Circuit clouts  Official Newsletter of the United League       August 1, 1966
 
   LEAGUE FILE (2/13) · CONTRACTS · TOTAL UL · RULES · OWNERS · CITIES · BALLPARKS · HALL OF FAME
   1965 · 3/1 · 4/1 · 4/16 · 5/1 · 5/16 · 6/1 · 6/16 · 7/1 · 7/8 · 7/20 · 8/1

NEXT SIM
 Sun 2/17 (Aug 16)
 Trade Deadline
 Rosters due 3pm ET

 
 UPCOMING SIMS
 
 Fri 2/22 (Sep 1)
 

  EAST

W

L

GB

Last  

Brooklyn

65

41

--

7-1

Cleveland

60

46

5

6-4

Washington

53

51

11

1-8

Detroit

52

54

13

7-3

Manhattan

46

61

19.5

7-3

Boston

42

62

22

4-5

  WEST

W

L

GB

Last

Chicago

69

35

--

6-4

San Francisco

57

48

12.5

6-4

Los Angeles

54

51

15.5

5-5

St. Louis

53

51

16

1-9

Dallas

49

57

21

6-4

Atlanta

31

74

38.5

2-8

 

 

 

 

 

INJURIES
Duration at least one week

ATL
BOS

BRO
CHI
DAL
DET
LA
MAN
SF

WAS

MR Dave Morehead (4 wk)
SP Steve Blass (7 wk)
SP Dick Donovan (4-5 wk)
3B Dick Williams (1-2 wk)
MR D Knowles (6 mo)
 C Gene Green (3 wk)
3B Ed Charles (2 mo)

LF Frank Robinson (3 wk)
SP Dean Chance (5-6 mo)
LF Rocky Colavito (9 mo)
2B Jake Wood (2 wk)
MR Danny McDevitt (3 wk)
SS Rocky Bridges (2-3 wk)
 

TRADES


July 21 (137)
BROOKLYN gets:

MAN '67 2nd round pick
MAN '67 2nd round pick

MANHATTAN gets:
MR Larry Bearnarth (300)


August 1 (138)
BOSTON gets:

SP Curt Simmons (2250)
SP Frank Bertaina (500)
CF Vic Davalillo (330)
CL Pete Richert (300)
1967 CLE 3rd round pick
1967 CLE 4th round pick

CLEVELAND gets:
3B Gene Freese (1700)
1B Bob Skinner (700)
3B Andy Carey (571)
MR Barry Latman (300)


August 1 (139)
BROOKLYN gets:
SP Whitey Ford (8000)
2B Don Blasingame (1920)
MR Dick Kelley (1500)

ST. LOUIS gets:
MR Tom Acker (2763)
LF Sandy Amoros (2400)
SP Woodie Fryman (2000)
SP Joe Presko (2000)
2B Charlie Neal (1300)
SP Erv Palica (490)
1967 BRO 1st round pick
1967 BRO 2nd round pick


August 1 (140)
BOSTON gets:
MR Seth Morehead (300)

MANHATTAN gets:
SS Eddie Bressoud (4740)


August 1 (141)
ATLANTA gets:
Don Demeter (1300)
C Paul Casanova (300)
1967 CHI 1st round pick

CHICAGO gets:
3B Paul Schaal (1000)
SP Chuck Dobson (500)
1967 ATL 2nd round pick


August 1 (142)
CLEVELAND gets:

LF Sandy Amoros (2400)
RF Al Kaline (920)
SP Erv Palica (490)
MR Ike Delock (300)

ST. LOUIS gets:
1B Rusty Staub (1000)
2B Davey Williams (1000)
RF Ron Fairly (1000)
SP Al Downing (1000)


August 1 (143)
ATLANTA gets:
SP Billy O'Dell (5800)

ST. LOUIS gets:
SS Billy Martin (2600)
CF Tommie Agee (500)
1967 WAS 4th round pick


August 1 (144)
DETROIT gets:
MR Jack Hamilton (300)

ST. LOUIS gets:
1967 DET 4th round pick
$200,000 cash
 

EXTENSIONS

ATL

BRO

CHI









DAL

DET

MAN



















SF


 

