Old School Take on Winning Ugly

The biggest turning point seemed to be the trade of Tony Bernazard for Julio Cruz half way through June. That’s how I remember it, and how it was recorded in history. But looking back at the numbers it’s amazing just how bad Cruz was offensively. His defense though holds up in the “old memory/eye test”. I suspect that the pitchers would’ve dominated the second half regardless of who was playing second.

It felt like the Sox were never out of a game that year, and that may be true as they “came back” 47 times verus “coughing it up” only 27.

Unsung/unremembered:
Jerry Hairston: OPS+ 142
Salome Barojas: ERA+ 170

Lastly, most people remember Kittle’s ROY in ‘83. It wasn’t a bad debut, but he was probably the 4th best hitter on the team behind Fisk, Luzinski, and Paciorek.

More later…

and just so you know, the cheat was the one asking for an old timers view. winningugly was just being a wisenheimer. he’s older than you!!!

and congratulations to be the first sss’er to follow the request of a post for this instead of a whole buncha nonsensical comments. well maybe not nonsensical like the ones i make, but you get my point.

also congrats on the wifey…obviously you found a keeper and put her to the test from the get go. thats chicago tuff

my brother had to go to the bathroom so my dad was going to take us, but I refused to go with because the Sox were coming up, specifically my favorite player Luzinski. Pops gave me a weird look, either that he was proud I was paying attention or worried that I was going to be by myself for an inning or so. Anyway he let 8 year old me stay in the seats, and with dad gone and Luzinski at the plate I was screaming “Lets Go Bull!” like a maniac. It was memorable because the old man usually sat there stoic watching the game so I did too, but without supervision I really enjoyed cutting loose.

I want to say Harold Baines homered that game and the Sox won. But who knows, I dont even remember who they were playing or anything else.

There wasn’t much reason to expect the result pre-season. Unlike this year, where we expected great pitching to overcome holes in the offense (at least enough to remain competitive), there was NO optimism going into ’03. That was certainly how the first half played out, hanging close to .500 into July(?).

What the starters did, with MUCH help from the bullpen (I think Lamp actually started a few games too), was magical. Combined with a “hero of the day” offense, they lapped the field in under 80 games.
That part was very much like ‘05, and not like the current team’s reliance on the middle of the lineup so far. And THAT’S what makes me optimistic now: they’re a V-8 that’s been running on 3 or 4 cylinders. Kicking it up to 6 or 7 with the existing roster (Bacon, Che, AJ) could make this Deja Vu all over again.

is a huge sox fan and i think took me to about 45 games in 1983 even though i was about to turn 4 years old to get out of the house and away from my mom…. didn’t think that then but now that I have a son and know my wife doesn’t give me static if i bring the kid… i’ve come up with the theory….

anyway those were my earliest memories. Big Jer smoking his cigar while Dick Dotson and lamarr hoyt threw gem after gem. I remember Jerry Hairiston coming through with a lot of big hits…. I remember thinking Greg Luzinski and Harold Baines were cooler than any cartoon out there…. and I started my life long love affair with Ron Kittle. The dude hit the longest and highest home runs I have ever seen. I remember running on the field after the clincher and i remember the tito landrum home run fly out of the park and being so sad on the way home.

I bet Cheat has never won one of those!
Hee.

And everyone, really. I can’t wait to be writing about my memories of 2005 and 2010 in about thirty years.

I remember how dominant the pitching staff became for the last 2/3 of the season. At some point (and I won’t look it up) it seemed that they were winning every series and even splitting a 4 game set was disappointing. I remember them hitting 20 games over five hundred and playing the ‘if they only go .500 the rest of the way, everyone else needs to play .600 ball, then .700 ball, etc.’ I was sure something would collapse, but nothing did.

Finally the playoffs, with Hoyt pitching great in game one and now only needing a split. Besides Dybzinski’s brain fart, the two other memorable items was the young Cal Ripken getting drilled by (I think Dotson) in what was clearly frustration. It could have incited the Sox but instead Ripkin just went to 1st not acknowledging the intent, scored, and the Orioles looked they knew a little more about the playoffs than the Sox did.

The next was the failure of Baines (2-16 with a walk) and particularly Luzinski (2-15 with a walk and 5 SO). The Orioles consistently pounded him inside and pushed him off the plate and didn’t let him dive over the plate. His face was like a baby saying, “Wait, I’m The Bull!! I’m big and look strong and I’ve been in the playoffs before! You can’t pitch me inside, not fair!”

I hated him for being such a pussy. But that was 27 years ago. I can let go. He’s still a pussy, though.

And then the Orioles waltzed through the World Series and the Ripken legend was just starting.

I really can’t recall going to a game that year. I wonder though if that’s due to a mental block caused by the end of the year.

1983 did cement a long and still intact loathing of Tony LaRussa. Don’t bother defending him I don’t want to hear it now or ever.

One thing bout 83 that may not have been mentioned is that it was followed by 84. 84 is the year we officially lost the city to the Cubs. 83 was the last year most people out side Chicago knew there were two teams here – until 2005.