|
 Lefty-Led
Toppers Running Away
ATLANTA (Sept. 1) --
Rookie ace Steve "Lefty" Carlton was 6-0 in August, with a 1.95 ERA, leading the
surging Atlanta Hilltoppers to a comfortable 8.5-game lead atop the once tightly
contested West Division. The Toppers were locked in a three-way tie with
Chicago and Los Angeles in July, but have pulled ahead of their faltering and
injury-plagued divisional rivals. The race for the East Division crown, once
assumed to be Cleveland's, is now, surprisingly, the closer of the two pennant
races. The Washington Monuments continued to keep pace with the Barons, and are
within striking distance, 5.5 games back with 29 games to play. Elsewhere,
Detroit fell to the bottom of the East after being overtaken by the hot Boston
Federals and Manhattan Gray Sox.
Milestone Watch
Neither are likely to be broken this year, but early next season
both the 300-win mark and the 500-HR plateau are likely to be met.
Johnny Antonelli's recent run of wins has his just eight shy of 300
heading into September. Its not clear who Johnny A will be pitching
for next April, but the Outlaws have ruled out re-upping him for
budgetary reasons.
Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, who were both rookies in
the UL's inaugural year, 1951, are deadlocked with 489 home runs
each, setting up a scintillating race to 500. Mantle hit four
homers each in June, July, and August to catch Mays, while he has
been shelved with a torn ligament in his leg. Mantle overtook Mays
in hits this spring and became the first to reach 2,500 hits on July
13. Mantle is the all-time leader in games, at-bats, runs, hits,
RBIs, walks, and strikeouts, while Mays leads the career table in
total bases, triples, and stolen bases.
 Boston
Adds Big Bopper
BOSTON (Aug.
16) - The Boston Federals today made a major trade to improve both
their lineup and their bullpen, adding All-Star left-fielder Rocky
Colavito and reliever Grant Jackson from the San Francisco Spiders.
The Spiders received starting pitchers Herb Score and Jim Lonborg,
third baseman George Scott, and a couple of 1968 draft picks. GM
Shawn Martin introduced Colavito at a press conference at Fenway
Park, where the Federals will host Manhattan tonight.
"Rocky Colavito adds a dangerous #5 hitter to our
lineup, and provides Orlando Cepeda with some well-deserved
protection." Martin stated, "He seems to be recovered from his rib
injury, and we think that the Green Monster will be a welcome target
for his power."
Colavito, 33, is in his 11th season in the United
League, after being San Francisco's #2 pick back in 1956. He has
spent his entire career thus far with the Spiders, his best season
arguably being two years ago, when he batted .277 with 39 bombs,
producing an OPS of .917. He is known for a good eye, and being able
to work a pitcher into long counts.
Grant Jackson, 23, is a rookie after being selected in
the 2nd round by SF in last year's UL Draft. He has pitched well for
the Spiders, with a 2.81 ERA in 40 games relieving.
News and Notes - In a lesser move, Boston sent four players
to the Los Angeles Outlaws, in order to assist the Outlaws in
meeting their roster minimums. GM Martin remarked, "Hopefully the
gentleman in LA keeps this in mind if we end up in trade
negotiations in the future." Martin winked after this comment.
 Chicks
on Top
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
REVIEW
MEMPHIS
(Sept. 1) -- The Memphis Chicks claimed the inaugural American
Association championship with a thrilling 3-2 series win over the
Durham Tobaccanists. Ray Culp pitched a six-hit gem and Jim
Beauchamp, Hawk Taylor, and Gates Brown each homered for a 5-1
Memphis win in the decisive fifth game.
Memphis claimed the regular season pennant with the
deepest rotation in the four-team circuit. Joe Niekro led Memphis
to a 17-11 record with a 7-0 record and 1.18 ERA in 9 starts before
his mid-June call-up to Triple-A Denver. The Chicks were 13-13
after Niekro's departure and backed into first place. Niekro's
replacement atop the rotation, Phil Regan (10-5, 2.25), finished the
year as the circuit's only 10-game winner. The offense was the
league's best, scoring 236 (4.4 per game) and leading the league in
walks and slugging. Catcher Phil Roof was a standout, leading the
club in batting (.364), RBIs (37), and OPS (1.065).