MR Mickey McDermott
   (2, 333)
SP Lew Burdette
   (1+M, 5900*)
CL Russ Kemmerer
   (2, 7360)
SP Ray Herbert
   (2, 5700)
SP Tom Sturdivant
   (2, 5120)
SP Don Mossi
   (1, 1120)
SP Sam McDowell
   (2, 450)
CF Roberto Clemente
   (3, 2800)
SP Joey Jay
   (5+T, 5000)
 C Joe Torre
   (4+T, 8750)
RF Felipe Alou
   (3+T, 2500)
MR Don Cardwell
   (2+T, 1500)
SS Tony Kubek
   (1+T, 1200)
2B Don Buford
   (4+T, 1000)
SP Sonny Siebert
   (4+T, 1000)
MR Jay Ritchie
   (3+T, 1000)
SP Juan Pizarro
   (2+T, 500)
MR Moe Drabowsky
   (3+T, 400)
 C Cam Carreon
   (2+T, 400)
SP Ray Kline
   (2, 1750)
2B Tony Taylor
   (2, 850)
 

DICK'S CORNER
Tracking Dick Howser's
Historic Run at .400

Dick Howser hit below .400 for the month for the first time in July, but his .394 slump was not enough to seriously jeopardize his run at .400.  Howser had four hits against Detroit on July 19, then fell into his deepest funk of the season -- albeit it only a week long.  In six games, Howser hit just .222 (6-27), and his averaged plummetted from .431 to .417.  But on July 27 against Cleveland, Dick hit 5-for-5, his first 5-hit performance of the year, instantly boosting his average seven points to .424.
   Howser has had seven games with at least four hits, one in his first 52 games, and six in the last 47 games.  In 99 games, Howser has gone hitless just 9 times.  He has taken the collar in back-to-back games only once (Apr. 6-7), which was immediately followed by a record 30-game hitting streak.

Hitless Games
Apr 6
Apr 7
   30-game streak
May 13
May 23
   13-game streak
Jun 8
Jun 27
   8-game streak .556 (20-36)
Jul 10
Jul 21
Jul 26
   5-for-5 on July 27




 

 

 

Recapturing the Throne?
Conley Wins 10 Straight, Bas Back on Top

LOS ANGELES (July 30) -- The Brooklyn Superbas finished a 20-5 month today with a 4-2 win over the Outlaws.  The Bas are the league's hottest team in July, and now lead the East Division by five games after trailing Cleveland by a half-game a month ago.  Brooklyn won 10 of their first 11 games in July, including a seven-game win streak and a Founder's Cup victory.  Brooklyn's Hall of Fame shoo-ins Gene Conley (35) and Lew Burdette (38) each won their 250th game a week apart in late June/early July, and both have recaptured their top form after slow starts that had pundits question whether it wasn't time for the oldsters to hang up their cleats.  Conley, the four-time Cy Young winner, won at least 23 games for eight straight years from 1957 to 1964, but injured his elbow in his first start in 1965.  After finishing just 9-7, 2.78 in that injury-shortened campaign and going 3-5 in his first 14 starts this year, pundits surmised that Conley was fading toward retirement, his glory days behind him.  But since May 28, the Muskogee Okie is 10-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 13 starts, and has led the Superbas' bid to recapture the East Division crown they lost last year after eight straight pennants.
   For his part, Lew Burdette is also having a steallar campaign.  Although he will fall short of 20 wins for the first time since 1958, Burdette's 2.34 ERA is his best in four years, and second best of his career.  Like Conley last year, Burdette was injured in the first week and missed the first two months of the season.  The native sun of Nitro, W.V. was 3-3 in his first 9 starts, but is 5-1 in his last seven.  Johnny Kucks, a relative youngster on the staff at 33, has also been red-hot, going 5-0, 2.54 in July after going 3-3 in each of the previous two months.  Brooklyn's starters are once again best in the league, with an ERA of 3.16, and with Conley signed through 1968 and Burdette inking a two-year extension, GM Rick Magar is hopeful that he can squeeze a few more titles out of the best 1-2 pitching duo in UL history.

Torre Signs $43.7 Million Extension
MANHATTAN (July 22) -- Catcher Joe Torre signed a five-year extension worth nearly $9 million per year that will keep him at Yankee Stadium into the next decade.  Including a team option year, Torre's package is worth $43.7 million, the biggest extension signed so far this year.  GM Jeff Gurganus has extended 10 players, including a three-year, $7.5 million deal for RF Felipe Alou and smaller deals for MR Don Cardwell, SS Tony Kubek, and 2B Don Buford.   Detroit's Joey Jay signed the second biggest extension ($30 million over six year), followed by Dallas' Roberto Clemente ($8.4 million over three years).
   Torre, 26, is hitting .362 with a .445 OBP and is fifth in the league in VORP.  He won Player of the Week on Aug. 1 after hitting .571 with two homers and six runs in six games.

