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Sim Date: Nov. 2, 1977

vs.

CRAFTSBURY WINS WORLD SERIES TITLE!
COMMONERS WIN 7^TH GAME BY 8-7 IN 10 INNINGS;
REGGIE SMITH HITS 2 HOMERS WITH 3 RBI IN GAME 7;
SMITH NAMED MVP WITH 5 HR & 12 RBI IN SERIES

Smith
Nov. 2, 1977
[Boxscore]

[Craftsbury batting stats]    [Goat Island batting stats]
[Craftsbury pitching stats] [Goat Island pitching stats]

CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: After 4 consecutive games that were decided by a 1-run margin, the 1977 VBG World Series ended in the most appropriate manner possible: an extra-inning Game 7 victory by a 1-run margin with the outcome in doubt until the last pitch. The Craftsbury Commoners and Goat Island Lights took the game into the bottom of the 10th inning before the Commoners came out on top by the score of 8 to 7. The dramatic victory gave the Commoners their first World Series crown in franchise history.
     The game featured two premier 17starting pitchers, Tom Seaver (17-6, 3.72) for Craftsbury and Jim Palmer (23-11, 3.41) for Goat Island. The Commoners put 2 runs on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning when leadoff hitter Al Bumbry got on base because of an error by first baseman Jason Thompson and Reggie Smith clubbed a 2-run home run, his 4th round-tripper of the Series. Goat Island answered with a solo home run in the top of the 2nd by Dusty Baker and the score was 2-1 in Craftsbury's favor.
     Craftsbury scratched out a run in the bottom of the 2nd when Cesar Cedeno hit a leadoff single, stole 2nd base, advanced to 3rd on Darrell Porter's infield groundout, and scored on a groundout by Bill Russell. That extended the Commoners' lead to 3-1, where the score remained until the bottom of the 5th.
     The Commoners picked up their 4th run from an unlikely source when Tom Seaver led off the Craftsbury side of the 5th inning with a home run. While it may have surprised many fans when Seaver hit the ball into the stands, he actually hit 3 home runs during the regular season. Two outs later Smith hit his 2nd homer of the game and 5th of the Series, a solo shot that increased Craftsbury's lead to 5-1.
     Goat Island battled back with 3 runs in the 7th inning. Jason Thompson started the comeback with a leadoff home run. Seaver retired the next 2 batters but then gave up a solo home run to Joe Ferguson. Pinch hitter Joe Wallis singled and then scored on a triple by Lyman Bostock, shrinking the Commoners lead to just 1 run with the tying run on 3rd base. That was all for Seaver who was relieved by Pedro Borbon for the final out.
     The Lights continued their comeback with 3 more runs in the top of the 8th. Baker lead off with a walk and advanced to 3rd on a ground out and a fly out. Pinch hitter Glenn Adams walked to put runners on the corners with 2 outs. Light-hitting backup shortstop Fernando Gonzalez, who was almost as unlikely as Seaver to hit it out of the park, came through with probably his biggest hit of the year, a 3-run home run deep into left field to give Goat Island a 2 run lead, 7 to 5.
     However, the roller coaster ride wasn't over yet. The Commoners tied the game in the bottom of the 9th to send it into extra innings. With reliever Bill Lee on the mound for Goat Island, Porter drew a 1-out walk and Ed Kranepool doubled with Porter holding at 3rd. With the tying run in scoring position and only 1 out, it appeared at first that Lee had retired Fred Stanley on a foul popup for the 2nd out, but second baseman Manny Trillo dropped the ball for an error that allowed Stanley to continue batting. Stanley then lined a double in to right center to score both baserunners and tie the game at 7-7. Lights reliever John Verhoeven came into the game and retired the next two batters to end the inning.
     Craftsbury pitcher Paul Lindblad retired the side in order in the top of the 10th inning. With Verhoeven still on the mound for Goat Island in the bottom of the 10th, Smith was retired for the 1st out but Kurt Bevacqua drew a walk on 5 pitches. Bevacqua stole 2nd which prompted the Goat Island manager to intentionally walk pinch hitter Dell Alston to set up a possible double play. But the double play was taken off the table when catcher Cliff Johnson gave up a passed ball that allowed the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd with Cesar Cedeno coming to bat. Rather than intentionally walk Cedeno to set up a double play or a force at the plate, Goat Island chose to pitch to Cedeno. Cedeno hit a walk-off single to center to drive in Bevacqua for the 8-7 victory.
     Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Jim Palmer allowed 5 runs, 1 of which was unearned, on 7 hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts in 5 innings of work. Tom Seaver pitched 6^2/3 innings and gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts. Craftsbury's Reggie Smith went 2 for 5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI. For Goat Island, Fernando Gonzalez went 1 for 2 with a 3-run home run.
     The top hitter in the Series was Reggie Smith who hit .464/.500/1.071 and led both teams in home runs with 5, RBIs with 12, and runs with 7. For Goat Island, Jason Thomson hit .269/.367.538 and led his team in runs with 5, and Davey Johnson hit .375/.474/.625. On the pitching side of the ledger, J.R. Richard started 2 games for Craftsbury and went 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA. Tom Seaver also started twice and went 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA. Goat Island relief pitcher Gene Garber had an excellent series, appearing in all 7 games without allowing any runs. Garber figured in all 3 of Goat Island victories with 1 win and 2 saves.
     As the Craftsbury fans stormed the field, the VBG commissioner held a brief ceremony at home plate to present Commoners owner Ken Edwards with the VBG World Series Trophy, and honor Reggie Smith as the World Series Most Valuable Player.

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4^TH CONSECUTIVE 1-RUN MARGIN IN GAME 6;
COMMONERS KEEP TITLE HOPES ALIVE WITH 4-3 WIN;
Nov. 1, 1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: For the 4th consecutive World Series game, the outcome of the 6th game was decided by a margin of just 1 run. The Craftsbury Commoners won Game 3 by the score of 3-2, and the Goat Island Lights won both of the next 2 games by the score of 4-3. Today it was the Commoners' turn to win a tight 1-run game, with Craftsbury beating Goat Island in Game 6 by the familiar margin of 4 to 3. The win enabled Craftsbury to tie Goat Island in the Series, 3 games each. The teams will meet one more time tomorrow to decide the VBG championship.
     The game was played on a brisk 38-degree night with a 13 mph wind blowing out to left field. Craftsbury scored 1st with 4 unearned runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. With 1 out in the frame, Goat Island starting pitcher Frank Tanana walked Barry Foote. Tanana then struck out Ron Guidry for the 2nd out, but then walked Cesar Cedeno to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Roy White hit a grounder to 1st baseman Jason Thompson who committed an error to load the bases. That brought up Reggie Smith who smashed the ball into left field where it rode the wind deep into the stands for a grand slam, giving Craftsbury a 4-0 lead. That would turn out to be the only Craftsbury runs of the game, but it would be all they needed.
     Goat Island got on the board with 3 unearned runs in the top of the 7th inning. Until that point Craftsbury starter Ron Guidry had allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks, and seemed capable of going at least another inning or two. But things started to unravel for Guidry when the leadoff hitter Gary Thomasson hit a grounder to 3rd baseman Roy Howell and Howell misplayed it for a 2-base error. The next batter, Tim Foli, hit a hard grounder down the left field line for a double that drove in Thomasson for the first Goat Island run. Manny Trillo followed Foli's double with a smash to shortstop Bill Russell. Russell bobbled the ball and wasn't able to make the throw in time, committing an error that put Trillo on 1st and moved Foli to 3rd base. Lyman Bostock then lined a single to shallow center that scored Foli, narrowing Craftsbury's lead to 4-2. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Goat Island had the tying run on base with no outs. The Commoners manager lifted Guidry and sent Gary Lavelle to the mound to try to squelch the rally. Lavelle retired the next 3 batters in order to end the inning, but not before Trillo advanced from 2nd to 3rd on a fly out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cliff Johnson to reduce the Commoners' lead to 4-3.
     Neither team mounted any serious threats to score the rest of the way and the Commoners came away with a 4-3 victory. Lights starter Frank Tanana was pulled from the game with nobody out in the 5th inning but actually pitched well. He was saddled with the loss for giving up 4 unearned runs on 1 hit, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Craftsbury's Ron Guidry received credit for the win after allowing only 3 unearned runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. Commoners outfielder Reggie Smith drove in 4 runs with his 3rd home run of the Series.
     The anticipated starting pitchers for Game 7 will be Tom Seaver for Craftsbury and Jim Palmer for Goat Island.

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LIGHTS TAKE SERIES LEAD WITH 4-3 WIN IN GAME 5;
WORLD SERIES NOW MOVES BACK TO CRAFTSBURY
Oct. 30, 1977
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Goat Island Lights beat the Craftsbury Commoners by 4 to 3 in the 5th game of the World Series. This was the 3rd consecutive Series game to be decided by 1 run and that could have easily gone the other way.
     Both teams enjoyed strong performances from their starting pitchers. Commoners starter J.R. Richard (17-9, 3.75) pitched a solid complete game but fell victim to a 3-run 7th inning that cost him the win. He finished the day with 4 runs allowed on 8 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts in 8 innings of work. Goat Island starting pitcher John Urrea (7-8-5, 5.19) earned the win by pitching 8^2/3 innings and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
     The Lights' starters have been so unflappable during Goat Island's home stand that the hometown fans haven't had many chances to see their team's relief pitchers in action. The Lights have only needed to call on their bullpen to pitch a total of 1^2/3 innings in those 3 contests.
     In today's game Craftsbury got on the board first when Reggie Smith hit a solo home run with 1 out in the top of the 4th inning. Goat Island tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th when Dusty Baker hit a leadoff double, advanced to 3rd on Jason Thompson's ground out, and scored on a ground out by Sal Bando.
     The game remained knotted at 1-1 until the 7th inning. In the top of the 7th the Commoners scored 2 runs on a 1-out walk to Dan Driessen and a home run by Roy Howell, giving them a 3-1 lead. Goat Island came back with 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th. With 2 outs in the inning, Cliff Johnson walked, Glenn Adams doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Dusty Baker blasted a 3-run homer to make it a 4-3 game in Goat Island's favor.
     Neither team scored the rest of the way but Craftsbury threatend to come back in the top of the 9th. Roy White led off the inning with a ground ball single up the middle. Urrea retired the next batter for the 1st out but White stole 2nd base to put the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate. Driessen grounded out to 2nd with White advancing to 3rd on the play, moving the tying run to 3rd base and bringing Ron Howell to the plate. Urrea looked like he was starting to wear out when he walked Howell on 5 pitches. With the tying run on 3rd and the go-ahead run on 1st, the Lights brought in reliever Gene Garber to try to end the game. Garber got Cesar Cedeno to ground a 1-1 pitch to 3rd base. Bando scooped up the ball and threw to 2nd base to force Howell for the 3rd out, and the Lights escaped with a 4-3 win.
     Dusty Baker carried the Goat Island offense with a home run, a double, 2 runs, and 3 RBI in 4 at-bats. Roy Howell homered and drove in 2 runs for Craftsbury.
     The teams will now have a day off before the Series resumes in Craftsbury on November 1. Goat Island needs to win 1 of the 2 remaining games to become World Series champions, while the Commoners must win both of the final 2 games to win the title. One encouraging factor in Craftsbury's favor, however, is that their 56-25 record in their home park this year was the best home-field record in either league.

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GOAT ISLAND WINS 4^TH WORLD SERIES GAME BY 4 - 3;
SERIES TIED AT 2 GAMES EACH
Oct. 29, 1977
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Goat Island Lights had several opportunities tonight to turn Game 4 into a blowout, but they settled for a nailbiting 4-3 win. The Series is now tied at 2 wins for each team.
     The Craftsbury Commoners hurlers were frequently pitching behind the count and with runners on base, but were usually able to contain the damage with gutsy performances when the chips were down. The Lights tallied 12 hits and 7 walks but left 15 of those baserunners on base. Commoners starting pitcher Dennis Martinez only lasted 3^1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks.
     Goat Island scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the 2nd on a bases loaded walk. Jason Thompson started the chain of events with a 1-out single. Sal Bando followed with another single and Gary Thomasson drew a walk on 4 straight pitches to load the bases. Martinez then walked Fernando Gonzalez to force in a run and give the Lights a 1-0 lead. The bases were still loaded with only 1 out but Martinez got out of the jam with a strikeout and a popout.
     Craftsbury took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 4th wilth a leadoff single by Al Bumbry, a 1-out walk to Reggie Smith, and a 2-run double by Roy Howell.
     Goat Island took back the lead in the bottom of the 4th. Thomasson led off the inning with a walk, stole 2nd, and then stole 3rd. Manny Trillo singled with 1 out to tie the game at 2-2. The next 2 batters, Lyman Bostock and Joe Ferguson, hit back-to-back singles to bring home Trillo with the go-ahead run and put runners on 1st and 2nd.   That was all for Martinez, who was relieved by southpaw pitcher Andy Hassler. Hassler got the 2nd out on a fly out with Bostock tagging and advancing to 3rd. Dusty Baker drove in Bostock with a single, extending the Lights lead to 4-2. Hassler then walked Thompson to load the bases for the 2nd time in the inning but was able to end the inning by getting Bando to hit into a ground out.
     Craftsbury reduced the Goat Island lead to 1 run in the 7th inning and threatened to make it a big inning. The first 3 Commoners batters in the inning, Darrell Porter, Ed Kranepool, and Del Alston, hit consecutive singles with Porter scoring to make the score 4 to 3 in Goat Island's favor. With runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs, Jerry Remy hit a grounder to short. Kranepool wasn't forced but attempted to score from 3rd on the play but was gunned down at the plate for the first out. Goat Island starter Jim Palmer then got out of the inning with a fly out and a strikeout.
     The score remained 4-3 in the Lights' favor for the rest of the game, but the Commoners threatened to score in the 9th inning. With 1 out in the 9th, Kranepool reached base on an error by 2nd baseman Trillo. That brought up pinch hitter Manny Mota, who had hit a game-winning pinch hit home run in yesterday's Game 3. With the fans of both teams on their feet and holding their breath, Mota hit a long fly ball to center. But this time the ball stayed in the park and was caught for the 2nd out. That left Jerry Remy as the Commoners' last hope. Remy was tenacious, battling reliever Gene Garber through 10 pitches including 7 foul balls before finally grounding out to 2nd for the final out.
     Goat Island starting pitcher Jim Palmer pitched 8 innings and got the win, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5. Lyman Bostock contributed 3 hits to the Goat Island cause.
     Tomorrow the teams will play 1 more game in Cape Porpoise before returning to Craftsbury for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7.

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CRAFTSBURY WINS PITCHING DUEL IN GAME 3 BY 3-2;
COMMONERS TAKE WORLD SERIES LEAD, 2 GAMES TO 1
Oct. 28, 1977
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: Game 3 of the World Series was a low-scoring affair dominated by the pitchers. The Craftsbury Commoners beat the Goat Island Lights by the score of 3 to 2, and Craftsbury now leads in the Series by 2 games to 1.
     Craftsbury starting pitcher Tom Seaver pitched 8 strong innings, allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 6 strikeouts. Relievers Gary Lavelle and Bill Castro combined to pitch a scoreless 9th inning. Goat Island starter Don Aase lasted 8^2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks, and 4 strikeouts before Gene Garber came in to get the final out.
     The Commoners scored first with a run in the top of the 1st inning. With 2 outs Dan Driessen worked Aase for a walk, stole 2nd, and scored on a single by Reggie Smith.
     In what was almost a replay of their 1st inning run, Craftsbury scored their 2nd run in the top of the 6th when Driessen hit a single with 2 outs, stole 2nd, and scored on another Reggie Smith single to give the Commoners a 2-0 lead.
     Goat Island tied the game with 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th. Seaver retired the first 2 batters in the inning but the Lights' Glenn Adams singled to bring the tying run to the plate. The next batter, Dusty Baker, pulled the ball down the left field line for a 2-run home run to tie the game at 2 to 2.
     The Commoners regained the lead in the top of the 7th. With 2 out and nobody on, Manny Mota pinch hit for Bill Russell and lofted the ball deep into the left field stands to put Craftsbury back in the lead by a 3-2 score.
     Neither team scored again the rest of the way and Craftsbury's victory gave them the Series lead, 2 games to 1. Dan Driessen continued his postseason baserunning exploits with 2 stolen bases that led directly to Craftsbury runs. Driessen now has 8 steals in 14 postseason games.

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GOAT ISLAND WINS GAME 2 SLUGFEST, 11-7;
LIGHTS HIT 4 HOMERS IN 1^ST INNING
Oct. 26, 1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Goat Island Lights and Craftsbury Commoners turned Game 2 of the World Series into a firepower display, with the Lights ending up on top by the score of 11 to 7. The theme for the evening was set early, when Goat Island's Lyman Bostock jumped on Ron Guidry's first pitch of the game and sent it into deep right field for a leadoff home run. The next batter, Davey Johnson, blasted a solo home run in to deep left field. Cliff Johnson made it 3 consecutive home runs by driving a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall for another round-tripper. Guidry finally got the first out of the inning by striking out Dusty Baker. But Goat Island wasn't finished with their homer spree. Jason Thompson hit a high fly ball into right field for the Lights' 4th homer of the inning, giving Goat Island a 4-0 lead before the National Anthem singer had found her seat.
     Craftsbury didn't roll over, however, and put on a scoring demonstration of their own. At the end of 3 innings the teams were tied at 6-6. When the dust settled the final score was 11-7 in Goat Island's favor. Frank Tanana started for Goat Island and only lasted 2^2/3 innings. He allowed 6 runs, 2 of which were unearned, on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. Craftsbury starter Ron Guidry gave up 6 runs on 7 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts in 4 innings of work. Lights center fielder Gary Thomasson slugged a 2-run homer in the 9th inning to add to the 4 Goat Island home runs in the 1st inning. Davey Johnson went 3 for 5 with a homer, a double, and 3 RBI for Goat Island. Reggie Smith went 3 for 5 for Crafstbury and his teammate Bill Russell had 3 hits including a double in 4 at bats and drove in 3 runs.

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COMMONERS WIN WORLD SERIES OPENER BY 6-1;
J.R. RICHARD PITCHES COMPLETE GAME VICTORY
Oct. 25, 1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Craftsbury Commoners beat the Goat Island Lights in the first game of the World Series by the score of 6 to 1. A key factor in the Craftsbury win was a 3-hit complete game pitched by their starter, J.R. Richard (17-9, 3.75), although Richard made the game more exciting than it needed to be by suffering major control issues in the 9th inning.
     Fans were expecting an epic pitchers' duel between Richard and Goat Island's rookie sensation Tim Jones (2-1, 0.00). Although Jones was used mostly in relief in his brief time in the majors, he had started one game in the regular season and twice in the postseason, and pitched complete game victories in all 3 starts. But Jones' string of complete game wins came to an end today.
     The Commoners were in control of the game almost from the start, until things got a little dicey for them in the 9th. They took a 1-0 lead with 2 outs in the bottom of the 1st when Reggie Smith hit a towering solo home run to deep right center field. Craftsbury then scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 2nd on 3 singles, 1 double, 2 walks, and a run-scoring force out.   Jones was finally able to get out of the inning but the Commoner's 6-run lead would prove to be more than enough for Craftsbury's R.J. Richard to work with.
     Richard looked unbeatable for the first 8 innings, shutting out the Lights on 3 singles and 2 walks up to that point. But he developed serious control problems in the 9th. He started out the inning by walking the first two batters, Davey Johnson and Cliff Johnson, on 5 pitches apiece. Richard was able to notch the 1st out on an infield ground out that moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd, but then walked Jason Thompson on 4 straight pitches to load the bases. With a 6-run cushion and the potential for a double play or a ground out to any base, the Commoners decided to leave Richard in to pitch to Sal Bando. The hometown crowd grew tense as Richard proceeded to walk Bando on 5 pitches to force in a run to reduce the Commoners lead to 6-1 with 1 out and the bases still loaded. However, Craftsbury was able to get the final 2 outs on a force at home plate and a fly out to center field.
     Richard finished the day with a complete game victory after giving up only 1 run on 3 hits, 6 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Tim Jones lasted only 3^2/3 innings and gave up 6 runs on 5 hits, 4 walks, and 1 strikeout. Reggie Smith, Craftsbury right fielder, went 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI.

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COMMONERS WIN DRAMATIC 9TH INNING COMEBACK, 6-5;
CRAFTSBURY WINS PL PENNANT WITH GAME 6 VICTORY
Oct. 21, 1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers carried a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th today, with an excellent chance to win Game 6 and take the League Championship Series to a 7th game. However, thanks to a Carpsucker bullpen meltdown and a dramatic Commoners rally, Craftsbury scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th for a walk-off 6-5 victory. With their 4th LCS victory in 6 games, the Commoners captured the Peanut League pennant and will advance to face the Goat Island Lights in the World Series.
     The Carpsuckers received an excellent performance from starting pitcher Enrique Romo. Romo shut out the Commoners for the first 7^2/3 innings before tiring and leaving the game with 2 outs in the top of the 8th. Reliever Gary Lavelle took over and finished the inning. While Romo was shutting out the Commoners, Quasky scored 2 runs to take a slim lead. The Carps extended their lead to 5-0 with 3 more runs in the top of the 9th, including Andre Thornton's 2nd home run of the game and 5th round-tripper in the 6 game series.
    Quasqueton went into the bottom of the 9th with a 5-run lead but Craftsbury mounted a fierce comeback that included 3 singles, 1 unintentional walk, 2 stolen bases, 2 intentional walks, and home runs by Dan Driessen and Al Bumbry. The Commoners have run rampant on the basepaths all series, so it was fitting that a stolen base played a key role in the winning run. With 1 out and the score tied at 5-5 after Al Bumbry had cleared the bases with a 3-run homer, Cesar Cedeno singled to put the winning run on 1st base. On the next pitch Cedeno stole 2nd for his 3rd steal of the series and ended up on 3rd base due to Ron Hodges' throwing error. The Carps gave intentional walks to the next 2 batters to set up a force at every base or a possible double play. But pinch hitter Del Alston foiled the Carpsucker plan by hitting a single to drive home Cedeno with the winning run.
      Craftsbury starting pitcher Ron Guidry pitched well, allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings. Craftsbury's Al Bumbry went 3 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBIs. Quasqueton's top hitter for the day was Andre Thornton with 3 hits including 2 homers, 3 runs, and 2 RBIs. Craftsbury owned the basepaths in this series, stealing 14 bases in 18 attempts in just 6 games.
     The Commoners will now have 3 days off to get ready to face the Goat Island Lights in the World Series. Game 1 of the series will be played in Craftsbury on October 24.

