WTOP - A Half-Century of Awful
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Am gonna try something completely different for my next project. Have always been a big GTOP fan. But this next tournament will feature eight of the worst teams I could come up with.
I’m calling it my ‘WTOP Tournament - A Half-Century of Awful.’ :baseball: :game_die:The Field:
1909 Senators 42-110 (.276) (Walter Johnson)
1916 Athletics 36-117 (.235) (Nap Lajoie)
1932 Red Sox 43-111 (.279)
1935 Braves 38-115 (.248) (Babe Ruth, Rabbit Maranville)
1939 Browns 43-111 (.279)
1941 Phillies 43-111 (.279) (Chuck Klein)
1952 Pirates 42-112 (.273) (Ralph Kiner)
1962 Mets 40-120 (.250) (Gil Hodges, Richie Ashburn)
(Players in parentheses are HOF’ers)Starting today, these eight teams will play a balanced, 28-game schedule. Four-man rotations, with even the #5 SP’s starting three games each. No DH’s. Injuries can sideline a player a maximum of only two games.
After 28 games, only the six worst teams will advance to the playoffs. Series winners are then eliminated. Losers advance. The two bottom teams will eventually meet in a best-of-seven final. The ultimate goal is to NOT be the worst team in the tournament.
I expect it will last about 132 games, give or take. At the rate I play, I should be finished around mid-June. Looking forward to it. Should be entertaining… :+1:
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It sounds like a great project! Can’t wait to see the results. Cheers!
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Thanks for the positive feedback. Since there seems to be some interest, I will definitely post occasional updates on this thread over the coming months.
That said, let me tell you about the tournament’s second game, which I rolled yesterday. (Game #1 had admittedly been a yawner, as the 1909 Senators crushed the ‘39 Browns 10-1).
And let me preface this by saying that, in my 49 years of APBA, I have NEVER rolled a perfect game…The 1916 Athletics (Elmer Myers, B-YW) visited the 1941 Phillies (Johnny Podgajny, C).
The game was still scoreless through seven innings, which meant both pitchers were upgraded to ‘A’ by the start of the eighth. But Myers had retired the first 21 Phils! They also went 1-2-3 in the bottom of eight. And after the A’s failed to score in the top of nine… Myers took the mound in the bottom half, looking to force extra innings AND preserve his perfecto…
And he did! Merrill May popped out to end the ninth. 27 up and 27 down as we go to the tenth…
In the top half, the A’s load the bases with two out. And when Nap Lajoie singles home two runs with his fourth hit of the game, my hands are literally trembling as I roll the dice. Haha.
We go to the bottom of the tenth. Myers gets the first out on a fly ball to center. But then… deep breath now… the Phillies’ Stan Benjamin breaks up the perfect game with a clean one-out single to right. The letdown was immeasurable.
Getting back to work now, Myers records the second out on a ground ball to SS. But he’s clearly disappointed. He gives up a walk and an RBI single. The tying run is on third as Myers departs the game having come so close to (my personal) APBA history.
The next batter, the Phils’ Merrill May, rolls a 53! It’s an error by A’s 3B Charlie Pick! The tying run scores and the game continues…
With both starting pitchers long gone, it’s now in the hands of the bullpens. And the Phils push across the winning run in the bottom of the 12th.
They win the game 3-2, after seeing their first 28 batters retired in order.
A game I won’t forget for a long time… and a thrilling opening day for this WTOP tournament…
(and I’m STILL waiting for that first perfect game…)
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A quick update:
Only 11 games in, and this project has been nothing short of entertaining. Today’s just-completed game was fairly typical… lots of runs and errors, but a fun game to roll.
In a battle of winless teams, the ‘62 Mets erased an early 3-0 deficit to take the lead. The ‘39 Browns then roared back from 7-3 down to take the lead, before New York rebounded again to win 10-9.
The only ‘C’ pitcher in the game (Emil Bildilli) was the losing pitcher. Choo-Choo Coleman went 3-4 and scored 3 runs in the win. :+1:⚾️🎲
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It’s games like this which make these projects so much fun.
'62 Mets hosted the ‘09 Senators tonight, but it looked like a complete mismatch with Roger Craig (D) going up against Walter Johnson (A-Y). And when Washington built a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth, it appeared to be over… especially with Johnson holding New York hitless through the first 15 hitters.
But the Mets rallied with a pair of walks, a groundout, another walk, a Sac Fly and a thrilling double steal. Still without a hit, New York had tied the game 2-2. And it stayed that way until the bottom of the eighth, when Richie Ashburn walked, was sacrificed to second, then scored on a Felix Mantilla single. It was the Mets’ first (and only) hit of the game.
A trio of D pitchers lifted New York to a stunning 3-2 victory over Washington and the great HOF’er Walter Johnson (now 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA).
The celebration in Flatbush is expected to continue well into the night…
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LOVE rolling games like this: An A starting pitcher versus a D starter should be no contest, right? But, just like in real baseball, stuff happens in this world of APBA GO.
