Ian Controls the Universe, Part 2

Some of you might remember a little post I did two months ago that allowed me to manipulate on-field results, namely by dictating the next ten World Series. It was a fun exercise, but you know...it just wasn't enough. Once you've tasted omnipotence, your hunger for more becomes insatiable.

I got to thinking...what if instead of just dictating the future I could dictate the past as well? What if I could go back in time and allow some teams to win the World Series that never did (and likewise prevent some teams from winning it)? After all, plenty of great players and teams never tasted the ultimate championship, and it's a darn shame. What if somehow I, and I alone, had the power to give it to them? What kind of guy would I be if I didn't at least consider it?

The only thing that gives me hesitation is the fact that there are many World Series champions that it's hard for me to picture not having won it, since almost every champion had at least one notable player who never won a championship anywhere else. If those teams hadn't won it in the first place, hey, that's that, but since they did, I'm in a position where I'm forced to take it away from them. By the time I'm done, perhaps a few all-time greats will have lost their only rings. As I fight back the tears though, I shall find the strength to act in the interests of the greater good!

Lest you think otherwise, I'll try to be somewhat fair. I'm not a fan of dynasties, but if a team was legitimately great for a significant period of time, I'll let 'em keep a few of those titles. For teams that have plenty of titles to spare though (I'm looking at you, New York Yankees), I think we can safely take a few of them away without hurting anybody.

Now that I've suddenly been granted this power (in my fictitious blog post world), here's how the new history of the World Series looks:

1903 Boston Americans over Pittsburg Pirates
1905 New York Giants over Philadelphia Athletics
1906 Chicago White Sox over Chicago Cubs
1907 Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers
1908 Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers
1909 Pittsburg Pirates over Detroit Tigers
1910 Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs
1911 Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants
1912 Boston Red Sox over New York Giants

As you can see, I haven't changed a thing so far. I've got no real beef with any of these results, as they allowed some worthy teams to win championships, and some good storylines got to play out. The changes though, they're a-comin'!

1913 New York Giants over Philadelphia Athletics

The Philly A's didn't really need this one, and the 1911-13 Giants were worthy of at least one World Series championship.

1914 Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics

One of my favorite underdog stories. The Miracle Braves never had to sweat for a second.

1915 Detroit Tigers over Philadelphia Phillies
1916 Philadelphia Phillies over Boston Red Sox

In real life, the Tigers of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Hughie Jennings are a sad omission from the list of World Series champs. The 1915 Bengals won more games than any other Detroit team from that era. The mid-1910's Phillies were an interesting yet relatively forgotten group. Both of them now get to taste the champagne.

1917 Chicago White Sox over New York Giants
1918 Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs
1919 Cincinnati Reds over Chicago White Sox
1920 Cleveland Indians over Brooklyn Robins
1921 New York Giants over New York Yankees

Another stretch of results I'm fine with.

1922 St. Louis Browns over St. Louis Cardinals

While the Browns are still mostly remembered today for their lack of success, they now have one flag that flies forever. Not only was the 1922 club probably the best St. Louis Browns team, it was arguably better than the Yankee team that beat it out for the pennant. Such an injustice no longer exists.

As you can also see, the famous all-St. Louis World Series happened 22 years earlier than in real life, this time without war-depleted rosters. The actual '22 Cardinals, led by a monster year from Rogers Hornsby, stayed in the race most of the season before fading in August. This time they held on long enough to reach the October promised land.

1923 New York Yankees over New York Giants
1924 Washington Senators over New York Giants
1925 Pittsburgh Pirates over Washington Senators
1926 St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees
1927 New York Yankees over Pittsburgh Pirates
1928 New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals
1929 Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs
1930 Philadelphia Athletics over St. Louis Cardinals
1931 St. Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics
1932 New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs
1933 New York Giants over Washington Senators
1934 St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers
1935 Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs

At this point you're probably saying "Come on, man! You've hardly changed anything! Is there really a point to me reading this?", to which I must reply: "You have a legit gripe, but there's method to my lack of madness." I'm fair enough to concede that most of these teams deserved to win it, but even more importantly, certain teams wouldn't be so much fun to hate if they didn't have so many championships. Folks, I'm just a-settin' 'em up to bring 'em down later! You know that Yankee dynasty that's at hand? Check out what happened instead!

1936 Chicago Cubs over New York Yankees

The Cubs got revenge for 1932, and the fine Cubbie club of Hack, Herman, Hartnett, Cavarretta, Root and Warneke got a championship.

1937 Chicago White Sox over New York Giants

The not-great-but-more-interesting-than-they-often-get-credit-for Pale Hose club of Appling, Lyons and Dykes got a championship.

1938 Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees

The "Homer in the Gloamin'" never happened, and the fine Buccaneer club of Vaughan and the Waner brothers got a championship.

1939 New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds
1940 Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers

That '39 Yankee team's legacy was too great to be erased, and those Reds were a charming little club too.

1941 Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees

In real life '55 was a massive relief, but I figured there was no reason Brooklyn's first title couldn't have happened sooner. With significantly different personnel than in the "Boys of Summer" era, the '41 Dodgers can be thought of as a unique group.

1942 St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox

Too many Yankee World Series losses makes them somewhat pitiable. There shall be none of that in my narrative! The Ted Williams Red Sox won their first pennant this year, only to lose to an outstanding Cardinal team.

1943 New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals

Like I've been saying, the Yankees need to keep some of their titles to remain legitimately hatable. This result stands.

1944 Detroit Tigers over Pittsburgh Pirates

The '45 team got its ring a year earlier, led by twin aces Hal Newhouser and Dizzy Trout. The Browns don't feel gypped, as their title in '22 is much more meaningful than one won by a bunch of wartime scrubs would've been. The Tigers also got to avenge their World Series loss in 1909, for good measure.

The '44 Pirates were a distant second in real life, but they had some better luck this time, and Rip Sewell's "Eephus" pitch received a showcase in the Fall Classic.

