Strat-O-Matic Memories Anyone?

I played the entire Cleveland Indians 1991 season during my latchkey summer of 1992. I was heading into fourth grade.

My daily routine included hours of Strat-o-Matic, some Aussie Rules football and pro wrestling on daytime ESPN. A bike ride to Circle K with my small, mom-given per diem, which I used to buy Fleer ‘92 baseball cards (ugly yellow border). And if my Book-It button was full, the adjacent Pizza Hut for my freebie personal pan pizza.

We had a former Texas Longhorns pitcher who was still trying to make it somewhere — Brian Toronto — living in our apartment complex in Palm Bay, Florida, and he’d throw with us. As a 10 year old, I felt the power behind his throws was scary.

 

one of my scorecards from way back

 

I played the entire 1984 NL schedule, 972 games, over a number of years. Je ne regrette nien.

Strat is great because a game takes 30 minutes and can be paused and picked back up at any time.

I had a job as a verifier/proofreader for the government ... we did jack post-sessions and I pretty much spent a summer on the job tabulating those stats.

Somehow managed to have a female companion during all that time too - don't ask me how

Random stat line:

➤ Player (Alpha.) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF GDP SB CS AVG. OBP SLG. PO A E PB Fld.
Von Hayes 157 565 88 165 33 8 16 75 48 4 74 6 1 3 11 40 14 .292 .354 .464 332 15 8 0 .977

 

Tabulating the stats were my favorite part. I had yellow legal pads with “weekly” totals and running totals.

To he honest, the statistics were the best part of NHL 95 or NCAA Football 04, too. Would always aim to make sure Lemiuex, Jagr, and Francis were well-placed among the leaders even if it meant some creative game management.

 

No doubt Donny, it really was the best part of it. That shit helps keep a mind sharp, I don't care how nerdy or tedious it is.

Bob Carpenter sells or sold the best scorebooks I've ever seen - recommended them to journos ever since.

Bob Carpenter's Baseball Scorebook

 

Von Hayes was one of the coolest names and he had a smooooooth lefty swing. I can still see him in the Philly pinstripes. Did he get derailed by a knee injury?

 

Von Hayes was a really good player. The statheads would have loved him had he played now, and he put up the traditionally admired power numbers too.

 

Played a 21 inning game today between 1984 Braves and Astros. Braves won 7-6

 

How many errors did Raffy Ramirez commit?

 

Arm injury, but he was declining at that point. Hayes suffered from two issues: he was traded for five players (including future star Julio Franco) and never lived up to that. In addition, he looked like a background lackey in every 1980s teen movie which made people think he was aloof or a jerk.

 

I don't think he committed any, I'm two days past that game and don't remember how to access previously played boxscores.

 

Thoughts on the computer Strat-O-Matic vs. the dice/card version? I've heard people who played the dice/card version first, and they can't get into the computer one. I don' think I'd have that problem, but am interested in other's perspective.

I bought and have played several seasons with Out of the Park baseball on the PC, and really enjoyed that, especially how they keep season stats for that. Played as the '85 Cardinals and lost to the Royals in the Series in 5 games. Willie McGee was up over .400 for much of the season and settled around .385.