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	January 16, 1961 FREE AGENT AUCTION Round One Due: Wed 2/1 6pm

Kiner Named Player of the Decade
NEW YORK (Jan. 15) -- At ceremonies marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of the league, United League officials christened slugging left fielder Ralph Kiner "UL Player of the Decade." The award caps ten years of superlatives, and virtually assures Kiner's induction into the UL Hall of Fame as the former Detroit star heads into his twilight years.
The New Mexico native, who grew up in Alhambra, California, started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, leading the National League in home runs five years in a row, including his 1946 rookie campaign. When the major leagues went bankrupt in 1950, Kiner was the 11th overall pick in the United League's initial draft. Despite only one home run title (41 in 1953), Kiner is the league's all-time home run champion, with 320 for the decade, thanks to six second place finishes in the category. Kiner hit at least 30 home runs in his first eight UL seasons, all spent with Detroit, and is also the all-time leader in RBIs and walks. He was dealt to Brooklyn in the middle of 1958 and last year signed as free agent with Washington, with whom he is contracted through 1962.

Pierce Decade's Top Hurler
NEW YORK (Jan. 15) -- Also honored at the anniversary gala was longtime St. Louis Maroons ace Billy Pierce, who was given a shiny crystal object emblematic of the best pitcher over the league's first 10 seasons. Piercey, still only 32 and in his prime, is the UL's all-time leader in wins and strikeouts and winner of the 1954 Cy Young Award. The southpaw Detroiter has won 20+ games in five separate seasons, led the circuit in whiffs from 1953 to 1955, and struck out 371 in 1956, only to finish one strikeout behind Johnny Antonelli's record tally.
Pierce was drafted in the second round, 14th overall, in the Initial Draft and was part of the pennant-winning 1951 side. His 191 career wins are 39 more than any other pitcher, and his 2,521 strikeouts are 50% more than Stu Miller, who ranks third. Pierce also ranks first in complete games (148) and second in shutouts (24), and owns the league record for strikeouts in a game with 18 on May 6, 1956. He was traded to Cleveland last May in a blockbuster deal that signaled full-scale rebuilding in the Gateway City, and led the Barons to their best year in franchise history, with a 21-12 record and 3.25 ERA.

EAST	W	L	GB	Last
Brooklyn	0	0	--
Cleveland	0	0	--
Detroit	0	0	--
New York	0	0	--
Washington	0	0	--

WEST	W	L	GB	Last
Chicago	0	0	--
Los Angeles	0	0	--
Louisville	0	0	--
St. Louis	0	0	--
San Francisco	0	0	--


	DECADE'S BEST	BR/PR*
1	Ralph Kiner	396
2	Stan Musial	376
3	Billy Pierce	347
4	Stu Miller	338
5	Gene Woodling	321
6	Minnie Minoso	306
7	Carl Erskine	305
8	Willie Mays	300
9	Mickey Mantle	288
10	Johnny Antonelli	274
11	Hank Aaron	241
12	Gene Conley	238
13	Ernie Banks	224
14	Roy Campanella	223
15	Larry Doby	213
16	Jackie Robinson	204
17	Whitey Ford	178
18	Granny Hamner	177
19	Larry Jansen	172
20	Herm Wehmeier	172
*Batting Runs/Pitching Runs, 1951-1960

United League All-Decade Team, 1951-1960

C Roy Campanella	1B Stan Musial	2B Jackie Robinson	3B Willie Jones	SS Granny Hamner	LF Ralph Kiner

CF Willie Mays	RF Gene Woodling	SP Billy Pierce	SP Stu Miller	SP Carl Erskine	RP Hoyt Wilhelm

1961 FREE AGENT AUCTION Numbers indicate funds available for free agent signings (in thousands) Bids will be resolved in five rounds, through days 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 of FA period.
BROOKLYN	23,623		CHICAGO	27,017		CLEVELAND	9,506		DETROIT	74,495		LOS ANGELES	37,979




