Record: 93-63 (+7)
1st in Batting - 9th-T in Pitching
Stud: Ron Reed (17-6, 3.19)
Dud: Bob D. Johnson (3-5, 5.50, 1 SV)
Top Rookie: Dave Parker (.351-28-91)

I don’t think it surprised anyone in the United League that the aging Hilltopper bats still had enough firepower to give Atlanta at least a puncher's chance of making the playoffs.  I felt like we needed a true ace to have a shot to go all the way, unfortunately the rest of the league knew it too, and quite sensibly didn’t want to deal unless I was willing to pay a premium.  My starters had read the papers and finally Ron Reed approached me and told me that they would find a way to get it done.  He and Dal Canton turned back the clock with their best years since the 1971 championship campaign.  Briles and Bradley had career years, and Timmerman accepted a pen assignment with grace and good solid work.   Torre, Bando and Freehan were the rocks they always are.  The offensive revelation was the dawn of the Dave Parker era.  The Cobra struck so often that it almost made me forget letting MVP candidate Tom Grieve go in the expansion draft. The starters just kept taking their turns and playing inside themselves, and Littell and Jackson were unspectacular but steady in setting up Moffitt, the end result was 93 wins, and, I assume, some playoff opponents scrambling to find a way to keep us from ascending the UL hill once more.
 

Record: 89-67 (+15)
3rd in Batting - 5th in Pitching
Stud: Steve Rogers (16-9, 3.32)
Dud: Dick Dietz (.234-2-12, .636)
Top Rookie: Craig Robinson (.333-9-73, 866 OPS)

For Manhattan fans, 1974 was one of those years where things just seem to work out.

Shortly after Holthaus took over as GM in 1971, he set out to lay the groundwork for years like this one... making unpopular (and perhaps hasty) moves, like dumping Joe Torre, in the attempt to acquire as many first round picks as possible. Many of those picks are now playing significant roles on the big league club, and helped us to win the East pennant this year. We knew it would happen like this, just not this fast.

Recent first rounders that are team centerpieces include: pitching ace Steve Rogers, setup man Bill Campbell, catcher Carlton Fisk, center field masher Gorman Thomas, and right fielder Ken Griffey.

This season was full of memorable moments: the divisional pennant and return to the playoffs for the first time since the '68 season, Griffey's hit streak, Havana's AAA championship, Rogers' one-hitter versus Detroit, and the ascent of Ken Brett as true top of the rotation material.

But perhaps the most significant surprise of the year was the meteoric rise of Rookie of the Year candidate 2B Craig "Cast your ballots now!" Robinson, brought over from Boston for SP Tom Seaver prior to opening day. Robinson raked as a rookie, finishing near the top of the leaderboards in hits, doubles, VORP and intentional walks -- making an All Star appearance and playing a respectable second base.

Spirits are high in the big city, as the Gray Sox are now positioned to become a fixture at the top of the league standings for years to come.
 

Record: 87-69 (+15)
12th in Batting - 3rd in Pitching
Stud: Fergie Jenkins (16-9, 2.95, 203 K)
Dud: Pete Rose (.216-3-42, .564 OPS)
Top Rookie: Jim Rice (.316-22-92, .865)

San Francisco fans, after witnessing yet another strong start to the season in 1974, waited and waited for the inevitable mid-season collapse to arrive, especially after staff ace and perennial Cy Young candidate Bob Moose (12-5, 2.15 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) was lost to injury for the season in mid-July. But the breakdown never happened -- the Spiders finished the season with 87 wins, good for second place in the West, and made the newly expanded UL playoffs for the first time in GM Jeff Tonole's 11-year tenure with the club.

Strong pitching was a big key behind the Spiders' success. Besides another outstanding (partial) year from Moose, who pitched enough innings to win his second UL ERA title in the last three years, second banana Fergie Jenkins stepped into the ace role and delivered the goods (16-9, 2.95, 1.09, 8th in the league in VORP). Mike Hedlund (13-13, 3.19) returned to form after three subpar years, and rookie Vic Albury put up surprisingly terrific numbers (13-8, 2.75) as the fifth starter. Even Lynn McGlothen, who struggled for most of his first full season in the league, rebounded with 29 consecutive scoreless innings over a five-game stretch in late August and early September. In the bullpen, Terry Forster (29 saves, 2.76) anchored one of the best relief corps in the league. It also helped that the Spiders committed the fewest errors of any team in the league.

