  7.94      5.2   0    7    5   1    2    3           
    B. Sutter        6  11  18  3.60    129.2   0  137   52  21   55   96           
    L. Smith         8   1   7  3.36     88.1   0   93   33  11   44   54           
    T. McGraw *      8   3   7  3.24    138.2   0  140   50  17   49   73           
 Total Stats        88  74  34  3.46   1465.0 162 1427  564 192  610  885           
                                                                                   
     NL1991-05        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    M. Piazza,C      .300   162  590   92  177   5   2  30   82   58   94   0       
    J. Kendall,C     .385    35   39    6   15   1   0   0    4    2    6   0       
    J. Bagwell,1B    .264   162  602   96  159   9   0  29   70   57  113   4       
    M. McGwire,1B    .235   161  592   99  139   4   0  49  131  123  204   0       
    T. Helton,1B*    .222    16    9    1    2   0   0   1    3    4    3   0       
    J. Kent,2B       .345    22   29    3   10   3   0   0    4    3    7   0       
    C. Biggio,2B     .271   162  709   90  192  23   3  13   93   57  157  17       
    C. Jones,3B#     .272   162  651  113  177  11   0  26   97  105  110   3       
    K. Caminiti,3B#  .000    11    9    2    0   0   0   0    0    0    3   0       
    M. Williams,3B   .286     8    7    0    2   0   0   0    0    0    2   0       
    B. Larkin,SS     .225   162  537   91  121   9   2  10   48   84   59  12       
    B. Bonds,LF*     .228   162  593  123  135   3   1  61  135  142  116   0       
    S. Sosa,RF       .237   162  628   97  149   8   1  48  123   72  174   0       
    J. Edmonds,CF*   .253   162  561   84  142  12   0  38   99   81  172   0       
    A. Jones,CF      .000     7    6    1    0   0   0   0    0    1    3   0       
 Total Stats         .255  1556 5562  898 1420  88   9 305  889  789 1223  36       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    G. Maddux       21   5   0  2.15    225.1  33  191   54  20   56  128           
    R. Johnson *    15   8   0  3.27    203.1  33  192   74  31   71  147           
    C. Schilling    14  13   0  4.64    178.1  31  196   92  32   64  123           
    K. Brown        10   8   0  5.13    185.2  32  226  106  30   70  112           
    J. Rijo         13  11   0  4.68    169.0  32  181   88  27   66  114           
    E. Gagne         6   5  11  3.21    227.0   1  200   81  22   79  189           
    B. Lidge         2   2   0  3.49     28.1   0   25   11   2    9   15           
    J. Wetteland     7   4   4  2.56    101.2   0   98   29   7   45   79           
    B. Wagner *      4   1   1  2.90     40.1   0   37   13   2   17   35           
    T. Hoffman       6   7  20  2.35    111.0   0   84   29   6   40   84           
 Total Stats        98  64  36  3.53   1470.0 162 1430  577 179  517 1026           
                                                                                   
     NL2006-20        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    B. Posey,C       .248   162  533   66  132  11   0  11   74   70  112   1       
    Y. Molina,C      .100    17   30    1    3   0   0   0    0    0    5   0       
    A. Pujols,1B     .257   162  641   97  165  16   1  28   98   97   75   0       
    J. Votto,1B*     .000     0    0    0    0   0   0   0    0    0    0   0       
    C. Utley,2B*     .238   162  584   84  139   6   0  21   85   67  127   2       
    D. Wright,3B     .243   162  596   70  145  14   0  11   50   82  139   7       
    K. Bryant,3B     .400     5    5    1    2   0   0   0    0    0    1   0       
    H. Ramirez,SS    .289   162  691   96  200  22   0  19   78   57  138   1       
    T. Tulowitzki    .200     5    5    0    1   1   0   0    0    0    2   0       
    B. Harper,RF*    .292   162  641  123  187   9   0  44  115  120  181   0       
    R. Braun,LF      .133    21   15    4    2   1   0   1    3    3    3   0       
    C. Yelich,LF*    .292   162  627   97  183   7   1  35  117   60  158   7       
    C. Bellinger     .300     8   10    1    3   0   0   0    0    0    2   0       
    C. Beltran,CF#   .000     7    5    3    0   0   0   0    0    2    1   0       
    A. McCutchen     .310   162  596   94  185   8   1  19   95   64  149   0       
    G. Stanton,RF    .208   162  639   95  133   6   1  35  106   75  204   0       
 Total Stats         .263  1521 5618  832 1480 101   4 224  821  697 1297  18       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    J. deGrom       15  13   0  3.58    175.2  33  178   70  15   72  123           
    C. Kershaw *    14   4   0  2.53    173.2  33  169   49  15   50  130           
    R. Halladay     11  15   0  3.49    175.0  32  193   68  25   58  116           
    J. Arrieta      13   4   0  3.06    173.0  32  163   59  17   70  107           
    M. Scherzer     11  10   0  4.10    155.2  32  183   71  29   42  113           
    C. Knebel        3   3   4  2.86     50.1   0   48   16   7   28   56           
    A. Chapman *    15   2   6  2.32    201.2   0  152   52  22   84  190           
    C. Kimbrel      11   6  24  2.71    159.1   0  113   48  19   63  147           
    K. Jansen        6   6   5  3.08    192.2   0  186   66  32   53  151           
 Total Stats        99  63  39  3.08   1457.0 162 1385  499 181  520 1133           
                                                                                   
