Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Over-achieving Tigers beat under-achieving Yankees in '54 replay game
The Yankees - Tigers game of Thursday September 16, 1954 was interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the game was typical of the way the two teams have played in this replay. Second, my use of Len Durrant's 1954 pitcher-as -hitter cards instead of the generic pitcher-hitting cards had an effect on the outcome of the game.
The Yankees came into the game in third place with a record of 79-65, well below their 96-48 real life record at this point of the season. The Tigers, meanwhile, came into the game with a replay record of 73-71, well above their real life record of 64-80.
The Tigers won the game 4-3. The way they won, and the way the Yankees lost, was typical for the two teams in this replay. The first six Yanks' batters in the game all reached base. Three runs were in and the bases were loaded with none out. It looked like the Yanks were on their way to a blowout. But, in typical Yankee fashion, the next three batters made outs without being able to advance any runners, and the Yanks never threatened for the rest of the game.
Meanwhile the pesky Tigers scrapped back with three runs in the fifth and one in the eight to pull out the 4-3 win. George Zuverink went the distance for the win for the Tigers, pitching terrific ball after the rocky first.
The game might have had a different outcome had I not been using Len Durrant's 1954 AL pitcher-as -hitting cards.
The game company’s generic pitcher hitting cards are not precise in distinguishing hitting pitchers as to whether they have "N"(normal) vs. "W"(weak) power versus left handed pitchers, but not vs. righties, or vice versa. Len Durrant’s PAH cards are more precise. In certain instances where a pitcher hit one or two home runs in real life, he has created a different power rating than the game company did. For example, if a pitcher hit one home run in real life off a left handed pitcher , the game company would rate him an “N” across the board, but Len, being more precise in designing the PAH card, would give him a "N" rating against lefties but a "W" vs. righties.
Wouldn’t you know it, it made a difference in this game. Bob Grim of the Yankees was at bat leading off the top of the fourth inning against the right-hander Zuverink. Grim hit one home run in r/l in the ’54 season, apparently against a left handed pitcher (I may try to track this down later). Grim is rated by Strat-O-Matic as a “2N” hitter. Len D’s PAH card, by contrast, rates Grim a “N” vs. left handed pitchers only, and “W” against righties. Grim, batting against the right hander, rolled a 4/12. On Zuverink's card, this is a "N-HR 1-14 flyball(lf) B 15-20" result if you are using ballpark effects (as I was). I rolled a "3" on the twenty-sided die. Because Grim has a "W" power rating vs. righties on his custom-made PAH card, he got only a single instead of a home run, and the Yanks failed to score in the inning.
Who knows what the outcome of the game would have been if I'd been using the 2N rating assigned to Grim by the game company ?
