Clutch Cards Defeat Brewers in '82 Series Replay

ST. LOUIS -- Even 30-plus years later, the Brewers still couldn't get the best of their nemesis, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Behind their aces -- Joaquin Andujar and Bruce Sutter -- the Cards defeated the Brew Crew 3-0 in Game 7 of an APBA Baseball Game World Series replay that matched the real thing, where St. Louis out-dueled the Brewers four games to three in Milwaukee's only trip to the fall classic.

I was hoping the Brewers could reverse the outcome, after piling up 106 wins in my regular season replay. But it was not to be ...

The Cardinals jumped to 2-0 lead by edging the Brewers in the first two games, and had the Brewers playing catch-up the rest of the series. Sutter, the NL's top reliever, earned a save in all four Cardinals victories. Clutch hitting throughout the lineup keyed the Cardinals offense.

Game 1 -- Cards win 3-2, take series lead

George Hendrick drove in a pair of runs in the first inning, and Darrell Porter scored from second base on an error in the sixth to put the Cards ahead 3-2 in their opening game win. Bob Forsch earned the win, pitching 8-plus innings before yielding to Sutter.

Pete Vuckovich took the loss, though matching Forsch almost pitch for pitch. The Brewers scored first, after Paul Molitor led off the game with a single and scored on a double by AL MVP Robin Yount. Fellow all-star Cecil Cooper drove in the tying run with a double in the sixth inning, after a leadoff walk by Yount.

Porter, the former Brewers backstop, lead off the bottom of the sixth with a double. He scored after leftfielder Ben Oglivie bobbled then dropped a fly ball by Lonnie Smith. Forsch and Sutter then did the rest.

Game 2 -- Cards win 3-1, lead series 2-0

But for a ninth-inning solo home run by Oglivie, the Brewers mustered little offense versus Cards starter John Stuper. Once again, the Cards got off to a fast start, with leadoff hitters Tommy Herr and Ken Oberkfell getting on base with a pair of singles, then scoring on sacrifice flyouts by Keith Hernandez and George Hendrick. Hernandez scored an insurance run in the eighth, hitting a single then scoring on a triple by Porter.

After Oglivie's home run, Sutter closed the door on any further comeback by striking out Gorman Thomas and Ted Simmons. Don Sutton took the loss.

Game 3 -- Brewers rally for 8-7 win

It seemed grim for the Brewers as the Cardinals dinged starter Mike Caldwell for six runs in the fourth inning, including a two-run homer by Hendrick and and a two-out, bases-loaded double by Herr to put the Cards ahead 6-2. Andujar was cruising with a 7-2 lead when the Brewers scored three in the bottom of the seventh. After Molitor drove in one with a single, Yount smacked a two-out double to drive in two more. Doug Bair retired Cooper to end the threat and maintain the Cards' 7-5 lead.

Bair, however, surrendered a leadoff walk to Oglivie. After Sutter came on to retire Thomas, designated hitter Don Money and Simmons hit back-to-back home runs to put the Brewers ahead 8-7.

In the top of the ninth, Brewers reliever Jamie Easterly allowed Hendrick to reach first on a single. That prompted a call to the bullpen, and Rollie Fingers. (Note: Unlike in real life, Fingers rallied miraculously from a season-ending injury to pitch in the Series!) Fingers came on to retire the side, including striking out David Green to end the game and get the Brewers back on track. (Note: Green platooned throughout the series. He had been traded to St. Louis two years earlier in the deal that brought the Brewers Simmons, Vuckovich and Fingers!). Easterly got the win in relief, Sutter took the loss.

Game 4 --  Brewers rally again, win 3-2 and even the series

Gorman Thomas hit a solo home run off Doug Bair in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and even the series at two games apiece. Easterly once again picked up the win in relief, with another save by Fingers.

Both starters -- Moose Haas for the Brewers and Dave LaPoint for the Cards -- gave way to the bullpens after allowing a pair of runs. (Note: LaPoint also had been traded to the Cards from the Brewers in the Fingers deal ... )

Game 5 -- Vuckovich pounded as Cards regain series lead with 8-3 win

Pete Vuckovich took his second loss of the series as he allowed five runs over three-plus innings; the Cards went on to win 8-3. Lonnie Smith went 3-for-4 in the leadoff spot, scoring two runs and driving in another; Porter had a double and a home run, scoring two runs; and McGee added a two-run triple. Forsch got his second win of the series, with another save from Sutter.

Thomas hit his second home run in two games, and Yount added a two-run home run in the seventh that cut the lead to 5-3. But the Cards added three runs in the eighth and ninth to put them one win away from the championship.

Game 6 -- Sutton saves the day as Brewers win 8-2 to force Game 7

Don Sutton held the Cardinals to four hits and a pair of runs in the fourth inning as the Brewers pounded the Cardinals for 12 hits in an 8-2 win. Oglivie got the scoring started with a two-run bomb in the first inning, followed by Thomas' third homer of the series in the third. Simmons drove in two more runs in the third inning to chase Cards starter John Stuper. Cooper went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and two RBI.

Game 7 -- Brewers held scoreless in 3-0 series finale

The Brewers could scatter only six hits as they fell 3-0 to the Cardinals. St. Louis starter Joaquin Andujar got the win, with Sutter coming on to close out the eighth and ninth innings. Willie McGee gave the Cards all the runs they would need with a one-out, bases-loaded single to drive in two runs in the fourth inning off losing pitcher Mike Caldwell.

The Brewers made it exciting to the end, with Oglivie leading off the ninth with a double against Sutter. After a flyout by Money to deep left, Edwards hit a sharp single to left. However, Green gunned down Oglivie at the plate. Sutter then ended the threat and the series by striking out Ted Simmons.

How ironic that so much of the series turned on key plays by players who had been dealt between the teams just two years earlier!

... And so ended my long-awaited replay of the Milwaukee Brewers mythic 1982 season!

--66--

   

Brewers Pile Up 106 Wins in 1982 Season Replay

The Brewers raced to a fast start and never let up on the gas as they cruised to a 106-56 record in this 1982 APBA Baseball Game season replay.

As in real life, the Brewers pounded opponents with their hitting and had plenty of pitching -- especially with the late-season addition of Don Sutton -- to assure Milwaukee the AL East Division title. They outscored their opponents 844-630!

The Brew Crew put an exclamation point on their season by finishing with a three-game road sweep of their closest division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles. The sweep included a 15-5 demolition and a ninth-inning come from behind victory.

Trailing 4-2 in their last at bat, second baseman Jim Gantner led off the inning with a single, followed by a home run by catcher Charlie Moore. After a triple by Marshall Edwards, third baseman/leadoff hitter supreme Paul Molitor drove him in with a single. Pete Vuckovich wrapped up his 22nd win with a one, two, three-out bottom of the ninth.

