Discontinued

[KG Erwin]

Now for something a little different: a draft league beginning with the rookie years of Willie & Mickey. I'll be managing the Dodgers. My usual association rules will be in play: finances off, 50-man rosters, no closer, real parks etc.

The Pirates were awarded the first pick, and they selected P Warren Spahn. The Dodgers picked second, and we took CF Willie Mays.

Here's our first ten choices, and their ages:

1. Willie Mays, CF, 20
2. Carl Erskine, P, 25
3. Ralph Branca, P, 25
4. Nellie Fox, 2B, 24
5. Chuck Stobbs, P, 22
6. Granny Hamner, SS, 24
7. Eddie Yost, 3B, 25
8. Vern Law, P, 21
9. Whitey Lockman, 1B, 25
10. Jackie Jensen, RF, 24

I drafted for youth and potential, and on opening day our major-league roster is by far the youngest, with an average age of 24.4. In the pre-season power rankings, we rated 14th. The top-rated teams are the Cardinals, the Pirates and the Giants.

We open the season hosting the Phillies for a three-game series. The Phils just happen to be the oldest team in the majors, averaging 30.

[KG Erwin]

Brooklyn, Tuesday April 17. Erskine vs Koslo. 59 degrees, with the wind blowing IN from LF @19 mph.

1st Inning. Ted Williams hits a HR to CF. 1-0, Phillies.

3rd Inning. Mays hits an RBI double. Game tied.

5th Inning. Mays hits an RBI single. 2-1, Dodgers. Koslo walks in a run. 3-1.

Cloyd Boyer relieves Erskine in the 7th. He walks in a run. 3-2. The Phillies then take a 4-3 lead on two singles. Dick Littlefield relieves Boyer.

Duane Pillette relieves Koslo in the bottom of the 7th. He ends up saving the game for Koslo. Boyer loses.
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Wednesday, April 18. Shantz vs Branca. 43 degrees, with the wind blowing OUT to CF @20 mph.

The Phillies hit two homers and take a 4-0 lead in the 1st. Jensen hits an RBI single. 4-1.

Philly scores two in the 3rd. 6-1. Mays answers with a sac fly, and Hamner hits an RBI single. 6-3.

The Phillies score in the 4th. 7-3. Sarni homers. 7-4.

Philadelphia makes it 8-4 in the 5th. Sarni hits a 2-run homer, and it's 8-6.

The Phils score twice in the 6th. 10-6. Turley relieves Branca. He walks in a run. 11-6. Lockman responds with a sac fly. 11-7.

Heintzelman relieves Shantz in the 7th. Sleater relieves Turley.

Philly scores a run in the 9th. 12-7. Mays hits a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 9th. 12-10.

Shantz wins, Branca loses.
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Thursday, April 19. Stobbs vs Scheib. 69 degrees, with the wind blowing out to CF @18mph.

The Phils take a 2-0 lead in the 4th. They score two more in the 5th. 4-0.

6th Inning. Lockman hits an RBI single. 4-1.

Bokelmann relieves Stobbs in the 8th. Philly scores a run. 5-1.

Scheib pitches a CG win. Stobbs loses.

[KG Erwin]

New York, April 20. 59 degrees at the Polo Grounds. Willard Nixon vs Billy Pierce.

The Giants take a 2-0 lead in the 3rd.

4th Inning. Lockman hits an RBI single. 2-1. Fox hits an RBI double. 2-2. Yost hits a 2-run single, and the Dodgers take a 4-2 lead. Mays hits an RBI double. 5-2.

NY scores two in the 5th. 5-4.

6th Inning. Jackie Jensen and Granny Hamner hit back to back 2-run doubles. 9-4. Tom Ferrick relieves Pierce. Boyer relieves Nixon. The Giants score two. 9-6.

Sain relieves Ferrick in the 7th. Joe Adcock hits a 2-run triple! 11-6.

Dick Donovan relieves Sain in the 9th. Adcock hits an RBI single. 12-6. Jensen hits a 2-run homer. 14-6. Sarni hits an RBI double. 15-6 is the final.

Nixon earns Brooklyn's first win. Pierce loses.
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April 21. 64 degrees, wind in from LF @9 mph. Erskine vs Garcia.

3rd Inning. Hamner hits a 2-run homer, and the Dodgers take the lead. The Giants tie it. 2-2.

5th Inning. Erskine hits a clean RBI single on an attempted hit & run. 3-2, Dodgers. Yost hits an RBI single. 4-2. Mays hits a 3-run homer. 7-2. The Giants score one. 7-3.

Ferrick relieves Garcia in the 7th. Fox hits a 2-run single. 9-3. Spencer relieves Ferrick in the 8th. The Giants score. 9-4.

NY scores a run in the bottom of the 9th, but Erskine gets a 9-5 CG win. Garcia takes the loss.
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April 22.