1945 Washington Senators over Chicago Cubs

Few realize how close Washington came to getting a title during the wartime years. I decided to let them have it.

1946 Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals

Ted Williams' greatest club is way more interesting than another boring old St. Louis championship.

1947 Boston Braves over New York Yankees

There was no way I was going to deny the '48 Indians their title, but I've always liked the Billy Southworth-era Braves, and if they couldn't have '48, '47 wasn't a bad consolation prize. MVP Bob Elliott truly had a season for the ages.

1948 Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves
1949 New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers

Like I said above, the '48 Indians were too great a story to deny them their title. The '49 Yankees had a good enough story (overcoming injuries and such) that I let them keep their championship.

1950 Philadelphia Phillies over Detroit Tigers

The "Whiz Kids" got the ring, and the Red Rolfe Tigers who came so close to toppling the Yankees got to play in the World Series.

1951 New York Giants over New York Yankees

After "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" you'd better believe those Giants completed their destiny.

1952 New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers

You know my reasoning. Let's move on...

1953 Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees

The '53 team was better than the '55 team, and it included notables such as Billy Cox and Preacher Roe, who missed out two years later in real life.

1954 Cleveland Indians over New York Giants

The Giants got theirs in '51, so the 111-win Indians are now remembered as one of the all-time great championship teams.

1955 Chicago White Sox over Brooklyn Dodgers

After getting '53 the Dodgers didn't need '55. The Go-Go White Sox deserved a ring, and '55 allowed them to get it with Minnie Minoso and Chico Carrasquel included.

1956 Cincinnati Redlegs over Cleveland Indians

The Redlegs tied the 1947 Giants' team homer record and their roster included several classic Cincy players like Kluszewski, Bailey, McMillan, Temple, Post, Bell, Lawrence and Nuxhall. There was also a prized rookie named Frank Robinson who contributed 38 homers to the team total, and they were managed by one of my personal favorite semi-obscure baseball lifers, Birdie Tebbetts. Such an interesting bunch sure looks nice among history's champions.

I threw the Indians another pennant too, resulting in the first all-Ohio World Series.

1957 Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees
1958 New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves

The '57 Braves are one of my all-time favorite champions, and they get to remain as such. The '58 Yankees? Well, like I've been saying...

1959 Chicago White Sox over Milwaukee Braves

Confession time: I have a rooting interest the White Sox, although really, I'm a fan of the game first and my teams second. Was I too generous by giving the Go-Go Sox a second title in five years?

Sorry, but I couldn't not give 'em this one. I've always loved the '59 team, and unlike the '55 team, this one included Hall of Famers Wynn and Aparicio (borderline selections, I know, and champions with other clubs in this alternate world, I know, but Hall of Famers nonetheless), and truly-legit Hall of Fame manager Al Lopez. Baseball deserves to have them win the ring in '59.

Oh, and I thought it'd be nice to have an All-Northern-Midwest Series too. The Aaron-Mathews-Spahn Braves are now even more dynastic than in real life.

1960 Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees

A storybook title that only a hard-hearted tyrant would've erased from history.

1961 New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds

Like I've been saying...

1962 San Francisco Giants over New York Yankees

In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?" Whaddaya know? In this universe he did!

1963 Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees
1964 St. Louis Cardinals over Baltimore Orioles

I didn't begrudge the '63 Dodgers and the '64 Cards their titles. I decided to throw in the first Baltimore Orioles pennant just for the fun of it though. The Battle of the Birds made a good gimmick for the media.

1965 Minnesota Twins over Los Angeles Dodgers

Those Twins are one of my favorite World Series losers.

1966 Baltimore Orioles over Pittsburgh Pirates

I'm fine with the real-life winner, but there were too dang many of those Dodger pennants floating around. The '66 Pirates were a fine squad, so now the World Series history between these two franchises starts five years earlier.

1967 Boston Red Sox over San Francisco Giants

"The Impossible Dream" is completed! However, since I didn't want anyone to feel too sorry for the Cardinals, someone else had to get the privilege of losing the World Series. Lo and behold, the Mays-McCovey-Marichal Giants have now bagged their second pennant!

1968 Detroit Tigers over St. Louis Cardinals

The '68 Tigers have another one of those stories that was just too perfect to erase from history.

1969 Chicago Cubs over Baltimore Orioles

I'm sure Met fans are cursing me right now, but hey, this is my world. The Banks-Jenkins-Santo-Williams Cubs deserved a ring, and now they've got it.

1970 Baltimore Orioles over Cincinnati Reds
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles

I was cool with these, especially with the Pirates avenging '66.

1972 Chicago White Sox over Cincinnati Reds

I'm sure I've set myself up for some serious accusations of White Sox bias. Dick Allen seriously needed a ring though. There was also the whole 1919 rematch angle. What can I say? It works.

1973 New York Mets over Oakland A's

All the Met fans who cursed me for taking away '69 can take solace in the fact that the "You Gotta Believe" team won it instead of the "Miracle" team. Tom Seaver won't end his career without a championship he deserves, and other Met favorites like Matlack and Staub got to be included. I suppose it might seem heartless of me to take away Nolan Ryan's only ring, but fear not. He'll get his eventually...

1974 Oakland A's over Los Angeles Dodgers

And finally Charlie O.'s Swingin' A's have their ring.

1975 Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox

And finally the Big Red Machine has its ring.

1976 New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies

Whoa, whoa, WHOA. Hold the phone. Did I actually give the Yankees a title they didn't win in real life? You bet I did. Why? Well, personally speaking, I've never been a big fan of the "Bronx Zoo" Yankees, but I'll give 'em credit for being a fine ballclub. While Reggie Jackson is the most well-remembered player from that era, some people don't realize that they were already a pennant-winner before he and his massive ego joined them. In a way, that '76 team is the most interesting of the Bronx Zoo period. Yes, it was built by financial power to a large degree, but it was before George Steinbrenner went off the deep end with his spending. I figured the '76 club could have the title and future editions could drown in their self-importance.

