United League of American Base B

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	April 5, 1961 OPENING DAY Saturday 10am ET (to Apr 15)

Kiner Named Player of the Decade
NEW YORK (Jan. 15) -- At ceremonies marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of the league, United League officials christened slugging left fielder Ralph Kiner "UL Player of the Decade." The award caps ten years of superlatives, and virtually assures Kiner's induction into the UL Hall of Fame as the former Detroit star heads into his twilight years.
The New Mexico native, who grew up in Alhambra, California, started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading the National League in home runs five years in a row, including his 1946 rookie campaign. When the major leagues went bankrupt in 1950, Kiner was the 11th overall pick in the United League's initial draft. Despite only one home run title (41 in 1953), Kiner is the league's all-time home run champion, with 320 for the decade, thanks to six second place finishes in the category. Kiner hit at least 30 home runs in his first eight UL seasons, all spent with Detroit, and is also the all-time leader in RBIs and walks. He was dealt to Brooklyn in the middle of 1958 and last year signed as free agent with Washington, with whom he is contracted through 1962.

Pierce Decade's Top Hurler
NEW YORK (Jan. 15) -- Also honored at the anniversary gala was longtime St. Louis Maroons ace Billy Pierce, who was given a shiny crystal object emblematic of the best pitcher over the league's first 10 seasons. Piercey, still only 32 and in his prime, is the UL's all-time leader in wins and strikeouts and winner of the 1954 Cy Young Award. The southpaw Detroiter has won 20+ games in five separate seasons, led the circuit in whiffs from 1953 to 1955, and struck out 371 in 1956, only to finish one strikeout behind Johnny Antonelli's record tally.
Pierce was drafted in the second round, 14th overall, in the Initial Draft and was part of the pennant-winning 1951 side. His 191 career wins are 39 more than any other pitcher, and his 2,521 strikeouts are 50% more than Stu Miller, who ranks third. Pierce also ranks first in complete games (148) and second in shutouts (24), and owns the league record for strikeouts in a game with 18 on May 6, 1956. He was traded to Cleveland last May in a blockbuster deal that signaled full-scale rebuilding in the Gateway City, and led the Barons to their best year in franchise history, with a 21-12 record and 3.25 ERA.

EAST	W	L	GB	Last
Brooklyn	0	0	--
Cleveland	0	0	--
Detroit	0	0	--
New York	0	0	--
Washington	0	0	--

WEST	W	L	GB	Last
Chicago	0	0	--
Los Angeles	0	0	--
Louisville	0	0	--
St. Louis	0	0	--
San Francisco	0	0	--

TRADES

LA gets:	March 6 LF Bob Cerv (1280) CF Bill Virdon (1180) C Jim Pagliaroni (1000) LF Lee Maye (500) SP Dick Stigman (0)
STL gets:	RF Del Ennis (5920) C Joe Torre (1100)

BRO gets:	March 11 1B Jim Gentile (1000)
LOU gets:	LF Frank Thomas (5300) BRO's '62 2nd round pick

DECADE'S BEST

BR/PR*

1

Ralph Kiner

396

2

Stan Musial

376

3

Billy Pierce

347

4

Stu Miller

338

5

Gene Woodling

321

6

Minnie Minoso

306

7

Carl Erskine

305

8

Willie Mays

300

9

Mickey Mantle

288

10

Johnny Antonelli

274

11

Hank Aaron

241

12

Gene Conley

238

13

Ernie Banks

224

14

Roy Campanella

223

15

Larry Doby

213

16

Jackie Robinson

204

17

Whitey Ford

178

18

Granny Hamner

177

19

Larry Jansen

172

20

Herm Wehmeier

172

*Batting Runs/Pitching Runs,
1951-1960

United League All-Decade Team, 1951-1960

C Roy Campanella	1B Stan Musial	2B Jackie Robinson	3B Willie Jones	SS Granny Hamner	LF Ralph Kiner

CF Willie Mays	RF Gene Woodling	SP Billy Pierce	SP Stu Miller	SP Carl Erskine	RP Hoyt Wilhelm

1961 FREE AGENT AUCTION Numbers indicate funds available for free agent signings (in thousands) Bids will be resolved in five rounds, through days 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 of FA period. 18 Players Signed In Round One Doby Inks $7 Million, One-Year Deal With Washington
BROOKLYN	16,798		CHICAGO	11,956		CLEVELAND	0		DETROIT	64,155		LOS ANGELES	39,039
Bobby Brown, 3B	6000	62	Bill White, 1B	5120	65	Gene Woodling, RF	5936	63	Gil McDougald, SS	6500	64	Duke Snider, RF	530	61
Dave Sisler, MR	1667	63	Nellie Fox, 2B	4800	62	Gus Zernial, LF	850	62	Don Johnson, MR	540	62	Gil Hodges, 1B	0
Frank Smith, CL	1666	63	Don Buddin, SS	800	63	Milt Pappas, SP	650	64	Woodie Held, SS	500	62	Johnny Logan, SS	0
Jim Gilliam, 2B	667	61	Jim Delsing, LF	600	62	Carl Willey,	570	62	Johnny Temple, 2B	500	62	Earl Torgeson, 1B	0
Gus Triandos, C	600	62	Sherm Lollar, C	520	61	Luis Arroyo, MR	500	62	Hal Smith, C	500	62	Daryl Spencer, SS	0
Ralph Terry, SP	525	61	Vic Power, 1B	520	61	Hal Brown, SP	500	61	Rube Walker, C	500	62	Ned Garver, SP	0
			Bill Bruton, LF	501	61	Bob Buhl, SP	500	61	Vic Wertz, RF	500	61	Jim McDonald, MR	0
			Bob Kelly, SP	500	61				Joe Nuxhall, SP	500	61	Ray Katt, C	0
			Hersh Freeman, SP	500	61

