CALCIO STORICO (HISTORIC FOOTBALL) NEIGHBORHOOD CHAMPIONSHIP--FLORENCE, ITALY--JUNE 10, 11, 24, 2022

The annual Neighborhood Championship Tournament of a sport that has its origins in the time of the Roman Empire, as a training excercise to prepare for the next conquest, and was codified in 1580, returned to the Piazza of Santa Croce and a full house for the first time since 2019 this June. It is a once a year Tournament between the four historic neighborhoods of Florence:

Blue--Santa Croce
White--Santo Spiritu
Red--Santa Maria Novello
Green--Santa Giovanni 

The semi-finals were played on June 10-11. The final on June 24 (St. John's Day Holiday).

There are 3 matches per year, played by all amateurs. There are 27 men per team, an 80 meter by 40 meter field of dirt and sand, a ball that looks like a beach ball but is a bit bigger than a soccer ball. There are goals at each end that are 40 meters wide. Putting the ball in the goal is called a "cachia" and is worth one point. Over shooting the goal is 1/2 point for the other team. It dis-incentivizes long throw goals (something the NBA might want to think about, but that is a topic for another blog).

The heart of each team is the "line". There are 15 players on each line, and their job is to make sure that the offensive backs can have space to move the ball. It is much like American or Canadian Football, or Rugby League in that way. The ball is mostly carried or thrown but can also be kicked. There are only three rules to line play.

1. No kicks to the head.

2. No sucker punches.

3. No double teaming. All line play is one on one.

Violation of any of those rules leads to immediate expulsion. No substitutes are allowed. There are also no substitutions for players who are injured and must be stetchered off. There is no "blood bin" as in Rugby so things can get a little messy. 

Line play is a combination of boxing, wrestling, and MMA. Once a player has an opponent on the ground he can (and does) sit or lay on the opponent to keep him down (there is no punching allowed against a player who is down--see sucker punches above). In that way, space is created for the backs. The downed player is released if he can release himself or after a caccia is scored. 

A modified "jump ball" begins the game, and is accompanied by cannon fire. (There is also cannon fire after each caccia).

Each time a player is tackled with the ball, there is a modified jump ball to determine possession. This also happens after each caccia or 1/2 caccia. After each caccia the teams switch sides.

The game lasts 50 minutes. The clock never stops. There is no injury time.

The prize for the winning team is a cow (as you will see in the introductions of the Final). It is not the cow that you see, but rather that much meat, which is distributed to the neighborhood. 

I believe that tells you all you need to know. 

DAZL TV provided full match videos for both semi-finals and the Final.The Final has a long and very interesting pre-game set of rituals. The neighborhood supporters are seated at each end of the ground.

The final was a superbly played, exciting game. The semi's not quite so much. 

However, if you want your medieval fix combined with your fix for blood lust with a huge dose of testosterone thrown in, this sport is for you. It makes our great gladiator sports like timid by comparison. Alas, there is a reason that only 3 games a year are played.

I have provided links to all three full match videos, photos, and match articles for each match. The Final video provides a list of annual winners going back to 1979. Below all the match information are Google English translations of the match articles. They include the scoring, injury, and expulsion information, but in real time, which I have converted into clock time.

Directly below, before the match information, I have provided more background links on the sport,   

Enjoy:

Explanatory links:

Ninh explains: The rules of Calcio Storico

How the game is played: (Italian, but, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words) (Netflix Italia Youtube-2:22)--game is explained in diagrams after the player interview

English Language Documentary on Calcio Storico Fiorentino (Jansen Media Youtube 1:12:43) (Italian with English sub-titles)

Original Official Rules (Giordani Bordo, 1580) (Italian)

Discorso sopra il giuoco del calcio fiorentino

OR

Page by Page

change the number after .djvu to move from page to page and then translate the modern page, which is below the original page.

Photo Gallery (Guardian--London)

BBC.com Magazine 

Balls and Blood (Sports Illustrated, August 4, 2008)

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Calcio Storico Fiorentino 2022

FINAL 

JUNE 24

BLUES 11 1/2 REDS 7 1/2

FULL MATCH VIDEO (Calcio Storico Fiorentino Youtube)

Match article (La Nazione, Florence) (Italian), for a Google Translate English version see below

Photo Feature (La Nazione--21 Photos)

Line Score, time of score, and scorers when available--match winners always listed 1st:

0-1: 3:00; Manuel Lopez

0-2: 7:00; Lorenzo Fattori

1-2: 12:00; ?

1-3: 15:00; ?

2-3: 17:00; ?

3-3: 19:00; ?

3 1/2 - 3: 21:00 ?

3 1/2 - 4: 22:00; Manuel Lopez

4 1/2 - 4: 25:00; ?

4 1/2 - 5; 26:00; ?

4 1/2 - 5 1/2; 30:00; ?

5 1/2 - 5 1/2; 31:00; ?

6 1/2 - 5 1/2; 33:00; ?

7 1/2 - 5 1/2; 35:00; ?

8 1/2 - 5 1/2; 37:00; ?

9 1/2 - 5 1/2; 39:00; ?

9 1/2 - 6 1/2; 42:00; ?

10 1/2 - 6 1/2; 44:00; ?

10 1/2 - 7 1/2; 45:00; ?

11 1/2 - 7 1/2; 48:00; ?

-1; -2; -1; -2; -1; =; + 1/2; - 1/2; +1/2; -1/2; -1; =; +1; +2; +3; +4; +3; +4; +3 +4

2 equal scores, 5 lead changes

Players stretchered off: 

Red

4:00: Leonardo Fettori; 16:00: "Red Kicker"--unknown

Reds played 12 minutes down one man, and 34 minutes down two men.

Blue: None

Disqualifications: None

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SEMI-FINAL

JUNE 10

BLUES 2 WHITES 1 

FULL MATCH VIDEO (Calcio Storico Fiorentino Youtube)

Match article (La Nazione, Florence) (Italian), for a Google Translate English version see below

Photo Feature (La Nazione--28 photos)

Line Score (Winners always listed first)

1-0 (21:00 Clock time); 1-1 (37:00); 2-1 (43:00)

No scorers listed:

Brawl: 8:00 

Disqualifications: 13:00, Galli and Burani (Blues) expelled for "misconduct that is listed in the prohibited behaviors" (kicks to the head, sucker punches, or two attacking one). Blues played the rest of the match 2 players down.

