|
 A
Day in the Sun
Six Teams Were in First
Place in Late May
WASHINGTON (June 1)
– If the last two weeks are any indication, 1967 is shaping up to be a wild and
wooly season. No fewer than six teams enjoyed a least a share of first place in
the second half of May, as three teams in each division jockeyed for position.
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The East Division
had the most dramatic swings, with Boston climbing from 4.5
games behind to a share of first place in nine days. Three
teams were tied for first on May 24 and again on May 27 before
Washington won four straight to open up a two-game lead.
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Boston, which
was 21-22 on May 15, swept Cleveland at home May 16-18 to slice
their lead to 1.5 games.
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A pair of
Boston wins at Dallas May 23-24 lifted the Federals into a
three-way tie, but Washington finished the month strong, winning
four straight including a sweep at Brooklyn.
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Former
division leaders Cleveland lost five straight to Boston, before
finally winning 3-2 on the last day of the month.
Head-to-Head
Boston's rise and Cleveland's decline are fully accounted
for by the Feds' five straight wins against their rivals,
including an epic 17-inning marathon on May 18. Cleveland led
7-0 in the sixth, but the Feds came back to win 9-8. Orlando
Cepeda had six hits and hit for the cycle in the game. That's
the kind of game that can turn pennant races. Cleveland could
only muster five runs in the other four losses, before finally
eking out a 3-2 victory on May 31 with rookie Gary Nolan's
game-ending bases loaded walk of Johnny Roseboro.
Washington played a single game at Cleveland on May 22,
annihilating the Barons 10-0 behind Rick Wise's five-hit shutout
and home runs by Al Ferrara, Willie Kirkland, and Tommy Harper.
The whitewashing was Johnny Podres' first loss after going 6-0
in his first 12 starts. The Monuments lost two of three at
Chicago May 19-21, though at the time neither team was in first
place.
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Out West, only two
games separated San Francisco, Chicago, and Atlanta on May 15,
and the three teams stayed within 2.5 games the rest of the
month.
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Atlanta,
which had been just three games over .500 on May 12 (21-18), won
five straight to climb within a game of San Francisco on May 17,
then after a loss to Los Angeles, won five more against Brooklyn
and Detroit to take over sole position of first place.
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From May
13-27, Atlanta was the hottest club in the league (12-2), but
they closed the month with three losses in four games, including
a series loss at home to fifth place Manhattan.
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San
Francisco dropped from first to third on May 21 after losing 4-3
to Manhattan, while both Atlanta and Chicago won.
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Chicago took
over the mantle of hottest team in the West with five wins in
their last six games, including a sweep at Detroit.
Head-to-Head
Chicago and San Francisco played seven times from May 16-25,
with the Colts winning the series 4-3. Billy Williams' first
inning home run was the only tally in a pitchers duel between
Ron Kline and Ray Herbert on May 17, but Sing Sing Singer
two-hit the Spiders the next day, striking out 12 in a 3-1 win.
Horace Clarke was 4-for-4 with three runs as Singer won again,
9-5, on May 22, but Dooley Womack blew a save the next day, as
Clete Boyer homered twice in a 5-4 comeback. In the decisive
seventh game of their home-and-away mini-series, Chicago
prevailed as Rocky Bridges hit 5-for-5, including a three-run
off sophomore reliever Clay Carroll to blow the game open in the
ninth.
Atlanta had 12 of its 15 games against non-divisional opponents,
and did not play San Francisco or Chicago. Atlanta will meet
the Colts for the first time on June 4, and will face them 13
times in August and September.
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UL Stars
Align for Mons and Toppers, Sort of
 What
are you more likely to see? the Yeti? Sasquatch? ATL and WAS
in first place at the same time?
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND ATLANTA (June 1) -- For two magical
days in late May, the resurgent Monuments of Washington and Atlanta
Hilltoppers were alone in first place of their respective
divisions. Exhaustive research indicates that's happened only one
other time in league history, early in the 1958 season, when the
'Toppers were still toiling away in the Bluegrass State behind guys
name of Antonelli and Aaron.