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CRAFTSBURY WINS 2 OF 3 IN QUASQUETON;
COMMONERS NOW 1 WIN AWAY FROM PL PENNANT
Oct. 19, 1977
QUASQUETON, IA: The Craftsbury Commoners and Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers split the first 2 League Championship Series games in Craftsbury before heading to Quasqueton for games 3, 4, and 5. Although the Carps won the Game 3 in their home park, the Commoners won games 4 and 5 to take the lead in the series, 3 games to 2. Craftsbury now needs to win just 1 game at home to advance to the league championship, while Quasky needs to win both games on the Commoners home turf.
     The Carps began their home stand on a positive note when they beat the Commoners in Game 3 by the score of 10 to 2.   Craftsbury starter Paul Lindblad (5-3-3, 4.36) pitched well for 6 innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk before he was removed for a pinch hitter. The Commoners were clinging to a narrow 2-1 lead as Pedro Borbon took over the Commoner mound duties from Lindblad in the 7th inning. Things went south for Borbon in a hurry after the leadoff hitter, Jerry Martin, reached 2nd base on an error by Roy Howell. The Carps took full advantage of the miscue by scoring 5 unearned runs with a sacrifice fly, 3 singles, and 2 doubles. The Quillbacks continued beating up on the Commoner bullpen in the 8th inning with 4 more runs to make the final score 10-2 in the Carps' favor. Reggie Cleveland (16-6, 3.27) turned in a solid performance, lasting 7 innings and allowing only 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. Amos Otis went 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 RBIs for Quasqueton, Andre Thornton went 3 for 5 with a triple, and Ken Singleton drove in 3 with a bases loaded double. For the Commoners, Al Bumbry had 3 hits including a double in 4 at bats. [Boxscore]
     Craftsbury won Game 4 to tie the series at 2 wins apiece, thanks mainly to an excellent performance by their starting pitcher J.R. Richard (17-9, 3.75). Richard shut out the Carps for 7^1/3 innings before being relieved by Bill Castro. Castro and Gary Lavelle maintained the shutout by committee the rest of the way. Quasqueton starting pitcher John Montefusco, pitching on 3 days rest, was effective for 5 innings before tiring in the 6th. He allowed only 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk but was charged with the loss. Craftsbury scored a 2nd run in the 8th inning, giving the Commoners a 2-0 win. [Boxscore]
     In today's Game 5, Quasqueton blew a 6-4 lead in the 9th inning as the Commoners came from behind to win by 10 to 6. The Carps had scored all 6 of their runs off of starting pitcher Tom Seaver (17-6, 3.72), who pitched into the 8th inning. Quasky starter Nino Espinosa (10-13, 4.60) was shaky but held things together for 7 innings before turning the mound over to the bullpen to protect the lead. Unfortunately for the Q-Backs, their bullpen wasn't up to the task. The Commoners batted around the order in the 9th and scored 6 runs on 3 singles, 1 double, and 3 walks. As if that wasn't enough, the Carps poured gas on the fire by committing 2 infield errors. [Boxscore]
     The teams will now take a day off to travel back to Craftsbury for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7.

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GOAT ISLAND WINS 2 OUT OF 3 GAMES IN CINCINNATI;
LIGHTS CLINCH CRACKERJACK LEAGUE PENNANT
Oct. 15, 1977
CINCINNATI, OH: The Goat Island Lights came into Cincinnati enjoying a 2-game lead in the Crackerjack League Championship Series after winning the first 2 contests in Cape Porpoise. The New Englanders are now leaving town with the Crackerjack League Pennant after winning 2 out of the 3 games played in Cincinnati.
     Two days earlier Goat Island had won the 3rd game by 5 to 1, stretching their lead to 3 games to none. Frank Tanana (17-13, 3.92) dominated the Rhinos hitters and pitched the full 9 innings, allowing only 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. Cincinnati starter Bill Bonham (20-7, 2.91) had an off day and left the game early after allowing 3 runs in 3^2/3 innings. Goat Island's Joe Ferguson went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple. [Boxscore]
     The Rhinos won a 5-2 victory in Game 4 to keep their pennant hopes alive. Pete Vuckovich (9-8, 4.26) started for Cincinnati and was credited with the win after giving up only 2 runs in 6 innings. Jim Palmer (23-11, 3.41) started for Goat Island and was tagged with the loss, giving up 5 runs, 10 hits, and 1 walk. Cincinnati's George Brett has been hitting the ball well in the series and today had 3 hits in 4 at-bats with a double, triple, and home run. Goat Island's Joe Ferguson kept up his hot LCS hitting by going 2 for 3 with a home run. [Boxscore]
     The Rhinos victory in Game 4 turned out to be just a temporary reprieve.   In Game 5, the Lights benefitted from a solid complete game thrown by an unlikely candidate, John Urrea (7-8-5, 5.19). Urrea held the Rhinos hitters to only 2 runs on 7 hits and 1 walk. Goat Island scored 8 runs with a boost from Gary Thomasson who went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, 2 runs scored and 3 runs driven in. Cincy starter Juaquin Andujar allowed 5 runs, one of which was unearned, and was tagged with the loss. [Boxscore]
   The Lights will now have the luxury of resting up at home while they wait to see who they will face in the championship. Due to a quirk in the VBG scheduling rules, Goat Island will have at least 7 days off before they play the first game of the World Series.


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COMMONERS & CARPS SPLIT 2 LCS CONTESTS;
DRIESSEN STEALS 4 BASES IN 2 GAMES
TEAMS TIED IN SERIES, 1 WIN EACH
Oct. 15, 1977
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Craftsbury Commoners and Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers were evenly matched during the regular season and split their regular season contests, going 9-9 in head-to-head competition. So far that pattern has continued in the postseason with the teams splitting their first 2 playoff contests.
     Quasqueton won yesterday's opening game by the score of 7 to 1, thanks in part to a strong performance by starting pitcher John Montefusco (14-14, 3.70). Montefusco lasted 8^1/3 innings and allowed only 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. Quasky's Andre Thornton went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and a double, scoring 3 times and driving in 3 runs. Carps catcher Tim McCarver contributed a home run and 2 RBI.
     Craftsbury starter Tom Seaver (17-6, 3.72) was tagged with the loss. He allowed 3 runs on 9 hits and no walks, and scored the Commoners' only run. [Boxscore]
     Craftsbury came back to tie the series with a 5-4 win in Game 2. Both starting pitchers pitched competently but neither was at his best. Quasqueton's Enrique Romo (8-7-13, 3.28) didn't seem like the same pitcher who had pitched 7 shutout innings to win the clinching 5th game of the League Semifinal Playoff. Today Romo gave up 5 hits and a walk in 6 innings of work and allowed 4 runs, 1 of which was unearned. Ron Guidry (15-10, 3.28) started for Craftsbury and only lasted 4^2/3 innings. He allowed 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks.
     The game was tied at 4-4 going into the 8th inning. The Commoners broke the tie in the bottom of the 8th, thanks in large part to Dan Driessen's base stealing prowess. Driessen, who stole 43 bases during the regular season, had already used his speed to score a run back in the 6th inning when he singled, stole 2nd and then 3rd on consecutive pitches, and scored on a throwing error by catcher Tim McCarver. Driessen continued to run rampant in the 8th inning, scoring the eventual winning run by hitting a single, stealing 2nd base, advancing to 3rd on another McCarver error, and scoring on Fred Stanley's single. The Commoners held on to their 5-4 lead in the 9th inning to tie the LCS at 1 win each.    Driessen had 3 hits and 3 runs today and has now stolen 4 bases in the first 2 LCS games. [Boxscore]
     After a day off for travel, the teams will meet in Quasqueton for games 3, 4, and 5.

vs.

LIGHTS WIN PAIR OF PITCHING DUELS WITH WALK-OFF HITS;
ANDUJAR NO-HITTER SPOILED BY BOSTOCK SINGLE;
GOAT ISLAND LEADS CRACKERJACK LCS, 2 GAMES TO 0
Oct. 11,1977
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Goat Island Lights beat the Cincinnati Rhinos in the first two games of the Crackerjack League Championship Series in highly dramatic fashion. Both games were tense, low-scoring pitchers duels that were decided by walk-off hits in the bottom of the 9th inning.
     Yesterday's opening game went into the bottom of the 9th with both starters pitching shutouts. Goat Island's rookie pitcher Tim Jones (2-1, 0.00) was nearly perfect. He held the Rhinos scoreless on only 2 hits, both singles, and no walks.
     While Jones was shutting out the Rhinos, Cincinnati starting pitcher Joaquin Andujar (11-9, 5.06) pitched a no-hitter for the first 8 innings. Goat Island outfielder Lyman Bostock broke up Andujar's no-hitter by leading off the bottom of the 9th with a grounder up the middle for a single. Bostock stole 2nd base and then advanced to 3rd base on a fly out by Joe Ferguson. With the winning run now on 3rd and only 1 out, the Rhinos issued intentional walks to Glenn Adams and Dusty Baker to set up a possible double play or force at home. Andujar was replaced on the mound by Rhinos relief ace Warren Brusstar. Brusstar quickly got ahead of Jason Thompson on an 0-2 count, but Thompson singled to left field for a walk-off single and a 1-0 Goat Island victory. [Boxscore]
     Today's Game 2 was another close, low-scoring game settled by a walk-off hit. Cincinnati starter Larry Christenson (11-10, 5.17) limited the Lights hitters to only 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks in 8 innings. The lone Lights run off Christenson was scored in the 4th inning on back-to-back doubles by Joe Ferguson and Glenn Adams.
     While Christenson was keeping the Goat Island hitters under control, Lights pitcher Don Aase (6-3, 2.41) was pitching effectively agains the Rhinos. For the first 6 innings Aase held the Rhinos to just 1 run, but Aase had to leave the game with a runner on 1st and 1 out after a rain delay in the 7th inning. Gene Garber took Aase's place on the mound and gave up the go-ahead run when Don Money drove in Lyman Bostock for a 2-1 lead.
     The Rhinos took their 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th. Warren Brusstar took the mound for Cincinnati to face leadoff hitter Dusty Baker and attempt to save the win. Brusstar got off to a rough start by walking Baker. Jason Thompson hit into a ground out that moved Baker to 2nd, putting the tying run on 2nd and the winning run at the plate. Baker then advanced to 3rd when Gary Thomasson reached 1st on an error by Don Money. The Lights tied the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly by Sal Bando. With 2 outs and a runner on 1st, Davey Johnson lined a double into right center that drove in Thomasson for a 3-2 Goat Island victory. [Boxscore]
     The teams will get a game off tomorrow to travel to Cincinnati for games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, game 5.

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vs.

J.R. RICHARD PITCHES SHUTOUT IN DECISIVE CONTEST;
CRAFTSBURY BEATS VIRGINIA, 3-0, IN LSP GAME 5;
COMMONERS ADVANCE TO MEET CARPS IN PEANUT LCS
Oct. 10,1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Craftsbury Commoners' J.R. Richard pitched a shutout in the do-or-die 5th game of the League Semifinal Playoff, leading his team to a 3-0 victory over the Virginia Cardinals. The Commoners will now face the Quasqueton Carpsuckers in the Peanut League Championship Series.
     The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 5th inning. Virginia starter Burt Hooton notched the 1st out of the inning on a strikeout but then gave up back-to-back doubles to Jerry Remy and Bill Russell. Remy scored on Russell's hit and the Commoners took a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the 7th Craftsbury increased their lead to 3-0 on a walk to Roy Howell, a single by Darrell Porter, a sacrifice bunt by Remy, and a 2-run double by Del Alston.
     The Cardinals kept battling until the end. They had a runner in scoring position and only 1 out in the 8th inning, and in the 9th inning they put runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 outs and Steve Garvey at the plate. But Richard never weakened and retired Garvey on a fly out to preserve the shutout and the Game 5 victory. Craftsbury will now advance to the League Championship Series.

vs.

CARPS BEAT WARRIORS, 2-0, IN 11 INNINGS;
GAME 5 VICTORY SENDS QUASKY TO PEANUT LCS
Oct. 9,1977
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: Last season the Altoona Warriors ended the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsucker's pennant hopes by beating them in extra innings in the final game of the Peanut League Championship Series. This year it was the Carps' turn to eliminate the Warriors in an extra inning victory in the final game of a playoff series. Going into today's deciding game the teams were tied at 2 wins apiece in the best of 5 Peanut League Semifinal Playoff. The Carpsuckers won the contest by a 2-run margin in the 11th inning and will now advance to the League Championship Series.
     Both starting pitchers were at the top of their form. Dave Golz started for Altoona and shut out Quasqueton for 7 innings until he was removed for a pinch hitter. Golz allowed only 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7 batters. Quasky starter Enrique Romo likewise shut out opposing batters for 7 innings until leaving for a pinch hitter. Romo gave up 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10.
With the score tied 0-0 after 7 innings, the bullpens took over and continued to hold batters scoreless for the next 3 innings. The Warriors threatened to win the game in the bottom of the 10th. With 1 out Billy North earned a walk and then stole 2nd to put the winning run on 2nd base. Carp pitcher Nino Espinosa lowered the risk factor somewhat by walking Glenn Borgmann to set up a double play or a force at 3rd, and then striking out Ted Simmons for the 2nd out. Rod Carew beat out a grounder for an infield hit that loaded the bases and moved the winning run to 3rd base with Jim Rice up to bat. Rice watched the first 3 pitches go by for balls and Espinosa quickly fell behind on a 3-0 count. One more ball would have won the game for Altoona, but Rice took the next pitch for a called strike and then flied out to left to end the inning.
     Quasky finally broke the dual shutout in the top of the 11th. Altoona pitcher Joe Kerrigan committed an error that allowed leadoff hitter Bernie Carbo to reach 1st base. Andre Thornton hit a shallow single with Carbo holding at 2nd. The next batter, Tim McCarver, hit the ball down the left field line for a single that drove in Carbo to give the Quillbacks a 1-0 lead. Thornton advanced to 3rd on the throw home. That was all for Kerrigan and the Warriors brought in relief ace Sparky Lyle to try to limit the damage. But Graig Nettles hit a grounder to short that was too deep to throw Thornton out at the plate. The Warriors had to settle for a force at 2nd with Thornton scoring to increase the Carps' lead to 2-0.
     The Warriors tried to battle back in the bottom of the 11th against Quasky reliever Dick Drago. Drago retired the first 2 batters without much of a fuss but Garry Templeton, whose bat was on fire in the previous 2 games, singled to bring the tying run to the plate. But Drago struck out Phil Mankowski for the final out of the game.
     The Carpsuckers will now advance to the League Championship Series against either the Craftsbury Commoners or the Virginia Cardinals.

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vs.

COMMONERS, CARDINALS SPLIT PAIR OF 1-RUN GAMES;
CRAFTSBURY TIES SERIES WITH TODAY'S 13-INING WIN;
TEAMS HEADING BACK TO VERMONT FOR GAME 5
Oct. 8,1977
ROANOKE, VA: In the 3rd and 4th games of the League Semifinal Playoff, the Craftsbury Commoners and Virginia Cardinals continued their postseason pattern of playing very close games. The teams had split the first 2 games, with the Commoners winning a 1-run victory in Game 1 and the Cardinals winning Game 2 by a 2-run margin. In yesterday's Game 3, the Cardinals beat the Commoners by 4 to 3, taking the lead in the playoff series by 2 games to 1. Cardinals starting pitcher Dennis Leonard lasted 7^1/3 innings and was credited as the winning pitcher. Virginia's Larry Hisle contributed a triple, home run, and stolen base to the Cardinal cause. Craftsbury outfielder Reggie Smith hit his 2nd home run of the postseason. [Boxscore]
Today it was the Commoners' turn to win a 4-3 victory, but they had to play for 13 innings before they could earn it. Each team scored 3 runs in the early going and the game was tied at 3-3 after 3 innings. Craftsbury's Reggie Smith hit his 3rd home run of the series. Neither squad scored again for the next 8 innings and the teams were still tied 3-3 going into the 13th inning. Bob Apodaca was on the mound for Virginia in the top of the 13th, pitching to Commoners first baseman Dan Driessen. Driessen blasted a 1-1 pitch into deep center field for a home run, putting the Commoners ahead by 4 to 3. The Commoners hung on to the 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 13th to win Game 4 and remain alive to play the Cardinals in a decisive 5th game in Craftsbury's home park. [Boxscore]

vs.

GOAT ISLAND BEATS CORUSCANT IN GAME 4 BY 9-8;
LIGHTS ADVANCE TO CRACKERJACK LCS
Oct. 7,1977
THE BRONX, NY: Today the Goat Island Lights beat the Coruscant Pinstripers in Game 4 of their League Semifinal Playoff by the score of 9 to 8. The victory was Goat Island's 3rd win in the best of 5 series and propelled them into the League Championship Series.
   The Lights arrived in the Bronx having won the first 2 games in the series and needing only 1 more win to advance to the next level. The Pinstripers needed to win all 3 of the remaining games to keep their pennant hopes alive. Yesterday Coruscant took the first step toward a comeback by winning Game 3 by the score of 6 to 3. The Pinstripers took advantage of 5 Goat Island errors to score 3 unearned runs that proved to be the difference in the score. [Boxscore]
     Game 4 was a shootout that saw the two teams combine to score a total of 17 runs on 29 hits and 5 walks. The lead changed hands 4 times with the Lights coming out on top in the end, 9 to 8. Goat Island's Cliff Johnson went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and 3 RBIs. His teammate Dusty Baker knocked in 3 runs with a home run and a single and scored 3 times. Coruscant's Johnny Bench had 3 hits, including a home run, and 4 RBI. [Boxscore]
     Goat Island will now advance to the Crackerjack League Championship Series where they will face the Cincinnati Rhinos.

vs.

WARRIORS WIN GAME 4 BY 8-3 TO FORCE A 5TH GAME;
TEMPLETON'S RETURN HELPS ALTOONA SPLIT PAIR OF ROAD GAMES;
ECKERSLEY OUT FOR 10 DAYS
Oct. 7, 1977
QUASQUETON, IA: When the League Semifinal Playoff series began, the Altoona Warriors hoped that shortstop Garry Templeton would soon be healthy enough to rejoin their starting lineup. Templeton missed the first two postseason games with an injury but was back in action for yesterday's Game 3. Despite Templeton's return the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers won Game 3 by the score of 10 to 7, giving them the series lead by 2 games to 1. But Templeton reminded Warrior fans what they had been missing while he was on the mend, going 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 doubles, driving in 3 runs and scoring 2. Quasky's Andre Thornton had a home run and 3 RBIs, and Ken Singleton contributed 4 RBIs to the Carpsucker cause. [Boxscore]
Carpsucker fans were optimistic going into today's game, since their team was playing at home with a 2-1 lead in games and a chance to clinch the League Semifinal Playoff without having to go back to Altoona for a 5th game. But the Warriors refused to give in and beat the Carps handily, 8 to 3. Garry Templeton continued his hitting binge, going 3 for 4 with a triple, a home run, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored. Dave Winfield had 3 hits and an RBI for Altoona. [Boxscore]
The Warriors and Carps will now take a day off to travel back to Altoona for the 5th and final game in the series. If Altoona advances to the Peanut League Championship Series, they will be without the services of 22-game winner Dennis Eckersley until October 18. Eckersley was removed from today's game in the 1st inning with an injury.

vs.

CINCINNATI WINS GAME 3 BY 8 TO 6;
RHINOS COMPLETE 3-GAME SWEEP OF EAGLES
CINCY ADVANCES TO PEANUT LCS
Oct. 6, 1977
[Boxscore]
FRISCO, TX: The Cincinnati Rhinos defeated the Frisco Eagles today by the score of 8 to 6, winning the 3rd game of their League Semifinal Playoff and advancing to the Crackerjack League Championship Series. Rhino 3rd baseman George Brett went 3 for 5 with a double and 2 runs scored, and Tony Perez drove in 3 of Cincinnati's runs with a 7th inning home run. Jeff Buroughs hit a 3-run home run for Frisco.
The Rhinos will now have a chance to rest up while they wait to see if they will be facing the Pinstripers or the Lights in the League Championship Series.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

CRAFTSBURY & VIRGINIA SPLIT FIRST 2 PLAYOFF GAMES;
LEAGUE SEMIFINAL PLAYOFF MOVES TO ROANOKE
Oct. 5,1977
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Craftsbury Commoners and Virginia Cardinals split their first two playoff games in Craftsbury Common. Yesterday's Game 1 was a 5-4 nailbiter that was won by the Commoners. Craftsbury starting pitcher Tom Seaver pitched a masterful game for 6^2/3 innings, holding the Cardinals to just 1 run on 1 hit and 2 walks. But with 2 outs in the 7th inning Seaver had to leave the game with an injury and is not expected to availble for duty again until October 10. Al Bumbry and Reggie Smith hit home runs for Craftsbury, and Gene Tenace homered for Virginia. [Boxscore]
In today's Game 2, Virginia tied the series with a 6-4 victory. Cardinals' catcher Gene Tenace hit his 2nd home run of the series. Eric Soderholm and George Hendrick also homered for Virginia. [Boxscore]
The teams will take a day off to travel to Roanoke for games 3 and 4.

vs.

GAME 2 VICTORY GIVES LIGHTS 2-GAME LEAD IN LSP;
PINSTRIPERS HEADING HOME FOR PAIR OF MUST-WIN GAMES
Oct. 4,1977
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Goat Island Lights beat the Coruscant Pinstripers today in the 2nd game of their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff. The 3-2 victory, combined with yesterday's 3-1 win, gave the Lights a 2-0 lead in games in the series.
     Yesterday the Pinstripers took a 1-0 lead in the 5th inning and hung on to that lead until the bottom of the 9th. Things started to unravel for Coruscant with 1 out in the 9th when Gary Thomasson singled to shallow center to put the tying run on base. Sal Bando walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd, bringing up Davey Johnson. Johnson worked Pinstriper reliever Bill Campbell into a full count and then drilled the ball into the left field stands for a walk-off 3 run home run. [Boxscore]
     Today Goat Island came from behind to score the winning run late in the game, defeating Coruscand by the score of 3 to 2. Coruscant was leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the 7th inning. Lyman Bostock started the Goat Island rally by leading off the inning with a solo home run to tie the game. Then Joe Ferguson and Glenn Adams hit back-to-back singles to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Dusty Baker grounded to short for the 1st out, but the runners advanced on the play to move the go-ahead run to 3rd base. Jason Thompson hit a long fly ball to right field that was caught for the 2nd out, but Ferguson tagged up at third and scored the go-ahead run. Neither team scored the rest of the way and the Lights won, 3-2. [Boxscore]
     After a day off, the teams will meet in the Bronx for Game 3 and, if necessary, game 4. The Pinstripers must win both games to remain alive in the series.

vs.

RHINOS WIN PAIR OF 1-RUN CONTESTS;
CINCY LEADS FRISCO IN LSP, 2 GAMES TO 0
Oct. 4,1977
CINCINNATI, OH: The Cincinnati Rhinos barely scraped by with a pair of tight 1-run wins over the Frisco Eagles, but the result was a commanding lead of 2 games to 0 in their best of 5 playoff series.
     Cincinnati won a 5-4 victory in yesterday's opening game in their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff. The Rhinos built a 4-0 lead after 4 innings but the Eagles started coming back with 2 runs in the top of the 5th. Ron Fairly, Frisco DH, hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 8th to reduce the Rhino lead to 1 run, but neither team scored the rest of the way and the Rhinos 5-4 lead held up to become the final score. [Boxscore]
     Today's Game 2 was a tense 13-inning affair. Cincinnati had a 3-0 lead after 3 innings, but Frisco tied the game at 3-3 with a run in the 7th and 2 runs in the 8th. Neither team scored again for the next 4^1/2 innings. The Rhinos finally broke the tie in the bottom of the 13th. Cincinnati outfielder Al Cowens led off the inning by hitting the ball deep into right center for a triple, putting the winning run on 3rd with no outs and the dangerous Tony Perez up to bat. Frisco intentionally walked Perez and brought in reliever Larry Andersen to pitch to Gary Carter. Carter hit a grounder to short that would normally have been a routine out at 1st, but the speedy Cowens broke for home and the Eagles had to attempt a play at the plate. Cowens beat the throw and the Rhinos claimed the 4-3 victory. [Boxscore]
     The teams will have a day off tomorrow before they meet again in Frisco on October 6th and, if necessary, October 7.

vs.

QUASQUETON TIES PLAYOFF WITH 7-0 WIN IN GAME 2;
WARRIORS & CARPS NOW TIED IN SERIES, 1 WIN APIECE
Oct. 4,1977
ALTOONA, IA: The Altoona Warriors and Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers traded wins in the first 2 games of their Peanut League Championship Playoff series. The teams will now take a day off to make the short trip from Altoona to Quasqueton for games 3 and 4.
Altoona won yesterday's series opener with a 3-run rally in the 9th inning. The Carps had broken a 2-2 tie in the top of the 8th, scoring twice to take a 4-2 lead. Altoona began their comeback with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th when Quasky shortstop Bill Almon committed an error that allowed Bob Watson to reach base. Dave Winfield hit an infield dribbler and beat the throw for an infield hit. Phil Mankowski then grounded a single up the middle to load the bases, still with only 1 out. The next batter, Omar Mareno, tied the game at 4-4 with a double down the right field line that scored Watson and Winfield. Denny Doyle capped off the Warrior rally with a walk-off single that drove in Mankowski for the winning run. [Boxscore]
In today's game Quasky pitcher Enrique Romo combined with relievers Roger Moret and Nino Espinosa to pitch a shutout while the Quillback batters scored 7 runs. Romo held the Warriors scoreless for 7 innings before turning the game over to the bullpen. Quasky batters Bernie Carbo and Bill Almon each homered in today's contest. [Boxscore]

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VBG'S 1977 REGULAR SEASON IS OVER!!