Removed on stretcher: none listed 

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SEMI-FINAL

JUNE 11

REDS 5 GREENS 1

FULL MATCH VIDEO (Calcio Storico Fiorentino Youtube)

Match article: (La Nazione, Florence) Italian, for a Google Translate English version see below

Photo Feature (La Nazione--18 photos) 

Line Score: (Winners always listed first)

5-0; 5-1 

Reds: Manuel Lopez 3, Lorenzo Mari, Lorenzo Fattori

Greens: Not named

Known time and Scoring: 

Reds: 3:00--Manuel Lopez; 12:00--Manuel Lopez; 18:00--Lorenzo Mari; 22:00--Manuel Lopez; 30:00--Lorenzo Fattori

Greens: 35:00

Brawls: none listed, no disqualifications

Removed on stretcher: 20:00--Red kicker; 42:00--Green kicker

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Note: Match article times given are Time of Day, not clock time, given on a 24 hour clock. Note: below "hunt" means caccia (goal scored).

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FINAL

JUNE 24

BLUES 11 1/2 REDS 7 1/2

Historic football final, Azzurri di Santa Croce champions against the Reds: 11.5 to 7.5

Florence, the last act of the 2022 edition of the tournament. Lots of people in the stands and a game of a thousand emotions

Florence, 24 June 2022 - The Azzurri di Santa Croce win the 2022 edition of the historic Florentine football, which returned after two years of pandemic that blocked the tournament. Nothing to do for the Reds , who yield despite a truly remarkable character. A beautiful historic football match, for some the most beautiful in recent years.

The compactness of Azzurra emerged , who held the field even when they went behind at the start of the match. They did not disunite but they started the comeback. From there then the heat, the fatigue and the numerical inferiority of the Reds led to victory. However, honor to two teams who have put their hearts on the pitch. 

And it is blue blaze, with the fans taking to the pitch to embrace their heroes. While the footballers hoist the Palio, the trophy of this final. 

A great day of traditions , which takes place as always on the day of the patron saint of Florence, San Giovanni. In the evening another great moment, that of the fireworks, but in the meantime there is this important and heartfelt match. Follow the live with us. A victory that makes historic football restart after two years inactive. 

19.17: the game ends, Azzurri di Santa Croce champions. 

7.15 pm: these are the last minutes and fatigue is felt but the Azzurri consolidate their advantage. Long run of Bastiani scoring. 

19.12: the Reds do not give up and manage to score another hunt. 

19.11: another blue fighter, excellent possession of the ball that leads to this new maximum advantage. 

19.09: hunting for the Reds, who score from a long distance. There are seven minutes to go. 

19.06: another hunt for the Azzurri, who are rampant. 

19.04: Azzurri who take off scoring a new hunt that leads them to extend the advantage. 

19.02: another blue fighter with a nice running action. Blues who seem to take advantage of greater freshness and numerical superiority. 

7 pm: blue advantage with a new marked fighter, also on passage. 

18.58: a draw between the Azzurri and Costa. Nice pass and then hunt. Draw at five and a half hunts.

18.57: half hunt for the Reds. 

18.53: incredible game with a new Red Hunt. The teams play openly and the show benefits. Partial result: 4.5 to 5.

18.52: a new Azzurra fighter. Partial result: 4.5 to 4. 

18.49: another hunt for the Reds, who are back in the lead again with Manuel Lopez, their man everywhere. Game without a minute of respite. 

18.48: half chase for the Azzurri, who temporarily overtake the Reds. Important comeback. 

6.46 pm: another hunt for the Azzurri, who draw 3-3. Nice initiative Azzurra, the team takes courage. Real match, with a thousand emotions. 

6.44 pm: new hunt for the Azzurri, on a long-distance passage. 

6.42 pm: third hunt for the Reds, who easily score after a throw-in. 

6.41 pm: another red kicker comes out on a stretcher after being punched. Rossi in this moment in double numerical inferiority. 

6.39 pm: hunting for the Azzurri from a great distance. A passage turns into a hunt. The bounce of the ball allows the ball to enter. 1-2

18.34 : still a hunt for the Reds, who seem irrepressible. Lorenzo Fattori scored. Nice duels with tackles, the ball is moved a lot by the Reds who are getting the better of them with continuous changes of pace. 0-2

18.30: Red kicker on the ground. Leonardo Fattori is rescued on a stretcher and taken out of the field. 

18.29: Manuel Lopez immediately goes hunting for the Reds. Again he, who had already scored in the semifinals. Game that unlocks immediately. 0-1

18.26: the game has started. Immediate midfield clash. 

The pre-match

6.21 pm: the "Davide Astori" choir rises in memory of the viola captain. 

18.19 hours:  it is the moment of the cry, to the magnificent Messere, an intense moment that precedes the match. 

18.18: the Reds and the Azzurri gather for the last tips and encouragement speeches. There were several line-up changes on both sides due to injuries and disqualifications from the semi-finals. 

18.08: Rossi and Azzurri warm-up began. It is another very hot day in Florence. 

18.02: as per tradition, all four districts enter the field. So there are also the Whites and the Greens, eliminated after the two semifinals. 

18.01: there is the entrance of the Rossi in the field. 

17.59: Gabriel Omar Batistuta is also in the stands for the final. The unforgettable Batigol is in Florence in this period and he didn't want to miss this match. 

17.58: some of the rules of historical football. The match lasts fifty minutes. There are 27 players per team. 

17.54: the ball player enters and the challenge goes live. There are a few minutes left for the challenge. 

5.33 pm: "I struggle to find such a beautiful San Giovanni - says the mayor Nardella - Now we enjoy this final". 

5.30 pm: Bruno Astori speaks, in that square where his brother David's funeral took place. "This square - he says - means a lot to us, the city has never stopped being close to us, it is an indescribable emotion. I thank everyone for the opportunity to attend this event, Davide would be proud of this invitation". 

