Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Today in 1990 - Pittsburgh Pirates vs Houston Astros


August 31, 1990 – Today in 1990, the Houston Astros hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Astrodome.

The Pirates got off a 2-0 lead with an RBI single by Mike LaVilliere in the 2nd and a solo homerun by Jay Bell in the 3rd.  Pittsburgh held that lead and in the bottom of the 9th and all they had to do was close Houston out.

First up for Houston was Ken Caminiti, who Stan Belinda struck out.  Glenn Davis didn’t fare any better, getting out on a fly ball to center field; two outs.  Craig Biggio got things going for Houston with a single to center field.  Casey Candaele pinch hit for Mark Davidson.  Candaele hit a double to right field and Biggio scored.

Belinda was then relieved by Bob Patterson.  He faced Franklin Stubbs, who hit an RBI single to right field and Candaele scored.  The score was now 2-2.  Dave Rohde hit a single to left field and Stubbs advanced to second.  Patterson was relieved by Bill Landrum and faced Glenn Wilson, who was pinch hitting for Astro pitcher Juan Agosto.  Wilson hit a single to right field and Stubbs scored.  Game over.  Houston came back from a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the 9th to win 3-2.

In one inning of work, Juan Agosto got the win and went to 6-7.  Bob Patterson, who was charged with the winning run, fell to 8-5 with his third blown save.  Neither pitcher had an official at bat.

The Houston Astros went to 59-72.  They were 16.5 games behind the Cincinnati Reds, 4th in the NL West.  The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped to 75-55.  The led the NL East by half a game over the New York Mets.


Notables

  • This was Art Howe’s second season managing the Astros.  He managed the team from 1989-93.  He also managed the Oakland A’s from 1996-2002.  Howe was also featured in the Notables section in yesterday’s entry.
  • This was Jim Leyland’s fifth season managing the Pirates.  He managed the team from 1986-96.  He went to the Florida Marlins in 1997 and led them to a World Series title.  Leyland is currently the manager of the Detroit Tigers and has been there since 2006.
  • Both starting pitchers, Zane Smith for the Pirates and Mike Scott for the Astros, pitched for eight innings.  Smith struck out four and batted 0-3.  Scott struck out three and hit 0-1, with a sacrifice hit.
  • Pirates’ first baseman Sid Bream went on to score the winning run for the Atlanta Braves in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS against the Pittsburgh Pirates. 
  • Except for Jay Bell’s homerun (center field), every RBI hit in this game was to right field.

Game stats and other data can be found on Baseball-Reference.com at Houston Astros vs Pittsburgh Pirates - August 31, 1990

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Today in 1981 - Philadelphia Phillies vs Houston Astros


August 30, 1981 – The Philadelphia Phillies visited the Astrodome to take on the Houston Astros.

Houston had a 4-2 lead after the 3rd inning, including a leadoff homerun by Tony Scott to start off the bottom of the 1st.  Starting pitcher Nolan Ryan kept the Phillies at bay for seven innings.

But the Phillies came back.  In the top of the 8th, Mike Schmidt hit a leadoff homerun and Pete Rose hit an RBI double in the top of the 9th.  The game was now tied 4-4 and went to the 10th.

After Philadelphia left a man in scoring position, Houston got its chance.  Craig Reynolds hit a single to center field.  Denny Walling bunted and Reynolds got to second.  With one out, Jose Cruz came to bat.  Cruz hit a single to left field and Reynolds scored.  Game over.  The Houston Astros edged the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4.

Relief pitcher Dave Smith got the win and improved to 3-3.  Phillie reliever Sparky Lyle got the loss and dropped to 6-4.  Neither pitcher had an official at bat.

Philadelphia fell to 40-34.  They were 5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and 3rd in the NL East.  Houston went to 40-37.  They were 8 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and 3rd in the NL West.


