Vol. III, Issue #2 - July 2015

** The Greatest Games Played via the Art of the Replay **

(Notes from the Wolfman: Although I am not much for replays, being a proud Chicago fan for both the Cubs and White Sox, I did play a few replays. First I tried being the manager of the 2003 Cubs who were one win away from being in the World Series to see if I could do better. I played their games manually using the players who were available during the season as in real life but had the computer manage the other teams. I improved on their record by winning about 10 more games during the regular season but I absolutely couldn't beat the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs - how the Cubs did it was a miracle. Also I replayed the 2005 Chicago White Sox (the last time they won the world series) but I couldn't overcome Cleveland that year which had an amazing team too and in real life were only 1-1/2 games out of first at one point.  But it was fun to play each teams 162 game schedule and see what happened.  So we hope you enjoy the replays shown here by Tigers2012 and Larry, who claim these games for the reasons sighted in their personal reports were the greatest game they ever saw. So dear readers, what is your greatest game that you have played?

Tigers2012 (met him on Strat-o-matic.net, the baseball forum ...)

Post: 7/5/15 12:37 PM

Tigers2012:  Here's a game i played in a prior replay that I had blogged, hands down, the greatest strato game I ever played, and maybe I ever will play!!!

Here's what I wrote in my blog:

Oakland, CA (Replay of 2002 Baseball Season ) -- In maybe the greatest game that will be played on the field this year, the underdog Athletics pulled off an absolute stunner to take game
one of the series. Hiljus pitched solidy until the fifth, where the Yankee's seemed to have seized control of the game, striking for three runs and padding their lead to 6-3.

In usual fashion, Graham (last name of the replay manager of the A's, not Art Howe) made the unwanted call to the bullpen, however, instead of the usual implosion, the bullpen held it's own. Venafro pitched two innings of no run baseball, as well as Bradford. In the top of the ninth, Graham called for Billy Koch, who promptly let the Yanks score again, widening the lead to 7-3.

Ted Lilly was on to close the door for the Yank's, until, what can only be described as a perfect storm, the Athletics struck for four runs, three on the strength of a Carlos Pena big fly that barely cleared the wall in left field.

The game would ultimately be decided in the twelfth inning. Derek Jeter launched a solo shot to straight away center to start the inning. Giambi was intentionally walked, and on an 0-2 pitch, Bernie Williams mashed a no doubter to extend the Yankee's lead to 10-7. Mecir then took over, striking out Castillo, getting Ventura to fly out, and then punching out Rondell White.

Down by three in the bottom of the twelfth, Miguel Tejada laced a single into center to start the inning. Giambi, tying run still in the hole, tried to power one out, but got under just a bit, lofting a soft flyball out to center. Rivera had already thrown over 40 pitches, and was replaced by Steve Karsay to face Frank Menechino.

Menechino worked the count full and then was nailed on the arm and was awarded first base. Scott Hatteberg took an 0-2 pitch out of the zone and sliced it over a leaping Jeter, loading up the bases for Mark Ellis. Steve Karsay threw Ellis four straight balls, walking in a run.

Down by two, Ramon Hernandez scored another run, lifting a fastball to deep left field for a sac fly. With runners at first and second, David Justice ripped the ball deep into the left field gap, launching a bases clearing walk-off triple, as Ellis leaped into a mob of A's players waiting at home plate.

The Athletics forced extras with four in the ninth, and won with four in the twelfth.

"After it left his [Justices'] bat, I knew it was over," Graham said after the game. Graham was the first one out of the dugout waiting for Mark Ellis at homeplate. "This was single-handedly, the most important game we will play this year," Graham said. "It showed our grit and toughness as a team, to be down and facing the league's best closer, and have to get it done just to get to extra's, then winning the way we did, incredible."

Derek Jeter sat in the dugout after the game in complete shock. "You play that ninth inning a hundred times over, and we'd win the next 99," Jeter said after the game. Perhaps he's right, but this moment doesn't belong to Jeter, it belongs to the A's and the fans.


Boxscore: 2002 New York (AL) Yankees At 2002 Oakland Athletics 4/23/2002 (Replay)

 Yankees         AB  R  H RBI AVG   Athletics         AB  R  H RBI AVG
 A.Soriano 2B     7  0  3  2 .347   D.Justice RF       5  1  1  2 .237
 D.Jeter SS       7  1  2  1 .231   C.Pena DH          6  1  2  3 .196
 J.Giambi DH      3  1  2  0 .286   E.Chavez 3B        5  1  2  1 .235
 B.Williams CF    5  2  2  2 .264   M.Tejada SS        6  1  2  0 .402
 J.Posada C       6  1  1  0 .274   J.Giambi LF        5  1  2  1 .350
D-G.Williams PR   0  0  0  0 ----   T.Long CF          2  1  1  0 .235
E-A.Castillo C    1  0  0  0 .000  A-O.Saenz PH        1  0  0  0 .167
 R.Ventura 3B     5  2  2  2 .167  B-M.Colangelo CF    0  0  0  0 .200
 R.White LF       7  1  1  2 .227  C-F.Menechino PH,CF 2  1  1  0 .333
 J.Vander Wal RF  5  2  1  1 .313   S.Hatteberg 1B     6  1  2  1 .227
 N.Johnson 1B     4  0  2  0 .227   M.Ellis 2B         5  2  1  1 .291
 R.Hernandez C    4  1  2  2 .164
                 -- -- -- ---                          -- -- -- ---
Totals           50 10 16 10        Totals             47 11 16 11