17.27: Antonioni enthusiastic, speaks to Toscana Tv. "I have seen historical football several times, I have been a magnificent sir. For Florence, after Fiorentina's football, the final of historical football remains an important event". And on Davide Astori's brother the magnificent messere: "I'm happy that Bruno holds this role, Florence never forgets, even on occasions other than Fiorentina's matches". 

17.26: there are two live TV shows. One of Toscana Tv, while for Italy and for Europe there is the streaming of Dazn, which has entered into an agreement with historical football that will be offered to viewers in high definition. It is new this year. 

5.21 pm: the grandstand begins to get crowded. Enter the mayor of Florence Dario Nardella. 

17.10: the historical procession is now approaching Piazza Santa Croce, whose stands are filling up. 

16.57: in the procession there is also a special guest, Giancarlo Antognoni, who is also approaching Piazza Santa Croce. 

16.53: the historical procession has arrived in Piazza della Signoria. Filippo Giovannelli, director of the historical parade, kicks off the last part of the parade, the one that will arrive in Piazza Santa Croce. 

16.50: open the gates on the stands in Piazza Santa Croce, the fans begin to enter. Small groups of supporters who challenge the sun well in advance and place themselves on the stands. Meanwhile, in Piazza della Signoria, everything is ready to welcome the historical procession. 

4.44 pm: outside Palazzo Vecchio the mayor Nardella awaits the historical procession with the magnificent messere of this final, the brother of Davide Astori, Bruno. A way to remember and pay homage to the unforgettable Fiorentina captain who died four years ago. 

4.31 pm: the procession stops on the arengario of Palazzo Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria, to greet the banner of Florence. 

16.19: it started from Piazza Santa Maria Novella to arrive in Piazza Santa Croce. With the parade also the fans of Rossi and Azzurri parade, who will also color the stands today. 

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SEMI-FINAL

JUNE 10:

BLUES 2 WHITES 1

Historic football, first semifinal: the blues win 2-1

After two years, Piazza Santa Croce becomes inflamed again. Great interest in the challenges

The Azzurri win the first semifinal of historic football 2-1 against the Whites. A match of emotions, a physical battle with a heart-pounding ending. The Azzurri were ahead but the Whites tried the hunt several times without success.

He returned after two years with a complete program: the historical Florentine football 2022 inflames Piazza Santa Croce. The first semi-final took place, Azzurri di Santa Croce against Bianchi di Santo Spirito. The field will tell who is the best, but also in the stands it is a real show, with the supporters of the various colors ready to do battle. To embellish the first day of the semifinals an exceptional guest like Gabriel Omar Batistuta , while the Magnifico Messere is Giancarlo De Sisti . Leggiadra Madonna was chosen the tennis player Martina Trevisan , from Florence, who reached the semifinals of Roland Garros, a result of great prestige. 

8.14 pm: the Whites try the hunt until the end, without succeeding. The Azzurri win 2-1.

20.11: tactical match, with the Azzurri now trying to buy time. Three minutes to go. 

20.06: the Azzurri are back in advantage, good run-up and hunting. Fatigue begins to make itself felt. Everything was born from a wrong passage of the Whites. It's 2-1

20.01: hunting of the Whites, who equalize the score. There is a lost ball from the Azzurri and the Whites counterattack. It's 1-1.

19.54: after a White raid the ball returns to the Azzurri, who try to play with the stopwatch and to pass the time. 

7.46 pm: first hunt. The Azzurri scored it, who managed to attack the spaces by winning an important fighter. 

19.39: Whites very close to the hunt but the ball comes out. Still 0-0.

19.37: Galli and Burani, for the Azzurri, were expelled for misconduct that is listed in the prohibited behaviors. Whites therefore in double numerical superiority. 

19.32: skirmish under the tribune of honor between the Bianchi and Azzurri footballers is immediately quelled. 

19.29: the study phase continues. There are several skirmishes and clashes but at the moment the result remains 0-0.

19.24: the match with the ball to the Whites has begun. Early stages of study. 

19.18: here is the particular moment of the shout, with the announcement of the two teams on the field. A very impressive part of the pre-match ceremony. 

7:07 pm: particular choreography by the Bianchi fans. The curve is colored in white with lots of cards. 

19.05: entry of the Whites into the square. 

19.01: the Azzurri enter the square.

18.53: Batistuta speaks. "I have been in Florence for a couple of days and I will stay there for a while. I come back more than willingly, it is always an emotion. It is not the first time and it will not be the last. Life must be like in historical football, try to always win ".

18.52: the ball player with the symbols of Florence enters and the sound of the trumpets rises. At the same time there are the choirs of the Bianchi and Azzurri fans. Great atmosphere. 

18.39: excited Giancarlo De Sisti , Magnifico Messere. "It's a wonderful feeling - he says - It's wonderful to be inserted like this in the social fabric of the city. They gave me a great gift. I didn't imagine it would be so beautiful live", he tells Toscana Tv. 

6.37 pm: the historical procession has arrived in Piazza Santa Croce . There is great anticipation. 

5.24 pm : the big news this year is the live broadcast from Dazn . The streaming service will in fact give its subscribers the opportunity to enjoy the live broadcasts of all three games in high definition. For the first time, historical football will therefore be live on a large netowrk, one more sign of interest. 

5.22 pm: great anticipation in Piazza Santa Croce . Already the first fans are around the square, while the teams are still preparing in their respective headquarters. The final will start at 7pm. 

5 pm: the historical procession has started, a first great traditional moment that accompanies historical football . The parade, from Santa Maria Novella, arrives as scheduled up to Piazza Santa Croce. 

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SEMI-FINAL

JUNE 11

REDS 5 GREENS 1

Historic Florentine football, second semifinal: the Reds win, 5-1 over the Greens

The final on June 24, St. John's Day, will be Azzurri Rossi

Florence, 11 June 2022 - The Reds win in the second semifinal of the historic Florentine football 2022. Now the final will be Rossi Azzurri and will be played on 24 June, St. John's Day. Second day of semifinals for historic Florentine football. After the Azzurri's victory over the Whites , the field decided the second finalist. A clear victory, 5-1, with the Reds who attacked with good exchanges from the beginning, easily going hunting.