     NL1916-30        BA     G    AB    R    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI   BB   SO  SB
    G. Hartnett,C    .296   162  631   83  187  10   1  39  108   54   89   0       
    B. O'Farrell     .625    14    8    2    5   0   0   1    3    1    0   0       
    B. Terry,1B*     .346   162  711  113  246  18   3  15   74   52   56   0       
    J. Bottomley     .400    10   10    1    4   0   0   1    2    0    1   0       
    R. Hornsby,2B    .329   162  702  129  231  17   4  44  140   56   72   0       
    F. Lindstrom     .316    27   19    3    6   0   0   0    2    1    0   0       
    F. Frisch,3B#    .289   162  622   87  180  15   3   7   58   27   33  29       
    D. Bancroft,SS#  .295   130  417   60  123  11   2   3   58   51   17   0       
    A. Fletcher,SS   .286    50  154   15   44   7   1   0   24    0    6   0       
    H. Wilson,CF     .316   162  643   98  203  12   2  39  116   84  107   0       
    C. Klein,RF*     .317   125  504   62  160  15   1  24  101   27   33   0       
    K. Cuyler,RF     .312    73  205   31   64   7   1   3   19   15   20  12       
    M. Carey,CF#     .301   162  594   82  179  21   4   6   52   55   20  25       
    R. Youngs,RF*    .333    17   15    3    5   0   0   1    1    1    0   0       
    Z. Wheat,RF*     .282   162  617   57  174  15   1   8   58   36   30   1       
    E. Roush,CF*     .269    27   26    9    7   0   0   0    2    3    1   0       
 Total Stats         .309  1607 5878  835 1818 148  23 191  818  463  485  67       
                                                                                   
     PITCHING        W   L  SV   ERA     IP    GS    H   ER  HR   BB   SO
    P. Alexander    10  14   0  5.02    236.1  33  289  132  42   72  110           
    D. Luque        11  15   0  4.12    250.2  33  303  115  29   95  124           
    D. Vance        17  10   0  2.41    260.2  32  221   70  23  101  145           
    H. Vaughn *     14  13   0  3.20    252.2  32  225   90  30  116  100           
    E. Rixey *       9   6   8  3.26    115.2   0  125   42   9   43   56           
    B. Grimes       21   5   0  2.70    262.2  32  249   79  29   70  112           
    L. Benton        3   3   3  6.25     27.1   0   35   19   6   14   15           
    R. Kremer        4   1   3  3.75     24.0   0   30   10   2   11   13           
    C. Root          3   3   9  4.20     30.0   0   38   14   3   13   16           
 Total Stats        92  70  23  3.52   1460.0 162 1515  571 173  535  691           

All-Time League, Batting Leaders

Sort By: Batting Avg./By Position/Primary /AB >  500
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Sisler, G.     AL1916-30  .359
     2. Cobb, T.       AL1901-15  .349
     3. Terry, B.      NL1916-30  .345
     4. Gwynn, T.      NL1976-90  .341
     5. Lajoie, N.     AL1901-15  .339
     6. Clemente, R.   NL1961-75  .334
     7. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30  .329
     8. Gehrig, L.     AL1916-30  .319
     9. Stone, G.      AL1901-15  .319
    10. Klein, C.      NL1916-30  .317

   Sort By: Runs/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Sisler, G.     AL1916-30   137
     2. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30   129
     3. Speaker, T.    AL1916-30   129
     4. Ruth, B.       AL1916-30   127
     5. Harper, B.     NL2006-20   123
     6. Bonds, B.      NL1991-05   123
     7. Terry, B.      NL1916-30   113
     8. Jones, C.      NL1991-05   113
     9. Carew, R.      AL1961-75   113
    10. Robinson, J.   NL1946-60   109


   Sort By: Hits/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Terry, B.      NL1916-30   246
     2. Sisler, G.     AL1916-30   246
     3. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30   231
     4. Gwynn, T.      NL1976-90   229
     5. Cobb, T.       AL1901-15   227
     6. Suzuki, I.     AL1991-05   221
     7. Lajoie, N.     AL1901-15   219
     8. Carew, R.      AL1961-75   213
     9. Speaker, T.    AL1916-30   209
    10. Rose, P.       NL1961-75   208