Durham finished 16-10, including a scorching 10-4 July
that put them in second place for good, but game up one game short
after losses in their final two series at Memphis and Chattanooga.
The Tobacconists featured the league's top hitting tandem, catcher
Bill Tillman (.375-15-52, 1.143) and RF Billy Cowan (.337-12-51),
who were 1-2 in slugging, total bases, RBIs, and VORP.
The Chattanooga Lookouts pulled up in third place,
three games back. LF Willie Smith hit .319 and lead the league in
hits (74), but the league's worst bullpen (5.60) kept them out of
the playoff hunt. The New Orleans Pelicans stumbled to a 22-32
finish, a distant last, with the worst hitting and pitching, despite
the batting title of Marv Breeding (.388-4-33, 1.010) and the power
of CF Bill Robinson (.304-13-36, .937).
The league is clearly going through some growing pains,
with limited rosters filled out by "fakeys" (non-drafted players).
Hitting was particularly weak; the league batting average was just
.236 and league OPS just .634. Even the first-place Chicks had
three regulars below .150. On the other hand, the
three-games-a-week format facilitated three-man rotations, and even
the worst pitcher on the worst team (the Pelicans' "Fat Jack"
Fisher) managed an ERA under 4.00. Durham was the winner at the
turnstiles, drawing 93,941 fans, barely nosing the Chicks' 93,190.
The league has no plans to add teams until it features only drafted
players and at least 22 players per team. Birmingham, Alabama
narrowly missed out on a team and tops the list of future expansion
cities.
Whacked Out
Stats
by Charlie
Qualls
Homers Allowed Per Nine Innings
HR/9 (HR, IP)
The Cream:
Johnny Podres: 0.1 (2, 221)
Steve Barber: 0.2 (4, 214)
Joey Jay: 0.3 (6, 195)
The Crap:
Bob Friend: 1.7 (27, 141)
Sonny Siebert: 1.7 (31, 164)
Bob Gibson: 1.7 (31, 166)
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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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Steve Carlton
pitched a one-hit shutout of the Colts on Aug. 19, and Jim
Palmer blanked the Maroons on four hits on Aug. 25. The Toppers
are 10-5 in their last 15, 19-10 in August, and 36-18 since the
All-Star break.
|
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Los Angeles pitched
back-to-back shutouts Aug. 30-31. Hank Aguirre blanked
Manhattan with a four-hitter, striking out seven, and Johnny
Antonelli notched career win #292 and career shutout #52 with an
11-strikeout, five-hit gem. The wins kept Los Angeles' fading
pennant hopes alive, but only just. They are 8.5 games back and
won't get slugger Frank Robinson back for another two weeks.
|
 |
Chicago's run of
six straight West Division pennants is almost certainly at an
end, as the Colts' slim pennant hopes evaporated in the August
heat. The Colts continued to struggle against Atlanta and find
themselves 11.5 games back. Bill Singer pitched a one-hit
shutout of Dallas on Aug. 24, bolstering his case for Rookie of
the Year, and catcher Sammy Taylor was named Player of the Week
on Aug. 28.
|
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St. Louis lost
sophomore ace Don Sutton for the remainder of the year with a
torn back muscle on Aug. 19. |
 |
Dallas managed to
stay out of the cellar, playing .500 ball in their last 16
games. |
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San Francisco GM
Jeff Tonole could be excused for thinking the general health of
his club would improve with the departure of notoriously fragile
Rocky Colavito, who suffered three major injuries sidelining him
for two full years since 1963. But the baseball fates had other
ideas, as starter Fred Newman, the third overall pick in 1964,
suffered a career-ending torn back muscle on Aug. 25. Newman's
injury came two weeks after Fergie Jenkins suffered his second
tender elbow injury of the year.
|
|
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Cleveland won seven
of its last nine, including sweeps of Los Angeles and Detroit.
Don Larsen anchored a four-hit shutout of Brooklyn Aug. 31.