Notables

  • There were 2 Hall of Famers playing in this game: Mike Schmidt for the Phillies and Nolan Ryan for the Astros.
  • This was Dallas Green’s last year managing the Phillies.  He managed the team from 1979-81.  He went on to manage the New York Mets from 1993-96.
  • Dallas Green was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1960-64 and 1967.
  • This was Bill Virdon’s seventh year managing the Astros.  He managed the team from 1975-82.  He was hired in mid-season in 1975 after getting fired by the New York Yankees.
  • Bill Virdon started his playing career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955 and was traded to Pittsburgh in 1956.  He played for the Pirates from 1956-65 and 1968. 
  • Art Howe went on to manage the Astros from 1989-93.
  • Luis Pujols managed the Detroit Tigers for most of the 2002 season.  That was his only experience as manager.
  • Larry Bowa went on to manage the Phillies from 2001-04.
  • Pete Rose was featured in the Notables section of Today in 1978 - St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds.


Monday, August 29, 2011

Last Place Update - August 29, 2011


There is some good news and some bad news.  Let’s get the good news first.  The 44-90 Houston Astros are officially no longer in any danger of becoming the worst team ever (1899 Cleveland Spiders 20-134), in modern times (1962 New York Mets 40-120), or this millennium (2003 Detroit Tigers 43-119).

The bad news is the Astros are cruising to mediocrity at a 10.5 game pace over the 53-78 Baltimore Orioles for MLB’s Worst.  The 55-79 Kansas City Royals are a game and a half behind the O’s.  On a positive note, the Astros did win two of their last four games.

There is an honorable mention this week.  The 56-77 Minnesota Twins, who are a game and a half behind the Royals, have won only two of their last ten games, winning one yesterday.  They are 4-10 over the past two weeks.

The defending champion Pittsburgh Pirates are 62-71 and are in no danger of a repeat, like the Washington Nationals did before them.  On this date last year, the Pirates were 43-87.

Houston is on pace to finishing the season at 53-109, which is a game less than projected in the previous last place update.

Which Saints Team Will Show Up?

August 29, 2011 – The question that burned in my mind for last night’s game was which New Orleans Saints team would show up to face the Oakland Raiders?  Would it be the Saints who dominated the San Francisco 49ers?  Or would it be the Saints who got rolled by the Houston Texans?

Well, both of those teams showed up.  Drew Brees played up to his standard and led all three drives he played in to touchdowns.  However, the defense looked like a high school team at times.  Michael Bush was running like Reggie was supposed to and Jason Campbell picked the secondary apart, making key passes to Derek Hagan, including one for a touchdown.  Several of the Raider’s big plays were due to poor tackling by the Saints.  However, the Saints starting defense did later regroup and play better. 

In the defense’s defense, Cris Collinsworth correctly noted that Shaun Rogers was getting penetration, but Bush, and later Taiwan Jones against the backups, would cut against the grain and turned losses into gains.  He also noted some “veteran holds” that went uncalled, which included some that helped Oakland get decent gains. 

Note to the refs:  When an offensive lineman is grabbing the back side of a defender’s jersey, in this case, Will Smith’s jersey, and is practically trying to rip it off and tackle the guy, it’s okay to throw the flag.  The Saints’ offensive line had some of those uncalled holds, too, but the way Smith was being held was rather obvious.

Although the 2-1 Saints dominated Oakland, who is now 0-3, the Raiders can be a better team than in previous years.  If Campbell can play with the poise he had last night, then Oakland will have a dangerous, speedy offense, and Terrelle Pryor can sit on the sidelines and learn.  If not, then they will be just another 8-8 team or worse.  Brees exposed the secondary’s weaknesses, which may be the Raiders’ Achilles heel this season.

Mark Ingram showed flashes of being a dominating running back by making good runs and pushing a pile into the end zone for a touchdown.  However, the offensive line needs to make some holes for him to run through.  Chase Daniel is proving to be a solid backup to Brees and can manage the offense when needed.  Joique Bell had some good gains, but that was against the Raider backups.  Is this the team that can win a second Super Bowl for New Orleans?  Only time will tell.

