W L Pct. GB
Michigan 4 1 .800 ---
Erie 5 2 .714 ---
St. Lawrence 4 2 .667 0.5
Ontario 3 3 .500 1.5
Superior 1 5 .167 2.5
Huron 1 5 .167 3
Series 3:
St. Lawrence at Superior (four games)
Erie at Michigan
Ontario at Hurons
Michigan 4-1, Superior 1-5
Game One: Michigan 5, Superior 4
WP: Niekro (1-0)
LP: Ryan (0-2)
Save: Wynn (1)
HR: McCovey (1), Wilson (2)
Game Two: Michigan 8, Superior 0
WP: Alexander (2-0)
LP: Gibson (1-1)
HR: Aaron 2 (3)
Willie McCovey homered and scored twice to back Phil Niekro, who allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings. Superior made a late run at reliever Early Wynn in the ninth, with Tony Lazerri tripling in two runs before there was an out. But Phil Rizzuto cut Lazerri down at the plate trying to score on a Johnny Bench grounder, and Wynn then got Ernie Banks to bounce into a double play.
There were no dramatics in the second game. Pete Alexander threw a one-hit shutout and faced just two men over the minimum. Willie Stargell had a clean single in the seventh for the only safety off Alexander. Henry Aaron popped a pair of homers off Bob Gibson and compiled four RBIs in all. Fred Clarke went 4-for-4 with a double, a run scored, an RBI and a walk.
Pitcher availablity: Superior rotation: Ford-Ruffing-Ryan-Gibson. Willis should sit the first game of the next series. Michigan rotation: Roberts-Sutton-Jenkins-Niekro or Wynn. Gomez should sit the first game of the next series.
Erie 5-2; Huron 1-5
Game One: Erie 6, Huron 5
WP: Grove (2-0)
LP: Koufax (0-1)
HR: Mantle (2), Averill (1), Hartnett (1)
Game Two: Erie 2, Huron 1
WP: Lemon (1-1)
LP: Palmer (0-1)
Game Three: Huron 3, Erie 0
WP: Feller (1-1)
LP: Hubbell (1-1)
HR: Kiner (4)
Huron outscored Erie for the series, but Erie won two one-run decisions, both with walk-off hits.
Opening starters Lefty Grove and Gaylord Perry struggled early. Earl Averill hit a two-run homer in the top of the first, but Mickey Mantle and Gabby Hartnett answered with back-to-back homers in the bottom of the inning. The Hurons plated three runs in the second, but Erie got two back in the third. Perry and Grove then stiffened until Harry Hooper tied it in the eighth with a two out single. Sandy Koufax relieved Perry for the bottom of the ninth, but three of the four men he faced singled, with Carl Yaztzremski bringing home Joe Sewell with the winner.
Bob Lemon and Jim Palmer dueled in the second game. Erie scored a run in the third inning on Mantle's sac fly. Huron tied it in the eighth when Luke Appling singled to open the inning, went to third on Rogers Hornsby's single and scored on Averill's double play bouncer. But in the bottom of the ninth Erie got a leadoff single from Hartnett, and Yastzremski followed with a double. With the winning run on third and no outs, Koufax entered in search of strikeouts. He got one from Bobby Doerr, but Heine Manush singled to end the game.
Bob Feller dominated the series finale, holding Erie hitless until Hooper's dribbler in front of Home Run Baker went for a leadoff single in the eighth. Feller's one-hitter came with five walks and six strikeouts. Ralph Kiner hit his fourth homer of the season in the eighth as the Hurons finally picked up a win.
Projected rotations: Erie: Marichal-Perry-Palmer-Feller. Huron: Drysdale or Newhouser-Grove-Lemon-Hubbell. Both bullpens fully rested.
Ontario 3-3, St. Lawrence 4-2
Game One: Ontario 11, St. Lawrence 8
WP: Waddell (1-0)
LP: Vance (0-1)
Save: Dean (1)
HR: Lombardi (3), Dickey (1), Medwick (2)
Game Two: St. Lawrence 8, Ontario 4
WP: Seaver (1-0)
LP: Johnson (0-2)
HR: Terry (1), Schoendienst (1), Doby (1)
Game Three: Ontario 4, St. Lawrence 1
WP: Spahn (2-0)
LP: Hunter (1-1)
HR: Terry (2), Bancroft (1), Mathews (4)
Ontario had a pair of four-run innings in the series opener. The second inning outburst was aided by a three-base error by St. Lawrence centerfielder Larry Doby. Ernie Lombardi blew the game open with a three-run homer in the sixth off reliever Joe McGinnity. Bill Dickey homered and doubled for three RBIs for St. Lawrence.
