|
Toppers
on Top
Last-to-First Atlanta
Turns West on Its Head
 LOS ANGELES (Sept. 25)
-- The Atlanta Hilltoppers completed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in UL history today, grabbing the West Division title
after four straight last place finishes. The club joins the 1959 San Francisco Spiders as the only teams to go from last place
to a pennant, earning its first appearance in the UL World Series since the Mark
Allen/Louisville Colonels era in 1960.
Atlanta clinched the pennant in the ballpark of their
nearest rivals, the Los Angeles Outlaws, who were runners-up for the second year
running. Left fielder Lenny Green's 4-for-5 led a 17-hit barrage that
buried L.A. 11-5. The win typified a season in which Atlanta led the
league in nearly every offensive category.
How Offensive are
these Hilltoppers? Pretty Offensive.
by Glen Reed
A recent line about the 'Topper offense got me to thinking, just how offensive
are these characters relative to mashing UL sides past? What I assessed is that
this year's tally of 900 scores ranks second all time after the 907 runs posted
by the 1962 Superbas of Mantle, Hamner, Kaline, Gentile, Amoros, Brown, and
Mantilla. But those guys played a 162-game schedule, which got me to thinking
that the best measure of offensive potency is prolly actually runs per game.
Looked at on this basis, we're forced to consider the
offensive side that I believe is widely regarded as the best ever--Gregory
Bish's New York Gothams of 1951-52. These teams were led by the incomparable duo
of Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams, who both posted OPSs in excess of 1.000 in
these years. Their partners in crime will be familiar to long-time ULers,
featuring such offensive luminaries as Vic Wertz, Ed "Walking Man" Yost, Irv
Noren, Jim Busby, and Gil Hodges (1951), who was then traded for the lefty
power-poking Larry Doby (1952). These Gothams scored 873 and 880 runs in those
two 154-game seasons, for an RPG of 5.67 and 5.71, respectively. These remain
two of the three highest totals in league history. (In 1958, Brooklyn tallied
875 runs in what was Ralph Kiner's first season in the baseballing burrough for
a side that had eight players with 200 ABs or more hit better than .320.) By
comparison, the 1967 Toppers averaged 5.625 RPG, while the math on the '62 'Bas
works out to 5.599 RPG. So there you have it--these dudes are really quite
potent, but short of record levels of offensiveness.
Cleveland Clinches With Shutout
Podres Leads Barons to Second
Pennant in Three Years
 MANHATTAN (Sept. 25) -- Bob Friend threw a five-hit shutout, striking out 11 to
clinch the East Division title for the Cleveland Barons today. Charlie
Qualls' nine claimed the title for the second time in three years. Second
baseman Roy McMillan was 3-for-3, and Curt Flood homered, as the Barons jumped
to a 5-0 lead in the third off Mickey Lolich and never looked back. It was
never quite clear who the Barons were running from. One month it was the
Boston Federals, another it was Washington, and finally it was Brooklyn, whose
10-game win streak in early September gave the Lakesiders a brief scare, but
ultimately came up short.
The player of the year was undoubtedly staff ace Johnny
Podres, who came a wild pitch away from breaking the single-season ERA record.
Podres had one of the most stellar seasons in UL history, but one that
nonetheless ended in disappointment. Podres lost his last start on Sept.
28, was denied his 20th win, and saw the ERA record slip away in a single pitch.
The 35-year-old southpaw tossed a wild pitch in the seventh inning that allowed
Dick McAuliffe to score, raising his ERA to 1.796, its highest level since May
30 and 0.007 above Gene Conley's 1959 record of 1.789. But Podres was
easily the league's most dominant pitcher (19-6, 1.80, 226 K), leading the
league's best pitching staff (3.24 ERA). Earl Francis (20-7, 2.48) notched
his first 20-win season, and Don Larsen (16-7, 3.24) was a key midseason
addition in a trade with Manhattan. 2B Bernie Allen led the offense with
20 HR, 99 RBI, and 100 walks, and a .402 OBP, and Curt Flood hit .315 and swiped
34 bases. The team ranked dead last in home runs, but was 6th in on-base
percentage and second in stolen bases and finished in the middle of the pack
with 709 runs scored.
