Troubles abound as we lose our best hitter and then our best pitcher - each for a month or so - toward the end of the sectional. It would appear our depth is just about to be tested.
Even before the injuries, it feels like we're swimming upstream in a pool of quicksand. But, as they almost always do, the lads just chug along and by the end of May we are sitting at 29-22 and just a half-game off the lead in an incredibly bunched field.
Even though Maris is blossoming into the power hitter we know he is with 11 HR to his credit already, we are still struggling to score consistently. Slow starts from most of the group don't help one bit, but we do look on the way up in this regard. Alou, after finally getting the call-up when Arriba goes down, is still searching for his first big-league hit.
Not quite the ironclad BP of the past few seasons but, still, we're toward the top in almost every pitching stat cat once again. Jackson has taken another big stride forward and Friend continues to head in the right direction. Podres, however, has struggled to rediscover his form after the long injury layoff, and hopefully he can do so soon - especially now with
Patata out of action.
The Red Sox - led by Jackie Jensen, who seems to be enjoying top dog status with Teddy gone - are dominating the AL again and already look like they'll take some catching. The Yankees, despite Mantle's continued push toward immortality, sit at 18-27 - the worst record in all MLB. As I said, the NL is particularly tight and looks wide open this year.
Monthly Award Winners
April
American League
- Batter – Rocky Colavito (Athletics): 333 / 6 HR / 18 RBI
- Pitcher – Joe Nuxhall (Red Sox): 3-0 / 2.70 / 17 K / 30 IP
- Rookie – Bobby Locke (Orioles): 3-0 / 0.00 / 6 K / 7.2 IP
National League
- Batter – Eddie Mathews (Braves): 308 / 6 HR / 20 RBI
- Pitcher – Sandy Koufax (Dodgers): 3-1 / 1.48 / 37 K / 30.1 IP
- Rookie – Jim Perry (Redlegs): 2-1 / 2.35 / 10 K / 30.2 IP
May
American League
- Batter – Jackie Jensen (Red Sox): 381 / 9 HR / 37 RBI
- Pitcher – Frank Sullivan (Red Sox): 5-1 / 2.47 / 29 K / 51 IP
- Rookie – John Buzhardt (Senators): 3-2 / 3.53 / 15 K / 43.1 IP
National League
- Batter – Joe Adcock (Braves): 358 / 10 HR / 31 RBI
- Pitcher – Bob Turley (Giants): 6-0 / 3.71 / 29 K / 43.2 IP
- Rookie – Bob Gibson (Cardinals): 3-1 / 2.64 / 26 K / 47.2 IP
News and Leaders
Milestones and Observations of Note
- The Braves lose pitcher Jimmy Ochoa for 4 months or so with a torn labrum, while Cleveland 3B Rene Bertoia has his season derailed by a fractured knee.
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