   Sort By: Doubles/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Biggio, C.     NL1991-05    23
     2. Wagner, H.     NL1901-15    23
     3. Brett, G.      AL1976-90    23
     4. Ramirez, H.    NL2006-20    22
     5. Sisler, G.     AL1916-30    22
     6. Carey, M.      NL1916-30    21
     7. Sandberg, R.   NL1976-90    20
     8. Baker, H.      AL1901-15    20
     9. Lajoie, N.     AL1901-15    20
    10. Morgan, J.     NL1961-75    19


   Sort By: Triples/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Cobb, T.       AL1901-15     9
     2. Waner, P.      NL1931-45     8
     3. Berra, Y.      AL1946-60     7
     4. Lajoie, N.     AL1901-15     6
     5. Jackson, J.    AL1901-15     6
     6. Dawson, A.     NL1976-90     5
     7. Hernandez, K.  NL1976-90     5
     8. Burkett, J.    NL1901-15     5
     9. Collins, E.    AL1901-15     5
    10. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30     4


   Sort By: Home Runs/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Bonds, B.      NL1991-05    61
     2. Foxx, J.       AL1931-45    54
     3. Ruth, B.       AL1916-30    50
     4. McGwire, M.    NL1991-05    49
     5. Sosa, S.       NL1991-05    48
     6. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30    44
     7. Harper, B.     NL2006-20    44
     8. Banks, E.      NL1946-60    43
     9. Mathews, E.    NL1946-60    40
    10. Rosen, A.      AL1946-60    40


   Sort By: RBI/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Gehrig, L.     AL1916-30   157
     2. Ruth, B.       AL1916-30   149
     3. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30   140
     4. Bonds, B.      NL1991-05   135
     5. McGwire, M.    NL1991-05   131
     6. Sosa, S.       NL1991-05   123
     7. Foxx, J.       AL1931-45   122
     8. Yastrzmski, C. AL1961-75   118
     9. Lajoie, N.     AL1901-15   118
    10. Yelich, C.     NL2006-20   117


   Sort By: Stolen Bases/By Position/Primary /AB >  50
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Sheckard, J.   NL1901-15    89
     2. Wagner, H.     NL1901-15    60
     3. Cobb, T.       AL1901-15    59
     4. Jackson, J.    AL1901-15    50
     5. Henderson, R.  AL1976-90    45
     6. Doyle, L.      NL1901-15    44
     7. Chance, F.     NL1901-15    43
     8. Collins, E.    AL1901-15    42
     9. Stone, G.      AL1901-15    40
    10. Seymour, C.    NL1901-15    37


   Sort By: On Base Avg./By Position/Primary /AB >  500
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Cash, N.       AL1961-75  .440
     2. Gehrig, L.     AL1916-30  .409
     3. Sisler, G.     AL1916-30  .408
     4. Ruth, B.       AL1916-30  .408
     5. Harper, B.     NL2006-20  .403
     6. Gwynn, T.      NL1976-90  .398
     7. Cobb, T.       AL1901-15  .397
     8. Wilson, H.     NL1916-30  .394
     9. Foxx, J.       AL1931-45  .394
    
   Sort By: Slugging Avg./By Position/Primary /AB >  500
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Foxx, J.       AL1931-45  .597
     2. Ruth, B.       AL1916-30  .564
     3. Hornsby, R.    NL1916-30  .552
     4. Bonds, B.      NL1991-05  .544
     5. Gehrig, L.     AL1916-30  .528
     6. Wilson, H.     NL1916-30  .522
     7. Harper, B.     NL2006-20  .511
     8. Hartnett, G.   NL1916-30  .500
     9. Klein, C.      NL1916-30  .494
    10. McGwire, M.    NL1991-05  .489 

All-Time League, Pitching Leaders

Sort By: ERA/By Position/Primary /IP >  100
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Fingers, R.    AL1976-90  2.09
     2. Maddux, G.     NL1991-05  2.15
     3. Nathan, J.     AL2006-20  2.26
     4. Newhouser, H.  AL1931-45  2.27
     5. Chapman, A.    NL2006-20  2.32
     6. Hoffman, T.    NL1991-05  2.35
     7. Vance, D.      NL1916-30  2.41
     8. Kershaw, C.    NL2006-20  2.53
     9. Wetteland, J.  NL1991-05  2.56
    10. Mathewson, C.  NL1901-15  2.60

   Sort By: Wins/By Position/Primary /IP >  10
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Grimes, B.     NL1916-30    21
     2. Maddux, G.     NL1991-05    21
     3. Faber, R.      AL1916-30    21
     4. Cicotte, E.    AL1916-30    20
     5. Hahn, N.       NL1901-15    19
     6. Vance, D.      NL1916-30    17
     7. Carlton, S.    NL1976-90    16
     8. Seaver, T.     NL1976-90    16
     9. Brecheen, H.   NL1946-60    16
    10. Taylor, J.     NL1901-15    16