But what cost cosmic convergence? The very game in
which Washington moved alone atop the division saw them lose their
talismanic center fielder, Willie Mays, for the remainder of the
season. What's more, Mays, now 35, looks to have taken a ratings
haircut as a result of age and injury that may well knock him from
the pedastal of UL greatness he's occupied almost from day one in
league history. Is there any team on the circuit deep enough to
withstand the loss of arguably the greatest player in league
history, much less a club returning to respectability after years in
the wilderness? But lest you count Aiton's Capital City Crew
out prematurely, consider that in the two games following Mays'
injury, they executed narrow wins over historical rivals Brooklyn.
In Atlanta, the pound of flesh came in the form of Jim
Palmer, who will miss a month and a half for the pitching-challenged
Toppers. At the time of his injury, Palmer led the league in wins
and had thrown six CGs in his last nine starts en route to a 6-1
May. The rub is that Cakes was easily the most effective pitcher for
a team that sits only mid-table in terms of runs allowed. Indeed,
ATL lost three of four games around Hairy Palmer's injury. Here's to
hoping the team's pennant hopes in Palmer's absence don't go the way
of that elusive furry bastard, the Yeti.
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Antonelli Notches
Record Win
LOS ANGELES (May
30) -- Johnny Antonelli, the "Southpaw Outlaw" made history here
today, beating the St. Louis Maroons 9-1 to earn his 280th
career win, surpassing the record held by Billy Pierce.
Antonelli, 37, won his fourth Cy Young Award last year, tying
Gene Conley, and became the first to reach 4,000 strikeouts
earlier this month. In addition to his career records, he
holds single-season records for most wins (30 in 1961) and
innings pitched (375 in 1962).
He is 5-4 with a 2.78 ERA in 12 starts this year,
ranking fourth in ERA and fifth in strikeouts.
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Cha-Cha Rides A
Bike
BOSTON (May 18)
-- Orlando Cepeda snapped out of a 2-for-16 slump in style
today, going 6-for-7 and hitting for the cycle in a 17-inning
marathon. The feat was especially dramatic because the
cycle was completed with a game-winning home run in the 17th
inning that capped a 7-run comeback. Cha Cha tripled,
singled, and doubled by the sixth inning, the latter hit driving
in the Feds first run after the Barons had already plated seven
runs. He singled again in the 8th, walked in the 10th, hit
a third single in the 14th, and hit a solo shot off Terry Fox in
the 17th.
Cepeda is hitting .297-5-17 through 56 games, with a
career high .957 OPS.
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Clemente Hits in 25
Straight |
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W E S T
D I V I S I O N |
E A S T
D I V I S I O N |
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L E A D E R B O
A R D S |
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BATTING
AVERAGE |
HOME RUNS |
RBI |
VORP |
RUNS
/ GAME |
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Dick Howser, WAS |
.367 |
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*Ron Hunt, ATL |
.355 |
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Rod Carew, DAL |
.353 |
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Boog Powell, DAL |
.352 |
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*Rocky Bridges, CHI |
.351
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Rico Carty, MAN |
.345 |
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Roger Maris, STL |
.345 |
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*Curt Flood, CLE |
.333 |
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*Jim Fregosi, STL |
.332 |
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*Don Demeter, CHI |
.330 |
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Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
17 |
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Joe Adcock, CHI |
14 |
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Harm Killebrew, ATL |
14 |
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Mickey Mantle, BRO |
14 |
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Frank Robinson, LA |
14 |
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Don Demeter, CHI |
13 |
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Don Pavletich, ATL |
12 |
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*Roger Maris, STL |
11 |
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Willie McCovey, SF |
11 |
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Ron Hunt, ATL |
10 |
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*Boog Powell, DAL |
10 |
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Dick Stuart, WAS |
10 |
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Joe Adcock, CHI |
61 |
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Harm Killebrew, ATL |
52 |
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Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
51 |
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Ron Santo, WAS |
49 |
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Mickey Mantle, BRO |
45 |
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Bob Bailey, DAL |
44 |
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Dick Stuart, WAS |
42 |
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Don Demeter, CHI |
39 |
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Hank Aaron, LA |
37 |
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Bill Freehan, BOS |
36 |
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*Frank Robinson, LA |
36 |
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Dick Howser, WAS |
32.3 |
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Roger Maris, STL |
29.7 |
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Don Demeter, CHI |
27.1 |
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*Ron Hunt, ATL |
25.8 |
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Rod Carew, DAL |
25.2 |
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Bernie Allen, CLE |
25.2 |
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Boog Powell, DAL |
25.0 |
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Joe Adcock, CHI |
24.9 |
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Harm Killebrew, ATL |
24.2 |
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Mickey Mantle, BRO |
22.8 |
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WASHINGTON |
5.4 |
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ATLANTA |
5.1 |
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CHICAGO |
5.0 |
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LOS ANGELES |
5.1 |
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SAN FRANCISCO |
4.6 |
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BOSTON |
4.9 |
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BROOKLYN |
4.3 |
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ST. LOUIS |
4.6 |
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CLEVELAND |
4.7 |
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DALLAS |
4.3 |
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MANHATTAN |