A-Pinch Hit For Long In 6th Inning
B-Subbed Defensively (CF) For Saenz In 7th Inning
C-Pinch Hit For Colangelo In 8th Inning
D-Pinch Ran For Posada In 10th Inning
E-Subbed Defensively (C ) For Williams In 10th Inning

                                            R  H E                  
Yankees......... 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 - 10 16 1
Athletics....... 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 - 11 16 2

Yankees (13-8)       IP    H  R ER BB SO HR PC  ERA
O.Hernandez           7    6  3  3  3  5  2 102 3.33
T.Lilly BS(1st)     1-1/3  4  4  4  1  3  1  37 13.06
M.Rivera              3    4  1  1  0  3  0  42 1.54
S.Karsay L(0-1)     0-1/3  2  3  3  1  0  0  22 3.97
BS(1st)
Totals             11-2/3 16 11 11  5 11  3

Athletics (11-9)    IP     H  R ER BB SO HR PC  ERA
E.Hiljus             4     8  6  6  6  5  1 98  7.50
M.Venafro            2     2  0  0  3  0  0 33  4.09
C.Bradford           2     1  0  0  1  0  0 32  3.27
B.Koch               3     5  4  4  1  3  3 49  5.00
J.Mecir WIN(1-2)     1     0  0  0  0  2  0 14  2.19
Totals              12    16 10 10 11 10  4

Tigers2012 final comments: this was a replay, I only do replays. Not really so significant just
an incredible game. (I mean) to beat Rivera in the 9th and then come back from behind again was awesome! I have never had a game like that. I've had a no hitter, a perfect game, a 20 strikeout game, but this one stands as one of the most memorable.

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(FINAL NOTES from the Wolfman: We hope our readers enjoyed this new section dealing with very powerful games people have experienced via their personal replays or in league play - thanks again Tiger and Larry. We would like to continue to offer this type of page (column) in future issues. So if you have a personal story that is shouting out from inside of you to be shared with our other readers, feel free to send me an email, to the my email shown at the bottom of this page. We will give all submissions serious consideration.  Thank you so much.)

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Contained inside this exciting issue of Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter:
(to view the various interviews, articles, columns and special sections click on the links {underlined} and this will take you to the appropriate webpage)
 

♦  RETURN TO NEWSLETTER MAIN PAGE

♦  INTERVIEW with DICK BREMER, Play by Play announcer for the Minnesota Twins for over 30 years tells us about his interest and playing days with SOM Baseball.

♦  VIDEO INTERVIEW with HAL RICHMAN, The creator of Strat-o-matic Baseball, speaks to our "Johnny on the Spot" earlier this year during "Opening Day" as we finally we are granted permission to share this unique and special interview with our members.  This is one of several interesting videos that we have on our Youtube Channel, click on the Bright Blue Link above or the Youtube Link below to view this interview (18+ minutes):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rN06fLgM_U

 

♦  REPORT with TOM NAHIGIAN (1961 cards), Personal friend of the Wolfman, known in Guzzo's book as "The Collector", returns and we take a peak at some of the early strat cards printed.

♦  COLUMN: "STRAT THOUGHTS" with BRUCE BUNDY, BB as we affectionately call him returns with another special column sharing strategies to win with your draft Strat Team.

♦  REPORT: FUNNY & AMAZING STRAT/MLB STORIES (various - new column), Various friends linked with SOM Baseball sharing some of their most funny and amazing stories linked to the game or Major League Baseball, start of a new column.

♦  REPORT: The BRUCE FOSTER CHALLENGE with WOLFMAN SHAPIRO (online SOM Baseball, 4 part report), editor of "The Ultimate Strat Newsletter" challenges Bruce Foster, one of the most successful managers playing the Internet SOM Baseball version using the All Time Greats set, to follow his unique strategy, joins a league and reports how his team does.

♦  COLUMN: "COMMISSIONER's CORNER" with MARC WASSERMAN -- The return of the "Commish" with another insightful article for his column as he focuses upon how to build a team that will compete for your league's championship.

♦  RECOMMEND ON-LINE SOM & MLB RESOURCES -- On-line Strat-o-matic and Baseball related websites that offer amazing information, special tools and products to improve your game play that we strongly recommend. In most cases, we have had personal contact with these sources who agree with the principle to work together and help promote each other.

♦  BOOKS TO DIE FOR and Become a BASEBALL GURU -- This page is specifically about special books we are finding that either will expand your insights about the game of Baseball, help you in the creation of your current league teams or with your replays and learn more about the Strat-o-matic Baseball Game and Game Company's history.  We have a special arrangement with Acta Sports, who is a publisher of a number of great baseball books (including Bill James Handbooks) to offer for our members a 10% discount. We will continue to add more books to this page in the future as we uncover other gems our members should know about.

 

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Contact Us for Questions or Submissions:

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