Game 151: Tommy John cannot keep the Force off the board, and the Riders lose a slugfest in this one, by the same 11-10 score that they had beaten Minnesota a few games before. Sammy Stewart pitches 2.2 scoreless innings at the end, but the Riders do not threaten in the final two innings.

Game 152: Rick Sutcliffe throws a complete game 3-hit shutout and the Riders show some signs of life, beating the Force 8-0.

Game 153: The Riders finish off their home schedule with a 7-3 win, with big thanks to Reggie Smith, whose 20th home run of the season sets the tone in the first inning. John Montefusco gets his 17th win with seven near-dominant innings.

The Riders finish 40-41 at home and head to Washington to start their season-ending nine-game road trip.

Game 154: Reggie Smith's eigth inning homer gives the Riders an insurance run that they cash in when Gary Roenicke leads off the bottom half of the inning with his own longball; Rich Gossage throws a scoreless ninth to earn his 44th save in a 4-3 Rider victory.

Game 155: Jim Morrison has four hits, including two home runs, and drives home five to lead the Riders to a 9-7 win. Washington scores six times in the sixth but is mostly quiet otherwise.

Game 156: Tommy John allows only seven baserunners in eight innings of work and the Riders sweep the Commandos with a 7-1 victory. Jerry Mumphrey hits two doubles and a triple while Bill MAdlock hits his 11th home run.

The Riders head to New York to face the Mammoths.

Game 157: Rick Sutcliffe has another solid outing, Hal McRae drives in two more runs, and Rich Gossage throws another clean ninth as the Riders beat New York 7-4.

Game 158: The Riders have a nine-run second inning, add 10 more runs over the next two frames, and destroy the Mammoths 20-2. Willie Aikens drives in five; John Montefusco is the beneficiary, getting his 18th win.

Game 159: The Riders outdo themselves in the series finale, scoring 12 times in the third on the way to a 22-6 win. They get 24 hits; Damaso Garcia drives in eight; Jerry Mumprhey scores four and drives in four. Britt Burns leaves after four, so Jim Gott gets the win in relief.

Milwaukee will finish the season at Chicago.

Game 160: The Riders keep clubbing the ball, getting 18 hits, though they score only eight runs.. still enough to beat Chicago 8-3 as Manny Sarmiento gets his 10th victory.

Game 161: Mike Marshall hits three solo home runs and scores four times to back Tommy John as the Riders defeat the Goats 8-2.

Game 162: With a chance to keep pace with Minnesota for second place in the division, John Montefusco is moved up a day to pitch the season finale. It turns out to be a bad decision. Montefusco is shelled, and while the Riders collect 14 hits for another double-digit performance in that category, they strand too many, losing the game 12-5 and finishing one behind the Lame Ducks.

Milwaukee gets the ninth pick in the 1983 Player Draft.

In the first round, the Riders select young outfielder Andy Van Slyke.

In the second, Milwaukee grabs a young, speedy second baseman named Harold Reynolds.

The Riders' third selection is another outfielder who also has some experience behind the plate: Brian Harper.

Having completely neglected the pitching staff, Milwaukee uses its fourth and final selection on reliever Frank Dipino.

Of the four, only Dipino can realistically be counted on to contribute anything this season.

1983 season preview:

The Riders rotation is a mess this season.. Frank Viola and Jim Gott could be part of that rotation, but neither is proven at the big league level. The Riders will hope that Tim Conroy, Albert Williams and John Montefusco can help out (the first two having signed FA deals towards the end of spring training). Should the team ever get a lead, the bullpen should be capable of protecting it, with Rich Gossage and Frank Dipino on the back end.

Offensively, the team figures to be solid but not explosive. The biggest power threat might be youngster Ron Kittle. Tim Raines will continue to get in scoring position at the top of the lineup; it will be up to Bill Madlock, Hal McRae, and Willie Aikens to drive him in. Roy Smaller, Jeffrey Leonard, and Mike Marshall could contribute as well.. each has 15-20 HR power.

Milwaukee, with an $80.5M payroll, is in the AL West with

Chicago Goats (heybatr34) [$90.6M payroll]
Minnesota Lame Ducks (CRTYonker) [$75.3M]
San Diego Mariners (sidabel11) [$93.5M]

Four teams have less payroll than the Riders.