Other emotions then, with a truly special Magnifico Messere : Borja Valero , the former viola who chose Florence to live. A beautiful day for him, who already by the fans was called "mayor" in honor of his Florentine identity. Graceful Madonna was instead the US actress Debi Mazar. 

Relive the first semifinal, the Azzurri win

Follow the live

19.09: the challenge ends 5-1 for the Reds. 

7.02 pm: another kicker comes out on a stretcher. It is a Green kicker. There are eight minutes left. 

18.55: hunting for the Greens from lineout. 

18.50: fifth hunt for the Reds with Lorenzo Fattori. 

6.49 pm: the Greens try, but the solitary action of a footballer is stopped by the Reds. And the ball returns to the Reds. 

6.42 pm: the Greens seem to collapse, the Reds mark the fourth hunt, again with Manuel Lopez, who has so far scored three. 

6.40 pm: Red kicker goes out on a stretcher. 

18.38: third hunt for the Reds, who score with Lorenzo Marri. The Reds started the action by pressing firmly and after a series of exchanges they managed to score again. 

6.32 pm: second hunt for the Reds. It is Manuel Lopez who scores it. There was a transition phase with the greens trying to break through and failing. The ball returns to the reds with Manuel Lopez on the run. A highway opens for the second stage. The first hunt was also scored by Lopez. 

18.26: many tackles in the central part of the field. The game was immediately released and the ball now belongs to the Greens, who are trying to find an opening. 

6.23 pm: hunting for the reds, who, thanks to a series of tackles, immediately manage to score. 1-0.

18.21: ball to the reds. The study phase begins, the tactical phase and the first contacts between the players begin. 

18.20: here we are, all ready for the challenge, the teams are lined up on the pitch. 

18.18: the historical procession comes out, prelude to the start of the race. It is very hot in Piazza Santa Croce, it is a sultry afternoon.

18.12: great emotion among both the Greens and the Reds. There are many rookies especially in the Greens. But also in the Reds. In the Greens there are ten rookies, while there are seven in the Reds. 

18.11: footballers already on the pitch, ready for the challenge. Long warm-up. 

Jacob de Grom--Cy Young Award Winner--2018-2019--Game by Game

Jacob de Grom won the Cy Young award in 2018 and 2019. This is the award given by the Baseball Writers Association to who they vote for as the best pitcher in the National League. Here is a record of his starts for those two years. Let the numbers speak for themselves and decide, based on a narrative of his starts if you think he was the best pitcher in the National League these years.

Key: Start # Innings, hits, runs, earned runs, walks, strikeouts, won-loss record, earned run averate; score when de Grom left, final score

2018     Inn  H R ER W K HR WL  ERA  SDL  Fin  Team record

Start 1:  5.2 4 1 1 1  7 0 1-0 1.59 (4-1--6-2) (1-0--2-0)
Start 2:  6.0 4 2 1 3  5 0 2-0 1.54 (4-2--8-2)*(4-1--5-1)
Start 3: #6.0 7 4 4 1  6 1 2-0 3.06 (4-4--8-6) (8-1--9-1)
Start 4: #7.1 6 3 3 1 12 1 2-0 3.24 (6-1--6-8) (12-2--12-3)
Start 5:  7.0 4 0 0 2 10 0 2-0 2.53 (0-0--3-4)*(14-5--14-6)
Start 6: #7.1 5 0 0 3  8 0 3-0 2.06 (4-0--5-1) (15-8--16-8)
Start 7:  4.0 2 0 0 0  6 0 3-0 1.87 (0-0--0-7)**(17-10--17-11)
Start 8:  1.0 0 0 0 3  2 0 3-0 1.83 (0-0--2-4)* (19-17--19-18)
Start 9:  7.0 6 1 1 0 13 0 4-0 1.75 (3-1--3-1)  (20-19--21-19)
Start 10:#7.0 4 0 0 2  9 0 4-0 1.54 (1-0--1-2)* (24-20--24-21)
Start 11:#7.0 5 1 1 3  8 1 4-0 1.52 (2-1--2-4)  (26-24--26-25)
Start 12:#7.0 7 1 1 2 13 0 4-0 1.49 (1-1-1-7[14])*(27-28--27-29)
Start 13:#8.0 4 3 2 2  8 1 4-1 1.57 (1-3--1-4)* (27-32--27-33)
Start 14:#7.0 7 1 1 0  7 0 4-2 1.55 (0-1--0-2)  (28-35--28-36)
Start 15:#8.0 5 2 1 1  7 0 5-2 1.51 (6-2--12-2)*(30-38--31-38)
Start 16:#6.0 5 3 3 3  6 0 5-3 1.69 (2-3--3-8)  (31-42--31-43)
Start 17: 6.0 6 3 3 1  8 1 5-4 1.84 (2-3--2-5)* (32-47--32-48)
Start 18:#8.0 4 1 1 1  8 1 5-4 1.79 (1-1--5-1)  (34-49--35-49)
Start 19:#8.0 5 0 0 1  7 0 5-4 1.68 (0-0--3-0[10])*(36-53--37-53)
Start 20:#8.0 5 3 2 2 10 0 5-5 1.71 (2-3--2-3)  (39-57--40-57)
Start 21:#7.0 8 3 3 0  5 0 5-6 1.82 (0-3--0-5)  (43-58--43-59)
Start 22:#8 0 6 2 2 1  9 1 5-7 1.85 (1-2--1-2)* (44-62--44-63)
Start 23: 6.0 4 0 0 1 10 0 6-7 1.77 (5-0--8-0)* (46-65--47-65)
Start 24:#6.2 5 3 2 2 12 0 7-7 1.81 (7-3--8-5)  (49-66--50-66)
Start 25:#9.0 7 1 0 0  9 0 8-7 1.71 (3-1)       (52-69--53-69)
Start 26: 6.0 4 2 1 4 10 0 8-8 1.71 (0-2--1-3)  (56-70--56-71)
Start 27:#8.0 8 1 1 1 10 0 8-8 1.68 (1-1--1-2[11])(58-72--58-73)
Start 28: 6.0 2 1 1 1  6 1 8-8 1.68 (1-1--4-2)* (61-75--62-75)
Start 29: 7.0 3 2 2 2  9 0 8-9 1.71 (1-2--3-5)* (65-77--65-78)
Start 30:#7.0 5 3 3 1 12 1 8-9 1.78 (3-3--3-4)  (69-79--69-80)
Start 31: 7.0 3 1 1 1  8 0 9-9 1.77 (4-1--4-2)* (71-82--72-82
Start 32: 8.0 2 0 0 0 10 0 10-9 1.70(1-0--3-0)  (73-84--74-84)

*=de Grom removed for a pinch hitter--14 starts. Removed from the game: 17 starts.
**=de Grom left with an injured elbow
#=de Grom faced opposition's entire lineup 3 times (27 or more batters faced): 13 starts, Did not face opposition's entire lineup 3 times: 19 starts.