Muddy Crackerjack League Playoff PIcture Clears Up in Final Days;
Frisco & Coruscant Will Join Goat Island & Cincinnati in Postseason

Five Crackerjack League teams went into the final 4 days of the season still in the running for the final two playoff slots. The crowded playoff race had league officials dusting off their rulebooks to look up the procedures for settling multi-way ties. As it turned out, however, the teams settled the issues on the field. The Frisco Eagles and Coruscant Pinstripers finished with 83 wins apiece, giving them a 2-way tie for 3rd place and the last 2 tickets to the postseason. The Oak Ridge Bombers finished in 5th place but came tantatlizingly close to a playoff berth by winning 82 games. The Carlisle Thundering Herd was just 1 game behind Oak Ridge with 81 wins, and the Kansas City Monarchs was right behind Carlisle with 80 wins.
Since there was a tie for 3rd place, the 3rd and 4th seeded teams were decided by the league tiebreaker rules. The Eagles were designated as the 3rd seeded team by virtue of their 13-5 record against the Pinstripers.
The top-seeded Goat Island Lights will meet the Coruscant Pinstripers in one bracket of the best-of-five League Semifinal Playoff. The other LSP bracket will feature a clash between the second place Cincinnati Rhinos and the Frisco Eagles.

No Drama In Peanut League as Season Winds Down;
Absence of Playoff Races Allows Teams to Rest and Relax

With all four playoff teams determined several days before the end of the season, there was very little drama in the last week of the Peanut League season. The only real suspence in the last few days was whether the 1st place Craftsbury Commoners would win 100 games. THey did indeed reach the century mark, thanks to 3 consecutive victories in their last 4 games.
Craftsbury will play the Virginia Cardinals in the best-of-5 League Semifinal Playoff, while the 2nd-seeded Altoona Warriors will face the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers in the first round.

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With 4 days remaining in the 1977 regular season:

In the Crackerjack League, the following teams have clinched a playoff berth: Goat Island Lights (clinched 1st place), Cincinnati Rhinos (clinched 2nd place).

The following teams still have a chance to reach the playoffs:

In the Peant League, the playoff field is set but there is still a battle for 1st place. The Craftsbury Commoners are currently in 1st place, leading the 2nd place Altoona Warriors by 3 games with 4 games left to play.

The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers have clinched 3rd place, and the Virginia Cardinals have clinched 4th place.

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MURRAY SLUGS 4 HOMERS WITH 13 RBI;
GEORGIA BEATS IOWA CITY, 23 TO 9
Sept. 23,1977
[Boxscore]
IOWA CITY, IA: Promising Georgia Pines rookie Eddie Murray showed today why so many people are projecting a bright future for the 21-year-old first baseman. Murray dismantled Iowa City Emus pitchers by going 5 for 6 with 4 home runs and an astounding 13 RBI. He started his big day with an RBI single in the 2nd inning to drive in Georgia's first run. In the 3rd inning he hit a 3-run blast for his first round-tripper of the day. He hit a 3-run home run in the 6th inning, and then added a 2-run homer in the 8th inning to bring his RBI total to 9. But Murray wasn't finished. He provided the perfect grand finale for his big day by coming to bat with 2 outs in the 9th inning and driving the ball deep into the center field stands for a grand slam, giving him 13 RBIs for the day.

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18 EXTRA BASE HITS IN WARRIORS - PINES GAME;
ALTOONA WINS, 20 TO 10
Aug. 12,1977
[Boxscore]
WARNER ROBINS, GA: There was a 14 mph wind blowing out in Fenway Park today and the batters took full advantage of it. The Altoona Warriors and Georgia Pines had a combined total of 36 hits today, with 18 of those hits going for extra bases -- 5 doubles, 5 triples, and 8 home runs. When the dust settled, Altoona was the victor by a 20 to 10 margin.

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vs.

COMMONERS BEAT GLACIAL TILLERS 12-9 IN 10^THINNING;
CRAFTSBURY COMES FROM BEHIND WITH 2 CLUTCH HOMERS
July 30,1977
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Craftsbury Commoners hit clutch home runs in the 9th and 10th innings to come from behind and beat the Lake Hitchcock Glacial Tillers by 12 to 9. The Tillers were leading by 9 to 7 going into the bottom of the 9th inning and appeared to have the game well in hand after Lake Hitchcock reliever Clay Carroll retired the first 2 batters. Carroll got to within 1 strike of closing out the win when he took Ed Kranepool to a 3-2 count before walking him to bring the tying run to the plate. PInch hitter Darrell Porter came to bat and blasted the ball deep into the right field stands for a 2-run home run that tied the game at 9-9.
The game went into extra innings and was still tied going into the bottom of the 10th. Southpaw reliever Bob Lacey took over on the mound for Lake Hitchcock. Lacey got the first out on a routine fly ball but the number 2 hitter, Kurt Bevacqua, hit a single to put the winning run on base. Bart Johnson relieved Lacey and threw his first pitch over the catcher's head to allow Bevacqua to take 2nd, and the winning run was now in scoring position. Cesar Cedeno was intentionally walked to set up a possible double play. Johnson then retired Roy White on a fly out to center field for the 2nd out. Reggie Smith jumped on the first pitch he saw from Johnson and hit a 3-run walk-off home run to right field that gave the Commoners a 12-9 victory.

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CRACKERJACK LEAGUE WINS 1977 ALL-STAR GAME, 10-2;
CJ PITCHERS DOMINATE PL BATTERS;
PALMER NAMED MVP

    Palmer
July 12, 1977
[Boxscore]
CARLISLE, PA: The Peanut League All-Star roster may have been packed with dangerous power hitters, but the Crackerjack League's top pitchers held them to only 2 runs on 6 hits in this year's Midsummer Classic game. Meanwhile the Crackerjack League batters manhandled the PL pitchers en route to a 10-2 victory.
     The Crackers got right to work in the 1st inning, scoring 3 runs off of PL starting pitcher Bert Blyleven. Joe Morgan led off the bottom of the 1st with a solo home run. The CJ League scored two more runs in the inning off of singles by Keith Hernandez, George Brett, and George Foster plus an RBI ground out by Reggie Jackson.
     The Peanuts narrowed the CJ lead to 3-1 in the top of the 2nd when Mike Hargrove drew a walk from CJ starter Jim Palmer, advanced to 3rd on Ken Singleton's double off the wall, and scored on Mike Schmidt's sacrifice fly. But the Crackers came back with 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to increase their lead to 5-1. George Brett hit a solo home run, and Reggie Jackson doubled, advanced to 3rd on Johnny Bench's ground out, and scored on a wild pitch by Blyleven.
      The Crackers expanded their lead to 7-1 with a pair of runs in the 5th inning. Reggie Jackson led off the frame with an infield grounder between 3rd and short that turned into a 2-base throwing error by shortstop Mike Schmidt. One out later, Johnny Bench pulled the ball deep down the left field line for a 2-run home run to increase the Crackerjack lead to 7-1.
     The Peanuts scored their 2nd run of the game when Greg Luzinski led off the top of the 7th with a solo homer. But the Crackers got that run back in the bottom of the 7th with a single by Steve Henderson and an RBI double by Bake McBride that made the score 8-2 in the CJ League's favor. In the 8th inning the Crackerjack League padded their lead to 10-2 with consecutive singles by Rennie Stennett, Keith Hernandez, and Wayne Gross, followed by a sacrifice fly by Gary Mathews.
      In a brief ceremony at home plate after the game, Crackerjack starting pitcher Jim Palmer was honored as the Most Valuable Player of the game. Palmer pitched 4 innings and limited the dangerous PL lineup to only 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks.

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THURMAN MUNSON STEALS HOME IN 10^TH INNING FOR GAME-WINING RUN;
SPITFIRES BEAT WARRIORS, 2 TO 1
July 5,1977
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: [Unfortunately I don't have time to do a full writeup of this game. But I want to make note of how this game was decided. It is rare enough to win a game in extra innings on a steal of home, but it is really rare for the steal of home to be executed by a catcher.]

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vs.

EMUS CLOBBER SPITFIRES, 19-3
June 20,1977
[Boxscore]
SPACE CITY, TX: Last week the Iowa City Emus had the demoralizing experience of giving up 20 runs in a game against the Craftsbury Commoners. The tables were turned today as it was the Emus' turn to unleash an artillery barrage. The Emus roughed up the Space City Spitfires, tallying 27 hits and 6 walks while winning by the score of 19 to 3. Iowa City didn't waste any time taking control of the game, scoring 17 of their runs in the first 3 innings.

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COMMONERS WALLOP EMUS, 20-9
June 12,1977
[Boxscore]
IOWA CITY, IA: The Craftsbury Commoners beat up on the Iowa City Emus pitching staff today, scoring 20 runs on 19 hits and 4 walks. Craftsbury outfielder Al Bumbry drove in 5 runs with 2 doubles and a home run. Commoners starting pitcher Andy Hassler got in on the action with 5 RBIs on a double, single, and sacrifice fly.

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vs.

RATTLES, CARDINALS PITCH DUELING SHUTOUTS FOR 14 INNINGS;
VIRGINIA WINS, 1-0, IN BOTTOM OF 14TH
June 2,1977
[Boxscore]
ROANOKE, VA: The Virginia Cardinals and Tulsa Timber Rattlers held each other scoreless for 13^2/3 innings today. The Cardinals finally put a run on the board with 2 outs in the bottom of the 14th inning, thanks to a walkoff single by George Hendrick.
Tommy John, starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers, pitched 6 innings and held the Cardinals to 3 hits and no walks until he was removed for a pinch hitter in the 7th. Dennis Leonard started for Virginia and shut out the Cardinals for 8 innings until he left the game for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 8th.
The two bullpens kept up the dual shutouts until the bottom of the 14th. Tulsa reliever Don Hood had taken over the Rattlers' pitching duties in the 12th inning and was still on the mound as the game went into the bottom of the 14th. Hood retired the first two Cardinals batters, Larry Hisle on a ground out and Steve Garvey on a strikeout. With only 1 out to go to get out of the inning, Hood gave up a douible to Eric Soderholm. That brought up George Hendrick who singled into left field. Soderholm was breaking with the pitch and beat Mitchell Page's throw to the plate to score the game-winning run.

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vs.

KRUKOW PITCHES 1-HIT SHUTOUT;
SPITFIRES BEAT GLACIAL TILLERS, 5-0
May 26,1977
[Boxscore]
SPACE CITY, TX: Until today's game, rookie pitcher Mike Krukow had given the Space City Spitfire fans very little to cheer about. He came into today's game against the Lake Hitchcock Glacial Tillers with an uinimpressive 1-5 record and 4.90 ERA in 10 starts. But Krukow treated the home town crowd to an outstanding pitching performance, throwing a 1-hit shutout and leading the Spitfires to a 5-0 victory. The only hit against Krukow was a single in the 2nd inning by Carl Yastrzemski. It is too early to tell if this game is a sign that the young Krukow is turning his season around, or if it is only a temporary bright spot.

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vs.

DENNY PULLED IN 9TH INNING, 2 OUTS FROM NO-HITTER;
LIGHTS BEAT RHINOS, 7-0
May 2,1977
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: John Denny of the Goat Island Lights came just 2 outs short of pitching a no-hitter today. While it is not very unusual for pitchers to carry a no-hitter into the late innings before losing their chance to be enshrined in the record book, the way Denny fell short had to be especially frustrating for him. Denny still had a no-hit shutout going when he was pulled from the game with 1 out in the 9th inning, while his team had an apparently comfortable 7-0 lead over the Cinciinnati Rhinos.
Denny had a few wobbly moments early in the game and gave up walks in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th innings, but he seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. After allowing his 3rd base on balls with 2 outs in the 5th inning, he retired the next 11 batters in a row. Going into the 9th inning he seemed to be a lock for at least a complete game victory, especially because his teammates had a 7-run cushion to work with. He retired the leadoff batter in the 9th inning on a routine fly ball, but then threw 4 straight balls to put George Brett on first base. Fans expressed their disapproval when the Goat Island manager took Denny out of the game instead of giving him a chance to go for the no-hitter. Gene Garber relieved Denny with the potential to at least share in a "no-hitter by committee." But Cincy outfielder Al Cowens lined Garber's first pitch into shallow left field for the Rhinos' first and only hit of the game. Garber retired the next two batters for the final outs.

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vs.

TURNER HITS 3 HOMERS, DRIVES IN 8 RUNS;
CARLISLE BEATS CLEAR LAKE, 13 - 2
April 29,1977
[Boxscore]
CLEAR LAKE, IA: Jerry Turner, outfielder for the Carlisle Thundering Herd, had the kind of day today that most batters only dream of. Turner slugged 3 homers and drove in 8 runs to lead the Herd to a 13-2 win over the Clear Lake Demons. Coming into today's game, Turner had only 2 homers and 13 RBI in Carlisle's first 25 games. He started his onslaught today with a solo home run with 2 outs in the 2nd inning that gave Carlisle an early 1-0 lead. In his next plate appearance with 2 outs in the 4th inning, Turner lofted the ball deep into the right field stands for a 2-run homer. In the 8th inning Turner came to bat with bases loaded and nobody out, and recorded his 4th RBI of the day by hitting a sacrifice fly to right field. Turner capped off his big game with a grand slam with 2 outs in the 9th inning, giving him 8 RBI for the day.

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vs.

DOYLE ALEXANDER PITCHES NO-HITTER
EAGLES BEAT LIGHTS, 3-0

Alexander
April 17, 1977
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: Doyle Alexander pitched the first no-hitter of the 1977 season as the Frisco Eagles defeated the Goat Island Lights by the score of 3 to 0. Alexander walked 4 batters and struck out 4. The Lights threatened to ruin Alexander's chances for a shutout in the 8th inning when Alexander temporarily struggled with his control. Sal Bando led off the inning for Goat Island by reaching base on an error by Eagles 3rd baseman Wayne Gross. Alexander then walked the next 2 batters, Cliff Johnson and Davey Johnson, on 8 straight pitches to load the bases with no outs. Lyman Bostock hit a sharp line drive to right field that could have been big trouble for the Eagles, but Jeff Buroughs caught it for the 1st out. Doyle got the next batter, Joe Ferguson, to ground into a 3-2-1 double play to end the inning and preserve the no-hitter.
Today's victory was Alexander's first win of the young season. He came into today's game with an 0-2 record and 7.20 ERA in 3 starts. Eagles fans hope today's gem is a sign that Alexander has solved whatever issues caused his slow start.

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vs.

34 RUNS SCORED IN PINES - ROUGAROU SLUGFEST;
GEORGIA WINS ARTILLERY DUEL, 18 TO 16;
JOHNSTONE BREAKS 16-16 TIE WITH 9^TH INNING HOMER
April 11,1977
[Boxscore]
VIDALIA, LA: The Georgia Pines and Vidalia Rougarou put on a fireworks display during today's game, combining for 40 hits and 34 runs. Each team scored 16 runs in the first 6 innings of the game. The game remained tied at 16-16 until Jay Johnstone's 2-run home run in the top of the 9th gave Georgia a 2-run lead that held up to be the final score. Every starting position player on both teams had at least 1 hit in the game.

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vs.

TILLERS OPEN NEW STADIUM WITH PAIR OF WINS;
WHATELY FANS ENJOY WELL-PITCHED GAMES
April 6, 1977
WHATELY, MA: Western Massachusetts baseball fans have been buzzing with excitement ever since it was announced that the Green River Grasshoppers were leaving Wyoming and moving to Whately, Massachusetts, where they will operate as the Lake Hitchcock Glacial Tillers.
     The Glacial Tillers opened the season on the road against the Georgia Pines. They got off to a rocky start by losing the first 2 games of the season and compiling a 1-3 record in their roadtrip. That rough start was forgotten when the Tillers treated their new fans to 2 excellent pitching performances against the Vidalia Rougarou and their first 2 wins in their new home.
     In yesterday's home opener, starting pitcher Joe Coleman pitched 8 strong innings and held Vidalia to only 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk. Lake Hitchcock took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th. Rookie pitcher Jack Morris took over the mound duties from Coleman and quickly slammed the door on any possible Rougarou comeback. The promising 22-year-old needed only 6 pitches to retire the side on 3 groundouts and preserve the victory. [Boxscore]
     Today it was Joe Niekro's turn to treat the home team fans to an impressive pitching performance. Niekro lasted the full 9 innings and threw a 3-hit shutout, leading the Tillers to a 3-0 win. [Boxscore]

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1976 "COMMISSIONER'S CHOICE" TEAMS FOR EACH LEAGUE ANNOUNCED
Nov. 18, 1976

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commisisoner's office has announced its selections for each league's First Team for 1976. The Carlisle Thundering Herd and Iowa City Emus led all VBG teams in the number of award winners, each placing 3 players on their league's Commissioner's Choice team. The honorees for each league at each position are:

1976 CRACKERJACK LEAGUE FIRST TEAM:

P:    Mark Fidrych, Carlisle Thundering Herd
C:    Manny Sanguillen, Clear Lake Demons
1B: Tony Perez, Cincinnati Rhinos
2B: Joe Morgan, Carlisle Thundering Herd
3B: Sal Bando, Goat Island Lights
SS: George Brett, Cincinnati Rhinos
CF: George Foster, Clear Lake Demons
OF: Ron LaFlore, Carlisle Thundering Herd
OF: Reggie Jackson, Oak Ridge Bombers
DH: Lyman Bostock, Goat Island Lights

1976 PEANUT LEAGUE FIRST TEAM:

P:   Randy Jones, Virginia Cardinals
C:   Butch Wynegar, Iowa City Emus
1B: Bob Watson, Altoona Warriors
2B: Rod Carew, Altoona Warriors
3B: Mike Schmidt, Georgia Pines
SS: Dave Concepcion, Green River Grasshoppers
CF: Mickey Rivers, Iowa City Emus
OF: Pete Rose, Georgia Pines
OF: Ken Griffey, Jr., Iowa City Emus

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MORGAN & SCHMIDT NAMED "MOST VALUABLE" IN 1976
Nov. 12, 1976

RALEIGH, NC: Today the VBG Commissioner's office announced the recipients of the 1976 Most Valuable Player Awards. Both recipients were favored by wide margins among the voters.

Joe Morgan of the Carlisle Thundering Herd was the top vote-getter for Crackerjack League Most Valuable Player. [For details of Morgan's season, see the earlier story on his Position Player of the Year Award.] Morgan was the near-unanimous choice of the voters, receiving 9 first place votes and 38 total points. Reggie Jackson finished in 2nd place with 1 first place vote and 12 total points. George Brett got 8 total points to take 3rd place, and Mark Fidrych was in 4th place with 5 total points.

Mike Schmidt of the Georgia PInes has been named Peanut League Most Valuable Player for 1976 by a wide margin over the two closest contenders. [For details of Schmidt's season, see the earlier story on his Position Player of the Year Award.] Schmidt got 7 first place votes and 31 total points. Randy Jones received 1 first place vote and 17 total points. Rod Carew was 3rd in the balloting with 2 first place votes and 11 total points.

FIDRYCH, JONES NAMED 1976 PITCHERS OF THE YEAR
Nov. 9, 1976

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commissioner's office has announced the results of the voting for 1976 Pitcher of the Year awards. [NOTE: In the following announcements, the numbers in parentheses represent the player's ranking in his league for that statistic. If there are two numbers, the second number is his ranking in the entire VBG in that category.]

Carlisle Thundering Herd pitcher Mark Fidrych came out on top of a close 3-person race to be voted the Crackerjack League Pitcher of the Year. Fidrych had a 20-8 record, tying for 3rd in his league for wins (t3, t5). His win-loss percentage of 7.14 ranked 3rd in the league (3, 9) and he topped both leagues in ERA with a 1.94 mark (1, 1). Fidrych held opposing batters to a .223 batting average (6, 8), .266 on-base percentage (3, 5), and a .313 slugging average (6, 8), for an OPS allowed of .579 (5, 7). He led his league in shutouts with 6 (1, 2) and topped both leagues in complete games with 18 (1). He pitched 264 innings (t7), ranked 2nd in the league in quality starts with 28 (2, t6), and led the VBG in quality start percentage with .848 (1). Fidrych received 4 first place votes and 25 total points. Vida Blue finished close behind him in 2nd place with 3 first place votes and 20 total points. Frank Tanana finished only 1 points behind Blue in 3rd place with 3 first place votes and 20 total points.

In contrast to the close 3-way vote in the Crackerjack League, the voting for Peanut League Pitcher of the Year was nearly unanimous. Virginia Cardinals pitcher Randy Jones was the overwhelming favorite for the honor. Jones had a 23-9 record, tied for the most wins in the VBG (1, t1) and the 5th-highest win-loss percentage in his league (5, 7). Jones held opposing batters to a .206 batting average (2, 4) and a .286 slugging average (2, 2), and his .237 on-base percentage allowed was the best in either league (1, 1). He led the entire VBG with an OPS allowed of .524 (1, 1). Jones topped the VBG in shutouts with 7 (1, 1), and led the Peanut League in complete games with 16 (1, 3). He had 31 quality starts, the most in his league (1, 2), and finished 2nd in his league in quality start percentage with a mark of .775 (2, 3). He was a reliable workhorse who led his league with 304 innings pitched (1, 3). Jones was the clear favorite of the voters, with 9 first place votes and 36 total points. Tom Seaver finished in 2nd place with 1 first place vote and 14 total points. Dennis Eckersley was a distant 3rd with 8 total points.

MORGAN & SCHMIDT VOTED 1976 POSITION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Nov. 7, 1976

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commissioner's office has announced the recipients of the Position Player of the Year Awards for 1976. [NOTE: In the following announcements, the numbers in parentheses represent the player's standing in his league in that category. If there are two numbers in parentheses, the second number is his standing in the entire VBG in that category.]

In the Crackerjack League, Joe Morgan of the Carlisle Thundering Herd was the overwhelming choice for the Position Player of the Year. Morgan hit .292 (7), his .411 on-base percentage led both leagues (1,1), and he led the Crackerjack League in slugging average with a .558 mark (1, 2). He scored 114 runs (1, 4) and had 112 RBI (3, 5). Morgan hit 29 home runs (6, t9) and 68 extra-base hits (4, 8), stole 47 bases (3), and drew 106 walks (1, 2). Morgan received 9 first place votes and 36 total points. The runner-up in the voting was George Brett with 1 first place vote and 16 total points. Reggie Jackson took 3rd place with 9 total points.

Mike Schmidt of the Georgia Pines was the near-unanimous choice for Peanut League Position Player of the Year. Although Schmidt's .298 batting average didn't rank in the top 10 in his league, his .571 slugging average was the best in either league (1, 1). He was also 7th in his league in on-base percentage with a .366 mark (7, 10). Schmidt drove in 138 runs, which tied for the most RBI in the VBG (t1, t1). He also led both leagues in home runs with 43 round-trippers (1, 1), had 84 extra base hits (2, 2), and 366 total bases (1, 1). Schmidt was the overwhelming favorite in the voting with 9 first place votes and 38 total points. Rod Carew finished in 2nd place with 1 first place vote and 13 total points. Pete Rose gathered 10 total points to finish in 3rd place.

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vs.

