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TOP STORIES
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Chicago surged to the top of the West behind the
arms of 40-year-old Bob Friend (5-1, 2.74),
journeyman fifth starter Dave Boswell (3-0,
1.48) and the bat of newcomer Felix Mantilla,
who drove in 21 runs in his first 27 games.
Detroit stumbled through a 6-11 slump, but
someway, somehow, managed to stay in first place
in the weak East Division with a 13-15 record.
Five of the top seven teams are in the
West.
Juan Beniquez was picked Rookie of
the Month after collecting five hits in a game
against Detroit Apr. 26 and batting .512 (22-43)
in his first 20 games.
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ON THE MEND |
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BOS |
CF Roberto Clemente (5 wk) |
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BRO |
SP Al Santorini
(4-5 mo)
SP Tom Murphy (7 wk)
LF Frank Robinson (5 wk) |
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CLE |
SP Alan Foster (3-4 mo)
MR Charlie Williams (3 mo)
MR Rollie Fingers
(5 wk) |
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DAL |
LF Bob Bailey (3-4 mo) |
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DET |
SP Ron Kline (4 mo)
RF Reggie Jackson
(4 wk)
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LA |
3B Billy Grabarkewitz (3 mo) |
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MAN |
3B Ed Charles (2 wk) |
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STL |
CF Curt Flood (3 wk) |
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min 2 weeks
new injury |
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| TRADES |
April 16 (259)
BROOKLYN gets
LA '73
3rd round pick
LA '73 5th round pick
LOS
ANGELES
gets
2B Ted Sizemore
BRO '73 4th round pick
April 16 (260)
CLEVELAND gets
SS Ron Hansen
SAN
FRANCISCO
gets
CLE '73
3rd round pick |
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 Oh-Fer
and Out
Deja Vu for Clemente
BOSTON (April 20) -- For the second year in a row,
Roberto Clemente joined a new ballclub, went hitless
game after game, and then landed on the DL for an
extended stay before recording his first hit.
Clemente, 37, sprained his ankle on Apr. 20 and will
miss seven weeks after batting 0-for-19 in 13 games, all but
one as a pinch hitter. "That's one heckuva sprain
if you ask me," manager Brendan Harris snorted at a
press conference. The Feds GM has not been shy
about questioning the competence of the club's staff: the
groundskeepers, the trainers—even the hot dog vendors.
Last year with Manhattan, Clemente went 0-for-17 and
then broke his ankle after just five games and did not
play again until August, by which time he was traded to
Chicago. He signed a two-year pact with Boston for
about $4.8 million per year, a significant pay cut from
his previous $22 million, 3-year contract.
Center
fielder Bobby Tolan has been a pleasant surprise so far,
hitting .313 with a .359 OBP in 27 games, but right
fielder Chuck Hinton has been a disappointment in the
leadoff run, with just a .217 average and .284 OBP in 24
games, and Boston finds itself at the bottom of the heap
in what is shaping up to be one of the weakest divisions
in UL history.
 Epic
Rally at Sportsman's Park
ST. LOUIS (Apr. 29) -- The St. Louis Maroons rallied
from a 9-0 deficit to beat Detroit 11-10 in 12 innings
today, in one of the biggest comebacks in league
history. Pedro Ramos cruised through five shutout
innings, allowing just four hits, while his team piled
up a nine-run lead after back-to-back home runs by Frank
Howard and Tom Haller in the top of the sixth. But
three of the next four hitters knocked solo shots out of
Sportsman's Park—Jim Fregosi, Mickey Mantle, and Boog
Powell. Ramos was just as shaky in the seventh,
committing a fielding error and giving up two singles
and two doubles. Reliever Larry Sherry was them
victimized by
an error on the first batter he faced, and let in two
more runs at the Dark Reds cut the score to 10-8.
In the bottom of the eighth, Reggie Smith singled off
Tex Clevenger to drive in two runs and tie the game.
St. Louis' bullpen was superb from about the seventh
inning on. Pete Mikkelson, Lowell Palmer, Dave
LaRoche, and Bob Locker allowed just three hits and no
runs in 5.2 combined innings. The game ended in
the 12th—after 4 hours and 44 minutes—when Reggie
Smith added a game-winning hit to his game-tying hit, driving home Bob
Johnson with a single off Wayne Granger with two on and
two outs.
