Donnie Moore would have been 52 today

[Gantry]

The only deceased member of RBI was born on February 13th, 1954.  As time goes by and the pain subsides, we can now discuss the life, death, career and abilities of Donnie Moore.

http://dee-nee.com/wiki/index.php/Donnie_Moore

I personally always liked Moore in RBI, though obviously it's because I'm a straight pitch player.  He's the fastest arm on the Angels, which is paramount in str8. 

Edit, discuss, blah blah

[TempoGL]

i can't remember ever playing as the Angels

[Gantry]

You live a poor, sheltered life Strassy.  There is an RBI world beyond Houston and St. Louis...

[ultimate7]

He's in the bottom group, if not bottom 3 then close, I believe this group includes Smith, King, Scharaldi, Moore (and maybe someone else I'm missing)

[ericdavisfan]

I grew up playing mostly with Detroit, however, I have the most fun playing California (against the computer and trying to rack up HR).

When playing 2-player, I almost always choose Houston, but only because I feel it gives the novice players a better chance (which it never does).

Stassy, I implore you to give Ca a try.  Explore the wonders of Wilfong and Ruppert and how they enhance Joyner and Jackson.  

I leave you with a quote -

"You do not like them, so you say.  Try them, try them, and you may!  Try them and you may I say!"

- Sam I am

[Shooty]

I'm shocked that he's the only dead RBIer.  And even that was self inflicted.  Thats a pretty good track record for 160 players (with many in their 50's).

There should be a puhl for which RBIer will die next.  I'd have to go for Canseco or McGwire due to all the steroids they took.

[Mr. Blubbo]

the death puhl, I like it!  Time to make a thread about it.

[BeefMaster]

the death puhl, I like it!  Time to make a thread about it.

I did that two and a half years ago.

No puhl on that thread (I figured there were too many options, so I just took suggestions), although I can add one if you would like.

[OctoFranco]

I'm shocked that he's the only dead RBIer.  And even that was self inflicted.  Thats a pretty good track record for 160 players (with many in their 50's).

I was thinking about this the other day, and I totally agree.  I mean, if you choose 160 random people from the general population in the 20-45 age range, and then follow them for 20 years, you know a good handful is likely to kick off during that time.  The gods surely smile over RBI'ers.  Except Donnie Moore.

And hell, Moore died the very year after RBI came out, so that's like 17 straight years without a death of another one of these 159 people.  Well, probably, Rafael Santana could have died in the mid-90's and no one would have noticed/reported it...  Still though, I think this is an impressive statistic.

Also, I seem to recall a death puhl already, or at least a discussion thread.  Darryl and Sutton were among the front runners.

As for Donnie Moore's ability in the game, definitely bottom three, but he can still be used effectively in certain situations (I got pretty good getting the most out of shitty relievers with Schiraldi in the days when I played mostly with Boston).  I actually agree with Gantry's California team breakdown that Donnie can be a decent starter, as long as you don't start him against Bo, Dt, or another team with huge pop at the leadoff spots.

[BeefMaster]

Do you suppose that he was driven to his suicide partially by the fact that he sucked in the only MLBPA-licensed video game?

[TβG]

i remember watching that tragic game 5 of the alcs as a kid.  i was devistated, of course, as a california angel fan.  years later when i watched the game on espn classic i was surprised that the whole game unfolded in an entirely different way then i had remembered.  first of all the game went into extra innings and donnie moore was left on the mound by manager gene mauch even after moore had relinquished the lead.  

my sentiments while watching the game again became increasingly favorable TOWARD donnie moore because i feel mauch should have replaced him once he gave up the lead or after the angels had regained the lead in the 10th.  

the role of a closing pitcher is constantly changing and certain managers utilize closers differently.  in this situation, it is doubtful that any manager today would have hung moore out to dry by leaving him on the mound once he had given up the lead.  

the loss can more fittingly be hung on the angels offense who failed to score in their last ups, or mauch's use of his bullpen.  not to mention, the entire series could have swung the other way if ANYTHING could have been done by the angels to simply win one more game.  

here is the play-by-play from retrosheet.org that gives the account of yet another "one-pitch-away" scenario of those 86 playoffs.

see if you agree or disagree with my opinion that moore is not entirely to blame for the loss:

RED SOX 9TH: Buckner singled to center; STAPLETON RAN FOR
BUCKNER; Rice was called out on strikes; Baylor homered
[Stapleton scored]; Evans popped to third; LUCAS REPLACED WITT
(PITCHING); Gedman was hit by a pitch; MOORE REPLACED LUCAS
(PITCHING); Henderson homered [Gedman scored]; Romero made an
out to right; 4 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 6, Angels 5.