Although the offense continued to struggle, scoring the third-fewest runs in the league, there was significant improvement compared with the past several years. After a poor 1973 and a slow start to '74, 3B Darrell Evans delivered on the promise from his rookie year (24 HR, 67 RBI, 93 R, 103 BB, .253/.381). C Thurman Munson stepped into the leadoff spot held for so long by Lou Brock and hit .300 for the third consecutive year, while OFs George Foster (28 HR, 98 RBI) and Richie Zisk (19 HR, 53 RBI) provided some power. Rookie Jim Rice, fresh from the 1974 draft, lived up to the hype as a major-league-ready outfielder (.316/.378, 22 HR, 92 RBI).

Record: 86-70 (+0)
11th in Batting - 2nd in Pitching
Stud: J.R. Richard (16-11, 2.66)
Dud: Hal McRae (.196-4-21, .573 OPS)
Top Rookie: Dan Driessen (.256-2-22, .667)

Saliva ‘n Adhesive
Enough has been said about the Hurt Locker Room, let’s focus on what’s held this team together.

I’d Like To Hit That
The Barons went from having five rotation anchors to just two: J.R. Richard and Jim Palmer. Paragons of durability (so far), Palmer has missed only a handful of starts since coming over from Atlanta in 1969; Richard hasn’t as much as broken a nail in four seasons of pro ball. Each rattled off 16 wins (2 fewer than the league leader), and kept the

Barons in the hunt all year. When Burt Hooton wasn’t nursing injuries, he was establishing himself as one of the league’s elite starters. Hoot’s 2.38 ERA was the league’s second best. "Big Daddy" Rick Reushel rattled off seven wins in nine starts (1.50 ERA) before being shouldered with a torn labrum. Mike Cuellar looked untouchable after two starts, but since his return from the DL, has been average at best. Perennial trade fodder Alan Foster stepped up to regular service and pitched better than his 8-13 record would suggest. But the most  welcome surprise was Cecil Upshaw. Primarily a reliever, Upshaw was given a shot at a regular rotation spot, finishing 8-5 with a 2.68 ERA and a 75% QS ratio.  The bullpen was a letdown in general. Closer Steve Mingori notched 14 saves, but his ballooned ERA (7.20) paid for his ticket to Pittsburgh. Veteran Frank Linzy picked up the pieces, giving the Barons more stability in the closer role.
Overall, the Barons ended up using 10 different starters and 9 different relievers, but still staggered in as the UL’s second best staff.

Sticks Stuck
The Barons offense was never going to explode any scoreboards, but they weren’t expecting to be toiling with the league’s worst either. Rising star Jorge Orta led the Barons in 17 offensive categories. Orta’s .319 AVG was enough to land him in the league’s top ten. Don “Feed” Demeter had a relatively healthful season and pounded out a respectable 26 dongs. Slugger Cecil Cooper saw a drop off in production as well as some DL down time. In a league riddled with rock star backstops, Duane Josephson is quietly becoming one of them. Although Duane doesn’t know any power chords, he adds a steady OBP strum to the bottom half of the line-up. But one stat the Barons offense can point to with pride is a league-low 796 strikeouts, a full 74 fewer than the next best (ATL). They Barons offense may be dogs, but they’re not K-dogs.

Playoff outlook: The aces must be aces. Surprise is the only option for an offense with three key bats on the DL. The Barons posted 6-6 season records vs. both MAN and SF, but were 4-8 vs. ATL.
 

Record: 84-72 (-3)
13th in Batting - 4th in Pitching
Stud: Bill Singer (17-11, 2.56, 231 K)
Dud: Roger Maris (.212-8-40, .646 OPS)
Top Rookie: Robin Yount (.256-9-58)

I think there was very little question coming into this season that the Colts were a team on the bubble. The only real question was whether or not there was enough strength left in that skin of super solid pitching and defense and adequate offense to keep the bubble from bursting and help us squeak into the expanded playoffs. Alas, it was not to be.  The main offender was, well, the offense, which slipped from middle of the pack to near the bottom of the league. The ratings slide of centerpieces Carlos May, Carl Taylor and Roger Maris finally took their toll, as all three posted arguably the worst seasons of their careers. #1 starter Bill Singer posted another fine season but despite leading the league in quality starts and WHIP, earned his fewest wins in 5 seasons in no small part because of the lack of production on the offensive side of the ball. The starting rotation was also missing much punch beyond the #1 spot, as Wood, Boswell, Janeski and Parsons posted only 45 wins to 42 losses.