It's no wonder Vuckovich earned the Cy Young Award, going 22-3 with a 2.76 ERA. He pitched 251 innings in 30 starts, with 17 complete games. Mike Caldwell and Moose Haas contributed 16 wins apiece. Sutton compiled a 5-1 record in his six starts after arriving from Houston.

The bullpen was led by Hall-of-Famer Rollie Fingers, who went 7-9 with 29 saves. Jim Slaton added 3 saves along with his 10-5 record; Dwight Bernard also had 3 saves and a 7-2 win/loss tally.

In the replay, all-star shortstop Robin Yount nearly duplicated his MVP stat line -- batting .346, scoring 124 runs, driving in 117, and smacking 54 doubles, 14 triples and 26 home runs! Molitor, The Igniter, lived up to his nickname, batting .343 and scoring 140 runs! His stats included 230 hits, 86 RBI, 29 doubles, 27 home runs and 42 stolen bases.

First baseman Cecil Cooper and left fielder Ben Oglivie anchored the middle of the lineup. Cooper batted .304 in the three spot, scoring 100 runs, and driving in 115 with 42 doubles and 22 home runs. Oglivie led the team in home runs with 45, matching Cooper with 115 RBI and 101 runs scored.

Center fielder Gorman Thomas contributed 93 RBI, with 27 home runs and 37 doubles. The bottom of the order did its share of damage as well. Catcher Ted Simmons batted .258 with 12 home runs and 67 RBI; Gantner batted .331, scoring 61 and driving in 57; and part-time designated hitter Don Money batted .323 with 16 homers and 59 RBI.

As a team, the Brewers batted a stellar .284, with 202 home runs, a .330 on-base percentage and a .453 slugging percentage. Here's a link to all the stats.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 1982 Brewers World Series squad is my most favorite, having grown up in Milwaukee. It's surprising it took this long to get to a season replay. I've been playing APBA baseball since 1976.

This is the third season replay I've completed this year, the others being the 2008 Brewers playoff team and the 1969 Cubs, who also managed to win more than 100 games in my replay.

In replaying the 1982 Brewers I used the team's actual starting pitching rotation and opponents' starting lineups. I kept pitchers close of their actual innings pitched; and batters close to their actual number of plate appearances. I also mixed in an interleague schedule, with four games against each of the National League squads.The Brewers went 32-16 against the NL.

I'm looking forward to replaying the 1982 World Series against the Cardinals, who defeated the Brewers in three out of four games during the replay. One twist I plan for the Series is including Rollie Fingers, who missed the actual World Series due to injury. What the heck, it's my replay!

Note: As always, here's a link to my Brewers replay stats ... 

--66--

Brewers Reach 55 Wins by '82 All-star Break

With a 13th-inning walk-off three-run home run by Gorman Thomas, the Brewers cruised into the 1982 all-star break with an 8-5 win over the Braves and a 55-30 record.

The Brewers closed the first-half of this APBA baseball season replay on a two-game win streak, defeating the Braves for the second straight day. Jim Slaton earned his eighth victory with three innings of scoreless relief.

Meanwhile, fans voted shortstop Robin Yount and first-baseman Cecil Cooper into the starting lineup for the American League all-stars. They will be joined in Montreal by teammates Paul Molitor, Ben Oglivie, Pete Vuckovich and Rollie Fingers.

The Brewers' league-leading offensive attack has been led by the one-two punch of Molitor and Yount. Molitor already has tallied 74 runs, 17 home runs, 24 stolen bases and a .337 batting average. Likewise, Yount has piled up MVP numbers including a .354 batting average, 57 runs, 66 RBI, 29 doubles and 14 home runs.

While Cooper started the season slowly, the all-star is now batting .312 with 58 RBI and 13 home runs.

The Brewers have already crushed 115 home runs, led by Oglivie with 22. Thomas and designated hitter Don Money have added 15 homers apiece. Money also is batting .325 and has driven in 46 runs in the cleanup spot.

With his 12-2 record, Vuckovich leads a pitching staff that has a combined 3.30 ERA. Among the starters, Moose Haas is 9-4; Randy Lerch stands at 7-4 and Mike Caldwell is even at 6-6. In addition to his eight wins, Slaton has compiled three saves while pitching mostly in relief.

Fingers, the all-star and future hall-of-famer, has four wins to go along with his 15 saves.

To this point, the Brewers have compiled a 28-14 record at home and are 27-16 on the road. The Brew Crew has amassed a 16-9 record so far in interleague play. (The AL Brewers' schedule was tweaked to include 48 interleague games, four against each of the 12 National League squads.)

This Brewers team, my favorite all-time, started quickly in this replay, sweeping the Blue Jays and winning their first five games. They built up a 12-5 record in April, followed by a 20-9 record in May. They went 17-11 in June and are 6-5 so far in July.

Among the season highlights so far:

April 9 -- The Brewers opened the season with a 10-0 win in Toronto on opening day. Vuckovich tossed the day one shutout. The offense included three-run homers by Yount and Thomas and a two-run shot by Molitor.

April 21 -- Money hits a two-run walk-off home run to down the Blue Jays 3-2. Buck Martinez had hit a solo homer in the top of the ninth to put Toronto ahead.

April 22 -- For the second straight day, the Brewers win 5-3on a two-run walk-off home run, this time by Oglivie in the bottom of the 10th inning versus the Blue Jays.

April 28 -- Second-baseman Jim Gantner led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-typing solo home run. Later in the inning, Cooper drove in Yount with the winning run. The Brewers hit four homers in the game, a 7-6 win over the White Sox.

May 1 -- Oglivie hits a pair of home runs in a 9-1 win over the Twins. Vuckovich throws a six-hitter.

May 2 -- Roy Howell hits a two-run homer in the 13th inning for a 4-3 win over the Twins.

May 6 -- The Brewers destroy the Cardinals 11-1 as Vuckovich gets another complete game win.

May 9 -- Gantner is the hero again, hitting one to the wall to drive in a pair of runs for a 6-5 win in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Twins. Gantner went 3-for-5 with a double, home run and four RBI.

May 15 -- Haas shuts out the Cubs 6-0, defeating hall-of-famer Fergie Jenkins.

May 23 -- Money hits a pair of homers in a 10-2 blowout of the Mariners. Molitor and Thomas also hit round-trippers.

May 27 -- Cooper and Money hit back-to-back homers to defeat the Angels 3-2 in Anaheim. Vuckovich gets the win, with a save by Fingers.

June 2 -- Oglivie's two-run homer in the 11th inning propels the Brewers to a 3-1 win over the Astros in the Astrodome.

June 8 -- Every batter in the lineup gets at least one hit in the Brewers' 7-1 win over the Orioles. Lerch gets the win.

