Duelo interligas en 1972 (A particular pitching interleague duel from 1972)

Un pitcher se dobla sobre el montículo del Estadio Municipal de Cleveland, luego de algunos movimientos laterales de su cabeza se pone de acuerdo con el receptor Ray Fosse. Otro serpentinero levanta el pié derecho y hace resonar la mascota de John Bateman en el Three River Stadium.

En el dugout de los Indios alguien se levanta y aplaude cuando su lanzador retira en fila a Don Buford, Merv Rettenmund y Johnny Oates sin que le saquen la bola del cuadro. En el infield del Three River Stadium, Don Money silba desde tercera base mientras el serpentinero le canta el tercer strike a Al Oliver para retirar el primer inning a paso de conga.

En el segundo episodio Boog Powell descarga sencillo al jardín central de Estadio Municipal. El pitcher busca las señas de Fosse. Brooks Robinson se sacrifica con toque al montículo. Terry Crowley la rueda por primera y Chris Chambliss hace el out sin asistencia mientras Powell llega a la antesala. Bobby Grich entrega el tercer out con rolling por segunda. En el cierre de esa entrada Chambliss conecta imparable a la izquierda luego de 2 outs. Buddy Bell descarga cuadrangular ante Dave McNally. Indios 2 – Orioles 0.

En Three River Stadium Willie Montañez abre la parte de arriba del segundo inning con sencillo al centro. Greg Luzinski sigue con imparable a la derecha y cuando Gene Clines pomponea la bola Montañez anota la primera rayita de los Filis ante Steve Blass. En el cierre del inning el zurdo de los Filis domina en seguidilla a Willie Stargell, Manuel Sanguillén y Bob Robertson.

Entre el tercero y el quinto episodios el espigado lanzador de los indígenas retira 10 Orioles seguidos hasta que Crowley negocia boleto, después ponchó a Grich y a Mark Belanger.

En la apertura del tercero el pitcher le despacha vuelacercas a Steve Blass. Filadelfia 2 – Pittsburgh 0. El zurdo retira en orden el tercer episodio de los Piratas. En el cuarto, Renaldo Stennett rompe la seguidilla de 10 retirados en fila al conectarle doblete. El pitcher se recompuso para ponchar a Al Oliver y a Stargell.

En el estadio Municipal, Buford negocia boleto y Rettenmund suena imparable ante el serpentinero de Cleveland pero este obliga a Oates a batear un línea que se convierte en dobleplay. En el séptimo se lleva a Powell, Robinson y Crowley a paso de conga.

Para el quinto episodio el zurdo de los Filis recibe imparable de Sanguillén, pero luego poncha a Robertson, Richie Hebner y Jacinto Hernández. El sexto y séptimo capítulo los retiró en orden.

Fosse regresaba la pelota a su lanzador sin siquiera levantarse, solo marcaba las señales y la pelota silbaba sobre el home. El pitcher retiró en fila a los últimos 6 bateadores de los oropéndolas. Los Indios habían ganado 2-0 con un juego de 2 hits para su lanzador.

El zurdo se llevó el octavo de los Piratas por la vía del 1,2,3. En el noveno Roberto Clemente emergió por Blass y negoció boleto. Dock Ellis corrió por Clemente. Gene Clines sonó sencillo al centro. Stennett tocó la pelota pero le salió un elevado al pitcher quién dobló a Clines en segunda. Al Oliver falló con elevado a la derecha. Los Filis derrotaban 2-0 a los Piratas con trabajo de 3 hits del zurdo.

Gaylord Perry (Indios) y Steve Carlton (Filis) se convirtieron en aquel 1972, en los dos últimos pitchers que dejaban una efectividad menor de 2 carreras limpias por cada 9 innings lanzados, habiendo lanzado por lo menos 300 innings. Ese año los Indios terminaron penúltimos en el Este de la Liga Americana y los Filis fueron últimos en el Este de la Nacional.

English Translation

One pitcher bents down on the mound of the Cleveland Municipal Stadium. He’s moving his head after watching the signs of the catcher Ray Fosse.

Other hurler raises his right foot and the ball strikes, with sound of drums, on John Bateman’s mitt. It happens at Three Rivers Stadium.

At the Indians dugout someone stands up and claps when his pitcher retires in a row Don Buford, Merv Rettenmund and Johnny Oates all of them were out in the infield.

At the Three Rivers Stadium infield, Don Money whistles from third base while the pitcher strikes Al Oliver out to close the first inning in order.

In the second frame Boog Powell hits a line drive for a base hit to the Municipal Stadium center field. The pitcher looks for Fosse’s signs. Brooks Robinson bunts to the mound and Powell arrives to second base. Terry Crowley bats a grounder to first base and Chris Chambliss makes the out on his own. Powell to third. Bobby Grich is the third out with grounder to second base. In the bottom of that inning Chambliss hits a base hit to left field after two outs. Buddy Bell smacks a dinger before Dave McNally. Indians 2 – Orioles 0.

At the Three Rivers Stadium, Willie Montañez leads the top of the second frame with a base hit to center field. Greg Luzinski follows up with another single to right field. When Gene Clines fumbles the ball Montañez scores the first run of the Filis before Steve Blass. At the bottom of the inning, the Filis southpaw continued his dictatorship by retiring Willie Stargell, Manuel Sanguillén and Bob Robertson.

Between the third and fifth inning the tall pitcher of the Indians got ten Orioles out in a row, until Crowley was given a walk. Afterwards the pitcher struck Grich and Mark Belanger out.

In the top of the third inning the southpaw batted a home run against Steve Blass. Philadelphia 2 – Pittsburgh 0. The lefthander retires three Pirates in a row in the third inning. In the fourth inning Renaldo Stennett breaks the ten consecutive outs by hitting a double. The pitcher got back to strike out Al Oliver and Stargell.

At the Municipal Stadium, Buford got a walk, and Rettenmund batted a single before the Cleveland pitcher, but then he forces Oates to hit a line drive that ends in a double play. In the seventh he retires in line Powell, Robinson and Crowley.

In the fifth inning the Phillies lefthander allows a single from Sanguillen. Afterwards he strikes out Robertson, Richie Hebner and Jacinto Hernández. He continued the consecutive outs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Fosse returned the ball to his pitcher from his knees. He only showed the signs and the ball whistled over home plate. The pitcher retired in a row the last six batters of the Orioles. The Indians had won 2-0 with a two-hitter for the pitcher.

The southpaw got the three outs in row in the eighth inning. In the ninth Roberto Clemente pinch hit for Blass and took a walk. Dock Ellis pinch ran for Clemente. Gene Clines hit a single to center field. Stennet bunted but the ball left as a fly to the pitcher and he completed a double play by making out Clines at second base. Al Oliver hit a fly to right field for the third out. The Phillies defeated the Pirates 2-0 with a three-hitter for the southpaw.

Gaylord Perry (Indians) and Steve Carlton (Phillies) became in 1972 the last two pitchers who had an ERA below 2.00 while working at least 300 innings. That year the Indians finished second to last in the American League East Division and the Phillies finished last in the National League East Division.

Alfonso’s work has been featured in Venezuela’s daily newspaper, El Nacional and in the magazine Gente en Ambiente, and he’s collaborated on several articles for newspapers, including the daily paper Tal Cual. He’s also written three books and biographies for SABR’s BioProject.