   Sort By: Saves/By Position/Primary /IP >  10
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Rivera, M.     AL1991-05    25
     2. Kimbrel, C.    NL2006-20    24
     3. Hoffman, T.    NL1991-05    20
     4. Sutter, B.     NL1976-90    18
     5. Harder, M.     AL1931-45    17
     6. Hiller, J.     AL1961-75    15
     7. Papelbon, J.   AL2006-20    14
     8. Brown, M.      NL1901-15    13
     9. Braxton, G.    AL1916-30    13
    10. Page, J.       AL1946-60    13


   Sort By: Games Started/By Position/Primary /IP >  10
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Alexander, P.  NL1916-30    33
     2. Luque, D.      NL1916-30    33
     3. Kershaw, C.    NL2006-20    33
     4. deGrom, J.     NL2006-20    33
     5. Johnson, R.    NL1991-05    33
     6. Maddux, G.     NL1991-05    33
     7. Carlton, S.    NL1976-90    33
     8. Gooden, D.     NL1976-90    33
     9. Spahn, W.      NL1946-60    33
    10. Roberts, R.    NL1946-60    33


   Sort By: Innings Pitched/By Position/Primary /IP >  10
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Taylor, J.     NL1901-15 263.1
     2. Grimes, B.     NL1916-30 262.2
     3. Vance, D.      NL1916-30 260.2
     4. Mathewson, C.  NL1901-15 259.1
     5. Walters, B.    NL1931-45 258.2
     6. Vaughn, H.     NL1916-30 252.2
     7. Hahn, N.       NL1901-15 252.0
     8. Abernathy, T.  NL1961-75 251.1
     9. Luque, D.      NL1916-30 250.2
    10. Johnson, W.    AL1901-15 250.0


   Sort By: Strike Outs/By Position/Primary /IP >  10
   Rank Name          Team
     1. Chapman, A.    NL2006-20   190
     2. Gagne, E.      NL1991-05   189
     3. Mathewson, C.  NL1901-15   164
     4. Nathan, J.     AL2006-20   156
     5. Guidry, R.     AL1976-90   156
     6. Jansen, K.     NL2006-20   151
     7. Johnson, W.    AL1901-15   150
     8. Waddell, R.    AL1901-15   149
     9. Kimbrel, C.    NL2006-20   147
    10. Johnson, R.    NL1991-05   147

Publisher – Strategic Simulations Inc.

Release Year – 1991

Platforms –Commodore 64, IBM PC

Credits

Review

Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball (aka TLUB) offers the authentic outcomes of a dice or text-based hardball simulation combined with meticulously drawn player and stadium graphics. The TLUB series offers an arcade mode as well but I will concentrate my appraisal on the management and stat-keeping aspects of the game. TLUB spawned four sequels (Tony LaRussa Baseball 2, 3 and 4 along with Old Time Baseball) in a 6 year period! Available in IBM PC and Commodore 64 flavors, I based this analysis on the IBM version.

I selected the League Play option and opted to simulate an entire 162-game season using the Franchise Greats rosters that are included with the game.  The process displays the standings screen that is updated as each day’s schedule is completed. You have the ability to play to a specific game/date as well as straight through to the end of the regular season. The simulated regular season completed in 20 minutes with the computer AI handling all of the minutiae such as replacing injured players in each team’s lineup and pitching staff. As I scrutinized the individual and team statistics upon the conclusion of the regular season, I was impressed with the game engine’s accuracy and sense of realism. I reached out to the game’s designer, Don Daglow, to discuss the artificial intelligence and philosophy behind the creation of this innovative series:

DB: Among the games I have reviewed to date, TLUB’s ability to manage injuries, days off and roster shuffling is top-notch.

DD: Thanks! We tuned the heck out of the AI to reach that level. Toughest problem I remember was that we kept under or over-using relievers, so starters kept having too few or too many innings/decisions and it took forever to find the center. Looking back I think that in part reflected the tendency of managers in the 90’s to leave starters in too long, and Tony’s strong focus on not doing so when the machine was simulating him.

I was determined to avoid the “1981 Rick Monday” problem where a user could play a part-time player with stronger stats in place of a starter who was weaker and “game the season.” I played solitaire Cadaco All Star Baseball board games for a 96-game season of 16 teams when I was about 15 (part of over 2,500 games where I saved all the stats and box scores), so I’d thought a lot about season play! My 1971 mainframe game was the first to replicate a full season… though it took close to an hour!

DB: Did you and your team make a conscious effort to differentiate the product from Earl Weaver Baseball? For example, TLUB omits the stadium announcements and the ballpark construction features but counters with the standard/featured game for user-friendly league play along with the in-progress scoring updates. I realize ballpark construction with such detailed graphics for stadium modeling would have been a major undertaking!

DD: My big thing regarding Weaver and my friendship with Eddie (Dombrower) was that I didn’t work on a baseball game for 2 years after I left Electronic Arts. That way I would not be turning around and competing with him immediately. After the two years I felt I’d honored the friendship and could pursue a category I loved again.