LOUISVILLE	9,357		NEW YORK	26,982		ST LOUIS	617		SAN FRANCISCO	6,880		WASHINGTON	14,366
			Stan Lopata, C	850	62	Robin Roberts, SP	5200	62	Hector Lopez, 2B	3650	62	Larry Doby, CF	7000	61
			Bob Skinner, 1B	620	63	Herb Score, SP	4100	63	Roy Campanella, C	1192	61	Sam Jones, SP	1500	61
			Cal Abrams, RF	500	61	Chet Nichols, MR	2600	63	Howie Judson, MR	650	61	Brooks Robinson, 3B	1200	63
			Jerry Lynch, LF	500	62	Frank Lary, SP	2100	63	Ray Boone, 3B	500	61	Bobby Thomson, LF	1200	63
			Danny O'Connell, 2B	500	61	Dick Stuart, 1B	1600	64				Mickey McDermott, SP	1000	63
			Roy McMillan, SS	500	62	Frank Torre, 1B	1400	63				Dick Cole, 3B	1000	63
			Frank Sullivan, SP	500	62	Pete Runnels, 2B	1150	63
			Dale Long, 1B	500	61	Earl Battey, C	975	64
			Elston Howard, C	0		Gene Green, C	940	64
			Pancho Herrera, 1B	0		Ryne Duren, MR	710	62
						Lindy McDaniel, MR	690	62
						George Susce, MR	635	62
						Tom Poholsky, SP	0
						Saul Rogovin, SP	0

CATCHERS

FIRST BASE

THIRD BASE

OUTFIELDERS

RELIEF PITCHERS

Smoky Burgess, C

Dale Long, 1B

Bubba Phillips, 3B

Bob Borkowski, RF

Vern Law, SP

ROOKIE DRAFT Red numbers indicate starting salaries for rookies. *Pick acquired by trade.
	1st Round	$1M+		2nd Round	500k		3rd Round	Minor		4th Round	Minor		5th Round	Minor
DET	Bob Gibson, SP	1300	63	Jack Baldschun, MR	500	63	Jim Brewer, MR	0		Bubba Morton, RF	0		Wes Stock, MR	0
WAS	Carl Yastrzemski, LF	1200	63	Dick Hauser, SS	500	63	(traded to CHI)			Jerry Buchek, 2B	0		Galen Cisco, MR	0
	Jim Kaat, SP	1000	63
LA	Joe Torre, C	1100	63	Dick McAuliffe, 2B	500	63	(traded to STL)			Charlie James, RF	0		Tracy Stallard, SP	0
				Ken McBride, SP	500	63
SF	Billy Williams, LF	1000	63	Joe Christopher, RF	500	63	Jake Wood, 2B	0		Rollie Sheldon, SP	0		Jerry Zimmerman, C	0
NYG	Tony Gonzalez, CF	1000	63	Willie Davis, CF	500	63	Don Nottebart, SP	0		Al Luplow, RF	0		Don Schwall, SP	0
STL	Floyd Robinson, RF	1000	63	(traded to LA)			Jerry Adair, 2B	0		Ken Hubbs, 2B	0
	Jim Pagliaroni, C	1000	63	Zoilo Versalles, SS	500	63	Joe Grzenda, MR	0
							Ron Perranoski, CL	0
CHI	Juan Marichal, SP	1000	63	Chuck Schilling, 2B	500	63	Al McBean, MR	0		Ed Rakow, MR	0
				Chuck Hinton, LF	500	63	Billy Bryan, C	0
CLE	(traded to STL)			(traded to STL)			(traded to STL)			J.C. Martin, C	0
LOU	Jim Maloney, SP	1000	63	John Orsino, C	500	63	Lew Krausse, SP	0		Chuck Hiller, 2B	0
BRO	(traded to CHI>WAS)			(traded to CHI)			Bob Hendley, SP	0		Jose Pagan, SS	0


	UNITED LEAGUE CHAMPIONS		MOST VALUABLE PLAYER	CY YOUNG AWARD	ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
	1951	ST. LOUIS MAROONS	Ralph Kiner, DET	Sam Zoldak, STL	Jackie Jensen, LOU
	1952	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Jackie Robinson, NYG	Larry Jansen, WAS	Stu Miller, WAS
	1953	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Mickey Mantle, BOS	Stu Miller, WAS	Smoky Burgess, BRO
	1954	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Stan Musial, STL	Billy Pierce, STL	Ed Bailey, LOU
	1955	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Roy Campanella, LA	Tom Gorman, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO
	1956	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Ralph Kiner, DET	Johnny Antonelli, LOU	Frank Robinson, LA
	1957	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Granny Hamner, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO	Roger Maris, BOS
	1958	LOUISVILLE COLONELS	Willie Mays, WAS	Carl Erskine, WAS	Orlando Cepeda, NYG
	1959	SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS	Granny Hamner, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO	Vada Pinson, LA
	1960	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Hank Aaron, LOU	Gene Conley, BRO	Joe Gibbon, NYG

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