United League Baseball

Records at Briggs
DETROIT (May 15) -- In a record-breaking two days at Detroit's Briggs Stadium, Gus Zernial and Ralph Kiner reached the 250-RBI plateau in the same game and the next night Ted Gray broke the UL strikeout record with 16 K's in a 5-3 loss.

Zernial, Kiner Reach 250 RBI
After a 6-RBI spree in three games May 4-6, Gus Zernial sat on 249 UL RBIs for five games coming into Thursday night's series opener with Detroit. It was only a matter of time before Ozark Ike became the first 250-RBI man in UL history. The historic rib came in the second inning, when the 28-year-old Texan drove home Frank Hiller with a double off Vic Raschi for the game's first run.

Career RBI
Ralph Kiner Gus Zernial Gil Hodges Vic Wertz Jackie Jensen Duke Snider Roy Campanella Stan Musial Yogi Berra Gene Woodling	251 251 239 232 225 220 217 208 206 206

What was not expected this night was a double milestone. It looked like Ralph Kiner was one the verge of joining Zernial in the 250 club, and probably on this homestand -- three games each with Boston and Chicago, respectively -- but not this night. Kiner entered Thursday's game with 245 UL RBIs, four behind Zernial. But Kiner homered in the fifth with two aboard, as Detroit took the lead with a 5-run outburst. An inning later, Kiner's launched a 2-run blast, and joined Zernial in the 250-RBI club. The Sound slugger's home runs were #80 and #81 in his UL career, and he now stands two behind Gil Hodges and just 19 shy of the 100-homer mark.

Gray Tallies Record 16 Strikeouts in Loss
The night after the excitement of the double RBI milestones, Detroit hurler Ted Gray wrote his name in the UL record books with a 16-strikeout performance in a 5-3 loss to the Boston Beacons. Gray's feat was all the more remarkable because he talled his UL record in just seven innings of work, before being pinch-hit for by Joe DiMaggio trailing 5-3 in the seventh.
Gray (2-5, 4.97), the Sound's fourth starter, started his UL career with Detroit in 1951 (15th round Initial Draft), compiling a 4.55 ERA in 33 games. He was fourth in the league with 172 strikeouts last year, when he joined the rotation and went 13-17 with a 5.50 ERA. He has struggled to find his groove again this year, winning just two of his first nine starts, despite 65 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.
Gray gave up two runs in the first, on a single, double, and two walks, but settled down, striking out five of six batters in the third and fourth innings before getting in trouble again in the fifth. A error by Bob Elliott and a wild pitch set up Gus Zernial's game tying double, and after Earl Torgeson struck out Bruce Edwards put the Beacons ahead with a two-out single. After two more strikeouts in the sixth and Torgeson's solo shot in the seventh, Gray left the game for a pinch hitter. The old UL strikeout record was 14, set by St. Louis' Ken Raffensberger on Sept. 24, 1952.

League Floats New Draft Lottery Proposal
ALTADENA, Calif. (May 1) -- Responding the the flap that arose over the sudden, later retracted, changes to the draft lottery rules, the league office formally floated a proposal for changes to go into effect next year. Initial feedback from UL owners was in favor of expanding the draft lottery to encompass every team, albeit with very slim odds for the top finishers. The new lottery still overwhelmingly favors the lowest finishers. The bottom three teams will have 79/100 chances in the lottery, while the top three teams will combine for only 6/100 chances. Still, the new system gets every team involved in the draft lottery, and introduces the remote possibility of a first- or second-place team getting the #1 pick. The lottery allocations are roughly based on the Fibonacci sequence, but rounded to make the sum equal 100.

