After one year, one month and two
weeks, I've reached game number 1,000 in my 1950 APBA baseball
replay. It's one of those landmarks that lets the replayer recognize
the progression of the season and that it's nearing an end. I have
232 more games to go before the season is completed.
The game came in the middle of games
played for Aug. 29, 1950. When Johnny Wyrostek blooped a single in
the bottom of the ninth to drive in Lloyd Merriman to give Cincinnati
a 5-4 win over the Boston Braves, the 1,000th game was
over.
As I head into the last month of games,
it appears the New York Yankees will run away with the American
League pennant. Eddie Lopat paces the Yankees with 19 wins on the
mound and Joe DiMaggio is the league's home run leader with 36 so
far.
The National League is a bit more
undecided. The New York Giants took the lead a few weeks ago in the
season and looked unstoppable. But two losses in Cincinnati and then
one in Pittsburgh has tightened the race. The pesky, overachieving
Boston Braves are still hanging on. In fact, five teams area within
a good winning streak of making the National League an interesting
race.
Here are the standings upon the
completion of Game 1,000.
American League
W L GB
New York 88 37 -
Boston 78 47 10
Cleveland 75 53 14.5
Detroit 72 52 15.5
Washington 52 72 35.5
Phil'phia 48 78 40.5
St. Louis 46 78 41.5
Chicago 42 84 46.5
National League
W L GB
New York 73 53 -
Boston 69 56 3.5
St. Louis 68 56 4
Brooklyn 67 57 5
Pittsburgh 67 58 5.5
Phil'phia 60 68 14.5
Chicago 52 71 19.5
Cincinnati 43 80 28.5
Here are the leaders:
American League
Home runs: 36-J. DiMaggio, NYY;
33-Mize, NYY; 31-T. Williams, Bos; 29-Easter, Cle.
Wins: 20-2 Wynn, Cle; 19-3 Lopat, NYY;
19-4 Houtteman, Det; 15-3 Dobson, Bos.
Saves: 15-Calvert, Det; 13-Page, NYY;
12-Aloma, Chi; 9-Harris, Wsh.
National League
Home runs: 37- Kiner, Pit and Sauer,
Chi; 32-Snider, Bro; 31- Ennis, Phl and Kluszewski, Cin.
Wins: 19-6 Newcombe, Bro; 17-8 Simmons,
Phl and Chambers, Pit; 16-5 Maglie, NYG; 16-8 Spahn, Bos.
Saves; 20-Konstanty, Phl; 13-Hogue,
Bos; 12-Brazle, StL and Hansen, NYG; 10-Leonard, Chi.
Barring some crazy mishap, the Yankees
will make it to World Series in my replay of the 1950 season, just as
they did in the real Series. The Whiz Kid Phillies, however, who
faced the Yankees in the real Series that year, have been the
replay's biggest disappointment. But five other teams vie for that
slot, and with a little more than a month remaining in the replay,
this could be one of the better pennant races I've seen in my years
of replaying the games.
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