3-1 
4-2
3-3
3-3
2-4
2-4Enjoy the A.L. West basement, Finl(os)e(r)y. You'll get acquainted to it in a few more years.
Monday, July 27, 2009
You Cant' Win Them All, Especially with the Greatest Pitcher of All Time on the Hill for the Halos...
6
5April 15th, 1976 @ Royals Stadium
CALIFORNIA ANGELS (Nolan Ryan) vs. KANSAS CITY ROYALS (Paul Splitorff, 0-0)
ANGELS COME BACK TO HAND ROYALS FIRST LOSS
Five unanswered runs and solid pitching help Halos
Dave Collins' groundout to 2nd base scored Jerry Remy in the ninth inning as the California Angels beat the Royals 6-5, handing Kansas City their first loss of the season. The Angels drew first blood when Remy scored in the 1st inning on a Rusty Torres single, giving California a 1-0 lead. But the Fighting Men in Blue fought back as John Mayberry slammed a 2-run homer in the 3rd inning for his 1st home run of '76. 2-1 KC. In the next inning KC made it 4-1 as Frank White cracked a 2-run double and Jim Wohlford doubled him home to give the Royals a 5-1 lead. But the Halos fought back with 2 runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by RBI doubles by Tony Solaita and Bill Melton. 5-3 Royals. Then in the eighth, Ron Jackson slugged a 2-run double to tie the game at 5-5. And then in the ninth, Jerry Remy had a lead off triple, and Dave Collins grounded to second, scoring Remy, making it California 6, Royals 5. Dick Drago had an easy 1-2-3 ninth, and the Royals lost for the first time this year.
PITCHING:
Paul Splitorff pitched 7 1/3 frames, allowing 5 runs and 10 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3, but did not get a decision. His record is 0-0 with a 4.40 ERA.
Steve Mingori gave up the winning run in his 1976 debut, he pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing 2 hits, striking out 1. His record is 0-1.
Nolan Ryan pitched 7 innings, allowed 9 hits, a home run, walked 3 and (as usual) struck out 8,but had no decision.
John Verhoeven had a 1-2-3 eighth, striking out one, and picked up the win.
Dick Drago had a perfect ninth, and picked up the save.
HITTING:
Bobby Bonds had 4 hits today, leading a 13 hit attack. Jerry Remy was 3-for-4, had a triple and scored 2 runs. Bill Melton was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. California had 3 doubles and a triple and 9 singles today.
The Royals had 9 hits, with 1 home run. Hal McRae and Al Cowens had 2 hits each to lead Kansas City. George Brett and Jim Wohlford each had a double, Brett now has 4 doubles while Wohlford now has 3.
A LOOK AHEAD:
The Royals host the Cleveland Indians this weekend at Royals Stadium, here are the pitching matchups for this series.
Friday 4/16: Fritz Peterson vs. Doug Bird 7:30 pm.
Saturday 4/17: Dennis Eckersley vs. Al Fitzmorris 7:30
Sunday 4/18: Pat Dobson vs. Steve Busby 1:00
FINAL SCORE:
CALIFORNIA 100-002-021=6 13 1
ROYALS 002-300-000=5 9 1
Ryan, Verhoeven (8),Drago and Etchebarren
Splitorff, Mingori (0-1) and Martinez
ROYALS SURVIVE HALOS' SURGE IN 7-5 WIN
- Smallest player in baseball hits key HR in victory
Freddie Patek went 2-for-4 and hit the 1st home run of the season for Kansas City as the Royals defeated the California Angels 7-5 in the team's home opener at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals struck first in the 1st inning as Hal McRae (.222-0-1) brought George Brett home with a 2-out single. California tied the game at 1-1 as Jerry Remy's sac fly brought Andy Etchebarren home in the 2nd inning. But KC plated 4 runs in the bottom of the inning as Amos Otis (.100-0-1), Jim Wohlford (.200-0-1), Brett (.500-0-2) and John Mayberry (.333-0-2) each delievered RBIs in the frame. The Royals would extend the lead to 7-1 as Patek (.444-1-3) hit the 1st home run this season for the Royals, a 2-run shot off losing pitcher Andy Hassler. KC pitcher Al Fitzmorris (1-0, 4.50) was cruising until Remy hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 7th to make it 7-3. Then Bobby Bonds doubled home Dave Collins to make it 7-4. And in the 9th, Tony Solaita doubled Bonds home to make it 7-5, but Mark Littell (2 saves, 4.50) slammed the door on the Halos to end the game.
GOOD NEWS:
George Brett had 3 hits, while the middle infield combo of Freddie Patek and Frank White had 2 hits to lead a 12-hit attack.
Patek had 2 RBIs, he leads the team with 3, followed by Brett and Mayberry with 2.
Brett had 2 doubles today, giving him 3 for the season, he leads the team in that department, he also leads the team with 5 hits and is tied for the team lead with 2 runs scored.
Fitzmorris had a quality start allowing 3 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings, picking up the win.
Everyone had a hit for KC, except Amos Otis, who was 0-for-4.
BAD NEWS:
Royals had 2 errors in the game tonight, both by George Brett, who now has a horrible .700 fielding percentage (2 putouts, 5 assists, 3 errors in 2 games).
The Angels outhit KC 13-12, with Jerry Remy, Hector Torres, Barry Bonds and Leroy Stanton each getting 2 hits, and Remy had 3 RBI.
The Royals and Angels play again tomorrow at Royals Stadium.
The Game With Something Extra (Innings!): Royals, Fitzpatrick Down ChiSox to Start Season
The Kansas City Royals began their quest for the pennant with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park today, proving that size does matter in more ways than one.
