Every so often, Walter Hunt will embark on a narrative replay project using a season set. He’ll use different players from different teams. As a science fiction writer, it’s probably in his nature to think outside the box.
This year, he just finished his 1947 narrative replay. Being a writer, his recaps are fun to read. Here’s a sample:
It was a long summer in Omaha, in part because management had invested little in its starting pitching staff. Lefty Ed Lopat was the only solid performer; he’d been at .500 at the halfway point with a 3-3 record, and had gone 1-1 since. The previous day, Ewell Blackwell had taken a no-hitter into the fifth inning, and had wound up giving up only one hit – a single to Terry Moore – and had struck out 13.
But while Branca was baffling hitters in St. Paul, Lopat was doing him one better. Warren Spahn danced in and out of trouble all day, scattering 11 hits, including four doubles, but only surrendered three runs; but the Omaha lefty was retiring hitter after hitter. In the end, he struck out five and never let a runner reach base, twirling a perfect game for his fifth win of the year. He even drove in a run with a seventh-inning double.
At the end of the season, Lopat would have a 7-5 record with eight complete games, and only one shutout – but it was a real beauty.
You can read the full recap of Walter Hunt’s narrative replay here. For those interested, I did a fan profile of Walt a while back.
Thanks Walter!