10 wins 9 losses (.526) 13 no decisions. 1.70 ERA

1 complete game. 0 shutouts.

Starts with 10+ strike outs=11 (.344)

<6 innings=3 starts
6-6.2 innings=8 starts
7-7.2 innings=12 starts
8-8.2 innings=8 starts
9 innings=1 start

Mets record in the games de Grom started (all of his appearances were starts): 14-18 (.437)
Mets record when de Grom did not pitch: 63-67 (.485)
Mets 77-85 (.468)

Number of starts de Grom gave up the 1st run(s) of the game:
11 (.344).
Mets record in those games: 2-9. de Grom was 1-6-4.

Number of starts the Mets were losing when de Grom left: 9 Mets: 0-9; de Grom 0-9

Number of starts the Mets were tied when de Grom left: 10
Mets: 4-6

Number of start Mets were winning when de Grom left: 13
Mets: 10-3; de Grom 10-0-3. Relievers blew 3 de Grom leads. So with a better bull pen, he could have been 13-9. They would have been 80-82.

Opposition


v NL

Team     Record        Standings    de Grom     w-l-nd  Mets 

Atlanta      (90-72) 1st East +8 g--6 starts    (1-2-3) (1-5)
Washington   (82-80) 2nd East -8 g--3 starts    (2-0-1) (2-1)
Philadelphia (80-82) 3rd East -10.0 g--3 starts (1-0-1) (2-1)
NEW YORK METS(77-85) 4th East -13.0 g
Miami        (63-98) 5th East -26.5 g--4 starts (0-2-2) (1-3)

16 starts--4-4-8 

Mets record in Eastern Division games de Grom pitched: 6-10

Total divisional record including Mets: 389-416; not including Mets 312-331


Milwaukee  (96-67)  1st Central +1.0 g--0 starts
Chicago    (95-68)  2nd Central -1.0 g--2 starts(0-0-2)(0-2)
St. Louis  (88-74)  3rd Central -7.5 g--1 start (1-0-0)(1-0)
Pittsburgh (82-79)  4th Central -13.0 g--1 start(0-1-0)(0-1)
Cincinnati (67-95)  5th Central -28.5 g--1 start(1-0-0)(1-0)

5 starts--2-1-2 

Mets record in Central Division games de Grom pitched: 2-3

Total divisional record: 428-383
Total divisional record of the teams de Grom pitched against:332-316

Los Angeles   (92-71) 1st West  +1.0 g--2 starts(0-1-1)(1-1) 
Colorado      (91-72) 2nd West  -1.0 g--1 start (1-0-0)(1-0)
Arizona       (82-80) 3rd West  -9.5 g--1 start (1-0-0)(1-0)
San Francisco (73-89) 4th West -18.5 g--1 start (0-1-0)(0-1)
San Diego     (66-96) 5th West -25.5 g--2 starts(1-1-0)(1-1)

7 starts--3-3-1

Mets record in Western Division games de Grom pitched: 4-3

Total divisional record: 404-408

v American League

Boston   (108-54) 1st East + 8.0 g--1 start (0-0-1) (0-1)
New York (100-62) 2nd East  -8.0 g--2 starts(1-1-0) (1-1)
Tampa Bay (90-72) 3rd East -18.0 g--1 start (0-0-1) (1-0)

4 starts--1-1-2

Mets record in Interleague games de Grom pitched 2-2

Total divisional record: 418-392
Total record of the teams de Grom pitched against: 298-188

Baseball--Opening Day--1931 and 1934--film highlights with real sound

I found two of the most amazing baseball highlight films I've ever seen and wanted to share them with you. They speak for themselves.

The highlights are both from Yankee Stadium--Opening Day, April 14, 1931, Yankees v Red Sox, and Opening Day (Yankees Home Opener) April 24, 1934, Yankees vs A's. They are sound films and that is what is so amazing about them. You will hear the voices of Babe Ruth, Joe McCarthy, Shano Collins (Red Sox Manager), and Connie Mack among others. You will hear the voices of Mayors Jimmy Walker and Fiorello Laguardia. You will hear the actual crack of the bat, along with crowd noises. You will see the pitching motions and batting stances of the time. You will not see outfield play, as the cameras couldn't cover it at the time. Mostly you will see a packed Yankee Stadium (70,000 in the 1931 game and about 40,000 according to the Brooklyn Eagle account--see below, in the 1934 game). This was the height of the Depression but you'd hardly know it based on these films. Note especially the bleacher crowd shot in the 1931 game. An integrated (if not by many) crowd.

April 14, 1931: Boston 3 at New York 6 (14 minutes, 21 seconds)
Wilcy Moore (who had pitched on 1927 Yankee juggernaut) v Red Ruffing

Babe Ruth would bat .373 with 46 HR, 162 RBI, 149 runs, 126 walks, and 51 strikeouts in 145 games. Not too shabby for a 37 year old. Yanks would finish 94-59, 2nd in the American League, 13.5 games behind the A's 107-45.

Box score and  play by play (Retrosheet.org)

Note especially the time of the game. They didn't mess around.

Game Story: Brooklyn Eagle, Apr. 15, 1931

April 24, 1934: Philadelphia 0 at New York 1 (17:52). (Note: this game is no longer available as of October 15, 2019). I will leave the rest of the story here, in the hopes that the game will be available again soon.

Johnny Marcum v Red Ruffing. This was Ruth's last year with the team. At age 40 he batted .288 with 22 HR, 84 RBI, 78 runs, 104 walks and 63 strikeouts in 125 games. Yanks would finish 94-60, 7 games behind the Tigers 101-53. Note: #6 on the A's is Jimmy Foxx.