Doby started a six-run third in Game Two with a homer off Walter Johnson, and Red Schoendienst capped it with a three-run homer. Ty Cobb had two hits, two RBIs and two steals for Ontario, which got four innings of one-run relief from Jim Bunning.
Bill Terry homered for the second straight game in the finale, and Dave Bancroft added another in the best-pitched game of the series. Warren Spahn retired the first 11 men he faced, then Eddie Mathews homered for St. Lawrence's sole run. Spahn finished with a four hitter.
Ontario starters: Roberts-Waddell-Johnson-Hunter. Bunning sits for the next two games.
St. Lawrence starters: Plank-Vance-Seaver-Spahn. McGinnity may not pitch in the first game of the next series.
W L Pct. GB
St. Lawrence 3 0 1.000 ---
Erie 3 1 .750 0.5
Michigan 2 1 .667 1
Ontario 1 2 .333 2
Superior 1 3 .250 2.5
Huron 0 3 .000 3
Series 2:
Ontario at St. Lawrence
Hurons at Eries
Michigan at Superior (two games)
Michigan 2-1, Ontario 1-2
Game One: Michigan 13, Ontario 5
WP: Alexander (1-0)
LP: Johnson (0-1)
Save: Rixey (1)
HR: Clarke (1)
Game Two: Ontario 8, Michigan 5
WP: Spahn (1-0)
LP: Sutton (0-1)
Save: Marquard (1)
HR: Lombardi 2 (2), Wilson (1), Brock (1)
Game Three: Michigan 7, Ontario 6
WP: Gomez (1-0)
LP: Roberts (0-1)
HR: Aaron (1)
First-innng runs were the rule in this series, with a total of 13 runs scored in the opening frame.
Both teams scored three runs in the first of the opener, with Pete Alexander walking four men in the top of the inning and Hack Wilson driving in two runs with a double in the bottom of the inning. Wilson's leadoff single in the third started another three-run inning, with George Kell hitting a two-run double. Eppa Rixey entered to get the final out of the eighth to protect a one-run lead, and the Michigans then erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the inning, with Fred Clarke hitting a grand slam off Jim Bunning.
Ernie Lombardi hit a three-run homer in the first inning and a two-run shot in the seventh to power the Ontarios in Game Two. Ty Cobb had three hits, stole two bases and scored three times.
Michigan scored four runs in the fifth of the third game to take a 7-6 lead, after which the pitching suddenly stiffened. Lefty Gomez entered for the Michigans after the first two batters of Ontario singled in the sixth and calmed the storm. He allowed one hit in four innings with four strikeouts and was credited with the win under scorer's discretion.
Erie 3-1, Superior 1-3
Game One: Erie 7, Superior 4
WP: Grove (1-0)
LP: Ryan (0-1)
Save: Drysdale (1)
HR: Klein (1)
Game Two: Superior 7, Erie 6
WP: Gibson (1-0)
LP: Lemon (0-1)
Save: Wilhelm (1)
HR: Cepeda (1), Mantle (1)
Game Three: Erie 5, Superior 4
WP: Hubbell (1-0)
LP: Ford (0-1)
Save: Bender (1)
HR: Reese (1)
Game Four: Erie 5, Superior 4 (14 innings)
WP: Newhouser (1-0)
LP: Willis (0-1)
HR: Simmons (1)
Four tight games in Cleveland's League Park culminated in a 14-inning marathon and proved, broadly speaking, inhospitable to the visiting Superiors.
Bobby Doerr drove in five runs with a double and triple in the opener. His bases-loaded three-bagger in the sixth followed four walks with a double play grounder mixed in from losing pitcher Nolan Ryan, who fanned six and walked eight in six innings. Lefty Grove went eight innings for the win.
Chuck Klein and Orlando Cepeda each drove in a pair of runs in the second game for Superior, who won despite grounding into five double plays. The Eries got three doubles (Carl Yastzremski, Heinie Manush and Harry Hooper) in a three-run fifth.