Colts Run Comes to an End
Brooklyn, L.A. Come
Up Short
Howser Wins Fourth Batting Title
Cha-Cha Wins HR, RBI Titles |
|
TOTAL ATTENDANCE |
TOTAL REVENUE |
PLAYER EXPENSES |
NET PROFIT* |
|
1967 ($M) |
Change |
|
Atlanta |
3392 |
1718 |
|
Cleveland |
3194 |
436 |
|
Chicago |
2597 |
(513) |
|
Los Angeles |
2393 |
402 |
|
Brooklyn |
2289 |
(207) |
|
Washington |
2229 |
220 |
|
Boston |
1936 |
322 |
|
Detroit |
1667 |
(4) |
|
Manhattan |
1613 |
55 |
|
St. Louis |
1559 |
(524) |
|
San Francisco |
1502 |
(17) |
|
Dallas |
1191 |
(81) |
|
Total |
25495 |
1808 |
|
Average |
2124 |
7.6% |
|
|
1967 ($M) |
Change |
|
Cleveland |
78.05 |
10.47 |
|
Chicago |
75.67 |
0.46 |
|
Atlanta |
73.69 |
21.26 |
|
Los Angeles |
70.92 |
10.53 |
|
Brooklyn |
68.65 |
5.39 |
|
Washington |
67.39 |
8.30 |
|
Boston |
68.34 |
9.97 |
|
Manhattan |
64.23 |
9.98 |
|
Detroit |
63.46 |
6.05 |
|
San Francisco |
61.27 |
7.35 |
|
St. Louis |
60.56 |
(0.36) |
|
Dallas |
56.29 |
5.28 |
|
Total |
808.52 |
94.68 |
|
Average |
67.38 |
13.3% |
|
|
1967 ($M) |
Change |
|
Chicago |
73.95 |
1.09 |
|
Brooklyn |
68.59 |
(5.76) |
|
Cleveland |
67.40 |
(3.83) |
|
St. Louis |
66.61 |
6.97 |
|
Manhattan |
60.83 |
(3.69) |
|
Los Angeles |
59.73 |
1.76 |
|
Washington |
59.39 |
6.14 |
|
Dallas |
56.88 |
(5.43) |
|
Atlanta |
56.38 |
3.36 |
|
Detroit |
54.03 |
4.61 |
|
San Francisco |
50.16 |
2.58 |
|
Boston |
48.63 |
(11.62) |
|
Total |
722.58 |
(3.82) |
|
Average |
60.22 |
(0.5%) |
|
|
1967 ($M) |
Change |
|
Boston |
19.71 |
21.59 |
|
Atlanta |
17.31 |
17.90 |
|
Los Angeles |
11.19 |
8.77 |
|
San Francisco |
11.11 |
4.77 |
|
Cleveland |
10.65 |
14.30 |
|
Detroit |
9.42 |
1.43 |
|
Washington |
8.00 |
2.16 |
|
Manhattan |
3.40 |
13.67 |
|
Chicago |
1.72 |
(0.63) |
|
Brooklyn |
0.06 |
11.15 |
|
Dallas |
(0.58) |
10.72 |
|
St. Louis |
(6.06) |
(7.34) |
|
Total |
85.93 |
98.49 |
|
Average |
7.16 |
n/a |
|
*not including cash from
trades |
|
|
|
L E A G
U E A W A R D S |
|
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER |
CY YOUNG AWARD |
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR |
GOLD GLOVE AWARD |
ALL-UL TEAM |
 |
|
Orlando
Cepeda, BOS
.301, 42 HR, 144 RBI |
|
|
|
|
Johnny
Podres, CLE
19-6, 1.80, 226 K |
|
 |
|
Steve Carlton,
ATL
23-7, 3.32, 208 K |
|
|
C |
Johnny
Roseboro, CLE (3) |
|
1B |
Norm
Cash, CHI (3) |
|
2B |
Horace
Clarke, CHI (1) |
|
3B |
Ron
Santo, WAS (3) |
|
SS |
B.
Richardson, MAN (3) |
|
LF |
Lou
Brock, SF (1) |
|
CF |
Jimmy
Wynn, BOS (1) |
|
RF |
Hank
Aaron, LA (7) |
|
P |
Bob
Gibson, DET (1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C |
Joe
Torre, MAN (4) |
|
1B |
Orlando Cepeda, BOS (3) |
|
2B |
Bernie
Allen, CLE (1) |
|
3B |
Ron
Santo, WAS (1) |
|
SS |
Dick
Howser, WAS (5) |
|
OF |
Roger
Maris, ATL (3) |
|
OF |
Joe
Adcock, CHI (3) |
|
OF |
Don
Demeter, LA (1) |
|
SP |
Johnny
Podres, CLE (2) |
|
SP |
Johnny
Antonelli, LA (8) |
|
SP |
Earl
Francis, CLE (1) |
|
RP |
John
Hiller, LA (1) |
|
|
|
W E S T
D I V I S I O N |
E A S T
D I V I S I O N |
 |
Record: 99-61
(56-106)
+43
Best Player:
Steve Carlton
(23-7, 3.32, 208 K)
Biggest Flop:
Woodie Fryman (1-9,
4.70, 1.43 WHIP)
Walking on
Sunshine
Like the 1980s hit of the same name that came out of left field,
so too did the 1967 'Toppers come from nowhere to top the UL
charts. Atlanta debutants Palmer, Carlton, Barber, Veale, Gross,
and Sherry revitalized the worst pitching staff in league
history (more than 1000 runs allowed as recently as 1965). Two
guys with 20 wins and another with 20 saves were made possible
by the backing of one of the most prolific offenses in league
history. Maris, Killer, Allison, and some other guys knocked the
ball around the park like it ain't no thang. That's the good
news. The bad news is youth and longevity were sacrificed for a
bunch of 32 year olds to maximize chances of winning now. That
radically shortens
the window, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do to win
some games.
