It seems like I’ve been stuck on May 8th of my 1966 NL replay for a while now. I know I’ve played a couple games here and there but it just took a while. But now I can cross it off.
May 8th is a big day in baseball history as far as the 1966 season is concerned. Why? That’s when one of the biggest mid-season trades of year took place. Straight from Baseball-Reference’s transaction page:
The San Francisco Giants traded Orlando Cepeda to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ray Sadecki.
Even before I started the replay, I had all the relevant transactions marked so I wouldn’t miss them. May 8th was a big date and I wasn’t going to miss that trade. So before this day started, I switched the Cepeda and Sadecki cards into their respective teams.
Then, as I was writing their lineups into my score sheets, I realized that Cepeda and Sadecki were not actually traded till AFTER the May 8th game. *SIGH* I switched them back. Cepeda will get one more game with San Fran. And boy were they happy about that.
Bob Shaw (CY)was pitching for the visiting Giants and Larry Jaster (BY) was on the mound for the Cards. Talk about a pitchers’ duel! Mike Shannon and Lou Brock banged a couple singles and so did Jay Alou but it was goose eggs after 10 innings. Both Shaw and Jaster hadn’t given up a run.
Jaster was pinch hit for in the 10th and Hal Woodeshick (A*) came in relief in the 11th. He never got an out. A walk to Ollie Brown, a Willie Mays single and another walk to Jimmie Ray Hart meant the showers for Woodie. Joe Hoerner (A&CXZ) came in to face Orlando Cepeda with the bases loaded.
Now I don’t know if Cepeda knew of his impending trade. My guess is that he did. He sent a message with his last at-bat for the Giants with a 33-6 bases loaded triple.
Cepeda later scored on Hal Lanier’s double. Reliever Bob Priddy (C*) kept the Cardinals to one run and the Giants won 4-1 to improve to 13-12 and tied for third place. The Cardinals will have to wait one day for Cepeda to help rectify their last place 7-15 won-loss record.
In real life, Cepeda did very well in his last game for Giants, as well. While pinch hitter Willie McCovey was the big hero, breaking the 5-5 tie with a 3-run homer, Cepeda went 2 for 4 with a two-run double and scoring once. In fact, St. Louis ended up intentionally walking Baby Bull in the seventh inning.
As a Cubs fan, I’ve been secretly enjoying St. Louis’ rough start in my replay. Looking at their roster, they had an obvious hole at first base using players like George Kernek and a lean Tito Francona. They’ve finally found their solution. Cepeda has done well for the Giants in my replay hitting .340 and 14 rbis in 53 at-bats.
I suspect it’s time for the Cardinals to make their move.
So many Cardinals haters in the APBA world! Great post. Cha Cha will likely revive the Redbirds and they will rise some. My own recent Jerry DaVanon for John Sipin trade hangs its head in shame compared to this.