Standings / Recap / Comments
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A little more than a month in now, we're beginning to see some storylines emerge. First and foremost are the Boston Red Sox doing exactly what everyone thought they'd do after a huge off-season. They're leading the AL in batting average and fewest opponents' runs allowed and it's easy to see why they also have the best record in baseball. Too bad for the Senators, there, although they've also lost 4 out of their last 5 this past week. Cleveland right now is in a strange place at the bottom of the division, although I guess TBF they started slow last year too. Weirdly, what's doing them in this year is some really bad starts by 22 game winner Josh Matthews (1-6, 4.43) and 19 game winner Andy Lagunas (1-5, 5.91). You have to think they'll turn things around but it's been bad.
Meanwhile in the West the Twins, with reigning MVP Mike Brookes (.258, 2, 7) still a week away from returning, are struggling to win half their games. That's led to, at least for the time being, a competition between the league's two California teams for first place. Oakland's hopes ride on 3B Chase Jones (.275, 6, 15) consolidating a hot start into a career year and top-rated catching prospect Josh Lewis (.265, 0, 10) hitting the way he hit in AAA last year (.362, 13, 62 at Iowa). The Angels have an offense built on speed and hitting that's leading the AL in runs scored in spite of early slumps by LF Nelson Vargas (.202, 1, 11) and RF Barney Leriche (.169, 0, 6), and a pitching staff that should be better than it's been so far (8th in the AL in runs allowed).
Over to the Senior Circuit... the Cardinals seem intent on proving that they're not dead yet in spite of looking like they should be headed into rebuilding mode last year. New acquisition LF Rafael Disla (.307, 1, 10) hasn't quite been as clutch as the team had hoped but they're confident that'll come along, as will the power hitting of 1B Lorenzo Martinez (.211, 1, 8), who hasn't homered since April 12th. If they slip, the 1969 World Champion New York Mets are nipping at their heels thanks to a top-ranked pitching staff that's led by the fireballing Ernesto Carillo (4-1, 3.03, 52 Ks - 2nd in the NL) and stopper Geoff Saus (2-1, 2.08, 3 Sv). Also, don't count the Cubs out so long as they have the services of 1B Antonio Lopez (.304, 12, 31). Wrigley is playing like Wrigley this year but Lopez is playing... well, like Lopez.
The Astros are lapping the West in the early going. They're somehow 3rd in the NL in HRs in spite of the Astrodome and are being led by RF Jaden Weaver (.277, 11, 26), who keeps flirting with being on pace to break Lorenzo Martinez' all-time record of 65 in a year. It doesn't seem possible but Weaver is pretty good. They're up where they are in large part because the Reds have not been able to cope with the loss of 40 HR guy Justin Weaver, who isn't expected to make his 1971 debut until August. Steve Waiters (6-3, 1.67, 54 Ks to lead the league) is carrying the team on his back but there's only so much he can do. Of course, Atlanta, too, is right up there, taking full advantage of the Launching Pad. RF Henry Riggs (.287, 10, 26) is putting on his own show and is just 10 dingers away from 500.
Code:
AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS
East W L PCT GB
Boston Red Sox 19 8 .704 -
Washington Senators 16 13 .552 4.0
Baltimore Orioles 13 14 .481 6.0
New York Yankees 13 14 .481 6.0
Detroit Tigers 13 14 .481 6.0
Cleveland Indians 11 17 .393 8.5
West W L PCT GB
Oakland Athletics 20 12 .625 -
California Angels 19 12 .613 .5
Minnesota Twins 14 16 .467 5.0
Kansas City Royals 13 16 .448 5.5
Milwaukee Brewers 10 17 .370 7.5
Chicago White Sox 10 18 .357 8.0
Code:
NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
East W L PCT GB
St. Louis Cardinals 18 12 .600 -
New York Mets 15 11 .577 1.0
Philadelphia Phillies 14 12 .538 2.0
Chicago Cubs 14 15 .483 3.5
Pittsburgh Pirates 14 15 .483 3.5
Montreal Expos 6 15 .286 7.5
West W L PCT GB
Houston Astros 20 9 .690 -
Atlanta Braves 19 11 .633 1.5
Los Angeles Dodgers 16 16 .500 5.5
Cincinnati Reds 13 15 .464 6.5
San Diego Padres 12 17 .414 8.0
San Francisco Giants 9 22 .290 12.0
Major Transactions
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May 8: The A's traded C Jonathan Escobar (.180, 1, 4), RP Jake Duckett (1-1, 1.20, 3 Sv), 1B David Decker (.200, 3, 9), and $7,500 to the Senators for CL Willis Chavez (1-0, 0.00, 3 Sv) and 1B Jon Skelton (.364, 0, 1). Two 40+ first basemen switch teams in this pretty big trade, the key point of which is to completely free up the catcher position for Josh Lewis (.263, 0, 10). The A's also acquire a proven stopper in Willis Chavez, who will end the "by committee" approach they were running thus far this year.
May 8: The Reds trade CF prospect Russ Deuser (.282, 2, 5 in AAA Indianapolis) to Cleveland for OF Nick Miller (,278, 0, 2). Cleveland's pitching has been atrocious and Deuser seems like a guy who could improve their defense immediately. They send off Miller, who's not exactly an old guy himself, who can be a primary pinch-hitting option for Cincy.
News
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May 3: Arsenal wins the English League First Division championship a the home of intercity rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Back when Arsenal was a perennial winner, I guess?
May 3: A poll published by Harris finds that 60% of Americans are against the Vietnam War.
May 3: Massive anti-war protests in Washington, DC result in as many as 12,000 people getting arrested.
May 3: A's RF Richard Berman (.286, 1, 11) pulled out of a season-beginning slump last week to earn the Player of the Week. He went 15 for 31 with 8 of his 11 RBIs and 100% of all of his HRs last week. Berman's 25 and just became a full-time starters last year so this is his first such award.
May 3: Speaking of guys breaking out of a big slump to win the PotW, Cubs SS Jeremy Taylor (.272, 6, 16) looked like the cleanup man that he is with a 10-19 week with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs. Taylor also won the award in June of 1969. The Cubs aren't up to snuff early on but it's all based on some bad, bad pitching (and, to be fair, Wrigley is playing like classic Wrigley this year).
May 4: The author's father turns 23. NGL I strongly considered putting Dad in the game but even I have limits; also, he passed away 13 years ago and I don't really want to feel sad playing the game.
May 4: Veteran Phillies C Lee Citro (.000, 0, 0), a former starter in St. Louis, is unhappy with his backup role (only 7 at-bats so far in 1971) and has demanded a trade. He's kind of a clubhouse lawyer - not a great trait for a catcher - so it's unsurprising, I guess. I don't see him passing Sam Rahn (.263, 2, 8) but the Phillies do need backup catching, so I can't just release him outright... yet.
May 4: Montreal is missing *another* game today, which, given that it's their 2nd straight day off, has to be a rainout. They've played just 16 games when there are other teams already a sixth of the way through their schedule (well, 26 games is the high but close enough and also there was a weekend-long strike this season). Looking ahead, they have *another* two straight games off next week and then their next off-day is June 3. Enjoy it while it lasts, les Expeaux!
Man... they play 32(!) games in June (doubleheaders), get a single off-day outside of the All-Star Break in July and play 33 games that month (6 more twinbills) before things get a bit quieter (and also I think the weekend strike is the last week of August but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it).
May 5: The US dollar floods the European currency markets and in particular the Deutche Mark. I have no idea what precipitated this but apparently the world of 1971 was slightly different from today's.
May 5: Cardinals SP Vince Bachler (2-1, 4.22) got a late diagnosis of a blister on his finger. How does that take an extra day to diagnose?
May 5: Giants SP Mike Stuckey (4-2, 2.66) threw 202 pitches in a 3-1 11 inning loss to the Pirates. I try not to look at pitch count at all and judge pulling pitchers based on the score and situation, their history (and if they're, say, the staff ace), and then I might re-evaluate if they gave up a couple long hits in a row. In this case, I hate to say it but I think the real-life Giants might have done what I did here - Stuckey's the staff ace, it was 1-1 through 9, and the Giants have been ungodly bad in the first month plus. Stuckey still has half of his team's 8 wins.
May 6: Commissioner Bowie Kuhn signs a $72 million TV deal with NBC. At 4 years and with 24 teams in the league, that works out to $750k per team per season, which in game terms is more than 3x the current national media contract payout. After going in and updating the national media budget for every team, it looks like this should put everyone either in the black or close to it by the end of the year.
May 6: I don't to go so far as to start looking up the top 5 HIT SONGS for each week (or maybe I do?) but one HIT SONG from 1971 was JEREMIAH WAS A BULLFROG HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE I NEVER UNDERSTOOD A SINGLE WORD HE SAID BUT I HELPED HIM DRINK HIS WINE sir why are you a. talking to a bullfrog and b. lamenting that you can't understand him?
