Couple 'Crazy' Comebacks

Gibson's Izzy Card with Grays.

So I have been itching to play some of my "Crazy 48's" (and some APBA Board game in general), I have just got a few projects done lately. Sure, I have plenty of more stuff to prepare for the next few weeks.

I was just on the APBA Facebook Group, when two posts caught my eye.

One, was the unfortunate passing of a Brian Epping. Did I know Brian? No. Do I know his passion for APBA Baseball? Most certainly; If you are like me & many other APBA fans, you will know that APBA is a passion that's unparalleled when compared to most other hobbies.

The other post was by Ted Knorr. Pirates fan Knorr and his friend, Fred Walker (Yankees fan) have now for three years in a row, have replayed Game 7 of the 1960 World Series -- the game that is best known for Bill Mazeroski's series walk-off HR to left field at Forbe's Field.

Here is a link to the story by the way: APBA 1960 World Series Replay

So these posts gave me a extra push tonight to try to finish Game #24 for the rest of the teams on the schedule. I finally caught up some stats for the 1975 Reds/1937 Yankees game results, 1985 Blue Jays/1912 Giants results. I would start the night off by playing the 1971 Giants/1944 Browns, then proceeded to a game between two starting pitchers with the names Dobson (Joe for Boston, Pat for Detroit) in the 1946 Red Sox/1968 Tigers match-up. I would catch up their stats as well.

The best two games were to come in the...

• 1935 Pittsburgh Crawfords (18-5) at 1993 Philadelphia Phillies (12-11). The Crawfords have been on a bit of a skid of late, going 3-4 since losing their star catcher Josh Gibson; while the Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 (including two straight against the Crawfords).

• 1981 Montreal Expos (11-12) at 1929 Chicago Cubs (16-7). The Cubs have faltered any chance of gaining ground on the Crawfords, when Pittsburgh loses. They are nibbling at that division lead, and have trimmed it down by two games.

Like I said earlier, the Crawfords started off 15-1, but lost Josh Gibson in the 16th game, have gone 3-4 since, and won't see his return until Game #50. The two teams are sending their 4th starters to the mound, since it is also the 4th and final game of the series; Harry "Tin Can" Kincannon (D-YW) for the Crawfords, while Danny Jackson (C) gets the knod for the Phils. So we will be guaranteed some offense in this one, for sure, it has all the makings for it.

It was tied 2-2 after two innings, RBI singles for Judy Johnson & Andrew "Pat" Patterson for Pittsburgh, while Kevin Stocker of the Phillies tied the game up with a two-run single.

The top of the 3rd, the game got ugly for the Phillies. The Crawfords would put up a 6-spot, started by Oscar Charleston's RBI double. Sam Bankhead followed that by hitting a two-run HR (his first of the season); Judy Johnson added another RBI single, as Pat Patterson had a two-run triple to make it a 8-2 lead, after three innings. Danny Jackson would be pulled after the inning, giving up 9 hits, and allowing 8 runs and two walks in 3 innings!

The Phillies' pinch-hitter Kim Batiste would hit a two-run HR in the bottom of the 4th, but Harry Kincannon would keep the Phils in check by pitching 7 effective innings, allowing 4 ER's & 7 hits in 7 innings -- although control was an issue for him (6 walks), he would collect 7 K's. He settled down to pitch three scoreless innings after Batiste's HR in the forth. 

Reliever David Harvey of the Crawfords (D-Z) pitched a good 8th inning, and with the Phillies being quiet for a few innings, a 8-4 lead(basically having control of the game), and no real good grades in the bullpen, unless they felt like sending one of their starters in for one inning (in this case it would have been Leroy Matlock) -- the Crawfords felt this game was in the books.

The Phillies on the other hand woke up in the ninth. John Kruk led things off with triple, Ricky Jordan (playing at third, Dave Hollins got hurt in the 5th) would fail to score in the runner on a infield ground out. Darren Daulton draws a one-out walk, bringing up Wes Chamberlain who has a lot of power. Chamberlain would clobber a three-run HR (his first HR, but 6th extra-base hit in 35 at-bats), trimming the lead to a sliver of one run (8-7). Jim Eisenreich and Mariano Duncan followed with back-to-back singles. With runners on 1st & 2nd, the Phillies call on Pete Incaviglia to pinch-hit for the pitcher Larry Andersen. This move prompted the Crawfords to go to the pen for Bertrum Hunter (D-Y), which would make him a C-Y against the first batter in Incaviglia (with both being righties); Incaviglia would strike out for the second out. Kevin Stocker would tie the game with a RBI single up the middle, as Eisenreich scores, Duncan advances to third, bringing up Lenny Dykstra. Dyskstra gets his pitch and sends this one into the gap, as Duncan scores easily for the game-winner.

Dykstra says let the party begin!

(1993) Phillies 9, (1935) Crawfords 8

The Crawfords have now lost their 3rd game in their last eight -- still leading their division, but can the 1929 Chicago Cubs gain a game in the next one, to be only one game down?

