Bring In the Right-Hander!
Page 27
11. Stuart L. Weiss, The Curt Flood Story: The Man behind the Myth (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007), 96.
12. Helyer, Lords of the Realm, 99.
13. Weiss, Curt Flood Story, 119.
14. Weiss, Curt Flood Story, 100.
15. Peter Golenbock, The Spirit of St. Louis: A History of the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns (New York: Spike, 2000), 502–3.
16. Weiss, Curt Flood Story, 117–18.
17. http://www.americanassociationbaseball.com/office-history.php.
4. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa
1. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1969/B09240NYN1969.htm.
2. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1969/B09270MON1969.htm.
5. Meet Me in St. Louis
1. “Stoneman Might Have Used Slingshot,” Montreal Gazette, August 11, 1970, 9.
2. Golenbock, Spirit of St. Louis, 520.
3. Rob Neyer, Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Blunders: A Complete Guide to the Worst Decisions and Stupidest Moments in Baseball History (New York: Fireside, 2006), 169–73.
4. Bob Gibson with Lonnie Wheeler, Stranger to the Game (New York: Viking, 1994), 233–34.
5. The win totals and the names of the traded players came from http://retrosheet.org.
6. Neyer, Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Blunders, 169–76.
7. Golenbock, Spirit of St. Louis, 318–19.
8. Helyer, Lords of the Realm, 112–13.
9. Helyer, Lords of the Realm, 122.
10. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/VSLN01972.htm.
11. Dick Kaegel, “Cards Trade Reuss,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 16, 1972, Sports, 1.
12. Jack Herman, “Reuss Claims Principal Led to Astros Trade,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 16, 1972, Sports, C1.
13. MLBPA, Decision 11, Reuss-STL 72–2, e-mailed by Steve Rogers.
14. Neil Russo, “Redbirds Trim Fat Off Budget, Deal Dissident Reuss,” Sporting News, April 29, 1972.
6. Houston, I’m Comin’ to See Ya
1. http://www.astrosdaily.com/history/worsttrades.html.
2. Home runs: Lee May 29, Jimmy Wynn 24, Doug Rader and César Cedeño, 22. RBI: May 98, Wynn and Rader 90, Bob Watson 86, Cedeño 82. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1972/UHOU01972.htm.
3. All statistics and play of the game courtesy of retrosheet.org.
4. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/A/Paloum101.htm.
5. Jimmy Wynn with Bill McCurdy, Toy Cannon: The Autobiography of Jimmy Wynn (Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2010), 145–46. Here’s the list of six reasons Wynn believes Harry was fired:
1. By August 1972 Spec knew very well that the club’s black players had no respect for Harry and his racist attitudes
2. Spec also knew by then that Harry was terrible in general in handling people and that several of his team talks had led to near riots in the clubhouse
3. Spec and his management team also knew that the team was winning on their own and in spite of Harry’s presence at the helm
4. The club needed an action that would further help take the fans’ minds off the Morgan, Staub, and Cueller trades as the reasons the Astros still would not win a pennant in 1972
5. Spec wanted a manager who could inspire hope and sell a few more tickets during the last dog days of another lost season
6. And, finally, an available manager was out there, and he was the kind guy who could pump a gate with curiosity seekers in spite of the fact that the club wasn’t going anywhere
6. Leo Durocher with Ed Linn, Nice Guys Finish Last (New York: Pocket, 1976), 380.
7. Durocher with Linn, Nice Guys Finish Last, 380.
8. Numbers provided by retrosheet.org.
9. Neil J. Sullivan, The Dodgers Move West (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 210.
10. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B07061MON1973.htm.
11. http://www.755homeruns.com/1973.shtml. Hank hit number 662 against me on August 9, 1972, in Atlanta and number 684 on May 16, 1973, in the Astrodome before connecting for number 713 on September 29, 1973, in Atlanta.
12. Game information courtesy of retrosheet.org.
13. “Pirates Ready for Concessions,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 12, 1977.