Not everything was bad this season, although nothing was particularly spectacular. The bullpen was extremely solid again, anchored by the tandem of Parker, Garber and rookie Kent Tekulve. Mike Kilkenny also surprised as he split time as a reliever and spot starter.  Also surprising this year was 29 year old OF Merv Rettenmund who took full advantage of increased playing time due the poor performance (Steve Braun) and injury (Roger Maris) to put up the best numbers of his career. And then there were the rookies. The above mentioned Kent Tekulve was invaluable in the pen, while rookie first sacker Lamar Johnson sparkled at AAA Kansas City, and then there was Robin Yount. The #1 overall pick was supposed to spend the season developing in the minors until one observant team official mentioned that he was easily our best option as a backup shortstop. After injury and poor performance left us juggling our infield alignment, Yount found himself a starter for most of the season and quickly showed signs as to why he was so highly desired by the team.

All in all, the Colts third place finish in the West and fifth place overall was not that much of a surprise. It would have been nice to make the playoffs but it’s not a shock that we did not. In many ways 1974 was the season I expected from the team, so we’ll take it and try to figure out how to build on it. And, hey, how about that no-hitter by Bill Parsons! Who saw that coming?!

Record: 81-75 (-1)
6th in Batting - 7th in Pitching
Stud: Johnny Podres (18-7, 2.69)
Dud: Bob Watson (.238-2-41, .613)
Top Rookie: none

A season of two halves for the Mons – an awful start to the campaign (9-19) in May left Washington playing catchup for the whole year – a 14-14 start would have seen the Mons just 1 game back of the Barons.  Losing Richie Hebner (will he ever be the same again?), Al Oliver (4 months) and Dick McAullife (2 months) might also have cost the Mons a shot at the playoffs.  Yet it’s hard to be grumpy about a season where Washington hit as well as they had done in the last few years, and pitched as well also.

Dick McAuliffe hit well when he was healthy, but Cash-Alley-Fosse continue to represent three easy outs at the bottom of the lineup (remember when they hit 1-2-3 for the Mons championship team of 1970?) in his absence and the jury’s out on whether the blockbuster was worthwhile.    The core of the lineup remains excellent – Blomberg-Carbo-McAuliffe-Oliver is still pretty frightening –  but will Podres be back?  We wait in anticipation!

Biggest hit:
The Podres –Wilson one-two punch was electric.  Johnny rolled back the years to win 18 games with a 2.69 ERA aged 41, while Wilson struck out 256 in 210 innings and went 14-9.  But special praise is referred for Bernie Carbo hitting 33 homers and 100 BBs?  Frightening – the thinking (walking?) man’s MVP.

Biggest flop:
1B Bob Watson was brought into to smash lefties, but ended up with an anemic .582 OPS – not only did he accumulate more Abs against RHP, he hit them better too (although still not very well).

Record: 83-73 (-6)
14th in Batting - 1st in Pitching
Stud: Larry Dierker (16-11, 2.51, 197 K)
Dud: Mike Esptein (.213-16-64, .669 OPS)
Top Rookie: Glenn Abbott (8-12, 4.15, 82 K)

"Worst season ever" is the best way to sum up the 1974 campaign.  Not because the team was terrible but because it underperformed by so much.  This was the first season where I thought the Outlaws were the best team in the West if not all of the league.  The team was the #3 offense in 1973 and returning most of the lineup plus it was going to have a full year of four aces in the rotation.  The four aces turned out to lead the team to the best ERA in the league however the offense took a year off which lead us to dramatic underachievement and no playoff spot.  Anyway, as the saying goes "cry me a river so I can piss in it".

