Monday, August 4, 2014

Update, June 1, 1950

After some delays and distractions, I've returned full steam to the 1950 APBA baseball replay I'm doing and it's well worth it. And, although I'm only about 25 percent finished with this replay, this season is shaping up as one of the best and closest replays I've ever done.

I slowed down a bit when life butted in. I helped a friend move over a period of a few weeks, I dealt with some weird medical deal that left me tired and I bought the APBA hockey season which pulled me away from the baseball game a bit. But, I chugged on, rolling a few of the hardball games just to keep the replay active.

And now I've reached June 1, 1950, in the replay and the personalities that we see in every replay we do are taking shape in this one.

In the National League, St. Louis has won six of seven and is now tied for first place with Pittsburgh. The Boston Braves are 1.5 games behind and New York, which has its own hot streak of winning nine of its last 10, is 2 games out of first place.

The Phillies, which won the National League in the real season, are mired in sixth place in my replay and are one of the more frustrating teams to play with. Eddie Waitkus leads Philadelphia with a batting average of .333 (I've not updated my stats in a bit, so the numbers aren't current). Maybe Waitkus is still reeling from being shot a year earlier by an obsessed fan at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. He did receive the Associated Press' “Comeback Player of the Year” after the 1950 season, however, and there's still 75 percent of the season left for him to help kick the Phillies into gear.

Brooklyn is also a frustrating team to play. The Dodgers hit plenty of home runs. They've clouted 56 in 42 games, and Don Newcombe is the best pitcher in the majors with an 8-0 record as of June 1. But the rest of the team is dismal. Jackie Robinson is batting an anemic .289 and Gil Hodges has an average of .234.

In the American League, three teams are vying for the lead. Detroit, led by George Kell's 14 doubles and Art Houtteman's 8-1 record, are in first place by 1.5 games over the Yankees and 2.5 over the Red Sox.

Just as I deemed the Philadelphia A's American League team as the worst one I've ever replayed, they reel off six wins in a row, including a three-game sweep of the Yankees.

So, it's good to get back into the swing. The hockey replay I began can wait a bit. Baseball takes precedence again. And, as is the mantra all of us APBA replayers say, “There's never enough time to do it all.” We have to make time and the 1950 season is priority for now.

Here's the standings:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Detroit        29   11   -
New York   28   13   1.5
Boston        29   16   2.5
Cleveland   22   20   8
Washington 18  24  12
St. Louis     16   26  14
Chicago      14   29  16.5
Philadelphia 13 30  17.5

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pittsburgh     24   18    -
St. Louis       24   18   -
Boston          23   20  1.5
New York     22   20   2
Brooklyn       20  22  4
Chicago        18   21  4.5
Philadelphia 19   25   6
Cincinnati    17    23  6

Games on tap include a three-game series between Detroit and Philadelphia. Can the Tigers cool off the hot As? Boston travels to Pittsburgh for three games to begin the month of June in a clash of two over-achievers and Brooklyn heads to old rival St. Louis for three games as well.

It's a good replay, and well worth making time to keep on rolling the games.
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2 comments:

  1. John H.August 5, 2014 at 1:03 AM

    Just some random comments pertaining to your posts of the past few weeks:

    Your wife sounds like she was a wonderful woman. Mine has been fast asleep for hours but I'm going to give her a big hug when I go to bed.

    I'm 55 years old and I have a large sports game collection, mostly APBA baseball. I used to think that I would go crazy playing when I retired, which I did this past January. Well, it hasn't happened. I played a game roughly every second day from 1998 to 2008 and then, for some reason, I hit the wall. I've replayed several World Series since then but that's about it.

    I do still enjoy adding to my collection, though. A couple of the items I recently purchased are the 1950 Replay Baseball game card set and the Statis Pro 1950 NL cards from their Great Pennant Races set which also includes the 1964 NL and 1967 AL teams. I also have an exact reprint of the original 1950 APBA set and the reissue set from 1984 that I assume you're using for your replay. I haven't done anything with any of them. Maybe some day...

    I also think about my mortality in terms of seasons I'll never replay, books on my shelves that won't get read, and DVDs in my collection that won't get watched. It's a strange feeling because I, like yourself, still feel and think much the same as I did when I was a kid. My interests haven't changed, only my responsibilities.

    I love your Roy Winston jersey! I've been a purple bleeder since Bud Grant first led the Vikes to prominence in the late 60s. Bud's still a legend here in Winnipeg, just as he is in Minnesota. A great man.

    Be well, Ken. I very much enjoy your blog and must make a point of visiting more often.

    John

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    Replies
    1. Kenneth HeardAugust 8, 2014 at 12:25 AM

      Thanks for reading, and hug that wife of yours! My wife was great. She had a lot of patience and dealt with my ramblings and analyzing and creative rants well. I've learned to tell people how you feel and how you appreciate them. It may make some feel uncomfortable by being direct, but you never really know if you have another chance later. Good luck in rolling!

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