Oakland hosts their former AFC West rival Seattle Seahawks on Friday.  Next up for the Saints are Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans in the Dome on Thursday. 

Again, which Saints team will show up?

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Are the Detroit Lions For Real?


August 28, 2011 – Good question.  Even though it was just an exhibition game, the Detroit Lions manhandled the New England Patriots 34-10.  The game was the opposite of what was expected. 

Drive after drive, Detroit’s starting defensive line dominated New England’s offensive line and made Tom Brady run for his life like Archie Manning once did with the New Orleans Saints.  It seemed like Ndamukong Suh was on Brady before he could finish his three step drop.

The Lions’ offense fired on all cylinders, even without Jahvid Best.  Matthew Stafford played like Tom Brady and threw with pinpoint accuracy.  New England’s defense had no answer for Stafford or any of the Lions’ QBs.

Brady finally got on track with a touchdown pass to Wes Welker, but Detroit was too much.  The Lions are a perfect 3-0 in preseason and the Pats are 2-1.

So it begs the question:  Are the Lions for real?  

They are a far cry from the winless team of 2008, but as everybody knows, the preseason is nothing compared to the regular season.  If they can win the NFC North and sweep the high powered NFC South, then they will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

Only time will tell.  Bring on the Bucs!!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Today in 1975 - Minnesota Twins vs Milwaukee Brewers


August 27, 1975 – Today in 1975, the Minnesota Twins took on the Milwaukee Brewers at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This was a pitchers’ duel that lasted until the 11th inning and both starting pitchers were still on the mound.   

In the top of the 11th Milwaukee’s Bill Travers faced Rod Carew, who grounded out to shortstop.  Craig Kusick came to bat and was hit by a pitch for the third time in the game.  Steve Brye was put in to pinch run for Kusick.  Then Travers walked John Briggs and there were two men on.  Travers was relieved by Tom Murphy and faced Tony Oliva at the plate.  Oliva hit a single to left field and Brye scored.  There were runners at first and second.  Steve Braun got on base on a fielder’s choice and Murphy walked Lyman Bostock.  The bases were loaded.  Glenn Borgmann could have increased the lead with a base hit, but was out on pop-up foul ball; out three.

Don Money was first up for the Brewers.  Money flied out to left field.  Bob Sheldon hit a single into left field.  Blyleven then faced Bill Sharp, who got out on a pop fly to shortstop.  Milwaukee’s last chance, George Scott, came to the plate.  Scott flied out to center field and the game was over.  Minnesota won 1-0.

Blyleven pitched a complete game and went to 14-6 with the win, striking out 13.  Travers dropped to 5-8 with the loss and struck out 2.

Minnesota went to 63-69 with the win.  They were 16.5 games behind the AL West leading Oakland A’s and in 5th place.  Milwaukee fell to 57-75 with the loss.  They were 22 games behind the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, also in 5th place.

Notables

  • There were 3 Hall of Famers playing in this game: Rod Carew and Bert Blyleven for the Twins, and Hank Aaron for the Brewers.
  • This was Del Crandall’s last season managing the Brewers.  Crandall was featured in yesterday’s Notables section.
  • This was also Frank Quilici’s last season managing the Twins.  He managed the team from 1972-75.  He played for the Twins in 1965 and from 1967-70.
  • Both designated hitters did poorly in this game.  Both Danny Thompson and Hank Aaron went 0-4.


Friday, August 26, 2011

Today in 1960 - Milwaukee Braves vs San Francisco Giants


August 26, 1960 – The Milwaukee Braves took on the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.

The Giants got on the board first with an RBI single by Willie Kirkland in the 4th.  The Braves answered in the 5th with a 2 RBI triple by Eddie Mathews.  Milwaukee led 2-1.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Orlando Cepeda hit a solo shot to tie the game 2-2.  In a twist rarely seen today, starting pitcher Warren Spahn put the Braves on top for good with a solo homerun off of Giants starting pitcher Georges Maranda.  Milwaukee won 3-2.

