Wood vs. Wood #330

Last time was a 7-2 win for 1987. Will this be closer?

Johnny Romano takes a swing during batting practice at Yankee Stadium. You can see the wheel of the batting cage angled down to lock the cage in place. Catcher Johnny Romano played ten seasons in the major leagues for the White Sox, Indians and Cardinals. His best seasons were 1961 and 1962 with Cleveland, hitting 20+ HR and driving in 80+ runs, making the All Star team both seasons. Overall in 905 games he hit .255 with 129 HR and 417 RBI. After his playing career he sold swimming pools. He died in 2019.

Mike Scott delivers a pitch in spring training.  Scott spent four mediocre years with the Mets, and was traded to the Astros after the 1982 season. There, pitching coach Roger Craig taught Scott the split-fingered fastball, and Scott quickly became one of the best pitchers in the league. From 1985 to 1989 he was the ace of the Astros staff, and his 1986 was one of the best pitching seasons of the 1980s (18-10, 2.22 ERA, 306 strikeouts). In the playoffs that year against the Mets, he pitched two complete games, winning both, allowing just one run in 18 innings. A rotator cuff injury limited his effectiveness after 1989. Overall, in 13 seasons he went 124-108 with a 3.54 ERA. Today, Scott does a little bit of youth coaching but is mostly retired.