14. Lee May hit 28, Jimmy Wynn had 20, Doug Rader hit 21, and César Cedeño ended with 25 home runs. May had 105 RBI, Rader 89, and Watson 94. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
15. Dierker was 15–8 in ’72. Don Wilson went from a 15–10 in ’72 to an 11–16 record in ’73. Dave Roberts enjoyed the best season of his career in ’73 with a 17–11 mark after posting a 12–7 record in ’72, while I had my first winning season with 16 wins. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
16. Charley Feeney, “Pirates-Astros Slated to Put Together Trade,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 31, 1973, 29.
17. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
18. Jack Herman, “Ex-Astro Reuss Claims Pirates Got Bargain; Blasts Durocher,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 2, 1973.
19. Durocher with Linn, Nice Guys Finish Last, 381.
7. Makin’ My Way to the Steel City
1. Charley Feeney, “Brett, Reuss to Fight 50-Year Pirate Jinx,” Sporting News, December 1, 1973.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Murtaugh.
3. David Cantaneo, Baseball Legends and Lore: A Crackerjack Collection of Stories & Anecdotes about the Game (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1997), 125–26.
4. http://www.johnfmurray.com.
5. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1974/VPIT01974.htm.
6. http://www.baseballreliquary.org/ellis.htm.
7. Andrew O’Toole and Al Oliver, Baseball’s Best Kept Secret: Al Oliver and His Time in Baseball (Pittsburgh: City of Champions, 1997), 107.
8. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
9. Willie Stargell and Tom Bird, Willie Stargell: An Autobiography (New York: Harper and Row, 1984), 152–227.
10. Derek A. Reveron, “Dave Parker: Big Man, Big Bat, and Baseball’s Biggest Salary,” Ebony, October 1979.
11. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
12. Hebner batted .249 with 8 HR, 51 RBI, 60 runs scored, and 1 stolen base in 4 attempts. In 1977 Garner batted .261 with 17 HR, 77 RBI, 99 runs scored, and 32 stolen bases in 41 attempts. All statistics are courtesy of retrosheet.org.
8. California, Here I Come!
1. To read the complete story click, http://tommy.mlblogs.com/?s=tom+lasorda+tombstone.
2. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
3. To write the details about the game, I sat down one afternoon and watched the entire game. It was just the second time in more than thirty years that I watched it.
4. Bruce Jenkins, “Reuss No-Hits Giants: One Batter from Perfect,” San Francisco Chronicle, Sporting Green, 43.
5. Leonard Koppett, “The Case for Reuss: Better than Perfect,” Sporting News, July 26, 1980.
6. Jenkins, “Reuss No-Hits Giants,” 43.
7. All statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
8. Rick Monday with Ken Gurnick, Rick Monday’s Tales from the Dodgers Dugout (Champaign IL: Sports Publishing, 2006), 75.
9. Attendance figures courtesy of retrosheet.org.
10. Monthly records courtesy of retrosheet.org.
11. Marvin Miller, A Whole Different Ballgame (New York: Birch Lane Press, 1991), 286.
12. Miller, A Whole Different Ballgame, 298.
13. Miller, A Whole Different Ballgame, 298–319.
14. Tommy Lasorda with David Fisher, The Artful Dodger (New York: Arbor House, 1985), 215.
15. Jay Johnstone with Rick Talley, Temporary Insanity: The Uncensored Adventures of Baseball’s Craziest Player (Chicago: Contemporary, 1985), 20.
16. Mark Langill, Game of My Life: Dodgers Memorable Stories of Dodgers Baseball (Champaign IL: Sports Publishing, 2007), 135.
17. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10060HOU1981.htm.
18. http://www.retros
heet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10070HOU1981.htm.
19. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10090LAN1981.htm.
20. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10100LAN1981.htm.
21. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10110LAN1981.htm.
22. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10130LAN1981.htm.
23. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10140LAN1981.htm.
24. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10160MON1981.htm.
25. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happy_Wanderer.
26. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10190MON1981.htm.
27. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/MU1_roges001.htm.
28. Monday with Gurnick, Monday’s Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 136.
29. All game information courtesy of retrosheet.org.
30. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10200NYA1981.htm.
31. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B10210NYA1981.htm.
32. Los Angeles Times, October 24, 1981, Series Notes, D11.
33. Reading (pa) Eagle, October 23, 1981, 20.
34. Tony Jackson, “Valenzuela Pitched Best Game in 1981 World Series,” ESPN LA, June 24, 2010.
35. Dick Kaegel, “Fernando Saluted for Gritty Job,” Sporting News, November 7, 1981, 16.
36. Kaegel, “Fernando Saluted for Gritty Job,” 16.
37. Kaegel, “Fernando Saluted for Gritty Job,” 16.
38. Dick Kaegel, “Dodgers ‘Skyhigh’ after Mad Scramble,” Sporting News, November 7, 1981, 17.
39. Scott Ostler, “Reggie Can’t Beat the Dodgers If He’s One of Them,” Los Angeles Times, October 25, 1981, D21.
40. Sporting News, November 7, 1981, Game Four Notes, 17.
41. “Jackson Gets Something Off His Chest,” Los Angeles Times, October 25, 1981, D
42. Play-by-play courtesy of retrosheet.org.
43. “Jackson Gets Something Off His Chest,” D1.
44. “Jackson Gets Something Off His Chest,” D1.
45. “Even Stephen for LA,” Daytona Beach Sunday News Journal, October 25, 1981, D9.
46. Kaegel, Sporting News, November 7, 1981, 17.
47. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1973/B06190SDN1973.htm.
48. AP, “Dodger Power Sweeps LA into Series Lead,” Palm Beach Post, October 26, 1981, D1.
49. UPI, “Guerrero, Yeager Join Elite Tandems,” St. Petersburg Times, October 26, 1981, C4.
50. AP, “Dodger Power Sweeps LA into Series Lead,” D1.
51. AP, “Reuss Shows Winning Strategy . . . ,” St. Joseph (MO) Gazette, October 26, 1981, C1.
52. Monday with Gurnick, Monday’s Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 135–56.
53. http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/mu1_reusj001.htm.
54. Ross Newhan, “If Yanks Fall Flat, Steinbrenner Won’t Wait till Next Year,” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1981, D3.
55. Newhan, “If Yanks Fall Flat,” D3.
56. Newhan, “If Yanks Fall Flat,” D3.
57. Mike Littwin, “Lasorda Sure Had That Fella Yeager Rested for Series,” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1981, D13.
58. Littwin, “Lasorda Sure Had That Fella Yeager Rested,” D13.
59. Mike Littwin, “Dodgers Save Lopes’ Life,” Los Angeles Times, October 26, 1981, D14.
60. Mark Heisler, “It’s Champagne with a Twist of Lemon,” Los Angeles Times, October 29, 1981, G1.
61. Mike Littwin, “The Dodgers Win before That Old Gang Is Broken Up,” Los Angeles Times, October 29, 1981, G1.
62. Littwin, “Dodgers Win,” G1.
63. “3 Dodgers Declared MVP’s,” Kingman (az) Daily Miner, October 29, 1981, Sports, 8.
64. All postseason statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
65. “75,000 Fans Salute L.A.’s World Champs,” Inland Empire Press-Enterprise (Riverside CA), October 31, 1981, Sports.
66. “75,000 Fans Salute L.A.’s World Champs.”
67. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigger_Than_Both_of_Us.
68. Record World, November 21, 1981.
69. Los Angeles Times, November 3, 1981, Morning Briefing, D2.
9. Life after the World Series . . .
1. All game information courtesy of retrosheet.org.
2. My 1983 numbers are courtesy of retrosheet.org.
3. James Lipton, An Exultation of Larks; or, The Venereal Game (New York: Penguin, 1977), 108. The term slant in Lipton’s book refers to journalists. It works just as well for sportswriters!
4. “Reuss’ Elbow Surgery Is a Success,” Los Angeles Times, January 25, 1984, Newswire, D1.
5. Gordon Edes, “Dodgers, Minus Landreaux and Guerrero, Beat Astros,” Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1984, Dodger Notes, sec. OC_B1, 4.
6. Gordon Edes, “Koosman Gets a 3–1 Win with Holland’s Help,” Los Angeles Times, May 23, 1984, Dodger Notes, sec. OC_B1, 16.
7. Gordon Edes, “Reuss Struggles; Dodgers Lose, 5–2,” Los Angeles Times, July 19, 1984, sec. F1, 16.
8. Numbers courtesy of retrosheet.org.
9. Wrigley Field numbers courtesy of retrosheet.org.
10. I finished at 14–10 in 33 starts with a 2.92 ERA. On many clubs those are the numbers of a second or third starter. Not on the 1985 Dodgers. Hershiser was 19–3 in 34 starts with a 2.03 ERA, Fernando checked in at 17–10, with 35 starts and a 2.45 ERA, and Bob Welch in just 23 starts was 14–4 with a 2.31 ERA. Numbers courtesy of retrosheet.org.
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Lasorda.
12. Matchups courtesy of David W. Smith, retrosheet.org.
13. Van Slyke versus Niedenfuer: 5 at bats, 3 hits, 1 homer, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts; Van Slyke versus Howell: 3 at bats, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts; Van Slyke versus Reuss: 3 at bats, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. Harper versus Reuss: 10 at bats, 3 hits, 1 homer, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts. Matchups courtesy of David W. Smith, retrosheet.org.
14. Thomas Boswell, “Baseball: If You Don’t Bend, It’ll Break You,” Deseret News, October 18, 1985, sec. 8B.
15. “LA Knows How Close It Was,” Nashville (tn) Daily News, October 17, 1985.
16. Gordon Edes, “Dodgers Pitch to Clark . . . It’s His Pitch,” Los Angeles Times, October 17, 1985, sec. C1, 15.
17. Boswell, “Baseball: If You Don’t Bend, It’ll Break You.”
18. Gordon Edes, “Padres Defeat Dodgers in Extra Innings Again and by Run Again, 2–1,” Los Angeles Times, April 16, 1986, Dodger Notes, sec. C1, 6.
19. Sam McManis, “Reuss, 37, Won’t Give Up without a Fight,” Los Angeles Times, March 4, 1987, sec. E
20. McManis, “Reuss, 37, Won’t Give Up without a Fight.”
21. Sam McManis, “Odd Man Will Be Out, but Talented Pitchers Make Decisions Tough,” Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1987, sec. E4.
22. Sam McManis, “Reuss, Hoping to Make Club, Goes Eight against Teammates,” Los Angeles Times, March 31, 1987, sec. E4.
23. Sam McManis, “This Time Trevino Gets Even, Gives Dodgers 5–3 Win,” Los Angeles Times, April 23, 1987, sec. E1, 8.
10. Hits, Misses, and Whistle-Stops
1. Seaver’s contract was assigned to the White Sox, as he was selected from the Mets in the player-compensation pool draft on January 20, 1984.
2. Statistics compiled from retrosheet.org.
3. Statistics compiled from retrosheet.org.
4. Game information and statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
5. Jerome Holtzman, “Sox Pick Torborg as Manager,” Chicago Tribune, November 4, 1988, Sports.
6. Game information and statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
7. Statistics courtesy of retrosheet.org.
8. Karen Anderson, “At 41, Reuss Makes Pitch for Return to Majors,” Chicago Tribune, August 18, 1990, sec. 3, 8.
9. Bob Dicesare, “Reuss Sizzles as Herd Trims Indians, 4–2,” Buffalo (ny) News, July 31, 1990.
10. Dates for Tomlin’s and York’s games and the statistics on Zane Smith courtesy of retrosheet.org.
11. h
ttp://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Category:Played_in_Four_Decades