Larsen was 4-1 with a league-best 1.09 ERA in seven August
starts.
|
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Washington kept
pace with Cleveland. Dick Stuart hit a homer hat trick on Aug.
30 against St. Louis, swatting clouts off of three different
pitchers, including a two-run shot off veteran Don Mossi to
complete the deed. Stuart's was the first UL hat trick since
Joe Adcock's a year ago July, and the first by a Monument since
Johnny Romano in 1963.
|
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Brooklyn won 10 of
its last 14 games, but they probably are too far back for it to
make an impact on the pennant race.
|
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Gary Nolan threw a
one-hit shutout against Dallas on Aug. 28, but Boston's pitching
continues to struggle, with the 2nd worst ERA in the league.
Newly acquired Rocky Colavito hit .241-4-11 in his first 11
games as a Federal.
|
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Manhattan won 9 of
its last 15 games to climb out of the cellar. Joe Torre won
Batter of the Month for the second time this season, batting
.396-7-23, 1.121 OPS in 26 games.
|
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Detroit's Joey Jay
is finishing strong, despite his club's travails. The Griffins
occupy the cellar for the first time since June 1, but Jay has
won five of his last seven decisions, including a two-hit
shutout of Boston Aug. 31 that was Detroit's strongest pitching
performance of the year. The 32-year-old has emerged as the
Griffs' best pitcher this year, while ace Pedro Ramos is having
his worst season this decade (10-13, 3.38). The Cuban
right-hander, a 20-game winner in four of the last five seasons,
is in the final year of a $5.5 million/year contract. Frank
Howard won Player of the Week Aug. 21, hitting .429-4-13.
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L E A D E R B O
A R D S |
|
BATTING
AVERAGE |
HOME RUNS |
RBI |
VORP |
RUNS
/ GAME |
|
Dick Howser, WAS |
.383 |
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
.350 |
|
Mike de la Hoz, WAS |
.343 |
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
.342 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
.338 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
.336 |
|
*Ron Santo, WAS |
.330 |
|
Jim Fregosi, STL |
.329 |
|
Harvey Kuenn, LA |
.316 |
|
*Bob Clemente, CHI |
.316 |
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
.316 |
|
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|
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Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
35 |
|
Harm Killebrew, ATL |
30 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
29 |
|
Frank Robinson, LA |
28 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
27 |
|
Dick Stuart, WAS |
27 |
|
*Frank Howard, DET |
26 |
|
*Dick Allen, DET |
25 |
|
*Don Pavletich, ATL |
25 |
|
*Joe Torre, MAN |
25 |
|
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|
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Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
115 |
|
Harm Killebrew, ATL |
112 |
|
Dick Stuart, WAS |
112 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
107 |
|
Ron Santo, WAS |
97 |
|
Dick Allen, DET |
93 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
90 |
|
Frank Howard, DET |
90 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
87 |
|
*Joe Torre, MAN |
83 |
|
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|
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Dick Howser, WAS |
75.1 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
63.4 |
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
62.3 |
|
Ron Santo, WAS |
61.9 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
53.7 |
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
50.3 |
|
Frank Robinson, LA |
49.9 |
|
Don Demeter, CHI |
47.4 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
46.5 |
|
Mike de la Hoz, WAS |
44.5 |
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ATLANTA |
5.4 |
|
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WASHINGTON |
5.3 |
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LOS ANGELES |
5.1 |
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BROOKLYN |
4.8 |
|
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CHICAGO |
4.7 |
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BOSTON |
4.5 |
|
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MANHATTAN |
4.5 |
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ST. LOUIS |
