Big Shake By The Lake
by Charlie Qualls
“… I guess I was one of the select few who watched the moon landing on TV, but  I started thinking about those computers they got over at NASA. When just a part of one fails, they do this thing called a reboot. It sounded like fun.”
     He hasn’t stopped talking for forty minutes, and so far I’ve only asked one question: “How’s it going?” In hindsight, I suppose it was a pretty loaded question. But I was surprised to see the man wasn’t loaded for once. Most of what he was saying was almost making sense.
     Charlie Qualls is fresh off dismantling one of the city of Cleveland’s most prized possessions: The ENTIRE five-man Barons rotation. Once dubbed “The Five Aces,” the hottest rotation going is now gone.  Current ERA and win leader Johnny Podres is on pace to contend for his third Cy Young Award in five seasons. Gone. Hot on his heels is ace number two Gene Conley, who looked like he was finally getting comfortable in the Brown and Beige, showing the kind of lights out stuff he’s famous for. Gone. Don Larsen is as solid a number four starter as any. Gone. Failed experiment Herb Score, who got off to a horrible start in 1969, was finally starting to come around. Gone. Even spot-starter Larry Jaster is out.
     Most shocking, however, were the trades of homegrown hero, Earl Francis and prized slugger Bernie Allen. Francis is famous locally for being chosen late in the third round of the 1960 rookie draft and after a short stint in the minors, hit the ground running in 1962 and has been the team’s workhorse ever since. Francis, who’s shown ace-like ability, even took less-than-market value pay to stay in Cleveland. Allen, considered one of the UL’s finest, has been at the core of the Barons offense and defense since being traded from the Louisville Colonels in 1964. I eventually got around to asking Qualls about these two. “They’ll be in good hands in Atlanta,” he starts, vaguely convincingly, “Franny will get something we couldn’t give him: run support. And Bernie’s going to explode in an offense where he can’t be pitched around.” Tell it to the fans.
     Looking more closely at this shocking series of last minute trades, there is logic to Ballsie’s “why wait?” mentality. Time seemed to be running out for the two-time East Division champs. With the rise of the Gray Sox and the continued peskiness of the Superbas, it looked like there was nowhere to go but down for the Barons. They had put together a winning squad, built around starting pitching and defense. Eventually, however, money got tight and cutbacks had to be made. The offense, defense and bullpen suffered. Not only that, but age was starting to become a factor in the rotation; with the starters’ ages ranging from 34-40, it was time to bring in some young blood. Three new additions in particular seem to have piqued the fans interest. Starter Jim Palmer was an instant hit, slugger Bill Robinson brings legitimate power, and some are looking to Sal Bando to be the second coming of Eddie Mathews. Also gone for the time being is the stretched salary cap, leaving the Barons plenty of off-season wiggle room.
  One big issue the fans have is with all the 1971 draft picks acquired. “Yeah, I hate waiting too,” said Qualls, “but it was all about maximum value, and it’ll be fun to actually get to participate in a draft for the first time in five seasons.” His draft acumen will be closely scrutinized as Qualls on many occasions has spoken out against the “accumulation of draft picks” strategy. Fans hope he’s up to the challenge.
  There’s no telling how the front office has prepared for the backlash from the fans, but Qualls seems content that he’ll get the team back to prominence in the division. Initially famous for his “pitching first and band-aid the rest” management style, Qualls will now turn his focus to building something Cleveland fans haven’t seen: a franchise that’s made to last.
  Given Qualls’ past, I felt obligated to ask if this had all been a publicity stunt. His response: “If I did it right.”
 
