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May 1, 1961


NEXT SIM
Sat 2/25 (to May 16)
Due 9am ET

UPCOMING SIMS
Tue 2/28 (to June 1)
Sat 3/4 (to June 16)
Tue 3/7 (to July 1)


Pennant Winners Hit By Key Injuries
Loss of Wilhelm, Thomas Opens Up Pennant Races
BROOKLYN (May 1) -- Brooklyn lost closer Hoyt Wilhelm for the season with a ruptured disk on April 19.  Wilhelm is the league's all-time close leader with 277, but at age 37 prospects for recovery are uncertain and the big righthander's career is in jeopardy.  Ironically, Wilhelm has never led the league in saves, but has finished in the top five for nine years running, including second place with 23 saves in the last two seasons.  He was pitching effectively this spring, posting a 2.84 ERA with four saves in seven appearances.  Wilhelm was the second overall pick in the 1952 rookie draft.
   Meanwhile, the same day in Louisville, slugging left fielder Frank Thomas, whom the Colonels picked up in a preseason trade with Brooklyn, was hit in the face by a Bob Purkey fastball.  Thomas, whose face was mashed into bloody pulp, was rushed to an area hospital and will miss two months with a fractured cheekbone.  Thomas, 30, had a breakthrough season in 1960 (.294-32-96) with career highs in home runs and RBIs, and figured to be a key contributor to an already potent offense.  In 13 games, Thomas already had five homers.
   Rivals in Cleveland, Chicago, and elsewhere greeted the news with a sense of shadenfreude, after all, nobody likes to see somebody get hurt.  But, if somebody has to get hurt, it might as well be key players on your main divisional rival.  Whether the injuries will have a significant effect on this year's pennant race remains to be seen.

STARS OF THE DAY (SODs)

April 16
Larry Doby drove in four runs, leading Washington to a 4-2 win over Cleveland at Griffith Stadium.

April 17

Don Hoak doubled and homered, driving in three, helping Chicago turn a 5-0 deficit into a 6-5 win over St. Louis at Comiskey Park.
Ron Kline allowed three hits in eight shutout innings, nipping L.A.'s Bubba Church 1-0 at Seals Stadium.

April 18
Gus Zernial homered twice, including a three-run blast in the ninth, as Cleveland edged hosting Washington 9-8.
Herm Wehmeier tossed a four-hit shutout for his third win in four starts, as Louisville blanked Brooklyn 4-0 at Parkway Field.

April 19
Billy Pierce threw a six-hit shutout, striking out seven, in a 6-0 skunking of the Colts by the Lake.
Dick Cole's eighth-inning, bases-clearing double proved the game-winner as Washington won 9-8 at Brooklyn.
Orlando Cepeda homered twice for four RBIs, leading New York to a 6-2 win at Louisville.

April 20
Norm Cash was 4-for-5 with 4 RBI in Cleveland's 8-6 home loss to Chicago.

April 21
Bubba Church blanked Detroit on seven hits in a 6-0 win at Briggs Field.
Johnny Antonelli struck out 11 in a four-hit 6-1 home win over the Gothams.

April 22
Johnny Blanchard hit a 450-foot grand slam, his career longest, as the Monuments edged St. Louis 6-5.
Ernie Banks homered twice and drove in five runs, despite a 9-7 Chicago loss at Louisville.
Luis Aparicio was 4-for-4 and tied the UL record with 4 stolen bases, as Brooklyn fell 4-3 at Detroit.
Don Drysdale threw a two-hit gem, striking out 10 en route to a 4-0 win over the Outlaws at Municipal Stadium.


 

April 23
Johnny Romano homered twice for 5 RBIs in Washington's 11-5 rout of St. Louis.
Harmon Killebrew hit a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth for a 5-4 San Francisco win over the Gothams.
Billy Pierce threw his second straight shutout, this one a two-hit, 10-K gem in a 5-0 win over the Outlaws by the Lake.

April 25
Johnny Podres beat Washington 5-1 with a four-hitter at Briggs Field.
Norm Sieburn homered twice with three RBIs in L.A.'s 6-5 win over San Francisco.