WARRIORS WIN WORLD SERIES TITLE!
ALTOONA BEATS KC, 9-1, IN 7^TH GAME;
WINFIELD DRIVES IN 7 RUNS, NOLAN PITCHES 4-HITTER;
WINFIELD & WATSON NAMED SERIES CO- MVPS

   Winfield           Watson
Nov. 2, 1976
[Boxscore]

[Altoona batting stats]             [Kansas City batting stats]
[Altoona pitching stats]              [Kansas City pitching stats]

ALTOONA, IA: The Altoona Warriors ended a 3-game losing streak in convincing fashion, beating the Kansas City Monarchs by 9 to 1 in the 7th World Series game to claim the 1976 VBG World Championship. Altoona outfielder Dave Winfield had a historic performance, driving in 7 runs with a home run and 2 doubles. Warrior starting pitcher Gary Nolan kept the Kansas City batters under control by throwing a complete game and allowing only 1 unearned run on 4 hits and 2 walks.
     The Warriors took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Bob Watson singled to drive in Rod Carew and Dave Winfield drove in 2 runs with a double. Winfield hit another 2-run double in the 5th inning to stretch Altoona's lead to 5-0.
     The Monarchs got on the board in the 7th inning with the help of an Altoona error. Cesar Geronimo grounded to 3rd and was safe at 2nd due to a 2-base error by Altoona 3rd baseman Aurelio Rodriguez. Geronimo advanced to 3rd on Nolan's wild pitch and then scored on Tito Fuentes' sacrifice fly to reduce the Warriors' margin to 5-1.
     Altoona kept pouring it on in the bottom of the 7th, scoring 4 more runs on an RBI double by Jim Rice and a 3-run home run by Winfield. Nolan kept the Monarchs from scoring the rest of the way and Altoona won the deciding game, 9 o 1.
     The middle of Altoona's batting order was a wrecking crew today. Number 3 hitter Bob Watson went 3 for 3 with a walk, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Cleanup hitter Jim Rice was 3 for 5 with a double, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Number 5 hitter Dave Winfield was a force of nature, going 3 for 7 with a home run, 2 doubles, 1 run scored, and 7 RBIs.
   The trio of Winfield, Watson, and Rice were Altoona's top hitters for the rest of the Series as well. During the Series Watson hit .467/.484/.733 with 6 RBI, led both teams in runs with 8, and hit the game-winning RBI in 3 of the Warriors 4 victories. Winfield hit .464/.467/.786 and led both teams in RBI with 11. Rice hit .429/.448/.607 with 6 runs and 6 RBI. Gary Nolan of Altoona was the standout among the two teams' pitching staffs. Nolan had a 2-0 record in 2 starts, a 1.59 ERA, and a 1.00 WHIP.
     Kansas City's offense was led by Jose Cruz and Cesar Geronimo. Cruz hit .423/.484/.577 and led his team in RBI with 5. Geronimo went .364/.364/.545 and led the Monarchs in runs scored with 4. Fred Norman started 2 games for KC and led the team in innings pitched with 12. His 3.75 ERA was the lowest among the Monarchs starters.
     As the delirious Altoona fans celebrated on the playing field, Eric Borseth, owner of the Altoona Warriors, was presented with the Vintage Baseball Guild championship trophy in a short ceremony at home plate. Dave Winfield and Bob Watson were each honored as Most Valuable Playes of the World Series.

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vs.

MONARCHS WIN GAME 6 IN EXTRA INNINGS, 4 TO 2;
KC TIES SERIES ON CRUZ HOMER IN 11TH INNING;
GAME 7 WILL DECIDE CHAMPIONSHIP
Oct. 30, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: The future looked very grim for the Kansas City Monarchs after they lost the first 3 games of the World Series and were only one more loss away from elimination. The Altooona Warriors, who had dominated the Peanut League by winning 109 games during the regular season, only needed to win 1 of the remaining 4 Series games to become the VBG champions. But the Monarchs didn't give up and mounted an epic comeback, winning the next 3 games to tie the Warriors at 3 wins apiece. Today's Kansas City victory in Game 6 was a tense low-scoring affair that was decided by Jose Cruz' 2-run home run in the 11th inning. Now it will all come down to Game 7 tomorrow.
     In today's Game 6, Altoona took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Kansas City tied the game with a run in the top of the 4th and then went ahead 2-1 with a run in the 5th. Altoona scored a run in the 6th inning, tying the game at 2-2.
     The teams remained tied through the 9th and headed into extra innings. KC finally broke the tie in the top of the 11th. With reliever Steve Stone on the mound for Altoona, Tommy Helms led off with a ground ball single between 3rd and short. Stone struck out the next batter, Fred Lynn, for the 1st out. Jose Cruz then took Cruz to a full count before blasting a 2-run home run that put KC in the lead, 4 to 2. Stone retired the next two batters to end the inning but the damage was done.
     The Warriors threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the 11th but fell short. Bob Watson led off with a single, and one out later advanced to 3rd on a long single by Dave Winfield that wouild have put the tying run on base with only 1 out. But Winfield was thrown out trying to stretch his single into a double, and Ted Simmons was retired on a grounder to the mound for the final out of the game.
     The two teams will meet one last time tomorrow with the winner going home with the championship trophy. Expected starting pitchers are lefthander Jerry Koosman for Kansas City and righthander Gary Nolan for Altoona.

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vs.

MONARCHS WIN GAME FIVE, 7 TO 4;
SERIES NOW MOVES BACK TO ALTOONA FOR GAME 6
Oct. 30, 1976
[Boxscore]
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Kansas City Monarchs continued on their comeback trail today, beating the Altoona Warriors by the score of 7 to 4 in the 5th World Series game. Altoona had taken a seemingly insurmountable lead by winning the first 3 Series games and needing only 1 win in the final 4 games to be the Series champs. But the Monarchs refused to fold and battled back to win games 4 and 5. Altoona still leads the series 3 games to 2 and only needs to win 1 out of 2 in their home park, but the momentum may be on KC's side.
     In today's game the Monarchs scored first, plating 3 runs in the bottom of the 4th. Warriors starting pitcher Steve Carlton pitched well in the first 3 innings but ran into trouble in the 4th. The first 5 Monarchs hitters in the inning reached base on 3 hits, 1 walk, and 1 error, and Carlton was removed after Kansas City had scored 3 runs in the frame without getting any outs.
      In the top of the 5th it was Altoona's turn to chase the opposing starter from the mound. KC hurler Ed Figueroa had shut out the Warriors for the first 4 innings but didn't look like the same pitcher in the 5th. Bud Harrelson hit a leadoff double and it was all downhill from there. Figueroa did retire the 2nd batter but then gave up 4 consecutive singles.   Ramon Hernandez took over the pitching duties and retired the next 2 batters to end the inning, but when the dust settled the Warriors had taken a 4-3 lead.
     The lead changed again in the bottom of the 6th inning. Kansas City scored 4 runs on a single by Fred Lynn, a double by Cesar Geronimo, 2 more singles by Tito Fuentes and Enzo Hernandez, and a double by Alan Bannister. Kansas City's 7-4 lead held up to become the final score and the Monarchs had won themselves a trip back up to Altoona for Game 6.
      Anticipated starting pitchers for the next game are lefthander Fred Norman for Kansas City and righthander Dennis Eckersley for Altoona.

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MONARCHS STAY ALIVE WITH VICTORY IN GAME 4;
GASTON'S WALKOFF SINGLE GIVES KC 5-4 WIN
Oct. 29, 1976
[Boxscore]
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Kansas City Monarchs kept their world championship hopes alive with a 5-4 victory over the Altoona Warriors in Game 4. Cito Gaston came through with a game-winning hit with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to deliver a win to Kansas City. The Warriors lead the Series, 3 games to 1.
     The Warriors continued their streak of getting at least 8 innings per game from their starting pitchers. Today it was Paul Hartzell's turn to be the workhorse starter for Altoona. Hartzell pitched 8 innings and allowed 4 runs, 1 of which was unearned. He allowed 9 hits and 1 walk with no strikeouts. Monarchs starter Jim Slaton lasted almost as long, allowing 4 runs on 13 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts in 7^1/3 innings of work.
     After the first 4 innings the game was tied at 3-3. KC took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 6th with a leadoff triple by Cesar Geronimo and a sacrifice fly by Tito Fuentes. Altoona tied it up again in the top of the 8th when Bud Harrelson singled, stole 2nd base, advanced to 3rd on Jim Rice's single, and scored on a single by Dave Winfield.
     The game remained tied at 4-4 until the bottom of the 9th. Altoona reliever Sparky Lyle took over the Warrior mound duties at the start of the 9th, just as he had in the 2nd and 3rd games. But this time Lyle didn't have the same 9th inning magic. Kansas City's Jose Cruz led off the 9th with a single into shallow left, and then Fred Lynn grounded a single up the middle that sent the speedy Cruz to 3rd base. With the winning run on 3rd base and nobody out, the Warriors intentionally walked pinch hitter Tommy Helms to load the bases and increase their chances of getting a double play. Cito Gaston, pinch hitting for Cecil Cooper, foiled the Warriors plans by hitting a single into left field that drove in Cruz with the game-winning run.
     Relief pitchere Rollie Fingers, who came into the game in the 8th with 2 men on base and only 1 out, was the winning pitcher. Fingers pitched 1^2/3 innings of perfect relief, striking out 4 of the 5 batters he faced. Sparky Lyle was the losing pitcher after allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 1 intentional walk without recording an out. Kansas City's Cruzewent 4 for 4 with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored.
     Game 5 will be played tomorrow. Starting pitchers are expected to be Ed Figureoa for the Monarchs and Steve Carlton for the Warriors. Altoona will be without the services of 3rd base man Tucker Ashford, who will miss the rest of the Series, and shortstop Garry Templeton, who left today's game with an injury and is expected to sit out tomorrow's game but be back in action in time for Game 6.

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WARRIORS WIN 3^RD WORLD SERIES GAME BY 6-3;
ALTOONA NOW LEADS SERIES 3 GAMES TO 0
Oct. 28, 1976
[Boxscore]
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Altoona Warriors moved one step closer to the world championship by defeating the Kansas City Monarchs in Game 3 today. Altoona pitcher Gary Nolan gave the Warriors their 3rd straight solid performance from their starting corps. The Altoona bullpen is certainly well-rested, having been called upon to throw a total of just 13 pitches in 2 innings in 3 games.
     In today's game the final chords of the National Anthem had barely faded out when the Warriors got on the board. The first 4 Altoona batters scored on singles by Billy North and Rod Carew, an RBI double by Bob Watson, and a 3-run home run by Jim Rice. Kansas City got one of those runs back in the bottom of the 2nd when Cecil Cooper led off with a douible and scored on a single by Cesar Geronimo to narrow the Altoona lead to 4-1. But the Warriors came back with a run in the top of the 3rd on a solo home run by Watson, making it a 5-1 game.
     Kansas City scored twice in the 4th to tighten the score at 5-3 in Altoona's favor. Altoona padded their lead with a run in the 6th inning, and the 6-3 score held up to be the final margin.
     Gary Nolan started for Altoona and was the winning pitcher. Nolan pitched 8 innings and gave up only 3 runs despite allowing 11 hits. He struck out 2 batters and didn't walk any batters. Sparkey Lyle pitched the 9th inning and earned his 2nd save of the Series. Lyle needed to throw only 8 pitches to retire the side in order. In his 2 appearances of the Series so far, Lyle has needed a total of only 13 pitches to get 6 outs. Bob Watson hit a home run and 2 doubles for Altoona, driving in 2 runs in the process. His teammate Jim Rice was 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI.
     The teams will meet again tomorrow for the 4th game of the World Series. It will be a must-win game for Kansas City, who now needs to win all of the remaining 4 games to capture the championship. Tomorrow's starting pitchers are expected to be Paul Hartzell (18-6, 2.27) for Altoona and Jim Slaton (13-12, 3.21) for Kansas City. The Monarchs will be without the services of relief pitcher Bob Moose, who left the game with an injury and will miss the rest of the World Series.

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vs.

ALTOONA BEATS KANSAS CITY, 3-1, IN 2^ND SERIES GAME;
WATSON'S 5TH INNING HOMER PROVES DECISIVE;
WARRIORS NOW LEAD SERIES, 2 GAMES TO 0
Oct. 26, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: The Altoona Warriors won a 3-1 victory today over the Kansas City Monarchs in the 2nd game of the World Series. Altoona now leads the Series, 2 games to 0.
     The Warriors scored first with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. The Monarchs tied the game at 1-1 with a run in the top of the 3rd. The tie was broken in the bottom of the 5th when Altoona first baseman Bob Watson homered deep down the left field line with Rod Carew on base, giving the Warriors a 3-1 lead. Neither team scored the rest of the way. Dennis Eckersley pitched an outstanding game for the win, lasting 8 innings until he was lifted for a pinch hitter. Eckersley allowed only 1 run on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 9. Warrior relief ace Sparkey Lyle closed out the game by pitching a perfect 9th inning for the save, needing only 5 pitches to shut down the Monarch hitters in order. KC starter Fred Norman took the loss. Norman gave up 3 runs on 8 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings of work.
     After a day off for travel, the I-35 series will resume October 28 in Kansas City, where the Monarchs will have the advantage of playing in familiar surroundings. Starting pitchers will likely be Gary Nolan (23-9, 3.25) for Altoona and lefthander Jerry Koosman (17-7, 3.06) for Kansas City.

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.WARRIORS WIN WORLD SERIES OPENING GAME, 6-2;
CARLTON PITCHES COMPLETE GAME;
CAREW DRIVES IN 3
Oct. 25, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA:   The Altoona Warriors beat the Kansas City Monarchs in the first game of the VBG World Series by the score of 6 to 2. Warrior starting pitcher Steve Carlton (18-10, 2.68) pitched a complete game, allowing 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Altoona second baseman Rod Carew went 2 for 4 with a triple, 3 RBIs, and 1 run scored. KC starter Ed Figueroa (16-12, 3.14) took the loss. Figueroa lasted only 3^1/3 innings and was charged with 6 runs on 8 hits and no walks, with 4 strikeouts.
     The teams will play Game 2 tomorrow in Altoona.   Expected starting pitchers are left hander Fred Norman (14-13, 3.61) for the Monarchs and right hander Dennis Eckersley (17-6, 2.42) for Altoona.

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vs.

WARRIORS CAPTURE PENNANT WITH EXTRA INNING WIN;
ALTOONA BEATS QUASKY, 5 TO 4, IN 12 INNINGS;
WINNING RUN SCORES WHEN BATTER HIT BY PITCH WITH BASES LOADED
Oct. 21, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA:   The Altoona Warriors won the Peanut League pennant today in a very unusual way. With the scored tied in the 10th inning and bases loaded, Quasqueton Carpsucker closer Bob Apodaca hit Warrior shortstop Bud Harrelson with a pitch to force in the winning run. Altoona will now face the Kansas City Monarchs in the VBG World Series.
     The Warriors scored first in Game 7, taking a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd inning. With 2 outs and nobody on base, Ted Simmons lined a double to left center. Harrelson walked and then Hector Cruz hit a 3-run homer deep to left field.
     Altoona widened their lead to 4-0 in the 3rd inning. Billy North led off the inning with a walk on 4 straight pitches and then stole 2nd. Quasky hurler John Montefusco struck out the next two batters, Rod Carew and Bob Watson, but Jim Rice singled to drive in North.
     The Quillbacks got on the board with 2 runs in the 4th inning. Amos Otis led off with a single. Warrior starter Paul Hartzell retired the next 2 batters but Ken Singleton singled into center to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Rico Carty then lined a double to left center to drive in both baserunners and reduce the Warrior lead to 4-2.
     Quasqueton tied the game in the top of the 8th. Roger Metzger and Joe Torre each singled, and then Willie Crawford drove in Metzger with a single and Graig Nettles tied the game with a sacrifice fly that scored Torre.
     Neither team scored again until the bottom of the 12th inning. With Quasqueton closer Bob Apodaca on the mound, Watson led off with a single to shallow center. Rice hit into a force at 2nd base but Dave Winfield walked to move the winning run to 2nd base. PInch hitter Gary Mathews worked Apodaca for a base on balls that loaded the bases. The next batter, Bud Harrelson, fouled off the 1st pitch and took the 2nd pitch for a called strike. That's when Apodaca hit Harrelson with the 0-2 pitch to force in the winning run as the Warriors captured the Peanut Leauge pennant.
     After 3 days off the Warriors will now meet the Kansas City Monarchs in the World Series. The teams will have 3 days off before Game 1 of the Series will be played in Altoona on October 25.

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vs.

MONARCHS ADVANCE TO WORLD SERIES WITH 12-10 WIN;
KC & OAK RIDGE COMBINE FOR 25 HITS, 16 WALKS
Oct. 21, 1976
[Boxscore]
OAK RIDGE, TN: The Kansas City Monarchs and Oak Ridge Bombers turned the 6th game of their league championship series into a batting clinic, with the teams tallying a combined 25 hits and 16 walks. When the hit parade was over the Monarchs came away with a 12-10 victory and the Crackerjack League pennant.
     Kansas City came into this game leading in the series, 3 games to 2, and initially looked like they were going to win Game 6 by a comfortable margin. The Monarchs scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning, 2 runs in the 3rd, and another run in the top of the 5th for a 6-0 lead. But the Bombers came alive in the bottom of the 5th and scored 6 runs on 3 singles, 1 double, and 4 walks to tie the game at 6-6.
     The Monarchs immediately reclaimed the lead with a big 6th inning of their own. KC scored their 6 runs in the inning on 4 singles, 1 double, and 3 walks to take a 12-6 lead.
     The Bombers still had some fuel in their tanks, however, and came back in the bottom of the 9th to make it a close game. Tom Murphy was on the mound for KC at the start of the inning but he was taken out of the game after walking the leadoff man, Reggie Jackson, giving up a single to Bobby Grich, and then loading the bases by hitting Hal McRae with a pitch. Rollie Fingers, who had 36 saves during the regular season, relieved Murphy. Fingers retired the first batter he faced, Bill Robinson, on a sacrifice fly to to left that scored Jackson with Grich advancing to 3rd. The next batter, Jerry Grote, drew a walk to load the bases again and then Willie Davis blooped a single into shallow center that scored Grich. The score was now 12 to 8 with bases still loaded and only 1 out. Jim Spencer then worked Fingers for a walk that forced in a run from 3rd base, narrowing the KC lead to 12-9. Fingers finally got the 2nd out of the inning by retiring Del Unser on a ground out to 1st, but McRae scored on the play. That made it a 12-10 game with 2 out, the tying run on 2nd base, and the winning run at the plate. Pepe Mangual was the scheduled batter but the Oak Ridge manager sent Andy Etchebarren to the plate to pinch hit. Etchebarren grounded the first pitch to KC shortstop Enzo Hernandez for the game-ending out.
     Fred Lynn had a big game for the Monarchs with a home run, 3 singles, 4 RBIs and 3 runs. Fellow Monarch Cecil Cooper had 3 hits including a home run, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs.
     The Monarchs will now face either the Altoona Warriors or the Quasquetion Quillback Carpsuckers in the World Series.

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WARRIORS DEFEAT CARPS, 7-0, IN LCS GAME 6;
ECKERSLEY PITCHES COMPLETE GAME SHUTOUT;
PENNANT TO BE DECIDED BY 7^TH GAME
Oct. 20, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: The Altoona Warriors handily defeated the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers in the 6th game of their Peanut League Championship Series by the score of 7 to 0. Warriors starting pitcher Dennis Eckersley stifled the Quasky hitters all game and pitched a complete game shutout. Eckersley scattered 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8 batters. Altoona's batters had a good day, plating 7 runs on 14 hits and 2 walks. Warriors first base man Bob Watson hit the only home run of the game, a solo shot with 2 outs in the 1st inning. His teammate Jim Rice went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI. Rod Carew had 2 hits and 2 RBI.
The teams will play 1 more game tomorrow, with the winner advancing to the World Series.

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vs.

MONARCHS BEAT BOMBERS, 7-3, IN GAME 5;
KC TAKES LEAD IN CRACKERJACK LCS, 3 GAMES TO 2;
MONARCHS NOW 1 WIN AWAY FROM PENNANT
Oct. 19, 1976
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Kansas City Monarchs beat the Oak Ridge Bombers in the 5th game of their League Championship Series by the score of 7 to 3. The Monarchs have regained the lead in the playoff series and now lead the Bombers by 3 games to 2. KC needs just 1 more win to advance to the World Series.
     At the start of their 3-game homestand, the Monarchs were tied with the Bombers at 1 win each. Kansas City then took the series lead with a 2-0 victory in Game 3. The game featured outstanding complete game performances by both starting pitchers, Steve Rogers for Oak Ridge and Ed Figueora for Kansas City. Rogers allowed only 2 runs on 8 hits without walking any batters. Both of KC's runs were scored with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th. Tito Fuentes put KC on the board with a solo home run. Enzo Hernandez then singled, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a throwing error by catcher Andy Etchebaren, and scored on Larry Haney's single. That was the end of the scoring by either team. Meanwhile Figueora dominated the Oak Ridge batters, shutting them out and allowing only 2 hits and no walks. [Boxscore]
     The Bombers came back to tie the series with a victory in Game 4. The game was tied at 1-1 after 5 innings but Oak Ridge took the lead in the 6th inning and never looked back. They scored 1 run in the 6th, 2 in the 7th, and 2 more in the 8th to win, 6 to 1. Oak Ridge starter Pete Falcone pitched a complete game, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. The Bombers' Jim Spencer hit 2 doubles and drove in 2 runs, and Reggie Jackson went 1 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI. [Boxscore]
     Today it was the Monarchs' turn to come back from a loss, and they responded with a 7-3 victory in Game 5. In keeping with this playoff series' theme of solid performances by starting pitchers, Kansas City starter John Koosman earned a complete game victory. Koosman allowed 3 runs in 9 innings on 4 hits and 5 walks, striking out 7.   The Monarchs held a 3-0 lead going into the 6th inning but the Bombers came back to tie the game in the top of the 7th. The Oak Ridge comeback started with 2 runs in the top of the 6th when Pepe Mangual drew a leadoff walk and scored on Bobby Grich's triple. Grich then scored on a ground out by Hal McRea to narrow the Monarch lead to 3-2. The Bombers scored the tying run in the top of the 7th on pinch hitter Jim Fregosi's solo home run.
     However, the Monarchs quickly regained the upper hand with 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th and another 2 runs in the 8th inning, giving KC a 7-3 lead that held up to be the final score. [Boxscore]
     The teams will now get a day off to travel back to Tennessee for Game 6 on October 21 and, if necessary, Game 7 on October 22. Neither team has announced their starting pitcher for the 6th game yet, but the likely starters are southpaw Fred Norman for Oak Ridge and righthander Luis Tiant for Oak Ridge.

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WARRIORS BEAT CARPS 3-2 TO STAY ALIVE IN PEANUT LCS;
QUASKY LEADS SERIES, 3 GAMES TO 2
Oct. 18, 1976
QUASQUETON, IA: The Altoona Warriors came into today's game trailing in the Peanut League Championship Series, 3 games to 1. Altoona had lost the 3rd and 4th games to the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers and faced elimination if they didn't prevail in today's contest. The Warriors rose to the occasion and beat the Carps by the score of 3 to 2. The teams will now return to Altoona for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7.
     After splitting tthe first two games in Altoona, Quasqueton took the series lead with a 3-1 victory in Game 3. Quasky starter Bruce Kison pitched 8 strong innings, allowing 1 run while scattering 6 hits and a walk and striking out 6 batters. The Carps scored all 3 of their runs in the 5th inning on a solo homer by Graig Nettles, a double by Davey Lopes, and a 2-run home run by Roger Metzger. [Boxscore]
     In yesterday's Game 4, the Carps broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the 7th to take a 6-3 lead that became the final score. Roger Metzger set the table with a single with 1 out in the 7th. After Warrior reliever Dave Golz recorded the 2nd out, he walked Davey Lopes on 5 pitches to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Amos Otis then singled to drive in Metzger for the go-ahead run and send Lopes to 3rd. That brough up Rico Carty, who drove the ball to the deepest part of center field for a double. Lopes scored from 3rd and the speedy Otis scored from 1st to increase the Quillback lead to 6-3 which held up to become the final score. [Boxscore]
     Today was a do-or-die game for Altoona and the Warriors came through with a 3-2 victory. Quasqueton got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the 1st when Ken Singleton drove in Willie Crawford with a single. Altoona quickly tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 2nd with a double by Garry Templeton that drove in Jim Rice. Quasky regained the lead in the bottom of the 2nd. Davey Lopes led off the home half of the 2nd inning with a base on balls, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on Metzger's single, and scored on Amos Otis' double.
     Altoona tied the game again in the 5th inning when Ted Simmons got on base with a leadoff double and came around to score on an infield ground out by starting pitcher Paul Hartzell. The Warriors broke the 2-2 tie in the 7th inning. Simmons started things off with a 1-out single into shallow left and surprised almost everyone in the stadium by stealing 2nd. Templeton singled into 2nd and Simmons was safe at the plate, giving the Warriors a 3-2 lead. Neither team scored the rest of the way and the Warriors headed home to Altoona where they hope to win the next 2 games and the Peanut League pennant. [Boxscore]
     After a day off, Game 6 will be played in Altoona. Likely starting pitchers are Dennis Eckersley for Altoona and Bruce Kison for Quasqueton. Both are righthanders.