Ed Durham (D-Z) and the ‘32 Red Sox should have been sliced and diced by the 1916 Athletics and starter Joe Bush (A-Y). But Durham kept getting out of jams in the first five innings, when he gave up nine hits and walked one. Getting the A’s to ground into three key double plays helped a lot. And when it was over, Durham had tossed a CG 12-hit shutout. He even singled and scored the game’s only run in the seventh inning. 1-0 the final, Red Sox.
Despite going 4-for-4, frustrated A’s center fielder Amos Strunk was still in uniform as he took a Boston trolley back to the hotel. “I’ve been stranded all day,” Strunk said. “Gotta get home somehow.”
And Philly manager Connie Mack was heard to mutter, “You can’t win them all.” ⚾️🎲
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I continue to have amazingly-entertaining games in this WTOP tournament, many of them involving the ‘62 Mets.
On the weekend, New York took an 8-7 lead into the ninth inning against the 1916 Athletics. But Philadelphia rallied for four runs in the top of the inning off Mets’ reliever Ken MacKenzie (D-Y).
Bottom half… New York responds with four off the A’s Marsh Williams (D-W). Jim Hickman won it with a 2-run HR with two out. It was Hickman’s 3rd HR in 7 games. Both teams are now 4-and-3.
As I am finding out in this tournament of primarily ‘D’ pitchers… no lead is safe.
And no game is over until the final out… :+1: :game_die: :baseball:
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Wow,those bad teams sure are making for some interesting games! Looking forward to seeing some stats at some point!
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@wildfire2099 Please give me another few weeks on that. Everyone’s played only seven games as of right now. I’ll post some stats when everyone’s played ten.
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The 1916 Athletics may have won only 36 games in the real world. But, apparently, they could hit.
Here’s their box score from today’s 12-7 win over the 1941 Phillies. Every position player had at least one hit, one RBI and one run scored.
Through eight games, the (5-and-3) A’s are batting a ridiculous .404 as a team. They are averaging just under 17 hits per game.
Nap Lajoie is batting .556 (20-for-36), while Amos Strunk is at .538 (21-for-39).
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A few of you had asked for an occasional update on my WTOP tournament, in which I’m trying to determine the worst APBA team between 1901 and 1965. As expected, this has been a lot of fun. I’ve played the first 40 games at a faster rate than usual (for me), so I should be done by late May.
Shockingly, I’ve already rolled three games where a team starting a D pitcher (using optional grade advancement) has beaten a team starting an A.
The tournament batting average is .275 with a slugging percentage of .359.
The overall ERA is 4.46. The WHIP is 1.47
The tourney fielding percentage is .972.
Standings: W-L (GB)
1909 Senators 8-2 (-)
1952 Pirates 7-3 (1)
1932 Red Sox 6-4 (2)
1962 Mets 6-4 (2)
1935 Braves 6-4 (2)
1916 Athletics 5-5 (3)
1941 Phillies 2-8 (6)
1939 Browns 0-10 (8)Team Thumbnails:
1909 Senators (8-2) - Led by a solid pitching staff with a team ERA of 2.12, Washington has already established itself as the class of the field. HOF pitcher Walter Johnson (A-Y) is 2-1, 1.38 ERA and leads the rotation. Offensively, the Senators have four regulars (Wid Conroy, George Browne, Bob Unglaub, Germany Schaefer) all batting above .340. Well-balanced WTOP team.
1952 Pirates (7-3) - The Bucs have been good all-round. Their .417 slugging percentage leads the tournament, while their 2.57 team ERA trails only Washington. Ralph Kiner’s four HR’s are tops in the tourney. The HOF’er has also driven in 12 runs while batting .382. On the mound, Murray Dickson (B-Z) is 3-0, 2.33, while Bob Friend (C ) is 2-0, 1.00. Solid start for Pittsburgh.
1932 Red Sox (6-4) - The Red Sox have had no real MVP performances, but they’re winning as a team. Boston’s #4 starter Ivy Andrews (C ) has been their biggest surprise, going 2-0 with an ERA of 2.50 and a WHIP of 0.78. Dale Alexander is batting .333 with 2 homers and 11 RBI. Catcher Bennie Tate is hitting a surprising .308 with 9 RBI.
1962 Mets (6-4) - Despite batting just .227 as a team, combined with a 5.66 ERA, New York has somehow managed to win six of ten games. Richie Ashburn is batting .419 with an OPS of 1.093, while Felix Mantilla has driven in 12 runs while hitting .324. #2 starter Al Jackson (C ) has been the best of the pitching staff at 1-1, 3.00.
1935 Braves (6-4) - Ben Cantwell (D-Z) has easily been the pitching surprise of the tournament, going 3-0 with an ERA of 1.04 and a WHIP of 1.12. Boston’s #2 starter, Cantwell has been named ‘Player of the Game’ in each of his three starts. Fred Frankhouse (D) is 2-1, 3.00. Boston is batting a solid .298 as a team, while led by Baxter Jordan (.364, HR, 5 RBI).
