Larry Osterman Appreciation Society (1973)

Dick Allen: 4-5, HR, 7 RBI. The kind of performance destined for Cooperstown. CWS (1-0) 9-17-1 TEX (0-1) 5-12-0 WP-Wood (1-0) LP-Bosman (0-1) HR-Allen (1) In addition to Allen's heroics, the keystone combo of Eddie Leon and Jorge Orta turned 4 DP's, 3 by Leon. Wilbur Wood overcame shaky control at times and 12 Texas hits to earn what was for him, a routine outing.  That Allen fellow though, quite unreal. 

Padre LF Leron Lee's 2-run single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th off Andy Messersmith gave the Padres a stunning 2-1 win over the Dodgers in front of a delirious San Diego Stadium crowd. It was 1-0 Dodgers, with Messersmith firing a 1-hitter when the Padres made their dramatic rally. PH Dave Marshall took a called strike 3, then PH Fred Kendall slugged a double to center. Enzo Hernandez singled to center, Kendall holding at 3rd, then Johnny Grubb drew a walk from Messersmith, loading the bases. It was Messersmith's 5th walk of the game. Messersmith still had his shutout, so Alston left him in to pitch to Leron Lee. Lee was "W" power, the roll was on Messersmith's card, a 5-2 ballpark check home run which because of Lee's "W", became a go-ahead 2-run single. Messersmith then gave way to righty reliever Charlie Hough, who got Nate Colbert to bounce into an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP. Fred Norman, who allowed an RBI single to Willie Crawford...

Pitching performances like the one the A's put on against the Twins , usually come once in a "Blue Moon." The A's righty struck out 10, even retiring 16 in a row at one point as the Athletics destroyed the Twins, 6-1. Odom got a little help from battery-mate Ray Fosse , who threw out Rod Carew and Larry Hisle trying to steal, while the Athletic bats banged out enough hits to throttle the Twins, mainly one Sal Bando , who had 2 RBI singles and a solo homer. Gene Tenace continued to prove his World Series performance was no fluke, hitting his 2nd homer in as many games and contributing his own RBI single. Bill Hands managed to go the distance, even retiring 9 in a row at one point, but the A's certainly had it firing on all cylinders with Odom, Bando and Tenace. Reggie Jackson on the other hand, has been misfiring on those same cylinders, striking out 2 more times in addition to his 5 in the opener. He did get a double and a run scored, but otherwise, it was ...

  "The following NBC Sports program is brought to you in Living Color." Tony Perez paced a 17-hit Red's attack with 5 hits enroute to a 6-2 Reds win over the Giants at Riverfront Stadium .  Perez's 5 hits were as followed, 2-run double in 1st, singles in the 3rd, 5th and 6th and another double in the 8th, which scored the final Reds run. Davey Concepion had 3 hits, including the single that scored Perez in the 8th, while Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan added solo homers for good measure in the 3rd and 6th, respectively. Even with a lusty hitting display, the Reds still left a lot on the basepaths, stranding 15 runners including the bases loaded in the 3rd, 5th and 6th. Jack Billingham went the distance, striking out 4, allowing 7 hits and the Giants only runs on a 2-run single by Alan Gallagher in the 7th. Giant starter Jim Willoughby could not withstand the Big Red Machine onslaught, leaving with 2 outs in the 6th.  WP-Billingham (1-0) LP-Willoughby (0-1) HR-B...

Frank Robinson still had some life in that bat in 1973, and it was enough to pace the Angels to a 11-3 triumph over the Royals at the " Big A ." The Halos scored 2 off Royal starter Wayne Simpson in the 1st, with Robinson just getting a ballpark single to drop with 2 outs, sending leadoff hitter Billy Grabarkewitz to 2nd. Tommy McCraw and Jim Spencer got Billy G and Big Frank home with back-to-back RBI singles, the latter of which was a "clutch" result.  The Angels got 3 more off of Simpson in the 3rd, starting off with a 1-out solo homer by Robinson, then Wayne Simpson started pitching like Homer Simpson , walking the bases loaded with 2 outs, 2 of the runs scoring on a single by Sandy Alomar. D'oh! Royal skipper Jack McKeon ended Simpson's day in the 4th, replacing him with Al Fitzmorris. Hal McRae spoiled things by butchering a Bobby Valentine fly in right for a 3-base error. That man Robinson brought in Bobby V with a sac fly.  It didn't get muc...