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vs.

BOMBERS, MONARCHS SPLIT PAIR OF CLOSE GAMES;
OAK RIDGE WINS 1^ST LCS GAME BY 4 TO 3 IN 12 INNINGS;
KC TIES SERIES WITH 1-0 VICTORY IN GAME 2
Oct. 15, 1976
OAK RIDGE, TN: The Oak Ridge Bombers and Kansas City Monarchs took turns winning by 1-run margins to begin their Crackerjack League Championship Series. Yesterday's series opener went to the 12th inning before Oak Ridge won it, 4 to 3. Today the Monarchs tied the LCS with a 1-0 victory in a tense pitchers duel.
     The first game in the series saw Oak Ridge's Vida Blue face Kansas City's Jerry Koosman. Kansas City got on the board first with a run in the top of the 2nd. Oak Ridge quickly tied it with Bill Robinson's solo home run in the bottom of the inning and then took a 2-1 lead in the 4th inning thanks to a solo home run by Reggie Jackson. KC regained the lead with a pair of runs in the 7th that put them ahead by 3-2. The Bombers tied the game in the bottom of the 9th when Robinson hit his 2nd solo homer of the game. The teams remained tied at 3-3 until the 12th inning. Jerry Grote led off the bottom of the 12th with a single. Monarch reliever Rollie Fingers retired the next 2 batters but couldn't get the 3rd out. Chris Speier singled to right to send Grote to 3rd base and Pepe Mangual singled to drive in Grote with the winning run. [Boxscore]
     Today's game featured a pitching clinic put on by Kansas City's Fred Norman and Oak Ridge's Luis Tiant which was won by KC, 1-0. Tiant pitched a complete game, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits and no walks. The only KC run was scored with 2 out in the 4th inning when Cecil Cooper hit a solo home run. Norman was even stingier, scattering 4 hits and 5 walks while shutting out the Bombers for 7 innings. Tom Murphy relieved Norman in the 8th inning and maintained the shutout for the final 2 innings. [Boxscore]
     The teams will now travel to Kansas City where the series will resume with Game 3 on Oct. 17. Starting pitchers haven't been announced yet, but KC's Ed Figueroa and Oak Ridge's Steve Rogers are next in line in their teams' normal rotations.

vs.

WARRIORS OVERPOWER CARPS IN LCS OPENER, 18-3;
QUASKY WINS GAME 2 IN EXTRA INNINGS, 5 TO 3
Oct. 14, 1976
ALTOONA IA: Yesterday the Altoona Warriors completely demolished the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsucker pitching staff in the opening game of their Peanut League Championship Series. The Warriors tallied 18 hits and 5 walks en route to an 18 - 3 runaway victory. But the Carps were able to dig themselves out of the rubble and regroup for Game 2, which they won in 11 innings by the score of 5 to 3.
     In the series opener the Warriors jumped all over Quasky starter John Montefusco and drove him from the mound before any outs were recorded in the bottom of the 1st inning. Altoona had a 6-2 lead after the 1st inning and didn't let up, scoring 11 runs in the 3rd and another in the 4th for a total of 18 runs. Tucker Ashford scored 3 of Altoona's runs. Rod Carew, Bob Watson, and Dave Winfield each drove in 3 runs. [Boxscore]
     Today the Quillbacks evened the series with a 5-3 win in 11 innings. Quasky broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the 7th inning, taking a 3-1 lead on an RBI single by Willie Crawford and a bases loaded balk by Warrior pitcher Dennis Eckersley. Altoona tied the game again with two runs in the bottom of the 7th when Jim Rice drove in Bud Harrelson and Rod Carew with a bases loaded single.
     The score remained knotted at 3-3 until the top of the 11 inning. With 1 out and Warrior pitcher Sparky Lyle on the mound, Amos Otis singled, stole 2nd, and scored on a single by Crawford to give Quasqueton a 4-3 lead. Tim McCarver then doubled to drive in Crawford to make the score 5-3.
     Altoona threatened a comeback with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th when Quasky reliever Dave LaRoche gave up back-to-back walks to Bob Watson and Jerry Terrell. That put the tying run on base and brought the potential winning run to the plate with Dave Winfield at bat. But LaRoche shook off the two inopportune walks and struck out Winfield to preserve the win. [Boxscore]
     The teams will now take a day off to make the short trip up to Quasqueton for the next 3 games. The series will resume on October 16, with Altoona's Gary Nolan and Quasky's Bruce Kison likely to start.

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vs.

BOMBERS WIN DECIDING GAME BY 7-6 IN 12 INNINGS;
GAME DECIDED BY WALK WITH BASES LOADED;
OAK RIDGE ADVANCES TO CRACKERJACK LCS
Oct. 10, 1976
[Boxscore]
OAK RIDGE, TN: The Oak Ridge Bombers and Goat Island Lights met today in the 5th and final game in their League Semifinal Playoff, with a trip to the Peanut League Championship Series at stake. In today's game the teams were locked in a tight battle that went into extra innings. The Bombers finally won the game on a bases loaded walk with 2 outs in the bottom of the 12th inning.
     Both starting pitchers faced some rough going today. Goat Island's Frank Tanana pitched 6^1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits. Oak Ridge starter Vida Blue pitched well until the wheels came off in the 6th inning. Blue was charged with 4 runs in the inning and was relieved before any outs were recorded,
     Oak Ridge scored first with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th. Goat Island had a big inning in the 6th to take a 5-2 lead, but Oak Ridge came back to tie the game at 5-5 with a run in the bottom of the 6th and 2 runs in the 7th. The Lights regained the lead with 1 run in the top of the 9th when Ken Henderson hit a leadoff single, advanced to 2nd on Joe Ferguson's ground out, and scored on a 2-out double by Dick Allen.
     The Lights weren't able to close out the win in the bottom of the 9th, however. Goat Island brought in their best closer, Jim Kern, who had saved 36 games during the regular season. Kern caused some anxiety in the Lights dugout when he hit leadoff hitter Willie Davis with a pitch to put the tying run on base with no outs. But Kern atoned for that slip by picking off Davis who was then thrown out attempting to steal 2nd. However, the next batter, Del Unser, belted a solo homer to send the game into extra innings with the score tied at 6-6.
     The score remained tied until the bottom of the 12th, With Kern still on the mound for Goat Island at the start of the inning, Pepe Mangual led off with a single and advanced to 2nd when the next batter, Reggie Jackson, worked Kern for a base on balls. Kern struck out Bobby Grich for the 1st out but then walked Hal McRae to load the bases, still with only 1 out. That was all for Kern, who was replaced on the mound by Mike Norris. Bill Robinson, who had homered earlier in the game, took a cut at the first pitch but grounded it to the mound where Norris scooped it up and threw home for the force out. That left the bases still loaded, now with 2 outs, and Jerry Grote at the plate. Grote showed remarkable patience by taking 4 straight pitches from Norris and earning a bases-loaded game-winning base on balls.
     The Bombers will now advance to the Crackerjack League Championship Series where they will face the Kansas City Monarchs. The first two games of the LCS will be played in Oak Ridge.

vs.

WARRIORS WIN GAME 5 OF SEMIFINAL BY 1-0;
CARLTON SHUTOUT SENDS ALTOONA TO LCS
Oct. 9, 1976
[Boxscore]
ALTOONA, IA: Steve Carlton pitched a shutout to lead the Altoona Warriors to a 1-0 win in Game 5 of the League Semifinal Playoff series. Altoona's victory over the Virginia Cardinals sends the Warriors to the Peanut League Championship Series, one step closer to the World Series.
     Both teams demonstrated why they were the top 2 teams in the entire VBG in preventing opponents from scoring. Virginia starting pitcher Randy Jones had a strong outing and performed well enough to win if he had enjoyed even a little bit of offensive support. Jones didn't walk any batters and gave up only 4 hits before he was removed for a pinch hitter in the top of the 7th inning. The only Altoona run scored in the 2nd inning when Jim Rice hit a leadoff double, advanced to 3rd on a single by Dave Winfield, and scored when Ted Simmons grounded into a fielder's choice.
     Carlton faced a few tight spots but always pitched his way out of trouble, shutting out the Cardinals on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7 batters.
     Altoona will now face Quasqueton in an all-Iowa Peanut League Championship Series. The Warriors will have home field advantage with 4 of the 7 games played in Altoona. Although the Warriors finished a whopping 17 games ahead of the Carpsuckers in the regular season, Quasueton managed to tie Altoona 9-9 when they played head-to-head.

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vs.

GOAT ISLAND WINS GAME 4 TO TIE SEMIFINAL SERIES;
3-1 VICTORY OVER BOMBERS EVENS SERIES AT 2 WINS EACH;
DECIDING GAME TO BE PLAYED IN OAK RIDGE
Oct. 8, 1976
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Goat Island Lights were facing elimination today in their League Semifinal Playoff series against the Oak Ridge Bombers, but the Lights stayed alive by beating the Bombers by 3 to 2. The teams are now tied in the semifinal series with 2 wins apiece, with the winner to be decided in a 5th game to be played in Oak Ridge.
     The teams had split their first 2 games in Oak Ridge before the series moved to Cape Porpoise for the 3rd and 4th games. Bombers starting pitcher Steve Rogers dominated the Lights in Game 3 and recorded a complete game victory to give Oak Ridge a 1-game lead in the series. Rogers held Goat Island to only 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. Oak Ridge built an early 3-0 lead before Goat Island scored their first and only run in the 7th inning. Frank Duffy capped off the Bombers win with a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th. [Boxscore]
     With their back against the wall, the Lights came back with a 3-1 victory in today's 4th game. Goat Island benefitted from a strong performance by starting pitcher Stan Thomas, who gave up only 1 run in 7 innings on 5 hits and 1 walk. Oak Ridge starter Pete Falcone scattered 7 hits and 4 walks across 7^1/3 innings. [Boxscore]
     The teams will take a day off to travel to Tennessee for the decisive 5th game. Although neither team has made an official announcement of their starting pitchers for Game 5, southpaw Frank Tanana is expected to start for Goat Island and righthander Frank LaCorte is the next pitcher up in the Bombers regular rotation.

vs.

ALTOONA BATTLES BACK FROM THE BRINK;
WARRIORS BEAT CARDINALS TWICE IN ROANOKE;
SERIES NOW TIED AT 2 WINS APIECE
Oct. 7, 1976
ROANOKE, VA: The Virginia Cardinals were flying high after beating the top-seeded Altoona Warriors twice in the Warriors home park to take a 2-0 lead in victories. The Cards only needed to win 1 of their next 2 games in their home park to eliminate the Warriors and advance to the Peanut League Championship series. But the Warriors didn't win 109 games by giving up easily. Altoona won both games in Virginia to tie the series. The series will now be decided by a 5th game in Altoona.
     Both teams' bullpens were tired after back-to-back extra inning games in the first 2 contests, but both teams' starters gave their relief corps a break in yesterday's Game 3. Altoona starter Gary Nolan breezed through the Virginia lineup for 9 innings, pitching a shutout and giving up only 5 hits and 1 walk. Virginia starter Dennis Leonard held the Warriors scoreless for the first 5 innings. Altoona finally got on the board in the 6th inning with a triple by Rod Carew and an RBI single by Bob Watson, but Leonard held his own on the mound until he was removed for a pinch hitter in the 8th with the Warriors leading 3-0. Altoona scored 3 more runs in the top of 9th off of reliever Chuck Taylor and came away with a 6-0 victory. [Boxscore]
     Altoona won today's 4th game by the score of 4 to 2. Paul Hartzell started for Altoona but left the game with an injury in the 5th inning. Virginia starter Bert Blyleven didn't stick around much longer, departing in the 6th inning with the Cardinals on the wrong end of the 4-2 score. Both bullpens shut out their opponents the rest of the way, but the final result was a 4-2 Altoona win. Altoona catcher Ted Simmons contriubed 4 hits and 2 RBI to the Altoona cause, and Jim Rice added a double and a triple. [Boxscore] After the game the Altoona manager announced that Hartzell's injury will probably keep him out of action for about 10 days.
     After a day off to travel from Virginia back to Iowa, the teams will meet one more time on Oct. 8 for the 5th and final game in their series.

vs.

MONARCHS ELIMINATE CARLISLE WITH 2 WINS IN KC;
KANSAS CITY ADVANCES TO LCS
Oct. 7, 1976
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Kansas City Monarchs will advance to the Crackerjack League Championship Series after beating the Carlisle Thundering Herd in the 3rd and 4th game of their semifinal series by the score of 6 to 3. The teams had split their first 2 games in Carlisle.
     In yesterday's Game 3 the Monarchs took an early lead but the Thundering Herd mounted a comeback that fell just short. Kansas City opened the scoring with 2 runs in the bottom of the 2nd and held a 7-3 lead after 5 innings. Carlisle made it a close game by scoring 1 run in the 7th inning, 2 runs in the 8th, and 1 more run in the 9th to pull within 1 run. But their rally came to an end with the Thundering Herd still trailing by 1 run and the Monarchs winning the game by 7 to 6. [Boxscore]
     Today the Monarchs were strong out of the gate, scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st off of Carlisle starter Mark Fidrych. Fidrych struggled with his control in the opening inning and gave up 3 singles, 3 walks, and a sacrifice fly before getting the 2nd out. He settled down after the 1st inning and pitched into the 8th inning without giving up any more walks and allowing only 3 more hits. Unfortunately for Carlisle one of those hits was a 2-run home run by Cecil Cooper with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. Cooper's blast extended KC's lead to 6-3 which held up to become the final score. [Boxscore]
     The Monarchs will now face either the Bombers or the Lights in the Crackerjack League Championship Series.

vs.

CARPS WIN, 6-4, IN 12 INNINGS, ADVANCE TO LCS;
COMMONERS WIN GAME 3 BUT FALL SHORT IN GAME 4
Oct. 7, 1976
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers and Craftsbury Commoners split a pair of close games played in Craftsbury Common. Yesterday the Commoners won Game 3 by the score of 3 to 1, keeping their pennant hopes alive after losing the first 2 playoff games in Quasqueston. But those hopes were dashed today when the Carps won Game 4 in extra innings by 6 to 4. The Carps will now wait to see if they will face Altoona or Virginia in the Peanut League Championship Series.
In Game 3, Quasky starter Bruce Kison pitched effectively but had to leave the game with an injury in the 5th inning with the score tied 1-1. He was replaced by Woody Fryman who ended up taking the loss after allowing 2 runs to score. Commoner starting pitcher Andy Hassler turned in 7 strong innings. Hassler allowed only 4 hits and walked only 1 batter before being removed for a pinch hitter with his team leading 3-1. Ed Armbrister went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI for Craftsbury. [Boxscore]
Game 4 was a see-saw battle for the first 9 innings. Quasqueton took the first lead with 2 runs in the top of the 2nd inning, one of which was due to a solo home run by Rico Carty. Craftsbury scored their first run in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a solo homer by Cesar Cedeno, and then took a 3-2 lead with 2 runs in the 7th. The Quillbacks reclaimed the lead with a 2-run home run by Amos Otis that gave Quasky a 4-3 lead. But the Commoners tied the game in the bottom of the 9th with 2 singles and a sacrifice fly. The game went into extra innings with the score tied 4-4. Quasqueton finally broke the tie with 2 unearned runs in the top of the 12th, taking a 6-4 lead that would be the final score. [Boxscore]

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vs.

BOMBERS BEAT LIGHTS, 2-1, IN 2ND PLAYOFF GAME;
OAK RIDGE-GOAT ISLAND SERIES TIED AT 1 GAME EACH;
SERIES NOW MOVES TO CAPE PORPOISE
Oct. 5, 1976
CARLISLE, ,PA: The Oak Ridge Bombers capitalized on a strong outing by Luis Tiant to beat the Goat Island Lights by 2 to 1 in the 2nd game of their League Semifinal Playoff. The teams are now tied in the series, 1 win each.
In yesterday's Game 1, Goat Island wasted no time in driving Bomber starter Vida Blue from the mound. The Lights scored 4 runs in the 1st inning on 3 doubles and a single, and scored another run in the 2nd inning on a walk and a double, at which point Blue was pulled from the mound with his team trailing by 5 runs. But the Bombers got back in the game with home runs by Bobby Grich, Jim Spencer, and Jim Fregosi. Goat Island was able to hang on for a 6-4 win, taking a 1-game lead in the series. [Boxscore]
Oak Ridge tied the series today with a 2-1 victory, thanks in large part to starter Luis Tiant's solid performance. Tiant held the Lights to 1 run on 5 singles, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Goat Island starter Dennis Lewallyn also pitched well but fell victim to a lack of offensive support. Lewallyn allowed 2 runs, only 1 of which was earned, in 6^2/3 innings of work. [Boxscore] After a day off for travell the series will resume with 2 games in the Lights' home stadium.

vs.

MONARCHS & THUNDERING HERD TIE PLAYOFF SERIES, 1 WIN EACH;
KC WINS GAME 1 BY 6 TO 3;
CARLISLE WINS, 7-1, IN GAME 2
Oct. 4, 1976
CARLISLE, ,PA: The Kansas City Monarchs won the first game of their League Semifinal Playoff series against the Carlisle Thundering Herd by 6 to 3, but the Herd came stampeding back with a 7-1 win in Game 2. Their playoff series is now tied at 1 victory each. The action will now move to Kansas City where Game 3 is scheduled to be held on October 6.
   In yesterday's Game 1, the teams went into the 9th inning with Carlisle holding a 3-2 lead thanks to Jim Essian's solo homer in the 8th. Carlisle starter Mark Fidrych had pitched well up to that point but had shown signs of tiring in the 8th inning, so he was relieved at the start of the 9th inning by Randy Moffitt, Carlisle's ace closer who notched 42 saves during the regular season. Moffitt didn't have his best stuff that day, however, and KC scored 4 runs on a double, 2 singles, 2 walks, and a wild pitch to take over the lead, 6-3. The Monarchs' Rollie Fingers took the mound in the bottom of the 9th to close out the KC win. [Boxscore]
     Carlisle won today's Game 2 by a comfortable 7-1 margin. Ken Brett started for the Thundering Herd and went the distance for the victory. Joe Morgan was the offensive star for Carlisle, going 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBI. [Boxscore]
     The teams will have a day off to travel to Kansas City where the series will resume on October 6.

vs.

CARDINALS BEAT WARRIORS TWICE IN ALTOONA;
BULLPENS WEARY AS BOTH GAMES GO EXTRA INNINGS;
CARDINALS NOW 1 WIN AWAY FROM ADVANCING TO LCS
Oct. 4, 1976
ALTOONA, IA: There can be no doubt that the Altoona Warriors have been the dominant team in the VBG this season. They dominated the Peanut League, winning the Regular Season championship by 17 games. They won 109 games, 12 more than the Crackerjack League's top team. In the first round of the playoffs the Warriors are facing the Virginia Cardinals, a team they beat 12 out of 18 games during the regular season. But none of that matters in the post season when, as all baseball fans know, anything can happen in a short series. The Cardinals opened their League Semifinal Playoff by beating the Warriors in 2 extra-inning games in Altoona's home park. Yesterday's series opener lasted 12 innings and today's game went 13 innings.
     In yesterday's Game 1, the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead in the 7th inning on back-to-back solo home runs by Mario Guerrero and Bruce Kimm. They held that lead until Altoona scored a run to tie the game with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. The score remained tied until the top of the 12th when the Cardinals scored 3 runs on 4 singles and 1 stolen base. Altoona threatened to come back with 2 outs in the bottom of the 13th, hitting 3 consecutive singles to load the bases. That put the tying run on 1st and the winning run at the plate with Ted Simmons at bat. Unfortunately for the Warriors, Simmons flied out to right to end the game. [Boxscore]
     Today's game featured outstanding pitching by both teams that led to a scoreless tie at the end of 9 innings. For the 2nd day in a row the game went into extra innings and the score was still 0-0 after 12 frames. Virginia finally broke the deadlock in the top of the 13th. With Steve Stone on the mound for Altoona, Virginia scored a run with a double by Steve Garvey, a sacrifice bunt by Larry Hisle, and an RBI single by Bruce Kimm to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Once again Altoona threatened to come back in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter Rod Carew reached 2nd base on an error by Ken Boswell and advanced to 3rd on a sacrifice bunt by Bob Watson. But Stone retired the next 2 batters to save the win. [Boxscore]
     The teams will now have a day off for travel, which will be a welcome break for the two bullpens that have worked a combined 23^2/3 innings in 2 days. The series will resume in Roanoke on October 6.

vs.

CARPS WIN GAME 2 OF PLAYOFF, 3 TO 2;
QUASKY LEADS CRAFTSBURY IN SERIES, 2 GAMES TO 0;
CONTEST NOW MOVES TO CRAFTSBURY COMMON
Oct. 4, 1976
QUASQUETON, IA: The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers edged out the Craftsbury Commoners today, winning the 2nd game of their League Semifinal Playoff series by the score of 3 to 2. Quasky now leads in the playoff series, 2 games to 0.
     The Carpsuckers won yesterday's series opener with an outstanding performance by starting pitcher John Montefusco. Montefusco kicked off the Carpsuckers' postseason with an impressive complete game victory, shutting out the Commoners and allowing only 4 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings. Montefusco also helped his cause with the bat with a single that drove in the Carps' first run. Tim McCarver drove in 2 of Quasqueton's runs with a 2-run homer. [Boxscore]
     In today's game the Commoners took an early lead with 1 run in the 1st inning and another run in the 2nd. The Quillbacks came back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 3rd to tie the game at 2-2. Quasky scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 7th when Bernie Carbo hit a 1-out single, stole 2nd, and then scored on Amos Otis' double. [Boxscore]
     After a day off for travel to Vermont, the series will resume with Game 3 on Oct. 6 and then, if necessary, Game 4 on Oct. 7.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE 1976 REGULAR SEASON IS OVER!
FINAL PLAYOFF SLOTS DECIDED IN CLOSING DAYS

RALEIGH, NC: With only a few days left in the regular season, it appeared that both leagues might require tiebreaker games to decide the final playoff slots. However, both leagues' battles for 3rd and 4th place were resolved in the final few days of the regular season.

In the Crackerjack League, the Oak Ridge Bombers won 97 games and finished in 1st place by a margin of 3 games over the 2nd place Carlisle Thundering Herd. The Kansas City Monarchs and Goat Island Lights tied for 3rd place with 91 wins each. The Coruscant Pinstripers battled the Monarchs and Lights down to the wire but were elminated from the playoffs when they lost to the Eagles on the final day of the season and finished with 90 wins. Kansas City will be the 3rd-seeded team by virtue of their 11-7 record in head-to-head games against Goat Island, and the Lights will be seeded 4th. The Bombers will have home field advantage in their best-of-5 series against the Lights, and the Thundering Herd will have home field advantage when they face the Monarchs in the first round.

