66IP GOWDY: CHAPTER 2: ATHLETICS ON TOP

               CAMPY TAKES EARLY LEAD IN MVP RACE 

2 Chapters and 40 games are in the books for the 1966 Gowdy Inside Pitch project. 

Project Tools 

Digital Diamond Baseball Board Game Companion 
Inside Pitch Board Game and 1966 IP cards 
Google Dice Roller 
King of the Hill schedule format  
20 Games per chapter 
60 games where NL and AL teams face off 
60 games based on power rankings 
60 games based on team alpha sort 
IP Liberty League Rulebook 
https://fat-elvis.com/inside-pitch-league/
House Rules for injuries, etc. 
Top 6 teams make the Playoffs 
Playoff Teams eliminated based on number of losses 

#1 Seed:  6 losses 
#2 Seed:  5 losses 
#3 Seed:  4 losses 
#4 Seed:  3 losses 
#5 Seed:  2 losses 
#6 Seed:  1 loss 

Playoffs follow the  king of the hill power format. 


Chapter 2 Report 

#1 Kansas City (5-2) remains in first place  despite 2 losses.  Yankee lefty Fritz Peterson threw a complete game shutout as the Yankees downed the As 5-0.  Angel lefty Marcelino Lopez led California to a 2-1 10 inning win over the As despite Jim Nash going 9.2 innings while allowing only 1 earned run.  Lefties seem to cause KC trouble. 

#2 Pittsburgh (4-1) posted 3 wins in Chapter 2.  One highlight was a 1-0 win over the Giants.  Steve Blass and Pete Mikkelsen combined for a 2 hit shutout.  The Pirates could go all the way if their pitching holds up. 

#3 Houston now stands at 4-2.  Mike Cuellar outdueled Don Drysdale for a 3-1win over the Dodgers.  Cuellar went the distance with 9Ks and no walks.  Cuellar leads the project in wins with a 2-0 record. The Astros' starters, speed and defense are impressive assets. 

#4 Los Angeles (4-3)  is still in the hunt but appears to be squandering opportunities.  Koufax is making the best of his last year in the majors, firing a complete game shutout for a 4-0 win over the lowly Mets.  9 Ks and 2 hits is still impressive in anyone's book.  The Dodgers need to start acting like the 1966 NL MLB champs. 

#5  California (4-3) continues to impress with a solid starting rotation.  Lopez defeated the As while  Sanford and the bullpen handed Sudden Sam McDowell and the Indians a 4-2 loss.  Gary Peters finally ended the Angels streak with a complete game 2-0 White Sox win over the Angels.  Dean Chance still gave the Angels a "chance" to win allowing only 1 earned run over 7 innings. 

#6 Minnesota (3-2) qualifies for the last playoff slot at the present time due to the tie breaker system. Minnesota had more wins in 1966 than the Reds or the Braves. 
The Twins went 0-1 in Chapter 2 and must show a little more drive and determination if they want to make the playoffs at the end of the season. 

Other notes:  

The 66 Atlanta Braves, formerly the 65 Milwaukee Braves, do not have the same high level of performance as far as depth goes.  Several players had career years in 65 so it will be difficult to defend their 1965 Gowdy championship.  

One wonders if Boston's Tony Conigliaro would have had a HOF career before Jack Hamilton beaned him in the eye.  85 home runs in his first 3 MLB seasons indicates what could have been.  I think any MLB pitcher who hits a batter in the head should be automatically ejected and suspended for as many games as it take a batter to recover from the beaning.  Perhaps Hamilton would have been more careful. 


LEAGUE LEADERS
* several tied, leader won based on efficiency 

PA  Campaneris KCA 36
R    Campaneris KCA 11 
H    Campaneris  KCA 11 
HR  Pinson CIN 2* 
RBI  W. Davis LAD 7
SB   Campaneris KCA 6 
AVG  Stahl KCA 471
OBP  Aparicio BLT 538
SLG  Hershberger KCA 923 
OPS   Hershberger KCA 1423 


ERA  Grant MIN 0.00*
WHIP Tiant CLE  0.25
G  Moeller LAD 3 
W  Cuellar HOU 2 
IP  Nash  KCA 18.2 
SO  Veale PIT 14 
SV  Aker KCA 1*

Baseball in the 60s was a thing of beauty. 

That's the way it was in chapter 2 of the 66 Gowdy IP project.