Erie led the third game by three runs going into the ninth but had to call in Chief Bender to seal the deal after a Yastzremski error led to two runs off winner Carl Hubbell. Pee Wee Reese had an unlikely three-run homer in the sixth off Whitey Ford in the sixth to put Erie ahead to stay. Al Simmons had a pair of doubles among his three hits for the losers.
Erie built its winning rally with two outs in the bottom of the 14th in the finale. Vic Willis, who had entered in the 12th with two on and immedately ended the inning with a double play, retired the first two in the 14th before walking Manush. Reese then reached on an error by Orlando Cepeda, and Harry Hooper beat out an infield single. Rick Ferrell, the designated hitter, then smacked one into the gap for what would have been extra bases had the game not ended when Manush touched the plate. Hal Newhouser worked four innings for the win.
St. Lawrence 3-0, Huron 0-3
Game One: St. Lawrence 5, Huron 4 (13 innings)
WP: Grimes (1-0)
LP: Pennock (0-1)
HR: Kiner 2 (2)
Game Two: St. Lawrence 10, Huron 2
WP: Hunter (1-0)
LP: Feller (0-1)
HR: Mize (1), Kiner (3), Mathews 2 (2), R Jackson (1)
Game Three: St. Lawrence 3, Huron 2
WP: Plank (1-0)
LP: Marichal (0-1)
Save: Fingers (1)
HR: Mathews (3), Medwick (1)
The sluggers liked cozy Parc Jarry, but the starting pitchers thrived as well.
Sloppy fielding marked the season opener. Nellie Fox booted the first batted ball of the season, and that helped set the stage for a three-run homer by Ralph Kiner off Tom Seaver. An error by Earl Averill in the bottom of the inning helped Huron narrow the gap to 3-2 without an RBI, and two more errors (by Jim Palmer) in the second resulted in 3-3 deadlock. That score persisted until the 10th, when Kiner homered in the top of the inning and Enos Slaughter tied it with a triple. Fox finally punched an RBI single in the 13th.
St. Lawrence blew the second game open in the middle innings, with two runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and four in the sixth. Eddie Mathews drove in four runs and scored three times, John Mize drove in three and Reggie Jackson went 3-for3 with two walks and three runs. Catfish Hunter allowed two runs on eight hits in eight innings.
Joe Medwick and Mathews each homered in the the sixth to give Eddie Plank just enough support. The lefty held Huron scoreless through seven but surrendered a pair of runs in the eighth. Rollie Fingers gave up a leadoff double in the ninth but then retired the next three for the save.
Pitching availability notes: Limit Grimes and Pennock to one inning at most in the next games. Next starters should be Perry for Huron, Vance for St. Lawrence.
(Note: All series involving the Superiors will be two or four games. All other series will be three games.)
Series 1:
Hurons at St. Lawrence
Superiors at Eries (four games)
Ontario at Michigan
Series 2:
Ontario at St. Lawrence
Hurons at Eries
Michigan at Superior (two games)
Series 3:
St. Lawrence at Superior (four games)
Erie at Michigan
Ontario at Hurons
Series 4:
Ontario at Erie
St. Lawrence at Hurons
Michigan at Superior (four games)
Series 5:
Ontario at Hurons
St. Lawrence at Erie
Superior at Michigan (four games)
Series 6:
Huron at Erie
Superior at Ontario (two games)
St. Lawrence at Michigan
Series 7:
Michigan at Ontario
Erie at Huron
Superors at St. Lawrence (two games)
Series 8:
Erie at Ontario
Huron at St. Lawrence
Superior at Michigan (four games)
Series 9:
Superiors at Huron (two games)
St. Lawrence at Ontario
Michigan at Erie
Series 10:
Michigan at Huron
Erie at Superior (two games)
Ontario at St. Lawrence
Series 11:
Ontario at Superior (four games)
St. Lawrence at Huron
Erie at Michigan
Series 12
Huron at Superior (four games)
St. Lawrence at Erie
Michiagn at Ontario
Series 13
Huron at Ontario
Michigan at St. Lawrence
Eries at Superiors (four games)
