United League of American Base B

Outlaws Close Gap
Aaron Hits 8 Homers in 7 Games
LOS ANGELES (June 17) -- With the 1964 All-Star Game and Founders Cup looming on the horizon, Los Angeles Outlaws fans can add a third attraction to the year-long festivities at newly-renovated Arroyo Seco Stadium: a pennant race. After eight years without a winning season, LA improved by 19 games last year (89-73) to finish in second place in the West. This year is the first full season with slugger Hank Aaron, who leads a young club with a ton of power and a solid pitching corps.
   Aaron hit eight home runs and 17 RBIs in a seven-game span in early June, emerging as the leading MVP candidate and leading his Los Angeles Outlaws to within two games of first place. Los Angeles won 11 of 13 games, including eight in a row, and closed to within a game after a two-game sweep at Chicago. Aaron and Frank Robinson each homered in a 5-4 win, as Jim Bunning beat Don Mossi June 12. The next day, L.A. dumped five runs on Ray Herbert in the first inning and Vada Pinson drove in four runs in a 9-7 win.
   Aaron, the 1960 MVP, holds a commanding lead with 27 home runs and 72 RBI, well ahead of his closest peers and on a record-breaking pace (62 HR, 167 RBI). He is hitting .260-9-18 with a 1.165 OPS in June.
   Since June 1, Frank Robinson, Bill Sarni, and Ted Lepcio are all hitting over .400, and Hank Aguirre and Art Mahaffey have ERAs under 3.00. Sarni (season: .272-3-18) had four hits against Dallas June 9, and four more against Chicago four days later.

League Unveils Plans for Shrine
Hall of Fame to Open in 1970
NEW YORK (June 15) -- League officials today announced plans for a United League Hall of Fame and Museum, to open in 1970 at a site yet to be determined. "Enough time has passed for the new league to begin to honor its most beloved players and greatest stars," league president Timothy J. Smith told a press gathering at league headquarters in midtown Manhattan. The opening of the Hall will coincide with the league's 20th season, and will include the enshrinement of the first five UL Hall of Fame inductees. One player will be elected each year from 1965 to 1969 and these five players will be the first inductees in the new shrine when it opens in 1970. The league released in information sheet providing some details:

Eligible Players
Voting will take place in November. All players who have be retired at least one year will be eligible for election. The first election will be in November 1965, all players who retired in 1964 and earlier will be on the ballot.

Voting Procedures
Each active GM will have 5 votes they can allot in any way they want. You can give 1 vote to 5 players, 5 votes to 1 player, any combination in between, or choose to cast fewer than 5 votes. The player with the most votes will be elected to the Hall of Fame, provided that he wins a simple majority of votes cast. If no player wins a simple majority on the first ballot, there will be a run-off ballot between the top two vote-getters, and owners again can split their 5 votes between the two candidates.

After 1970
After the Hall opens with its first five members, we will revisit the election procedures. We can either continue to choose one player each year or adopt a more flexible system that would allow 2 or 3 (or 0) players to be elected. We don't have to decide this until 1970, when the Hall opens its doors.

UL Hall of Fame Site
TBD. Any ideas? Any cities or town with particular significance to the history of baseball or the history of the UL? Are there any founding myths out there besides Abner Doubleday we could cling to for the purposes of our alternate history? Henry Chadwick's hometown (Exeter, England)? Al Spalding's hometown (Byron, Illinios)? Alexander Cartwright (New York)? Beachville, Ontario (site of first fully documented baseball game)?Other ideas?

Mons Ink Mays
Willie Signs $12 Million/Year Extension
WASHINGTON (June 17) -- Slugging center fielder Willie Mays signed a lucrative deal that will earn him $12 million a year through 1967, with an option for a fourth year. Mays is currently the league's best-paid player ($12,050,000), and will take a $50k pay cut next year.