LOUISVILLE	14,657		NEW YORK	31,222		ST LOUIS	28,777		SAN FRANCISCO	14,372		WASHINGTON	29,966

CATCHERS

SECOND BASE

OUTFIELDERS

STARTING PITCHERS

RELIEF PITCHERS

Earl Battey, C

Nellie Fox, 2B

Bill Bruton, LF

Hal Brown, SP

Luis Arroyo, MR

Smoky Burgess, C

Jim Gilliam, 2B

Jim Delsing, LF

Bob Buhl, SP

Ryne Duren, MR

Roy Campanella, C

Hector Lopez, 2B

Jerry Lynch, LF

Hersh Freeman, SP

Don Johnson, MR

Gene Green, C

Danny O'Connell, 2B

Bobby Thomson, LF

Ned Garver, SP

Howie Judson, MR

Elston Howard, C

Pete Runnels, 2B

Gus Zernial, LF

Sam Jones, SP

Lindy McDaniel, CL

Ray Katt, C

Johnny Temple, 2B

Larry Doby, CF

Bob Kelly, SP

Jim McDonald, MR

Sherm Lollar, C

Cal Abrams, RF

Frank Lary, SP

Chet Nichols, MR

Stan Lopata, C

THIRD BASE

Bob Borkowski, RF

Vern Law, SP

Dave Sisler, MR

Hal Smith, C

Ray Boone, 3B

Duke Snider, RF

Mickey McDermott, SP

Frank Smith, CL

Gus Triandos, C

Bobby Brown, 3B

Vic Wertz, RF

Joe Nuxhall, SP

George Susce, CL

Rube Walker, C

Dick Cole, 3B

Gene Woodling, RF

Milt Pappas, SP

Bubba Phillips, 3B

Tom Poholsky, SP

FIRST BASE

Brooks Robinson, 3B

Robin Roberts, SP

Pancho Herrera, 1B

Saul Rogovin, SP

Gil Hodges, 1B

SHORTSTOP

Herb Score, SP

Dale Long, 1B

Don Buddin, SS

Frank Sullivan, SP

Vic Power, 1B

Willie Held, SS

Ralph Terry, SP

Bob Skinner, 1B

Johnny Logan, SS

Carl Willey, SP

Dick Stuart, 1B

Gil McDougald, SS

Earl Torgeson, 1B

Roy McMillan, SS

Frank Torre, 1B

Daryl Spencer, 3B

Bill White, 1B

ROOKIE DRAFT Red numbers indicate starting salaries for rookies. *Pick acquired by trade.
	1st Round	$1M+		2nd Round	500k		3rd Round	Minor		4th Round	Minor		5th Round	Minor
DET	1	1300	63	11	500	63	21			31			41
WAS	2	1200	63	12	500	63	(traded to CHI)			32			42
	*10	1000	63
LA	3	1100	63	13	500	63	(traded to STL)			33			43
				*16	500	63
SF	4	1000	63	14	500	63	24			34			44
NYG	5	1000	63	15	500	63	25			35			45
STL	6	1000	63	(traded to LA)			*23			36
	*8	1000	63	*18	500	63	26
							*28
CHI	7	1000	63	17	500	63	*22			37
				*20	500	63	27
CLE	(traded to STL)			(traded to STL)			(traded to STL)			38
LOU	9	1000	63	19	500	63	29			39
BRO	(traded to CHI>WAS)			(traded to CHI)			30			40


	UNITED LEAGUE CHAMPIONS		MOST VALUABLE PLAYER	CY YOUNG AWARD	ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
	1951	ST. LOUIS MAROONS	Ralph Kiner, DET	Sam Zoldak, STL	Jackie Jensen, LOU
	1952	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Jackie Robinson, NYG	Larry Jansen, WAS	Stu Miller, WAS
	1953	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Mickey Mantle, BOS	Stu Miller, WAS	Smoky Burgess, BRO
	1954	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Stan Musial, STL	Billy Pierce, STL	Ed Bailey, LOU
	1955	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Roy Campanella, LA	Tom Gorman, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO
	1956	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS	Ralph Kiner, DET	Johnny Antonelli, LOU	Frank Robinson, LA
	1957	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Granny Hamner, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO	Roger Maris, BOS
	1958	LOUISVILLE COLONELS	Willie Mays, WAS	Carl Erskine, WAS	Orlando Cepeda, NYG
	1959	SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS	Granny Hamner, BRO	Gene Conley, BRO	Vada Pinson, LA
	1960	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS	Hank Aaron, LOU	Gene Conley, BRO	Joe Gibbon, NYG

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