86 GOWDY PROJECT: ROUND 5 REPORT

 

                       DON BAYLOR GRAND SLAM SPARKS BOSTON SURGE


I named this project the 86 Gowdy project because I loved listening to Curt Gowdy do baseball broadcasts.  I wanted to use the 1986 MLB teams because of the crazy way the 86 World Series played out.  I was practicing law in the Boston area at the time and I must admit the Boston media was so demoralized by Buckner's blunder that little attention was placed on the issue of did the Mets deserve to win the 86 crown despite Buckner's blunder or Stanley's wild pitch/ Gedman's passed ball .

I agree with RJL and other enthusiastic followers that the Inside Pitch board game is the most exciting baseball game I have played in over 50 years of playing most of the worthy contenders.  It is so realistic all I need is a sausage and peppers  I used to buy outside of Fenway and a overpriced beer and I am all set.  I am using the Digital Diamond board game to keep the stats which is an amazing tool itself. 

Now I am retired in rural southwest Missouri and have the time to do these types of projects but I still want my time to count.  I stumbled on to the King of the Hill format listening to a Kurt Bergland video so I incorporated it into this project.

Basically, I divided the 24 teams into 3 8 team regional divisions ( West, Central, East ).  Each region plays 8 rounds using the King of the Hill format. Basically, each team keeps playing  unto they lose.  Each game has a playoff intensity and meritocracy rules the day.  I find this format allows all teams to have a chance but the cream rises to the top so the best teams play the most games.

5 rounds and 120 games are in the books and some amazing things have happened, too numerous to list them all but there was one game in the 5th round that deserves some ink.   The Red Sox invaded Shea Stadium and took on the Mets.  It was Clemens and Gooden scheduled to pitch in the respective rotations and the game lived up to expectations.  The Mets took an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd on an Kevin Mitchell triple and Dwight Gooden earned his pay by retiring the first 16 Boston hitters and took a no hitter and a 1-0 lead into the 9th.  Gooden struggled with his control in the 9th and walked 3 batters in a roll.  Don Baylor stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and 1 out.  The Mets set up for a double play but hoped for another Gooden K and the possibility of the first no hitter in the project.  Don Baylor had other plans and launched a bullet over the CF wall for a Grand Slam.  Clemens retired the first batter in the bottom of the 9th before yielding back to back singles.  At that point,  McNamara called on Schraldi to close out the game and he shut down the counter attack for a 4-1 Boston victory. The game not only shocked the Mets but also started a Red Sox 5 game win streak.

This is why we play the games !!!!

The rest of the round had some other interesting games. Detroit had a 4 game winning streak in the Central and Texas had its own 4 game winning streak in the West.  Here is how the current playoff race looks:

1. Mets 9-4
2. Tigers 8-3
3.  Astros 6-4
4.  Red Sox 9-4
5 Twins 6-5
5  Cards 6-5
5  Brewers 6-5


The Mets win the tie breaker with the Red Sox  based on 86 MLB wins.
The Astros are the lowest of the 3 divisional leaders.

Kevin McReynolds continues to lead the project in OPS and is the early leader in the race for MVP but  he has at least a dozen challengers right behind him.  Gooden and Clemens lead the CY Young race but Scott and Blyleven should have something to say before the end of the project.

Here are the standings and the leader boards.


WEST

1. Astros 6-4
2. Twins 6-5
3.  Giants 5-4
4.  Angels 4-4
5.  Padres 4-4
6.  Athletics 4-5
7.  Rangers 4-5
8.  Dodgers 3-5

CENTRAL

1. Tigers 8-3
2. Cards  6-5
3.  Brewers 6-5
4.  Royals 5-5
5.  White Sox 5-5
6.  Reds 3-3
7.  Cubs  2-5
8.  Indians 1-5

EAST

1. Mets 9-4
2. Red Sox 9-4
3. Phillies 4-4
4.  Orioles 4-5
5.  Expos 3-4
6.  Braves  3-5
7.  Yankees  2-4
8.  Blue Jays  2-6


HITTING LEADERS

AVG

Fernandez  Tor 457
McDowell   Tex  436
McReynolds SD   433
Bo Diaz  Cin  429
Lacy Bal  417

OBP

McReynolds SD  867
Leonard  SF 792
D. Evans Det 786
J. Clark Stl  479
Smalley Min 478

SLG

McReynolds SD 1.381
Leonard SF 792
D. Evans Det 786
Rice Bos 765
Kittle CWS 744

OPS

McReynolds SD 1.381
D. Evans Det 1.286
Leonard SF 1.119
Rice Bos 1.118
Smalley Min 1.178


HR

Kittle CWS 6
D. Evans Det 5
Gibson Det 5
Parrish Det 5
Rice Bos 5

Runs

Rice Bos 13
D. Evans Det 11
Barrett Bos 10
Gibson Det 10
M. Wilson NYM 10

RBIs

Rice Bos 14
Kittle CWS 13
Puckett Min 12
Baylor Bos 11
Brenly SF 11 

SBs

Coleman Stl 8
Henderson NYY 5
Hatcher Hou 4
Pettis Cal 4
Wiggins Bal 4

Hits 

Wilson NYM 20
Backman NYM 17
D. Evans Det 17
Gibson Det 17
McDowell Tex 17


PITCHING LEADERS

IP

Clemens Bos 32
Gooden NYM 32
Morris Det 26
Blyleven Min 26
Cox Stl 26

Wins 

Clemens Bos 3
Cox Stl 2
Higuera Mil 2
Anderson NYM 2
Blyleven Min 2
several others with 2 

SO 

Clemens Bos 37
Scott Hou 28
Gooden NYM 23
Morris Det 23
Higuera Mil 20

WHIP

Blyleven Min 0.73
Cox Stl 0.77
Gooden NYM 0.77
Mathews Stl 0.78
Cowley CWS 0.80

Saves 

Orosco NYM 4
Hernandez Det 3
Schraldi Bos 3
Burke Mtl 2
Davis SF 2
several with 2


On to round 6.....