As I recall, stadium construction was an expensive wish-list item that never made it into an annual update budget, let alone the original. The 1994 strike also killed the baseball market, and though I tried to fight it for a couple of years the changes in the industry and the slow recovery of baseball led us to end the series. We added several announcers and enhanced the commentary as we could afford to do so in the subsequent editions.

—

Returning the discussion to my simulated season – After leading the Majors with 111 victories, the White Sox snatched the American League pennant by defeating the Yankees 4 games to 1. In the National League, the Giants overcame a 3-0 deficit in the Championship Series to oust the Cubs in 7 games. I chose to take over the managerial reins for San Fran.

The Southsiders journeyed to the City by the Bay for Game 1 of the World Series. Eddie Cicotte accepted the starting assignment against Giants’ ace “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity. Willie Mays lined a single to center field leading off the bottom of the second. He was promptly erased on a stolen base attempt when Ray Schalk delivered a perfect throw to shortstop Luke Appling. Successive hits by Mel Ott and Frankie Frisch placed runners at the corners. “Knuckles” escaped the threat as Travis Jackson tapped a harmless grounder to Eddie Collins at second base. McGinnity drew a base on balls to start the home half of the third. Roger Bresnahan squared around to bunt and pushed the ball towards first. Cicotte pounced on it, whirled and fired to second, but McGinnity snuck in under the throw. Bill Terry dribbled a slow roller to Collins, who raced in and fired to first for one out. Willie McCovey hit a one-hopper to first baseman Zeke Bonura who tagged the bag. However, McGinnity scrambled home as the Giants took the lead. Mays beat out an infield hit, scoring Bresnahan. Collins’ acrobatic diving stop on Ott’s sizzling grounder up the middle prevented further damage. In the fifth, Cicotte had no play when Bresnahan tapped a ball 20 feet up the third base line. Carl Reynolds made a valiant attempt to catch a vicious drive of the bat of “Smiling” Bill Terry but came up short. The Giants’ first sacker coasted into second while Bresnahan raced around the bases. McGinnity began to tire in the eighth. Bonura doubled into the right-field corner to plate 2 runs for the Pale Hose. Collins reached on an error when Travis Jackson uncorked a wild throw over Terry’s head. I signaled to the ‘pen and brought in my closer, Frank Linzy. The move paid off as Carl Reynolds popped one up into foul territory where Bresnahan settled underneath it for the last out of the eighth. Linzy retired the Sox in order to clinch a 3-2 victory for Frisco in the initial match.

“Big” Ed Walsh squared off with Carl “Meal Ticket” Hubbell in the second matchup at Candlestick Park. After Zeke Bonura singled with two outs in the opening frame, Willie Mays sprinted into right-center field and lunged at the last moment to flag down a Minnie Minoso drive. Bonura opened the fourth with a ringing two-bagger into the left field corner. Johnny Mostil delivered a one-out base knock to left but Willie McCovey’s throw nailed Bonura at the dish. McCovey ripped a one hopper off the chain link fence in right field for a two-base hit to commence the bottom of the fourth.  Mays walked and Ott flew out to the warning track in left. Walsh induced Freddie Lindstrom to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. “Stretch” lined a base hit up the middle to plate Roger Bresnahan with the first run of the contest in the home half of the sixth. Bill Melton doubled to left in the top of the eighth. Pinch-runner Harry Lord advanced to third on a fielder’s choice but the White Sox failed to capitalize. Carl Reynolds ill-advised squeeze bunt with two outs was fielded cleanly by Hubbell and the throw to first arrived in plenty of time. McCovey coaxed a base on balls with two down in the bottom of the eighth. The “Say Hey Kid” launched a long fly off reliever Bob Locker into the left field corner, barely clearing the wall for a 2-run jack to extend San Fran’s lead to 3-0. Travis Jackson made a leaping grab of a Minoso liner with one out in the ninth and Bonura on first. Frankie Frisch camped under Mostil’s pop fly to secure the shutout for Hubbell and both teams headed to Chi-Town with the Giants holding a 2-game advantage.

Christy Mathewson delivered his warm-up tosses in the pen as Wilbur Wood strode to the mound for the Pale Hose. Bill Terry ripped a double into the right-field corner and Willie McCovey walked after Frankie Frisch smashed a loud out to right fielder Carl Reynolds. “Wilbah” provoked Willie Mays to offer at his knuckleball, and Luke Appling started a 6-4-3 twin-killing to extinguish the rally. Frisco assumed the lead when Travis Jackson led off the third with an opposite-field double and came around on a long single to right by “Stretch”. Orlando Cepeda belted a 2-run blast into the right-center field bleachers in the top of the sixth, extending Frisco’s advantage to 3-0. “Matty” encountered some trouble in the bottom of the eighth, but Zeke Bonura grounded into a double play and Eddie Collins followed with a two-hopper to Jackson.  Roger Bresnahan legged out a three-base hit to begin the visitor’s ninth and Jackson blooped a base knock into short left field to provide an insurance run. Minnie Minoso slashed a liner towards Mel Ott, who snared the ball with a magnificent diving grab in right-center field. Appling bounced to Frisch for the final out as “Big Six” completed a 7-hit shutout. The White Sox faced a possible sweep at Comiskey Park in less than 24 hours.

