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 with a few exhibitions thrown in for fun.
Today’s game is a rematch of game seven of the 1968 World Series with the Detroit Tigers visiting the St. Louis Cardinals. The contest was the championship game of a 16-team tournament featuring teams from the 1920s, 1940s, 1960s and 1980s. Because there were teams from the 1980s in the event, the designated hitter was used for all of the games.
By using the designated hitter rule, the outcome of this affair would be different that the real life game.
CARDINALS WIN TOURNAMENT IN WALK-OFF
ST. LOUIS — Lou Brock had his St. Louis jumping all around him after his game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Cardinals a 2-1 victory in the championship contest of the 2015 Spring Tournament.
For most of the affair, the Cardinals were stymied by Detroit pitcher Mickey Lolich, who was perfect through eight frames with nine strikeouts.
St. Louis designated hitter Bobby Tolan singled leading off the ninth to bust up Lolich’s gem. Second baseman Julian Javier followed with another single off the lefthander. Tigers centerfielder Jim Northrup couldn’t field Javier’s hit cleanly, which allowed both runners to advance an extra 90 feet.
Cardinal shortstop Dal Maxvill tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly to right fielder Al Kaline.
Then it was Brock’s turn as the Cardinals left fielder sent the St. Louis fans home with smiles as Javier crossed the plate from second base.
Bob Gibson was the winning pitcher for the Cardinals as he tossed a complete game surrendering five hits, while fanning five. The Tigers scored their only run in the second frame on a sacrifice fly by catcher Bill Freehan.
IN REAL LIFE: Lou Brock was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985. When he retired in 1979 after 19 seasons, Brock held the major league record with 938 career stolen bases until Rickey Henderson passed him in 1991.
Brock finished his career with 3,023 hits. A six-time all-star, Brock was a star for the Cardinals during their World Series wins in 1964 and 1967 before they fell to the Tigers in 1968. He batted .391 in World Series play and still hold the record with 14 career steals.
Mickey Lolich never lost to the Detroit Tigers during the 1968 World Series. He won games two, five and seven to earn the Most Valuable Player honor as the Tigers won the title for the first time since 1945. He is the last pitcher to toss three complete game victories in a single series.
Lolich was a three-time all-star and was 217-191 with a 3.44 ERA in 16 seasons, mostly with the Tigers.
In 1968, Lolich was 17-9. His best year came in 1971 when he was 25-14 and led the American League with 29 complete games. A year later, he helped the Tigers win the AL East with a 22-14 mark.