FOUNDER'S CUP 1969
Griffins Seek Three-peat
BOSTON (July 7) -- The Detroit Griffins, the Founder's Cup's only two-time winners, are going for three, after defeating the St. Louis Maroons in a 10-8 slugfest to advance to the Semifinals.  Detroit won three straight games after losing its first game to Dallas, 4-3.  Froggy Hands and Bob Gibson threw gems in back-to-back 6-1 and 5-0 wins, and Vern Fuller and Dick Allen each drove in three runs in the semifinal-clinching win in game four.  Reggie Jackson hit five homers, driving in eight runs, in the three wins, running up his season total to 27 dingers.  Jackson is now on pace to nip Hank Aaron and Ernie Bank's record of 50 home runs.  Joey Jay (9-3, 2.41) is scheduled to pitch against Cleveland's Gene Conley (7-2, 2.35) in a battle of the 2nd and 3rd top ERAs.

Barons Unbeaten In Group Stage
BOSTON (July 7) -- The Cleveland Barons may be suffering their worst regular season in six years, but for the moment they are setting their sights on their first Founder's Cup trophy after sweeping through their Group 2 opposition with four straight wins.  Cleveland allowed just five runs in their four wins, behind pitching gems by Earl Francis, Don Larsen, Herb Score, and Johnny Podres.  Cleveland was the league's best pitching team in each of the last three seasons, but ranks just third in ERA this year, behind St. Louis and Atlanta.  However, Podres (1.95) and Conley (2.35) rank 1-2 in the league in ERA.
 

GROUP 1	GROUP 2
July 2 St. Louis 8, Boston 5 Johnny Romano and Jim Fregosi each homered and drove in four runs, as Ron Kline earned his 10th win. Dallas 4, Detroit 3 The Texas rallied from a 3-1 deficit with a two-run homer by Curt Blefary in the 4th and a game-winning solo shot by Boog Powell in the 8th. STL 1-0  DAL 1-0  SF 0-0  DET 0-1  BOS 0-1	July 2 Washington 5, Brooklyn 4 Ed Bailey doubled home Ken Boswell to break a tie game in the bottom of the ninth. Cleveland 2, Atlanta 1 Earl Francis out-duelled Steve Barber, as Bernie Allen's 8th inning sac fly broke a 1-1 tie. CLE 1-0  WAS 1-0  CHI 0-0  BRO 0-1  ATL 0-1
July 3 Boston 4, San Francisco 0 Chris Short pitched seven shutout innings and three relievers finished off the shutout.  Orlando Cepeda doubled and drove in two runs. Dallas 6, St. Louis 2 Dallas scored three in the first and chased Nolan Ryan in the fourth after Curt Blefary's two-run homer. DAL 2-0  STL 1-1  BOS 1-1  DET 0-1  SF 0-1	July 3 Cleveland 3, Brooklyn 2 Don Larsen pitched seven innings without an earned run and Bernie Allen drove in a pair of runs for the Barons' second straight one-run win. Chicago 7, Washington 1 Davey Johnson homered twice, driving in four runs to rout the Monuments. CLE 2-0  CHI 1-0  WAS 1-1  ATL 0-1  BRO 0-2
July 4 Dallas 7, Boston 0 Gaylord Perry went the distance for a six-hit shutout, Boog Powell homered, and Rod Carew drove in three runs, as the Texans clinched a spot in the final four. Detroit 6, San Francisco 1 Dick Allen's third inning grand slam blew open a 1-1 game and Froggy Hands shut down the Spiders with a seven-hit complete game. *DAL 3-0  DET 1-1  STL 1-1  BOS 1-2  SF 0-2	July 4 Cleveland 5, Washington 1 Herb Score anchored a gem and hit a single and and double, and Chuck Hinton was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Atlanta 4, Chicago 3, 11 inn. The Toppers scored two in the ninth to tie the game, and won it on Don Pavletich's 11th inning sac fly. CLE 3-0  ATL 1-1  CHI 1-1  WAS 1-2  BRO 0-2
July 5 Detroit 5, Boston 0 Bob Gibson allowed just four hits en route to his 12th career shutout, and Reggie Jackson homered twice, driving in four of Detroit's five runs. St. Louis 1, San Francisco 0, 11 inn. Luke Walker and three relievers shut out the Spiders for 11 innings before Reggie Smith singled home Joe Morgan for the game's only run in the top of the 11th. *DAL 3-0  DET 2-1  STL 2-1  BOS 1-3  SF 0-3	July 5 Brooklyn 2, Chicago 1 Sammy Ellis improved to 7-1 and Dick Kelley notched his league-leading 20th save.  Washington 5, Atlanta 3 Ed Bailey hit a two-run double in the seventh to break a 3-3 tie, and Don Drysdale allowed one earned run in seven innings and struck out seven. *CLE 3-0  WAS 2-2  BRO 1-2  ATL 1-2  CHI 1-2
July 6 Detroit 10, St. Louis 8 The Griffs qualified after outslugging St. Louis, as Reggie Jackson homered twice, and Dick Allen and Vern Fuller drove in three runs each. San Francisco 6, Dallas 3 Willie McCovey's two-run homer anchor a five-run fourth inning, as the Spiders got their first and only win by handing Dallas their first and only loss. *DAL 3-1  *DET 3-1  STL 2-2  BOS 1-3  SF 1-3	July 6 Cleveland 4, Chicago 1 Johnny Podres allowed just three hits in eight innings as the Barons rolled to their fourth straight win, allowing just five runs. Atlanta 8, Brooklyn 1 Steve Carlton pitched a seven-hitter, as the Toppers routed Brooklyn with five extra base hits, including a pair of Harmon Killebrew doubles. *CLE 4-0  *WAS 2-2  ATL 2-2  BRO 1-3  CHI 1-3