4.1 |
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DETROIT |
4.0 |
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EARNED
RUN AVERAGE |
WINS |
STRIKEOUTS |
VORP |
RUNS
ALLOWED / GAME |
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Johnny Podres, CLE |
1.82 |
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*Rich Nye, DAL |
2.40 |
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Fergie Jenkins, SF |
2.67 |
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*Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
2.78 |
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Earl Francis, CLE |
2.79 |
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*Don Larsen, MAN |
2.82 |
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*Ken Holtzman, DAL |
2.99 |
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Pedro Ramos, DET |
3.01 |
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Fritz Peterson, LA |
3.02 |
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Mike Cuellar, BOS |
3.02 |
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Jim Palmer, ATL |
10 |
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Bill Singer, CHI |
10 |
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Earl Francis, CLE |
7 |
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*Ken Holtzman, DAL |
7 |
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*Dick Hughes, WAS |
7 |
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*Don Larsen, MAN |
7 |
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*Fritz Peterson, LA |
7 |
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*Herb Score, BOS |
7 |
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*Don Wilson, WAS |
7 |
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*Rick Wise, WAS |
7 |
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Whitey Ford, BRO |
100 |
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Bill Singer, CHI |
99 |
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Jim Palmer, ATL |
94 |
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Herb Score, BOS |
92 |
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Johnny Antonelli, LA |
89 |
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Johnny Podres, CLE |
84 |
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Fergie Jenkins, SF |
77 |
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Pedro Ramos, DET |
76 |
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*Johnny Kucks, BRO |
74 |
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Gene Conley, BRO |
73 |
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Johnny Podres, CLE |
33.5 |
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Fergie Jenkins, SF |
29.2 |
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Ken Holtzman, DAL |
24.8 |
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*Jim Palmer, ATL |
24.4 |
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Earl Francis, CLE |
24.0 |
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Mike Cuellar, BOS |
23.9 |
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Pedro Ramos, DET |
23.6 |
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*Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
22.1 |
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*Don Larsen, MAN |
21.4 |
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*Steve Carlton, ATL |
21.2 |
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CLEVELAND |
3.9 |
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CHICAGO |
4.4 |
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BROOKLYN |
4.4 |
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SAN FRANCISCO |
4.4 |
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LOS ANGELES |
4.5 |
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ATLANTA |
4.5 |
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ST. LOUIS |
4.6 |
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DALLAS |
4.7 |
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BOSTON |
4.8 |
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WASHINGTON |
4.9 |
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MANHATTAN |
5.2 |
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DETROIT |
5.2 |
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A W A R
D S & M I L E S T O N E S |
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Batter of the Month |
Pitcher of the Month |
Rookie
of the Month |
Milestones |
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APR
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Harmon
Killebrew, ATL |
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MAY
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Ron Hunt, ATL |
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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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Johnny Podres,
CLE |
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MAY
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Gene Conley, BRO |
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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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Rod Carew, DAL |
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MAY
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Rod Carew, DAL |
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JUN
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JUL
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AUG
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SEP |
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Johnny Antonelli, LA
280th win (May
30), #1 all time, surpasses Billy Pierce
Orlando Cepeda, BOS
6 hits in a game (May 18), #13 all-time, first since
4/1/64, first Goth-Fed
Hits for the cycle (May 18)
Roberto Clemente, DAL
25-game
hitting streak (Apr 10-May 18)
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Player of the Week |
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4/10
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Don Demeter, CHI |
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4/17
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Orlando Cepeda,
BOS |
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4/24
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Jim Fregosi, STL |
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5/1
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Rod Carew, DAL |
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5/8
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Lou Clinton, ATL |
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5/15 |
Ron Santo, WAS |
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5/22 |
Rod Carew, DAL |
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5/29 |
Ron Hunt, ATL |
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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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9/5 |
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9/12 |
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9/19 |
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9/26 |
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