June 9 -- Thomas gets a walk-off bases-loaded walk to defeat the Orioles 6-5. The free pass was the third in a row by O's reliever Tim Stoddard.

June 18 -- Yount and Cooper go a combined 8-for-9 with five runs, four RBI and four doubles in an 8-6 win over the Tigers.

June 19 -- Haas shuts out the Tigers on three hits for a 1-0 win at old Tiger Stadium. Oglivie hit a solo home run in the ninth inning against his former team for the only score.

June 23 -- The Crew scores seven runs in the bottom of the first inning off Mike Morgan on their way to a 9-1 win over the Yankees.

July 4 -- The Brewers complete a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with an 8-2 win on Independence Day.

July 7 -- Molitor hits a leadoff home run as the Brewers pound the Padres 13-6. Yount scored three runs and drove in five with a double, triple and a home run.

July 9 -- The Expos rally to score three runs, including two off Fingers, in the ninth inning to drop the Brewers 4-3. D'oh!

July 11 -- The Brewers pound out 19 hits in a 12-3 victory over the Braves, including a triple and a home run by Yount, who scored two and drove in five.

Note: Check out the Brewers' up-to-date stats here.

--66--

'82 Brewers Begin Season Replay with a Bang!

Now I know how Leo Durocher may have felt when managing the Cubs into July and August back in 1969. ... When the weather got hot, the Cubs cooled off ...

Just as in real life, the '69 Cubs have started to struggle now that I've reached the 100-game mark and the stretch run of my replay season. Where I used to be sweeping the lower-echelon teams, the Cubs are now dropping series to the likes of the Seattle Pilots! (Yes, I know, the Cubs didn't play interleague games back then, but they do in my replay!)

Unlike the Cubs who famously crashed and burned in the heat of the summer pennant race, I'm ready to take a break. Maybe the replay Cubs can regroup after a brief respite and regain the swagger that propelled them to a 55-21 record -- 34 games over .500! -- at the end of June.

I needed some time off anyway ...

So I'm taking on a season replay of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers.

I'm way overdue in replaying the Brewers' iconic 1982 season, which culminated in a World Series showdown versus the St. Louis Cardinals. It's the first and only time the Brewers have made it to baseball's championship, and followed by 25 years the World Series title earned by the then-Milwaukee Braves, who of course were led by Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Warren Spahn.

The 1982 Milwaukee team is easily my most favorite, whether reminiscing about the good-ol' days or playing APBA. I grew up outside Milwaukee. My first APBA baseball game arrived in the mail in 1976, and I was thrilled to play game after game with the lowly '75 Brewers team that finished in fifth place with a 68-94 record. At least they didn't lose 100 games!

That season marked Aaron's return to Milwaukee, where he became the designated hitter and managed to crack another dozen dingers. Robin Yount was truly "The Kid," and I became a huge fan of Sixto Lezcano, the promising right fielder who eventually got traded to St. Louis with some other guys for three of the key components of the '82 AL title team -- Rollie Fingers, Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich.

I graduated from high school in 1981. We attended many a game during my high school years and into my college days at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. By the time we had become bleacher bums at old Milwaukee County Stadium I had shifted my fickle favorite-player allegiance to mutton-chopped center fielder "Stormin'" Gorman Thomas.

Of course, the '82 squad featured three future Hall-of-Famers -- Yount, Paul Molitor and Fingers, the ace reliever. Yount went on to earn the league's Most Valuable Player award. That year he hit .331 with 29 home runs and 129 runs scored. He led the league in hits with 210, doubles with 46 and slugging percentage at .578. He topped it off with his first and only Gold Glove Award.

Vuckovich had one of his best seasons, earning the AL Cy Young Award by going 18-6 with a 3.34 ERA. Fingers saved 29 games as the Brewers compiled a 95-67 record.

I'll never forget the Brewers' dramatic march to the World Series after dropping the first two playoff games to the Angels in California. They came home to sweep the Halos in the best-of-five round and then headed to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals. So many times I've replayed Game 7 but I can seldom knock out Joaquin Andujar and those pesky Cardinals -- even when I "cheat" and have Rollie Fingers warming up in the 'pen. (He missed the series that year due to injury. Dang it!)

What the Brewers lacked in starting pitching they more than made up with their hitting. Harvey's Wallbangers led the league in home runs (216) and runs scored (891) -- no other team came even close to matching those numbers!

So I'm looking forward to a few more blowouts in this replay, which will once again use the basic game with a few tweaks here and there, including a 48-game interleague schedule (two home and two away against each NL squad). I use the actual starting pitchers for both teams, and the actual lineups for the Brewers' opponents. During interleague action, I try to use the opponent's actual lineup on that date, unless they happened face a righty on the day that Milwaukee lefty Mike Caldwell pitched. Then I try to find a lefty batting order as close to the actual game date. Not perfect, but it works.

My replay results have been pretty close to real life so far (e.g. '08 Brewers and '69 Cubs), so I'm looking forward to enjoying plenty of wins by the '82 Brewers.

But if they hit a rough patch, I can always go back to the Cubs and see if I can finish off the 1969 season with better results ...

Brewers Win 10-0 in Season Opener

The Brewers opened their 1982 APBA season replay by destroying the Blue Jays 10-0 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto behind home runs by Gorman Thomas, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor and a four-hit shutout by Pete Vuckovich.

Fans didn't have to wait long for the Brew Crew's offense to show up as the Brewers pounded Blue Jays starter Mark Bomback for seven runs in the second inning.

Designated hitter Don Money got the season's first hit, a double, followed by a walk to Ben Oglivie. Thomas then got the fireworks started, launching a three-run home run to deep right field. Catcher Charlie Moore, filling in for the injured Ted Simmons, then got the Brewers reloaded with a double, scoring on Jim Gantner's single.

Molitor followed with his first hit of the season, a double that moved Gantner to third. Yount then came up to deliver the second-three-run shot of the inning, a blast over the center field fence, staking the Crew to a 7-0 lead.

Meanwhile, "Dirty Pete" Vuckovich was setting down the Jays, scattering four hits and pitching a complete game in his season debut. Vuke struck out a half dozen batters and walked only two.

Molitor finished off the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Brewers banged out 14 hits in the opener for both teams.

The Brewers went on to sweep the series, coming from behind to beat the Jays 7-3 in game two and holding on for a 2-1 win in game three.

In their next stop, Ted Simmons returned to the lineup with a first-inning, bases-clearing triple to lead the Crew to an 8-5 win over the Indians. They duplicated the feat the next day, defeating Cleveland again 8-5 with three more home runs and a second win by Vuckovich.

Yount got injured, however, and will be out for about a week. And the Brewers got their first loss, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Bert Blyleven, who pitched a complete game. (It was one of the few games Blyleven pitched that year; I had to use his '81 APBA card. I had to find the '81 card for "Super Joe" Charboneau as well. The 1980 AL Rookie of the Year turned out to be not so super after all, playing his last major league game on June 1, 1982.)

