The lads are trying hard but this looms as another underwhelming season with us mid-standings going into August at 50-53.
I have a half-hearted look at some form of Deadline trade, but we ain't got much to hock and I'm not sure what we need so it passes without activity on our part.
We do have one too many starting OFs, but that is more an offseason job as we need to ensure we get good returns from any player(s) we offload. Pops is the latest to go for an IL stint in a season that has been tough on us in this regard.
It's on me, the parlous state of our staff right now, and it's definitely lesson learned for yours truly. Failure to take some mild intermittent pain means a serious ailment will come for you eventually, as it has for us last season and this with our pitching.
It certainly looks set to be an eventful stretch run, with the top two teams in each division clear to a degree but certainly not out of reach of the trailing pack. In no way can either race be declared "head-to-head" just yet.
News, Leaders and Top 20s
Monthly Award Winners
June
American League
- Batter Mickey Mantle (Yankees): 264 / 12 HR / 22 RBI
- Pitcher Joe Sparma (Athletics): 5-1 / 1.58 / 35 K / 45.2 IP
- Rookie Jim Cosman (Athletics): 2-0 / 0.64 / 4 SV / 6 K / 14 IP
National League
- Batter Frank Robinson (Reds): 319 / 9 HR / 26 RBI
- Pitcher Jim Maloney (Reds): 6-0 / 1.46 / 40 K / 49.1 IP
- Rookie Jim Nash (Mets): 3-0 / 1.09 / 29 K / 41.1 IP
July
American League
- Batter Al Kaline (Detroit): 307 / 15 HR / 29 RBI
- Pitcher Tommy John (White Sox): 5-1 / 1.75 / 30 K / 51.1 IP
- Rookie Ron Reed (Senators): 3-0 / 3.26 / 27 K / 30.1 IP
National League
- Batter Billy Williams (Cubs): 374 / 9 HR / 27 RBI
- Pitcher Jim Merritt (Mets): 6-0 / 0.57 / 40 K / 47.2 IP
- Rookie Don Sutton (Dodgers): 3-2 / 1.57 / 45 K / 46 IP
Milestones and Observations of Note
- Harmon Killebrew belts his 300th career home run.
- While Sandy Koufax has cooled just a tad, he is still on track for the NL pitching Triple Crown, while Cub Billy Williams is there or thereabouts on the hitting side of things.
- The Indians lose ace Sam McDowell for the season (the game tried to end his career (BTW, anyone else seeing way too much of this in v24? Especially with Storylines OFF, its gotten a bit out of hand) to a UCL tear.
- And finally, a number of Deadline trades of note:
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