After his most successful season, Frank decided to leave the league once again.  His slot in the league was replaced with the addition of a new player.  For the first time since Mike P joined the league in Season IV, a brand new participant entered the league.  Glenn Catron was a man with Strat-O-Matic experience (not to mention a considerable amount of life experience).  Mike had known Glenn for a few years going back to their Hess days.  Glenn and Mike had spoken about Strato on several occasions but Mike was always reluctant to extend an invitation to Glenn to join the tight-knit league.  Mike finally gave in and Glenn jumped at the opportunity to come onboard. 

Mike told the guys to give Glenn a chance.  “You may be put off by him at first but he has a habit of growing on you,” he informed the guys.  This was more evident in Glenn’s relationship with Dan than with anyone else.  During the course of a game Dan would rip into Glenn like nobody’s business.  It may have been due to Glenn’s slow-paced play.  Or maybe it was his inability to find the right player at the right time.  Or perhaps it was Glenn’s failure to keep a legible scorecard.  Maybe it was a combination of all of these factors.  While others would shake their heads and seethe about these things, Dan had no problem unleashing his wrath on the league’s newest member.  However, it didn’t take long for Dan and Glenn to bond.  Bonding didn’t stop Dan from going off on Glenn, but it was not uncommon for Dan and Glenn to verbally joust with each other for 9 innings, and then be the best of friends after the last out was made. 

A tight pennant race was featured in Season IX.  Joe ended his season with an 85-75 record.  Mike and Dan had identical 84-76 records.  But playoff spots were still up for grabs as the season winded down.  All that remained to be played were about 10 games between John and Eugene.  John’s record was something like 80-70 going into those 10 games.  He needed a split to tie Joe for the division lead.  This would also force Mike and Dan into a one-game playoff for the last playoff spot.  Eugene and John got together one afternoon to wrap up the regular-season.  Mike sat in his cubicle at work and checked in every half hour or so to be kept abreast of the situation.  As the day began, Mike had little hope.  But after a couple of phone calls it seemed that Eugene had John on the ropes.  John had lost the first game… then another… and another… and another…  When all was said and done, John had lost all 10 games.  Mike and Dan would go straight into the playoffs without an elimination game.  Joe had won yet another division title.

Mike and Dan’s playoff series was one of the all-time great postseason series.  The first six games were split with Dan taking Game 1 and then the winner alternating from game to game.  Since Dan had won the regular-season series from Mike, he had home field advantage in the playoffs despite their identical 84-76 records.  This would prove to be critical as the seventh game went into extra innings.  Lou Gehrig came to bat in the bottom of the 15^th inning, hit a run-scoring triple and propelled Dan into the World Series. 

The length of the playoff series allowed Joe plenty of opportunity to consume beer.  This combined with the fact that Dan had just been through a grueling series and was relaxed coming into the World Series, made Joe easy pickings for Dan.  Dan swept Joe and became the first four-time champion. 

One incident during the regular-season looms large in the history of Strato.  One rainy night Mike, Dan, and Joe got together for a set of games in Mike’s kitchen in Holbrook.  Mike sat with his back against the wall as he played Dan.  Joe sat between Dan and the sliding glass door which had the blinds drawn open.  Thunder could be heard and lightning seen throughout the night.  Suddenly, almost simultaneously, a thunder clap shook the house and a bolt of lightning struck the kitchen floor.  It took a second for the boys to realize what had happened, but they were sure they had had a close call with Mother Nature.  Or perhaps it wasn’t Mother Nature at all.  Perhaps it was the Strato Gods sending down a signal that the end was near.  Perhaps…