Next I'm looking forward to replaying the Brewers' home opener against the Rangers ...

Note: Here are my up-to-date Brewers replay stats.

--66--

Phillies' Playoff Homer Barrage Ends Brewers Season in '08 Replay

Photo courtesy of Bryce Edwards/Creative Commons

Home runs by the Phillies soundly spoiled any notions the Brewers had about moving beyond the NL Division Series in a replay of Milwaukee's 2008 season.

Just as in real life, the Brewers fell 3 games to 1 to the eventual World Series champion. My replay came to a sudden and decisive end as the Phillies smacked three 2-run home runs, rallying for a 10-4 win over the Brewers in Game 4.

It didn't matter that the replay Brewers ignored injuries that kept the real Ben Sheets, Russell Branyan and Gabe Kapler out of the series. While Sheets won Game 3 of the series and Branyan had a key home run in the win, their innings and at-bats couldn't reverse the series outcome.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard ultimately made the difference for the Phillies, combining for 6 home runs, 9 runs and 13 RBI. Yikes! With 4 of those home runs, Utley earned the series MVP award.

Game 1 -- Phillies 4, Brewers 2

A game that began with first-inning fireworks, quickly turned into an extra inning stalemate.

Photo courtesy of Matt Schilder/Creative Commons

Rickie Weeks led off with a single and was followed by a home run by J.J. Hardy, staking the Brewers to a 2-0 lead. The Phillies answered in the bottom of the first after a double by Jason Werth and Utley's first homer of the series.

Starters Yovani Gallardo and Cole Hamels gave way to a series of relievers over 14th innings. In the bottom of the 14th, Utley led off with a single, followed by Howard's walk-off home run on a pitch by Carlos Villanueva. Chad Durbin got the victory in the 4-2 win.

Game 2 -- Phillies 6, Brewers 4

Once again powered by a pair of two-run home runs by Utley and Howard, the Phillies cruised to a 6-4 win in Game 2. Ryan "Mad Dog" Madson got the win; Brad Lidge the save.

Branyan put the Brewers ahead 4-2 in the fourth inning with a home run to drive in Corey Hart, who had tripled to drive in Prince Fielder. However, C.C. Sabathia, whose pitching heroics helped propel the Brewers to their first playoff series in 26 years, couldn't put the brakes on the Phillies offense.

Sabathia surrendered a solo home run to Pedro Feliz in the bottom of the fourth and a two-run homer to -- who else? -- Utley in the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Clay Condrey, Madson and Lidge held the Brewers scoreless the rest of the way.

Game 3 -- Brewers 2, Phillies 1

Photo courtesy of Michael Napoleon/
Creative Commons

The Brewers didn't disappoint a full house at Miller Park, winning Game 3 2-1 when Hardy scored from second on Hart's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sheets pitched a complete game, striking out nine, for the victory.

The only Phillies tally came in the first inning, as Jimmy Rollins lead off with a single and scored on a double by Utley. It took until the eighth inning for the Brewers to tie, on a solo home run by Branyan.

Jamie Moyer, who had no-hit the Brewers three weeks earlier, got the loss.

Game 4 -- Phillies 10, Brewers 4

The Phillies looked like they might wrap up Game 4 early when Jayson Werth crushed a home run off Brewers starter Dave Bush in the second inning. Carlos Ruiz scored a few moments later on an error by Branyan.

But the Brewers bounced back, thanks to J.J. Hardy. In the third, he drove in Weeks, who had tripled with two out. Then Hardy smashed a three-run homer in the fifth to help send Phillies starter Joe Blanton to the showers.

But that would be it for the Brewers, who mustered little against the Phillies' deep bullpen.

Meanwhile, the Phils were just getting warmed up.

Utley led the way with a pair of two-run home runs, one in the seventh inning and one in the eighth. Greg Dobbs -- yet another former Mariner -- closed out the barrage with a two-run dinger in the ninth. The Phillies piled up 14 hits in all.

Losing pitcher Brian Shouse, one of the Brewers' most effective arms out of the bullpen during the regular season, got pounded for five runs in two innings, including Utley's twin shots. Condrey got the win in relief for the Phillies.

Postscript

Losing to the Phillies in the Division Series wasn't all that unexpected. And it certainly didn't diminish the Brewers' stellar 90-72 record in the regular season.

This was my first full-season replay. It was interesting to experience all the ups and downs, heartbreak and heroics that happen through a long season.

After a bit of a break, I'll be ready for another replay. Among the teams under consideration:

• 1982 Brewers -- My favorite team ever!
• 2011 Brew Crew -- NL Central Champs!
• 1957 Braves -- Those were the days ... 
• 1969 Cubs -- Reverse the curse?
• 1949 Dodgers? 

We shall see ...

--66--

Sabathia, Braun Lead Brew Crew to Playoffs in '08 APBA Replay

Courtesy of BaseballBacks/Creative Commons

C.C. Sabathia closed out the season in style -- with 34 shutout innings and a no-hitter in leading the Brewers to their first playoffs in 26 years in my APBA Baseball game replay of Milwaukee's 2008 season.

As in real life, Sabathia -- acquired in a mid-season trade with the Indians -- proved a game-changer. In his 17 starts for my Brewers, Sabathia tossed 13 complete games, 6 shutouts and a no-hitter versus the Reds on Sept. 20 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

C.C.'s no-no was one of many highlights in a replay that saw my Brewers match their real-life record of 90-72, good for second place in the NL Central behind the Cubs. While Sabathia (12-4, 1.81 ERA) was teaming up with Ben Sheets (16-11, 2.49 ERA) on the mound, Ryan Braun anchored the offense with 40 home runs, while scoring 104 runs and driving in 113. Meanwhile, Prince Fielder kicked in 32 homers to go along with 97 RBI.

Although I've been playing APBA some four decades since first rolling the dice for "The Kid" Robin Yount and "Hammerin'" Hank Aaron, this was my first full-season replay. I picked the '08 squad in part because I couldn't bear to lose close to 100 games as so many of Milwaukee's teams have done over the years.

I'll admit plenty of anxiety throughout the season, however, as I wondered if I could manage the Crew to the playoffs or suffer the same fate as Ned Yost, who was booted in favor of Dale Sveum with but a dozen games to go.

What frustrated me game after game was the Brewers' persistent lack of offense! This for a team that batted .253 and scored 750 runs and smacked 198 home runs. In my replay, the Brewers hit a paltry .226 while scoring 50 fewer runs. My Brewers hit 196 homers, while upping their doubles from 324 to 351. Nevertheless, their slugging and on-base percentages also dipped (.431 vs. .412 and .325 vs. .300).