Top Performers:
-The top 4 starters (Dierker, Peterson, Niekro and Roberts) all had ERAs under 3.00.
-Ken Henderson tried to carry the offense on his own as he banged out 36 home runs and drove in 96 runs.  Ken is turning into one of the most dangerous switch hitters in the league.
-Despite being hot and cold the 22-year-old catching phenom, D.W. "Dark Wing Duck" Roberts ended the season with 91 RBIs and a .289 batting average.  The RBIs are especially impressive as he batted late in the order and played only in 123 games as I platoon my catchers.

Big flops of the year:
-Mike Esptein went from a +35 VORP and a mega contract via arbitration to a -5 VORP.  I may send him to arbitration instead of dropping him just to see what his contract decrease will be after this kind of season.  Most surprising is that his ratings stayed the same, he is only 30 and he stopped drawing walks.
-Pedro Borbon took 11 losses and was a middle of road closer after dominating his first two years in the league.  I guess at 27 he has hit the wall.  I don't really know how to explain his performance.

Looking to the future:
-Dave Winfield is looking like he is ready to play in the majors.  His 1/3 of a rookie year was not overly impressive but his last two months were much better then his first two so perhaps the best is yet to come.
-Dennis Leonard did a surprisingly good job in the IL as he led the league in innings pitched and was in the leaders in many categories.  At age 22 he looks to be a great workhorse in the making with more upside to come.  Dare I call him the second coming of Dierker?
-The Outlaws have two 1st round picks in the next draft so if it is a deep one then perhaps we can get help for 1975 and live up to our potential.

I hate 1974, worst year ever.

Record: 78-78 (+7)
9th in Batting - 6th in Pitching
Stud: Orlando Cepeda (.327-39-87)
Dud: Jose Cardenal (.247-9-53)
Top Rookie: Steve Foucault (3-0, 1.10)

.500 can only be seen as a disappointment in Beantown, as the 1974 campaign started slow and then improved but never really rallied.  Just as the pitching seemed to find its legs, the batsmen simultaneously departed Fenway.  The ageless Orlando Cepeda continued to spark the offense despite a move back to the outfield, on the strength of a new long-term deal signed just prior to the season, but similar arrangements did not seem to help Bernie Allen or Rico Petrocelli.  Frank Robinson also put up a respectable season, giving GM Brendan Harris a lot to think about in weighing his option year.  The rest of the offense was largely forgettable, however, leaving the big guns with too few RBI opportunities.

A bit better news on the mound, and particularly in the league's top-ranked bullpen, as young talent comes to the fore.  The rock-solid back end of Hrbosky and Twitchell was complemented by the emergence of rookie Steve Foucault and solid play by 30-year-old Dick Selma, who should allow the Feds to let go of the ancient Tex Clevenger heading into 1975.  Starting pitching remains a key area for improvement, as the additions of Reberger and Seaver did not add the expected spark.

Looking forward, hope springs eternal with the development of young potential like Bert Blyleven, Bob Forsch, Rick Waits, Davey Lopes, Jerry Moses, Tony Solaita, and two AA pickups who burned up the IL: Mike Sadek and George Scott.  Philly's first-place divisional showing portends good things to come in the Federals organization, and represents a complete turnaround from the team's depleted state when Harris took over the reins in 1970.

Record: 67-89 (+2)
10th in Batting - 11th in Pitching
Stud: Rod Carew (.314-10-75, .816 OPS)
Dud: Gary Mathews (.195-3-21, .532)
Top Rookie: Frank Tanana (7-4, 3.70)

Another disappointing season and another Top 3 pick coming up for the Texans.

Still with problems in multiple areas.  11^th best ERA despite attempts to shore up the pitching.  Rookie SP John Montefusco has not developed like we had hoped and remained in AAA for the whole season.  SP – Randy Jones had a bit of a sophomore slump with both his ERA and WHIP rising while notching 3 fewer wins this year.  On the positive side Wayne Simpson was his usual solid self and Frank Tanana may have turned the corner pitching much better down the stretch this year.

The offensive side was ugly as well with only Rod Carew putting up good numbers (as always).  In particular LF Gary Matthews continues on his way to a poor major league career with his worst season yet, hitting only .197.  Willie Crawford had his first disappointing season this year but has been on a bit of a steady slide since his 21 HR, 91 RBI, 64 VORP 1971 season.  Cesar Cedeno also continues on a bit of a downward trend after having another injury plagued season despite being only 22.

