In my spare time when I’m out with my laptop, I’ve been playing the 1961 season via APBA Baseball for Windows. It’s a no-frills set-up that I did real quickly. While I manage the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees teams, the computer plays the other teams.
Mel Roach is a backup outfielder for the ‘61 Cubs. Even for the Cubs, his “card” is a bit hard to look at. Roach batted .147 in 75 at-bats with one homer. He walked five times and struck out 13 times.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Totals | 36 | 84 | 75 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 13 | .147 | .217 | .213 |
Roach’s card has two zeros but they’re not very solid. There are thirteen 7s or 11s in the second column. Mel only has two 8s and two 9s after that giving him an ugly 15-14. Roach does have a 25-42 along with his two 14s though it’s placed at 25.
Ugly numbers: 15-14, 51-13, 31-40
Not only is Roach rated in the outfield but he’s also tagged as a 1B-2 and a 2B-5. He actually put in some time in those positions during the 1961 season. He played nine games at first base (as much as he did in the outfield) and seven at second.