Countering the drop in offense, apparently, was a spike in quality pitching! The replay Crew shaved three-quarters of a run off the team ERA -- from 3.85 to 3.15, which easily would have led the league in pitching!

Honestly, I'm stumped by the stats!

Seeing this slump in hitting from nearly the get-go, I had my doubts whether the Brewers could muster enough runs to match their real-life win total. But the ridiculously good pitching persisted, culminating in Sabathia's end-of-the-season invincibility.

In the end, I was amazed how close most of the other team stats matched reality.

And with some exceptions, individuals weren't too far off either. Sabathia, for instance, was 12-4 compared to 11-2. Sheets went 16-11 vs. 13-9.

Braun's .267/40/113 matched up with .285/37/106 while Fielder went .246/32/97 vs. .276/34/102. J.J. Hardy went .263/28/88  against .283/24/74.

When it came to hitting, my biggest disappointment was Corey Hart, who went .268/20/91 for real. In the replay he slumped miserably to .217/15/74. Meanwhile, one of my faves, centerfielder Mike Cameron was an uncanny .236/24/74, compared to reality's .243/25/70.

What did I learn about the way I manage over the course of this season?

Mainly that I prefer starting pitching, and that I way over-use the hit-and-run and except for pitchers, I almost never use the sacrifice bunt.

My rotation amassed 46 complete games -- 29 by Sheets and Sabathia. The real Brewers had 12 ... total! This probably accounted for the lack of replay saves, 31 vs. 45.

In real life, the Brewers had fewer than one stolen base per game, 108. I piled up 158, including 37 apiece for Cameron and Hart and 36 for my main leadoff hitter, Rickie Weeks. That was only about double their actual totals: Cameron 17, Hart 23, and Weeks 19. D'oh!

In the end, this replay was more an experiment than anything. Based on all the other replays I've read about over the years in the APBA Journal/APBA Blog and elsewhere, I figured the Brewers would end up pretty close to their actual record. But I had to prove it to myself.

Also just as in real life, it was alternately exhilarating when the Brewers won and funk-inducing when they lost, especially what seemed like an inordinate number of walk-off wins by the likes of the Reds, Cards and Astros -- damn you, Joey Votto!

Some highlights:

Sept. 28: Brewers win their last game of the season, a 3-0 shutout by Sabathia for win number 12. They finish the replay with a 90-72 record -- identical to real life.

Sept. 27: Braun hits a pair of home runs in a 7-1 win over the Cubs.

Sept. 25: The Brewers lose 3-2 to the lowly Pirates in 11 innings. The loss drops the Brewers' record to 7-8 record against the Bucs for the year, a far cry from the 14-1 record they posted against Pittsburgh in real life.

Sept. 21: The Brewers score 5 runs in the 9th inning, including a 3-run home run by Mike Cameron to defeat the Reds 13-8.

Sept. 20: Sabathia throws a no-hitter to beat the Reds 3-0. Fielder and Hardy hit home runs to provide the offense.

Sept. 11: Jamie Moyer of the Phillies throws a no-hitter in defeating the Brewers 4-0.

Sept. 2-3: Mets errors lead to back-to-back walk-off wins for the Brewers.

Aug. 15-17: The Brewers sweep Los Angeles in a three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

Aug. 6: Joey Votto hits a two-out, grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to rally the Reds to a 7-4 win.

July 28: The Brewers defeat the Cubs 5-4 in 18 innings on back-to-back doubles by Hardy and Braun.

July 18-20: The visiting Brewers sweep the Giants in three games at AT&T Park.

July 15: Ben Sheets and Ryan Braun start for the NL All-Stars at Yankee Stadium. The AL wins 12-4 behind MVP Manny Ramirez, who goes 2-for-3 with 5 RBI on a double and a triple.

July 13: In one of his rare bad outings, Sabathia loses 11-5 to the Reds at Miller Park, dropping the Brewers to 51-44 at the All-Star Break.

June 25: Braun smacks a 10th-inning home run to beat the Braves 5-4.

June 7-8: On consecutive nights Corey Hart hits two-run home runs in the final inning to rally the team to wins over the Rockies in Denver.

June 6: Brad Haupe jacks at two-out grand slam in the bottom of the 10th to drop the Brewers 6-2.

May 30: Russell Branyan hits a pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the 10th to beat the Astros 7-6.

May 27: Mike Cameron hits a pair of home runs to lead the Crew to a 4-1 win over the Braves.

May 25: The Nationals pound the Brewers 15-3, smacking 19 hits.

May 12: The Brewers win 1-0, scoring the winning run on a walk-off hit by Gabe Kapler, subbing for Braun.

May 11: The first six batters for the visiting Cardinals reach base and score on the way to a 12-5 win.

April 25: The Brewers hit five home runs, including two by Braun, to defeat the Marlins 15-2.

April 24: Prince Fielder smacks at walk-off three-run home run to rally the Brewers to a 4-3 win over the Phillies.

April 20: The Brewers fall four games under .500 to 7-11 after a 1-0 shutout by Aaron Harang of the Reds.

March 30: Ben Sheets begins the season the same way he ends it, with a win over the Cubs, this one a 4-2 victory on opening day at Wrigley Field.

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Note: This replay took me about a year to complete. I took a break after about 30 games, right about the time Ryan Braun was suspended for the rest of last season. When I finally got over it, the pace of play heated up the closer I got to the end ... 

Plenty of APBA Highlights in June 15, 2013 Replay

Yasiel Puig and Juan Uribe of the Dodgers.  Photo courtesy of Ron Reiring/Creative Commons/Flickr

What better way check out the 2013 APBA baseball card set than to put all the teams in action and see what happens.

So I picked a mid-summer date when nobody has yet thrown in the towel or begun unloading their soon-to-be free agents. I had only two criteria -- Felix Hernandez had to be starting for the Mariners and Yasiel Puig had to be in the Dodgers starting lineup.

Saturday, June 15, 2013 fit the bill, and the games didn't disappoint.

Eight of the 15 games finished in one-run victories, including three walk-off winners. Unfortunately for King Felix and the Mariners, the A's notched one of the come-from-behind thrillers.

And the Dodgers won their showdown with the Pirates 7-3. Puig was a difference-maker, going 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored. After driving in the game-winning run with his second double, Puig stole third base and cruised home with an insurance run when Russell Martin's throw skipped into left field. Of course, Puig rounded out his performance with a trio of strikeouts. D'oh!

In what may have been a first in the nearly four decades that I've been rolling for sixty-sixes, the Dodgers hit 10 doubles in the game, including four in the decisive fifth inning. Clayton Kershaw, Skip Schumaker and Puig went back-to-back-to-back, with Hanley Ramirez adding another for good measure. Kershaw got the complete-game victory.