Box score and play by play (Retrosheet.org)

Game story: Brooklyn Eagle, April 25, 1934

The provider is Guy Jones' Youtube site, which also contains an absolute treasure chest of old "slice of life" newsreel films going back to the 1890s (including some Lumiere Brothers films), some with live sound, some with added sound. The site is pretty amazing. I have not seen anything like it.

Archeology--AND ME

So, I am starting to clean up my house, which has just sold. I am getting ready to move. Today I was cleaning out closets. In a forgotten corner of a pretty much forgotten closet, I found a bunch of board games accumulated over the years.

Class Struggle:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1510/class-struggle

I always had trouble getting a good game of CS going because it was a role playing game. Nobody ever wanted to play the Capitalist ruthlessly enough.

Ur: Royal Game of Sumer:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1602/the-royal-game-of-ur

Parcheesi

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2136/pachisi

Upwords:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1515/upwords

Scrabble:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/320/scrabble

A domino set and a magnetic chess set.

The game missing was a chess machine.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/579308697/saitek-electronic-chess-kasparov

This isn't exactly what my chess set looked like, but close enough.

I gave away my chess machine a long time ago. It was very advanced for 1983, when I got it. I moved real piece pegs into slots and then the machine would respond. A little red light would blink while it was thinking. Then it would beep to indicate its move. It had 8 levels. It beat me mercilessly at the most elementary levels. Then I got a few books. I was never a good chess player, but the machine taught me to keep count of the pieces very well. I got to where I could beat the machine at level four. It was so much fun to watch the little red light blink slowly, and then faster and faster, and then just stay lit! Checkmate. I had beaten the son-of-a-bitch. I spent many a long night playing against it, listening to Sting, Steely Dan, and Supertramp. Great music to play chess against a machine to. Of course it never helped me against humans. The ones who were better than me stayed better, but I could give them a more interesting game. I must say I enjoyed playing the machine more than people regardless of the result. Even at the higher levels, where it still beat me mercilessly.

Those were the non-sports games. When I looked at the sports games, things started getting interesting.

Pursue the Pennant:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7290/pursue-the-pennant

All Star Baseball:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3157/all-star-baseball

There's quite a story behind All Star Baseball. Want to hear it? I thought you would.

When I was in third grade (the 1953 edition of ASB was on the shelves of the department stores), we had an exercise at school called the "hundreds club." Each day Arithmetic would start with a small quiz. If you got them all right that would be one quiz. If you got 100 percents on five quizzes in a row, you joined the hundreds club and could do something more interesting while the others were trying to get in. One after another the kids got in the club. I could get three quizzes in a row. Then I'd screw up. I'd try and try, but I'd always screw up after three. (Thinking about it now, it really wasn't a good way to build a kid's confidence. It was pretty frustrating, and my lifelong lack of skill or interest in math may have been partly influenced by this exercise).

My parents got wind of my frustration, probably at a teacher-parent meeting. Soon they offered me an incentive. I could get any board game or toy I wanted if I could get into the hundreds club. My Dad even took me to one of the precursors of the big box retail stores to peruse the merchandise. I didn't need to do that. I knew exactly what I wanted. All Star Baseball. I'd spent most of the summer playing it at my friend's house. I don't remember the friend, but the game was great! I've always been nuts about baseball, and it was the very first of the baseball simulation games. An entire career or the 1959 season distilled into a paper player disk. The area of the number indicates the real frequency of the result. Flick the spinner and see what happens.

For how the game works see:

http://cadacoallstarbaseball.com/about/what-is-all-star-baseball/

Example player disks.

http://cadacoallstarbaseball.com/about/player-download/

This guy's blog could have been mine!

The only thing between nirvana and me was that goddamn hundreds club. The incentive didn't help me. I still kept stumbling after three times in a row. By now weeks had gone by and only a couple of dolts and I were still taking the stupid quizzes. Finally I got to four. I was hoping the teacher would shut it down and let me through. But no go. On the fifth day I was a wreck. But somehow I made it. 5 hundreds in a row!!! It probably took me 30 quizzes to get five in a row. I can't remember. It seemed like 100.

And so on that triumphant day we went to the store and my Dad presented me with my prize. I felt 10 feet tall. And I played that game to death, mostly solitaire. What did I need people for when I could put down a lineup card with Ruth, Foxx, Cobb, Mays, Mantle, and even Hary Chiti. And another one with Hornsby, Wilson, Traynor, and Norm Larker. Just let them have at each other and record what happened. I played that game until the paper disks disintegrated. Much later, after college, I bought a vintage 1970s version.

Then, at the bottom of the pile of games, I found a game in a white box. It had renderings of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Pigpen, Snoopy, and Linus on the cover.

Charlie Brown's All Stars:

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5629/charlie-browns-all-stars

For the rules see:

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/255221/its-yet-another-baseball-game-charlie-brown

This was a game I had purchased, as sort of a joke, in about 1976. On the top right corner of the box there was a yellow sticker with a smiling sun and the words "Take me to my owner". Underneath, my first name and last initial was printed in a delicate, feminine hand.

It wasn't much of a game. The object of it was to out-guess your opponent, figure out the best times to swing at a pitch that was in the strike zone, or maneuver the pitcher into a position where a strike had to be thrown. It was a game for kids. But when adults played it a headache could be the result. It was very difficult to score because it was very difficult to hit the ball. Just like baseball. You had to be thinking, concentrating on every pitch. You had to look for patterns. Same thing for the pitcher. Just like baseball. There were lots of strikeouts and almost no walks. And the real problem was that when you did hit the ball, you had to throw three dice to see the result. And more often than not the result was an out anyway. Just like baseball. So maybe it wasn't such a stupid game after all. I was always competitive at baseball in any manifestation (even though I had no talent for the actual game). So when I played against another competitive male, I got to feel all the mind numbing frustration a real live baseball player gets to feel. How did I not see that pattern? How did that bum strike me out again? I just hit three shots, right at fielders.

