Statis-Pro World Series Game 6 Running Updates - Now Complete

We have started Game 6 of the Statis-Pro World Series. We will add key updates as the game progresses. At the bottom of the blog is a photo of the game start with our 1978 Board and out charts. Below that are the Clutch Defense Charts.

1st Inning - pressure on the Dodgers to wrap it up with the 3 game to 2 lead, and the pitching edge with Buhler (pb 2-8) vs. Richards (on 4-7). If the BoSox win they have the edge in Game 7 with Sale (pb 2-9) vs Price (on 4-7).

2nd inning - both teams left bases loaded in a crazy 2nd inning. In the top of the inning with one out, Buehler issued two rare walks in between singles by Renfroe and Hernandez to make it 1-0 with bases loaded, but pitcher Richards struck out and Verdugo grounded out. In the bottom of the inning Seager homered with one out and with Justin Turner on second after a single, he tried to score on a Trey Turner singled and the Random Number was a 46, the highest number he could have been safe on so as close as you can be, to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead before they later left bases loaded as well. LAD 2-1.

4th inning - Schwarber led off the 4th with a homer to tie it 2-2. Buhler retired the next three but was still down to 3 on endurance. the Dodgers then chased Richards when Justin Turner walked and Buhler doubled. With all pitchers except the Game 5 and 7 starters for each team, Brasier (pb 2-8) came in to the high leverage situation and stranded the runners. This worked out as a perfect double switch, as catcher Plawecki who is a better hitter came in with the pitcher spot due up next so that when Brasier (pb 2-8)  finished the inning with no runners scoring he was still available to start the 5th inning. Tied 2-2.

5th through 7th inning - Buhler settled down to set down his last 12 batters after Schwarber's homer to finish with a 7 inning, 3 hit, 2 runs allowed great effort. However, the first three BoSox relievers matched him through those three innings so the 7th ended with 11 straight Dodgers also retired. Brasier (1.2 inning), Ottavino (1 inning struck out all 3 he faced) and Hernandez all perfect for the 11 batters.

8th and 9th innings. Amazingly the BoSox relievers pitched two more perfect innings with Hernandez pitching a second scoreless inning and Barnes coming in for a perfect 9th inning. The Dodgers bullpen allowed 7 runners in the 8th and 9th. Kelly came in and walked Plawecki, with pinch runner Santana (OBR A, Speed A for stealing) coming in to have Arroyo finish the game as the BoSox 3rd catcher. It looked like a bad move at first as Santana could not get a jump to try to steal second, and then Verdugo's grounder to short forced Santana at second base.

Bogaerts then dropped a Texas Leaguer in front of leftfielder Pollock, the only weak arm in the outfield (T2, while the others are T5) that let Verdugo go from 1st to 3rd. Kelly then threw a wild pitch to allow the run score for a 3-2 lead, and then hit Martinez with a pitch to leave the game and ultimately be the loser. In the 9th the BoSox added insurance. With one out Shaw pinch hit and walked. Then Hernandez hit a grounder down the first base line that required a clutch defensive play by Muncy, who is a great hitter but a CD 1 (see chart at bottom of blog). The ball eluded him for a run scoring double. Earlier in the game a grounder down the the third base line by Smith was snagged by Devers to end the first inning. After a walk to Arroyo, Verdugo doubled in Hernandez for the 5-2 final margin, as Barnes came in for the 9th to get the save.

Onto the best words in sports - Game 7!

Here is the set up at the outset of Game 6. Our 1978 Board is starting to separate but still functional, as are the charts also from 1978!

Here is the final score sheet.

Here is the Clutch Defense chart for reference.

Dodgers-BoSox Go 11 Innings in Game 5 of Statis-pro World Series

We are heading back to Los Angeles (Milwaukee) for Game 6 of the World Series. We continue to use the end if season rosters to complete our season replay - which means Max Scherzer was available for the Dodgers for our greatest Statis-Pro pitchers' duel of the season against Nathan Eovaldi. Click on Statis Pro Baseball Advanced to get your own game and player cards, or here to try the basic cards and game for free.

The same 4 teams made the Statis-pro ALCS and NLCS as in the real season this year. However, both series went the other way in Statis-Pro withe the Braves and Astros making the real World Series, but  the Dodgers and BoSox advancing to the Statis-Pro Series and entered Game 5 with the Series even:

In Game 5, we imagine Eovaldi knew he needed a special effort against Scherzer and the Dodgers. Eovaldi retired the first 13 Dodgers and eventually threw nine innings of 3-hit shutout baseball. Of course Scherzer matched him with his own nine shutout innings marked by 12-strikeouts. The drama was headed to extra innings. Top of 11th with two outs and nobody aboard, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Corey Seager who ripped a bases clearing triple. They added an insurance run and Kenley Jansen cleaned up the bottom of the inning. Dodgers win second straight 4-0 in 11 innings. (LA leads series 3-2)

Dodgers Survive to Even Statis-Pro World Series with BoSox

Statis-Pro World Series Game 4.