Felix Hernandez. Photo by Keith Allison/Creative Commons/Flickr

Hernandez seemed well on his way to doing the same against the A's. He cruised through the first seven innings, allowing a solo home run by Josh Donaldson while scattering seven hits and working out of several jams. Meanwhile, the M's built an early lead with three runs in the first, including a solo home run by Raul Ibanez. They added another run in the third after Nick Franklin's second double of the game. Kyle Seager followed with an RBI-single.

A.J. Griffin started for the Athletics and didn't look as though he would make it through the third inning, much less pitch a complete game. But Yoenis Cespedes made it a one-run game in the eighth with a two-run homer off King Felix. With the A's trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Chris Young led off with a single, then stole second. Hernandez headed for the dugout, confident that Yoervis Medina could slam the door.

Medina, however, uncorked a wild pitch, sending Young to third. Eric Sogard drove him in with a grounder to first. After getting Coco Crisp to pop to third, Josh Reddick singled. Cespedes did the same, moving the go-ahead runner to second. Brandon Moss then didn't waste any time dropping the M's, smashing a gapper to left center to bring in Reddick. A's win, 5-4.

In one of the other top contests, my favorite Brewers squad gave up THREE two-run home runs to the Reds' Brandon Phillips, including a walk-off dinger in the bottom of the ninth! Phillips drove in six runs, spoiling a showdown in which the Brewers rallied three times before falling 9-8.

Led by Carlos Gomez, the Brew Crew finally tallied three runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead. Gomez scored two runs and drove in three with a double and a home run. It was great to see Milwaukee total 12 hits -- without Ryan Braun. The Reds, however, had Phillips.

The games setup was simple enough. I went to Baseball-Reference.com for the schedule and boxscores. I played the games in their real-life order, beginning with the Cubs facing the Mets at Citi Field.

Wherever possible, I used actual lineups. In a few instances I had to to substitute for players who had too few at-bats or innings pitched to earn a card. Or, as in the case of Mark Teixeira of the Yankees, I had to use his 2012 card as he spent most of 2013 on the bench with injuries. About a dozen players had to be plucked from other squads as they still hadn't been traded when my June 15 games happened.  Among the notable players who later changed uniforms were Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs/Yankees and Alex Rios of the White Sox/Rangers.

Here are the results and a highlight or two or three ...

1. Mets hold on for a 7-6 win over the Cubs. Soriano had a two-run home run in the loss; David Wright scored a pair of runs; center-fielder Juan Lagares drove in three runs with a pair of doubles.
2. John Lackey and the Red Sox earned a 3-1 win over the the Orioles at Camden Yards. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the game with a double and scored, then drove in the game-winner with a single in the second. Big Papi David Ortiz reached base four out of five at-bats; Crash Davis had a solo home run for the O's.
3. The Dodgers dropped the Bucs 7-3 at PNC Park.
4. Jason Heyward drove in the winning run with a double in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Braves to a 5-4 win over the Giants at Turner Field. After being shut out for seven innings, the Giants rallied for four runs, including a pinch-hit two-run homer by Brandon Belt.
5. The Blue Jays defeated the Rangers 7-2 in Arlington. The big blow was a two-out, bases-loaded double by Maicer Izturis, propelling R.A. Dickey to the win. Nelson Cruz had a two-run homer for the home team.
6. The Rays blew out the Royals 11-3. Alex Cobb got the complete game win. Ben Zobrist and Desmond Jennings each scored three runs; third-baseman Kelly Johnson drove in four runs with a home run and a double.
7. The Reds broke the hearts of any Brewers fans who attended the 9-8 thriller at Great American Ball Park.
8. Tyler Chatwood pitched an eight-hit shutout in defeating the Phillies, 2-0. Nolan Arenado had a solo homer.
9. The Cardinals rallied with two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat the Marlins 6-5. Marcel Ozuna smacked a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth that looked to give Florida the victory. But Pete Kozma, Matt Carpenter and Matt Holliday all hit doubles to tally the game-tying and then game-winning runs.
10. Home runs by Conor Gillaspie and Alejandro De Aza helped the White Sox to a comeback win over the Astros, 5-4. Jason Castro had three RBI in the loss.
11. A two-out, three-run home run by Alex Avila propelled the Tigers to a 5-4 win over the Twins. Max Scherzer got the win; Joaquin Benoit earned the save. Home runs by Clete Thomas and Ryan Doumit kept it close.
12. The Yankees exploded for six runs in the top of the 12th inning to drop the Angels 9-3. Ichiro Suzuki, Vernon Wells and Eduardo Nunez all scored a run and drove in a pair.
13. The Mariners suffered the agony of defeat at the hands of the A's.
14. A pair of home runs by Jason Werth led the Nationals to a 5-4 win over the Indians. Ryan Zimmerman got the win; Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for the save.
15. Similar to the Yankees, the Diamondbacks piled up six runs in the top of the 10th inning to score an 11-5 win over the Padres in the day's finale. The D-Backs combined nine walks with 11 hits in the win. The Padres scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5-5, including a three-run pinch-hit home run by Will Venable and a solo homer by Chris Denorfia.

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'08 Brewers Limp into All-Star Break; Sabathia to the Rescue

The Brewers made it to the All-Star game with a winning record, barely. The Brew Crew went 2-6 in their final week leading up to the break, compiling a 51-44 record in my replay of the 2008 season.

C.C. Sabathia couldn't arrive soon enough in a pre-break trade with the Indians that bolstered a starting pitching rotation that managed to hold opponents at bay while the offense struggled to pile up hits and runs.

Ben Sheets
Photo courtesy of UCinternational

Besides the hitting of Ryan Braun, the pitching of Ben Sheets helped carry the Brewers to their winning first half. Sheets compiled a 10-5 record, worthy of starting this year's All-Star classic at Yankee Stadium (just as he did in real-life!). With a 2.70 ERA, Sheets tallied 123 strikeouts in 146 innings. He had 10 complete games and a pair of shutouts.

Other Brewers starters and their win totals include Dave Bush (7-5), Manny Parra (6-9) and Jeff Suppan (5-7). Seth McClung contributed 5 wins in splitting time between starting and relief. Salomon Torres had 15 saves to lead the bullpen.

Sabathia's debut was nothing less than spectacular as he shut out the Rockies on 2 hits, while the offense welcomed him to Milwaukee by scoring 12 runs, including a three-run homer by Prince Fielder and three hits by catcher Jason Kendall, who drove in 5 runs.

In all the Brewers pitching staff compiled a respectable 3.47 ERA through 95 games.

Braun also earned his starting spot on the All-Star roster, smacking 23 home runs and driving in 70 runs. He scored a team-high 56 runs while batting .270 (slugging .556).

