Saving Terry Felton

I wasn’t a normal kid growing up. I still remember leafing through my brother Bob’s worn copy of the first edition of The Baseball Encyclopedia looking up strange statistics, reading player’s nicknames and searching for players born in the city where I grew up. Although I can’t remember the first player I found in the book from Chester, Pennsylvania, I know there were a few.

I also remember the year it was printed, 1969. I grew up in the ’80s but this was my original frame of reference for all of my historical baseball knowledge. My favorite player at the time was Reggie Jackson. The book told me his full name (Reginald Martinez Jackson) but only his stats from his first two years. I still stopped at his statistical record nearly every time I slid the book out of its cardboard case.

The rest of my baseball history came from two games — Strat-O-Matic and Micro League Baseball. First, it was Strat. Roll a two-ten with the Babe and he blasted it out of that little cardboard box stadium. Typically, the instant replay was me in slow motion taking the white die and replicating the home run for my opponent to see. Sometimes, it was against myself so I’d be equally excited and frustrated.

Then, it was Micro League. I was introduced to Micro League at a card show where it was being demonstrated. At the time, the graphics were pretty decent but the fact that you could replay games with your favorite players and teams was what hooked me. Even the guy playing the demo in a close game repeating “SWEATY PALMS! SWEATY PALMS!” wasn’t enough to keep me from wanting the game.

Eventually, I got it. It became a twisted obsession of my youth. I learned about the ’27 Yankees, ’63 Dodgers and ’69 Mets, three of the teams that came with the original disk. I swore the ’55 Senators just were not that bad of a team because they found a way to win for me. (They even made it out of the first round of the first-ever BJMLGTT… don’t ask!) Jim, my other brother, convinced me Gates Brown should be the starting outfielder for the ’68 Tigers instead of Mickey Stanley and I almost always subbed Keith Moreland for Bob Boone when I managed the ’80 Phillies.

The highlight was Micro League’s release of a team editor. I added a ton of teams — every Phillies team of the late ’80s, my Little League team and a second American League and National League Greats team to name a few. It was fun to try and change history, even if it took 20 minutes for the game to load on my Commodore 64.

Last week, KJOK reviewed Out of the Park 9 for Seamheads readers and I am doing everything I can to keep myself from plunking down the $39.99 to buy it and begin replaying seasons I never knew about until Baseball-Reference and the Bill James Historical Abstract filled in the gaps from what I couldn’t learn from a 1969 Baseball Encyclopedia , a box of over 100 Strat-O-Matic teams, my brothers and research from every report I did in grade school on a baseball player. It’s not because I’m cheap (the price is very reasonable), it’s about sleep or the lack of it once the simulation is downloaded to my computer.

My first mission, shall I choose to accept it (well, pay 40 bucks for the download) — save Terry Felton!

Felton was the second round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins in 1976 and made his Major League debut against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 28, 1979. In mop-up duty, Felton pitched two scoreless innings in his only outing of the season. In 1980, at 22, Felton made his first start but left after seven down 3-0. He proceeded to lose three straight starts and was moved to the bullpen where, after one rough outing, was sent to the Minors.

He didn’t return to the Majors again until September 4, 1981 where he was shelled for six runs in an inning and a third in relief of Fernando Arroyo who took the loss in their 15-6 beating at the hands of the Brew Crew.

In ’82, Felton made his way to the Twins’ bullpen. He made 48 appearances, saved three games and lost 13 games without a win to his name. Felton came close a few times but never saw a “W” next to his name in the box score in ’82. Actually, he never saw a “W” next to his name in his entire Major League career because Felton never played in the Majors again. His final numbers — 55 games, 16 losses, 5.53 ERA, zero wins.

Looking at his overall numbers, Felton was capable of winning a Major League game. He was the All-Time winningest pitcher in Toledo Mud Hens history (with 33 wins) until 2004. Felton won games with Elizabethton in Rookie ball, in Orlando at the Double-A level and Toledo at Triple-A. But never at the Majors.

For $39.99 and some time, I can fix this. I know it. Who deserves to pitch 138 1/3 Major League innings and lose 16 games without a win? Now, if only I could remember where I put my credit card… I guess Terry Felton will remain winless for another day.