Hopefully next season will be better for the Texans but unless things change in Dallas….they are likely to stay the same.
 

Record: 78-78 (--)
8th in Batting - 9th-T in Pitching
Stud: Jim Rooker (16-8, 3.51)
Dud: Ken Reynolds (5-8, 6.18)
Top Rookie: Andre Thornton (.269-26-73, .877 OPS), Max Leon (4-3, 1.31, 22 SV)

A truly wacky season. I think the crucial moment turned out to be the preseason trade of Robin Yount, a teenage superspect, for what proved to be two fully cooked young dudes in the form of Thornton and Burleson. Ditto trades of picks and spects for Carter and Ogilvie. Throw in mid-season deals for Madlock, and a ready-made back-end of bullpen in the form of Castro and Leon, and you end up radically shortcutting a process I thought would take multiple seasons to reach .500. As a result, you go from an April in which the team is last in the league in runs scored, next to last in runs allowed, and 10 games under .500--what I expected the whole season to look like--before calling up all those hotshot spects from AAA on May 1, and winding up the year dead in the middle of the league in runs scored, runs allowed, and a five hunny record. Still no real legit starters, short on bullpen depth, and no backups anywhere in the organization, but the good news is looks like a lineup emphasizing blue dudes on defense and OBP at the plate can at least achieve some semblance of respectability in the wide-open East.
 

Record: 66-90 (-7)
7th in Batting - 13th in Pitching
Stud: Boog Powell (.275-27-88, .819 OPS)
Dud: Jerry Royster (.195-1-20, .530 OPS)
Top Rookie: John Denny (4-6, 4.44)

It was a disappointing season for the Maroons starting with 10 fewer wins over last season. For this new GM, there was a steeper learning curve than expected with this crew. Greatest disappointment is finishing with a worse record than last year, but looking ahead to a #2 draft pick and a better 1975.

Going into this season, the youngster Jon Matlack had the hopes of a franchise riding on his shoulders and struggled to find consistency throughout the season. A rollercoaster year ended on the DL and with 10 fewer victories over 1973.  John Denny offered some hope closing the season out with a complete game against Dallas and a strong 8 inning outing against Boston, both of which netted wins. The bullpen ran out of gas early in the season and sputtered into September, though Barr proved to still be a solid closer in spite of a 7-5 record.

 Offense which had been the previous problem, had a few bright spots – Powell led the team with 27 HRs and 88 RBIs  (though his 300th career HR came in a meaningless September) and John “The Hammer” Milner who started the season on the DL and ultimately led the team in BA.  Joe Hague proved to be great acquisition – posting career highs for HRs and RBIs and proving to be a solid option at 1B as well as the OF and being selected to his first All-Star game. Unfortunately, Graig Nettles and Darrell Porter never got hot, and Nettles and Powell aren’t getting younger.  1975 will be a crucial year to see if this clubhouse can pull it all together.
 

Record: 70-86 (+3)
5th in Batting - 8th in Pitching
Stud: Mike Schmidt (.258-35-106)
Dud: Ollie Brown (.259-9-45, .377 SLG)
Top Rookie: Fred Lynn (.270-15-74)

Yet another disappointing season for Brooklyn tallying up the same number of wins as last season.   Though team officials are optimistic regarding the number of young stars on the team, led by three first round picks in 1974 Fred Lynn, Keith Hernandez, and John Stearns.

Pitching was a major factor in the team's struggles as ace Vida Blue could only tally 12 wins on the season (12-17, 3.73 ERA, 202 Ks).  Though Blue impressed with his 20 complete games, proving his workhorse reputation.  His inconsistency played a major role in regard to the team's pitching struggling.  Closer Rich Gossage was a major force in the bullpen, shoring up what was a glaring weakness with last season's club.  His switch to the rotation at the end of the season met with mixed results.  The biggest disappointment had to be Elias Sosa who struggled early, earning a demotion to AAA.  Team officials hope that an offseason conditioning regimen can bring him close to the consistency he showed in his rookie season.

