July 1, 1970
Code:
MATHEWSON W L PCT GB
Bethlehem 52 27 .658 --
York 44 35 .557 8.0
Reading 40 39 .506 12.0
Pottsville 38 41 .481 14.0
Lancaster 33 46 .418 19.0
Lewisburg 30 49 .380 22.0
WAGNER W L PCT GB
Washington 53 26 .671 --
Altoona 42 37 .532 11.0
State College 39 40 .494 14.0
Williamsport 37 42 .468 16.0
Johnstown 35 44 .443 18.0
Gettysburg 31 48 .392 22.0
I'll forgive any of you who root for teams other than the
Steelers or the
Generals for paying more attention to the individual accomplishments of your favorite players or the development of your team's young talent than you do to the standings right now. Only one team in the league is within ten games of the division lead, so a
Bethlehem-Washington rematch in the Governor's Cup Series looks like a decent bet.
The biggest story of what's turning out to be a very happy summer in Bethlehem has, once again, been provided by ace pitcher
Jack Parker. Jack lost to the
York White Roses on Opening Day, and he hasn't been vanquished since! He has seventeen straight victories to his credit, a Keystone League record. Not surprisingly, he leads both divisions in victories, with teammate
Donovan Wagner (14-3) his closest competitor.
Bethlehem fans have also applauded the emergence of
Eddie Reams. Scouts have always believed Reams would one day hit for real power, and this year he's beginning to deliver on that promise. His 12 first-half circuit clouts equal his career high for a full season. Not only is Eddie hitting for power, he leads the Matty loop with a .325 average, and he's getting on base 40 percent of the time.
Reams' numbers are reminiscent of a typical
Bradley Foster season, and that's exactly what Foster is delivering again this year, too. Foster's 322-14-58 line, bolstered by a .404 OBP and a .529 slugging percentage, once again ranks him as one of the most productive hitters in the league. For the first time, however, a few scouts have noted that Foster's bat is seeming to slow, and that he doesn't generate quite as much pop as he once did. Bradley is 37 years old now; are the rumors true, or will he continue to pound the ball in the second half of the season?
There appears to be little doubt that
Bryce Nicol's skills have begun to fade, however. The
Red Roses legend has struggled to keep his average north of .200, and he has hit only six home runs. It's unfair to blame the Reds' slow start on Nicol alone, however; none of his teammates are crushing the ball, either. The only regular player hitting over .260 is second baseman
Robert Whyte.
Andrew Crafts is hitting for power (16 home runs) but his "slash stats" have slipped to .242/.313/.480. Those aren't truly terrible, but they're not the marks you'd expect from a young star in his prime.
Unless the White Roses can cut into the Steelers' lead soon, their fans will have to content themselves with
Jerome Patel's quest for the Triple Crown. The Night Train leads both divisions with 23 home runs, trails Foster by one RBI, and ranks third in batting average at .315.
Over in the Wagner Division, the core of the
Washington Generals team that has dominated the league for several years now is still playing as well as ever. Putting on a Generals uniform appears to bring out the best in players who have been slow to develop their potential with other clubs. Take, for instance,
Bernard Sherrard, a former first overall draft pick who, at age 28, is finally establishing himself as a productive hitter (.280, 13 homers).
Other Wagner Division standouts include
Gerard Truman of
Williamsport, who continues to rip base hits like nobody else in the league (.355); hard-hitting backstops
Steven Davis of
Altoona and
Mike Naughton of
State College, who rank 1-2 in the division in OPS; and Naughton's fence-busting teammate
Danny Shaw, who has launched 19 home runs.