Oh yeah...since the Big Red Machine got its title, I let the Paul Owens Phillies add another pennant to their collection.

1977 Los Angeles Dodgers over Kansas City Royals

When the real-life Dodgers won it in '81, it was a redemption for all the times they'd come up short. They don't need redeeming though, now that they've gotten their title in '77. In this case, Dodger icon Don Sutton and famous surgery namesake Tommy John got to join in the fun.

Also, the Whitey Herzog Royals now have a World Series appearance to their name.

1978 Milwaukee Brewers over Los Angeles Dodgers

'82 was great, but Molitor, Yount, Cooper, Oglivie, Thomas and Gantner (no, he wasn't much of a slugger, but he was a longtime Brewer favorite) were all part of the team in '78 too. "Bambi's Bombers" surprised a lot of people by emerging as contenders that year, and here they rode the magic all the way to the end of October.

1979 Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles
1980 Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals

Come on, man, the "We Are Family" Pirates were just too cool to take away. 1980 worked out well for the Paul Owens Phillies to win their lone World Series too. I decided to let these be.

1981 Montreal Expos over Oakland A's

No longer is my heart broken because the Expos had such a good organization for so many years and never got so much as a pennant to show for it. The '81 team came the closest in real life, and also featured the strongest mix of Montreal's most famous players (Dawson, Raines, Carter, Rogers, Wallach). They were the best choice to represent Montreal in the title department.

Billy Martin may have overworked his young pitchers on the A's for a brief flash of success, but hey, at least it paid off with a pennant!

1982 St. Louis Cardinals over Milwaukee Brewers
1983 Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies
1984 Detroit Tigers over San Diego Padres
1985 Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals
1986 New York Mets over Boston Red Sox

All good stories, all worthy champions. I left them alone.

1987 San Francisco Giants over Minnesota Twins

Giant fans have always seemed particularly fond of the Roger Craig era. While the real-life '87 Twins gave some good players their only rings (Frank Viola, Gary Gaetti, perhaps Don Baylor, though he might have gotten one with the '70 Orioles, Jeff Reardon, though in this world he got one with the '81 Expos), they still were one of the weakest champions ever, and besides that, several of the same core players (Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Greg Gagne) were part of the much-better '91 squad. Sorry, Metrodome denizens. San Fran gets this title and you get yours in four years.

1988 Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics

Speaking of weak championship teams, I let the Dodgers keep this one. Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser made them worthy of their place in history.

1989 Oakland Athletics over Chicago Cubs

LaRussa's Athletics now have theirs. The Cubs got a piece of the World Series action instead of the less-hungry Giants, however, and the Loma Prieta earthquake is now of lesser consequence to baseball, since the Series was in Chicago when it hit. Perhaps if the Series had returned to Oakland there might have been some issues.

1990 Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics
1991 Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves

I was perfectly happy with both results. I didn't change them.

1992 Toronto Blue Jays over Pittsburgh Pirates

It goes without saying that I was only going to let one of the two Toronto teams keep its title. I decided the '92 team had more unique quintessential Blue Jays (Jimmy Key, Kelly Gruber, Tom Henke, Manuel Lee, Dave Stieb, Rance Mulliniks), so I went with them (sorry, Tony Fernandez!). As for their opponent, I let the Barry Bonds Pirates get at least one pennant, and I prevented them from being saddled with the memory of Francisco Cabrera ('cause no one deserves that).

1993 Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago White Sox

This year was the toughest choice for me. The Blue Jays got theirs in '92, so they didn't need this one. I had the Braves winning in '95 so that Chipper Jones could be a contributor. The Expos were a contender in '93 and might've been a cool winner, but they really didn't look like a championship-caliber club. If I'd let the White Sox win another World Series I probably would've gotten complaints about homerism (maybe I'm being too self-conscious about that). The Giants winning would've allowed Barry Bonds to get a ring, but after '87 I felt they could live without it.

That left us with the Phillies, the "Animal House" cast of rough-hewn characters. Since I allowed the Gashouse Gang to win it, I could allow them to win it too. As a Sox fan I would've loved to see them win the whole shebang, but in the interest of fairness, I only let them have the AL pennant.

1995 Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians
1996 New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves

It's all good.

1997 Florida Marlins over Baltimore Orioles

The '97 Marlins had many veterans that I was happy to see get rings. It was a shame that in real life they had to get them at the expense of the Indians though, so now they victimized the Orioles instead.

1998 San Diego Padres over New York Yankees

The scrappers from San Diego pulled off a massive upset, they did.

1999 Cleveland Indians over Atlanta Braves

The Mike Hargrove Indians finally got their title, as well as revenge for 1995.

2000 Seattle Mariners over New York Mets

The 2001 World Series was a classic, so I wasn't going to mess with it. That left me with the dilemma of the 116-win 2001 Mariners though. My solution: Give Seattle the 2000 title to take comfort in when they fall short the next year.

So how do you like that? After trading away franchise icon Ken Griffey Jr. these guys finally won the whole thing. Who would've thought?

2001 Arizona Diamondbacks over New York Yankees
2002 Anaheim Angels over San Francisco Giants

Both champions still feel like teams of destiny.

2003 Chicago Cubs over New York Yankees

The Prior/Wood Cubs capitalized during their tragically brief window of opportunity, and those abominable Marlins are all but forgotten today.

2004 Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals
2005 Chicago White Sox over Houston Astros

Two more stories I couldn't imagine not having as part of baseball history.

2006 Detroit Tigers over New York Mets

The Cardinals? Yeah, I remember them. They won 83 games this year. Why do you ask?

2007 Colorado Rockies over Boston Red Sox
2008 Tampa Bay Rays over Philadelphia Phillies

They were teams of destiny, I tell you!

2009 Philadelphia Phillies over Minnesota Twins

It was a shame to take away the '08 Phillies' title, but no worries, they got '09. MVP Joe Mauer finally helped the Twins beat the Yankees in the Division Series, and he carried them all the way to the World Series.