April 26
Jim Bunning threw a six-hit shutout in L.A.'s 10-0 blowout of the Spiders.
Roger Maris broke a ninth-inning 3-3 tie with a three-run game-winning blast for a 6-3 St. Louis win over New York.

April 27
Bob Miller blanked the Colts at Chicago on six hits in a 14-0 rout.
Tito Francona had four hits and four RBIs in San Francisco's 12-4 win at Arroyo Seco Stadium.
Willie Mays homered twice as Washington edged Detroit 5-4 at Briggs Stadium.

April 28
Whitey Ford beat Chicago 5-1 with a three-hit complete game in the Windy City.

April 29
Joe Cunningham tripled and homered, driving in four runs in Detroit's 11-2 home rout of St. Louis.

April 30
Toothpick Sam Jones threw a one-hitter, but lost 1-0 to San Francisco in the nation's capital.
Joe Adcock had four hits, including a homer, in Chicago's 6-4 win at Yankee Stadium.
Yogi Berra's pinch-hit three-run homer broke a 3-3 tie in the seventh, leading Cleveland to a 6-3 win over Louisville.
  EAST W L GB Last  
 Brooklyn 15 8 -- 8-6
 Washington 14 9 1 7-7
 Cleveland 13 10 2 9-5
 Detroit 10 13 5 6-8
 New York 8 15 7 5-9
 
  WEST W L GB Last
 Louisville 12 11 -- 7-7
 Los Angeles 11 12 1 8-6
 San Francisco 11 12 1 8-6
 Chicago 10 12 1.5  6-7
 St. Louis 10 12 1.5 5-8
  

INJURIES

BRO

CL Hoyt Wilhelm (season)

CHI

RF Gus Bell (2 weeks)

DET

2B Davey Williams (1 week)
SS Maury Wills (1 week)

LOU

LF Frank Thomas (7 weeks)

STL

 C Joe Garagiola (season)
SP Bill Monbouquette (1 week)
SS Dick Groat (3 weeks)

SF

SP Ron Kline (6 days)

TRADES


LA gets:

 March 6
LF Bob Cerv (1280)
CF Bill Virdon (1180)
C  Jim Pagliaroni (1000)
LF Lee Maye (500)
SP Dick Stigman (0)

STL gets:

 RF Del Ennis (5920)
C  Joe Torre (1100)

 

  


BRO gets:

 March 11
 1B Jim Gentile (1000)

LOU gets:

 LF Frank Thomas (5300)
BRO's '62 2nd round pick

 

WEST DIVISION

 

EAST DIVISION

LOUISVILLE COLONELS
Ben DeGrass

BROOKLYN SUPERBAS
Glen Reed
   

ST LOUIS MAROONS
Tim Smith

WASHINGTON MONUMENTS
Doug Aiton
   

CHICAGO COLTS
Lance Mueller

CLEVELAND BARONS
Charlie Qualls
   

LOS ANGELES OUTLAWS
Peter Vays

DETROIT GRIFFINS
Sean Holloway
   

SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS
John Nellis

NEW YORK GRIFFINS
Shawn Martin
   

BATTING AVERAGE

HOME RUNS

RBI

OPS

RUNS SCORED

*Billy Goodman, CLE

.377

Granny Hamner, BRO

.368

*Jim Lemon, SF

.356

*Rocky Bridges, LOU

.349

*Don Blasingame, STL

.348

*Joe Cunningham, DET

.345

*Harvey Kuenn, CLE

.337

*Willie Jones, STL

.325

*Gene Woodling, CLE

.325

Willie Mays, WAS

.312

 

 

Hank Aaron, LOU

7

Mickey Mantle, BRO

7

*Willie Mays, WAS

7

*Ernie Banks, CHI

6

Ron Hansen, WAS

6

Harmon Killebrew, SF

6

*Dick Kokos, STL

6

Felix Mantilla, LOU

6

Gus Zernial, CLE

6

 

