Play Ball! (Partial Show Test)

[billmcdee]

I was pleased to hold out to win that round, especially without the services of the Babe!

[Deleted]

It seems you're both enjoying it so far, so I'm pleased about that.  On the normal show, we would do this 9 times, one for each inning, but for this test we're going to pretend like innings 2, 3 and 4 were completely scoreless (no runs, no hits, no errors) and we'll skip ahead now to the 5th inning which will have teams from the 1960s on the Team Board.

George, since you're trailing, you get to go first again.  Let's have a first look at the puzzle for this inning please.

(ding)

It's a two-word puzzle this time.  The first word contains 6 letters, the second has 7 letters.  George, start us off please.

[bighornbattle]

R please.

[Deleted]

(bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

No, this time there's no R in the puzzle.  Your turn Bill.

[billmcdee]

T

[Deleted]

(ding)

Just a lone T at the end of the first word, but that's enough to earn you two picks off the Team Board!

(ding)

Choose two numbers please Bill.

[billmcdee]

In honor of a team near and dear to my heart the 78 Yankees, I'll select 7 and 8 please Jack.

[Deleted]

(ding ding)

Behind number 7 we have the 1965 Cleveland Indians and number 8 was concealing the 1967 Boston Red Sox.

Sam McDowell was the work horse for the 1965 Indians as he posted a 17-11 record where he pitched 273 innings in 42 games with an ERA of just 2.18 while striking out 325 batters.  The team finished fifth in the American League with a record of 87–75, 15 games behind the Minnesota Twins. The Indians played .500 ball for the first 40 games, then eventually heated up going on a 10-game winning streak at one point improving their record to 37–24. They would peak at 46–28, but would cool off significantly after the All-Star break (going 41–47 the rest of the way) and would only spend six days in first place.

Carl Yastrzemski was the offensive leader of the 1967 Red Sox.  He had the best season of his career that year when he won the American League Triple Crown with a .326 batting average, 44 home runs (tied with Harmon Killebrew) and 121 RBIs. Yastrzemski's Triple Crown win in 1967 was the last time a major league hitter won the Batting Triple Crown until Miguel Cabrera in the 2012 season.  The team finished first in the American League with a record of 92 wins and 70 losses. The team then faced the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in the 1967 World Series, which the Red Sox lost in seven games.

Incidentally Bill, if we do this show for real in April, the 1978 Yankees will be one of the possibilities for teams.

I'm assuming that lone T isn't enough to solve the puzzle for Bill, so George we're back to you now.

[Deleted]

(bump for George)

[bighornbattle]

S please.

[Deleted]

(bzzzzzzzzzzz)

Believe it or not, there's no S up there either.  Back to you, Bill.

[billmcdee]

E

[Deleted]

(bzzzzzzzzzzzz)

Nope, there's no E either.  Your turn again, George.

[bighornbattle]

N please.

[Deleted]

(ding)

We do have an N, but just one as the second-last letter in the second word.

Guess at it or solve it if you know it George, but also please select a number from 1 through 6 to reveal the 3rd team possibility for this inning.

(ding)

[bighornbattle]

Lucky #6. I have no guess.

[Deleted]

(ding)

Number 6 is the 1969 New York Mets.

The 1969 season was the first season of divisional play in Major League Baseball. The Mets were assigned to the newly created National League East. In their seven previous seasons, the Mets had never finished higher than ninth place in the ten-team National League and had never had a winning season. They lost at least one hundred games in five of the seasons. However, they overcame mid-season difficulties while the division leaders for much of the season, the Chicago Cubs, suffered a late-season collapse. The "Miracle Mets" finished 100–62, eight games ahead of the Cubs. They went on to defeat the National League West champion Atlanta Braves three games to none in the inaugural NLCS, and defeat the American League champion Orioles in five games. First baseman Donn Clendenon was named the World Series' most valuable player on the strength of his .357 batting average, three home runs, and four runs batted in.

So those are the three teams to choose from.  The other ones on the board were the 1961 Washington Senators, 1962 Los Angeles Angels, 1963 Chicago White Sox, 1964 Baltimore Orioles and 1966 Houston Astros.

Bill, since George can't solve it, we're back to you for another letter please.

[billmcdee]

L

[Deleted]

(ding)

Yes sir, one L that begins the second word.  Can you solve it Bill?

[billmcdee]

Not yet.

[Deleted]

Back to you in that case, George.

[bighornbattle]

I please.

[Deleted]

(ding)

Just one of those as well.  Any idea what it is George?

[bighornbattle]

My only guess is Dugout Lodging

[Deleted]

That's a good guess George and it would be a great name for a baseball-themed hotel chain I think!  It's not the answer to our puzzle though, so another letter please Bill.

[billmcdee]

Great minds think alike George.  I too think that might be the first word.


That said, I'll ask for a G please.

[Deleted]

(ding ding)

A couple of Gs on the board and at least now we know for certain that first word is not DUGOUT.  Any idea what it is, Bill?

[billmcdee]

Still stumped.

[Deleted]

In that case, it's back to you for a letter George.

[bighornbattle]

O please.