2010 San Francisco Giants over Texas Rangers

I know I've been pretty generous to the Giants, but what the heck. The 2010 team was worthy.

2011 Texas Rangers over Milwaukee Brewers

The Rangers got the title they deserved last year, Nolan Ryan got his ring, and the Brewers were rewarded with a pennant for going all in. Since the Brew Crew won it in '78, it didn't hurt as much to lose the World Series as it would've if they'd never won it before. Optimal result? You bet it is.

As I said last time, I realize that my scenarios are absurdly unrealistic, but hey, a mere mortal like me isn't inclined to use omnipotence to maintain predictability. If I had my way, the Rangers would be entering this season trying to be the first team since the 1929-30 Athletics to repeat. Is that ridiculous or what?

So how does the distribution of pennants and championships look now?

Franchise      WS   PEN

Yankees        12    27
Giants          8    17
White Sox       7     9
Athletics       6    14
Cardinals       6    14
Tigers          6    12
Pirates         6    11
Red Sox         6    11
Cubs            5    13
Dodgers         5    12
Phillies        5     9
Reds            5     9
Braves          4    10
Orioles         4     9
Twins           4     8
Indians         4     6
Mets            2     4
Brewers         1     3
Royals          1     3
Padres          1     2
Rangers         1     2
Angels          1     1
Blue Jays       1     1
Diamondbacks    1     1
Mariners        1     1
Marlins         1     1
Nationals       1     1
Rays            1     1
Rockies         1     1
Astros          0     1

Poor Astros. They're the only ones I couldn't find a title for, but hey, 29 out of 30 ain't bad. At least the Astros give us an underdog team we can all pull for. Overall, I'm pleased with these results. The Yankees are still hatable without being wearyingly loathsome, and the teams with the richest histories still manage to find themselves at the top. If there's any significant stratification, it divides the expansion teams from the "Original 16," which is hardly objectionable.

If only my fantasy were reality. Why don't the people in charge of the universe hire me?

PTWSW #78: The 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers

Manager: Tommy Lasorda
Record: 63-47
Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
Owner: Peter O'Malley & Terry Seidler
GM: Al Campanis
Coaches: Monty Basgall, Mark Cresse, Manny Mota, Danny Ozark, Ron Perranoski

Future Hall of Famers: none

All-Stars: Dusty Baker, Steve Garvey, Pedro Guerrero, Burt Hooton, Davey Lopes, Fernando Valenzuela

Team Leaders, Batting

BA: Dusty Baker, .320
OBP: Ron Cey, .372
SLG: Ron Cey, .474
OPS: Ron Cey, .846
2B: Steve Garvey, 23
3B: Ken Landreaux, 4
HR: Ron Cey, 13
RBI: Steve Garvey, 64
BB: Ron Cey, 40
SB: Davey Lopes, 20

Team Leaders, Pitching

W: Fernando Valenzuela, 13
SO: Fernando Valenzuela, 180 (NL leader)
ERA: Burt Hooton, 2.28
IP: Fernando Valenzuela, 192.1 (NL leader)
CG: Fernando Valenzuela, 11 (NL leader)
SHO: Fernando Valenzuela, 8 (NL leader)
K/BB: Fernando Valenzuela, 2.95
SV: Steve Howe, 8

Tidbits

Oldest Player: Jerry Grote (b. October 6, 1942)

Youngest Player: Fernando Valenzuela (b. November 1, 1960)

First to Leave Us: Steve Howe (d. April 28, 2006). Howe was only 48 years old when he died in a pickup truck accident.

Last Survivor: Most are still living as of the date of this post.

First in Majors: Jerry Grote (debut September 21, 1963)

Last in Majors: Fernando Valenzuela (final game July 14, 1997)

First to Play For the Franchise: Bill Russell (April 7, 1969)

Last to Play For the Franchise: Mike Scioscia (October 2, 1992)

Pre-union Team: No team had more than two.

Reunion Team: The 1984 Chicago Cubs had four: Ron Cey, Jay Johnstone, Davey Lopes and Rick Sutcliffe. Incidentally, this makes two champions in a row that had the 1984 Cubs as a reunion team.

Accomplishments

Fernando Valenzuela, NL Cy Young Award
Fernando Valenzuela, NL Rookie of the Year Award
Dusty Baker, NL Outfield Gold Glove
Fernando Valenzuela, NL Pitcher Silver Slugger
Dusty Baker, NL Outfield Silver Slugger

Season Summary

The 1970's had been a frustrating decade in Dodger-land. The team was a perennial contender, with pennants in 1974, 1977 and 1978 to its name, but there was still something missing: a World Series title. The 1980 season ended up as another not-quite; after spending all year in the pennant race, they fell just short of the NLCS. The final series of the year was a three-gamer in L.A. against the Astros, whom they trailed, as luck would have it, by three games. Miraculously, they pulled off three one-run victories to force a tie-breaking, no-travel-expenses-necessary Game 163, but unfortunately for them, their luck ran out in that final game; the Astros romped to the first division title in franchise history with a 7-1 win.

Going into the 1981 season the Dodgers had many questions surrounding them. 15-year Dodger veteran Don Sutton, the NL's ERA leader in 1980, had left for Houston as a free agent. They had failed to land star center fielder Fred Lynn from the Red Sox, forcing them to acquire the much-less-stellar Ken Landreaux from the Twins in the middle of Spring Training. Their core players were aging: the famed infield of Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Davey Lopes and Steve Garvey was returning for its ninth season together, but all by then were over 30. Outfielder Reggie Smith was battling a shoulder injury that had hampered him the previous season, and he'd be limited to pinch-hitting duty for most of 1981.

The Dodgers' hopes rested on that ever-unpredictable wild card: young players. They had a fine up-and-coming hitter named Pedro Guerrero who was also able to fill in at almost any position. They had a backstop named Mike Scioscia who'd hit .254 the previous season as the Dodger catching corps' junior statesman. The one with the biggest upside, however, was a bulky, screwball-throwing Mexican lefty who'd dazzled as a September call-up. 19-year-old Fernando Valenzuela made 10 relief appearances late in the 1980 season without allowing a single earned run, and everyone was eager to see what he could do with a full season in the rotation. Manager Tommy Lasorda was so confident in the kid that he named him his Opening Day starter.