Pitcher Henry Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-4, 265 lb. a 23-year old rookie from New Hyde Park, New York, made his 1976 debut, and picked up the win pitching three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit in his stint. While the big righthander was dominating the Pale Hose, baseball's smallest player, Freddie Patek, was the other hero in the game as his single in the 11th inning brought home Hal McRae with the tie-breaking run, as Kansas City, a team most people choose as the team that would end the Oakland A's 5-year reign as A.L. West champs, start this new season 1-0.
KC jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning, starting with a George Brett RBI double, then John Mayberry would bring him home on his double. But in the bottom of the 4th, Chicago third baseman Kevin Bell laced a 2-run double scoring Jim Spencer and Chet Lemon to tie the score at 2. Starting pitchers Paul Splitorff and Wilbur Wood would throw nothing but goose eggs the rest of the way, with Splitorff allowing just 5 hits in 6 innings and Wood surrendering 7 safeties, but he struck out 4 and did not walk anyone. The Sox had a chance to win it in the 9th, after Fitzpatrick struck out Bell for his first Major League strikeout, Ralph Garr singled, and moved to 2nd on a grounder by Bill Stein. But Bucky Dent flied out to left fielder Jim Wohlford to send the game to extra innings.
In the 11th inning, Hal McRae led off the frame with a double off Jack Hamilton. After Al Cowens grounded out, Jorge Orta misjudged a fly ball hit by Buck Maritnez, and the small but talented Patek made the Sox pay for their mistake by singling home McRae. However, closer Mark Littell allowed 2 hits in the bottom of the 11th inning but Stein grounded out to Brett to end the game.
Fitzpatrick (1-0) was impressive in his debut, allowing just 1 hit in 3 innings while striking out 3, and Littlell allowed 2 hits, but registered his 1st save of the young '76 campaign. Hamilton (0-1) would suffer the loss, allowing 3 hits in 2 innings. All 3 Kansas City runs were all earned.
Of the Royals' 10 hits, Brett, Mayberry and Patek had 2 hits, while Amos Otis, Wohlford, McRae and Martinez had a hit each. Brett, Mayberry and Patek all drove in a run for KC. Chicago had 8 hits, with Garr collecting 3 and Spencer 2. Kevin Bell had both Sox RBI.
The Royals take on the California Angels April 11th at Royals Stadium.
Welcome to my 1976 Royals Replay Blog, For Those Who Are Tired of the Current Royals.
Hi, I have just started a replay using Sherco Baseball and this time I am replaying the 1976 Kansas City Royals. For the 1st time in the franchise's 8-year history the Royals made the postseason, winning the A.L. West crown, ending the Oakland A's 5-year death grip on the division. (Thank you Bowie Kuhn, for introducing free agency, and letting Charlie Finley suffer after that! ;) ) Anyway, Kansas City took on the New York Yankees in the ALCS, and lost in 5 games (remember there were just best-of-5 series back then). Royals fans like me will always remember Chris Chambliss' walk-off homer off Mark Littell in the bottom of the 9th in game 5 at Yankee Stadium that gave New York the victory. Yankees fans were celebrating on the field after Chambliss' homer, and K.C. fans worldwide were shocked. And that started a rivalry between the fighting young boys in blue representing the Heartland and The Best Team Money Can Buy, brought to America by an overweight shipbuilder from Cleveland named G.M.S. III. (Only giving you his initials because you all know who he is!)
Anyway, the Royals had players who would make this team THE TEAM TO BEAT in the A.L. West for 4 out of the next 5 years... George Brett, Hal McRae, Freddie Patek, Al Cowens, Frank White, Amos Otis, Paul Splitorff... this was Royals baseball, the way it was.
Anyway, if you followed my Notre Dame/Milwaukee Bucks replays, you know about 6-foot-11 center Philip Fitzpatrick. But this replay is also about his father, Henry, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound relief pitcher who graduated from Notre Dame in 1972, and is in his rookie year in '76 and reports say that Henry is going to be a dominant pitcher in relief and on of the best specialty pitchers in the American League.
Anyway, Whitey Herzog's boys in blue are predicted to unseat Oakland as the new A.L. West champion, and some say George Brett will become the next big star. Will the Royals live up to expectations in my replay, and even beat the hated Yanks in the ALCS and be world champions? Stay tuned and find out!
By the way, Opening Day is April 9th at (original) Comiskey Park, the Royals are playing the White Sox. Check out the Royals '76 jerseys and the ChiSox '76 uniforms. Then you'll know who was the better team that year! Play Ball!
Anyway, the Royals had players who would make this team THE TEAM TO BEAT in the A.L. West for 4 out of the next 5 years... George Brett, Hal McRae, Freddie Patek, Al Cowens, Frank White, Amos Otis, Paul Splitorff... this was Royals baseball, the way it was.
Anyway, if you followed my Notre Dame/Milwaukee Bucks replays, you know about 6-foot-11 center Philip Fitzpatrick. But this replay is also about his father, Henry, a 6-foot-4, 245-pound relief pitcher who graduated from Notre Dame in 1972, and is in his rookie year in '76 and reports say that Henry is going to be a dominant pitcher in relief and on of the best specialty pitchers in the American League.
Anyway, Whitey Herzog's boys in blue are predicted to unseat Oakland as the new A.L. West champion, and some say George Brett will become the next big star. Will the Royals live up to expectations in my replay, and even beat the hated Yanks in the ALCS and be world champions? Stay tuned and find out!
By the way, Opening Day is April 9th at (original) Comiskey Park, the Royals are playing the White Sox. Check out the Royals '76 jerseys and the ChiSox '76 uniforms. Then you'll know who was the better team that year! Play Ball!
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