Streaks

Baseball is a game of streaks and it's not been more evident than in the past few weeks of my 1950 APBA baseball replay.

Obviously, one of the longest streaks is a personal one. It's the number of days I've played at least one game. It goes back several weeks, maybe even months. I really can't remember a day when I haven't rolled at least a game or two. Maybe it happened when I was sick, or during a really long work day, but it's a rare day when I don't have a game.

That said, I've picked up the pace in this replay. I've reached Aug. 23 and the end is in sight. It's like that sprint for the last lap of the race, the second wind to finish the drive.

And with the increase, I've noticed a lot of streaks in the games and with teams.

Wins and loses

Lately, it seems like teams are either on a winning streak or losing consecutive games. The New York Yankees have won seven in a row and have made the American League theirs to lose. They are 9.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox as of Aug. 23. On July 1, they were 2 games ahead.

On the other side is the Philadelphia As. The team lost 10 games in a row before beating Chicago, 9-7. The White Sox have had streaks of their own. They are currently on a five-game losing streak that followed a three-game winning streak that followed a seven-game losing streak. The White Sox have games ahead in New York, Boston and Detroit — the top three American League teams. Expect more streaks.

In the National League, the Boston Braves are on a three-game winning streak that ended a five-game losing streak. Pittsburgh has come alive again, winning five games in a row and are six games behind league-leader New York Giants. And after looking pretty good and challenging the Giants, the St. Louis Cardinals have lost three in a row.

Pitchers

Curt Simmons has been one of the few bright spots for the increasingly frustrating Philadelphia Phillies' team. In the real 1950 season, the Whiz Kids won the National League. In my replay, they are 57-65 and 15 games behind New York. The last six losses by Philadelphia (not consecutive) have been by two runs or less.

But Simmons had kept the losing streaks at bay. He's won nine decisions in a row.

Early Wynn has won seven decisions in a row for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Braves pitcher Johnny Sain has also won seven consecutive games.

Dick Star has lost seven in a row for the St. Louis Browns and Ray Scarborough has helped keep the Chicago White Sox in last place in the American League by losing his last six games.

Batting

Ralph Kiner hit home runs in three consecutive games for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In a season where home runs aren't that prolific, the Cleveland Indians have hit home runs in five consecutive games. That streak was continued when Wynn, the pitcher, hit one in one game and back up catcher Ray Murray clouted a solo shot in another contest.

Scoring

And finally, before today's contest between New York and Detroit, which the Yankees won, 7-2, the last night games I rolled featured the winning team scoring at least nine runs. That streak included winning teams scoring 18,17, 16, 15 and 14 runs.

As the season heads toward the last full month of play, I am sure there will be more streaks to watch.