May 6: Also apparently Tapestry, on my short list of best pop albums of all time, came out in 1971. Yes, I am listening to the "top 100 songs of 1971" as I'm playing out this week. Why do you ask?
May 6: Also, "One Bad Apple" by the frigging Osmonds... slaps, people. It really and truly slaps. My whole worldview is shaken right now.
May 6: Big blow in Montreal as Astros 1B Justin Richens (.276, 4, 18) broke his thumb being hit by a pitch. He'll miss the next month and a half. For now, utility man Masanori Hattori (.154, 0, 1) will take over but the 'Stros hope this won't be a lingering injury.
May 7: Astros RF Jaden Weaver (.287, 11, 26) belted his 11th homerun of the year in a 4-1 loss to the Phillies. He's now, unbelievably, on pace to break the record Lorenzo Martinez set in 1962 with the Cardinals. "Quit trying to harsh my buzz, man," a distracted Weaver said after the game. "It'd be groovy if we won the game though."
May 8: Angels SP Andy Ring (4-1, 2.33) has been laid up with a hamstring strain since April 29 and now it's gone into intederminate return status. As such, he's getting goin' on the DL. With 1970 12-game winner Jordan Irons (no line in 1971) due to come back within a week from an injury he suffered in spring training, I'll leave the staff as-is for now.
May 8: As if things weren't bad enough for the Giants, RF Barry Cooper (.231, 1, 5) suffered a sports hernia trying to take an extra base on a hit and will be oyt until mid to late June. Cooper had been struggling this year after hitting .311 or better in each of his first four seasons but was showing signs of putting things back together in batting practice. SF also lost this game 1-0, leaving starter Robert Rivera (0-6, 2.74) out to dry for his 5th tough loss (that's a quality start where the pitcher loses the game) of the year.
May 9: Arsenal FC beats Liverpool 2-1 to win the English FA cup and award Arsenal with a double.
May 9: The same day they officially placed Cooper on the DL, the Giants also learned that 1B John Everhart (.138, 1, 5) will in fact miss the rest of May with chronic back soreness. This seems like a "we're going to give you 3 weeks to get right" injury to me and why not? The Giants are 8-21.
May 9 GAME OF THE WEEK: Washington faces Minnesota in a battle between a team on the way up and one on the way down. Today though, 1970 AL Cy Young Award winner Angelo Ramos (3-4, 3.67) outdueled the Senators' Kevin Freeman (1-4, 3.26) 4-3 thanks to an 8th inning sacrifice fly by 3B Jeff Franks (.316, 1, 9) (pictured).
May 9: Welp, call the season over for the Giants, as CF Danny "The Phantom" Seligman (.297, 2, 11) strained his knee running the bases in today's 1-0 victory over the Braves and will be out for the next 5-6 weeks. Who will replace him? At this point, does it matter?
May 9: The San Francisco injury bug extended to the opponent for the 2nd game of a double-header, as 2B Kevin Dwyer (.331, 5, 21) went down with a concussion that will take him out for the next month. The normally durable Dwyer missed a grand total of 28 games over the past 2 years cominbined; he's a safe bet to miss at least that many in 1971.
Teams in Review
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May 8: San Francisco (8-20, 6th NL West) is the first team I get to take a look at this year due to being all kinds of horrible.
Pitching: Hey, these guys are bad so I don't feel terrible making big moves so early. Well, okay, not the HUGEST of moves but Randy Nixon (0-3, 5.08) has been pretty bad since winning a rotation job out of spring training so he's getting sent down. I'll promote Andy Cummings (0-1, 3.09) from middle relief to take his place and restock the bullpen a bit with minor league help. For NOW I'll keep Henry Roman (0-0, 8.64) in there as the situational lefty but he seems to get lit up every game I put him out there.
Lineup: Speaking of guys who won the job out of spring training, Felipe Ronchetti (.120, 0, 1) hasn't coe close to hitting. He was already demoted to backing up Chris Campbell (.176, 0, 4) and now I think it's best he gets seasoning in the minors. Former Atlanta backstop Pat Molina will play in his 16th season when he debuts; he has nothing left defensively but perhaps he can teach this pitching staff a thing or two.
1B John Everhart (.138, 1, 5) is down with an as-yet-unknown injury but was just plain terrible before then; I have Chris Seek (.348, 0, 5) starting in his place and that situation might continue even if Everhart's injury turns out to not be so bad. Everhart is practically the only guy on this team who hits for power so needless to say that the Giants were expecting a lot out of him.
There are, frankly, a lot of other... opportunites as well but I'll hold off until this team loses its 40th some time in early June (my guess).