April 1, 1967

NEXT SIM

Th 6/19 (to Apr 16)
 

UPCOMING SIMS

Sun 6/22 (to May 1)
Wed 6/25 (to May 16)
Sat 6/28 (to June 1)

OPENING DAY PROBABLES

*left-handed

1966 Stats

WAS
BOS

Rick Wise
*Mike Cuellar

15-16
15-12

4.66
3.42

LA
SF

*J. Antonelli
Fergie Jenkins

19-6
20-12

2.43
3.20

BRO
MAN

Gene Conley
Bob Anderson

19-8
10-8

2.51
3.46

DET
CLE

*Pedro Ramos
Johnny Podres

21-10
17-10

3.47
2.58

STL
ATL

Don Sutton
*Steve Carlton

23-12
 

3.62
 

DAL
CHI

*Jim Merritt
Bill Singer

7-9
 

4.90
 

FRANCHISE TRENDS

Change in wins in 1966

San Francisco

+21

Los Angeles

+16

Washington

+12

Brooklyn

+4

Atlanta

+2

Detroit

+2

Chicago

-4

Dallas

-7

Manhattan

-10

St. Louis

-11

Cleveland

-12

Boston

-14

HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS

#

Player

Salary

1

Willie Mays, WAS

$12,000

2

Mickey Mantle, BRO

9,950

3

Johnny Podres, CLE

9,570

4

Joe Torre, MAN

8,750

5

Rocky Colavito, CLE

8,300

6

Frank Robinson, LA

7,500

7

Bill Skowron, DAL

6,000

8

Frank Thomas, CLE

6,000

9

Harm Killebrew, ATL

5,600

10

Joe Adcock, CHI

5,500

11

Hank Aaron, LA

5,200

12

Gene Conley, BRO

4,820

13

Dick Howser, WAS

4,650

14

Ted Lepcio, BRO

4,600

15

Sammy Taylor, STL

4,500

16

Dick Williams, BRO

4,469

17

Gene Freese, CLE

4,219

18

Orlando Cepeda, BOS

4,200

19

Dom Demeter, CHI

4,198

20

Curt Flood, CLE

4,114

21

Dick Stuart, WAS

4,112

22

Vada Pinson, MAN

3,900

23

Jim Busby, STL

3,410

24

Sandy Amoros, CLE

3,300

25

Roger Maris, STL

3,150

W

L

Place

R

OR

Rank

1964

44

118

6/12

527

869

1965

54

108

6/12

752

1052

6-12

1966

56

106

6/12

702

942

9-12

W

L

Place

R

OR

Rank

1964

84

78

4/5

678

708

6 - 8

1965

81

81

4/6

726

794

8 - 10

1966

67

94

6/10

690

790

11 - 9

2B
SS
1B
3B
CF
C
LF
RF

SP
SP
SP
SP
CL

L
R
R
L
R
R
L
R

L
R
L
R
L

Joe Morgan
Ron Hunt
Harmon Killebrew
Eddie Mathews
Bob Allison
Don Pavletich
Lenny Green
Lou Clinton

*Steve Carlton
Jim Palmer
Steve Barber
Jim Nash
Don Gross
 

Carlton or Carew?  What would you do? After much debate, the Hillweeds finally settled on Lefty Carlton as the number one overall pick, even bucking their own predictions.  Glen Reed, usually very cautious with his youth, seems to have plugged Carlton right into the big boy round-a-bout.  And just because Reed didn’t reel in Rod, doesn’t mean he didn’t get some potential big offensive fish.  Young sluggers Reggie Smith and Bill Robinson should share a bright future in Atlanta.  In fact, the ‘Toppers added much too improve the future of the franchise as well as addressing the present.  Don Gross, Larry Sherry and Bud Daley came in through the Free Agent window, and suddenly the bullpen seems brighter.  Trade winds blew in the likes of Eddie Mathews, Bob Allison and Lenny Green, all key offensive components from the teams they were pilfered from and none too shabby with the leather either.  Steve Barber went from being the baby in Cleveland to the grizzled veteran of the zit-faced Hilltopper rotation.  There’s no way this team doesn’t crush last year’s effort, the offense will see to that.  But there’s way too much riding on young pitching to call this team a contender just yet.