The teams trade 2-run homers in the first, then the Dodgers break out. Mookie Betts with a clutch 2-run HR, and two innings later a pair of Red Sox errors lead to two unearned runs. LA leads 6-2. Bobby Dalbec belts a 2-run HR to cut the lead. But the Dodgers add a crucial insurance run in the eighth on a Trea Turner RBI double. It sets the stage for a dramatic 9th inning. With a man on, Christian Arroyo lofts a fly ball, but two Dodger outfielders collide and it is an inside the park HR. The lead is cut to 7-6. Another base hit adds to the drama before Kenley Jansen nails down the shaky save, 7-6. (Series tied 2-2)

These middle three games are actually being played in Montana by our AL Commissioner, but we now know at least Game 6 will be played in Milwaukee where our NL Commissioner lives.

Finally, Statis-Pro World Series Game 3

 Finally, Statis-Pro World Series Game 3.

Max Muncy got things started with a solo blast to put LA up 1-0 in 1st. The Red Sox evened it in the 3rd and it was a pitchers duel from there. As expected Chris Sale settled down and threw 8 strong innings only allowing the 1-run and striking out nine. (Playoffs: 34 IP, 5 ER) The big surprise was David Price. He worked 7 innings and also only allowed 1-run. But in the bottom of 8th, Blake Treinen committed an error, gave up a single to put two runners on. With 2-outs, Christian Arroyo belted a 2-run triple to make it 3-1. Matt Barnes came on to pitch a rare 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save of the playoffs. (Boston leads series 2-1)

9th Sweet 16 Spot: Cousy Shootout with Duke's Dawkins

In our original All-Time March Madness tournament featuring 96 teams, the favored seed dominated with a 62-33 record through UCLA (Bill Walton) defeating UNC (Michael Jordan) in the title game.

However, the new all-time great 30 teams we have created are proving much more balanced, with the favored seed only 2-5 so far. After Kentucky 1948 pulled an overtime upset with all-time great center Groza, the 1950 Holy Cross was led by one of the greatest point guards of all time (Bob Cousy) to a double overtime upset of 1986 Duke.

Cousy's card is for his 1950 tournament team, and the next 13 seasons after that he was an NBA all-star with the Boston Celtics.

This latest games was the all-time individual shootout, with Johnny Dawkins actually hitting a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer of the second overtime to leave Duke just short 108-106, but actually give Dawkins the 43-42 edge in total points over Cousy.

Duke had additional near heros with Jay Bilas coming back off the bench after Cousy drew a fifth foul on Dave Henderson. Bilas scored at the end of regulation to tie the score 75-75 and force the 1st overtime. Mark Alarie  dominated the boards with 15 rebounds and put Duke up a couple of times in overtime, and Tommy Amaker did the same with steals to lead fast breaks, but in the end Holy Cross survived and will face another upset winner in the 1982 DePaul team.

GOAT early Center, Kentucky, Top Shaq in OT

Alex Groza (Kentucky 1948) showed why he might content for greatest player of all time but for scandal. His Wildcats advance to play 1997 Kansas.

In what appeared to be a Value Add Basketball Game matchup between the best new and old center in the game, Shaquille O'Neal (LSU 1992) played only 14 minutes due to foul troubles and Garza drew enough fouls to also disqualify Clarence Caesar and Geert Hammink.

Still LSU led 78-77 in overtime against the 2-time national champs until Groza scored and was fouled, hitting the free throw to make it 80-78 with 3:58 to play in OT. Wallace Jones scored 5 points late for the 88-84 win.

Groza scored 35 points and had a game-high 9 rebounds. 

The bigger Tigers still dominated the boards 38-29 even with Shaq on the bench most of the game, and had a chance when Clarence Caesar stole it from Groza with 53 seconds to play and passed ahead to Jamie Brandon for a 3-pointer that made it LSU 75-73. However point guard Kenneth Rollins forced OT with a shot on Kentucky's last possession.

Noone went straight from dominating college basketball to pro more seemlessly than Groza. He led Kentucky to national titles in both 1948 and 1949, was a 1st team all-american and the top player in the final 4 both years and also led the US Olympic team to the gold medal. The next two years he was voted one of the top 5 players in the NBA as 1st team all-NBA, something even Michael Jordan did not accomplish until his third year in the NBA.

Assuming he would have still been a few years from his peak, that trajectory could be unprecedented.

Unfortunately ala Shoeless Joe in baseball, he was implicated for shaving points for gamblers and banned from the NBA after only 2 years.

Read "Luck or Skill" Lead Piece on CBS Site

Obviously having invented a dice game like the Value Add Basketball Game, we know there is some luck in sports. However, please click to read my lead piece on the CBS Sports Site pictured below taking a peak at how much is luck and how much is Clutch play.