 

 

 

Hector Lopez, SF

25

Joe Cunningham, DET

23

Orlando Cepeda, NYG

22

*Mickey Mantle, BRO

19

Granny Hamner, BRO

18

*Rocky Bridges, LOU

17

*Johnny Romano, WAS

17

*Norm Cash, CLE

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Joe Cunningham, DET

1.031

Willie Mays, WAS

1.031

*Billy Goodman, CLE

1.004

Ron Hansen, WAS

.972

Ernie Banks, CHI

.971

Hank Aaron, LOU

.968

Mickey Mantle, BRO

.952

Granny Hamner, BRO

.934

*Jim Lemon, SF

.928

*Rocky Bridges, LOU

.923

 

 

BROOKLYN

126

WASHINGTON

117

DETROIT

112

ST. LOUIS

108

SAN FRANCISCO

106

CLEVELAND

104

CHICAGO

96

NEW YORK

94

LOUISVILLE

93

LOS ANGELES

92

 

 

EARNED RUN AVERAGE

WINS

STRIKEOUTS

RATIO

RUNS ALLOWED

Juan Pizarro, SF

2.36

*Joe Presko, NYG

2.36

*Bob Miller, BRO

2.41

*Billy Pierce, CLE

2.42

Johnny Antonelli, LOU

2.59

*Pedro Ramos, DET

2.93

*Don Drysdale, CLE

3.00

Joe Gibbon, NYG

3.05

*Bubba Church, LA

3.14

Joey Jay, DET

3.26

 

 

*Johnny Antonelli, LOU

4

Gene Conley, BRO

4

Toothpick Sam Jones, WAS

4

*Jim Kaat, WAS

4

Billy Pierce, CLE

4

Dick Sisler, BRO

4

*Carl Erskine, CHI

4

*Johnny Podres, DET

4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnny Antonelli, LOU

70

Bob Friend, NYG

58

Gene Conley, BRO

49

Billy Pierce, CLE

49

Johnny Podres, DET

46

*Don Mossi, CHI

42

*Toothpick Sam Jones, WAS

41

Jim Bunning, LA

39

*Billy O'Dell, CLE

39

*Joey Jay, DET

36

*Juan Pizarro, SF

36

Billy Pierce, CLE

8.3

*Bob Miller, BRO

8.4

*Don Drysdale, CLE

9.4

Bubba Church, LA

9.4

Johnny Antonelli, LOU

9.9

*Pedro Ramos, DET

10.0

*Johnny Podres, DET

10.1

*Whitey Ford, BRO

10.3

Joe Gibbon, NYG

10.4

Gene Conley, BRO

 10.5

 

 

LOUISVILLE

86

BROOKLYN

96

DETROIT

96

CLEVELAND

98

SAN FRANCISCO

103

LOS ANGELES

108

NEW YORK

114

ST. LOUIS

114

CHICAGO

115

WASHINGTON

118

  

  

BATTER OF THE MONTH

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

MILESTONES

APR

Joe Cunningham, DET

4/10

Hank Aaron, LOU

7/3

  

Bob Friend, NYG

MAY

 

4/17

Gil McDougald, DET

7/10 

 

100th win (Apr 17), #18-T all-time

JUN

 

4/24

Billy Pierce, CLE

7/17

  

Bob Friend, NYG

JUL

 

5/1

Mickey Mantle, BRO

7/24

  

1,500th strikeout (Apr 25), #5 all-time

AUG

 

5/8

 

7/31

  

Steve Ridzik, SF

SEP

 

5/15

 

8/7

  

100th save (Apr 20), #8 all-time

PITCHER OF THE MONTH

5/22

 

8/14

  

Don Elston, CHI

APR

Billy Pierce, CLE

5/29

 

8/21

  

100th save (Apr 29), #9 all-time

MAY

 

6/5

 

8/28

    

JUN

 

6/12

 

9/4

    

JUL

 

6/19

 

9/11

    

AUG

 

6/26

 

9/18

    

SEP

 

 

 

9/25

    
  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