1916 Athletics (5-5) - The numbers suggest the A’s should be much better than sixth place. Their 71 runs scored and .364 team batting average easily lead the tournament. Their team ERA of 3.28 is third-best. Amos Strunk is hitting an incredible .523, while HOF’er Nap Lajoie is next at .455 with 13 RBI. Top two starters Elmer Myers (B-YW) and Joe Bush (A-Y) have a combined ERA of 0.91, but are a combined 2-and-3 in six starts. Philadelphia is expected to bounce back.
1941 Phillies (2-8) - The hard-luck Phils have been the best fielding team in the tournament (.992), but have little to brag about otherwise. Nick Etten has been a bright spot, batting .400 with a 1.048 OPS. Bennie Warren has homered three times and is hitting .323. But #2 starter Tommy Hughes (C-W) is 0-3 with a 5.81 ERA. The Phils have suffered five one-run losses in their last six games.
1939 Browns (0-10) - Simply put, the pitching staff is awful. Winless St. Louis has a team ERA of 9.21 and a WHIP of 2.23. Top starters Vern Kennedy (D-W) and Jack Kramer (D-W) are both 0-3. Kramer’s dreadful ERA is 12.94, which is actually respectable when compared to Kennedy’s 21.61. St. Louis doesn’t hit too bad. Chet Laabs is a solid .359 with 3 HR’s and an OPS of 1.085. George McQuinn and Harlond Clift are both batting above .310. But, oh, that woeful starting pitching. Toss in the fact that the Browns have the worst fielding in the tournament (.948) and this team has been a train wreck.
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Hitting Leaders:
Batting Average (min 36 PA’s):
Strunk (1916 A’s) .523; Lajoie (1916 A’s) .455Slugging Percentage (min 36 PA’s):
Kiner (1952 Pirates) .735; Laabs (1939 Browns) .667Home Runs:
Kiner (1952 Pirates) 4; Three tied with 3 apieceRBI:
Lajoie (1916 A’s) 13; Kiner (1952 Pirates) & Mantilla (1962 Mets) 12 apieceStolen Bases:
Gessler (1909 Senators) 5; Three tied with 4 apieceWorst Batting Average (min 36 PA’s):
Street (1909 Senators) .088; Gallagher (1939 Browns) .108–
Pitching Leaders:
W-L:
Cantwell (1935 Braves) & Dickson (1952 Pirates) are each 3-0ERA (min 18 IP):
Myers (1916 A’s) 0.70; Friend (1952 Pirates) 1.00WHIP (min 18 IP):
Johnson (1909 Senators) 0.73; Myers (1916 A’s) 0.74Strikeouts:
Durham (1932 Red Sox) 14; Podgajny (1941 Phillies) 13Saves:
Five pitchers tied with one save eachWorst ERA (min 2 starts):
Kennedy (1939 Browns) 21.61; Kline (1932 Red Sox) 16.50 -
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Tired of getting kicked around, the ‘39 Browns have responded with their first win of the WTOP Tournament.
The dice, which had treated St. Louis so badly for ten games, could suddenly do no wrong in a 14-1 rout over the ‘41 Phillies.
Funny game, this baseball… :baseball:
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Man, this tournament is producing some fun games. :+1:
In an all-Boston matchup today, the ‘32 Red Sox and ‘35 Braves both started D-Z pitchers. Game was still scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when the Braves pushed two runs across.
Meanwhile, Braves’ starter Ben Cantwell was upgraded to ‘A’ after 7 innings. But that’s when his struggles began. He gave up a solo HR in the 8th… then two more in the ninth… as the Red Sox won a 3-2 thriller.
Urbane Pickering was the hitting hero, going 3-for-4 including a big RBI double in the top of the ninth. The Sox’ George Stumpf entered the game as a late defensive replacement and made two key catches in RF.
Cantwell fell to 3-and-1 with an ERA of 1.54. Despite not getting the decision, Red Sox starter Ed Durham is now 2-and-1 with an ERA of 2.90. Not bad for a couple of ‘D’ pitchers, after four starts apiece.
Both teams are now 7-and-7 midway through the tournament. :baseball: :game_die:
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I always enjoy seeing a ‘D’ pitcher toss a CG shutout. And when you’re rolling a WTOP tournament, it happens frequently.
Bob Kline (D) had one today for the ‘32 Red Sox, as Boston blanked the ‘52 Pirates 3-0. He tossed a four-hitter, while striking out two and walking three. In picking up his first win in three decisions, Kline lowered his ERA from 11.08 to 6.55.
Boston (8-7) catcher Benny Tate (a .245 hitter in 1932) had three hits to improve his tournament batting average to .310.
Pirates’ starter Bob Friend (C ) falls to 2-and-2 as Pittsburgh drops out of a tie for first place.
After grounding out in the ninth inning, Bucs’ catcher Joe Garagiola was heard muttering, “APBA GO Baseball is a funny game.” :baseball: :game_die: