ALL-DECADE TEAM
Mantle Named Player of the Decade
NEW YORK (Jan. 1) -- The United League unveiled its All-Decade Team today, bestowing one of the circuit's top honors on 12 luminaries from the last 10 seasons.  Topping the list and singled out for special recognition was center fielder Mickey Mantle, who was award the Player of the Decade trophy.  Mantle was the league's most prolific batter the last 10 years, leading the league with six All-UL team nominations and 1,072 RBIs, and creating more runs than any other hitter.  Other All-Decade honorees include two-time MVP catcher Joe Torre, who compiled the highest batting (.334), on-base (.406), and slugging (.539) averages; left fielder Frank Robinson, the decade's home run champion (361), second baseman Dick Howser, who collected the most hits (1,7833), and first baseman Orlando Cepeda, who tallied the most total bases (3,063) and extra-bases hits (677) and was second in home runs and RBIs.  Felix Mantilla (third base), Ernie Banks (shortstop), and Roger Maris (right field) round out the illustrious lineup.  The top also-rans were Harmon Killebrew--who was 3rd in home runs and RBIs and had the most walks, but was edged out by Cepeda--and Hank Aaron, who had nearly identical numbers as Maris, whose five Gold Gloves put him over the top.
 
Podres Decade's Top Hurler
NEW YORK (Jan. 1) -- The best pitcher during the league's last 10 years was
Johnny Podres, the three-time Cy Young winner who notched a league-best 176 wins with Detroit, Manhattan, St. Louis, and Cleveland.  Podres won Cys in 1965, 1967, and 1969 and led the league in WHIP every year from 1965 to 1969.  Fellow three-time Cy winner Johnny Antonelli and Brooklyn ace Gene Conley joined Podres as starting pitchers on the All-Decade Team.  Antonelli was the circuit's top hurler in 1961, 1962, and 1966, and won 163 games with a 2.68 ERA.  Conley won 169 games and posted the best ERA (2.55) among pitchers with at least 50 wins.   Conley narrowly edged out teammate Lew Burdette, who led the league in complete games and shutouts but who had a half-point higher ERA and 100 fewer pitching runs.  Closer Ray Narleski was chosen as the lone reliever.  Narleski notched 187 saves and a 2.52 ERA, and though he never led the league in saves, he consistently ranked in the top 10 and ended the decade with the most pitching runs among relief pitchers.

Second Team All-Decade:  C Bill Freehan, 1B Harmon Killebrew, 2B Bernie Allen, 3B Ron Santo, SS Dick McAuliffe, LF Lou Brock, CF Don Demeter, RF Hank Aaron, SP Lew Burdette, SP Pedro Ramos, SP Whitey Ford, MR Russ Kemmerer.