NEW DRAFT LOTTERY PROPOSAL

AROUND THE HORN

	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS 27-10 -- 8-5	3-1 in extra innings, 5-2 in one-run games, averaging 31,900 per home game... McDougald #1 clutch hitter .667 (8-12)... Mays worst AVG vs R (.136)... Gromek, Miller tied for lowest OBA (.195)... Gromek lowest OOBP (.238), lowest OSLG (.279), best QS% (77.8)... Miller best H/9 (6.1)... Jansen best BB/9 (1.3)...
	CHICAGO COLTS 22-15 5 6-7	2nd best (tied) home record (11-8)... 2nd best road record (11-7)... Bad pinch hitting: Gernert .111 (1-9), E Robinson .143 (1-7), Lockman .143, (1-7)... Rogovin league-best 7.1 RS/G... Parnell league-high 14 DPs induced...
	ST. LOUIS MAROONS 18-19 9 5-8	RISP batting: Musial .600 (18-30), Coan .500 (11-22), Campy .459 (17-37)... Musial best AVG vs R (.459), best home AVG (.377), best road AVG (.446)...
	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS 17-20 10 7-6	Top pinch hitters: Reiser .600 (6-10), Westrum .571 (4-7)... Gorman league-low (tied) 2.9 K/9
	DETROIT SOUND 17-20 10 5-8	0-3 in extra innings... Kiner best AVG vs. L (.471)... Marion worst AVG vs L (.139)... Labine league-high 4 BSV...
	NEW YORK GOTHAMS 17-20 10 6-7	2nd best (tied) home record (11-8)... Poholsky league-worst 2.2 RS/G... Fornieles, Blackwell tied for best HR/9 (0.3)...
	BOSTON BEACONS 15-22 12 7-6	4-10 in one-run games... Bad clutch hitting: Mathews .100, Mueller .143, Gilliam .154... McCullough 17 RBI at home, 4 on road... Spahn league worst HR/9 (1.9)...
	LOUISVILLE COLONELS 15-22 12 8-5	Averaging 11,300 per game... Jensen 6 HR on road, 2 at home... Antonelli league-high 10.7 K/9... Gomez league-low (tied) 2.9 K/9... 4 of 5 worst R/9: Wehmeier 19.2, Gomez 18.7, Antonelli 16.3, Houtteman 15.2... Wehmeier worst ERA (8.88) and H/9 (14.3)... Antonelli worst BB/9 (7.5)...