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Fifth
starter Dave Boswell is the league ERA leader after
letting in just five earned runs in four starts for a
1.48 ERA. He anchored a four-hit shutout of Boston
on Apr. 21. . . Amos Otis has a 14-game hitting
streak
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Griffins
rank 8th in offense and 9th in pitching, which is just
good enough for first place in the East, with a 13-15
record. . . Leading hitter Reggie Jackson
(.253-7-20) will miss a month with herniated disk in his
neck . . . New closer Ramon Hernandez is a perfect
0.00 with 7 saves in 9 appearances.
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CF
Juan Beniquez had 5 hits against Detroit Apr. 26 and won
Rookie of the Month, hitting .512 (22-43) with a 1.279
OPS in 20 games. . . Sal Bando had 22 hits, 7 HR,
and 19 RBIs in his last 14 games to surge to the top of
the league HR and VORP tables.
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Streakiest
team in the league: lost 3, won 3, lost 5 early in
April, then won 4 and lost 4 to finish the month,
including a three game sweep in Atlanta in the first
World Series rematch of the season.
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Bob
Moose won Pitcher of the Month with a 5-1 record and
2.35 ERA in 6 games, including a no-hitter in Atlanta on
Apr. 11.
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Catcher
Jerry Moses is the surprise RBI leader, with 16 in 22
games, ahead of 3-4 hitter Steve Braun and Ollie Brown .
. . Four-month injury to Al Santorini could be
blessing in disguise, seeing as he was truly abominable
in his first 5 starts (1-3, 6.11, 1.57 WHIP).
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First
in most offensive categories,
but 10th in pitching. Ace
Don Sutton has struggled
mightily (6.69 ERA and 1.46
WHIP) . . . Won five straight
Apr. 24-29, including an epic
comeback against Detroit (see
above).
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Rookie
J.R. Richard blanked the Spiders on 4 hits, striking out
11, on Apr. 20. Three days earlier Jim Palmer
struck out 15 Superbas in a 3-2 win at the Frank. . .
Weak slugging 3B Don Money, who had 7 HR in all of last
year, leads the club with 4 dingers.
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Starting
rotation ranks dead last in ERA, but the fifth starter,
rookie Bill "Spaceman" Lee, has managed to crack the top
10 with a 2.70 ERA . . . Carew (.345, 20 runs,
.382 OBP) and Crawford (.327-7-24, .994 OPS) are off to
fast starts . . . Rookie LF Gary Matthews' first
UL home run was an inside-the-park job off Boston's Jim Rooker at Fenway Park
Apr. 20.
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Rocky
Colavito got his 400th career home run on Apr. 29 and is
tied for 1st in the league with eight . . . Only
one save so far in 28 games, four fewer than any other
team, despite middle-of-the-road bullpen ERA of 3.73.
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Offense
has sputtered so far. #3 and 5 hitters Ken
Henderson and Don Demeter have just 20 RBIs between them
in 28 games . . . Fifth starter
Steve Kline is 0-4, 6.30 through 4 starts.
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Free
agent signing Ed "The Glider" Charles was about the
only thing going right for the Sox, that is, until he
strained an oblique on Apr. 30 that will bench him for
at least two weeks. Through 27 games, the
39-year-old is hitting .330-5-19 and ranks 7th in
batting and 8th in VORP . . . Pete Ward (.225) and
Ron Santo (.204) have been pathetic at the plate.
