United League of American Base B

"Sunday Hondo" Ignites Griffins
DETROIT (June 16) -- Slugging right fielder Frank Howard ignited the Griffins lineup in early June, becoming the first player in UL history to hit 3 home runs in a game and 6 hits in a game -- and doing both in the same week. Howard clubbed the homer hat trick on Sunday, June 2 and collected six hits against Boston a week later, earning him the nickname "Sunday Hondo". Detroit scored in double digits three times after a dismal May, in which they were shut out seven times.
   The outburst began on June 2 in San Francisco, when Howard drove in 7 runs with his three home runs and his teammates contributed another 7 RBIs in a 14-2 blowout. The following Sunday at Fenway Park, Howard was 6-for-6, with two doubles and a home run, for 11 total bases, as Detroit blasted the Federals 11-3. Joe Cunningham and Lou Clinton each had four hits and a home run in the win. Clinton, who replaced rookie Denis Menke at shortstop, is hitting .333-5-14 in 13 games.
   Howard's homer hat trick came five days after Frank Robinson's, and was the 18th in league history. His six-hit game was just the 10th in UL history, and the first since 1961, when Bobby Brown, Irv Noren, and Billy Goodman each did the deed.

Cleveland Rolls Out Red Carpet
Conley, Herbert Probable Starters
CLEVELAND (June 15) -- The league announced the rosters for Saturday's inaugural United League All-Star Game today, as the Forest City prepared to roll out the red carpet for the first major league midsummer classic in 13 years. Not surprisingly, Brooklyn and Chicago garnered the most selections to the ridiculously bloated 28-man All-Star rosters, including probable starters Gene Conley and Ray Herbert. Conley (13-3, 2.21) is 2nd in wins and ERA, and earned his 200th career win the day before the All-Star announcement. Herbert (14-3, 2.69) leads the league in wins and is having one of the best breakout years in history, having won just 3 games in the prior 3 seasons. San Francisco's Harmon Killebrew, the league leader in home runs, RBI, and OPS, was the top vote-getter, with Detroit's Frank Howard leading East Division players.
   The last All-Star Game was July 11, 1950 at Chicago's Comiskey Park, which also hosted the first ever All-Star Game in 1933. The 1950 game was the first to go to extra innings and featured two dramatic home runs. Ralph Kiner tied the game 3-3 for the Nationals with a leadoff homer in the ninth, and Red Schoendienst won the game with a solo shot in the 13th. Municipal Stadium hosted the 1935 Classic, won by the American League 4-1 after Jimmie Foxx's first inning home run.

All-Star Rosters, by team:
EAST
BRO (10): SP Gene Conley, SP Whitey Ford, SP Lew Burdette, SP Jim Perry, MR Duke Maas, CL Dick Sisler, SS Granny Hamner, C Hobie Landrith, CF Al Kaline, RF Mickey Mantle
CLE (5): MR Turk Farrell, 3B Eddie Mathews, SS Harvey Kuenn, CF Curt Flood, 1B Bill White
BOS (4): SP Chris Short, 1B Orlando Cepeda, SS Eddie Bressoud, LF Bob Allison
MAN (4): SP Johnny Podres, MR Bob Tiefenauer, MR Billy Muffett, LF Felipe Alou
WAS (4): CL Bob Chakales, 2B Dick Howser, C Johnny Romano, CF Willie Mays
DET (1): RF Frank Howard

WEST
CHI (7): SP Ray Herbert, SP Tom Sturdivant, SP Don Mossi, SP Billy Pierce, CL Russ Kemmerer, SS Ernie Banks, 1B Don Demeter
LOU (5): MR Tom Acker, RF Hank Aaron, LF Roman Mejias, C Ed Bailey, 3B Willie Jones
DAL (4): CL Bob J. Miller, C Gene Green, RF Frank Thomas, LF Boog Powell
LA (4): SP Art Mahaffey, CL Ray Narleski, 1B Frank Robinson, 2B Bill Mazeroski
STL (4): CF Albie Pearson, 3B Joe Torre, RF Roger Maris, SS Luis Aparicio
SF (4): MR Steve Ridzik, SP Juan Pizarro, MR Willard Schmidt, 3B Harmon Killebrew