DAY BY DAY
Friday, May 1 NO GAMES
Saturday, May 2 BRO 8, DET 6 - 5-run 8th: Joost 2-run HR, Reiser 2-run PH; Kiner 3-4, HR, Irvin HR CHI 6, LOU 1 - Dickson 5-hit CG, Gernert 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, Avila 2-3; Lowrey 2-3, RBI WAS 9, BOS 6 - Lollar 3-run HR in 2nd, Adcock 2 RBI; Mathews 2-4, HR, Rivera HR STL 4, NYG 3 - Stephens GW 2-run PH in 9th, Wyrostek 2-3, 2 R, Musial HR
Sunday, May 3 BRO 3, DET 1 - Shantz 8.0, 1 R, 2-3, Woodling, Jackson HR, Joost 2-3 CHI 4, LOU 3 - Parnell 8.0, 3 R, 2-3, Bell 2-3; Kluttz 4-5, Kokos first career HR BOS 4, WAS 0 - Hiller 3-hit SHO, 6 K, Jethroe 2-run PHR in 8th, Rivera 2-4 NYG 5, STL 4 - Boudreau 2-4, 3 RBI, Busby 2-5, SB; Wilson 2-3, HR, W Jones 2-4
Monday, May 4 BRO 9, DET 7 - Minoso 3-5, 2-run HR in 8th, 3 R, Burgess 3-4, HR, 5 RBI LOU 7, CHI 5 (10) - Easter GWHR, Jensen 2 HR, 4 RBI, Fox 3-5; Reese 2-4, SB WAS 5, BOS 3 - McDougald 3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, Gordon 3-4, Adcock 2-4, HR, 2 RBI NYG 7, STL 1 - Fornieles 5-hit CG, Thomas 2 HR, 5 RBI, Boudreau 3-4, HR
Tuesday, May 5 WAS 10, DET 4 - Lollar 3-3, HR, 3 RBI, Dillinger 3-5, 2 R, Slaughter 3-run 2B in 9th BOS 7, BRO 5 - Kuenn 3-3, 2 RBI, Stanky HR, 2 R, SB, Mantle 2-4, 2 R LOU 5, STL 4 - Fox 3-4, 2B, 3B, Collins 3-4, Valo 2-3, SB; Musial 2-3, HR, 2 RBI NYG 4, CHI 3 - Doby 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Batts 2-3; Avila 3 2B, 2 R, Westlake 3-4
Wednesday, May 6 WAS 5, DET 3 - Miller 8.0, 6 H, 1 ER, 7 K, Gordon, Mays, Adcock HR; Fain 2 RBI BRO 5, BOS 4 - 4-run 8th, Woodling 2-5, HR; Zernial 2-4, 3 RBI STL 12, LOU 8 - D DiMaggio HR, 4 RBI, R Wilson 4 RBI; Easter GSHR in 7-run 7th CHI 9, NYG 0 - Rogovin 5-hit SHO, Bell 3-5, Avila 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, Bell 3-5, 2B, 3B
Thursday, May 7 WAS 2, DET 0 - Gromek 1-hit SHO, Slaughter 2-4, 3B, Goodman, Mays RBI BOS 8, BRO 3 - Torgeson GSHR in 5-run 8th, Mueller 4-4, 2 R, McCullough 2 RBI STL 6, LOU 3 (10) - Ennis 2-4, GW 3-run HR in 10th, Kolloway 2-2, W Jones HR CHI 4, NYG 2 - Dickson 7.2, 2 R, Avila 2-4, 2B, SB, Westlake 2-4; Mullin HR
Friday, May 8 NYG 3, BRO 2 - Cox 2-2, GWRBI in 9th, Busby 2-3, RBI; Burgess, Jackson 2-4 BOS 5, CHI 2 - Hiller 7.0, 2 R, Philley 3-4, 3B, 2 R, Jethroe 2-4, SB; Berra 2-5, RBI LOU 4, WAS 1 - Garver 8.2, 6 H, 1 R, Lowrey 2-4, 2 R, Collins 2-3, Dark HR DET 10, STL 5 - Roberts 9-hit CG, Dropo, Pafko, Groth 1-1, 2 RBI; Musial 2-4, HR
Saturday, May 9 NYG 2, BRO 1 - Fornieles 8-hit CG, 8 K, Busby 2-4, RBI, Long GWSF; Brissie 7.2, 1 R BOS 7, CHI 6 (10) - Rivera 2-4, HR, 2 R, Mantle 2-3; Banks E in 10th, Gernert 3 RBI LOU 9, WAS 7 - Fox 3-3, 2 R, Dark 3-5, 2 RBI, Kokos 3-run HR in 5-run 8th DET 5, STL 3 - Raschi 8.0, 5 H, 2 R, Kiner 2-4, 3 R, Fain 2-3, 2 RBI, Elliott 2 RBI
Sunday, May 10 WAS 7, CHI 3 - Miller 8.0, 4 H, 2 R, Gordon 2-run HR, Adcock 2-4; Avila HR,2 RBI STL 6, BRO 4 - Coan GW 2-run 2B in 9th, Pesky, Wilson 2-3, RBI; Westrum 3-3, HR NYG 10, DET 9 - Robinson 3-4, 3 RBI, Boudreau, Loes 2-4, RBI; Metkovich 3-4, 4 RBI BOS 10, LOU 8 - Mueller 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, Torgeson 3-4, 3 R, 2 SB, Collins HR, 5 RBI
Monday, May 11 WAS 4, CHI 3 - Adcock GWPH in 9th, Dillinger 2-run 2B in 8th; Lindell HR, 2 RBI BRO 7, STL 1 - Shantz 7-hit CG, Hodges 2 HR, Souchock, Westrum HR; Dom 2-4, 2B DET 8, NYG 3 - Porterfield 7-hit CG, Kiner 2 HR, 3 RBI, Metkovich 3-5, 2 RBI LOU 4, BOS 3 - Gomez 8.0, 2 R, Sauer 2-3, RBI, Jensen 2 RBI; Edwards 2-4, HR
Tuesday, May 12 WAS 11, CHI 3 - Garagiola 2-3, 4 RBI, McDougald, Jansen 2 RBI, Gordon 3 R STL 5, BRO 3 - Zoldak 8.0, 3 R, 7 K, Wilson 3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI; Hodges HR, 2 RBI DET 1, NYG 0 - Roberts 9-hit SHO, 2 W, 6 K, Irvin HR in 1st; Poholsky 8.2, 5 H, 1 R LOU 5, BOS 4 - Dark GWRBI in 9th, Easter 3-4, HR in 9th; McCullough GSHR in 8th
Wednesday, May 13 NO GAMES
Thursday, May 14 BRO 10, WAS 2 - Brissie 9-hit CG, 1 ER, 2-3, Jackson 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, Westrum 3-5 CHI 4, STL 3 - Parnell 8.0, 3 R, Berra 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Bell 2-4; Stephens 3 RBI LOU 4, NYG 1 - Garver 8.0, 7 H, 1 R, Valo 2-5, 2 R, Jensen 2-4, SB, RBI, Fox 2 RBI DET 9, BOS 6 - Kiner 2 HR, 5 RBI, Rhodes 2-5, 3B, HR; Mantle 3-run HR, Zernial 2-4
Friday, May 15 BRO 7, WAS 2 - Hutchinson 7.0, 5 H, 2 R, 6 K, Ashburn 3-5, 2 RBI, SB, Hodges HR CHI 13, STL 11 - Berra 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, Westlake 3 RBI; 10r 4th, Campy, Musial 3-5 LOU 10, NYG 9 - Lowrey 3-5, 4 RBI, Valo 3-4, 3 R, Kokos HR; Doby 2-4, 2 RBI BOS 5, DET 3 - Spahn 8.0, 3 R, Torgeson HR, 2 RBI, Edwards 2 RBI; Irvin 3-4