June 28th- July 4th, 1971
This Weeks Top Performers
Cincinnati Reds 1B
Lee May goes 4 for 10 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs in a doubleheader sweep of the Expos. The 28 year old is now hitting .225 with 13 HRs and 37 RBIs in 71 games. Last season, May hit 253 with 34 HRs and 94 RBIs in 153 games for the Reds.
San Francisco Giants CF
Willie Mays goes 5 for 6 with 4 RBIs in a 12-5 win over the Padres. The 40 year old is hitting .303 with 3 HRs and 27 RBIs in 71 games. Last year, Mays hit .291 with 28 HRs and 83 RBIs in 139 games for the Giants.
Baltimore Orioles LF
Merv Rettenmund was 5 for 9 with a HR and 3 RBIs in a doubleheader split with the Indians. The 28 year old is hitting .348 with 10 HRs and 29 RBIs in 69 games. Last season, Rettenmund hit .322 with 18 HRs and 58 RBIs in 106 games with the Orioles.
Milwaukee Brewers SP
Marty Pappin allowed 5 hits and struck out 9 in a complete game 2-0 win over the White Sox. The 28 year old is 6-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 18 starts. Last year, Pappin was 14-12 with a 3.39 ERA in 37 games including 29 starts for the Brewers.
New York Mets SP
Charlie Williams allowed 1 hit and struck out 2 in a complete game 6-0 win over the Braves. The 23 year old is 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 5 starts. This is Williams rookie season with the Mets and was ranked the #86 prospect in the MLB in April 1971.
Houston Astros SP
Don Wilson allowed 4 hits and struck out 12 in a complete game 5-0 win over the Reds. The 26 year is 6-7 with a 2.26 ERA in 18 starts. Last season, Wilson was 11-6 with a 3.91 ERA in 29 games including 27 starts for the Astros.
Houston Astros SP
Ken Forsch allowed 3 hits and struck out 8 in a complete game 5-0 win over the Reds. The 24 year old Forsch is 4-3 with 1 save, a 3.03 ERA in 11 games including 7 starts. Last year, in Forsch's rookie season he was 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 4 starts for the Astros.
Los Angeles Dodgers SS
Maury Wills has his hitting streak snapped at 28 games in a 3-2 win over the Padres. The 38 year old is hitting .293 with 0 HRs and 28 RBIs in 75 games. Last season, Wills hit .270 with 0 HRs and 34 RBIs in 132 games for the Dodgers.
Baltimore Orioles LF
Don Buford was named the AL Player of the Month. The 34 year old is hitting .269 with 8 HRs and 35 RBIs in 67 games. Last year, Buford hit .272 with 17 HRs and 66 RBIs in 144 games for the Orioles.
San Francisco Giants RF
Bobby Bonds was named the NL Player of the Month. The 25 year old is hitting .305 with 12 HRs and 49 RBIs in 80 games. Last season, Bonds hit .302 with 26 HRs and 78 RBIs in 157 games for the Giants.
Detroit Tigers SP
Les Cain was named the AL Pitcher of the Month. The 23 year old is 8-1 with a 1.36 ERA in 12 games including 10 starts. Last year, Cain was 12-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 29 starts for the Tigers.
San Francisco Giants SP
Gaylord Perry was named the NL Pitcher of the Month. The 32 year old is 10-5 with a 0.99 ERA in 18 starts. Last season, Perry led the league in wins while going 23-13 with a 3.20 ERA in a league leading 41 starts for the Giants.
Cleveland Indians 1B
Chris Chambliss was named the AL Rookie of the Month. The 22 year old is hitting .240 with 2 HRs and 19 RBIs in 60 games. Chambliss is ranked #37 as a MLB prospect in April 1971.
San Francisco Giants SS
Chris Speier was named the NL Rookie of the Month for the 3rd straight month. The 21 year old is hitting .268 with 5 HRs and 21 RBIs in 80 games. Speier was named the #9 ranked prospect in the MLB in April 1971.
St Louis Cardinals SP
Bob Gibson collects win #200 in a complete game 6-0 win over the Giants. The 35 year old is now 10-2 with a 1.72 ERA in 13 starts. Last year, Gibson was a league leader in wins with a 23-7 record, 3.12 ERA in 34 starts. Gibson started his MLB career in 1959 with the Cardinals, he lead the MLB in 1968 with a incredible 1.12 ERA in 304 IPs. Gibson won the NL Cy Young in 1968 and 1970, as well he is a 7 time All Star, 1968 NL MVP, 6 time Gold Glover and a 2 time World Series MVP. For his career, he is 200-119 with a 2.76 ERA in 396 games including 358 starts.
Cleveland Indians C
Ray Fosse was named the AL Player of the Week. The 24 year old is hitting .303 with 10 HRs and 41 RBIs in 74 games. Last year, Fosse hit .307 with 18 HRs and 61 RBIs in 120 games for the Indians.
Chicago Cubs LF
Billy Williams was named the NL Player of the Week. The 33 year old is hitting .339 with 23 HRs and 67 RBIs in 79 games. Last season, Williams hit .322 with 42 HRs and 129 RBIs in 161 games for the Cubs.
This Weeks Major Transactions
The Atlanta Braves have released SP
Hoyt Wilhelm. The 48 year old is 0-0 with 1 save, a 1.80 ERA in 6 games. Last year, Wilhelm was 6-5 with 13 saves, a 3.40 ERA in 53 games for the Braves and Cubs. Wilhelm led the league in 1952 and 1953 for games, with ERA in 1959 with a 2.19 and games finished with 39 in 1953. Wilhelm is a 5 time All Star. The knuckle-baller only had one significant injury over his career and ironically it was a pitching machine that injured his hand during bunting practice.
Its looks like it will be the end of the line for SP
Dick Ellsworth as the Milwaukee Brewers released him. The 31 year old is 0-0 with 1 save, a 3.00 ERA in 10 games. Last year, Ellsworth was 3-3 with 3 saves, a 3.79 ERA in 43 games including 1 start. It has been suggested that nagging elbow injuries or various other ailments, but Ellsworth was no where near the pitcher he was in early to mid 1960's when he was routinely throwing over 200 innings. For his career, Ellsworth is 115-136 with 6 saves, a 3.70 ERA in 406 games including 310 starts. Ellsworth was 22-10 with a 2.11 ERA in 1963 with the Cubs in 37 starts.