Spahn went to 16-7 with the win.  He struck out 11 and batted 1-3 and an RBI, his game winning homerun.  Maranda dropped to 1-2.  He struck out 3 and batted 0-2.

The Braves went to 68-51 with the win.  They were 2nd in the National League 5.5 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Giants fell to 59-60 and were 5th in the National League, 14.5 games behind the Pirates.


Notables

  • There were 5 Hall of Famers playing in this game: Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, and Warren Spahn for the Braves; Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda for the Giants.
  • This was Chuck Dressen’s first year managing the Braves.  He would manage the team for only two seasons.  He managed the Brooklyn Dodgers to National League Pennants in 1953 and 1954, losing both World Series to the New York Yankees.
  • Tom Sheehan replaced Bill Rigney as manager of the Giants during the 1960 season.  This was his only season as head coach.
  • Dressen and Sheehan were teammates with the Cincinnati Reds for part of the 1925 before Sheehan was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Al Niehaus.  Niehaus only played that season and died in 1932 at the age of 32.  Sheehan won the 1925 World Series with the Pirates.
  • Del Crandall went on to manage the Milwaukee Brewers from 1972-75 and the Seattle Mariners from 1983-84.
  • Crandall’s teammate, Chuck Cottier, replaced him as manager of the Seattle Mariners in 1984.  He would manage the team from 1984-86.
  • Felipe Alou was featured in the Notables section from Today in 1966 - Montreal Expos vs San Francisco Giants


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Today in 1952 - Detroit Tigers vs New York Yankees...Worst versus First with a Twist


August 25, 1952 – Today in 1952, the lowly Detroit Tigers visited the mighty New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.

It was a case of last place versus first place, an easy Yankee win.  But Detroit had something to say about that. 

Going into the 6th inning, the only hit either team could muster was a single by Tiger catcher Matt Batts.  That was in the 2nd inning and he was left on base.  In the 6th, Detroit’s Walt Dropo hit a double into left field.  Then Bud Souchock hit a single down the left field line and Dropo scored.  Tigers led 1-0.  Yankee pitcher Bill Miller was able to finish the inning making Detroit leave men on base.

Tiger pitcher Virgil Trucks had a no-hitter going into the bottom of the 9th.  He had to face the top of the Yankee order, which meant slugger Mickey Mantle was up first and...Trucks struck Mantle out.  Joe Collins was next.  He hit a line drive to center field and Johnny Groth caught it for the second out.  Hank Bauer was Trucks’ last obstacle for a no-hitter.  Bauer hit a grounder to second baseman Al Federoff, who threw Bauer out at first.  Game over.  The last place Detroit Tigers beat the first place New York Yankees 1-0, a no-hitter by Virgil Trucks.

Trucks went to 5-15 with the win.  He struck out 8 and batted 0-2.  Bill Miller went to 3-5 with the loss.  He struck out 7 and batted 0-1, with a sacrifice hit.

The Detroit Tigers improved to 42-81.  They were 29 games behind the Yankees, deep in last place in the American League.  The New York Yankees fell to 72-53 with the loss and were a game ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians. 