Series 14
Huron at Michigan
St. Lawrence at Ontario
Superiors at Erie (two games)
Series 15
Ontario at Erie
Michigan at St. Lawrence
Superiors at Huron (four games)
Series 16
Huron at Ontario
Michigan at Erie
Superiors at St. Lawrence (four)
Series 17
Ontario at Superior (two games)
St. Lawrence at Michigan
Erie at Huron
Series 18
Ontario at Michigan
Huron at Superior (two games)
Erie at St. Lawrence
Series 19
St. Lawrence at Superior (two games)
Michigan at Huron
Erie at Ontario
Series 20
Superiors at Ontario (four games)
Huron at Michgan
Erie at St. Lawrence
C: Bill Dickey
1B: Johnny Mize
2B: Nellie Fox
3B: Eddie Mathews
SS: Red Schoendienst
LF: Joe Medwick
CF: Larry Doby
RF: Enos Slaughter
DH: Reggie Jackson
Pitchers
Rollie Fingers
Burleigh Grimes
Catfish Hunter
Ted Lyons
Joe McGinnity
Eddie Plank
Tom Seaver
Dazzy Vance
Home park: 1969 Parc Jarry
C: Ernie Lombardi
1B: Bill Terry
2B: George Kelly
3B: Billy Herman
SS: Dave Bancroft
LF: Lloyd Waner
CF: Duke Snider
RF: Ty Cobb
DH: Lou Brock
Pitchers
Jim Bunning
Dizzy Dean
Red Faber
Walter Johnson
Rube Marquard
Robin Roberts
Warren Spahn
Rube Waddell
Home park: 2019 Rogers Centre
C: Gabby Hartnett
1B: Carl Yastrzemski
2B: Bobby Doerr
3B: Joe Sewell
SS: Pee Wee Reese
LF: Heinie Manush
CF: Mickey Mantle
RF: Harry Hooper
DH: Rick Ferrell
Pitchers
Chief Bender
Jack Chesbro
Don Drysdale
Lefty Grove
Jesse Haines
Carl Hubbell
Bob Lemon
Hal Newhouser
Home park: 1924 League Park
C: Carlton Fisk
1B: Ralph Kiner
2B: Rogers Hornsby
3B: Home Run Baker
SS: Luke Appling
LF: Chick Hafey
CF: Earl Averill
RF: Sam Rice
DH: Zack Wheat
Pitchers
Three Finger Brown
Bob Feller
Addie Joss
Sandy Koufax
Juan Marichal
Jim Palmer
Herb Pennock
Gaylord Perry
Home park: 1961 Tiger Stadium
C: Roger Bresnahan
1B: Willie McCovey
2B: Jackie Robinson
3B: George Kell
SS: Phil Rizzuto
LF: Fred Clarke
CF: Hack Wilson
RF: Henry Aaron
DH: Ross Youngs
Pitchers:
Pete Alexander
Lefty Gomez
Ferguson Jenkins
Phil Niekro
Eppa Rixey
Don Sutton
Ed Walsh
Early Wynn
Home park: 1973 County Stadium
C: Johnny Bench
1B: Orlando Cepeda
2B: Tony Lazzeri
3B: Jimmie Foxx
SS: Ernie Banks
LF: Al Simmons
CF: Fred Lindstrom
RF: Chuck Klein
DH: Willie Stargell
Pitchers:
Stan Coveleski
Whitey Ford
Waite Hoyt
Bob Gibson
Red Ruffing
Nolan Ryan
Hoyt Wilhelm
Vic Willis
Home park: Metrodome 2009
This was originally conceived as another five-team league, the Great Lakes League, but after the headaches of the Todd County League I opted to make it a six-team league just to be something different.
So the team names are the five Great Lakes -- Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario -- plus the St. Lawrence River, the major components of the St. Lawrence Seaway that makes Duluth a significant seaport.
The rosters were randomly selected from the millenium Hall of Fame set. I excluded the players of the 19th Century from which two of the Todd County League teams were selected. The teams are nine position players and eight pitchers. There will be no injuries. Each team will play 60 games, six home and six away against each of the other five teams.
The schedule was set up with one team, the Superiors, playing only two and four game series. All other series are three games. I expect that will be enough to avoid having Tom Seaver face Pete Alexander four times of the course of the schedule. In terms of pitcher rest, I will use games rather than days.
Home parks, to the extent possible, will be in cities on the respective body of water. For Superior, it will be a Minnesota park (of course) and for Huron it will be a Detroit park. I will not have two parks from the same real life season.
I will post rosters individually.
I have encountered yet more problems with the Todd County League schedule, standings and statistics, and I have decided it not worth the time and energy to try to fix it again.
