GET ME REWRITE! Morrjs wouldn't have his no-hitter this time

April 7, 1984-The image remains fresh in our mind, Jack Morris fires strike 3 past a swinging Ron Kittle, then jumps in the arms of catcher Lance Parrish to complete a nationally televised no-hitter. The image is still there, but C&D can alter history with a few rolls of the dice. When I rolled Tigers-White Sox, I wasn't expecting to duplicate it, but still, there was enough drama to make it a compelling start to the 19th season of GOTW on NBC.

He only had them hitless for 0.2 

Morris got Rudy Law to line to Lou Whitaker at 2nd on a failed single check, then Carlton Fisk hit a deep drive to left on a failed HR check. Harold Baines wasted no time slashing a double to center field, ending the no-no after 0.2 innings. But wait, it gets better.

It's Garbey, not Garvey

Steve Garvey comes from sunny Southern California. Barbero Garbey comes from sunny Cuba. They both play baseball, only Garbey made his way to the majors via a famous boatlift. With a couple of rolls of the dice, Garbey was able to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead on a pair of RBI singles in the 1st and 6th innings, each time scoring Lou Whitaker who had walked both times. Each time Alan Trammell moved his keystone mate on a couple of ground balls, on a hit/run in the 1st and a misplayed grounder by Sox 3rd sacker Vance Law in the 6th. Garbey cashed them in on the same 1-5 single** roll on his card. Steve Garvey did that many times through his career, Garbey did his wearing Tiger stripes.

Jack Who?

Floyd Bannister managed to outpitch his counterpart for 2.2 innings, retiring 11 Tigers in a row, keeping the score 1-0, Tigers. Bannister walked Whitaker to open the 6th, then Trammell reached on the E-5, leading to Garbey's 2nd RBI single, Trammell to 3rd. Larry Herndon singled home Tram with the 3rd Tiger run. Bannister exited after 6 to this line, 3 runs, 2 earned on 4 hits, striking out 6, walking 3. 

"IT HIT FISK!"

The Sox scored their lone run off Morris in the bottom of the 6th on back-to-back singles by Baines and Greg Luzinski and a walk by Ron Kittle. Tom Paciorek slow rolled a grounder to Whitaker that scored Baines. Morris then struck out Vance Law and Scott Fletcher to tap one back to him to end the threat. In the bottom of the 9th, V-Law struck out for the 3rd time, Morris' 6th and final K. Scott Fletcher flied to center for out #2. Jerry Hairston PH for Julio Cruz and singled, then PH Jerry Dybzinski drew a walk forcing Sparky Anderson to do something he had yet to do in the 84 replay; bring on Willie Hernandez. On Fisk's ADV/SA side, the 1/10 against righties was GBa. Against lefties it was... HBP. "IT HIT FISK AND THE BASES ARE LOADED!" 

Willie vs. Harold

Bases loaded, 2 outs. Future HOF Harold Baines at the plate with a chance to at least tie. Instead of Jack Morris making that final out as he did in real life on NBC, it would be Willie Hernandez. "Got him! (Minute of customary end of game silence) And the Tigers escape with a 3-1 win over the White Sox!" I prefer the original ending, of course, but still C&D paints an alternate reality that makes season replays the perfect "what if?" Jack still has his no-hitter and a place in Cooperstown among the game's other elite players. As for this replay, still a lot of what ifs to fill in, so in the words of Vin Scully, "Pull up a chair." 

"Coming up on NBC, live 3rd round coverage from the deserts of Southern California of the Nabisco Dinah Shore.  Now for Joe Garagiola, this is Vin Scully saying so long from Comiskey Park in Chicago where once again the final score is Detroit 3, the Chicago White Sox 1. The Game of the Week is a presentation of NBC Sports."

(Promotional fee paid to NBC by United Airlines) 

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