We start the season at San Diego.

Game 1: Willie Aikens hits a three-run homer in the seventh, and though Rich Gossage has some trouble in the ninth (allowing two runs), the Riders hang on for a 5-4 win to start the season.

Game 2: Mike Marshall and Jeffrey Leonard hit back-to-back home runs in the second, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead, and the Riders hold on for a 5-4 win, with Ron Reed pitching two scoreless innings in relief of Mike Smithson.

Game 3: Bill Madlock homers in the first inning for Milwaukee, but Geoff Zahn shuts them down from there and the Riders waste a nice outing by Britt Burns in a 2-1 loss.

The home opener is next, against Chicago.

Game 4: Ron Kittle leads the charge with three hits and four RBI as the Riders give the home crowd something to cheer about in their home opener, pummelling the Goats 14-6 behind Tim Conroy.

Game 5: Milwaukee outhits the Goats 19-15, but they don't do as much with those hits and lose 13-9, not answering a four-run Chicago seventh.

Game 6: Rick Sutcliffe throws a complete game and Mike Marshall homers as the Riders take the series finale 4-1.

Milwaukee heads to Minnesota to face the Lame Ducks.

Game 7: Frank DiPino is wholly ineffective for the second straight outing, ballooning his ERA to 12.60, and Ray Fontenot face two batters in the 11th. Andre Thornton singles, and Mike Schmidt homers. Minnesota takes the opener 9-7.

Game 8: Matt Young limits the Riders to two hits over six innings and the Lame Ducks take another win, 7-2 over Britt Burns. Minnesota is now 8-0.

Game 9: Milwaukee starts slowly but finishes strong, scoring six runs over the final four innings, and deal the Ducks their first loss of the season, 9-4.

The Riders continue the road trip with a trip to Atlanta.

Game 10: Georgia Force has two explosive innings (five runs in the 4th; four runs in the 6th) and gets some effective relief pitching as they take the opener in the series, 13-7.

Game 11: Tim Raines hits three home runs and a single, and Roy Smalley and Mike Marshall leave the yard as well; the Riders survive a first-inning exit by Rick Sutcliffe (five runs) to rally for an 11-7 win over the Force.

Game 12: Bill Madlock homers and drives in three as the Riders take the series with a 10-4 win behind Mike Smithson, who improves to 2-0.

Milwaukee returns home to face Cleveland.

you have a fan club?

Game 13: Things seem to be going well until Ron Reed enters to pitch the seventh inning. Six runs later, the Riders are down 8-5 and can't make it back, losing 9-7 despite outhitting the Saltdogs 15-12.

Game 14: Tim Raines and Ed Romero get four hits each, and Tim Conroy goes seven innings as the Riders even the series with an 8-2 win.

Game 15: Cleveland had won two games coming into this series; they doubled that total against the Riders. The series finale is an embarrassment, as the Saltdogs pile up 22 hits and score four runs in three different innings as they rout Milwaukee 15-5.

The Mammoths are in town next.

Game 16: Rick Sutcliffe struggles, a Donnie Hill error leads to two unearned runs, and the Mammoths beat the Spectres 7-4.

Game 17: Milwaukee rallies from a 3-0 deficit to send the game to extras, then wins it in the 10th on Ed Romero's walkoff home run, coming after two strikeouts to lead off the inning and a Rich Gedman double.

Game 18: Tim Raines hits two solo home runs, but he doesn't get nearly as much help as the Mammoths' leadoff man does. Julio Franco has four hits and his teammates have a blast as well; New York crushes Milwaukee 10-4 to take the series. Ron Reed has another disastrous relief outing (9.26 ERA following this one).

The Riders head on the road to Washington to face the struggling Commandos (5-13).

Game 19: In a game full of big innings, the Riders have the last laugh, scoring three times in the 10th inning to shake off Washington, 11-8.

Game 20: Rick Sutcliffe leaves in the middle of a 9-run second inning and that's all she wrote; Milwaukee loses 9-2.

Game 21: Washington has another huge inning, this time an 8-run eighth that gives them a 10-5 win over the Riders.

Milwaukee returns home to face San Diego.