FIRINGS IN CHICAGO AND SACRAMENTO
Since and including the 2013 season, the Chicago Hitmen and the Sacramento Stingers have finished 1-2 in the Southern League East division 4 of 6 seasons. Three times, they finished within 2 games of each other. Last season, Sacramento won the division and Chicago finished third, but still only four games behind. Suffice it to say, these two have been rivals, in lockstep with each for years.
Apparently, they’ve taken that to a new level. Within two weeks of each other, Chicago and Sacramento fired their respective managers, as both teams struggle to right their respective ships in a division suddenly dominated by the upstate Indianapolis Engines.
On May 7, Chicago fired skipper Jack McKeon. Chicago had fired manager Bill McGunnigle – now the bench coach in Orlando – at the end of last season and inked McKeon to a 5-year deal. To eat four-plus years, particularly given the injuries that have beset the Hitmen in the early going this season, seems a major overreaction. But the Hitmen have replaced McKeon with Pants Rowland, only to go 7-10 since he’s taken over.
As for Sacramento, they fired longtime manager Bobby Cox on May 20. Cox, a two-time Manager of the Year who signed on with Sacramento prior to the 2013 season after leading the San Antonio Sheriffs for 3 ½ years, led Sacramento to four division titles in six seasons, and won a championship in 2013, his first season at the helm. But a 16-27 start this season spelled his end.
The story twists, however, with Cox’s replacement – Jack McKeon. The move should make for an interesting dynamic between these two clubs going forward.
ENGINES ROLL ON
First in runs and first in fewest runs allowed, the Indianapolis Engines kept their foot on the gas in May. Though their scoring pace slowed a bit, they still went 17-11 on the month and averaged 5 runs a game.
Despite a hairline fracture of his foot that has sidelined him the past two weeks, Stan Musial is still putting up stellar numbers, tied for second in the Northern League in RBI with 45 – joined by teammate Alan Trammell (.364-8-45). In fact, the Engines have 8 players with at least 20 RBI.
Lary Sorensen leads the pitching staff (7-3, 2.79), but key has been closed John Hiller, who in 12 appearances has 4 wins, 8 saves and a 0.85 ERA for the Engines, who already lead the division by 10 ½ games, a testament to the job done by manager Whitey Herzog.
SOUNDING THE BELL IN PHILLY
The reports of the Philadelphia Ringers’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, it seems. Despite the continued struggles of ace Ed Walsh (4-6, 6.35), the Ringers opened May on a 19-3 rampage before cooling off to drop 6 of their last 7. They still went 20-9 in May to surge back into contention after their 11-14 start. Key to the resurgence has been rightfielder Warren Cromartie (.315-6-44), who tied a PBL record by driving in 8 runs in a 16-1 pasting of Chicago on May 3.
Monte Irvin (.312-7-36) rattled off a 25-game hitting streak. On May 21 against Boston, Irvin went 0-for-2 before leaving the game with an elbow strain, ending his streak – the record remaining 34, set by Tim Raines.
While the starting pitching continues to scuffle, the bullpen has straightened out its mess. George Mogridge (2-1, 1.73) and closer Doug Corbett (5-0, 11 SV, 2.16 ERA) have been dominant. Mogridge is 2-1 with 2.05 ERA over his last 13 appearances, while Corbett became the rare reliever to be named Pitcher of the Month, posting a 1.04 ERA and picking up 10 saves in his last 17 appearances.
The steady and underrated Carl Furillo is batting .336 to lead the team.
NORTHERN LEAGUE NOTES
- Louisville’s Charlie Buffinton (7-4, 3.11) hurled what is, astonishingly, only the fifth no-hitter in PBL history. The 31-year-old righthander closed out May with a 4-strikeout, 1-walk effort in New York to silence the Heroes. Buffinton joins Dick Rudolph, Bob Shawkey, Bill Drake and Mike LaCoss as pitchers to accomplish the feat.
- For all the attention being given to Lou Gehrig, and deservedly so, Wichita’s own rookie first baseman is off to a fine start of his own. Bill Terry (.374-4-34) leads the Northern League in average and leads all of the PBL in hits, with 80.
- A bad start got worse in Milwaukee, where the Bangers lost All-Star third baseman Al Rosen for the season on May 12. Rosen tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and has since undergone season-ending surgery. The Bangers have started 19-36 and despite baseball’s number 2 bullpen – led by Bruce Sutter and Dave Righetti – never seem to have a lead to protect.
- In other injury news, former Sacramento Stingers All-Star Mark Mulder announced his retirement after suffering a series of setbacks trying to return from an elbow injury that cost him the entire 2018 season. Drafted by the Charlotte Cougars in the inaugural draft, Mulder rose to prominence after being traded to Sacramento in 2012. He won 19 games in 2013, then was asked to make the shift to closer, where he amassed 61 saves over three seasons before being moved back into the rotation in 2017 to go 14-4 with a 3.88 ERA and earn his only career All-Star appearance.
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?
It’s hard to argue with the Los Angeles Idols’ success over the past few years. Two PBL championships in three seasons is hard to argue with. But one must think it’s a struggle to keep all these strong players happy. Right now, the odd man out seems to be Jerry Turner. Ralph Kiner (.280-15-42) has locked down the permanent DH slot. Ty Cobb (.364-3-16) is back from injury, and back in rightfield. Oscar Charleston (.260-7-29) hit .290 in May and seems to be over his April slump, and holds down centerfield. And Dave Winfield, given an extension in spring training, mans left despite a slump (.246-8-32). And so Turner, who hit .314 last season in more than 400 at bats, is losing the fight for at bats.
For now, though, Turner is saying all the right things to keep from rocking a nicely cruising ship.
The captain of that ship, no disrespect intended to skipper Frank Selee, is Dan Brouthers. The leader continues to tear the cover off the ball (.329-17-56). On May 15 in a 22-5 drubbing of Oklahoma City, Brouthers went 5-for-6, scored six runs, hit two homers and drove in six runs as well. That display added to a month for the Idols that saw Luke Easter hit for the second cycle of the young season (Milwaukee’s Joe Tinker hit the first on April 26, an omission from last month’s update). The month also saw Charleston join Brouthers, Arizona’s Sam Thompson and Chicago’s Roger Connor in the 1,000 RBI club.
BAD PITCHING STINGS SCORPIONS
Their offense hasn’t been exceptional, but it’s the pitching that has seen the Oklahoma City Scorpions fall off the cliff and back into the cellar of the Southern League West.
While Walter Johnson (6-4, 3.93) and Britt Burns (2-6 despite a 2.92 ERA) have been solid, the team ERA now stands at 5.43, including a 6.57 from the bullpen. That, my friends, is how you put up a 9-20 month.
On the bright side, the combo of Mickey Mantle (.286-11-33) and Albert Pujols (.296-12-47) has been fun to watch early on.
VEGAS LIVES
The Las Vegas Bosses dipped below .500 with a 13-15 month, but are only 5 ½ games out 2 months into the season, something they would surely have signed up for before the year began.
Lou Gehrig continues to scald the baseball and bring fans to the park. But the team got tough news when they learned outfielder Gene Richards (.373-0-15) would be done for the season after breaking his forearm crashing into the fence. A sparkplug with Willie Wilson (.308, 25 SBs) atop the Vegas order, Richards’ absence will be felt in a big way. Bob Cerv will get the bulk of the at bats for now.
SOUTHERN LEAGUE NOTES
- The Alabama Airmen remain on top despite a surge by the St. Louis Tides in the Southern League East. A big part of that is Charley Jones’ continued performance. Jones (.300-18-49) joined the PBL’s 300-homer club on May 10. He and ace Mike Scott (7-2, 1.82) are the biggest reasons for Alabama’s strong start.
- An 11-18 month has put Orlando Orcas manager Bill McKechnie on the hot seat. Rusty Staub is coming around (.271-8-28), but the league’s worst offense continues to sputter. Maybe platooning Ernie Banks instead of playing him every day is contributing to that. That falls on McKechnie.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH
NORTHERN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE MONTH: Tank Carr, Milwaukee Bangers
NORTHERN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Doug Corbett, Philadelphia Ringers
NORTHERN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Bill Terry, Wichita Brigade
SOUTHERN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE MONTH: Willie Stargell, Memphis Strummers
SOUTHERN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Mike Scott, Alabama Airmen
SOUTHERN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE MONTH: Lou Gehrig, Las Vegas Bosses
| Northern League Standings |
| East | W | L | PCT | GB |
| New York Heroes | 36 | 19 | .655 | - |
| Philadelphia Ringers | 31
| 23
| .574 | 4.5 |
Louisville Racers
| 31
| 24
| .564 | 5.0 |
| Charlotte Cougars | 27
| 27
| .500 | 9.5 |
Boston Riders
| 26
| 28
| .481 | 10.5 |
| West | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Indianapolis Engines | 35
| 19
| .648 | - |
| Wichita Brigade | 24
| 29
| .453 | 9.5 |
| Sacramento Stingers | 21
| 33 | .389 | 14.0 |
| Chicago Hitmen | 20
| 34
| .370 | 15.0 |
| Milwaukee Bangers | 19
| 35
| .351 | 16.0 |
| Southern League Standings |
| East | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Alabama Airmen | 32
| 22
| .593 | - |
| St. Louis Tides | 30
| 24
| .556 | 2.0 |
| New Orleans Knights | 26
| 29
| .473 | 6.5 |
| Memphis Strummers | 24
| 30
| .444 | 8.0 |
| Orlando Orcas | 21
| 34
| .382 | 11.5 |
| West | W | L | PCT | GB |
| Los Angeles Idols | 32
| 23
| .582 | - |
| San Antonio Sheriffs | 29
| 24
| .547 | 2.0
|
| Arizona Sandmen | 29
| 25
| .537 | 2.5
|
| Las Vegas Bosses | 26
| 28
| .481 | 5.5 |
| Oklahoma City Scorpions | 23 | 31
| .426 | 8.5
|