Monuments Collapse, Maroons Turn Blue
WASHINGTON (Aug. 1) -- Any slim hopes Washington and St. Louis had of recapturing past glory this year melted in the late July sun, as both clubs suffered 1-9 slumps that knocked the Monuments out of the pennant race and dropped St. Louis from second to fourth place.
   Washington's recent collapse is the latest chapter in a roller coaster season that has seen the former dynasty unexpectedly climb into pennant contention, only to fade away almost as quickly.  The Mons rode a 17-6 run to a virtual three-way tie in the East Division and a place in the Founder's Cup final.  But the 8-7 loss in that game on July 10 was the start of a 4-14 slump and the club is now 11 games behind with two months to go.
   Unlike Washington, St. Louis was never in pennant race, but they held visions of repeating last year's second place finish.  They had pulled ahead of their rivals San Francisco and Los Angeles with a nine-game win streak July 12-20, but lost 9 of their last 10, including two losses each to the Spiders and Outlaws, to fall 3.5 games out of second place.

Archivists Find 30-Game Hitting Streak
NEW YORK (Aug. 1) -- League archivists today discovered a 30-game hitting streak by Dick Howser this spring that etches the Washington second baseman's name into the UL record book.  The streak went unnoticed, until two scribes working in the bowels of league headquarters in midtown Manhattan tallied up the precocious middle infielders daily batting logs.  For 14 years Roy Campanella held the record with 26 straight games with a safety.  Joe Torre fell one game shy with a 25-game streak last year.


Bas Roll the Fuzzy Dice on a Vintage Ford
by Rick Magar
BROOKLYN (Aug. 1) -- So much for the wholesale youth program!  The re-signing of perennial All-Star Lew Burdette to a reasonabable 1967 salary caused management to entertain the possibility of delaying the youth push in favor of a better shot at another championship or two with its roster of aging stars. When St. Louis came around dangling Whitey Ford and Don Blasingame it became too difficult to avoid the call of October. Of course, Brooklyn is betting heavily that Ford's recent slump is just that, a slump, and not the beginning of the end. The starting rotation of Gene Conley (35), Lew Burdette (38), Whitey Ford (37) and Johnny Kucks (32) will be tough to stop as long as injuries and age can be held at bay for a season and a half.  Brooklyn's bullpen also benefits with the move of Jim Perry and Sammy Ellis from the rotation.  Blasingame's insertion into the Superba infield allows Dick Williams to move to his more natural position of LF to replace Sandy Amaros, and Blazer's speed and base stealing will be a welcome addition to notoriously heavy-footed lineup.  The bottom line, it's a real roll of the dice for another shot at glory for some of Brooklyn's most notable stars and a significant miscalculation if the aging bodies are unable to answer the call.

St. Louis Maroons Press Release:
"Whitey Ford was part of the dream that the Maroons could grab a pennant from Chicago, but we have reluctantly accepted the fact that we are further from contending than we had hoped, and with that hope gone, the time has come to let Whitey go as well and focus on the club's future.  Whitey is a great professional, and we wish him all the best as he rejoins his former club.  We also would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Don Blasingame's six years of service.  Blazer was fan favorite on the field and an inspiration in the clubhouse."


Point, Counterpoint Part 6: Washington Monuments
Rising Up Against the Man!!! by Sean Holloway

Point: Tony Kornheiser
Hey, Wilbon!  What’s the best team in DC?  It certainly isn’t the Nats; the Redskins are a waste, basketball stinks and who cares about hockey (although that Oven guy is pretty sweet, ain’t he?)  I’ll tell you:  the best team in DC is the Washington Monuments.  Watch out for them, and watch out for my new local girl Katherine Heigl (Hubba! Hubba!).  You should have had her for your doctor, Wilbon!!

Reason 1:  Say Hey!!
Mays.  Santo.  Stuart.  Kirkland.  How’s that for power, Wilbon?  And if you want average, I give you Durable Dickie Howser, on pace to hit .930 for the year.  This team will rock your socks off and leads the UL in BA, OBP, Hits, Runs, and OPS.  The Monuments also are second in SLG, BB, and SBs, and either third or fourth in the remaining categories.  Woo-hoo!  There’s more juice on this team than a wastebasket filled with syringes used by Roger Clemens!!!

Reason 2:  The Old Guard Is Beginning to Crack
BRO is the perennial favorite, but how long can this team crank out the wins with the UL’s new anti-doping policy?  And isn’t the average age of BRO 45?  My God – it’s like watching Minor League XXI! And didn’t I already say those Barons couldn’t hit to save their lives?  Looks like an episode of “Pros Vs Joes” with CLE batting against Jennie Finch.