-- Glen Reed
|
 |
Record:
89-71
(93-69)
-4
Best Player:
Johnny Antonelli
(20-12, 2.32, 252 K)
Biggest Flop:
Ron Swoboda
(.196-0-5 in 49 games)
"L.A.
Woulda Won" by The Closing Doors
Well the season started 'bout an hour ago
Took a look around, Windy City's startin' to blow
And we mighty Outlaws have our Hollywood ducks in a row
I'm a lucky
little Petey in the City of Light
No more lost angels, the city's all right
West pasted with fright, feeling our might
Staff's looking tight, woo, yeah!
L.A. woulda won, L.A. woulda won
L.A. coulda beat
Cleveland too
L.A. shoulda beat Cleveland too
L.A. woulda beat Cleveland too
Topper-red
sunburns
Turn into the blues, into the blues
We feel like doo-doo-doo
Feeling like poo, ew, yuck!
You see our bats were burnin'
Bleachers filled
with cowhide
They said we were frontrunners
You know, I think they lied
Hank & Frank & Jimmie
Outfield alleys roam
Fe-lix balls, Harvey's all
Never saw it comin'...
In second alone,
second alone
Second alone, throw me a bone
Fritz and Johnny tandem madness
3-4-5 change the mood to sadness
Mr. Fastball risin', Mr. Curveball risin'
Mr. Slider risin',
Mr. Sinker risin'
(repeat until 10 games back)
Well the season ended 'bout an hour ago
Took a look around, to see which way'd my pants go
Looks like Lefty Carlton bought my Hollywood bungalow
Unlucky little Petey in the City of Light
Juggernauts from 'lanta, I feel shitty tonight
Shitty tonight, a pity is right
My pants are now tight
From shitting tonight
-- Charlie Qualls
|
 |
Record:
87-73
(95-67)
-8
Best Player:
Joe Adcock
(.335-31-114, .992 OPS)
Biggest Flop:
Ernie
Banks (.244-5-34 in 100 games)
The
Times They Are A Changin’
Colts Six Year Run Comes To An End
For some
teams the end of a stellar run atop a division would be
a bitter disappointment, but the Colts players and
management took the drop to third place in stride. It
was bound to happen sooner or later, and for Chicago
1967 was the year. We could try to make excuses – this
was by far the most injury riddled season in Colts’
history – but the fact is age, some questionable trades,
and the rise two strong contenders in the West put the
kybosh on us hitting lucky number seven. The revolving
door in centerfield left Bob Allison and Don Demeter
playing for division rivals, and without their offense
and with the non-so-stellar performances of Banks, Post,
and Bridges, there just wasn’t enough pop in the lineup
to make these horsies gallop. There was also trouble in
the bottom part of the rotation and the bullpen was not
what it had been in recent years, namely, one of the
best in the league.
Despite the downturn, there was also a lot of good mixed
with the bad. Veterans Joe Adcock and Norm Cash
continued to put up solid numbers, and newcomers Sammy
Taylor and Roberto Clemente found a good fit with the
team and added some depth at the plate for the Colts.
Some youngster also showed signs of being long term
contributors: Horace Clarke batted over .300 for
the year and snagged what some are predicting was his
first of many Gold Gloves, Sonny Jackson turned a
freshman .604 OPS year into a sophomore .745 OPS season,
and first round pick Bill Singer immediately took over
the “Ace” role on his way to winning 20 games.
All-in-all, while we’d hoped to hang on to the West
pennant for another year or two, the end of our time
atop the division was not desired but not disappointing
either. Heck, it took us ten seasons to get there, so
sticking around on top for six was probably more than we
could have ever expected.
-- Lance Mueller
|
 |
Record:
69-91
(79-83)
-10
Best Player:
Jim Fregosi (.328,
.388 OBP, 96 runs)
Biggest Flop:
Bill White (.211,
.555 OPS after .806)
It was the worst year in Maroons history, as the club continued
its two-year slide from its 90-win season in 1965 and finished
below .500 for the sixth time in eight years. But unlike
previous years, the Dark Reds began rebuilding whole-heartedly,
dealing their best player Roger Maris in July for a package of
young stars, including Reggie Smith and Joe Morgan.