To the joy of Dodger fans, Valenzuela didn't disappoint. Facing the team that had knocked L.A. out the previous October, Valenzuela shut out the Astros on five hits, keeping his career ERA at 0.00 and giving the Dodgers a win to lead off the new season. His scoreless streak came to an end in the eighth inning of his next start, but Valenzuela still went the distance for a 7-1 victory. He pitched shutouts in four of his next five starts, and went nine innings in the two starts surrounding the last shutout, earning wins each time. After eight starts, his record stood at 8-0, with seven complete games, five shutouts and a 0.50 ERA. Fernandomania was in full swing, and the 20-year-old hurler was the talk of baseball. The entire Dodger team was off to a hot start too, holding a 5.5-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds after Valenzuela's eighth win.

As one would expect, such dominance wasn't sustainable over the course of a full season, and Valenzuela came back to earth in his next few starts. The Dodgers held onto first place, but a late-May/early-June slump coincided with a period of improved play by the Reds. On June 11 Valenzuela lost a 2-1 pitching duel to the Cardinals, while the Reds beat the Mets to pull within half a game.

Baseball's labor situation, however, was in a state of uncertainty. Owners and players had been battling for more than a year over the issue of free agent compensation, and the two sides had been unable to reach an agreement. On June 12 the players went on strike, the first midseason strike in the history of major league American professional sports. The two sides finally came to terms on July 31, but there was still the issue of how the postseason would be managed given that so many games had been cancelled.

Commissioner Bowie Kuhn decided on a controversial "split season" format which would add an extra tier to the playoffs. The four teams in first place at the beginning of the strike would be awarded playoff spots, while the standings would refresh for the second half. The team with the best record in each division during the second half would play its first-half counterpart for the right to play in the League Championship Series. Having already clinched a playoff berth by the narrowest of margins, the Dodgers put up a 27-26 record in the second half, which actually put their overall season record four games behind the Reds, who finished with baseball's top winning percentage. Thanks to those quirky rules, the Reds missed out on the postseason due to the fact that they finished a game and a half behind the Astros in the second-half standings. It meant the NL West Division Series would be an L.A.-Houston rematch.

The first two games took place at the Astrodome, where the Astros won both in their last at-bat. Alan Ashby and Denny Walling were the heroes for the hometown team, and reliever Dave Stewart was saddled with the loss both times. After the series headed back to Dodger Stadium though, the boys in blue regained their strength. Dodger pitching allowed only two runs in the next three games, while Dodger hitting plated twelve runs, resulting in three Dodger wins and a trip to the NLCS for Lasorda's men.

1981 saw Canada's first appearance in the MLB postseason, in the form of the Montreal Expos. The Expos were a hungry young team that had fallen just short of the playoffs the previous two years, and now they were tasked with beating the veteran Dodgers. The first two games were held at Dodger Stadium, but the home-field magic didn't do its trick like in the previous series, resulting in a split. Back in Montreal the Expos won Game 3, but the Dodgers pulled away in the late innings of Game 4 to send the series to the maximum.

Game 5 matched Valenzuela against Ray Burris, who'd shut out L.A. in Game 2 of the series. As one would expect, it was a tightly-fought pitcher's duel. The Expos struck first with an RBI double-play groundout in the first inning, but Valenzuela helped his own cause with an RBI groundout in the fifth. In the ninth inning, with the game still tied, Steve Rogers relieved Burris. After getting the first two outs, Dodger right fielder Rick Monday put his team on top with a solo homer that would prove to be the winning blow. In the bottom half, Valenzuela got the first two outs, but needed Bob Welch to nail down the third and clinch the pennant.

The New York Yankees had long been a thorn in the side of the Dodger franchise; the two were October rivals during the Brooklyn Dodgers' "Boys of Summer" era, and the Bronx Bombers had gotten the better of the Dodgers in both the 1977 and 1978 World Series. The Pinstripers were now the only thing standing in the way of the Dodgers' opportunity at redemption.

The Yanks were rested after sweeping the ALCS, and possessed home-field advantage in the World Series. The Dodgers, on the other hand, had to play Game 1 the day after winning the NLCS. Perhaps it was no surprise then, that the Yankees came away with victories in the first two games. With the Series headed to L.A., New York was halfway to dealing L.A. a familiar fate.

Lasorda sent Valenzuela to the mound for Game 3, and while the rookie didn't have his best stuff that night, he managed to come away with a complete-game win to keep the Dodgers' hopes alive. The big man walked seven batters and gave up nine hits, but the damage was limited to only four runs, a total the Dodger offense bettered by one. Game 4 was a slugfest, highlighted by the Dodgers' comeback from an early 4-0 deficit. In the end, the Dodgers walked away with an 8-7 win and a tied Series. Yankee ace Ron Guidry shut out the Dodgers for the first six innings of Game 5, but back-to-back homers by Pedro Guerrero and catcher Steve Yeager put the Dodgers ahead in the game, and by the end of the night, the Series.

Back to Yankee Stadium the Series went for Game 6. The score was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Yankee manager Bob Lemon made a controversial decision. With two outs and the pitcher's spot coming up, he elected to pinch-hit for starter Tommy John, a move that produced no runs. The very next inning the Dodgers erupted for three runs off reliever George Frazier. Frazier had taken the loss in Games 3 and 4, and with the Dodgers now leading, he was suddenly in line for his third of the Series. He would get it. Team Blue added four more runs the next inning, and they would go on to win by a score of 9-2.