Counterpoint: Michael Wilbon
Tony, I’ve tried to be nice, but that’s over.  Is your head full of rocks?  The Monuments are Jessica Alba to BRO’s Jessica Biel and CLE’s Jessica Simpson.  You’d take Alba any day of the week until one of the other two shows up.  Actually, I’d take all three of  them.


Reason 1:  Here’s the Pitch!
Well, it’s almost here.  Although the Mons have the King of the Farm Bob “Tastes Like Chicken” Veale, once you get past the #1, things get wacky very quickly.  Not only are the Mons’ staff a bit on the old side, they appear to be losing their eyesight, ranking 10th in BBs.  Not exactly a recipe for success in the playoffs.  And the bullpen leaves much to be desired.  Apart from Jack Aker and Bob “I Feel” Priddy, the rest of the pen makes you go “Ack” and cough up a furball.

Reason 2:  Irv Noren
When your minor league system star player is 95-year old Irv “Stormin” Noren on the offensive side, things aren’t looking up if you are preparing to battle the two East-leading titans.  And the pitching side doesn’t look much better apart from Marcelino Lopez.  Who will step in once Larsen and Drysdale lose a little of their luster?  How will WAS shore up its bullpen?  Is there really a player on WAS named Rocky Bridges?  These questions must make true Mons’ fans lose sleep at night.

Voice of Reason
WAS is oh-so-close to the top, but still doesn’t have enough Jessicas – er, horses – to catch BRO and CLE.  3rd Place.

   

 

 

EAST DIVISON

BOSTON FEDERALS

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

CLEVELAND BARONS

     

DETROIT GRIFFINS

MANHATTAN GRAY SOX

WASHINGTON MONUMENTS

     

WEST DIVISON

ATLANTA HILLTOPPERS

CHICAGO COLTS

DALLAS TEXANS

     

LOS ANGELES OUTLAWS

ST. LOUIS MAROONS

SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS

     

LEAGUE LEADERS
(through games of July 31)

BATTING AVERAGE

HOME RUNS

RBI

VORP

RUNS / GAME

Dick Howser, WAS

.422

Joe Torre, MAN

.362

Jim Cunningham, DET

.347

Tony Perez, STL

.341

Lou Brock, SF

.334

Harvey Kuenn, CLE

.332

Marv Throneberry, DAL

.331

Roger Maris, STL

.319

Frank Robinson, LA

.319

*Micky Mantle, BRO

.317

 

 

 

 

Harmon Killebrew, ATL

32

Bob Allison, CHI

26

Roger Maris, STL

26

Mickey Mantle, BRO

25

Hank Aaron, LA

24

Orlando Cepeda, BOS

24

Frank Howard, DET

23

Frank Robinson, LA

23

Ron Santo, WAS

23

Willie Mays, WAS

22

 

 

 

 

Willie Mays, WAS

91

Harmon Killebrew, ATL

85

Ron Santo, WAS

83

Joe Adcock, CHI

79

Willie McCovey, SF

78

Orlando Cepeda, BOS

75

Bob Allison, CHI

73

Mickey Mantle, BRO

73

Roger Maris, STL

72

*Jim Gentile, BRO

70

 

 

 

 

Dick Howser, WAS

79.5

Lou Brock, SF

52.6

Frank Robinson, LA

50.3

Ron Santo, WAS

50.0

Joe Torre, MAN

48.2

Tony Perez, STL

43.8

Bob Allison, CHI

42.9

Roger Maris, STL

42.7

*Micky Mantle, BRO

41.0

*Joe Adcock, CHI

39.7

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON

5.3

CHICAGO

5.3

SAN FRANCISCO

5.0

BROOKLYN

5.0

ST. LOUIS

4.9

DETROIT

4.7

ATLANTA

4.5

BOSTON

4.5

DALLAS

4.5

MANHATTAN

4.2

LOS ANGELES

4.2

CLEVELAND

4.0

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

WINS

STRIKEOUTS

VORP

RUNS ALLOWED / GAME

Lew Burdette, BRO

2.34

Gene Conley, BRO

2.39

Johnny Antonelli, LA

2.69

Earl Francis, CLE

2.76

Johnny Podres, CLE

2.83

Fritz Peterson, LA

3.05

Fergie Jenkins, SF

3.14

Ray Herbert, CHI

3.16

*Johnny Kucks, BRO

3.22

Dave Boswell, DAL

3.38

 