Notables

  • There were 5 Hall of Famers playing or managing in this game, all with New York: Players Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Johnny Mize, and manager Casey Stengel.
  • Virgil Trucks pitched his second no-hitter of the season that day.  The first one was on May 15 against the Washington Senators.  Those would be his only two career no-hitters.
  • This was Fred Hutchinson’s first year managing the Tigers.  He was there as a player/manager.  He managed the team until 1954.  Hutchinson would lead the Cincinnati Reds to the NL Pennant in 1961 and a World Series loss to the New York Yankees.
  • Hutchinson played for the Tigers from 1939-53.
  • This was Stengel’s fourth season managing the Yankees.  He led the team to a World Series victory that year over the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Stengel managed the Yankees from 1949-60 and won 7 World Series titles (5 in a row) and the AL Pennant every year of his tenure there, except two (1954, 1959).
  • Hank Bauer went on to manage the Baltimore Orioles from 1964-68.  In 1966, he led the team to a World Series championship over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
  • Johnny Pesky went on to manage the Boston Red Sox from 1963-64, and again in 1980.
  • Yogi Berra went on to manage the Yankees in 1964, 1984-85.  He led the team to the AL Pennant in 1964, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.  He also managed the Mets from 1972-75, leading them to the NL Pennant in 1973.  The Mets lost to the Oakland A’s in the World Series.
  • Billy Martin had a colorful career as a player and a manager, most of it well known.  He managed the Yankees off and on from 1975-88, getting hired and fired multiple times in the process.  He led the team to an AL Pennant in 1976, getting swept by Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in the World Series, and a World Series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977.  He led the Oakland A’s from 1980-82 and introduced “Billyball”, the aggressive style of play that brought the A's from pretenders to contenders.

Today in 2007 - Big Sounds In Motion - DCA Contest


August 25, 2007 - Today in 2007, the Reading Buccaneers won their home show, Big Sounds In Motion, at Shirk Stadium, at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Here are the results:

  1. Reading Buccaneers 94.325
  2. Hawthorne Caballeros 92.663
  3. Brigadiers 91.075
  4. Crusaders 84.675
  5. White Sabers 71.330


Notables


  • The Reading Buccaneers went on to win the DCA Championship.
  • The Hawthorne Caballeros came in second to Reading at DCA Finals and increased their lead over the Brigadiers, who came in 5th.
  • Of the corps who competed in this contest, only the White Sabers didn’t make DCA Finals.  They placed 8th in Class A.
  • All of the corps who competed in this show are still competing today, except the Rochester Crusaders and the Brigadiers.  Both corps last competed in 2009.
  • Since 2000, the Reading Buccaneers, Hawthorne Caballeros, and Brigadiers have won the DCA Championship at least once.
  • The Rochester Crusaders made DCA Finals many times over the decades, but have never won.  Their best showing was 3rd place in 1988.

To see the results of this and more from the 2007 season, including the caption winners, go to www.corpsreps.com or directly to the page at Big Sounds In Motion - August 25, 2007


If you want to learn more about the drum and bugle corps activity, go to www.dci.org and www.dcacorps.org.  If you’re interested in learning more about one of the corps featured in today’s blog, click the corps name in the standings.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Today in 1996 - Montreal Expos vs San Francisco Giants


August 24, 1996 – Today in 1996, the Montreal Expos took on the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California.

The Expos got on the board first with RBIs by David Segui and F.P. Santangelo.  Expos led 2-0. 

Giants pitcher Shawn Estes settled down and pitched shutout baseball until he was relieved in the 9th by Rich Deluca.  However, he was replaced by Jim Poole, because the two batters he faced, Mark Grudzielanek and Mike Lansing hit singles.  Segui comes to bad and both runners steal base.  Then Segui grounded out to third and Grudzielanek scored.  Mark Dewey replaced Poole on the mound and got Rondell White to ground out to shortstop.

The Giants were up and desperate for a rally.  Pedro Martinez, who pitched a 2 hitter through 8 innings, walked Jay Canizaro.  Martinez was relieved by Mel Rojas.  He faced Marvin Bernard, who flied out to center field.  Barry Bonds pinch hit for Bill Mueller and was out on a fly ball to left field.  Rojas walked Glenallen Hill and there was hope for the Giants with two men on.  Rick Wilkins, who represented the tying run, hit the ball into center field…and…out 3.  Game over.  The Montreal Expos beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0.

Pedro Martinez went to 11-8 with the win.  He struck out 10 and batted 0-4.  Mel Rojas got his 25th save.  Shawn Estes went to 2-4 with the loss.  He struck out 8 and had 2 sacrifice hits, so officially, he’s 0-0.

