Speaking of the Expos...

'84 Expos were third in the NL in runs scored and third in runs against. It was their misfortune to be in the same division with the team that was fifth in runs scored (12 less than Montreal) and first in runs against (7 less than Montreal).

Looks like it was just plain ole bad luck -- 26-34 in one-run games. Cards went 35-22 in one-run games. Expos even went 10-8 against St. Louis. They were two games out on Sept. 15, then lost five straight against the awful Cubs and Mets. Cards won six in a row from 9/17 - 9/20.



God hates Canadian sports.

EDIT: '82 Expos I mean.

 

But that's assuming guys are high -- or wired, or whatever -- during the game.

I'd imagine that most of the partying would be after the game.

With it's schedule of games nearly every day, I'd think that long term coke use - and the lack of sleep -- would get to baseball players.

There's also usually a lot of alcohol involved with coke.

Obviously, if a guy is a real coke head, there's not a lot of discipline involved, but I'd think you could use it as an NBA player without it affecting your play more than if you're an MLB player.

 

On the other hand, as I was typing my previous post, I recalled the people I knew who used to to coke.

They wanted to do it all the time.

So yeah, the players probably were wired while they were playing.

 

But not as much as god hates Cleveland sports.

 

Lived in STL in 1982 and, even as a boy, remember the pennant race very clearly.

The Cardinals had Bruce Sutter (in his prime) that year -- there is your one-run differential.

St. Louis also had one of the most definitive home-field advantages in the NL. All of the speed in Busch Stadium II. Not much power but they had "gap hitters" who would groove triples to right center field.

Even with the threats of Dawson, Oliver, etc. on the Expos... the Cardinals never seemed to get spooked when playing Montreal that year. In fact, in 1982, they clinched the East AT Montreal.

 

Sutter wasn't any better than Jeff Reardon.

Sutter: 102.1 IP, 88 H, 33 ER, 61/34 K/BB, 1.192 WHIP, 2.90 ERA, 9-8 record, 36 saves, 58 games finished
Reardon: 109 IP, 87 H, 25 ER, 86/36 K/BB, 1.128 WHIP, 2.06 ERA, 7-4 record, 26 saves, 53 games finished

It just came down to bad luck for the Expos.

 

Herzog essentially said that when he took over the Cards in 1980, he was scared to be in the clubhouse. The Cards, Pirates (with Parker) and the Royals were the teams with the big-time druggie reps at that time.

 

Cocaine didn't seem to bother the 1986 Mets.

 

Yes, the irony is that Herzog's very vocal distaste for illegal drugs bloomed like crabgrass in Kansas City after he was fired in 1979. Porter was spending thousands of dollars a month on cocaine in 1977-79 even as he was Herzog's All-Star level catcher.

So much so that Herzog wanted Porter to come over to St. Louis in 1981.

Back in Kansas City, the 1980 Royals had more drug problems and, by 1983, about half the team was suspected and four were even arrested and suspended after the FBI investigation.

 

Drugs were all over in every sport (except, maybe, the NHL...I can't remember any serious drug problems in hockey. Pelle Linburgh was drunk, not high, right?) The Cleveland Browns made a big deal about their "Inner Circle" drug program, which half the team was in. How long has MLB had a problem with amphetamines? I read Brosnan's "THe Long Season" and Bouton's "Ball Four" back to back. Either Brosnan inored the "greenies" or they were not around back then. Back in the 50's it seemed like the players liked the sauce more than anything.

 

The Rangers had a coke problem in the late 1970s and for some reason, and I may be way off, I remember cocaine being part of the Leafs locker room in the mid-1980s.