W E S T   D I V I S I O N

E A S T   D I V I S I O N

CHICAGO COLTS

Tom Sturdivant pitched a three-hit shutout on April 26, his last start before fracturing his elbow.  Carl Erskine was named Player of the Week April 23, with a 2-0 record, 0.53 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
 

Whitey Ford pitched back-to-back four-hit shutouts against Detroit and Washington April 23 and 27.  Ford has won four straight decisions after going 0-1 in his first two starts.  After five straight saves, closer Dave Sisler was roughed up his last two starts, allowing four hits and six runs in 0.2 innings.
 

ST LOUIS MAROONS

Catcher Earl Averill fractured his skull on a collision at the plate and will miss 8 weeks.  Averill is the latest of a long line of catchers, including Joe Garagiola and Joe Torre, to suffer major injuries playing for the the cream and maroon.
 

MANHATTAN GRAY SOX

The Gray Sox have allowed a league low 3.4 runs per game, led by 2-3-4 starters Johnny Podres (4-2, 2.40), Jack Sanford (1-1, 2.21), and Billy O'Dell (3-2, 2.79).  Closer Ted Abernathy has regained his form in the big city.  The former first-rounder led the league in saves with Washington in 1956-58 but failed to produce in three years with Los Angeles.  The 29-year-old righthander has six saves and a 2.08 ERA in 10 games.
 

SAN FRANCISCO SPIDERS

Juan Pizarro is 0-3, 4.67 in his last seven starts.  Bob Hooper co-leads the league with 7 saves.  The 38-year-old was the league save champion -- in 1954.  Harmon Killebrew is up to his old tricks: swinging hard and sometimes making contact.  The 25-year old first overall pick (in 1959) in on pace to top his career highs in home runs (31) and strikeouts (143), both set last year.
 

The Griffs are second in the league with 103 bases on balls thru 27 games, led by right fielder Jim King (21), who was walked fully one-fourth of his plate appearances, helping him inflate a paltry .227 average to a mighty .414 OBP.  Leon "Daddy Wags" Wagner (.356-4-21) homered twice and drove in five in a 14-5 win over L.A. on April 30.
 

DALLAS TEXANS

Center fielder Bill Virdon is taking well to his new environs since joining the Texans from L.A. on April 9.  Virdon hit .389 in his last six games, including a homer and three RBIs at Brooklyn April 30.  South Art Ceccarelli (2-1, 1.78) has been a pleasant surprise as the #4 starter.
 

Washington's bullpen has been shockingly bad [Carl Scheib 10.80, Ray Moore 7.72, Bob Shaw 7.36, Marshall Bridges 7.00], dragging down a more-or-less average starting rotation to the second worst stafff ERA in the league.  The Mons are 3rd in home runs, trailing only St. Louis and Chicago.  Johnny Romano leads the club with 9 circuit clouts and Willie Mays sits just seven behind Gus Zernial on the all-time homer list (331 and 338 respectively).
 

LOUISVILLE COLONELS

The bottom half of the rotation has failed GM Mark Allen.  #3 starter Baby Joe Presko (1-5, 6.75 in 7 starts) has been hammered, as have newcomers Robin Roberts (0-2, 8.78 in two starts) and Tom Gorman (5.50 in 18 innings).  After a 1-3 start, Cy-winner Johnny Antonelli has won four straight, including a six-hit 11-K shutout at Brooklyn April 29.  Don Mueller, the "Mandrake Magician", is the club's surprise player of the year so far.  The 38-year-old catcher is hitting .406 and is second only to Hank Aaron with 15 RBIs.
 

BOSTON FEDERALS

As Boston settles in to their new home, they are having trouble on the road.  The Feds are 3-10 away from Fenway, including seven straight road losses April 11-26 that was finally snapped by Toothpick Jones' three-hit shutout at Cleveland.  The club ranks last in average (.214) and runs scored (3.0 runs per game), and next to last in home runs (11).  Who's to blame?  Start with Tony Gonzalez (.152-0-4 in 23 games) and Bob Allison (.163, .531 OPS) who was hitless in seven games and 25 at bats from April 10-16.
 

LOS ANGELES OUTLAWS

The Outlaws posted a league high 5.74 ERA in April.  Bob Rush is 0-6, 6.64 in six starts and ace Art Mahaffey (1-5, 6.66) has been doubly cursed by the second worst run support (2.2) and the third worst ERA (6.66) among starting pitchers.  The offense has faltered as well.  Rookie shortstop Tom Tresh is the only Outlaw in the top 34 in OPS.
 

CLEVELAND BARONS

Don Drysdale suffered a concussion on Apr. 24 when he took a Willie Mays line drive to the noggin.  The injury sidelined the big righthander two weeks.  Cleveland is the only team that ranks in the bottom three in both batting and pitching.  Bright spot?  Starters John Tsitouris, Jack Kralick, and Earl Francis, despite all posting identical 1-4 records, all have ERAs under 4.00.