Last years breakthrough rookie Mike Schmidt did nothing but show that he should be a perennial All Star for many seasons to come, blasting 35 homers and driving in 106 runs.  Schmidt also showed good speed on the bases with 16 steals.  Offseason pickup Joe Rudi was a major surprise (.325-11-82), with career highs in numerous categories including BA, RBI, and slugging.  At 27, Brooklyn has high expectations for him going into next season.  Rookies were a huge factor with the offense of the Superbas.  Fred Lynn (.270-15-74) impressed with his power while John Stearns (.347, .373 OBP, .460 SLG) and Keith Hernandez (.312, .363 OBP) both showed excellent plate discipline and above average contact.  Looking at the roster, team officials are focusing on the team's young stars which could mean the end of the line for some aging veterans.
 

Record: 60-96 (--)
2nd in Batting - 14th in Pitching
Stud: Tom Grieve (.307-50-139)
Dud: Luke Walker (6-18, 5.95)
Top Rookie: Bill Bonham (4-2, 3.40)

The first year of big league ball in the Mile High City had its share of thrills and there is plenty of promising talent to build around.  The story of the year was without a doubt RF Tom Grieve.  We hoped he would be a solid bat in the middle of the order, but never expected the monster breakout year he produced: a 25-game hitting streak, two homer hat tricks, and a rookie record 50 home runs and 139 RBI.  And Grieve had a solid supporting cast, as Denver ranked fourth in batting and second in runs scored. 

The pitching was a different story, but then we always knew it would take time to build a quality staff in Mile High Stadium.  The 14ers experimented with twelve different starters, and only one managed more than eight starts with a sub-5.00 ERA.  That was Roger Nelson (8-13, 4.96), who by default earned the title of staff "ace".  There were some bright spots toward the end of the season, however.  Sophomore right-hander Dave Goltz was 4-2, 3.81 in the last two months after joining to club on Aug. 1 and rookie Bill Bonham, the 61st overall pick in the expansion draft, was a surprisingly solid 4-2, 3.40 in seven starts after a mediocre Triple-A campaign in Phoenix.  The staff also lacked a consistent closer, with 33 saves shared among 10 relievers.  Ray Lamb was nearest to the regular closer, with 10 saves and a 3.99 ERA, but Rollie Fingers and Bill Castro were both busts.

Club attendance (1.9 million) fell short of expectations.  A home record of 29-49 was surely to blame, but the club managed to outdraw three other teams despite its firm grip on last place overall.

Record: 70-86 (-9)
4th in Batting - 12th in Pitching
Stud: Reggie Jackson (.278-38-112)
Dud: Bobby Bonds (.219-20-55)
Top Rookie: Claudell Washington (.312-2-11, .864 OPS)

First year being a GM in this league and thought I was getting a decent team due to prior records.  Boy was I wrong; this was a total slump year for most players on this team.  Nearly everyone dropped with their stats from the prior year.  This was a year with some LONG injuries, we lost CL Tom Walker in May for 13 months, MR Joe Grzenda for three months in July, so right there our pitching staff was hurting.  This year everyone performed below expectations which is shown in our team batting and pitching both last in the league with avg and era, that there will not put a team in the playoffs.  There were NO .300 hitters on the team,  the highest avg of a regular player was C Brian Downing with .282, just over Reggie Jackson who has a .278. Brian Downing also has a respectable 40% caught stealing stat.

Pitching we had Doc Ellis as the top pitcher of the team with 13 wins and a 3.81 era and Ken Holtzman a close second to Doc.

We had only one winning month all season, May, with a record of 15-14 we just couldn't stay healthy and put things together.  What I found funny was that we were one of the worst batting avg in the league but as a team we lead the league in HR's with 207 and quite a few batting catagories in the top five but we just couldn't hit for avg this year.

Not a lot of good to be said of this year but we do have a lot of potential the needs to be seen next year if we are going to get anywhere, hopefully our pitching staff can get on line and help us get some win, we scored  710 runs this year good for 4th in the league but couldn't stop the opponents from scoring more than us, 771 to be exact and good for 12th in the league.

Overall I had fun and learned a bunch, looking forward to turn something around next year and get some rookies picking up some of the slack.  I guess only time will tell.