At long last this Dodger team had the World Series title it had been unable to capture during the previous decade. It would prove to be the last hurrah for the famed Dodger infield as well, as second baseman Davey Lopes was traded to Oakland the following offseason. The World Series MVP Award was shared by Ron Cey, Guerrero and Yeager, as each of them had come up big with the bat. Valenzuela's amazing year netted him not only the Rookie of the Year Award, but the Cy Young Award as well, the first time any player had won both awards in the same year.

Acknowledgements:

Baseball Reference
Baseball Almanac
Google News Archives
"The 1981 Baseball Strike," Time.com

Ian Controls the Universe

At some point in our lives most of us undoubtedly have had the desire to control that which we cannot. As a diehard baseball fan is apt to do, I believe that things would be much better if I were in charge of MLB (and no one would be swapping leagues on my watch!). Megalomaniac that I am though, I'm not content to stop there. I often find myself wishing the on-field results could bend to my every whim.

Obviously, dictating the results would be meaningless in real life, as it'd produce nothing but hollow, unearned accomplishments. What if, however, I possessed covert omnipotence that allowed me to see whatever result I wanted? Tantalizing idea, is it not? While I wouldn't get to experience the joy of watching everything unfold, I could experience joy vicariously through the fans who did.

I got to thinking: what if I were granted this power for the next ten seasons? What would the next ten World Series look like? While it'd be tempting to go back and remove moronic rules like the Astros moving to the AL and a second Wild Card being added, I think it'd be a lot less complicated for me to play it as it lies. Not only will I go by the rules already on the books, but I'll choose my immediate champions based on what could realistically be expected from the organizations as currently constructed. After all, it'd be ridiculous to make teams simply get lucky; the players and management would have to produce situations where such results were reasonably within the realm of possibility. By announcing the results in advance I'd give these teams time to set themselves on the right path.

Before I announce my picks, I'd like to make something clear to anyone who isn't familiar with my thinking: I'm a fan of the game first, and my teams second. I root for both Chicago teams, yet the two of them would combine for one pennant in the next decade. I love seeing teams win their first championships, or at least their first in a long time. I've been following MLB since 1995, and my plan means I will have seen every team in the World Series by the time my dictatorship expires. Way too unrealistically even-handed? Of course it is, but if you were given this type of power, wouldn't you want to do something extraordinary with it?

So anyway, if I were dictator of all MLB results for ten years, effective January 1, 2012, what could we expect to see?

2012 World Series: Texas Rangers over Washington Nationals

First things first. I love the current Ranger team, and I'm still heartbroken over the way the 2011 World Series turned out. I don't want this core of players to go down in history as a great never-quite-was, so next year I'd have them seal the deal. Yes, the Angels are looking tough right now, but the Rangers are a well-run organization that's by no means ready to concede the division.

As for the Nationals, they have some up-and-coming talent, plus the ability to spend some money, so it wouldn't be a miracle if they contended for the World Series next season. They're one of two current franchises that's never appeared in the Fall Classic, so it'd be their turn get off the board. Why not do it against a franchise that originated in their city?

2013 World Series: Cleveland Indians over Pittsburgh Pirates

Cleveland is a city well-acquainted with heartbreak, and their World Series drought goes back to 1948. They have some of the best fans in the game, and their loyalty deserves to be rewarded sooner rather than later. They exceeded expectations this year, and it's not a stretch to think that in two years they could be playing with the big boys.

Why the Pirates? Why not? It's been over 30 years since they've appeared in the World Series, and they're a young team with the potential to make some noise in the near future. Besides, Pittsburgh and Cleveland have a pretty intense football rivalry, and I'm sure the long-suffering fans in northern Ohio would appreciate it if they could get their long-awaited championship at the expense of their Rust Belt rivals in a sport that actually matters.

2014 World Series: Chicago Cubs over Kansas City Royals

I apologize to my fellow Cub fans, some of whom might die without witnessing a championship in the next few years, but I figure two things: 1) The Cubs aren't currently poised for a pennant run, and 2) 2014 is fitting in several ways.

First of all, it'll mark the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, and what better way to commemorate the century mark than with the stadium's first championship? Second, does anyone else remember the days of the three super droughts? It went: Cubs-1908, White Sox-1917 and Red Sox-1918. The Red Sox broke theirs in 2004, and the White Sox, whose drought began a year earlier, broke theirs the next year, so that means the Cubs, whose drought began nine years before the White Sox', should have theirs broken nine years later. It's almost too perfect.

The Royals haven't been to the postseason since 1985, when they won the World Series, but they've accumulated a boatload of minor league talent in the last few years. 2014 would be the season all that talent finds itself in full blossom and leads Kansas City to its first pennant in almost 30 years. They might be overlooked amidst all the excitement over the Cubs' drought ending, but they'd be good for the K.C. sports scene, and go down in history as a memorable World Series participant.

2015 World Series: San Diego Padres over Minnesota Twins

San Diego hasn't won a major league championship since the Chargers' 1963 AFL title, and they had none before that. It's time for the Padres to get the limelight they've never really had in the baseball world, as both times they've been involved in the World Series they were easily taken care of by a powerhouse from the AL.

The Twins are a nice little franchise, but their having won twice in my lifetime (albeit before I was a fan) means I'm not desperate to see them win it so soon. I would like to see them participate in the World Series at least once during Joe Mauer's career, though.

2016 World Series: Washington Nationals over Toronto Blue Jays

After falling short four years earlier, the Nationals would finally get their redemption. It will have been 94 years since the last title in the nation's capital by then, and baseball will return to its rightful place as the #1 sport in the city. Much-hyped young stars Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper by this point would be proven veterans, and they'd demonstrate the things you can achieve with well-selected #1 draft choices.

Their opponent would be the Toronto Blue Jays, the team with whom the Nationals franchise once shared a country. Still wearing their stitch-perfect uniforms which recall their awesome classic design, Alex Anthopoulos' boys would reward his shrewd management by giving Canada its first glimpse at deep October baseball since before the strike.