 

 

 

Don Sutton, STL

17

George Brunet, WAS

14

Johnny Kucks, BRO

14

*Gene Conley, BRO

13

*Bob Friend, CLE

13

Fergie Jenkins, SF

13

Fred Newman, SF

13

*Johnny Antonelli, LA

12

Earl Francis, CLE

12

Ray Herbert, CHI

12

Don Larsen, WAS

12

Don Mossi, CHI

12

Whitey Ford, STL

220

Bob Friend, CLE

191

Don Sutton, STL

161

Sandy Koufax, DET

154

Gene Conley, BRO

153

*Luis Tiant, SF

148

Johnny Kucks, BRO

147

Don Drysdale, WAS

146

Johnny Podres, CLE

143

Johnny Antonelli, LA

138

Herb Score, BOS

138

 

 

Earl Francis, CLE

43.4

Johnny Podres, CLE

41.6

Johnny Antonelli, LA

39.3

Gene Conley, BRO

39.3

Fergie Jenkins, SF

37.7

Joey Jay, DET

35.3

Lew Burdette, BRO

33.9

Ray Herbert, CHI

33.4

*Pedro Ramos, DET

32.8

Don Sutton, STL

31.7

 

 

 

 

CLEVELAND

3.7

BROOKLYN

3.8

CHICAGO

3.9

LOS ANGELES

4.2

SAN FRANCISCO

4.6

ST. LOUIS

4.6

DETROIT

4.8

MANHATTAN

4.9

WASHINGTON

4.9

BOSTON

5.0

DALLAS

5.0

ATLANTA

6.8

 

MILESTONES

Willie Mays, WAS
1,500th RBI (July 13), #2 all-time
Pedro Ramos, DET
2,000th strikeout (July 12), #11 all-time
 
 

 


 

 

 



 

BATTER OF THE MONTH

PITCHER OF THE MONTH

ROOKIE OF THE MONTH

APR

Tony Perez, STL

APR

Don Sutton, STL

APR

Art Shamsky, BOS

MAY

Frank Robinson, LA

MAY

Don Sutton, STL (2)

MAY

Paul Schaal, ATL

JUN

Harmon Killebrew, ATL

JUN

Gaylord Perry, DAL 

JUN

Fergie Jenkins, SF 

JUL

Tony Perez, STL (2)

JUL

Gene Conley, BRO

JUL

Roger Repoz, SF

AUG

 

AUG

 

AUG

 

SEP

 

SEP

 

SEP

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

4/11

Roger Maris, STL            

6/13

Johnny Callison, ATL

8/8

 

4/18

Bill Freehan, BOS

6/20

Lou Brock, SF

8/15

 

4/25

Dick Howser, WAS

6/27

Ron Santo, WAS

8/22

 

5/2

Bob Allison, CHI

7/4

Ron Santo, WAS (2)

8/29

 

5/9

Willie McCovey, SF

7/11

Ron Santo, WAS (3)

9/5

 

5/16

Jim Gentile, BRO

7/18

Tony Perez, STL

9/12

 

5/23

Dick Howser, WAS (2)

7/25

Joe Adcock, CHI

9/19

 

5/30

Hector Lopez, DAL

8/1

Joe Torre, MAN

9/26

 

6/6

Paul Schaal, ATL

 

 

 

 

 
   
   

United League Champions

West East

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

STL

BRO

Granny Hamner, BRO

Gene Conley, BRO

Roger Maris, BOS

1958

LOUISVILLE COLONELS

LOU

BRO

Willie Mays, WAS

Carl Erskine, WAS

Orlando Cepeda, NYG

1959

SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS

SF

BRO

Granny Hamner, BRO

Gene Conley, BRO

Vada Pinson, LA

1960

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

LOU

BRO

Hank Aaron, LOU

Gene Conley, BRO

Joe Gibbon, NYG

1961

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

CHI

BRO

Granny Hamner, BRO

Johnny Antonelli, LOU

Dick Howser, WAS

1962

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

CHI

BRO

Granny Hamner, BRO

Johnny Antonelli, LOU

Tom Tresh, LA

1963

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

CHI

BRO

Ernie Banks, CHI

Gene Conley, BRO

Boog Powell, DAL

1964

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS

CHI

BRO

Mickey Mantle, BRO

Whitey Ford, WAS

Pete Ward, MAN

1965

CHICAGO COLTS

CHI

CLE

Ernie Banks, CHI

Johnny Podres, CLE

Dick Allen, DET