ANGELS 9TH: STAPLETON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); Boone singled
to left; JONES RAN FOR BOONE; Pettis out on a sacrifice bunt
(first to second) [Jones to second]; SAMBITO REPLACED STANLEY
(PITCHING); Wilfong singled to right [Jones scored]; CRAWFORD
REPLACED SAMBITO (PITCHING); Schofield singled to right [Wilfong
to third]; Downing was walked intentionally [Schofield to
second]; DeCinces made an out to right; Grich lined to pitcher;
1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Red Sox 6, Angels 6.

RED SOX 10TH: NARRON REPLACED JONES (PLAYING C ); Boggs walked;
Barrett forced Boggs (first to shortstop); Stapleton singled to
right [Barrett to third]; Rice grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [Stapleton out at second]; 0 R, 1
H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 6, Angels 6.

ANGELS 10TH: Jackson grounded out (second to first); White
struck out; Narron walked; Pettis made an out to left; 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 6, Angels 6.

RED SOX 11TH: Baylor was hit by a pitch; Evans singled to center
[Baylor to second]; On a bunt Gedman singled to third [Baylor to
third, Evans to second]; Henderson hit a sacrifice fly to center
[Baylor scored]; Romero made an out to left; FINLEY REPLACED
MOORE (PITCHING); Boggs grounded out (second to first); 1 R, 2
H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 7, Angels 6.

ANGELS 11TH: SCHIRALDI REPLACED CRAWFORD (PITCHING); Wilfong
struck out; Schofield struck out; Downing popped to first in
foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 7, Angels 6.

Final Totals      R   H   E  LOB
Red Sox          7  12   0    6
Angels           6  13   0    9
 

[BeefMaster]

Moore went two whole innings in that game?  Wow... I didn't realize that.  Too bad his manager didn't know that he has the least stamina of any pitcher in RBI.

[OctoFranco]

Moore went two whole innings in that game?  Wow... I didn't realize that.  Too bad his manager didn't know that he has the least stamina of any pitcher in RBI.

I think one of Minnie's pitchers takes that mantle, actually (to counter for Bertus's mad stamina).

Great post by the way, TBG.  Donnie Moore is definitely in need of some historic revisionism.

[BeefMaster]

Moore went two whole innings in that game?  Wow... I didn't realize that.  Too bad his manager didn't know that he has the least stamina of any pitcher in RBI.

I think one of Minnie's pitchers takes that mantle, actually (to counter for Bertus's mad stamina).

Great post by the way, TBG.  Donnie Moore is definitely in need of some historic revisionism.

I just checked, and you're half-right - there are a few relief pitchers with 12 stamina, one of whom is Berenguer (Dave Smith is another; I'm not sure who else).  I thought Moore was one, but he does have 15, making him slightly less crappy than I thought.

[BDawk]

I like him because he's dead

[Shooty]

There are as many dead RBIers as there are RBIers who have had their pants stolen by the members of Cheers.

[Gantry]

Did a slight cleanup and added some info for Moore, including the new Dead RBI'ers category. 

[ultimate7]

Moore didn't even expect to pitch in that game, he took a cortosoine shot the day before and wasn't ready to go, as you usually need longer than 24 hours to recover from a shot.

[Nacho]

I like all of the analysis of the game preceding his death, but wasn't his relationship with his crazy wife a prime reason for his suicide?  Or is it believed that his performance in that game was the primary reason?

[ericdavisfan]

I blame Calvin Schiraldi.  He could've decided to give up some runs in the 11th, but he's just so insensitive