The ChiSox nominated Red Faber for the task of staving off elimination while San Fran’s skipper countered with Juan Marichal. With two on and two out in the bottom of the first, Travis Jackson made a valiant attempt to corral Minnie Minoso’s blooper into short left field, but the ball avoided his outstretched glove for a single. Eddie Collins trotted home and Carl Reynolds raced to third. Minoso was promptly cut down attempting to swipe second. Ray Schalk launched a 2-run moon-shot into the left field corner in the second frame to increase the White Sox lead to 3-0. Harry Lord delivered a base hit and Zeke Bonura belted an opposite-field two-bagger beyond Mel Ott’s reach, plating the fourth run for the Sox. Johnny Antonelli began warming up in the bullpen but Marichal escaped the inning when Collins popped up to first base. The Giants got on the board in the top of the third. Roger Bresnahan remained on fire as he lashed a double that bounced on the warning track and ricocheted off the left field wall. Bill Terry dribbled a worm-burner through the right side and Bresnahan dashed homeward. The floodgates opened in the home half of the inning. Bonura tripled with the sacks full, sending the “Dominican Dandy” to an early exit. Southpaw Mike F. McCormick replaced Marichal and yielded a long single as the Pale Hose reached double-digits. Orlando Cepeda swatted a big-fly into the center field bleachers in the fourth off Faber but Frisco trailed 10-2. Luke Appling and Bibb Falk ripped back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the fourth. Chicago reestablished their double-digit advantage and “Toothpick” Sam Jones entered the match. The diamond carousel continued as the Southsiders peppered the ball all over the field. When the dust settled, the scoreboard operator posted a 7-spot and Giants began to empty their bench. The Sox tacked on a run in the fifth when Bobby Thomson booted an easy grounder to third. Marquard served up a gopher ball to Reynolds with a runner on first and the Chicago faithful rejoiced as the “20” registered in the home team’s run column. San Francisco rallied against Faber to start the visitor’s eighth, loading the bases then tallying a pair of runs on consecutive hits by Frankie Frisch and Jackson. Faber forced home another run when he issued a base on balls to Ross Youngs. Despite the commanding 15-run cushion, the Sox skipper summoned Terry Forster from the bullpen. The inning concluded swiftly when Chicago turned a picturesque 3-2-3 double play. The Giants placed runners on the corners with 2 down in the ninth, but Jim Ray Hart was injured on his route to third. Forster got Bobby Thomson on a grounder to Appling and the White Sox lived to play another day as they defeated the Giants in convincing fashion, 20-5.

The fifth bout featured a rematch between Joe McGinnity and Eddie Cicotte. “Laughing” Larry Doyle clubbed a deep drive into the lower deck in right field to put San Francisco ahead 1-0 in the third. Bibb Falk and Ray Schalk helped the ChiSox assume a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame on a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly. Willie Mays scooted home when third baseman Harry Lord fired wide of second base while attempting to start a double play, then Doyle hit into a fielder’s choice to knock in another run as the Giants reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth. Minnie Minoso demolished an “Iron Man” offering into the second deck in left-center field to knot the score at 3-all in the home half of the fourth. Frisco answered in the top of the fifth as Willie McCovey mashed a two-base hit high off the top of the fence near the right field corner and Roger Bresnahan scored all the way from first. The Pale Hose tallied a run in the bottom of the seventh when Johnny Mostil tripled into the left field corner and raced home on a slow roller to shortstop off the bat of Luke Appling. Bob James relieved Cicotte to start the ninth for the ChiSox. He allowed a two-out walk to Doyle but whiffed Frankie Frisch. Frank Linzy replaced McGinnity in the home ninth. After issuing a pair of walks with two outs, he recovered to set Appling down on a called third strike, sending the contest into extra innings. Bill Terry drilled a one-out double and scooted to third on a high chopper by McCovey. Mays lofted a 2-1 heater from James towards the right field stands. Striking just a few inches from the top of the wall, the ball dropped on to the warning track as Terry bolted home with the go-ahead run. Mel Ott followed with an opposite-field safety and the “Say Hey Kid” scurried across the dish for an insurance run. Orlando Cepeda popped up to second-sacker Eddie Collins for the final out. The Southsiders were three outs from elimination. Portsider Johnny Antonelli entered the game to face fellow lefty Bibb Falk. The left fielder lifted an easy pop fly to Bill Terry for the first out. The Sox backstop, Ray Schalk, coaxed a base on balls. The Giants’ skipper allowed Antonelli to stay in the match to pitch to Lord. Four straight pitches off the plate and the Sox were not only alive, they were threatening to send the series back to the West Coast. Antonelli exited in favor of right-hander “Toothpick” Sam Jones. With a 1-1 count, Jones caught Schalk napping and picked him off second base! Zeke Bonura still represented the tying run in the batters’ box and Lord stretched his lead off first. Jones delivered a curveball and Bonura tapped it to Frisch at shortstop who flipped the ball to Terry for the last out. The Giants congregated near the pitcher’s mound and celebrated their World Series victory!