2017 World Series: Colorado Rockies over Baltimore Orioles

Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez would be 33 and 32 years old, respectively, by the time the curtain opened on the 2017 Fall Classic, and both would be getting their due accolades as veteran leaders and franchise icons for leading this team to its first pennant in a decade. The former would be generating some Hall of Fame talk by this point as well, and when the Rockies finally got their first sip of victory champagne it would only intensify.

The Orioles would be breaking a 34-year pennant drought, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards would be hosting its first-ever World Series. Hard to believe, isn't it?

2018 World Series: Tampa Bay Rays over Los Angeles Dodgers

Since Andrew Friedman has been running the show he's schooled everyone else in running a top-tier organization on a budget. The lack of a title is the only thing keeping the Rays from a truly amazing place in baseball history. Like the previous year's champs, they'd be redeeming themselves for a decade-old World Series loss here. Of course, if I were controlling more than just the World Series results, I'd have them as a playoff regular in the years leading up to this, which would hopefully mean their fanbase had started supporting them more, and had been anticipating this moment for some time.

The Dodgers, led by 34-year-old Matt Kemp, would be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Kirk Gibson-Orel Hershiser trophy by finally resurfacing in the Series. For all the big-budget Hollywood hype though, the Rays would make easy work of them.

2019 World Series: Milwaukee Brewers over Oakland Athletics

Milwaukee icon Ryan Braun would be almost 36 by the time he finally led the Brew Crew to the World Series, and the wait would be well worth it. The Seattle Pilots would be a half-century-old memory at this point, and the years of toiling as an also-ran would finally come to an end. The only thing marring the proceedings would be the between-innings interviews of former Commissioner Bud Selig, who now admires his one-time franchise from the Miller Park stands, and somehow manages to be an unavoidable sight throughout the postseason.

Billy Beane would have stepped down from running the A's by now (to seek out new challenges, of course), and the anti-Moneyball crowd (the few who still cared) would use this Oakland pennant as fodder for their argument. On the 30-year anniversary of the earthquake title and the 90-year anniversary of the first Cochrane-Foxx-Simmons-Grove powerhouse title, the A's would come up short of matching those teams' accomplishments.

2020 World Series: Houston Astros over Milwaukee Brewers

The "Killer B" era would be long gone, but those quinquagenarian players would be on hand to throw out a few first pitches. After a 58-year wait, the Astros would finally get to stand on top of the baseball world. They'd be doing it as a member of the American League, however, due to that stupid and unnecessary move foisted upon us by Selig and Co. (have I made it clear enough how I feel about that?).

The Brewers would become the first team to win back-to-back pennants since the 2010-12 Rangers won three in a row, but they wouldn't be able to repeat. In a fun twist, the World Series would feature MLB's only two league-switchers.

2021 World Series: Seattle Mariners over Cincinnati Reds

The Mariners would have spent the last nine years as baseball's only team without a World Series appearance. After waiting 44 years for this day, they wouldn't intend to lose.

The Reds would be seeing their first World Series action in 31 years, but they wouldn't have enough to defeat that upstart team in the Emerald City. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., now in his early 50's, would famously equivocate when asked who he was rooting for.

Now that every team in baseball has won the World Series and all have appeared in it since I've been watching, how do the title and pennant droughts look?

World Series title:

Pirates: 1979
Orioles: 1983
Tigers: 1984
Royals: 1985
Mets: 1986
Dodgers: 1988
Athletics: 1989
Reds: 1990
Twins: 1991
Blue Jays: 1993
Braves: 1995
Diamondbacks: 2001
Angels: 2002
Marlins: 2003
White Sox: 2005
Red Sox: 2007
Phillies: 2008
Yankees: 2009
Giants: 2010
Cardinals: 2011
Rangers: 2012
Indians: 2013
Cubs: 2014
Padres: 2015
Nationals: 2016
Rockies: 2017
Rays: 2018
Brewers: 2019
Astros: 2020
Mariners: 2021

Is this absurdly equitable or what? In a span of 43 seasons every team would have won the World Series, and the Pirates would be the only one that hadn't won it in my lifetime. Heck, perhaps I could petition for one more year as reality-dictator just so I could give them the 2022 title.

Let's look at the pennants:

Braves: 1999
Mets: 2000
Diamondbacks: 2001
Angels: 2002
Marlins: 2003
White Sox: 2005
Tigers: 2006
Red Sox: 2007
Yankees: 2009
Phillies: 2009
Giants: 2010
Cardinals: 2011
Rangers: 2012
Indians: 2013
Pirates: 2013
Cubs: 2014
Royals: 2014
Padres: 2015
Twins: 2015
Blue Jays: 2016
Nationals: 2016
Orioles: 2017
Rockies: 2017
Dodgers: 2018
Rays: 2018
Athletics: 2019
Astros: 2020
Brewers: 2020
Mariners: 2021
Reds: 2021

Oh, those long-suffering Brave fans! 22 years without a pennant!

I have no illusions about the nearly-zero chance that this scenario would play out in real life. Parity of this sort would be unprecedented in any sport. There's no harm in imagining possibilities, however. Whenever I'm depressed (as I still am over the way this season ended), I can always come back to this post and imagine how much more beautiful it might be.

Award Pages Updated for 2011

Now that the MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards have all been announced, I've updated a few list posts accordingly.

Check out the ones that have changed:

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners

Go ahead. Relive the joy they brought you the first time you read them. You know you want to!

The Best Baseball-Reference Sponsorships, 2011 Edition

Is it that time of year already? Well, the calendar says mid-November, so clearly it is! Yes, friends, it's time for Baseball Junk Drawer's annual list of the best Baseball-Reference sponsorship messages! Two years ago the first one earned me my 15 minutes of fame, and its followup last year fared respectably on the old hit counter. Regardless of how many readers they get me though, I love putting these things together, because they're just so doggone fun.

As always, entries that made the cut in previous years' editions are ineligible this time around. Fortunately for us, this year's crop of newcomers stepped up to the plate and delivered. Let's see what fine treats 2011 brought us, shall we?

10. 2009 New York Mets

MetsChokeAgain sponsor(s) this page.

