Total Classics 2005 Phase 1

[KoufaxCurveball]

Dear Fuzz and team,

Just installed and played Total Classics 2005 Phase 1. In a word; excellent! A very stellar effort especially from a first release. If you need any help with pitch selection and performance information I would love to assist. I know quite a bit about Sandy Koufax and other pitchers from several classic era's. Regardless if my help is needed or not, please continue with this conversion project. You can really go full bore if you want to.

Thanx again.

Duke

[peterbernard]

Do you know what pitches Preacher Roe or Rube Foster threw? Or do you know where I can look that stuff up?

[KoufaxCurveball]

First of all, just wanted to say that I know a lot about pitchers in general as well as certain position players throughout time. I don't have everything committed to memory though and do not want to profess or act like I am a big shot or something. Apologies if I sounded this way. I look up and research a lot of content just like the next guy (I think I am good at it) and have a lot more to learn.

As far as detail of authenticity goes. There are so damn many factors and variables it is mind-boggling. How far do you guys want to take it? Is it enough to 'just' know that Sandy Koufax (for example) threw a wicked fastball and one of the best curveballs ever in the game? Or do we want to go to the next level of authenticity? An example of this (I could ponder) would be that Sandy Koufax threw only a fastball and curveball when he came up with the Dodger's in 1955. His velocity number for his fastball would actually be slightly higher then, as would possibly his movement. His control would be surprisingly low as he was one erratic dude early in his career. Later in his career, after he got his control down (maybe 1960 on) his speed, at least on his heater was slightly less and his control and movement were extremely higher. Bear in mind that his speed being slightly slower after he gained control is still all relative. His catcher, all star Johnny Roseboro was quoted on many occasions as saying that Sandy's fastball was regularly in the high 90's and topped a 100mph on more then one occasion. As far as his curveball, it was pretty damn good in the beginning, but it really excelled at or near 1960 and beyond up to his retirement after the 1966 season. The main reason for this, aside from experience was that he learned how to throw it with only two fingers as opposed to three early in his career. Do we also include the fact that he rarely threw the change-up? And for that matter only learned and experimented with it for the last I'd say two, maybe three years of his way too short career. Do we include the types of movement he had on his pitches? It was claimed by so many that his fastball (a four seamer only) frequently but not always, appeared to rise (a physical impossibility) within the strike zone and explode. What about the movement on his extremely pronounced 12 to 6 curveball? It was one of the rarest pitches I have ever seen thrown of any kind and have a lot of video to back this up. In fact, unlike other 12 to 6 curveballs from other players, Sandy's mystically achieved its almost complete elliptical arc in the beginning of the pitch opposed to the end (like a slow-pitch softball does; hence a pitch with no balls to it) and exploded downward with the force of a rocket. Anyway, you get my point. A lot to think about.

Following is the pitch selection information on Preacher Roe and Rube Foster you requested. I have included other pertinent information that may be helpful in recreating these two pitching legends. Not a whole hell of a lot is here, especially on Foster. But you will find the accuracy to be very high. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Duke

Elwin Charles 'Preacher' Roe

Born: February 26, 1915 in Ash Flat, Arkansas

Throws: Left Bats: Right

Height: 6' 2" Weight: 170 lbs.

School: Harding University

Debut: August 22, 1938

Final Game: September 4, 1954

An imposing Southpaw (lefty, for the one guy out there that doesn't know what that term means) Preacher Roe (not to be confused with one time Dodger, Schoolboy Rowe) compiled impressive career stats playing for STL, PIT and BRO.

ERA W L Sv Svo G IP H R ER BB K

3.43 127 84 10 10 333 1,914.1 1907 799 730 504 956

Not known as a fireballer, his pitch repertoire included at least two different variations of the change-up. Possibly and I do emphasize possibly (I really don't have accurate info to back this up just yet), a circle-change and a palmball. He was famous for a quote. When asked what he threw he replied: 'My three pitches are my change, my change off my change, and my change off my change off my change.' So that should tell us something. Incidentally after he retired, he admitted to having a fourth pitch. A 1955 Sports Illustrated article quoted him as saying, 'the outlawed spitball was my money pitch.' Roe was sort of a slow version of Ed Lopat, which is a special kind of slow let me tell you. Everything he threw had an arc to it. He also threw a curveball, but I have read that it probably wouldn’t dent foil. Now this doesn't mean it didn't have a wicked arc or movement to it, but as far as velocity goes I think it is safe to say it lacked. He did throw a fastball, but I have read comments that have attested to its lack of velocity. 'I don’t think Preacher Roe could break a pane of glass' is one that comes to mind.

In summation I think it is safe to say a lot of off-speed stuff with lot's and lot's of movement and control and not too much velocity.

Andrew 'Rube' Foster

Born: September 17, 1879 in Calvert, Texas Died: December 9, 1930 in Kankakee, Illinois

Throws: Right Bats: Right

Height: 6' 0" Weight: 200 lbs.

Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (Cooperstown, New York) by Veterans Committee in 1981.

Negro Leaguer

Andrew 'Rube' Foster, not to be confused with George Foster (also nicknamed 'Rube') employed a unique submarine delivery. He threw a highly effective, nasty screwball. He also threw a curveball, which he wasn't afraid to throw on a 3 and 2 count (read: control and movement) and could 'doctor' a ball with the best of them. Foster would use any trick to win. He was a master of the psychological edge. 'I have often smiled', he said, 'with the bases full and two strikes and three balls on the hitter. This seems to unnerve them.' We could also possibly, just possibly surmise that he threw a damn good fastball too. I am basing this on the fact that fellow Hall of Famer and his half-brother Willie Foster had a blazing fastball in his repertoire. Willie was younger then Rube and I don't think it is too damn far of a stretch to think that brothers share information and teach one another things a lot more frequently then a couple of guys who aren't related. Like I said, it's only a possibility, but information for this guy is not plentiful.

In summation I think it is safe to say a wicked, nasty screwball. A damn good curveball. An above average chance of possessing a formidable fastball. And all thrown from a submarine delivery.

[peterbernard]

Oh awesome, thanks, I hope AlexTony reads this (or already has access to this info)!