In the Peanut League, the Altoona Warriors dominated the competition, winning 109 games and winning the Regular Season Championship by a margin of 17 games. The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers finished 2nd with 92 wins. The 4-way battle for 3rd and 4th place was resolved with only 2 days left in the season when the Iowa City Emus and Georgia Pines were both eliminated on September 28. The Craftsbury Commoners captured 3rd place with 87 wins, and the Virginia Cardinals took 4th place with 86 wins. The Warriors and Cardinals will meet in the first round of postseason playoffs, with Altoona enjoying the home field advantage in the 5-game series. The Carpsuckers and Commoners will face off in the other Peanut playoff bracket, with Quasqueton having the home field advantage.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With only 4 days remaining in the VBG regular season, it looks like we could be heading for a wild finish:

GOAT ISLAND, CORUSCANT, & KANSAS CITY ARE NECK-AND-NECK IN 3-WAY BATTLE FOR 2 CRACKERJACK PLAYOFF SLOTS

4-WAY BATTLE FOR 2 PEANUT LEAGUE PLAYOFF TICKETS;
3^RD PLACE AND 6^TH PLACE TEAMS SEPARATED BY ONLY 3 GAMES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With 7 days remaining in the VBG regular season:

OAK RIDGE & CARLISLE HAVE CLINCHED CRACKERJACK LEAGUE PLAYOFF BERTHS

KANSAS CITY, CORUSCANT, & GOAT ISLAND FIGHTING FOR FINAL 2 TICKETS TO CJ POSTSEASON

ALTOONA COASTS INTO 1^ST PLACE FINISH IN PEANUT LEAGUE;
QUASQUETON CLINCHES PLAYOFF APPEARANCE

FOUR TEAMS BATTLING FOR FINAL 2 PEANUT LEAGUE PLAYOFF SLOTS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

EAGLES BEAT BOMBERS IN 23 INNINGS, 5 TO 1;
MUMPHREY BELTS WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM
Sept. 7, 1976
[Boxscore]
FRISCO, TX: The Frisco Eagles and Oak Ridge Bombers fought a marathon battle today, locking horns for 23^1/2 innings before the Eagles finally won the game on Jerry Mumphrey's 2-out grand slam in the bottom of the 24^th.

Starting pitchers Steve Rogers for Oak Ridge and Doyle Alexander for Frisco each pitched outstanding games. Alexander threw 8 innings and allowed only 1 run on 4 hits and 1 walk. Rogers was even more impressive, lasting 11 innings and giving up only 1 run on 6 hits and 3 walks.

With the score tied 1-1 after 5 innings, the two pitching staffs threw dueling shutouts for the next 17^1/2 innings. In the bottom of the 24^thwith Steve Foucault on the mound for Oak Ridge, Eagles catcher Bill Plummer hit a leadoff single. Lenny Randle reached 1st on a fielder's choice that erased Plummer, and Roy White followed with a single to right center that put runners on 1st and 3rd base. That brought up Roy Smalley with the winning run on 3rd, only 1 out, and the great Willie McCovey in the on-deck circle. McCovey was once one of the most feared sluggers in the VBG, but the Bombers intentionally walked Smalley to load the bases and pitch to the once-mighty slugger. McCovey popped out to the 2nd baseman for the 2nd out. The next batter, Jerry Mumphrey, came to the plate sporting an anemic .212 batting average with 2 home runs. The unlikely hero fouled off the first pitch and then lofted the next pitch into right field for a game-winning grand slam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

RANDY JONES PITCHES 1-HITTER;
CARDINALS BEAT COMMONERS, 4-1
Aug. 20, 1976
[Boxscore]
CRAFTSBURY COMMON, VT: Randy Jones of the Virginia Cardinals came close to pitching a no-hitter today but had to settle for a 1-hit victory over the Craftsbury Commoners. The Cardinals, who are battling the Commoners for 3rd place in the Peanut League standings, won the game by the score of 4 to 1.

Jones had a perfect game going through the first 5^1/3 innings and the Cardinals were enjoying a 4-0 lead with 1 out in the 6th. That's when Glen Borgman spoiled Johnson's bid for the record books by hitting a triple. Hank Aaron then grounded out to 2nd base with Borgmann coming home on the play to narrow the Cardinal lead to 4-1. Jones then retired 9 of the last 10 batters he faced. The only other Commoner to reach base was Reggie Smith, who made it to 1st base on an error in the 7th inning. Jones improved his record to 18-7 and lowered his ERA to 2.05.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

PETE FALCONE PITCHES NO-HITTER
BOMBERS BEAT RHINOS, 4-0

Falcone
July 30, 1976
[Boxscore]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PEANUT LEAGUE WINS 1976 ALL-STAR GAME, 2-0;
PL HURLERS ALLOW ONLY 2 HITS;
RANDY JONES NAMED MIDSUMMER CLASSIC MVP

Jones
July 12, 1976
[Boxscore]
TULSA, OK: The 1976 Midsummer Classic game was a showcase for the Peanut League's pitchers, who only needed a combined total of 87 pitches to throw a 2-hit shutout against the cream of the Crackerjack League batters. The game, which was a low-scoring affair on both sides, was won by the Peanuts by a 2-0 score.

Peanut League starting pitcher Randy Jones set the tone for the PL when he retired the first 11 batters he faced. Tony Perez finally became the first CJ baserunner of the game when he singled with 2 outs in the 4th inning. Tom Seaver took over the Peanut pitching duties at that pont and picked up where Jones left off by retiring all 7 batters he faced.

While Jones and Seaver were dominating the Crackerjack League batters, the Peanut League hitters were putting plenty of men on base but having trouble getting them accross home plate. Crackerjack starter Mark Fidrych allowed PL runners to reach scoring position in both of the first 2 innings but was able to get outs when he needed them to prevent any damage.

It was a different story in the 3rd inning, however. With 1 out, PL catcher Ted Simmons started the fire with a double. Bob Watson followed with an opposite field single down the right field line that scored Simmons and gave the Peanuts a 1-0 lead. Mike Schmidt singled to left center to put runners on 1st and 3rd. Pete Rose then hit a slow dribbler to 1st and beat out the throw for a base hit that scored Watson. increasing the Peanut lead to 2-0. The CJ manager considered relieving Fidrych but left him in the game to face righthanded hitter Cesar Cedeno with runners on 1st and 2nd and still only 1 out. Cedeno singled up the middle and Schmidt attempted to score from 2nd on the hit, but CJ center fielder Fred Lynn gunned him down at the plate with a perfect throw. Ron Reed relieved Fidrych on the mound and got out of the inning with a routine fly out by Amos Otis.

The Peanut League hitters had more chances to score in the last 6 innings but the Crackers prevented them from capitalizing on their opportunties by a combination of clutch fielding and solid pitching when it counted. The PL finished the game with 13 hits and 2 walks while stranding 12 runners on base. But thanks to outstanding pitching by the PL bullpen, they didn't need any more runs to win the game.

As a unit, the Peanut League pitching staff pitched a 2-hit shutout and gave up only 2 walks while striking out 5 in 9 innings of work. The PL staff was a model of pitching efficiency, needing to throw only 87 pitches, 61 of which were strikes. On the offensive side of the ledger, Peanut League hitters Rod Carew, Bob Watson, Cesar Cedeno, and Al Oliver each had 2 hits.

In a brief ceremony after the game the VBG commissioner awarded the Midsummer Classic Trophy to the Peanut League manager. PL starting pitcher Randy Jones was named Most Valuable Player of the game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

WEST PARK WINS 17-INNING GAME, 3 TO 2;
KUIPER DRIVES IN WOHLFORD FOR THE WIN
June 27, 1976
[Boxscore]
CLEVELAND, OH: The West Park Splinters and Frisco Eagles battled in a seemingly never-ending game today before the Splinters finally scratched out the winning run in the top of the 17th inning for a 3-2 victory.
     Frisco got on the board early with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. West Park came back to tie the game at 2-2 with a run in the top of the 3rd and another run in the 5th. The game remained tied at 2-2 through the next 11 innings.
     The Splinters opened the top of the 17th inning with a single by Butch Hobson off of Frisco reliever Frank Riccelli. Jim Wohlford came into the game to pinch run for Hobson. Wohlford stole 2nd on Riccelli's first pitch to the next batter, Sandy Alomar, and then advanced to 3rd when Alomar grounded out to 1st base. That brought up Duane Kuiper with the go-ahead run on 3rd base and only 1 out. Kuiper grounded a single between 1st and 2nd to drive in Wohlford and finally break the tie.
      Frisco threatened to come back in the bottom of the 17th. They put the leadoff man on 1st base when Splinters pitcher Skip Lockwood walked Dave Collins on 4 straight pitches. Jeff Burroughs attempted a sacrifice bunt to move Lockwood into scoring position but forced Collins at 2nd instead. Lockwood retired the next 2 batters to end the inning and save the win for West Park.
     West Park starting pitcher Ross Grimsley pitched 9 innings and allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 1 batter. Reliever Grant Jackson played a critical role in the Splinters' victory by pitching 6 shutout innings after taking over for Grimsley. J.R. Richard started for Frisco and lasted 10^1/3 innings. Richard gave up 2 runs on 11 hits and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

ISOTOPES NUKE RHINOS, 27 TO 4;
CINCY HURLERS GIVE UP 23 HITS & 7 WALKS
June 9, 1976
[Boxscore]
OCEAN VIEW, MD: The Ocean View Isotopes went on a hitting rampage today, recording 23 hits and 7 walks to beat the Cincinnati Rhinos by the score of 27 to 4. Every Ocean View player in the starting lineup had at least 1 hit and 1 RBI in the game, and 8 of the 9 starters scored at least 1 run. Pat Kelly scored 5 runs for the Isotopes. Mark Belanger, Oscar Gamble, and Buddy Bell each drove in 4 runs.

vs.

GOAT ISLAND ROLLS OVER CINCINNATI, 19 TO 4;
June 6, 1976
[Boxscore]
CINCINNATI, OH: The Goat Island Lights rang up 19 runs on 17 hits to defeat the Cincinnati Rhinos. Goat Island took an early 5-1 lead after 3 innings and then turned the game into a runaway with 7 runs in the 4th. Jason Thompson and Gary Thomasson each homered and drove in 5 runs for the Lights.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

GOAT ISLAND BEATS KANSAS CITY, 12-5;
JASON THOMPSON DRIVES IN 7 RUNS
May 28, 1976
[Boxscore]
KANSAS CITY, MO: Jason Thompson of the Goat Island Lights drove in 7 runs today to lead the Lights to a 12-5 win over the Kansas City Monarchs. The Lights victory put them into a 3-way tie for 2nd place, 3^1/2 games behind the 1st place Monarchs.
Goat Island fans must hope that Thompson's banner day is a sign that he is turning his season around after starting the year in a prolonged slump. The promising rookie came into today's game batting only .182 with 3 home runs. Thompson came to bat in the top of the 1st inning with bases loaded and launched the ball deep to right center field for a grand slam. He drove in a run in the 5th inning with a sacrifice fly and then brought home 2 more runs with a triple in the 8th inning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

WARRIORS TROUNCE EMUS, 17-5;
ALTOONA TALLIES 24 HITS
May 17, 1976
[Boxscore]
IOWA CITY, IA: The Altoona Warriors showed no mercy to the Iowa City Emus on May 17, beating the Emus 17-5 on 23 hits and 4 walks. The Emus sent a parade of 8 pitchers to the mound in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the Altoona barrage. Ted Simmons, Rod Carew, and Hector Cruz each had 4 hits for Altoona and Dave Winfield had 3 hits. This is the third time so far this season that the Warriors have scored 10 or more runs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

BOMBERS WIN 18-INNING GAME ON WALK-OFF HOMER;
BILL ROBINSON'S 3-RUN BLAST BREAKS SCORELESS TIE
May 15, 1976
[Boxscore]
OAK RIDGE, TN: The Ocean View Isotopes and Oak Ridge Bombers held each other scoreless for 17^1/2 innings before the Bombers finally won the game in the bottom of the 18^th by the score of 3 to 0. Oak Ridge's victory occurred in dramatic fashion with a walk-off 3-run homer by Bill Robinson.
Both starting pitchers pitched well enough to win on almost any other day. Ocean View's Marty Pattin shut out the Bombers for 10 innings before finally tiring and leaving the game with 2 outs in the 11^th. Pattin limited the Oak Ridge batters to 6 hits with no walks in those 10^2/3 innings and struck out 7. Bombers starter Steve Rogers held the Isotopes scoreless for 10 innings, allowing only 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 batters.
With the score still tied at 0-0 after 17^1/2 innings, Oak Ridge outfielder Hal McRae led off the bottom of the 18th with a single off of Isotope pitcher Paul Mitchell. Bart Johnson relieved Mitchell and walked the next batter, Bobby Grich, putting the winning run on 2nd. That brought up Bill Robinson, who launched the ball into the left field stands for a 3-run walk-off home run.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

FRYMAN PITCHES NO-HITTER;
CARPS BEAT SPITFIRES, 12-0

Fryman
May 11, 1976
[Box score]
QUASQUETON, IA: Woodie Fryman of the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers threw a no-hit shutout against the Space City Spitfires today. The Quasky batters provided more than enough run support for Fryman, scoring 12 runs on 14 hits and 3 walks.
Fryman was nearly perfect, allowing only 2 runners to reach base safely. The first Spitfire batter to get on base was 1st baseman Earl Williams, who reached base with 1 out in the 2nd inning on an error by 2nd baseman Davey Lopes. Williams was quickly erased when Fryman induced the next batter, Ted Sizemore, to ground into a double play to end the inning. The only other Space City baserunner allowed by Fryman was Al Oliver, who was hit by a pitch with 2 outs in the 6th inning. Carp 3rd baseman Graig Nettles hit his 13th homer and drove in 3 runs, increasing his VBG-leading RBI total to 40 and moving into a tie with Georgia's Mike Schmidt for the VBG home run lead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

EAGLES WIN 17-INNING MARATHON;
FRISCO BEATS GOAT ISLAND, 3 TO 1
April 17, 1976
[Boxscore]
CAPE PORPOISE, ME: The Frisco Eagles and Goat Island Lights put their pitching staffs to the test in a 17-inning contest that Frisco finally won by the score of 3 to 1. Both starters gave strong performances. Doyle Alexander started for Frisco and lasted 8 innings, holding the Lights to 1 run on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. Southpaw reliever Tug McGraw took over the Frisco mound duties in the 9th inning and seemed like he would never tire, contributing an impressive 6 innings of scoreless relief and giving up only 4 hits and 1 walk. Goat Island starter Jim Palmer pitched 10 innings and threw 150 pitches, allowing only 1 run on 8 hits and 3 walks with 6 strikeouts.
The score was tied at 1-1 after the 6th inning and remained tied through the 16th inning. Frisco finally broke the tie in the top of the 17th. Willie Crawford scored the go-ahead run after drawing a leadoff walk, advancing to 2nd on Joe Torre's single, and then scoring on a 1-out single by Brian Downing. Torre, who had 4 hits in today's game, scored an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Steve Dillard to make the final score 3 to 1 in the Eagles' favor.

Joe Torre, out on the town in Cape Porpose, celebrating
Frisco's 17-inning win and his 4-hit game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

SPITFIRES OPEN SEASON WITH 15-INNING WIN;
SPACE CITY BEATS VIRGINIA, 2-0
April 1, 1976
[Boxscore]
ROANOKE, VA: In their first game under their new management, the Space City Spitfires battled the Virginia Cardinals in dueling shutouts until the Spitfires finally scored a pair of unearned runs in the 15th inning and won, 2 to 0. Virginia's opening day starter, Randy Jones, turned in 8 strong innings. Jones struck out only 2 batters but he held the Spitfires to 5 hits and no walks. Pat Zachry started for the Spitfires and lasted 7 innings, allowing 7 hits and no walks while striking out 5.
     Space City broke the scoreless tie in the top of the 15th. Earl Williams led off the inning by drawing a walk off of Virginia reliever Dale Murray. Don Kessinger, hit a grounder to shortstop Larry Bowa that appeared to be good for at least 1 out, but Bowa bobbled the ball and the runners were safe at 1st and 2nd. Rob Andrews then moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd with a sacrifice bunt to first base. Dave Kingman hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Williams to tag up and score the go-ahead run. Kessinger was able to advance to 3rd on the play. Space City pitcher Tom House was left in the game to bat and he came through with a 2-out single to drive in Kessinger with an insurance run.
     In the bottom of the 15th inning House walked leadoff man Bowa to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. But righthander Jim Willoughby took over on the mound and retired the next 3 batters in order to preserve the win for Space City.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1975 "COMMISSIONER'S CHOICE" TEAMS FOR EACH LEAGUE ANNOUNCED
Nov. 17, 1975

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commisisoner's office has announced its selections for each league's First Team for 1975. The Altoona Warriors and Oak Ridge Bombers led all VBG teams in the numnber of award winners, each placing 3 players on their league's Commissioner's Choice team. The honorees for each league at each position are:

1975 CRACKERJACK LEAGUE FIRST TEAM:

P:    Luis Tiant, Oak Ridge Bombers
C:    Gene Tenace, Cincinnati Rhinos
1B: Boog Powell, Goat Island Lights
2B: Joe Morgan, Carlisle Thundering Herd
3B: Ron Cey, Clear Lake Demons
SS: Chris Speier, Oak Ridge Bombers
CF: Fred Lynn, Kansas City Monarchs
OF: Reggie Jackson, Oak Ridge Bombers
OF: Roy White, Frisco Eagles
DH: John Mayberry, Clear Lake Demons

1975 PEANUT LEAGUE FIRST TEAM:

P:   Dave Goltz, Altoona Warriors
C:   Ted Simmons, Altoona Warriors
1B: Andy Thornton, Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers
2B: Rod Carew, Altoona Warriors
3B: Toby Harrah, Vidalia Rougarou
SS: Robin Yount, Green River Grasshoppers
CF: Cesar Cedeno, Craftsbury Commoners
OF: Ken Singleton, Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckes
OF: Bobby Bonds, Vidalia Rougarou

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TENACE & BONDS NAMED "MOST VALUABLE" IN 1975
Nov. 10, 1975

RALEIGH, NC: Today the VBG Commissioner's office announced the recipients of the 1975 Most Valuable Player Awards. Both league's award recipients were decided by very close margins in the balloting.

Gene Tenace of the Cincinnati Rhinos was named the Most Valuable Player in the Crackerjack League. [For details of Tenace's season, see the earlier story on his Position Player of the Year Award.] Tenace came out on top of a very close 4-way race for the award. He received 3 first place votes and 17 total points. Perennial MVP candidate Joe Morgan was close on Tenace's heels with 2 first place votes and 15 total points to take 2nd place in the voting. Fred Lynn finished 3rd with 2 first place votes and 11 total points, and Manny Sanguillen took 4th place with 2 first place votes and 10 total points. Luis Tiant collected 5 total points to finish in 5th place, and right behind him in 6th place was Don Baylor with 1 first place vote and 4 total points.

Bobby Bonds of the Vidalia Rougarou was honored as Peanut League Most Valuable Player after winning a close 2-man race. [For details of Bonds' season, see the earlier story on his Position Player of the Year Award.] Bonds received 4 first place votes and 23 total points. Close behind him in 2nd place was Ken Singleton with 3 first place votes and 19 total points. Greg Luzinski finished in 3rd place with 1 first place vote and 10 total points. Toby Harrah got 1 first place vote and 6 total points to take 4th place. John Montefusco gathered 1 first place vote and 4 total points, tying for 5th place with Dave Parker who also received 4 total points.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TIANT, GOLTZ NAMED 1975 PITCHERS OF THE YEAR
Nov. 7, 1975

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commissioner's office has announced the results of the voting for 1975's Pitcher of the Year awards. [NOTE: In the following announcements, the numbers in parentheses represent the player's ranking in his league for that statistic. If there are two numbers, the second number is his ranking in the entire VBG in that category.]

Oak Ridge Bombers pitcher Luis Tiant was the clear choice of the voters for the Crackerjack League Pitcher of the Year. Tiant led his league with a 2.37 ERA (1, 3) and tied for 5th in the league in wins with a 21-12 record (t5, t7). His .636 win-loss percentage was 7th-best in the league (7). Tiant held opposing batters to a .224 batting average (3, t8), .275 on-base percentage (2, 6), and a league-best .335 slugging average (1, 9). His opposing batters' OPS was only .610, the lowest in the league (1, 6) He allowed only 9.8 baserunners per 9 innings, 2nd-lowest in the league (2, t5). Tiant tied for the VBG lead in shutouts with 7 (t1) and led his league in quality start percentage with a .743 mark (1, 4). He pitched 17 complete games, good enough for 2nd in the league (2, 3). Tiant won the Pitcher of the Year award by a wide margin, receiving 6 first place votes and 28 total points. Andy Messersmith got 2 first place votes and 19 total points to finish in 2nd place. Paul Splittorf finished right behind Messersmith in 3rd place with 2 first place votes and 18 total points.

Altoona Warriors righthander Steve Goltz was the overwhelming choice in the balloting for Peanut Leauge Pitcher of the Year. Goltz won 20 games, tied for 5th in his league (t5) and his 2.09 ERA ranked 2nd in the league (2, 2). His .714 winning percentage was 7th-best in the league (7). Goltz held opposing batters to a .211 average (4, 5). His .264 on-base average allowed was the lowest in either leauge (1, 1), as was his .265 slugging average allowed (1, 1) and his .528 OPS allowed (1, 1). He had 31 quality starts (t1, t2) and his .816 quality start percentage was the best in either league (1,1). Goltz was a workhorse with 284 innings pitched (4), 9 complete games (5), and 3 shutouts (t5, t9). Goltz won the award by a very wide margin in the voting, with 8 first place votes and 34 total points. Bert Blyleven finished in a distant 2nd place with 1 first place vote and 12 total points. John Montefusco and Goose Gossage tied for 3rd place with 9 points each; Montefusco received 1 first place vote.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TENACE & BONDS VOTED 1975 POSITION PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Nov. 4, 1975

RALEIGH, NC: The VBG Commissioner's office has announced the recipients of the Position Player of the Year Awards for 1975. [NOTE: In the following announcements, the numbers in parentheses represent the player's standing in his league in that category. If there are two numbers in parentheses, the second number is his standing in the entire VBG in that category.]

In the Crackerjack League, Gene Tenace of the Cincinnati Rhinos was named Position Player of the Year in a close vote. Tenace hit for a .313 average (4, 10) with an on-base percentage of .424 (2, 3) and led his league in slugging average with a .553 mark (1, 3). He scored 115 runs (4, t7) and had 126 RBI (3, t5). Tenace led his league in home runs with 37 (1, 3) and led the entire VBG in OPS with a .978 mark (1, 1). He was a reliable workhorse, playing all 162 games. Tenance received 5 first place votes and 25 total points, finishing just 3 points ahead of Joe Morgan. Morgan ended up a close 2nd with 3 first place votes and 22 total points. Fred Lynn finished in 3rd place with 9 total points, and Manny Sanguillen was in 4th place with 1 first place vote and 6 total points. Don Baylor was right behind Sanguillen in 5th place with 1 first place vote and 5 total points.

Bobby Bonds of the Vidalia Rougarou came out on top of a close vote for Peanut League Position Player of the Year. Bonds hit .286 with a .386 on-base percentage (7), and his .560 slugging average ranked 2nd in his league (2, 2). He scored 132 runs (2, 2) and drove in 116 (t7). Bonds finished 1st in the league in OPS with .946 (1, 2), 1st in the VBG in total bases with 357 (1), 2nd in his league in home runs with 45 round-trippers (2, 2), and 2nd in the league extra base hits with 81 (2, 4). He drew 104 walks, ranking 3rd in his league in that category (3, 6). Bonds stole 34 bases, good enough to tie for 7th in the league (t7). Bonds gathered 5 first place votes and 23 total points. Ken Singleton got only 1 first place vote but was named on more ballots, finishing 5 points behind Bonds with 18 points. Close behind Singleton with 2 first place votes and 16 total points was Greg Luzinski, who ranked 3rd in the voting. Dave Parker and Toby Harrah each got 1 first place vote and 6 total points to tie for 4th place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vs.

