A great time was had on April 22 at CT SABR’s most recent Game Day.

In attendance were Jon Daly, Bryan Sovinsky, Larry Howard, Joe Runde, Stan Dziurgot, Ray Sikora,  myself and John Garcia of Strat-O-Matic.

Mr. Garcia spoke to the group before play and it was interesting to learn that media members provide input on player ratings.  John also spoke about how S-O-M captured performance info for the recently released 1949 season set.  We had a lively Q & A with John, too, and at the end of the playing session he generously gave away 2 complete S-O-M game sets and pairs of the 2016 WS Indians and Cubs teams.

Here are the wrap-ups on three of the four games played:

Game 1:  ‘11 NY Giants beat Athletics in 11

Game 2:  Santo’s Blow Decides It, ’69 Cubs Sink Mets 5-3

Co-Managers Joe Runde and Ray Sikora split a doubleheader with Co-Managers Stan Dziurgot and Larry Howard as they martialed nines from 1911 and 1969.

In Game 1, Stan and Larry (1911 New York Giants) defeated Joe and Ray (1911 Philadelphia Athletics) in a 7-6, 11 inning thriller at the Polo Grounds. After both teams scored a run in the 1^st inning, Giants ace Christy Mathewson held the Athletics scoreless from the 2^nd to the 6^th inning on one-hit ball. The Giants scored single runs in the 3^rd (Red Murray triple) and 4^th (Chief Myers double). In the 5^th they extended their lead to 5-1 by scoring two runs, including one on Red Murray’s sacrifice fly, his 2^nd RBI of the day. In the top of the 7^th, the Athletics finally got to Mathewson, who was relieved by Doc Crandell with 1 out. The Athletics scored 4 runs to tie the game, led by RBIs from Danny Murphy (2), Rube Oldring and Amos Strunk. Crandell got one back in the bottom of the 8^th with a go-ahead RBI single to put the Giants on-top 6-5, but the Athletics tied the game in the ninth when Claud Derrick scored after a triple with 1 out. After each team was held scoreless in the 10^th, the Giants struck in the bottom of the 11^th. Art Fletcher reached base on an error by Frank “Home Run” Baker and later scored on Chief Meyers’ RBI single, propelling the Giants to victory.

-Ray Sikora

In the second game, Joe and Ray (1969 Cubs) defeated Stan and Larry (1969 Mets) at Wrigley Field by a score of 5-3. The Mets scored first in the top of the 3^rd inning on a HR by Ken Boswell off of Ferguson Jenkins. The Cubs finally got on the board vs. Tom Seaver in the bottom of the 4^th to take a 2-1 lead. The Cubs’ first run scored on an error by Boswell, and Jim Qualls later added an RBI single. The Mets tied the game 2-2 in the top of the 5^th; Boswell atoned for his earlier error by getting his 2^nd RBI of the game. Though the Mets regained the lead in the 7^th on a HR by Art Shamsky, the Cubs went ahead for good in the bottom of the 8^th on Ron Santo’s three-run homer. Santo drove in Glenn Beckert and Billy Williams, who reached base on an error and a single, respectively. Despite getting a hit in the top of the ninth, the Mets could not score and were defeated by a final score of 5-3.

-Ray Sikora

Game 3:  Meusel Trip(le)s Up Bucs, 1927 Yanks  6, Pirates 5.

Brian Sovinsky managed the 1927 Pirates against the Yankees & Karl Cicitto, a rematch of that year’s WS.  Played at Forbes Field, the Yankees line up 1-to-9 was Coombs, Koenig, Ruth, Gehrig, Meusel, Lazzeri, Dugan, Collins and Hoyt.  The Bucs countered with Lloyd Waner, Traynor, Paul Waner, Harris, Grantham, Wright, Gooch, Barnhart and Meadows.  A quick scan of both line-ups showed this was one team of very good hitters against nine exceptional stickmen with other-worldly power.  The scoring came quickly.  Ruth and Gehrig doubled for a run but Paul Waner stroked a HR with his brother on board & made it 2-1 at end of the 1st.  The Bombers proceeded to plate 5 runners in the next 4 innings on dingers by Coombs & Lazzeri and a pair of triples by Meusel .  That was all the scoring Mr. Hoyt would need for a CG 6-5 victory.  Buc second bagger George Grantham had made it a tight game with a 3 run blast in the 6^th, but Hoyt silenced the Corsairs in the final 3 innings, stranding 2 runners in the 8^th and  retiring Barnhart, Kremer and Cuyler in a quiet bottom of the 9^th.  The Yanks whacked the egg around Forbes mercilessly, recording seven extra base hits to just three for the Bucs.

NY          6   10   2

PITT       5    8    0

-Karl Cicitto

Game 4:  Dom & Joe have nice day, 1941 Yanks over Sox 7-5 in 12

Jon Daily and John Garcia faced off in a thriller between the 1941 Yankees and Red Sox at Fenway, the Bombers scoring 2 in the twelfth to register a 7-5 win.  The NY nine line-up was Rizzuto, Gordon, Joe DiMaggio, Keller, Henrich, Dickey, Rolfe, Sturnweiss and Russo on the mound. The BoSox batting order was D. DiMaggio, Doerr, Williams, Foxx, Cronin, Tabor, Finey, Pytlak with Harris hurling.   All 5 of the Red Sox runs came in just 2 innings.  Two runs came on back-to-back solo home runs by DiMaggio and Doerr in the 6^th.  The other 3 Boston runs were scored in the 7^th as Russo yielded 4 hits and 2 walks and was hurt by a Rizzuto error.   Joe DiMaggio started all the day’s scoring with a 3^rd inning homer with Gordon aboard.  Sturnweiss singled in Henrich in the 4^th.  Joe D. plated Russo with a double in the 7^th.  Scooter drove in Snuffy in the top of the 9^th, tying the game at 5-5, and the Bombers left the winning run on 3^rd  base as Gordon, DiMaggio and Keller were foiled by the Sox bullpen.  The Yanks broke the tie in the 12^th when Henrich drove in Joe D., who had reached on a Cronin error.  Dickey then singled in Henrich for an insurance run that would not be needed as the Sox could do nothing with the Yankee relievers in their half of the 12^th inning.  The final was Yankees 7, Red Sox 5.      Mrs. DiMaggio could be proud of both of her boys in this one.  Joe D. came up with a double and home run in 6 AB’s.  Dominick had a fine day, too, with three hits in six AB’s including his home run.

-Karl Cicitto