Eddie Murray was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1977 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
Strat-o-matic is a baseball simulation that began as a cards and dice game in the early 1960s before entering the computer age.
These featured games on Shoestring Catches are part of season replays or tournaments played with cards and dice.
Today’s game matches the 1981 Baltimore Orioles at the 1981 Milwaukee Brewers.
The 1981 season is one of the most interesting in baseball history because of the player’s strike.
The summer was split into two halves and the post-season was different because it was the first year with the playoffs featuring a division series. The Brewers would make the playoffs, but they would fall to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.
The next year, the Brewers would lose to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The Orioles would win the world championship two years later when Cal Ripken, Jr. would win the AL Most Valuable Player Award.
In 1981, Ripken spent most of the summer at Triple-A Rochester in the International League. He played in 23 games that season and the next year, Ripken was named AL Rookie of the Year.
Future Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee Eddie Murray was a star on the 1981 Orioles as he led the AL with 22 homers and 78 RBI. He proved to be a valuable asset in this game.
HOMER IN 16TH BY MURRAY GIVES ORIOLES VICTORY
MILWAUKEE – After several chances in extra innings, Baltimore’s Eddie Murray finally took care of business as the Orioles beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 in 16.
Murray slapped a two-run homer from the right side of the plate off Milwaukee’s Jamie Easterly in the top of the 16th to put the Orioles on top 5-3.
However, the Brewers were not done as they scored a run off Baltimore reliever Tim Stoddard in the bottom of the inning on a RBI single by Charlie Moore, who entered the game in the 12th for an injured Ted Simmons.
Stoddard got the win for the Orioles as he stayed on the mound for six innings. He allowed the run in the last inning and gave up three hits, while striking out 10.
The bullpens for both teams were thin due to previous contests between the Orioles and Brewers, so an extra-inning affair was the last thing they really needed.
Easterly was tagged with the loss. In his six innings, he gave up two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.
The Orioles appeared to be in control with Dennis Martinez on the mound and a 3-0 lead through six frames.
Doug DeCinces knocked gave the Orioles a 1-0 lead with a RBI single in the first inning. He added to the advantage with a two-run double in the third.
Martinez was cruising along until the seventh when Jim Gantner blasted a three-run homer to tie the contest at 3-3.
The score stayed that way as the starters would leave the mound after 10 innings each with three runs against them.
Martinez gave up five hits and had four strikeouts. Pete Vuckovich surrendered nine hits with six strikeouts.
Both teams had threats over the next five innings, but neither squad could score to set the stage for Murray’s heroics.
DeCinces led the Orioles with three hits, while Paul Molitor and Cecil Cooper topped the Brewers with two hits each.