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LEAGUE FILE (7/12) · CONTRACTS · INFO · HISTORY · FORUM
1966 · 2/28 · 3/1 · 4/1 · 4/16 · 5/1 · 5/16 · 6/1 · 6/16 · 7/1

1967 ALL-STAR GAME · BOX SCORE · GAME LOG
The Golden Freese
Augie 3-For-3 as East Wins 7-4
MANHATTAN (June 29) -- Cleveland first baseman Gene "Augie" Freese made the most of his first All-Star Game appearance, collecting three hits--a home run, a bunt single, and a double--and driving in four runs to lead the East Division to their first All-Star Game win in three years.  Freese, 33, a third round draft pick of the New York Gothams in 1955, opened the scoring in the top of the second (the hosting Easterners graciously let the West play as the home team) with a 380-foot blast of Tom Sturdivant after Mickey Mantle reached on a Lou Brock error and Orlando Cepeda singled.

The Westerners got back two runs off East starter Joey Jay in the third on a Rod Carew double and Frank Robinson single.  Carew, the only rookie in either starting lineup, was 2-for-5 on the day.  With rookie Los Angeles closer John Hiller on the hill in the fourth, Cepeda hit a solo homer, giving the East a 4-2 lead, and Floyd Robinson made it 5-2 with a two-out RBI groundout in the sixth, plating Joe Torre.  The West clawed a run back on Don Pavletich's solo shot off Boston's Twiggy Hartenstein, for a 5-3 East lead.  The clubs traded runs again in the eighth.  Freese hit an RBI double off Eddie Watt and Jimmie Hall hit a pinch home run off Dick Sisler. 

At 6-4 in the top of the ninth, Spider Paul Lindblad plunked Woodie Held, who went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on Mickey Mantle's infield single.  Boston closer Ray Narleski nearly let the West back in the game, allowing a hit and a walk to lead off the ninth, but induced a double-play ball from Wally Post and a Harmon Killebrew flyout to end the game.

Game notes:
-- Freese was 3-for-3, with a home run, double, bunt single, and walk, driving in four runs and scoring one.
-- Sturdivant was the losing pitcher, allowing three unearned runs on three hits in three innings.
-- Harmon Killebrew was 0-for-5 with a strikeout.  Ron Santo and Joe Torre were each 0-for-4.
-- West leadoff man Lou Brock was 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base, but was caught stealing and committed two errors
-- The East's win reverses a two-game losing streak and gives the Orientals a 3-2 all-time lead.

Qualls Graciously Accepts Credit
by Charlie Qualls
LOS ANGELES (July 1) -- “Since I moved my summer home to Brentwood, the club is much more relaxed,” he says, though he himself doesn’t seem very relaxed, “I think they can sense that whole Hollywood Vibe (He points to Santa Monica).  I thought about moving the team here once, but there are no lakes in Los Angeles.” It’s true, and there’s no confusion that his club is performing remarkably in his absence, even the fans have been paying attention. How happy were the 120,000 who witnessed the Monster Griffin series?  Almost fitting that it was the ‘Fax Machine’ that shut them down, ending the streak. Probably payback for all the crap Qualls has smeared on him over the years.

Say Hello (Again) To My Little Friend
After a disappointing, but heavily run supported April, and a Crapcake Faceplant Supreme (CFS) in May, Bob Friend was penned for two weeks.  “We could tell he had some thinking to do,”  said Bench Coach Ben Scosche, “He came back two weeks later saying he’d forgotten what he was supposed to be thinking about.  That’s when we knew he was ready to come back. And we didn’t have the heart to tell him it was because his girlfriend broke up with him.  Hey, Girl-Friend!  That’s pretty funny.”  Since his return, Friend’s been shootin’ at the walls of heartache with the pistol of an ace (3-2, 2.54).

Pitts Poor No More
Turns out the Maulers have been flexing some muscle in the International League. And look!  With rankings surprisingly similar to their Flagship counterparts – it’s like the nursery rhyme my invisible friend used to sing me to sleep:  “All Arms All The Time!  Bats?  We’ll Get To That.”  Lead by veteran IL’er Eli Grba, recent draftee Jim Hardin and last minute free agent gasp Jim O’Toole.  But they know to enjoy it while it lasts, the LeBaron is trolling for spare parts, the magic can be broken up at any time...

Holes Are For Pluggin’
After leading the UL in personal safety in ’66, the Barons suffer another offensive setback as Norm Siebern will spend the summer on his set back.  By random fluke, it seems Matty Alou may actually be able to help ease the suffering.  Jim Busby was brought in to repair and fill the cracked wooden shoes of Frank Thomas, then Sandy Amoros, and has come out kicking. Diamond Jim has already contributed to a huge Baron winning streak.
 

Superbas Win 9 Straight BROOKLYN (June 26) -- Ten days ago, the Brooklyn Superbas looked like a hollow shell of their former selves.  Whitey Ford was rapped for his third straight loss and left the game early, the once mighty Brooks lineup mustered only two runs, and most significantly, the club's losing streak extended to six games, the third such slump in the young season.  Brooklyn sat in last place, 13 games back, dead in the water.  But when the Bas finally won on June 16, it did more than merely end another loss streak.  In the contrary, their 12-0 drubbing of Chicago seems to gave reversed the team's fortunes, setting them on a nine-game winning streak, a patch of baseball notable for its utter dominance.  For the Bas didn't merely win nine games, they destroyed their opponents, outscoring them 82-19, an average winning margin of seven runs.  In short, the played like champions. -- Tim McCarver was 5-for-5 against Atlanta on June 21, and had 6 RBI against Dallas five days later. -- Dick Williams had six multi-hit games in seven days, hitting .464 and driving in 12 runs. -- Johnny Kucks, Jim Perry, and Sammy Ellis anchored shutouts in 12-0, 1-0, and 13-0 wins.      The streak lifted the Superbas to fourth place and halved their deficit to seven games behind Cleveland.  They face West champions Chicago nine times in July and Cleveland 12 times in August and September.

Contract Extensions ATL -- SP Steve Barber (1666/5) CHI -- SS Ernie Banks (5860/2) CHI --  C Buck Rodgers (720/3) CLE -- SP Johnny Podres (11750/2) CLE -- SP Earl Francis (3000/4) SF -- LF Lou Brock (6500/4) SF -- RF Billy Williams (6300/4) SF -- LF Rocky Colavito (4000/3) SF -- SP Rudy May (450/2) STL -- RF Roger Maris (8500/3)