CARPSUCKERS WIN WORLD SERIES!
QUASQUETON WINS SIXTH GAME, 9 TO 5
DAVEY LOPES NAMED SERIES MVP

    Lopes
Oct.30, 1975
[Boxscore]

[Quasqueton WS pitching stats]    [Oak Ridge WS pitching stats]
[Quasqueton WS batting stats]     [Oak Ridge WS batting stats]

OAK RIDGE, TN: The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers are the new Vintage Baseball Guild champions after beating the Oak Ridge Bombers in the 6th game of the World Series by the score of 9 to 5. Today's contest was a showcase for the batters on both teams who beat up the starting pitchers and drove both of them from the mound in the early innings. Oak Ridge starter Steve Rogers, winner of Game 3, only lasted 1^1/3 innings today. Quasqueton starter Steve Busby, who pitched a complete game victory in Game 2, didn't fare much better than Rogers today and was pulled from the mound when he couldn't get anyone out in the 3rd inning.

Quasqueton scored first and opened up a 6-0 lead after only 2 innings. In the 1st inning they tallied 1 run with 2 outs when Andy Thornton doubled and Ken Singleton drove him home with a base hit. Then the Carps opened the floodgates in the 2nd inning. With 1 out in the 2nd, Rogers gave up back-to-back walks to Tim McCarver and Graig Nettles. Davey Lopes singled to drive in McCarver with Nettles advancing to 3rd. Rogers then gave up his 3rd free pass of the inning, walking Lee Lacey on 4 pitches. With the bases loaded Von Joshua singled to drive in Nettles and Lopes, increasing Quasky's lead to 4-0. Thornton singled up the middle with runners on 1st and 2nd, scoring Lacey from 2nd and moving Joshua to 3rd. With the Carps now leading by 5-0, Rogers was given the hook and Steve Foucault took his place on the mound. Foucault retired Singleton on a ground out to 1st base but Joshua scored on the play to increase the Quillback lead to 6-0.

Oak Ridge started to get back in the game with their first run in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Reggie Jackson led off the frame with a double to the wall in left center. Busby got Carlos May to pop out to 3rd for the 1st out but Chris Speier doubled to left center to score Jackson and make it a 6-1 game. Quasky quickly got that run back in the top of the 3rd inning with singles by Gene Locklear, McCarver, and Lopes that increased the Carp lead to 7-1.

That's when the wheels fell off the wagon for Steve Busby, who suddenly had trouble finding the strike zone in the bottom of the 3rd. Busby gave up a single to leadoff man Bill Robinson and then hit Bobby Grich with the next pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd. After hitting Grich, Busby threw his next pitch wide of the plate for a wild pitch that advanced the runners to 2nd and 3rd.   Hal McRae battled Busby to a 3-2 count and then hit a hard grounder down the 3rd base line that went into the corner for a double, scoring the runners and narrowing the Carp lead to 7-3. Mike Jorgensen watched Busby's first pitch go by high and outside and then blasted the next pitch down the right field line for a 2-run home run that made the score 7 to 5 in Quasky's favor and still no outs in the inning. Quasky manager Earl Weaver had seen enough and replaced Busby with relief pitcher Roger Moret. Moret walked the first batter he faced, Reggie Jackson, on 4 straight pitches but Jackson attempted to steal 2nd and was thrown out for the 1st out. After getting the 2nd out Moret flirted with danger by walking Speier and giving up an infield single to Bill Freehan, but he was finally able to get the 3rd out and avoid further damage.

The Quasky bullpen was able to prevent Oak Ridge from scoring in the remaining innings. The Carps increased their lead to 8-5 in the top of the 6th when Lee Lacy led off with a single, stole 2nd, and scored on Thornton's single. Oak Ridge had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the 8th when they had the tying run at the plate with nobody out. Leadoff hitter Jackson beat out a slow rolling grounder for an infield hit and then stole 2nd. Carlos May worked Carpsucker reliever Dave LaRoche for a walk, bringing up Speier. But LaRoche squelched the rally by getting Speier to ground into a double play and then striking out Freehan for the 3rd out. Quasqueton scored an unearned run in the 9th to make the final score 9 to 5.

Roger Moret was credited with the win in relief for pitching 3 scoreless innings. Quasqueton 1st baseman Andy Thornton went 3 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI. His teammate Davey Lopes had 2 hits and 2 RBI. Oak Ridge first baseman Mike Jorgensen drove in 2 runs with his 2nd home run of the Series, and Reggie Jackson went 2 for 3 with his 4th double of the Series.

Top hitters for Quasqueton in the 6-game series were Davey Lopes (.348/.423/.478) who started all 6 games and led both teams in RBI with 6, and catcher Ellie Rodriguez who hit .429/.579/.643 in 5 starts. Lopes' bat was especially potent in the games Quasqueton won. In those 4 victories Lopes hit .500 with a .500 on-base average, a .688 slugging average, and 5 RBI. Oak Ridge's offensive leader was Reggie Jackson (.391/481/.783) who hit 4 doubles, a triple, and a home run while leading both teams in runs scored with 6. John Montefusco was the ace of the Quasky pitching staff during the Series. He started 2 games and allowed only 3 earned runs on 9 hits and 4 walks while striking out 17 batters in 16 innings. Montefusco opened the Series by pitching a 6-hit shutout in Game 1.

In a short on-field ceremony after the game, the owner of the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers was presented with the VBG World Series trophy and Carps second baseman Davey Lopes was honored as the World Series Most Valuable Player.

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BOMBERS WIN GAME 5 OF WORLD SERIES, 6-3;
SPEIER HITS GAME-WINNING TRIPLE IN 7^TH INNING;
SERIES NOW RETURNS TO OAK RIDGE
Oct. 28, 1975
[Boxscore]
QUASQUETON, IA: Going into Game 5 of the World Series the situation looked very grim for the Oak Ridge Bombers. They trailed in the Series by 3 games to 1 and faced elimination unless they could win today on the road. Their future looked even darker when the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers took a 3-1 lead after the first 2 innings. But the Bombers came back to win the game by the score of 6 to 3, thanks in large part to triples by Chris Speier and Del Unser. Oak Ridge still needs to win both the 6th and 7th games to claim the title, but they get to play those games in their home stadium.

The Carpsuckers scored first in today's game with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Davey Lopes led off with a base on balls and advanced to 2nd on a single by Ken Singleton. With 1 out, Quasky tried a double steal. Singleton was thrown out at 2nd but Lopes went to 3rd base. With 2 outs Lee Lacy hit a slow grounder to 2nd and beat the throw to 1st for an infield hit. Lopes scored on the play to give the Carps a 1-0 lead.

Oak Ridge tied the game with an unearned run in the top of the 2nd. With 2 outs Chris Speier drew a walk. Bill Freehan hit a routine grounder that should have ended the inning but 1st baseman Andy Thornton juggled the ball and Freehan was safe at 1st on the error, with Speier going to 2nd. Rob Andrews drove in Speier with a ground ball single up the middle.

The Carps regained the lead in the bottom of the 2nd. Graig Nettles led off the inning for the Quillbacks and reached base on an error by left fielder Carlos May. Ellie Rodriguez doubled and then Bruce Kison singled to drive in Nettles with the go-ahead run. With runners on 1st and 3rd Lopes grounded out to the shortstop. Rodriguez scored on the ground out to increase the Carpsucker lead to 3-1.

Oak Ridge tied the game with a pair of runs in the 5th inning. Reggie Jackson led off with a base on balls and the next batter, Del Unser, ripped the ball deep into right center for a triple that drove in Jackson. Carlos May then hit a grounder to short stop Lee Lalcy. Lacy's only play was to retire the batter at first, and Unser crossed the plate with the tying run.

With the game still tied at 3-3 after 6 innings, Quasky pitcher Dave LaRoche relieved starter Bruce Kison to start the 7th. LaRoche proceeded to walk the first 2 Oak Ridge batters he faced, Mike Jorgensen and Jackson, to put the go-ahead run on 2nd with nobody out. Unser sacrificed the runners to 2nd and 3rd, and then Carlos May walked to load the bases. Jorgensen then attempted to steal home, perhaps counting on the element of surprise to make up for the fact that he only stole 3 bases in 6 attempts during the season. Jorgensen was out at home and the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd. Speier came to bat with 2 outs and hit a line drive down the left field line for a 2-run triple, giving Oak Ridge a 5-3 lead. Speier scored on an error by Lopes for an unearned run that made it a 6-3 game. That was the end of the scoring for the day and Oak Ridge chalked up a 6-3 victory in Game 5.

Vida Blue started for Oak Ridge and got the win after pitching 7 innings and allowing 3 runs (1 of which was unearned) on 5 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. Quasqueton starter Bruce Kison didn't figure in the decision. Kison gave up 3 runs (1 unearned) on 3 hits, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts in 6 innings of work.

Tomorrow will be a travel day, and then the teams will play Game 6 on October 30. Anticipated starting pitchers are righthanders Steve Busby for Quasqueton and Steve Rogers for Oak Ridge.

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QUASKY BEATS OAK RIDGE, 4-3, IN 13 INNINGS;
LEE LACY'S WALKOFF SINGLE WINS GAME 4 FOR CARPS;
CARPS NOW LEAD IN WORLD SERIES, 3 GAMES TO 1
Oct. 27, 1975
[Boxscore]
QUASQUETON, IA: It took 13 innings to settle the matter, but the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers won the 3rd game of the World Series against the Oak Ridge Bombers. Lee Lacy hit a bases loaded single in the bottom of the 13th to put the Carps over the top. Quasqueton now leads Oak Ridge in the Series by 3 games to 1.

Today's game featured a rematch of the Game 1 starting pitchers, John Montefusco for Quasqueton and Luis Tiant for Oak Ridge. Both pitchers acquitted themselves very well despite rocky 1st innings. Oak Ridge kicked off the game with 3 runs in the top of the 1st inning. Bobby Grich led off the top of the 1st with a walk on 5 pitches. Montefusco struck out the next 2 batters but then gave up a double to Del Unser that scored Grich to give the Bombers a 1-0 lead. On the next pitch Carlos May lofted the ball deep into right center for a 2-run home run to give Oak Ridge a 3-0 lead. But the Carps got 2 of those runs back in the bottom of the 1st when Tiant walked Lee Lacy on 4 pitches and then coughed up a 2-run home run by Von Joshua to reduce the Bomber lead to 3-2.

After giving up 3 runs on a walk and 2 hits in the 1st inning, Montefusco found his groove and held the Bombers scoreless until he was relieved at the start of the 8th inning, allowing only 1 more hit and 2 more walks after his shaky 1st inning.

Tiant also settled down after the 1st inning. He employed his bewildering arsenal of fastballs, curves, changeups, knuckle balls, palm balls and sliders, each thrown with a variety of arm angles, to prevent the Carps from scoring again until the 8th inning. With the Bombers still leading by 3 to 2 in the bottom of the 8th, Quasky's Tim McCarver led off the frame with a single to shallow left. Lacy dropped a sacrifice bunt in front of home plate that moved McCarver to 2nd. Joshua hit a hard grounder between 1st and 2nd for a single. McCarver held up at 3rd rather than challenge right fielder Reggie Jackson's arm on a play at the plate. The next batter, Andy Thornton, battled Tiant to a full count before Tiant struck him out swinging for what should have been the 2nd out. However, the pitch got away from Bomber catcher Bill Freehan and went to the screen. Freehan was able to corral the ball and throw Thornton out at 1st but the runners advanced on the throw and McCarver scored, tying the game at 3-3.

The game remained tied after 9 innings and went into extra innings. Quasqueton repeatedly threatened to win the game by putting runners in scoring position but the Bombers bullpen held them off. In both the 10th and 11th innings Quasky had the winning run on 2nd with 1 out and then on 3rd with 2 outs. In the bottom of the 12th the Quillbacks put the winning run on 2nd with no outs. But in each case the Bombers pitching staff and fielders put out the fire.

In the 13th inning the Carps were finally able to put the winning run across the plate. Ted Kubiak led off for Quasky in the 13th and hit a double to left center. Pitcher Dave Giusti sacrificed Kubiak to 3rd. Faced with the winning run 90 feet from home plate and nobody out, the Bombers intentionally walked the next 2 batters and brought in the infield to set up a possible force at home. But Lacy hit a grounder between short and 3rd that found its way into shallow left field for a single, driving in Kubiak with the winning run.

Neither starting pitcher figured into the decision. Bomber starter Luis Tiant pitched 8^1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs, 1 of which was unearned. Tiant gave up 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Quasqueton starter John Montefusco lasted 7 innings and gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6. Dave Giusti pitched 2 scoreless innings for Quasqueton to get the win.

Tomorrow the teams will play 1 more game in Quasqueton. While starting pitchers haven't been announced yet, it is anticipated that southpaw Vida Blue (18-10, 3.54) will start for Oak Ridge and righthander Bruce Kison (11-14, 4.57) will pitch for Quasqueton. If Oak Ridge wins to stay alive, Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7, will be played in Oak Ridge.

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BOMBERS WIN 7-4 VICTORY IN GAME 3;
JORGENSEN & JACKSON LEAD COMEBACK WITH CONSECUTIVE HOMERS
Oct. 26, 1975
[Boxscore]
QUASQUETON, IA: The Oak Ridge Bombers came from behind to win the 3rd game of the World Series, 7 to 4. With today's win the Bombers cut the Carps' lead in the Series to 2 games to 1.

Quasqueton started strong by scoring 4 runs in the 1st inning against Bomber starter Steve Rogers (16-14-, 3.56). With 1 out in the opening frame Von Joshua hit a double and scored on Andy Thornton's triple. Rogers walked Ken Singleton and then coughed up a 3-run home run by Dave May. At that point Rogers had only faced 5 batters and given up 3 extra base hits and a walk, but the Bombers manager kept him in the game. That turned out to be the right decision. Rogers settled down and proceeded to retire 23 of the next 27 batters, allowing only 1 more hit with 3 walks and holding the Carps scoreless through the 8th inning before being relieved in the 9th.

While Rogers was preventing the Quillback hitters from doing any more damage after their 1st inning outburst, the Oak Ridge batters started their comeback in the top of the 4th with a triple by Reggie Jackson and an RBI single by Chris Speier that made it a 4-1 game. In the 5th inning Carlos May reached base on a walk, Bobby Grich singled, and Mike Jorgensen slugged a 3-run home run to tie the game. Jackson followed Jorgensen's blast with a solo home run that gave Oak Ridge a 5-4 lead. The Bombers scored a pair of insurance runs in the 8th and went on to win a 7-4 victory.

Steve Rogers was the winning pitcher, lasting 8 innings and allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks, and 8 strikeouts. Mike Jorgensen tallied 3 RBI with his first homer of the Series. Reggie Jackson had a good day with a triple, a home run, and a stolen base. Quasqueton starter Woody Fryman (9-12, 3.57) was the losing pitcher. Fryman lasted 5^1/3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.

Game 4 will be played tomorrow. Either Doc Medich (14-10, 4.34) or Game 1 starter Luis Tiant will take the mound for Oak Ridge. Starting pitcher for Quasqueton will be either Bruce Kyson (11-14, 4.57) or the Carps' Game 1 starter John Montefusco. One bit of bad news for Oak Ridge is that relief pitcher Tippy Martinez was injured with just 1 out to go in the game. Martinez will be sidelined tomorrow for Game 4 but is expected to be back in the bullpen for Game 5.

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BUSBY DOMINATES IN COMPLETE GAME 3-HITTER;
CARPS BEAT BOMBERS IN 2ND GAME, 8-1
Oct. 24, 1975
[Boxscore]
Oak Ridge, TN: For the 2nd game in a row the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers have enjoyed a dominant performance by their starting pitchers. In the opening game John Montefusco shut out the Oak Ridge Bombers as the Carps won by 6-0. Today it was Steve Busby's turn to pitch a masterful complete game for Quasky, a 3-hitter in which the only opposing run was unearned. Busby, 17-14 in the regular season, improved his postseason record to 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA.

Quasqueton took an early lead with 3 runs in the top of the 1st. Ken Singleton drove in the first 2 runs with a triple and then scored on Rico Carty's infield groundout. The Carps broadened their lead to 6-0 with another 2 runs in the 2nd inning, and then scored a pair of runs in the 7th to make it an 8-0 game.

For most of the game the Bomber batters struggled to make good contact with the assortment of sinkers, sliders, and curve balls offered by Busby. Oak Ridge finally got on the board with an unearned run in the bottom of the 7th. Reggie Jackson led off with a single. After the first out was made, Del Unser hit a line drive to shallow left for a single. Jackson tried to go to 3rd on the play and left fielder Gene Locklear's throw was in time to nail him, but the throw was high and Jackson was safe at 3rd on the error. Unser advanced to 2nd on the throw. Ellie Hendricks then grounded out to 2nd base with Jackson scoring the Bombers' lone run. That was the end of the scoring for either team and the Carps recorded their 2nd win in the series by the score of 8 to 1.

Steve Busby got the win, allowing only 1 unearned run on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 in 9 innings. Quasky 2nd baseman Davey Lopes went 3 for 5 with his 3rd double of the Series. Vida Blue (18-10, 3.54) started for the Bombers and was tagged with the loss. Blue had an uncharacteristically rocky start, lasting only 3 innings and giving up 5 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Reggie Jackson had 2 of the Bombers' 3 hits, including his 2nd double of the Series.

Tomorrow will be a day off for the teams as they travel to Iowa where the Series will resume with Game 3 on October 26. The expected starting pitchers are righthander Steve Rogers (16-14-, 3.56) for Oak Ridge and lefty Woody Fryman (9-12, 3.57) for Quasqueton.

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MONTEFUSCO PITCHES SHUTOUT IN WS GAME 1;
QUASKY BEATS OAK RIDGE IN SERIES OPENER, 6-0
Oct. 23, 1975
[Boxscore]
Oak Ridge, TN: John Montefusco (23-7, 2.88) pitched a complete game shutout against the Oak Ridge Bombers, leading the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers to a 6-0 victory in the opening game of the World Series. Throwing mostly fastballs and sliders, Montefusco allowed only 6 hits in 9 innings and didn't walk any batters, while notching 11 strikeouts. Davey Lopes hit 2 doubles and drove in 2 of Quasqueton's runs. Carps catcher Ellie Rodriguez went 2 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI. Luis Tiant (21-12, 2.37) started for Oak Ridge and took the loss. Tiant lasted 3^1/3 innings, gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, and struck out 1 batter. Bomber outfielders Reggie Jackson and Bill Robinson each contributed a double to the Oak Ridge cause.

The 2nd World Series game will be played tomorrow. Righthander Steve Busby (17-14, 2.99) will be on the mound for Quasqueton. Southpaw Vida Blue (18-10, 3.54) will start the game for Oak Ridge.

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OAK RIDGE WINS 2 OF 3 LCS GAMES AT HOME;
BOMBERS CAPTURE CJ PENNANT WITH 4-3 WIN IN GAME 5
Oct. 19, 1975
OAK RIDGE, TN: The Clear Lake Demons were an offensive juggernaut during the regular season, leading both leagues in runs scored. But their hopes for capturing the pennant came down to 3 close, low-scoring games against the Oak Ridge Bombers, with the Bombers eking out wins in 2 of those 3 contests. The Bombers had managed to win both of the first 2 LCS games played in Clear Lake, so the Demons had to win at least 2 of their 3 games in Oak Ridge to stay alive. The Bombers won the first game in Oak Ridge, a 1-0 pitchers duel by Clear Lake's Jim Kaat and Oak Ridge's Doc Medich. Both hurlers pitched masterful complete games. Kaat gave up only 1 unearned run and held the Bombers to just 3 hits and 1 walk. Medich countered with a 4-hit shutout and, like Kaat, walked only 1 batter. The only run of the game was scored in the 1st inning as a consequence of an error by Demon shortstop Dave Chalk. [Boxscore]

Yesterday the Demons notched their first victory in the League Championship Series by beating the Bombers by the score of 4 to 2. Mike Cuellar started for Clear Lake and was in top form, lasting 8 innings and allowing only 2 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks to get the win. George Scott drove in 2 of the 4 Demon runs with his 2nd home run of the LCS. [Boxscore]

The Bombers won the 5th game by 4 to 3 to capture the Crackerjack League Pennant. Oak Ridge was leading 2-1 after the 1st inning. The Bombers expanded their lead to 4-1 in the 4th, but Demon catcher Manny Sanguillen clubbed a 2-run homer in the 6th to reduce the Bomber lead to 4-3. The Demons put runners in scoring position in the 7th and 8th innings and had a runner on 1st in the 9th, but the Bombers kept them from taking advantage of those opportunities. [Boxscore]

The Bombers will now face the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers in the World Series. The World Series will open with 2 games in Oak Ridge, with Game 1 scheduled for October 23.

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QUASQUETON CAPTURES PL PENNANT WITH 4-1 WIN;
CARPS' FRYMAN COMES THROUGH WITH STRONG PITCHING PERFORMANCE
Oct. 18, 1975
[Boxscore]
ROANOKE, VA: The Quasqueton Carpsucker manager caused some raised eyebrows when he announced that Woody Fryman would start Game 6 of the Peanut League Championship Series against the Virginia Cardinals. Fryman's regular season record of 9-12 was unimpressive. He melted down in his only other postseason start when he was tagged for 6 runs in only 2 innings in Game 4 of the League Semifinal Playoff. But Fryman repaid his manager's confidence today by turning in a fine performance for 8 innings, allowing only 1 run on 5 hits and 5 walks while striking out 4.

The Carps opened the game by taking a pair of runs in the 1st inning and then expanded their lead to 3-0 with a run in the top of the 3rd. Virginia got on the board with a run in the bottom of the 3rd when John Ellis hit a leadoff double, advanced to 3rd on a fly out, and scored on Steve Garvey's single. Quasky scored a run in the top of the 4th to make it a 4-1 game. That was the end of the scoring for each team. Amos Otis drove in 2 of Quasky's 4 runs with a pair of RBI doubles. Fryman was credited with the win and reliever Bob Apodaca pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 2nd save of the LCS. Randy Jones started for Virginia and was saddled with the loss. Cardinals first baseman Steve Garvey had an outstanding LCS, batting .423/.423/.615 and leading both teams in RBI with 5.

The Carps will now face either the Clear Lake Demons or Oak Ridge Bombers in the World Series.

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CARPS COME OUT ON TOP IN 5^TH LCS GAME, 6-2;
QUASKY NOW LEADS SERIES, 3 GAMES TO 2;
LCS HEADS BACK TO CARDINALS HOME TURF FOR FINAL 2 GAMES
Oct. 16, 1975
QUASQUETON, IA: The Virginia Cardinals and Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers arrived in Quasky for Game 3 after splitting their first 2 LCS contests in Roanoke. Even though they no longer had home field advantage, the Cardinals won the 3rd game to take the lead in the series, 2 games to 1. The game was a close low-scoring game that went into extra innings. Virginia got on the board first with a solo home run by Steve Garvey with 2 outs in the 1st inning. Each team scored once in the 4th inning to make it a 2-1 contest. The Quillbacks tied the game with an unearned run in the 7th when Ellie Rodriguez reached base on an error and scored on Davey Lopes' 2-out double. The score remained knotted at 2-2 until the top of the 10th inning when Jim Dwyer hit a 2-out single to drive home Willie Davis and Garvey to give Virginia a 4-2 lead that held up to be the final margin. Randy Jones started for Virginia and pitched a fine game to get the win, lasting 9 innings and allowing only 2 runs (1 of which was unearned) on 8 hits and 4 walks while striking out 7. [Boxscore]

Yesterday the Carpsuckers tied the series again with a 6-2 victory in Game 4, thanks in large part to a strong outing by starting pitcher John Montefusco and a 3-run home run by Dave May. Montefusco limited the Cardinals to only 2 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk in 8 innings of work. [Boxscore]

The Carpsuckers notched another 6-2 win in Game 5 to go ahead in the series for the first time, 3 games to 2. Quasky benefitted from another fine job by a starting pitcher. This time it was Steve Busby's turn to stifle the visiting hitters and give the Carps' bullpen more rest. Busby pitched a complete game while limiting the Cardinals to 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts. Graig Nettles and Von Joshua each had 3 hits for Quasqueton. [Boxscore]

The teams will get a day off to travel back to Roanoke for Game 6 on October 18 and, if necessary, Game 7 the following day. Quasqueton can win the Peanut League pennant by winning just 1 of the final 2 scheduled games. However, that will be easier said than done since the Cardinals will have the home field advantage for those games. Virginia had the best home field record in the VBG during the regular season, going 53-28 at home.