At least this team decided to blow the season BEFORE Sept 1. We missed the drama and the obligatory September collapse and choke. M(y) E(ntire) T(eam) S(tinks)

The first time I read this it sounded to me like the ranting of a bitter Met fan. In that sense, the message works. After being eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the season two straight years, the 2009 Mets mercifully decided not to dangle any hope in front of their fans. This frustrated Citi Field loiterer bemoans his situation where a 70-win mediocrity of a season is in some ways preferable to a winning one. You have to feel for the poor guy a little.

After reading it again, I realized it could've been the work of a smack-talking Met-basher. In that sense, this message is just immature and pathetic. Since I can't be sure though, I'll choose to regard it as the former.


9. Eric Hurley

Breast Enlargement Dallas sponsor(s) this page.

Enhance your appearance today!

Obviously this is a generic ad which doesn't demonstrate any particular wit. The sheer absurdity of it, however, caught me off-guard. What exactly could've been the reasoning behind it?

This ad doesn't approach you with a business-like handshake humbly requesting your interest, it invites, nay, exhorts, you to "enhance your appearance today!" And just how do they propose you improve your looks? Why, with breast enlargement, of course! Now obviously, if you happen to be male, the likelihood of you needing this particular service is pretty slim. No issue here, though! There are tons of women who want to check the statistics of a former Rangers pitching prospect who made five starts and had his career derailed by injuries! Right?


8. Ryan Braun

Willard Meier sponsor(s) this page.

What's to say? This guy's just a fabulous player.

What's to say indeed? We can all agree Ryan Braun is one of the best players in the game today, so why on earth should this sponsorship be recognized as anything but a straightforward, unremarkable statement of fact?

Oh...wait a sec. You thought he was talking about the guy on the Brewers? The MVP candidate? The Hebrew Hammer? Nope. Not that guy. The other one. Yeah, there's another Ryan Braun. This other one pitched for the Royals in 2006-07 and put up an ERA of 6.66. I think we can all agree that he is not, by any definition of the word, a fabulous player. Pretty sneaky there, Willard.


7. Tony Campana

Matt sponsor(s) this page.

Brett Gardner ain't got nothin'. Well, except the ability to get on base.

The comparison is striking. Both are lefty speedsters. Both play strong defense in mainly left and center fields. Both hit .259 this year. Indeed though, Gardner has the advantage in that all-too-crucial on-base percentage category, as he knows how to take a walk (and gets the occasional extra-base hit too).

Life as a Cub fan is never easy, and sometimes all you can do is cling to whatever similarities exist between one of your guys and a better player on a more-heralded team.


6. Pretzels Getzien

Dave Velazquez sponsor(s) this page.

Pretzels is an unfortunately-forgotten player. In addition to once winning 30 games, his nickname was Pretzels. That is awesome. I want to name my future dog Pretzels.

Like so many men once they reach a certain age, Dave here has gotten that twinge of desire to be a dog owner. As do all men at this stage of life, he's taken to dreaming about the name he could bestow on this canine companion, and what it would symbolize to posterity. His choice? Pretzels. It has an air of fun to it as well as a salty, rough texture. Surely this pooch will be a rugged, rambunctious little fellow who frequently comes home covered in dirt, yet maintains his endearing lovability with every flea bath. Such a heartwarming message, this.


5. Eric Bruntlett

Dan Mitsakos sponsor(s) this page.

Thanks for the '08 World Series, the game-ending unassisted Triple Play, and spending Summer 2010 in Scranton.

Scoring the winning run in two World Series games and accomplishing a rare in-game feat are pretty darn cool. They don't, however, necessarily make one a worthwhile occupant of a roster spot. Despite Bruntlett's semi-noteworthy place in Phillies history, he probably still has to pay for his own drinks in the City of Brotherly Love.


4. Bowie Kuhn

Al Fansome sponsor(s) this page.

In the neck and neck race for worst commissioner of all time, Selig has forged a little ahead of Kuhn.

I used to defend Selig to some degree. I thought he was too-often maligned because he made an easy target, and that many of his critics were simply knee-jerk blamers of the guy at the top. With the recent move of the Astros to the American League (necessitating year-round interleague) and the expansion of the playoffs, I'm fully and permanently in the anti-Selig camp. All I have to say to this message is "Preach it, brother!"


3. Fernando Rodney

Michael Shea sponsor(s) this page.

Fernando, save everyone their time. Next time just walk up and place the ball on a tee.

So I think what he's trying to say here is...Fernando Rodney is not a very effective pitcher. Tony Reagins' legacy lives on!


2. Bobby Cox

Robert B sponsor(s) this page.

I wouldnt let him manage the night shift at a day care center

Lost amid the Bobby Cox lovefest last year were the complaints he faced throughout his career about his teams frequently underachieving. Much of it was undoubtedly a case of polite people not wishing to speak ill of the soon-retiring. Now that Cox's farewell tour is over, he's become fair game, and guys like Robert here aren't afraid to take it to the online statistical resources. Old Bobby shouldn't feel too bad about this rather scathing comment, though. Lots of great managers would've made lousy security guards.


1. Ozzie Canseco

Baseball's first 40/40 man! sponsor(s) this page.

Canseco was a feared hitter and a great Celebrity Apprentice contestant. Err..wait. The Canseco brothers have fooled me again!

This one wins the award for making me laugh the hardest, which pretty much means I have to put it at #1.

I beg to differ about The Celebrity Apprentice though. Jose Canseco (or was it Ozzie?) was not a great contestant by any stretch of the imagination. The only thing that redeems his appearance was that immortal scene where he played catch with Gary Busey.


Sigh...another week of wading through BB-Ref sponsorships for my annual post, and it's already all over. Time flies when you're having fun. I realize that the prices on Baseball-Reference have gone up in the last year, but there are tons of reasonable options out there for those on a budget. If you want to keep the ultimate resource for the greatest game ever invented going, please consider sponsoring a page. Who knows? You might see yourself here next year!