But it was kind of cool to actually play something against another person, and to share the frustration of real baseball players. The games were always 1-0 or 2-1. 3-2 was a slugfest. I had two friends (lets call them Mickey and Willie) that would play and I would watch as Willie would beat Mickey by one of those scores time after time. He would beat the hell out of him by those scores. Finally Mickey quit playing. When I played Willie he would always pile up at least 2 runs, and sometimes he would get 3 or even 4. It was embarrassing to both of us. His boredom playing me was palpable. I was always ready to go, but he begged off after a while.

I opened the box and the memories started flooding back. I had forgotten the Charlie Brown's All Star League, a league which I had invented and was Commissioner of, as well as one of the players. This was the year after the games I have already talked about. My group of friends consisted of two couples and an unattached man and woman. I would get together with them on fall Sundays to watch the football game. I thought it would be cool to set up a little competition, something to do before the game or at halftime. I asked my partner if she would go in on it and she agreed. She wasn't into the game, but thought it a nice idea. So now there were eight. And a league could be set up.

I looked at the yellowing paper and the backs of small paper bar checks (I worked at a bar at the time) to see my scribblings as I worked out a 14 game schedule (to mirror the professional football schedule of the time). And that schedule was still in the box, as were the line scores of every game we played. I felt like I had discovered Tutankhamen's tomb.

Division 1: (well, you had to have playoffs at the end of the season).

Millennium Falcons
Sunday Comics
Bears
Porky Pigs

Division 2:

Bulldogs
White Sox
Walden Pond Bullfrogs
Wholly Rollers

We played the first games on opening day of the football season. I couldn't believe I had organized this and it was coming to fruition. My partner couldn't make the Sunday game so we opened up the season against each other (a rivalry game) on Thursday night. I beat her 2-0.

On Sunday,

Sunday Comics 7, Bullfrogs 2
Porky Pigs 5, Wholly Rollers 1
White Sox 3, Millennium Falcons 1

I was astonished at the size of the scores. But then nobody in this league could play like Willie or Mickey. And so there was a Week I, just like with the football, and standings. It was so cool!

And then my partner quit the league. After one game! It was a prescient move on her part.. But I had to quickly recruit another friend. It wasn't an easy sell, but I got the replacement in the league in time for Week II's games. The replacement took one look at the game, thought it was totally stupid, and played it randomly. And lost mostly. I wasn't happy about the lack of acceptance of the philosophy behind the game, but was so happy to have a replacement that would be reliable that I let it go. And so the Bears disbanded and were replaced by Donuts Prohibited.

There was an undercurrent of discontent almost from the start. I had no talent for the game, but was very vested in it because I was Commissioner. Two teams were very good and got into it. The other teams not so much. It was always hit or miss, sometimes they were into it, sometimes not. I was grateful that they played and kept playing.

In the end the game was too difficult. By Week VI I was holding things together with chewing gum and baling wire. By Week IX I could see it was doomed. Look at these scores and you can see why.

2-0, 7-2, 5-1, 3-1,
2-1 (10 innings), 1-0, 3-1, 1-0 (12)
2-1, 1-0 (12), 3-2, 5-0
2-1, 2-1, 2-1, 3-2
5-3 (25 innings), 3-0, 2-1, 2-1

Here we should pause. 25 innings is not a typo. Two of the players couldn't make the Week V game on Sunday, so I set it up so they could play on Saturday. I witnessed this game, as I did every game played in the CBASL. I did some scouting, but I also wanted to make sure the teams played the games. In this game the loser scored three in the first inning and then didn't score again for 24 innings. The winner tied the game in the eighth and then didn't score for 16 innings. It was this game that caused a rule change. CBAS allows stealing. One die. 1-4 for  stealing second. 1-3 for third. There was no provision for stealing home. After this game I installed one. Throw a 1 and you steal home. Just like Ty Cobb used to, for somewhat the same reason. The rule was gratefully accepted, but didn't change the fate of the league.

Neither player was very happy. The game took over two hours. If I hadn't been there, I'm sure they would have mailed something in. I was starting to doubt my creation.

2-1, 4-1, 4-3 (13), 1-0 (13)
1-0, 3-0, 4-2, 3-1
3-1, 1-0, 3-0, 3-1

By Week IX I knew it was over. So did everybody else. But they felt bad for me, and in a very compassionate act tried to soldier on. One player even played two games. But we didn't make it through Week IX.

3-1, 3-0, 1-0

I think they would have gone on if I'd asked them to. But I shut down my own game, and the league, with the score 0-0 in the third inning. I thanked them for their effort and asked for their forgiveness. They were good friends and told me it wasn't so bad and had been an interesting experiment. And I chose to believe them, although if I hadn't been there I think they might have made a bonfire with CBAS and then this story would have never been rediscovered and retold. Such are the vagaries of archeology.

Final Standings:

Div. 1:

Sunday Comics  7-3
Millennium Falcons 6-3
Porky Pigs 3-5
Donuts Prohibited 2-6
Bears 0-1

Div. 2:

White Sox 6-3
Walden Pond Bullfrogs 5-4
Bulldogs 3-5
Wholly Rollers 3-5

Sort of looks like standings from the NFL in the 1920s, or professional baseball in the 1870s.

And so came and went the CBASL.

Update 1: On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 2, 2014, I met with a bunch of friends to take in the game. Half the league was there. I brought the game and all the archeological relics, just for fun, to show to the members. The White Sox had no memory of even being in the league. Donuts Prohibited, who had saved the league so long ago, said simply "Oh, Charlie Brown, what a stupid game." How's that for consistency? And Porky Pigs! Wow. Porky Pigs wanted a game!!  And so we had one. And we picked up just where we left off so many years ago. Porky beat me 2-1 in 11 innings, tying the game with a ninth inning home run and winning it with two hits sandwiched around a stolen base two innings later. It was just as frustrating as it had always been. And exhausting, actually. It doesn't get easier as you get older :)

A couple of years later I figured out a way to incorporate CBAS (for pitching) and All Star Baseball (for hitting) into one game. If you could hit the ball, Babe Ruth would do your hitting for you. I played one game with one of the participants in the CBASL. I played with Babe Ruth. He played with Harry Chiti. (Actually not Harry Chiti. When I looked in the box, Harry wasn't there. He was just a memory from my 1953 version of the game. Besides, Harry Chiti couldn't put up 8 runs if you could place the spinner where you wanted once every 4 at bats). Jim Rivera (Jungle Jim) was in the box. A beat up old disk. From 1959. How he got there I'll never know, but Jim Rivera is the guy, He beat me 8-3. But I flicked the spinner with Ruth up with the bases loaded in the ninth. He struck out.