The Montreal Expos went to 70-58 with the win.  They were 2nd in the NL East, 11 games behind the Atlanta Braves.  The San Francisco Giants fell to 54-73 with the loss.  They were 4th in the NL West, 15 games behind the division leading San Diego Padres.


Notables


  • Rick Wilkins accounted for the only two hits the Giants had. 
  • Mark Grudzielanek was the only Expos player to get more than one hit.  The others had one hit or none.  He went 3-5 and had a stolen base.
  • This was Dusty Baker’s 4th year managing the Giants.  He would manage the team until 2002, when he led the Giants to a World Series loss to the Anaheim Angels.  He was replaced in 2003 by Felipe Alou.
  • This was Alou’s 5th season managing the Expos.  He would manage the team until 2001.
  • Alou played for the Giants from 1958-63.  Baker played for the Giants in 1984.
  • Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou were teammates with the Atlanta Braves from 1968-69.

Today in 1978 - The VFW Drum & Bugle Corps Championship

August 24, 1978 – Today in 1978, the Saginaires won the VFW National Championship in Dallas, Texas.

Here are the results:

  1. Saginaires 69.00
  2. Spectra 66.20
  3. Silver Sabres 64.65
  4. Skokie Imperials 53.95
  5. Argonne Rebels 53.45
  6. Spartans (WA) 53.20
  7. Valiant Knights 53.20
  8. Sundowners 43.95
  9. Royal Lancers (FL) 40.70
  10. Crimson Cadets 40.55
  11. Nee-Hi's 31.65
  12. Bellettes All Girl 29.65


Notables

  • This contest was held after DCI Finals.
  • None of the competing corps were DCI Finalists that year.  The closest corps was the Silver Sabres, who placed 35th.
  • Of the group, only the Argonne Rebels was a former DCI Open Class Finalist (1972-73).
  • The Saginaires placed 2nd in the DCI Class A Finals that year.  Had they competed in Open Class with the same score, they would have been in 27th place.
  • None of the corps in this contest compete today.  The last of the group to compete was the Saginaires in 1996.  They competed under the name Northern Aurora.
  • The Silver Sabres last competed in 1978, but tried to come back in 2004.  The attempt was unsuccessful.
  • Although the VFW Championship was held in Texas, no corps from Texas competed in that contest.  The closest corps to Texas was the Valiant Knights, from Enid, Oklahoma.


To see the results of this and more from the 1978 season, including the caption winners, go to www.corpsreps.com or directly to the page at 1978 VFW Nationals

If you want to learn more about the drum and bugle corps activity, go to www.dci.org and www.dcacorps.org.  If you’re interested in learning more about one of the corps featured in today’s blog, click the corps name in the standings.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Today in 1989 - The Los Angeles Dodgers vs Montreal Expos...The Marathon


August 23, 1989 – Today in 1989, the Los Angeles Dodgers took on the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  Both teams were in for a marathon.

Dodger starting pitcher Orel Hershiser pitched 7 innings of shutout baseball and struck out 6 batters.  Expo starting pitcher Pascual Perez pitched 8 scoreless innings and struck out 7.

Jay Howell relieved Hershiser in the 8th and picked up where Hershiser left off.  He would pitch 2 innings.  Tim Burke did the same for Perez.  The game went to extra innings tied 0-0.

The game went on for 12 more innings without a score. In the top of the 22nd inning, Dennis Martinez was on the mound for the Expos.  Rick Dempsey hit a leadoff homerun to finally put a run on the board.  Jeff Hamilton flied out to center field.  Martinez struck out Jose Gonzalez and John Wetteland grounded out to shortstop.