Big Apple Pennant Race
Superbas Overtake Sox
BROOKLYN (Aug. 16) -- The Brooklyn Superbas took four of six games against their cross rivals to claim first place in the East Division.  The Bas sat 7.5 games behind in fourth place on May 16, but are 44-30 since then and have engaged the Manhattan Gray Sox in the first Big Apple pennant race in league history.  Brooklyn beat the Sox three straight times:  Bob Friend tossed a 4-1 gem and Woodie Fryman anchored a three-hit shutout (with Zoilo Versalles getting all three hits) in a 9-0 rout.  Manhattan then won the next two games at Yankee Stadium 3-2 and 3-0 on Willie Stargell's eighth inning solo homer and Phil Niekro's four-hit shutout.  But the Bas touched Manhattan Bob Anderson for six runs in 5+ innings en route to a 10-5 win in the sixth and final game, which put Brooklyn a game ahead in the standings.

Brooklyn boasts the league's second best offense, led by 36-year-old Mickey Mantle (.322-19-81, .887 OPS), shortstop Dick McAuliffe (.298-20-74, .879) and Hank Aaron (.293-17-78).  The club has benefitted from a few surprises as well.  For example, second-year right fielder Ollie Brown, who hit just .242-6-16 in 211 at-bats last season, is eighth in the league in batting and fourth on the team in RBIs; and left fielder Willie Horton is putting up career numbers (.306-13-40, .858 OPS in 71 games). 

The pitching has been middle of the road, but good enough to keep winning.  The club ranks 7th in ERA, and the rotation has no real standouts, but already has four 10-game winners.  Bob Friend (12-9, 3.43) leds the club in wins and has a league-leading 183 strikeouts, but 29-year-old southpaw Woodie Fryman (10-6, 3.10) leads the staff in ERA and WHIP.  Joe Coleman and Johnny Kucks are both 10-10 at the bottom of the rotation, and #3 starter Sammy Ellis (9-2, 3.84) is just one win shy of giving Brooklyn five 10-game winners.  The bullpen has been outstanding, especially rookie closer Dan McGann, a second round draft pick who has a 4-0 record and 7 saves to go with a 2.33 ERA in 32 games.

Pinson Hits Homer Hat Trick
MANHATTAN (Aug. 10) -- Manhattan center fielder Vada Pinson, one of the key cogs in the Gray Sox' championship run last year, hit the first home run hat trick in two years today, belting two clouts off Boston starter Gene Brabender and another off Grant Jackson.  Pinson's was the first hat trick since Washington's Dick Stuart on Aug. 30, 1967, the first by a Gray Sock, and the first by a leadoff hitter.  Pinson, 31, is hitting .274-13-50 and 49 stolen bases in 113 games.  He had gone homerless in 17 games after hitting career home run #150 in Washington on July 20.

Maroons Maintain Margin over Toppers
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 16) -- St. Louis won four of seven games against Atlanta in a weeklong home and away series between the top two teams in the West during the first week of August.
 
Aug. 1: STL 3-1 -- Luke Walker and three relievers held the Toppers to a single run, and Jimmie Hall homered, then left the game with a sore arm.
Aug. 2: ATL 4-2 -- Rookie catcher Ed Herrmann drove in three runs, Steve Barber allowed just four hits, and Don Gross gave up a run but still notched his 14th save.
Aug. 3: STL 9-8 (10)-- Lee Walls tied the game in the ninth with an RBI single, but Granny Hamner drove in Joe Morgan for the game-winner in the tenth.
Aug. 4: ATL 1-0 -- Ron Kline's five one-hit innings went for naught, as Steve Carlton and a bullpen quartet shut out the Dark Reds 1-0.
Aug. 5: STL 5-0 -- Bob Shaw anchored a combined 7-hit shutout, as Joe Morgan hit 3-for-5 with a homer and 2 RBI.
Aug. 6: STL 4-2 -- Wes Covington's two-run double keyed a three-run first inning that was enough for Luke Walker and Co., as Earl Francis lost to STL for the second time in two ATL starts.
Aug. 7: ATL 3-2 (10) -- Another nailbiter, as Joe Morgan's two-run homer off Frank Linzy tied the game in the ninth, but Luis Aparicio won it with a sac fly in the 10th.