I might get rid of some of the board games I found in the closet. I have a while to make that decision. But CBAS and the archives of the CBASL will go with me to the grave. Thanks to everyone who participated. You were all much better friends than I deserved.

A fun way to "watch" historical ball games

I found a new (well, not so new, its been around since 2010) baseball site today. Absolutely fascinating. The great sites

http://www.retrosheet.org/

and

http://www.baseball-reference.com/

have text play by plays going back to 1945, with pitch by pitches going back to the late 1980's (except for Dodger games, which have pitch by pitch accounts going from 1949-1964, thanks to the genius of their great statistician Allan Roth

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Allan_Roth

who kept official track long before anyone else.) Unfortunately for baseball fans, Roth left the Dodgers in 1964 for NBC, so we only have pitch by pitches for Koufax and Drysdale for one of their great years (1963). Text allows you to imagine watching the game, and with baseball-reference, you can even keep track of the pitch by pitch (retrosheet keeps pitch by pitch data in a separate file, which is designed for export into statistical programs, so it's much more difficult to follow casually).

And all that is wonderful, it really is. You can read games that you went to, or follow particular players or pennant races. But it still isn't really "watching the game."

If you want to have some fun, try Back to Baseball:

http://www.backtobaseball.com

Here, you can pick a team, and follow every game it has played since 1945, both regular and post season, or search for a particular game, pennant race, or player. What you get is just like the old timey mechanical scoreboards that they used to have so people could follow old-timey ball games before the days of radio and TV. See:

http://www.schubincafe.com/2012/09/26/watching-remote-baseball-games-before-tv/

It's just like that, only electronic. And the cool thing is when a right handed batter is up, his name is in the right handers batters box, and a left-handed batter is in the left handed batters box.

You still need retrosheet and/or baseball-reference for the context of the game (pitchers records, standings, etc.). But backtobaseball specializes in taking retrosheet data and turning it into an actual animated ball game. Of course it ain't TV, but try finding a game from 1946 on TV.

I tried it with two games today. I also have some ancillary information that enhances the experience even more.

A. The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (Fireside Press, 2004). The heart of this incredible book is a census of pitchers and what they threw. Every pitcher who threw 1,000 innings or in 400 games, along with a whole lot who didn't, are in the census. Neyer and James have researched and sourced the repertoire for each of these pitchers. So you get the name, handedness, career span, and record of each of these pitchers, along with their repertoire. Great pitchers have more information.

B. I have access to full text Newspaper accounts from the NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Sentinel, and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  for the entire span of the modern era, as well as microform access to every major newspaper in the US for the same time period. So I can look up major accounts for NY Yankees, NY Giants, Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, LA/California/Anaheim/LA Angels, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Milwaukee Braves/Brewers games easily, and have access to newspaper accounts of every game played since 1901.

So I experimented today with two games.

1. Opening Day, April 10, 1959, Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers. Chicago--Billy Pierce (5'10" 160lb, Lefty, 211-169, 3.27 ERA, 1945-1964--threw fastball, curve, slider [added in 1951] and change. There is also a major article on Pierce in the Neyer/James book. He was a tremendous though now almost forgotten pitcher in his era.

v

Detroit--Jim Bunning (6'3" 190lb, righty, 224-184, 3.27 ERA 1955-1971--threw slider, fastball, curve, and change. He threw sidearm and Ted Williams remembered his slider as rising not dropping.

Unfortunately, as described in the Chicago Tribune article of April 11, by Richard Dozier, the game was played in blustery, 37 degree weather. It was an extra inning game, 14 innings, and lasted over 4 hours. I won't spoil it by giving you the winner, except to say that Nelson Fox had a career day for the White Sox. It was a high scoring game, with many pitchers, so not so much fun, except for the drama of the game, as an old fashioned pitchers duel would be.
  
Watch the game at:

http://www.backtobaseball.com/gamesiteregularseason.php?IDindex=DET195904100

Click on "View Game."

2. An old fashioned pitchers duel, in the heat of the 1967 American League pennant race, July 13, California Angels at Chicago White Sox.

California--George Brunet (6'1" 195lb., lefty, 69-93, 3.62 ERA, 1956-1971--threw fastball, experimented with a knuckle ball in 1964, developed changeup in 1966, added a slider in 1968. So basically a power pitcher who was a relief pitcher much of his career, and then became a part time starter near the end of his career.

v.

Chicago--Gary Peters (6'2" 200lb., lefty, 124-103, 3.25 ERA 1959-1972--threw sinking fastball, slider, changeup, curve.

This was a tremendous pitcher's duel in the age of pitcher's duels and if you watch the game, notice how the two pitchers got most of their outs, in light of the kinds of pitches they threw.

Edward Prell, in the Chicago Tribune of Jul. 14, emphasizes the pop gun nature of the Sox "offense" that year, and said that Peters knew whenever he pitched, he also had to hit if the Sox were to have any chance to score.

John Hall, in the Los Angeles Times, gives a bit more insight than Prell's basic account of the game. Buck Rodgers (later a manager at Milwaukee) caught the game with a broken right thumb. Woody held pinch hit with a fractured toe for California.  Bill (Moose) Skowron pinch hit for California, batting for the first time since suffering a 20 stitch cut to his hand a month earlier.

Watch the game at:

http://www.backtobaseball.com/gamesiteregularseason.php?IDindex=CHA196707130

Click on "View Game".

Backtobaseball provides the most visceral way this side of old recordings or kinescopes to follow the baseball from 1945-2012. And with the Neyer/James volume, its almost like you are an advance scout. A different kind of experience. The anti-SABR approach, if you will.

Enjoy!

I'm kicking around some ideas to use the sources I have to follow some of the greatest pitchers seasons and report on them in the blog. Koufax--1963, Gibson--1968, and perhaps the greatest single season pitching performance in the history of baseball--Carlton--1972 are among the candidates.