4.3 |
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CLEVELAND |
4.2 |
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SAN FRANCISCO |
4.2 |
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DETROIT |
4.2 |
|
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DALLAS |
3.9 |
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EARNED
RUN AVERAGE |
WINS |
STRIKEOUTS |
VORP |
RUNS
ALLOWED / GAME |
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
1.55 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
2.22 |
|
Don Larsen, CLE |
2.57 |
|
Fritz Peterson, LA |
2.58 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
2.70 |
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
2.83 |
|
Joey Jay, DET |
2.99 |
|
*Steve Carlton, ATL |
3.03 |
|
Bob Shaw, STL |
3.07 |
|
Don Sutton, STL |
3.08 |
|
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|
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Steve Carlton, ATL |
19 |
|
Bill Singer, CHI |
18 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
17 |
|
Johnny Kucks, BRO |
17 |
|
Don Larsen, CLE |
16 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
15 |
|
Joey Jay, DET |
15 |
|
*Jim Palmer, ATL |
15 |
|
5 tied
with |
14 |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
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Johnny Antonelli, LA |
208 |
|
Whitey Ford, BRO |
207 |
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
202 |
|
Herb Score, BOS |
193 |
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
190 |
|
Johnny Kucks, BRO |
188 |
|
Bill Singer, CHI |
188 |
|
Pedro Ramos, DET |
181 |
|
Steve Carlton, ATL |
174 |
|
Fergie Jenkins, SF |
167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Johnny Podres, CLE |
85.2 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
66.0 |
|
Fritz Peterson, LA |
60.2 |
|
Steve Carlton, ATL |
59.9 |
|
Don Larsen, CLE |
56.7 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
56.2 |
|
Joey Jay, DET |
50.6 |
|
Steve Barber, ATL |
48.6 |
|
*Pedro Ramos, DET |
45.8 |
|
Bob Shaw, STL |
43.6 |
|
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CLEVELAND |
3.7 |
|
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LOS ANGELES |
4.0 |
|
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BROOKLYN |
4.2 |
|
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ATLANTA |
4.2 |
|
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CHICAGO |
4.3 |
|
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SAN FRANCISCO |
4.7 |
|
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DETROIT |
4.8 |
|
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DALLAS |
4.9 |
|
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MANHATTAN |
4.9 |
|
|
BOSTON |
5.0 |
|
|
ST. LOUIS |
5.0 |
|
|
WASHINGTON |
5.3 |
|
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A W A R
D S & M I L E S T O N E S |
|
Batter of the Month |
Pitcher of the Month |
Rookie
of the Month |
Milestones |
|
APR
|
Harmon
Killebrew, ATL |
|
MAY
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
|
JUN
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
|
JUL
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
|
AUG
|
Joe Torre, MAN
(2) |
|
SEP |
|
|
|
APR
|
Johnny Podres,
CLE |
|
MAY
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
|
JUN
|
Jim McGlothlin,
LA |
|
JUL
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
|
AUG
|
Steve Carlton,
ATL |
|
SEP |
|
|
|
APR
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
MAY
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
JUN
|
Jim McGlothlin,
LA |
|
JUL
|
Cesar Tovar, DET |
|
AUG
|
Steve Carlton,
ATL |
|
SEP |
|
|
|
Whitey Ford, BRO
250
wins (July 26), #5 all time
|
|
|
Player of the Week |
|
4/10
|
Don Demeter, CHI |
|
4/17
|
Orlando Cepeda,
BOS |
|
4/24
|
Jim Fregosi, STL |
|
5/1
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
5/8
|
Lou Clinton, ATL |
|
5/15 |
Ron Santo, WAS |
|
5/22 |
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
5/29 |
Ron Hunt, ATL |
|
6/5 |
Frank Robinson,
LA |
|
|
6/12
|
Lee Walls, DET |
|
6/19
|
Frank Robinson,
LA (2) |
|
6/26
|
Joe Torre,
MAN |
|
7/3
|
Jimmie Hall, MAN |
|
7/10
|
Mickey Mantle,
BRO |
|
7/17
|
Joe
Adcock, CHI |
|
7/24 |
Harm
Killebrew, ATL |
|
7/31 |
Joe Torre,
MAN (2) |
|
|
|
|
|
8/7 |
Ron Hunt, ATL
(2) |
|
8/14
|
Felix Mantilla,
LA |
|
8/21
|
Frank Howard,
DET |
|
8/28
|
Sammy Taylor,
CHI |
|
9/5 |
|
|
9/12 |
|
|
9/19 |
|
|
9/26 |
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