I am declaring the Browerville Novelists to be the champions.
The next project will be a league of randomized teams out of the millenium Hall of Fame set. I will exclude the players used in the TCL. I have yet to decide if it will be another five-team league or a six-team league, but am leaning toward six.
The standings
W L Pct. GB
Browerville Novelists 25 14 .641 ----
Clarissa Crimsons 22 15 .595 2
Bertha Fishermen 18 18 .500 5
Long Prairie Agnews 16 22 .421 8.5
Hewitt Apollos 13 24 .351 10.5
Day 51 (at Yankee Stadium 1961)
Apollos (McDowell 4-2) at Agnews (Seaver 6-3)
Fishermen (T Williams 2-3) at Crimsons (Nichols 3-6)
Novelists 11, Agnews 5
Browerville scored eight runs in the eighth and ninth innings to overtake the Agnews and edge closer to clinching the pennant. Jesse Burkett, Ed Delahanty, Sam Thompson and Jimmy Collins each had a pair of RBIs. Old Hoss Radbourn yielded five runs on 10 hits in his complete game win. .
Crimsons 6, Apollos 5 (10 innings)
King Kelly bopped a solo homer in the eighth to even the score at five, and Monte Ward dropped a single in front of Cleon Jones to plate Roger Connor with the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th. Willie Davis and Rico Petrocelli each homered and drove in two runs for the Apollos, who turned a triple play in the fifth inning. Cy Young went the distance for the win.
Novelists: Keefe Day 51, Welch Day 52. Projected starters: off Day 51, off Day 52, Keefe Day 53
The standings
W L Pct. GB
Browerville Novelists 24 14 .632 ----
Clarissa Crimsons 21 15 .571 2
Bertha Fishermen 18 18 .500 5
Long Prairie Agnews 16 21 .432 7.5
Hewitt Apollos 13 23 .361 10
Day 50 (at Royals Stadium 1973)
Novelists (Radbourn 6-4) at Agnews (Perry 1-5)
Apollos (Gibson 1-5) at Crimsons (Young 7-4)
Fishermen 15, Apollos 5
Bertha scored in eight of their nine at-bats, peppering four Hewitt hurlers for 20 hits, eight for extra bases. Dick Redding went the distance, allowing three runs in the first two innings but then holding the Apollos scoreless until Jim Wynn homered in the eighth, The Fishermen turned four double plays behind Redding.
Novelists 3, Agnews 1
Jesse Burkett punched a two-run single through a drawn-in infield to plate two runs in the third inning, and Mickey Welch allowed one run on three hits for his eighth victory as Browervllle drew closer to the pennant. The Novelists stole four bases off Nolan Ryan, but were caught stealing twice. Ryan allowed just six hits and three walks but was still saddled with his eighth loss in his final start of the season.
Novelists: Keefe Day 51, Welch Day 52. Projected starters: Radbourn Day 50, Clarkson Day 51, off Day 52, Keefe Day 53
To whom it may concern: Part of the long haitus in this league was the realization that I had mucked up the standings. I had no enthusiasm for going back through the games and finding the errors. I have finally done so. I beleive there are also discrepancies in the pitcher wins and losses, but I'm not going to do that much auditing.
The standings
W L Pct. GB
Browerville Novelists 23 14 .621 ----
Clarissa Crimsons 21 15 .571 2
Bertha Fishermen 17 18 .486 5
Long Prairie Agnews 16 20 .444 6.5
Hewitt Apollos 13 23 .361 9.5
Day 49 (at Fenway Park 1973)
Fishermen (Redding 4-2) at Apollos (McLain 0-6)
Agnews (Ryan 1-7) at Novelists (Welch 7-3)
Hitters
Name AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SB Avg,
Anson 154 26 45 19 4 2 1 14 1 .292
Burkett 151 28 49 22 6 2 2 18 5 .325
Collins 142 18 41 20 9 1 1 4 0 .289
Delahanty 147 26 58 30 13 1 1 17 4 .395
Hamilton 141 34 51 17 5 2 1 31 6 .362
Jennings 146 16 42 23 7 1 0 8 4 .288
McPhee 127 18 33 21 4 2 2 13 3 .282
O'Rourke 155 26 52 18 4 2 1 3 1 .335
Thompson 154 21 43 27 8 6 2 13 1 .260