Ratings

Graphics – [5] The center of the screen features a close-up of the batter-pitcher matchup. After the pitch is delivered, the close-up view disappears and the infield shot is revealed. The play rewinds to one second prior (presumably done to assist with fielding in arcade mode) then the camera follows the path of the ball if it travels into the outfield or beyond. A shadow (circular cursor) appears when a fly ball is hit to help the player track the flight path. The bottom third of the screen is split into 3 sections: left – the count, inning and number of outs; center – baserunners; right – the score, current batter and pitcher. The player animation is fluid and represents the progression from character-based graphics of SSI Computer Baseball to the lifelike batter-pitcher confrontations in Earl Weaver Baseball.

Sound – [2] Sound effects are fairly sparse in this edition. The bat/ball and ball/glove sound effects are credible and the umpire’s calls are a welcome addition especially on close plays. The crowd roars when a home run is hit, but the sound abruptly stops before the batter reaches second base. The lack of music and ambient crowd noise left me with the impression that we were playing baseball in an empty stadium.

Strategy – [4] The manager can call for a specific pitch with the standard choices of fastball, curve and changeup. Depending on the current hurler’s repertoire, the fourth pitch may be a slider, knuckleball, splitter, screwball, etc.  Defense options include holding the baserunner(s) or playing off the bag, charging the bunt, calling for a pitchout or intentional walk. You may adjust the alignment and depth of your defenders.  Each batter has the ability to swing normally, aggressively (power) or controlled (contact) as well as bunt. Play-calling with runners on base include the straight steal, double steal, squeeze, and the hit & run. You can warm up one or two pitchers at a time. Relievers will become tired if left unattended while throwing in the pen.  The usual substitutions are allowed and managers are prompted when defensive adjustments are required. When facing the computer manager, you will receive a brief on-screen prompt advising which pitchers are warming up for the opposition.

Artificial Intelligence – [4] The silicon skipper handled substitutions appropriately, getting his relievers ready at the right times and employing the correct mix of strategy.

Box Score – [2] A spreadsheet with the participants’ names along with 12 batting categories appears upon the conclusion of each contest. The batters are arranged in defensive order (not their actual lineup order) and their positions are not listed, creating further confusion when substitutes are used. The pitching screen depicts the names of each hurler (in order of appearance) with 7 counting stats. Winning and losing pitchers are denoted in the lower half of the display. If a reliever earned a save, it’s logged here along with the time, attendance and location.

Rosters – [4] – The 25-man active rosters consist of 15 position players and 10 pitchers while the 5 reserves must include 3 batsmen and 2 hurlers. In reviewing the results from the simulated season, the computer General Manager made judicious use of the entire squad for each team based on injuries and other factors. The Fantasy Manager add-on disk permitted the configuration of various league / division structures, stadium assignments and facilitated drafting players onto those teams. Manager profiles can be customized for each ball club and salaries can be assigned to individuals.

Statistics – [5] – Team names, player ratings and statistics can be edited through the Utilities menu in the main program. League leaders can be sorted on the best/worst in each category with the ability to incorporate players from both leagues or limit to a specific league. You can view leaders for a single team and look at team totals. Additionally you can view splits (vs. RHP or LHP) as well as historical vs. simulated statistics. Player ratings encompass speed, power, bunt, hit & run, range, arm, clutch, streak and injury. You can designated the “fourth” pitch for every pitcher (all are capable of throwing fastballs, curveballs and changeups). The optional “Great Teams 1901-1968” disk features 26 of the finest squads from that era.

Usage/Injuries/Ejections – [4] – Players can be injured during the course of the game (based on their injury rating) and fatigue is also a factor for pitchers. The “Days Unavailable” column tracks the number of days remaining until the player is healed or fully rested. An “R” next to the number indicates that the player is fatigued and needs to rest. You are permitted to use a pitcher with the “R” designation but it comes with an increased risk of injury and/or diminished performance. To my knowledge players cannot be ejected from the game. Part-time players are subject to increased injury probability due to overuse.

Ballparks / Park Factors – [3] – The add-on AL and NL stadium disks offer accurate depictions of the ballparks that were in use during the late 80’s while the Classic Stadium package features old-time cathedrals such as Ebbets Field, Polo Grounds, Forbes Field, Shibe Park, Old Yankee Stadium, etc. Park factors are not specifically mentioned in the manual.

