1968 Baseball Replay
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Tigers Lost Without McAuliffe
Dick McAuliffe was suspended five games for his madbull charge of Chicago's Tommy John who will be lost to the White Sox with a shoulder injury. The Tigers lost all five games without their second baseman.
Pardon Mayo Smith’s Tigers for being a little overconfident. The team departed for New York on August 22 with a 13 1/2 game lead over the Orioles, an 82-44 record, a pitcher set to challenge for a 30-win season, and more home runs hit than last season’s World Championship roster. It began before the club boarded their charter flight with Chisox Ken Berry’s two-run home run off Don McMahon to break a 2-2 tie in the eighth. The Tigers lost 5-3. The defeat was uncharacteristic of a club that had made its’ fair share of comebacks this season. However, the loss was overshadowed by a brawl that cost Chicago southpaw Tommy John the remainder of his season. In the fifth, second baseman Dick McAuliffe flew out to right to open the inning. As he headed back to the dugout, he shouted something at John whose 2-and-1 fastball was so inside that catcher Jerry McNertney didn’t lay a glove on it. The White Sox hurler shouted back and the hot-tempered McAuliffe stormed the mound. John took up a sort of defensive lineman stance, squatting with his arms outstretched and McAuliffe bowled him over, ramming into his left shoulder with his knee.
When order was restored, John attempted to continue, but exited the game after walking the next batter, Mickey Stanley. Tommy suffered a torn ligament of the left shoulder. McAuliffe stayed in the game, but was suspended for five games and fined $250 by American League President Joe Cronin after the game. The suspension incensed Detroit General Manager Jim Campbell. “Cronin used bad judgment.” said Campbell. “Our player should have been able to tell his side of the story.”
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Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Sen. Eugene McCarthy arrived in this convention city to assume personal direction of their determined and frequently bitter drives for the Democratic Presidential nomination. The party’s 35th convention opens in an atmosphere of suspicion and struggle. There are fears of possible disorder around the hall or in the Loop which may be sparked by dissident demonstrators. The specter of possible defeat in November hangs heavy over the heads of the 6,000 delegates and alternates, split into feuding factions by division over the domestic and foreign politics of the Johnson administration, especially the war in Viet Nam, the crisis in Czechoslovakia, civil disorder, and administration spending.
As if the looming clouds of trouble were not enough for the Windy City, the city’s CTA bus drivers went on strike at midnight on Monday. Picket lines were formed in front of all 12 CTA barns in the city. A CTA spokesman stated that 50% of the buses were running on Monday with no disruptions in rail service on the city’s “L” system. Hardest hit was the city’s south side, where most of the dissident Negro drivers work. A firebomb was thrown at a CTA bus northbound in King Drive at 80th Street.
Transactions
- Angels recalled catcher Tom Egan from Seattle.Braves acquired infielder Gil Garrido from Richmond.Cubs recalled pitcher Darcy Fast from Tacoma.Orioles recalled pitcher Jim Hardin from Elmira and outfielder Merv Rettenmund from Rochester.Royals purchased pitcher Galen Cisco from Louisville.White Sox obtained pitcher Jerry Nyman from Hawaii. See Weekly Transactions
- Athletics recalled outfielder Allan Lewis from Birmingham.Braves signed pitcher Satchel Paige.Recalled outfielder Floyd Wicker from Tulsa.Cubs optioned pitcher Gary Ross to Tacoma; called up pitcher Archie Reynolds from same club,Indians assigned infielder Lou Klimchock outright to Portland; purchased pitcher Horacio Pina from the same club.Twins recalled pitcher Tom Hall from Denver.Yankees recalled pitcher Al Downing from Binghamton; released pitcher Thad Tillotson to Syracuse. See Weekly Transactions
- Angels acquired infielder Chuck Cottier from Portland. Astros returned pitcher Hal Gilson to Oklahoma City. Athletics optioned pitcher Ken Sanders to Vancouver; acquired pitcher Warren Bogle and outfielder-first baseman Joe Keough from Birmingham. Cubs acquired outfielder-pitcher John Upham from Tacoma; optioned pitcher Darcy Fast to Tacoma. Dodgers assigned infielder Luis Alcaraz to Spokane; acquired infielder Bart Shirley from same club. Mets recalled pitcher Jim McAndrew from Jacksonville. Orioles optioned pitchers John O'Donoughe and Mike Adamson to Rochester. Red Sox purchased outfielder Floyd Robinson from Athletics; released first baseman-outfielder Norm Siebern outright. Senators traded infielder Ron Hansen to White Sox for infielder Tim Cullen. White Sox recalled pitcher Danny Lazar from Hawaii. See Weekly Transactions
Welcome to My 1968 Baseball Replay
This is a re-creation of the 1968 baseball season using the results of my season replays with Diamond Mind Baseball. This project began with the 1965 season and accordingly all statistical and record references are from this replay project. References before the 1965 season are based on real life events. Enhance your experience by listening to music from the era with the Streampad bar below. Click the link on the right of the Streampad bar to open the jukebox to listen while you surf the site. Enjoy!
Spotify users can check out my full August, 1968 playlist.