The 1981 Montreal Expos have won 2 of the first 3 games this series against the favored Cubs, and would be sending their 4th starter in Ray Burris (B-Z). He will have the advantage against Sheriff Blake (C-YW). The Expos are going to start two bench guys today in Terry Francona and Jerry Manuel (two future MLB Managers) to spark a little offense, Chris Speier certainly has better defense than Manuel, but has struggled -- batting .162 with an awful on-base percentage of .230!

The Expos will have to deal with the Cubs' "Fearsome Foursome" of....

• Kiki Cuyler - .321 AVG, 2 HR, 8 RBI (26 hits), 9 SB's & .881 OPS.
• Rogers Hornsby - .304 AVG, 6 HR, 19 RBI (28 hits), 12 BB's & .979 OPS.
• Hack Wilson - .349 AVG, 6 HR, 22 RBI (30 hits), 10 BB's & 1.121 OPS.
• Riggs Stephenson - .300 AVG, 5 HR, 20 RBI (24 hits) & .914 OPS.

Anyone of these players can single-handily change a game or series outcome. Rogers Hornsby had a slow start, but is now looking every bit of the superstar that he is. 

The Expos would jump to a 3-0 first inning lead with Terry Francona's two-run single leading the way, Jerry Manuel's RBI single was the other factor in the inning -- good call, so far on Montreal's management. Warren Cromartie would add an RBI single in the second, as Gary Carter tacks on a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 Expos. Larry Parrish smacks a two-run double in the fourth, scoring in Andre Dawson & Terry Francona.

Ray Burris looked solid through four innings with a 7-0 lead, allowing only one hit & two base-runners up to that point, then came the bottom of the 5th...

Hornsby's Izzy Card with Cubs.

Charles Grimm hit a lead-off double, Bib McMillan moves Grimm over to third by grounding out. Backup catcher Mike Gonzalez hits a RBI single (for the Cubs' first run), Cubs reliever Art Nehf helped by hitting a single, and Kiki Cuyler would draw a walk. Three men on for Rogers Hornsby, with two outs. Hornsby would clear the bases with a triple off of Burris. Burris would get the dangerous Hack Wilson to fly out for the final out -- but not before the lead was trimmed down to only a three-run Montreal cushion, Expos lead 7-4.

The Cubs decide to keep Art Nehf (D) in to pitch one more inning, maybe a little for his single (that would lead to a run) during Chicago's 5th inning rally. It ended up being a bit of a mistake, as Andre Dawson bruises a lead-off solo HR to right -- Dawson already has a single & double as well in this one, so he's in striking distance of the cycle. Nehf would get the next three batters to go down in order, Expos are up 8-4.

The bottom of the 5th was looking like a possible quick inning for Ray Burris, when he got Riggs Stephenson to ground out & Charles Grimm to fly out. Bib McMillan (the usual starting 3B, came in as a sub in the 5th inning) would hit the two-out double to keep the inning going. The Cubs go to their bench and call on dangerous bench guy Footsie Blair. The Expos go to the pen and call on "The Spaceman" Bill Lee (C/B*-Z) and will be a A*-Z against the first batter Blair -- a good strategy if he got the out, but ends up walking him. Two outs, with runners on 1st & 2nd, Lee (now a B*-Z again) faces another pinch-hitter in Cliff Heathcote; Heathcote hits a two-run triple, trimming the lead down to two runs (8-6). 

The Cubs fans can smell blood in the water, as Woody English steps up to the plate -- rolls into double columns (then 66!), a two-run blast! This would be English's second HR in 95 at-bats during this "Crazy 48's" season -- in the real-life 1929 MLB season, English only had one HR all season in 608 at-bats! The Cubs couldn't add to the inning after a single by Kiki Cuyler, tie game at 8-8.

Bottom of the 7th, the Expos stick with Bill Lee, in which the Cubs' Charles Grimm would score in Hack Wilson on a sac fly, to take their first lead of the game, 9-8. Wilson led the inning off with a double. The Expos would tie the game in the top of the 8th, with an RBI double by Warren Cromartie, knocking in Tim Raines from second (who reached 2nd on a single & steal).

Montreal goes with Woody Fryman in the 8th, even though Kiki Cuyler collected a single & steal with two outs, Rogers Hornsby would strand him with a fly to center.

Rodney Scott for the Expos would hit a one-out double off of Guy Bush (who is a rotation guy, brought in to relief). The Expos stick with pitcher Woody Fryman to hit in his place in the batting order, he can hit for a pitcher. He would drive in the go-ahead run in Scott, with a RBI single. The Expos decide to keep Fryman in to try to secure the victory, instead of going with their closer Jeff Reardon. Fryman gets Hack Wilson, Riggs Stephenson & Charles Grimm to go down in order as the Expos hold off the comeback in this one.

(1981) Expos 10, (1929) Cubs 9