Commentary – [1] – Commentary is limited to the umpire’s calls such as “Out!”, “Strike Three”, “Foul Ball” and “Ball Four – take your base”.

Scale:  Ratings from 1 (worst) to 5 (best)

Total Score: 34 out of 50

Observations

A rock-solid addition to the computer baseball lineage employing a game engine refined over 3 decades by Don Daglow, Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball establishes a strong foundation for the sequels that followed throughout the next half-decade. Several innovations including the fly ball cursor, flexible stat package and the ability to simulate an entire season in ten minutes boost the overall score and advance the genre into the Nineties.

Please add a comment below if you spent a significant amount of time and/or have any recollections of Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball.

Screenshots

Articles in the Series

	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – SSI Computer Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review –Computer Statis Pro Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Avalon Hill Pro Manager / Major League Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pure-Stat Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Monday Morning Manager
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Radio Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Full Count Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – MicroLeague Baseball II – III – IV
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa’s Ultimate Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Earl Weaver Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – APBA Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball II
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Front Page Sports Baseball ’94 – ’96 – ’98
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – ESPN Baseball Tonight
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Hardball 3-4-5-6
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pursue the Pennant – Diamond Mind Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Pro League Baseball
	Retro Computer Baseball Game Review – Tony La Russa Baseball 3 – 4 – Old Time Baseball

Additional Links

Play Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball in your browser! –

https://classicreload.com/tony-la-russas-ultimate-baseball.html#

Playthrough – HardballRetro

SABR Stay at Home – Don Daglow

Murray, Rink. “386 Down the Power Alleys: Baseball Simulations Emerge From Spring Training.” PC Magazine. April 28, 1992, p493. https://books.google.com/books?id=HERlo0BgpGYC&pg=PT475&dq=pc+magazine+386+apba+baseball+simulation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZipuBgZjoAhUCc98KHcOkDqoQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=pc%20magazine%20386%20apba%20baseball%20simulation&f=false

Rogers, Win. “Great A’s Baseball: SSI’s Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball.” Computer Gaming World. Volume 88, November 1991, p104, 106. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_88.pdf

Rogers, Win. “Not Yet the Ultimate: SSI’s Expansion Disks for Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball.” Computer Gaming World. Volume 97, August 1992, p80, 82. http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_97.pdf

Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball manual (IBM PC version) –  https://archive.org/details/tonylarussasultimatebaseball/mode/2up

Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball manual (Commodore 64 version) –  http://www.stadium64.com/manuals/tonylarussasultimatebaseball.htm

https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/tony-la-russas-ultimate-baseball

http://www.stadium64.com/gameinfos/tonylarussasultimatebaseball/tonylarussasultimatebaseball.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNjXgoVRtyU Tony LaRussa’s Ultimate Baseball, video by Squakenet

About the Author

I am a New Jersey native with a passion for baseball, statistics, computers and video games who enjoys spending quality time with his family.

“Hardball Architects – Volume 1 (American League)“, published in July 2020 and
“Hardball Architects – Volume 2 (National League)”, published in April 2022, examine the trades, free agent acquisitions, draft picks and other transactions for the 30 Major League Baseball franchises, divided into a 2-volume set. Both books are available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. All key moves are scrutinized for every team and Sabermetric principles are applied to the roster construction throughout the lifetime of the organization to encapsulate the hits and misses by front office executives. Team performances are analyzed based on transaction type with graphs depicting the WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in every decade. Individual results for each player-transaction is charted over the duration of their stint with the franchise. Every team chapter includes All-Time Rosters and Single-Season Leaders based on transaction type. The Team Trade Record chronicles the WAR and WS (Win Shares) accumulated by players acquired in comparison to those traded to opposing teams. The opening chapter is devoted to the Evolution of the General Manager and incorporates a discussion with former Dodgers GM Fred Claire (along with former Angels and Red Sox GM Mike Port and current Reds GM Nick Krall in Volume 2) on a variety of front office topics.

“Hardball Retroactive”, published in June 2018, is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.  Hardball Retroactive is a modest collection of selected articles that I have written for Seamheads.com along with my Baseball Analytics blog since 2010. Exclusive content includes the chapter on “Minors vs. Majors” which assesses every franchise’s minor league successes and failures in relation to their major league operations.

“Hardball Retrospective” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. In Hardball Retrospective, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original teams. Using a variety of advanced statistics and methods, I generated revised standings for each season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition. Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the real-time or “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here. 

“Hardball Retrospective – Addendum 2014 to 2016” supplements my research for Hardball Retrospective, providing retroactive standings based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Shares (WS) for each “original” team over the past three seasons (2014-2016). Team totals from 2010 – 2013 are included for reference purposes. “Addendum” is available in paperback and digital (Kindle) format at Amazon.com.