The Expos were up and knew they had to score.  Wetteland was on the mound for the Dodgers.  Tim Wallach was out on a fly ball to left field.  Wetteland struck out Mike Fitzgerald.  There were now two outs.  Rex Hudler hit a single to center field and Spike Owen stepped up to the place.  Hudler tried to steal second base, but catcher Rick Dempsey got the ball to Willie Randolph, who tagged Hudler out.  Game over.  In a game that lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes, the Dodgers beat the Expos 1-0.

John Wetteland went to 4-5 with the win and Dennis Martinez fell to 13-4 with the loss.  Wetteland struck out 4 and batted 0-2.  Martinez struck out 2 and didn’t get an at-bat.

The Los Angeles Dodgers went to 60-67, 13 games behind the NL West leading San Francisco Giants and were 5th in the division.  The Montreal Expos fell to 69-58, 2 games behind the NL East leading Chicago Cubs and were 3rd in the division.


Notables

  • There were 2 Hall of Famers either playing or managing in this game, both with the Dodgers; Eddie Murray and manager Tommy Lasorda.
  • The Dodgers were running so short on players late in the game, pitcher Fernando Valenzuela was a pinch hitter.
  • This was Buck Rodgers’ 5th season managing the Expos.  He would manage the team until 1991.
  • Lasorda played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1954-55 and the Kansas City A’s in 1956.  Rodgers played for the Los Angeles/California Angels from 1961-69.
  • This was Tommy Lasorda’s 15th season managing the Dodgers.  Lasorda managed the Dodgers from 1976-96. He led the team to 2 World Series titles and 2 National League pennants.
  • Willie Randolph went on to manage the New York Mets from 2005-08.
  • Mike Scioscia became the manager of the Anaheim Angels and led the team to a World Series championship in 2002.  He still manages the Angels today.

Game stats and other data can be found on Baseball-Reference.com at LA Dodgers vs Montreal Expos - August 23, 1989

Today in 1992 - DCA Contest in Hagerstown


August 23, 1992 – Today in 1992, the Bushwackers won the DCA contest held in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Here are the results:

  1. Bushwackers 91.90
  2. Westshoremen 87.30
  3. Reading Buccaneers 82.10
  4. Steel City Ambassadors 72.00
  5. Chieftains 65.70


Notables

  • The Bushwackers went on to win the 1992 DCA Championship.  The Westshoremen came in 6th and the Reading Buccaneers came in 9th.
  • Of the corps who competed on this day, only the Bushwackers and Reading Buccaneers still compete today.  The Reading Buccaneers have won the DCA Championship every year since 2005 and are on pace to win again in 2011.
  • The Westshoremen last competed in 2001.  They won the DCA Championship in 1982 and 1996.
  • This was the last year the Steel City Ambassadors competed.  They placed 14th in 1992.  Their best showing was 2nd place in 1986.
  • The Chieftains last competed in 1999.  Their best showing in Open Class was 12th place in 1998 and 1999.  They were also the 1997 Class A Champions.

To see the results of this and more from the 1992 season, including the caption winners, go to www.corpsreps.com or directly to the page at 1992 DCA Contest - Hagerstown, Maryland.


If you want to learn more about the drum and bugle corps activity, go to www.dci.org and www.dcacorps.org.  If you’re interested in learning more about one of the corps featured in today’s blog, click the corps name in the standings.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Last Place Update - August 22, 2011

The 42-85 Houston Astros lead the 47-77 Baltimore Orioles by 6.5 games for MLB’s Worst.  The O’s are losers of their last 5 games.  The 52-76 Kansas City Royals are 9.5 games behind the Astros and 3 games behind the Orioles.  The defending champion Pittsburgh Pirates continue to cruise away from the infamy of a repeat at 59-66.

On this day last year, the Pirates were 41-83.  The Astros are on pace to finish at 54-108.



On another note…

The drum and bugle corps season ends Labor Day weekend with the Drum Corps Associates World Championships.  Even though there were more contests after Labor Day in past years, I’m going to end making drum corps entries after then until the 2012 season begins.  At about the same time, I will begin writing entries for college and pro football.