Gothams to Move to Fenway
BOSTON (July 4) -- The UL Board of Governors today conditionally approved the relocation of Shawn Martin’s New York Gothams to Boston’s Fenway Park, beginning next season.  Martin had been blocking the league’s proposed Boston expansion team, threatened legal action against the league for authorizing the new franchise without consent of the owners.  Martin, a Boston native, asserted that his existing club, had the right of first refusal in the Boston market, and threatened to scuttle the league’s expansion plans as a bargaining chip to move his Gothams to Boston.  The New York ballclub is on pace for its sixth losing season in seven years and ranked last or next-to-last in attendance the last three years.

Pierce Notches Win #200 as a Southsider
LOS ANGELES (June 24) -- Pitcher of the Decade Billy Pierce wasted no time getting to his 200th win, claiming victories in his first two starts as a Chicago Colt to reach the career milestone on June 24 at L.A.’s Arroyo Seco Stadium.  The righthander shut down Detroit in his Colts debut on June 18, allowing just one unearned run in a six-hit complete game, and getting the win after Joe Adcock delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the ninth, and beat the Outlaws 11-6 today with a season-best 13 strikeouts.
   Pierce, 33, is the UL’s all-time win leader, and is on pace for his third straight 20-win season and sixth overall.  Pierce, also the league’s highest paid player, at $12.85 million through 1963, joins Carl Erskine (11-3, 3.17) to give the Colts a dominant 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation.
   Chicago has never won a pennant, and Southside fans are responding, coming out to Colts home games in droves.  The Colts set a club record last year in their first season at Comiskey Stadium after several years of a dwindling gate.

Noren Gets Six Hits
BROOKLYN (June 23) -- Brooklyn right fielder Irv Noren became the eighth ULer to collect six hits in a game June 23 in a 14-2 rout of Detroit.  Noren joins Bobby Brown as the only teammates with six-hit games in the same season.  Noren had five singles and a double in the game, which also featured a 6-RBI performance by shortstop Tony Kubek.
   1961 is shaping up to be a banner year for individual game performances.  It is the first time in league history players have achieved a no-hitter (Lew Burdette’s June 12 perfect game), a six-hit game, and a homer hat trick (Louisville’s Felix Mantilla) in the same season.
   Detroit and Brooklyn account for 6 of 8 six-hit performances.  The then-Sound pounded out three of the first four six-hit games: Stan Rojek in 1951 and Ferris Fain in April and July of 1952.

A Revolting Development
NEW YORK (June 19) -- Three days after returning from a month-long hiatus to assist his family in Cuba during the Bahia de Cochinos revolt, New York’s rookie center fielder Tony Gonzalez hit Cleveland pitching for five hits on June 19.  Gonzalez had a double, a triple, and three singles, including two in the seven-run ninth inning that broke open a 4-4 tie.  Gonzalez’ family in Central Cunagua was safe, despite being located near the center of the Cuban uprising instigated by the Bay of Pigs invasion, that toppled dictator Fidel Castro.

Antonelli Outduels Erskine
LOUISVILLE (June 26) -- Louisville may be nine games off the pace, but the defending West champions still harbor hopes of a repeat title, and with Johnny Antonelli pitching every fourth day, anything is possible.  Johnny A edged former ace (now #2) Carl Erskine 2-1 at Parkway Field on June 26, driving in both runs on RBI groundouts.  Antonelli went the distance, allowing eight hits, to improve to 13-3, while Erskine fell to 11-4.  Erskine and Antonelli are ranked 1-2 in career ERA (minimum 2,000 innings) and Antonelli’s win pulled him within one of Erskine for second place on the career win list (Erskine 163, Antonelli 162).

Dallas Awarded Expansion Team