He was aided by J.J. Hardy, who batted .273 along with scoring 46 and driving in 45 runs. He hit 14 homers and a team-high 29 doubles.

Although slumping with only 13 home runs and a .222 batting average, Fielder also managed to knock in 45 runs. Like his teammates, all-star Corey Hart compiled a sub-par .218 batting average, though he has 43 RBI, 28 doubles and 21 stolen bases. Mike Cameron led the team with 23 stolen bases.

To this point in the replay, the Brewers have a sorry .226 team batting average, about 30 points below real-life. Pondering this, I wondered if I was just an unlucky dice roller. One remedy was to take a closer look at the actual box scores for their opponents, making sure not to overuse grade A and B relief pitchers. (In the replay, I'm using actual starting lineups for their opponents, and the Brewers' actual starting pitching rotation.)

Overall, however, the Brewers are within one win of their actual record (52-43), and sitting in second place behind the Cubs. The Crew's offense has been a nice mix of power and speed, with 109 home runs and 88 stolen bases. (For complete current stats, click here.)

AL Wins All-Star Game, 12-4

Manny Ramirez drove in 5 runs with a double and triple to lead the American League all-stars to a 12-4 win at Yankee Stadium.

He began the night with a two-run double to give the AL a first-inning 2-1 lead. On his way to earning the game's MVP award, Ramirez broke the game open in the fifth with a bases-loaded triple off Brandon Webb, who took the loss for the National League after surrendering 6 runs in one inning of work.

The American League also got a trio of two-run homers by Milton Bradley, Grady Sizemore and Jason Varitek. Joe Saunders was credited with the win. He pitched two innings, allowing one hit and notching two strikeouts.

Hanley Ramirez got the NL off to a good start with a lead-off home run, but that was about all that went right for the visitors, who only managed 7 hits and struck out 10 times.

Ben Sheets started for the NL, going 2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. Ryan Braun started in left field, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Corey Hart, who earned a roster spot in real-life, went 0-for-2, with a pair of pop-outs.

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'08 Brew Crew Right on Pace in Season Replay

When the Brewers start hitting, look out!

Thirty-one games into replaying the Brew Crew's successful 2008 season and the team's record stands at 16-15 -- identical to the squad's real-life record.

A lifelong Brewers fan, I decided to replay this season because of the mix of hitting and pitching, and the Brewers first return to the postseason since their famous 1982 squad, which came up one game short of a championship when it dropped Game 7 of the World Series vs. the Cardinals. Argh!

Twenty-six years and practically a lifetime later, it seemed like it would be fun to see how Ryan Braun (steroid-free?), Prince Fielder and J.J. Hardy helped attain this monumental return to relevancy.

What's been surprising so far is that it hasn't been the potent lineup that's accounted for most of team's 16 wins, but an above-average performance by its pitching staff. At this point the staff has a stellar team ERA of 3.24. Starters Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush both have three wins, followed by Ben Sheets, Carlos Villanueva and Manny Parra with two apiece. Salomon Torres has four saves as the closer.

One big difference between my managing style and Ned Yost (No wonder he was fired before the season ended!) is my tendency toward complete games. I've already left my starters out there for 11 complete games vs. 12 for the season in real life. (And seven of those actual complete games were turned in by C.C. Sabathia, who won't even arrive until a trade in mid-season!)

Courtesy of MLB.com

What's been most surprising to me so far is not a lack of home runs -- the Crew already has smacked 34 round-trippers, including eight by Braun, six by Fielder and five by part-time third-baseman Russell Branyan. Unfortunately, many of those have been solo jobs, as the team batting average is a lowly .210 at this point.

Among the starters, Hardy is leading off and hitting .270, with Braun the only other starter above .250 -- barely, at .252. Hardy leads the team in scoring, with 20 runs, following by Braun's 18. Braun leads in runs batted in at 25; Fielder is next with 17, which is amazing considering the Prince is hitting a robust .159!

One thing this team does accomplish with frequency is striking out! The team averages more than 7 whiffs a game! (Click here to see the complete stats.)

As you might expect, this team has been pretty even with the competition to date, going 8-5 at home and 8-10 on the road. The team just won its series in Houston (2-1) and now is headed on to Florida for a three-game set with the Marlins.

This is the first time I've tried a single-team season replay, and it's only this past weekend that I resumed playing after a break of several months. I'm using the Brewers' actual pitching rotation, along with the real lineups for their opponents.

I'm choosing Milwaukee's starting lineup. Fortunately, the team had a lot of starters who played a lot of games, so there's not a lot of platooning. I'm limiting all players to 115 percent of their actual at-bats and innings pitched, thinking that will give me some flexibility with only 30 or so players. I'm also paying attention to major injuries, mid-season trades and other transactions. (One of my favorite players, Mark Cameron missed the first 25 games for violating the league's drug policy. Ugh!)

Onward!

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APBA helps relive baseball memories

I'll never forget where I was on night of June 19, 1974 or the afternoon of Aug. 15, 2012. Although separated by nearly four decades and some 2,000 miles, both times I was sitting in the stands of a baseball stadium watching history happen.

One of the joys of playing the APBA baseball game is "reliving" games we may have watched on TV, heard on the radio, or attended in person.

I've been fortunate to attend a pair of no-hitters in my baseball life, the most recent being the perfect game tossed last year by Felix Hernandez versus the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field in Seattle.

While I was thrilled to see King Felix win 1-0, I have to admit I wasn't as impressed nearly 40 years earlier when I saw my first no-hitter at old County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wis. Steve Busby of the Kansas City Royals pitched a 2-0 gem against my beloved Milwaukee Brewers that Wednesday night back in 1974.

The Brewers, led back in those days by Don Money, George Scott and a young shortstop named Robin Yount, were still struggling to notch their first winning season. I was 11, and excited to be attending one of my first major league baseball games.

After the game, I remember saying to my dad something like, "What a boring game," disappointed that my favorite players Bobby Coluccio, Money and Yount had let me down.

"What do you mean?" my dad responded. "You just saw baseball history!"

Not too long ago I hauled out the 1974 APBA set and "replayed" Busby's no-hitter in my living room in Philomath, Ore. This time, instead of the Kansas City hurler notching his ninth win of the year, the right team triumphed, the Brewers finishing off the Royals 8-2.

Clyde "Fireball" Wright got the win for the home team, with some relief help from Eduardo Rodriquez and Tom "Murph the Surf" Murphy. Ironically, every batter other than Yount, the future hall-of-famer, tallied at least a run or an RBI.

Just as in real life, the Royals scored a pair of runs, getting eight hits instead of seven. Lead-off man Freddie Patek tallied a pair of hits, including a second-inning double to drive in the first run of the game.

Recalling this string of talented Royals squads before they finally won their first World Series in 1985, it still amazes me that hall-of-famer George Brett could possibly have been penciled into the lineup batting eighth between right-fielder Al Cowens and catch Fran Healy! (Brett went 1-for-4 with a single in the replay.)