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LEADERBOARDS |
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BATTING AVERAGE
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HOME RUNS
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RBI
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VORP
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RUNS/GAME
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Oscar Gamble, ATL
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.402
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Joe Torre, ATL
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.384
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Sal Bando, ATL
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.375
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Graig Nettles, STL
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.358
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Rod Carew, DAL
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.345
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John Mayberry, SF
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.337
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*Ed Charles, MAN
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.330
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*Willie Crawford, DAL
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.327
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*Bernie Allen, STL
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.324
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*Amos Otis, CHI
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.315
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*Sal Bando, ATL
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8
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*Rocky Colavito, BOS
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8
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Willie Crawford, DAL
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7
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Reggie Jackson, DET
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7
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Mickey Mantle, STL
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7
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*Roger Maris, CHI
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7
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Joe Torre, ATL
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7
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Reggie Smith, STL
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27
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*Sal Bando, ATL
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25
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Joe Torre, ATL
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25
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Willie Crawford, DAL
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24
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Mickey Mantle, STL
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24
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Orlando Cepeda, BOS
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23
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Roy Foster, ATL
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22
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Felix Mantilla, CHI
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21
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*Reggie Jackson, DET
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20
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*Don Money, CLE
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20
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Pete Ward, MAN
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20
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*Sal Bando, ATL
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21.4
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Joe Torre, ATL
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19.8
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Tim McCarver, STL
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14.8
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*Juan Beniquez, ATL
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13.0
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Mickey Mantle, STL
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12.5
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*Willie Crawford, DAL
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12.4
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*Bernie Allen, STL
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11.7
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*Ed Charles, MAN
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11.6
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Graig Nettles, STL
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11.6
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*Bernie Carbo, WAS
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11.5
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ST. LOUIS
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6.4
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ATLANTA
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6.1
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DALLAS
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4.6
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MANHATTAN
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4.6
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BOSTON
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4.5
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CHICAGO
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4.3
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SAN FRANCISCO
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4.3
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DETROIT
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4.3
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BROOKLYN
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4.1
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WASHINGTON
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4.1
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CLEVELAND
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3.6
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LOS ANGELES
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3.6
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EARNED RUN AVERAGE
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WINS
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STRIKEOUTS
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VORP
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RUNS ALLOWED/GAME
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*Dave Boswell, CHI
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1.48
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Luis Tiant, SF
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2.16
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Andy Messersmith, WAS
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2.31
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Bob Moose, SF
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2.35
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Mike Cuellar, BOS
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2.45
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*Bruce Dal Canton, LA
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2.50
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*Bill Singer, CHI
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2.57
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*Frank Reberger, CLE
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2.61
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*Bert Blyleven, BOS
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2.63
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*Spaceman Lee, DAL
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2.70
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Bob Friend, CHI
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5
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Bob Moose, SF
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5
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*Steve Carlton, ATL
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4
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*Ron Reed, ATL
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4
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*Bill Singer, CHI
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4
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*Luis Tiant, SF
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4
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Bob Moose, SF
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48
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Johnny Podres, WAS
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46
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Bob Friend, CHI
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44
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Andy Messersmith, WAS
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42
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*Jim Palmer, CLE
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41
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Bill Singer, CHI
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41
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Tom Seaver, MAN
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40
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J.R. Richard, CLE
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38
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Pedro Ramos, DET
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34
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*Bert Blyleven, BOS
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33
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*Jerry Koosman, BOS
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33
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Bob Moose, SF
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13.0
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Dock Ellis, DET
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13.0
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Andy Messersmith, WAS
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12.6
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*Tom Bradley, ATL
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11.9
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*Bill Singer, CHI
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11.8
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*Dave Boswell, CHI
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11.5
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*Bruce Dal Canton, LA
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11.4
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*Bert Blyleven, BOS
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11.1
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Mike Cuellar, BOS
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10.8
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*Luis Tiant, SF
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10.4
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SAN FRANCISCO
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3.6
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CHICAGO
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3.7
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ATLANTA
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3.9
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WASHINGTON
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4.0
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CLEVELAND
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4.1
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LOS ANGELES
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4.4
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BOSTON
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4.6
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BROOKLYN
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4.9
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DETROIT
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5.0
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ST. LOUIS
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5.2
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MANHATTAN
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5.4
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DALLAS
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5.5
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AWARDS & MILESTONES |
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BATTER of the MONTH
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PITCHER of the MONTH
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ROOKIE of the MONTH
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MILESTONES
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APR
|
Joe Torre, ATL |
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MAY
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JUN
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JUL
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AUG
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SEP
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APR
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Bob Moose, SF |
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MAY
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JUN
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JUL
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AUG
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SEP
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APR
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Juan Beniquez, ATL |
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MAY
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JUN
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JUL
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AUG
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SEP
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Mickey Mantle, STL
600 home runs (Apr. 15)
#1 all-time
Rocky Colavito, BOS
400 home runs (Apr. 29)
#8 all-time
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PLAYER of the WEEK
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4/10
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Felix Mantilla, CHI |
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4/17
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Mickey Mantle, STL |
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4/24
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Sal Bando, ATL |
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5/1
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5/8
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5/15
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5/22
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5/29
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6/5
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6/12
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6/19
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6/26
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7/3
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7/10
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7/17
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7/24
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7/31
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8/7
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8/14
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8/21
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8/28
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9/4
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9/11
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9/18
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9/25
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