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BOMBERS TAKE 2-GAME LEAD WITH PAIR OF ROAD WINS;
DEMONS MUST NOW WIN 2 OF 3 ON THE ROAD TO STAY ALIVE IN LCS
Oct. 15, 1975
CLEAR LAKE, IA: The Clear Lake Demons have been considered the favorites in the Crackerjack League Championship Series after winning the Crackerjack Regular Season Championship by 8 games and securing home field advantage in the league playoffs. But the Oak Ridge Bombers beat the odds by winning both of their first 2 games against Clear Lake on the Demons home turf.

In yesterday's Game 1 the Bombers' Vida Blue quieted the Demon bats, allowing only 1 run on 8 hits and 1 walk in 8 innings of work to get the win, 4 to 1. Meanwhile Oak Ridge scored all the runs they were going to need with a 4-run third inning. Chris Speier knocked in 2 of Oak Ridge's runs with a double. Andy Messersmith started for Clear Lake and took the loss. [Boxscore]

Today's game was very different than yesterday's low-scoring contest. Both teams' pitchers had a rough day as the two teams combined for a total of 17 runs on 28 hits including 6 home runs. The score was tied at 4-4 after the first 3 innings and the Bombers went on to win by 10 to 7. The Bombers' Del Unser had a big day at the plate, going 4 for 5 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI. Demon first baseman George Scott had 3 hits including a home run and a double, driving in 2 runs for Clear Lake. [Boxscore]

The CJ LCS now shifts to Oak Ridge where the Demons will have to win at least 2 out of 3 games to keep their pennant hopes alive.

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CARPS & CARDINALS SPLIT 1^ST TWO LCS GAMES;
VA WINS OPENER, 6-5;
QUASKY WINS 2^ND GAME, 5-3
Oct. 11, 1975
ROANOKE, VA: The Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers and Virginia Cardinals split their first two Peanut League Championship Series games in Roanoke and are now heading to Iowa for Game 3. In yesterday's series opener Virginia starter Bert Blyleven enjoyed a 6-2 lead for most of the game after the Cardinals battes drove Quasky ace John Montefusco from the mound in the 2nd inning. But the Carps came close to catching the Cardinals in the 9th inning. Quasqueton scored 3 runs in the 9th on 5 hits and a sacrifice fly to make it a 1-run game. They had the tying run on 2nd base with 2 outs and their top hitter, Ken Singleton, up to bat but Virginia's Dyar Miller got Singleton out on an infield grounder to preserve the 6-5 win. Steve Garvey went 2 for 5 with a double and 3 RBI for Virginia. [Boxscore] Steve Garvey went 2 for 5 with a double and 3 RBI for Virginia.

Quasqueton evened the score with a 5-3 victory in today's Game 2. Steve Busby started for Quasky and turned in a solid performance, lasting 8^1/3 innings and allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk. Busby and the Carps were sitting on a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the 9th inning when the Cardinals mounted a comeback that fell just short. With 1 out Larry Hisle hit a 3-run home run to reduce the Quillback lead to 5-3. Eric Soderholm singled, Dwight Evans struck out for the 2nd out, and Larry Bowa doubled to put the tying run on 2nd and bring the winning run to the plate in the person of pinch hitter George Hendrick. But Quasky reliever Bob Apodaca got Hendrick to ground out for the final out and the Carpsuckers escaped with a victory in Game 2. [Boxscore]

The teams will now travel to Iowa for games 3, 4, and 5 in Quasqueton.

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CLEAR LAKE BEATS WEST PARK IN 5^TH GAME, 11 TO 5;
DEMONS ADVANCE TO LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Oct. 9, 1975
[Boxscore]
CLEAR LAKE, IA: The Clear Lake Demons won an 11-5 victory in the deciding game of their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff series against the West Park Splinters. Clear Lake jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st and hung on to that lead until the end. Andy Messersmith started for Clear Lake and threw a complete game, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. Demons batters Ron Cey and Felix Millan had 3 hits apiece, George Foster and Don Baylor each hit their 2nd home runs of the season, and George Scott added a double and a home run. For the Splinters, Bake McBride tripled and scored, Carleton Fisk went 2 for 4, and Bill Buckner drove in 2 runs with a bases loaded single.

The Bombers will advance to the Crackerjack League Championship Series where they will face the winner of tomorrow's Oak Ridge - Kansas City game.

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BLUE DOMINATES GAME 4 TO KEEP BOMBERS ALIVE;
KC - OR SERIES GOES TO 5^TH GAME
Oct. 8, 1975
KANSAS CITY, MO: The Kansas City Monarchs and Oak Ridge Bombers split the two games played in Kansas City to send their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff series back to Oak Ridge for a 5th and final game. Yesterday Kanas City took the lead in the series wilth a 4-2 victory in Game 3. Dan Spillner started for KC and got the win after pitching 8 strong innings, holding the Bombers to 2 runs (only 1 of which was earned) on 5 hits and no walks. Luis Tiant started for Oak Ridge and took the loss despite pitching well enough to win. Tiant allowed 4 runs, but only 2 of them were earned. Jose Cruz and Fred Lynn each drove in 2 runs for the Monarchs. [Boxscore]

With their backs to the wall and needing to win Game 4 to stay alive in the series, Oak Ridge turned to lefthanded pitcher Vida Blue for the must-win game. Blue came through in fine form by shutting out the Monarchs on 5 hits in 8^2/3 innings before being relieved by Steve Foucault with just 1 out to go in the game. Bomber 1st baseman Mike Jorgensen hit his 2nd home run of the series and drove in 3 runs for the Bombers. [Boxscore]

The Bombers and Monarchs will now have a day off to travel to Oak Ridge for the final game in the series to be played on October 10.

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VIDALIA WINS GAME 3 BY 9-8 IN EXTRA INNINGS;
CARPS ADVANCE TO LCS WITH 10-8 WIN IN GAME 4
Oct. 8, 1975
QUASQUETON, IA: When the Vidalia Rougarou arrived in Quasqueton after losing their first two playoff games, they needed to win both games in Iowa to avoid being upset in their Peanut League Semifinal Playoff series. They accomplished the first half of their mission by beating the Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers in a 10-inning game by the score of 9 to 8. Vidalia jumped on Quasky starter Bruce Kison in the top of the 1st inning with 5 runs on 5 hits, including a 3-run home run by Bobby Bonds, a solo homer by Doug Decinces, and a triple by Toby Harrah. For some reason known only to himself the Quasky manager decided to leave Kison in the game. Kison repaid his manager's confidence by settling down and retiring the next 14 batters before being relieved in the 6th. Going into the bottom of the 8th inning the Rougarou were sitting on an 8-3 lead, but the Carps started to mount a comeback with 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th, including a 3-run homer by Rico Carty. Quasky scored a run in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game and send it into extra innings, but Vidalia scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th and won the game, 9 to 8. [Boxscore]

Today's Game 4 was another high-scoring affair. Both starting pitchers were knocked out of the box early. Vidalia starter Carl Morton was sent to the showers in the 1st inning after he gave up 5 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks without getting anyone out. Rico Carty did most of the damage in the inning with a grand slam home run. The Carps had a 10-2 lead after 2 innings, but Quillback starter Woody Fryman couldn't hold back the Rougarou. Fryman leaving the game in the 3rd inning after allowing 6 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk. After only 3 innings the score was 10-8 in Quasky's favor, but that was the end of the scoring binge as both teams were held scoreless the rest of the way. [Boxscore]

With their Game 4 victory the Carps are heading to Virginia to face the Cardinals in the League Championship Series.

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JONES SHUTS OUT PINES FOR 5-0 VA WIN IN GAME 3;
CARDINALS ADVANCE TO LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Oct. 7, 1975
WARNER ROBINS, GA: The Virginia Cardinals beat the Georgia Pines, 5 to 0, to complete a 3-game sweep of their Peanut League Semifinal Playoff. Randy Jones started for the Cardinals and was in complete control throughout the game. He held the Pines scoreless and allowed only 4 hits, all singles, with 1 walk. Georgia suffered a big blow before the game had hardly started when Ed Halicki, their starting pitcher, left the game with an injury in the top of the 1st inning. [Boxscore]

The Cardinals will now enjoy some extra rest while waiting to see if they will face Vidalia or Quasqueton in the LCS.

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DEMONS WIN 5-2 VICTORY IN GAME 3;
SPLINTERS WIN GAME 4, 8-1, TO FORCE 5^THGAME
Oct. 7, 1975
CLEVELAND OH: The West Park Splinters and Clear Lake Demons split games 3 and 4 of their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff, sending the series back to Iowa for the decisive Game 5. Yesterday in Game 3 the Demons came out on top by the score of 5 to 2, thanks in large part to a strong pitching performance by Jim Kaat. Kaat pitched a complete game and gave up 2 runs, only 1 of which was earned, on 7 hits and 1 walk. Don Baylor contributed a homer and 3 RBI to the Demon cause. The Clear Lake victory put them in the series lead, 2 wins to 1, needing only 1 more win to advance to the next level. [Boxscore]

Today the Splinters came back to tie the series with an 8 to 1 victory. Mickey Lolich started for West Park and turned in a fine performance, going the distance and allowing only 1 run on 8 hits and no walks. Splinter designated hitter Greg Gross went 3 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI. [Boxscore]

After a day off for travel to Clear Lake, the series will conclude with Game 5 on Oct. 9.

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BOMBERS WIN GAME 2, 8-7, TO SALVAGE SPLIT OF PLAYOFF HOMESTAND
Oct. 5, 1975
OAK RIDGE, TN: The visiting Kansas City Monarchs battered the Oak Ridge Bombers, 11 to 2, in yesterday's opening game of their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff series. KC's Cecil Cooper knocked in 5 runs with a 2-run single and a 3-run home run. Jose Cruz contributed 2 doubles and a single to the Monarch cause, scoring 3 runs and driving in 2. Ed Figueroa started the game for Kansas City and kept the Oak Ridge hitters in check, lasting 8 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9. [Boxscore]

In today's Game 2, Oak Ridge won a narrow 1-run victory to tie the series at 1 win apiece. The Bombers started strong and built a 7-1 lead after 4 innings. The Monarchs started coming back in the 5th and gradually chipped away at the Bomber lead. The Monarchs were trailing by only 1 run after 8 innings, but Oak Ridge hung on for an 8-7 victory. Bombers starter Doc Medich pitched 6^2/3 innings and was credited with the win despite allowing 6 earned runs on 10 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3 batters. Monarchs outfielder Fred Lynn was the hitting star of the game with 3 hits, including a homer and a double, and 3 RBI. [Boxscore]

The series will now move to Kansas City for the next 2 games on the 7th and 8th of October.

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QUASKY TAKES FIRST 2 GAMES FROM VIDALIA, 5-1 & 8-4;
CARPS NOW 1 WIN AWAY FROM ADVANCING TO LCS
Oct. 5, 1975
VIDALIA, LA: During the regular season the 1st place Vidalia Rougarou went 52-29 in their home stadium, making them one of the two toughest teams at home in the VBG. But somehow the 4th place Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers were able to beat the odds and win the first 2 Peanut League Semifinal Playoff games on the Rougarou's home turf. Yesterday the Quillbacks won the series opener by the score of 5-1, primarily due to a strong outing by starting pitcher John Montefusco. Montefusco worked 8 innings, allowing only 1 run on 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8. He also helped his own cause by hitting a double and scoring a run. Graig Nettles went 2 for 4 with an RBI for Quasky. [Boxscore]

Graig Nettles had an even better day in today's Game 2 as the Carps were victorious, 8 to 4. He had 4 hits in 5 at bats with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. Steve Busby started for the Carps and almost went the distance, lasting 8^2/3 innings before running out of gas. Gaylord Perry was the starting pitcher for Vidalia and was tagged with the loss. [Boxscore]

The teams will get a day of rest tomorrow while they travel to Quasqueton for Game 3 and, if needed, Game 4.

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VIRGINIA BEATS GEORGIA TWICE AT HOME;
CARDINALS TAKE 2-0 LEAD IN 1ST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
Oct. 5, 1975
ROANOKE, VA: The Virginia Cardinals won the first 2 games of their 5-game Peanut Leauge Semifinal Playoff series against the Georgia Pines. Virginia needs to win just 1 of the 3 remaining games in the series to advance to the next playoff round. Yesterday the Cardinals eked out a 4-3 victory in the first game. Bert Blyleven started the game for Virginia and earned the win, allowing only 1 run in 6^2/3 innings. Larry Hisle led the Cardinals attack by going 4 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and 2 runs scored. [Boxscore]

In today's Game 2 Virginia capitalized on starter Burt Hooton's well-pitched game, beating the Pines by 6 to 1. Hooton threw a complete game, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk. Georgia's Jay Johnstone hit a solo home run with 1 out in the 1st inning to score the Pines' only run of the game. [Boxscore]

Tomorrow the teams will have a day off while the series moves to Warner Robins, Georgia for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4.

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DEMONS & SPLINTERS SPLIT PAIR OF LOPSIDED GAMES;
SERIES TIED AT 1 WIN APIECE
Oct. 4, 1975
CLEAR LAKE, IA: The Clear Lake Demons and West Park Splinters took turns beating up on each other in the first 2 games of their Crackerjack League Semifinal Playoff series. On October 3 the Demons won the series opener by clobbering the Splinters by the score of 14 to 2. Clear Lake batters tallied 16 hits and drew 5 walks. George Foster went 3 for 5 with a home run and 4 RBI. [Boxscore]

The next day it was West Park's turn to wallop the Demons. After only 3 innings the Splinters had chased Demon starter Catfish Hunter off the mound and built an 8-1 lead. From that point West Park coasted to an 11-4 victory. Splinters catcher Carleton Fisk had 4 hits and 3 RBI in 5 plate appearances. [Boxscore] West Park's victory was dampened by the news that 2nd baseman Duane Kuiper, who had left the game after being hit by a pitch, would be out of action for about 2^1/2 weeks.

The teams will get 1 day off to travel to Cleveland for the 3rd and 4th games of the series.

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THE 1975 REGULAR SEASON IS OVER!

In the Crackerjack League:

The Clear Lake Demons captured the Crackerjack League Regular Season Championship, finishing in 1st place with 98 wins.

The Oak Ridge Bombers coasted into 2nd place with a 92-70 record, 11 games ahead of 3rd place Kansas City.

The Kansas City Monarchs finished the season with 12 losses in their final 15 games but hung on to 3rd place, just 1 game ahead of the 4th place team.

The West Park Splinters survived a September swoon in which they went 7-20, finishing in 4th place and making the playoffs by 1 game.

This was an unusually competitive season, with 4 teams finishing just out of reach of the playoffs. The Goat Island Lights and Ocean View Isotopes tied for 5th place, just 1 game behind 4th place with 79 wins. The Frisco Eagles were close behind with 77 wins but finished in 7th place. The Cincinnati Rhinos landed in 8th place, just 1 game behind Frisco and only 4 games out of 4th place.

In the Peanut Leauge:

The neck-and-neck battle for 1st place in the Peanut League came down to the final game of the season. The Vidalia Rougarou ended up in 1st place with 102 wins, claiming the Regular Season Championship by a margin of only 1 game over the 101-61 Virginia Cardinals. Both teams won their final games by margins of only 1 run, but if Vidalia had lost their last game the teams would have tied at 101 wins each, and Virginia would have claimed the championship based on head-to-head records.

The Georgia Pines and Quasqueton Quillback Carpsuckers settled their fight for 3rd place with a 3-game series in Quasky. The Carps needed to sweep the series to wrest 3rd place away from Georgia, but the Pines went 2-1 to finish with a 92-70 record. The Carps finished their season with a 90-72 record and 4th place.

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WITH 4 DAYS REMAINING IN THE 1975 REGULAR SEASON:

In the Crackerjack League, only 2 teams are now mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Eight teams have at least a theoretical chance to finish in at least a tie for 4th place.

In the Peanut Leauge, the Carpsuckers clinched the final playoff berth by sweeping the Grasshoppers in a 3-game series while the Warriors went 1-2 against the Cardinals. Virginia holds a slim 1/2-game lead over Vidalia for 1st place, and Georgia is hanging on to 3rd place by 1 game over Quasqueton.

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WITH 7 DAYS REMAINING IN THE 1975 REGULAR SEASON:

A Wild Scramble in Crackerjack Leauge;
Only 1 CJ Team is Mathematically Eliminated From Playoffs

In Peanut League, Virginia-Vidalia Championship Battle Goes Down to the Wire;
Georgia, Quasqueton, & Altoona Fighting for Final 2 Playoff Slots

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BILLINGHAM THROWS NO-HITTER
OAK RIDGE BEATS GOAT ISLAND, 7-0

Billingham
Sept. 13, 1975
[Boxscore]

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CARDINALS OUTLAST WARRIORS IN 19-INNING CONTEST;
VIRGINIA WINS, 2 TO 1, ON GARVEY'S WALK-OFF SINGLE
July 30, 1975
[Boxscore]

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CARLISLE BEATS CLEAR LAKE, 3-2, IN 20-INNING GAME;
525 PITCHES THROWN IN GRUELING MATCH
July 29, 1975
[Boxscore]

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GULLETT PITCHES NO-HITTER
SPLINTERS BEAT EAGLES, 7-0

Gullett
Aug. 23, 1975
[Boxscore]

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BOMBERS BEAT PINSTRIPERS IN 17-INNING GAME;
GRICH HITS GO-AHEAD DOUBLE WITH 2 OUT IN 17^TH
July 27, 1975
[Boxscore]

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CARPS BEAT CARDINALS, 7-5, IN 17 INNING MARATHON;
VIRGINIA USES 8 PITCHERS IN CONTEST
July 18, 1975
[Boxscore]

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RHINOS TRAMPLE PINSTRIPERS, 20-0;
CINCY TALLIES 21 HITS;
MADDOX DRIVES IN 6
July 17, 1975
[Boxscore]

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PEANUT LEAGUE WINS ALL-STAR GAME, 7-5;
1^ST PL VICTORY IN 5 YEARS;
CARLTON NAMED MVP

   Carlton
July 12, 1975
[Boxscore]
CLEVELAND, OH: The Peanut League All-Star team ended the Crackerack League's string of 4 consecutive Midsummer Classic victories, beating the Crackers by the score of 7 to 5. It was the first Peanut league win since 1970. The hitters on both teams ruled the first half of the game, but the bullplens dominated the 2nd half.
     Righthanded pitcher Dave Goltz started the game for the Peanuts and had an uncharacteristically rocky 1st inning. In the bottom of the 1st inning CJ leadoff man Joe Morgan blasted Goltz's 2nd pitch of the game deep into right center field to give the Crackers a quick 1-0 lead. Roy White then doubled down the right field line, and he was followed by John Mayberry who walked on 4 straight pitches. Boog Powell made the first out of the inning on a force out at 2nd, with White taking 3rd. With runners at the corners and 1 out, Manny Sanguillen hit a line drive to left center for a double that drove in White and sent Powell to 3rd. Goltz retired Rusty Staub on a ground out to 1st for the 2nd out, but Powell scored on the play to increase the Peanut lead to 3-0.   Goltz was finally able to end the inning by striking out Fred Lynn. Meanwhile Crackerjack starting pitcher Catfish Hunter sailed through the first 2 innings, allowing only 1 baserunner.
     Goltz's problems continued in the bottom of the 2nd. He struck out Darrell Evans for the first out but then loaded the bases on a single to Chris Speier and back-to-back walks to Morgan and White. At this point Goltz appeared to be in serious trouble and the Peanut League manager was faced with a dilemma. With only 5 pitchers available for relief, the PL would have preferred to have their starter stay on the mound an inning or two longer. But the right handed Goltz was facing a lineup with 5 lefthanded hitters in the next 6 slots in their batting order, and he had already thrown 17 pitches in the inning. The decision was made to pull Goltz and replace him with lefthanded pitcher Steve Carlton. Carlton retired Mayberry on a fly out but Spier was able to tag up and score, making it a 4-0 game.   Then Carlton struck out Powell to end the inning and put out the fire.
     Hunter was still going strong as he notched the first 2 outs in the top of the 3rd, retiring Mike Hargrove on an infield groundout and getting Robin Yount out on a routine fly. But then Ken Singleton reached base on a single and Dave Parker followed him with a towering home run deep into right center to put the Peanuts on the board and narrow the Crackerjack lead to 4-2.
     The Peanut League took over the lead with a 5-run outburst in the 4th inning. The Crackers brought in Paul Splittorf to relieve Hunter on the mound at the start of the inning. The first 2 Peanut batters, Graig Nettles and Greg Luzinski, each battled Splittorf to a full count, with Nettles striking out but Luzinski earning a base on balls. Luzinski advanced to 2nd on a ground out by Ted Simmons, took 3rd base on a single by Davey Lopes and then scored when Hargrove reached base on an error by Powell. With runners on 1st and 2nd Yount doubled to drive in both runers, giving the Peanuts a 5-4 lead. Splittorf walked Singleton on 5 pitches and was then pulled from the mound. Micky Lolich relieved Splittorf but Lolich wasn't able to stop the bleeding either. The first batter Lolich faced, Dave Parker, lined a double down the right field line to score Yount with Singleton stopping at 3rd. That left 1st base open, so the lefthanded Lolich intentionally walked right handed slugger Bobby Bonds to set up a force at every base with lefthanded hitter Nettles at the plate. The move backfired, however, when Lolich's 1st offering to Nettles was a wild pitch that let Singleton score and widened the Peanut lead to 7-4. Nettles then flied out to end the inning.
     The Crackers got 1 run back in the bottom of the 4th. Speier led off the inning by reaching base on an infield erro, advanced to 2nd on White's single, and then scored on Mayberry's base hit to shallow left field. That narrowed the Peanut lead to 7-5, but it was the last time either team would score in the game.
     The end of the 4th inning also marked the end of scoring threats by either team. The two bullpens dominated the game from that point to the end. For the Peanuts, Carlton pitched through the end of the 6th inning, cooling off the CJ bats that were red hot at the start of the game. After he left the game after contributing 4^2/3 innings of relief, Peanut relievers John Montefusco, Steve Busby, and Goose Gossage picked up where he left off and combined to limit the Crackers to only 2 hits and 1 walk in 3 scoreless innings.
     The Peanut League was able to hold on to the 7-5 lead they built over the first 4 innings, and they captured their first All-Star win since 1970. In a short post-game ceremony at midfield, Peanut manager Brian Barnes accepted the Midsummer Classic Trophy on behalf of his league. Steve Carlton was honored as the game's Most Valuable Player in recognition of his clutch pitching. At a key point when it appeared the Crackers were going to win in a blowout, Carlton took the mound and stablized the situation so that his team could get back in the game. He pitched 4^2/3 innings in relief while giving up only 1 unearned run on 3 hits and no walks.

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About the VBG

Welcome to the Vintage Baseball Guild. This centralized league is simulated on Diamond Mind Baseball (v10) and began with the 1927 season.

Commissioner: Darrell Hanson

Commissioner Emeritus & League Founder: Eric Lowder

morgan