Of course, Felix's 1-0 win over the Rays a year ago was anything but boring! It was just a fluke that my wife Diane and I even attended the game, having helped move our daughter to Seattle that week for her year-long job with City Year/AmeriCorps.

We were on our way home that Wednesday and the Mariners had scheduled a day game. And Felix was pitching! How could we resist a chance to sit in the King's Court down the left field line, wave our K-cards and chant "K-K-K-K!" every time a Rays batter got two strikes on him.

We could care less about the notorious Seattle rush-hour traffic that afternoon after King Felix struck out Sean Rodriguez, displayed his famous "Felixing" pose and tried to avoid the dogpile of joyful Mariners that converged near the pitching mound. We were so excited to witness history this time that we couldn't wait to hear the Mariners radio station rebroadcast the historic game during our drive back home to Oregon.

The Rays managed a few more hits -- four -- in my replay but only a single run, a solo homer by right-fielder Matt Joyce. The Mariners, my second-favorite team after the Brewers, won 4-1. Third-baseman Kyle Seager went 2-for-4, including a solo home run in the second inning. Second-baseman Dustin Ackley, still batting leadoff back then, scored a run, drove in another and walked to lead off the game.

Felix was his usual amazing self, striking out 13 batters in all, and six of the first seven Rays he faced!

Also as in real life, this game was unusual when playing the 2012 Mariners in APBA. They actually scored more than one run! While the pitching staff is decent, including two A's coming out of the bullpen, this team simply can't hit or score runs. Although they tallied 4 runs in this replay, they did it on only 6 hits and were aided by three Rays errors.

Even so, I might be tempted to replay the perfecto by King Felix again sometime soon ...

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Nats sweep M's in finals of APBA baseball tourney

The Washington Nationals took on the Seattle Mariners in the championship series of my latest APBA baseball tourney. The Nationals won the tournament by defeating the M's in two games.

One of the most fun and interesting aspects of playing the APBA tabletop baseball game is to see what happens when your favorite teams acquire new players during the offseason, then seeing how they fit into the lineup.

So, for example, you can see what happens to the Seattle Mariners' anemic offense when you insert Kendrys Morales, Mike Morse and Raul Ibanez into the three, four and five spots in the batting order. Or you can enjoy seeing the impact of Denard Span at the top of the Washington Nationals lineup, along with pitching Stephen Strasburg in the playoffs.

This summer I wrapped up a tournament that used the 2012 season APBA cards to fill out the current rosters of eight favorite teams. And in the spirit of the College World Series going on in Omaha this past week, the tourney used the eight-team double-elimination format and included teams featuring former Oregon State standouts Darwin Barney (Cubs) and Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox).
In the end, the Nationals triumphed over the Mariners, sweeping the M's in the best two-out-of-three championship series. Losing by scores of 4-0 and 2-1 showed that maybe the Mariners could still use some more hitting, and the Nationals just might be one of the best teams in baseball if not for all the injuries they've endured this season.

Of course, one of the benefits of APBA baseball is that managers can ignore injuries and play their ideal lineup and pitching rotation, which proved beneficial to the Nats in this tourney. Strasburg earned victories in both his starts, and Jason Werth put a major hurt on opponents by going 7 for 18 (.389) with 2 homers, 3 doubles, a triple, 3 runs and 4 RBI in six games.

The only hiccup in the Nationals' run to the title was an 8-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, who were powered by their own Big Three of Ryan Braun, Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart, who pounded Nats pitchers for 6 hits, 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 6 runs and 4 RBI in one game. Oh how the Brewers miss having those three guys in the lineup these days! The Nationals, however, bounced back in the elimination game, winning 5-0 over the Brewers for the right to take on the Mariners for the championship.

The Mariners, meanwhile, made it to the championship by defeating the San Francisco Giants not once but twice, 2-1 and 2-0. The M's advanced primarily on the strength of rock-solid pitching, especially their grade A and B relievers. Needing only a three-man starting rotation, the M's and most of the other teams thrived on strong starting pitching. Using the designated hitter also kept the best starters in games into the late innings.

Relievers were limited to one inning per game if their real-life innings pitched were less than the number of games in which they actually appeared. The sacrifice and hit-and-run options were limited to three rolls per game per team.

Other highlights (and lowlights) from the tourney included:

• The Mariners twice winning 2-1 extra-inning games on walk-off home runs, one by leadoff man Michael Saunders and the other by catcher Kelly Shoppach. (Shoppach jacked his homer off Cubs reliever and Corvallis native Kevin Gregg.) In fact, Saunders was the entire offense versus the Cubs, hitting a pair of solo homers.
• Saunders almost single-handedly defeating the Giants as well, driving in both runs with a 2-run homer off Matt Cain in a 2-0 victory.
• Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals pitching a pair of shutouts, winning 2-0 over the Brewers and 4-0 versus the Mariners in Game 1 of the championship series.
• The Brewers scoring 7 runs in one inning -- including a 2-run homer by Hart -- in a 9-7 win over the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia had a grand slam in the loss. While the Red Sox lost twice to the Brewers, Boston showed why they've returned to winning form this season with the addition of Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and Mike Napoli to their batting order.
• The Baltimore Orioles mustering but 1 run in two losses, 4-0 to the Giants and 2-1 to the Cubs, who won on the strength of a complete game by Matt Garza. It's no wonder contenders already are eyeing Garza for the playoff run later this summer.

I enjoyed the double-elimination format of the tournament and can see why it's so popular at the College World Series. (It was sad to see the Beavers' time in Omaha cut short by Mississippi State, but nice to see the Pac-12 prevail in the championship, even if it was the UCLA Bruins.)

I've been playing APBA baseball since 1976, starting with the 1975 set featuring the world champion Big Red Machine and the likable Boston Red Sox, including Fred Lynn, Carlton Fisk, Yaz and "Spaceman" Bill Lee.

A lifelong Milwaukee Brewers fan, I've played countless games with the 1982 World Series team, easily my favorite. I've occasionally erased the painful Game 7 loss with a win over Joaquin Andujar and those dastardly St. Louis Cardinals. It sure helps to have Rollie Fingers available in the bullpen instead of being on injured reserve! I can never get enough of hall-of-famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor and fondly recall all those games we sat behind Gorman Thomas in the centerfield bleachers at old Milwaukee County Stadium.
Since moving to Corvallis, Oregon, in the mid-1980s, I've also become a huge Seattle Mariners fan. I've replayed last season's perfect game by King Felix Hernandez against Tampa Bay, though it can't quite match the exhilaration or good fortune of attending the game in person!

When I'm not playing APBA baseball or city-league softball, I teach journalism at Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon.

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