 IN: CF Bob Allison, SP Steve Barber, *SP Lefty Carlton, 3B Eddie Mathews, MR Bud Daley, MR Larry Sherry, CL Don Gross
OUT: 1B Norm Siebern, SP Billy O'Dell, SP Billy Loes, MR Bill Fischer, 2B Dick Green

CF
LF
C
1B
SS
RF
3B
2B

SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
CL

R
L
R
R
R
L
R
L

L
R
L
L
R
R

Jimmy Wynn
Manny Jimenez
Bill Freehan
Orlando Cepeda
Rico Petrocelli
Art Shamsky
George Scott
*John Donaldson

Mike Cuellar
*Gary Nolan
Chris Short
Herb Score
Bob Purkey
Ray Narleski
 

Shawn Martin has to be scratching his head, his team has been in a downward spiral since 1963.  Don’t look for things to get much better in ’67.  The Feds did make the most of their amateur selections, wheeling in Gary Nolan, possibly the best pitching prospect of the draft and Bobby Tolan, a multi-tooled outfield craftsman.  Kid hurlers Gene Brabender and Chuck Hartenstein could be a big part of whatever’s brewing in Beantown.  Free Agents Ray Narleski and Bob Purkey bring their experience to a pitching staff in constant flux, presumably to gnaw on innings while the toddlers wait for their teeth to come in.  Don’t look for anyone to make a Federal case out of the lumber supplied, as the materials look a lot like last year’s.
 

IN: *SP Gary Nolan, CL Ray Narleski, SP Bob Purkey, *2B John Donaldson, *MR Chuck Hartenstein
OUT: MR Bob Chakales, SP Dick Donovan, SP Curt Simmons, MR Dean Stone, MR Larry Sherry

W

L

Place

R

OR

Rank

1964

103

59

1/2

755

563

2 - 3

1965

99

63

1/2

849

632

1 - 3

1966

95

67

1/2

795

663

3 - 4

W

L

Place

R

OR

Rank

1964

105

57

1/1

845

516

1 - 1

1965

97

65

2/3

788

602

4 - 2

1966

101

60

1/1

796

591

2 - 2

RF
3B
1B
LF
C
CF
SS
2B

SP
SP
SP
SP
SP
CL

L
R
L
R
L
R
R
S

R
L
R
L
R
R

Al Spangler
Paul Schaal
Norm Cash
Joe Adcock
Ed Bailey
Don Demeter
Rocky Bridges
Horace Clarke

*Bill Singer
George Brunet
Tom Sturdivant
*Wilbur Wood
Ray Herbert
Russ Kemmerer
 

Lance Mueller has to be wondering how many title shots he’s got left in him.  The Colts started the off-season as benefactors of the Brooklyn/Burdette Break-a-way.  When they added Free Agent Wally Post, it looked like they were shoring up for another flag stand.  Then came the mysterious trade of their ’66 offensive superstar Bob Allison to improve draft standing.  In that respect the move paid off.  Mueller invited Bill Singer and Wilbur Wood to be the future of the Ponies rotation - but penciling them into the opening day roster smells a lot like rebuilding.

IN: SP Lew Burdette, SS Rocky Bridges, LF Wally Post
OUT: CF Bob Allison, MR Bud Daley, LF Jim Busby, MR Bob Grim, MR Chet Nichols, RF Tommy Harper





 

2B
SS
RF
1B
LF
3B
C
CF

SP
SP
SP
SP
CL

L
L
S
L
R
R
L
R

R
L
R
R
R

Don Blasingame
Dick McAuliffe
Mickey Mantle
Jim Gentile
Dick Williams
Ted Lepcio
Tim McCarver
Jim Hickman

Gene Conley
Whitey Ford
Johnny Kucks
Jim Perry
Dave Sisler
 

Not much changed in Brooklyn this off-season, probably a wise move when you’re the defending champs.  Moneyball came into play for the ‘Bas and they’ll enter the season without Sweet Lew Burdette, a huge cog in the championship machine.  But don’t bemoan a rotation that still whispers “Best Ever?” and a bullpen that screams “This Year’s Model.”  Once again (yawn), the team to beat in the East.  But the ‘Bas are not invulnerable, they have very little back-up in case of injury.

IN: *MR Dick Selma, C Del Crandall, *MR Dennis Higgins, *2B Glenn Beckert, *3B Joe Foy, *LF Rick Reichardt
OUT: SP Lew Burdette