Guess The Game…
…From The Scoreboard
Today’s scoreboard comes from Jordan Smythe.
The premise of the game (GTGFTS) is simple: I’ll post a scoreboard and you guys simply identify the game depicted. In the past, I don’t know if I’ve ever completely stumped you (some are easier than others).
Here’s the Scoreboard. In the comments below, try to identify the game (date & location, as well as final score). If anything noteworthy occurred during the game, please add that in (and if you were AT the game, well bonus points for you!):
Please continue sending these in! You’re welcome to send me any scoreboard photos (with answers please), and I’ll keep running them.
Well, we can say it’s a Cubs-Reds game at Crosley Field in 1966 (the Braves’ first season in Atlanta) or 1967 (the As’ last in Kansas City). It’s a start.
That’s the clue! Combing through bRef it’s July 30, 1967.
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July 30, 1967 — second game of a doubleheader. Reds won 3-2 with the immortal Gerry Arrigo getting the win and Joe Niekro taking the loss. You got to see four HOFers (Santo, Banks, Williams, and Perez — plus Pete Rose) in that ballgame. Not too shabby!
July 30, 1967
The Reds win, 3-2 at Crosley. Second game of doubleheader on Sunday afternoon.
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Rose in LF and Deron Johnson at 1B makes it 1967, Rose’s first year in left and Johnson’s last in Cincy. Looks like it was Sunday, July 30, 1967, 2nd game of a doubleheader. Reds won 3-2 for the split.
And you know what, I’m pretty sure 12-year-old me WAS at that game, I know we always made the 3-hour drive from SE Ohio to a Sunday doubleheader at Crosley Field each year and I have a scorecard from a Cubs-Reds game that season.
July 30th, 1967 game 2 of a double header at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, OH. Pete Rose knocked in both the runs in the bottom of the 3rd with a single. The Cubs would score one more run and drop the nightcap, 3-2. Gerry Arrigo got the win and Joe Niekro took the loss. Ron Santo went yard, his 22nd on the season in the 8th inning.
5 (6) future hall of famers suited up during this late July game (Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Ernie Banks played and Ferguson Jenkins with a DNP for the Cubs and Tony Perez and Pete Rose for the Red Legs).
It was July 30, 1967.
First clue was simultaneous existence of the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins franchises, which only happened from 1961 to 1971.
Second and final clue was a right fielder for the Cubs wearing #25. Most wearing that number for the Cubs that decade didn’t play right field except for Ted Savage, who did mostly in 1967.
From there, a quick check of box scores and when each run scored identified the game, the second of a doubleheader in which the Reds ultimately won 3-2. I’m not finding anything in the way of special history from the game. It was Joe Niekro’s rookie season and he took the loss, but it wasn’t his debut. There also isn’t a case of a player’s only major league appearance happening in this game, either.
Everyone has already seen the correct answer, but FUN FACTS…Phillies utility man Cookie Rojas pitched a scoreless 9th in the Phil’s 12-3 loss to the Giants; with that appearance, Rojas had now played all 9 positions since arriving in MLB in 1963. Also, Vern Law, longtime Pirate and 1960 NLCYA winner, notched his first win (of 2) in his final season in the major leagues.
D’oh. Forgot about the KC A’s and limited my search to 69 (first season for the Royals) and 71 (last season for Ernie Banks.
On the out-of-town scoreboard…what is the P? Those don’t look like pitchers uniform numbers. Was there a decoder in the scorecard or something?
On the scorecards, they had a numerical list of pitchers that corresponded to the pitcher playing that game. So you didn’t need a decoder to solve this, per se, but you did need a scorecard.
Usually alphabetical by last name for each team. Can’t tell the players without a scorecard…
I’m noticing a 0 in the pitcher column for Baltimore. I don’t think Wrigley Field (perhaps the last ballpark to still use this system) has ever used zero for a pitcher number.
Were they using zero to mean ‘a pitcher who isn’t in the scorecard list’? Marcelino Lopes seems to be making his Orioles debut in this game:
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This is a tough game!
5 double-headers in one day. Times have changed.