Shortstop Jim Fregosi, 25, emerged as the club's top hitter,
batting .328 with a .388 OBP and 96 runs. But the club
overall ranked 9th in runs. The pitching staff suffered
from the lack of a true ace, or #2, for that matter. Don
Sutton, 23-win Rookie of the Year in 1966, failed to maintain
his form, finishing 11-11 despite a 3.08 ERA. Bob Locker
notched another 17 saves with a stellar 1.99 ERA, and
21-year-old Joe Niekro climbed from Memphis (7-0, 1.18) to
Denver (8-2, 2.70) to St. Louis (2-0, 3.07) without skipping a
beat.
Skipper Tim Smith has finally put all his eggs in one basket,
focusing on the development of his under-25 core of Fregosi,
Morgan, Smith, Roy White, Tony Perez, Don Sutton, and Joe Niekro.
|
 |
Record:
68-92
(67-95)
+1
Best Player:
Lou Brock (.311,
.370 OBP, 101 SB)
Biggest Flop:
Ron
Kline (7-16, 5.01, 1.56 WHIP)
Spiders Fall From
Grace
On
May 15, 1967, the San Francisco Spiders were 10 games over .500, sitting atop
the West Division with the best record in the United League. Building off of
their surprising 85-77 record in 1966 -- their first winning season in seven
years -- the Spiders appeared poised to contend for their first division title
since the 1959 championship season.
However, between May 15 and July 31, the Spiders went
18-44 (a .290 winning percentage) -- one of the biggest collapses in league
history. After an 0-4 appearance in the Founder's Cup, the Spiders had clearly
dropped out of the divisional race. San Francisco suffered through losing
streaks of 8 games in June, 10 games in July, and 11 games in August (when they
went 9-19). Only an above-.500 September kept the Spiders from having the worst
record in the league.
Wha' happen? Two main factors:
-- Starting pitching, a considerable asset in 1966,
fell apart in 1967. In '66, the Spiders had two 20-game winners -- Fergie "Shoulda
Been Rookie of the Year" Jenkins and Fred Newman. This season, no starting
pitcher had a winning record. Jenkins posted a comparable ERA but went just
12-15, while Newman struggled with a sub-.500 record until he suffered a
career-ending back injury in August.
-- The offense was downright offensive, scoring 77
fewer runs than in 1966. The Spiders were last in the league in OBP and
next-to-last in batting average while leading the league in strikeouts. OF Roger
Repoz's sophomore slump caused the team to take a long look at rookie phenom
Rick Monday in September; Pete Rose set career lows in walks, runs, and
extra-base hits; defensive specialist Clete Boyer hit .221 while making 20
errors at third base, his best position; and Lou Brock experienced a power
outage, setting four-year lows in doubles and homers, as well as walks (though
he did steal 100 bases for the fifth straight season). Billy Williams (28 HR, 92
RBI, .260 AVG/.361 OBP/.816 OPS) was one of the few Spiders to have a
respectable year.
The Spiders head back to the drawing board for 1968.
The bullpen -- one of the only bright spots in 1967 -- remains solid, but the
abrupt end to Newman's career leaves a hole in the rotation. The offense will
see an infusion of youth as several AAA players make the leap to the big league
club, keeping the Spiders one of the youngest teams in the league.
-- Jeff Tonole
|
 |
Record:
67-93
(85-77)
-18
Best Player:
Rod Carew (.332,
.370 OBP, 202 hits)
Biggest Flop:
Jim Landis (.170-0-4, .473 OPS in 42 G)
Lollygagging
Lollygaggers
(News
conference Dallas Hilton)
First of all I would like to thank you for coming today. I
know after another dismal 67-win season it’s hard to be a Texan
fan. First of all the good news: Rod Carew. That’s it.
The rest of these guys are lollygaggers. I’ve got a bunch of
lollygagging, lollygaggers. Pat Jarvis out a whole season with
“back spasms” are you kidding me? This whole team stinks. In
fact, right now we are an embarrassment to other teams that
stink.
To be honest I thought we would still have a long way to go at
this point, but we are even further off than that. I thought we
could build this team around pitching, but some guys just aren’t
producing and the talent hits have been devastating. We will be
looking at moving in another direction. We will be getting guys
who want to play here and be part of the solution. That will be
the top priority this coming season, and you can take that to
the bank. Thanks for coming out…no further questions today.
-- Eric Clemons
|
|
 |
Record:
91-69
(90-72)
+1
Best Player:
Johnny Podres
(19-6, 1.80, 226 K)
Biggest Flop:
Bob Friend (10-10,
4.81 after 22 wins)
Do I Look
Like Rowan or Martin? 'Cuz I'm Not Laugh-In!
Have you heard this one: Two Alous and a McMillan walk
into a World Series starting line-up...
Unfortunately it was no joke when everyday contributors Jim Busby,
Norm Siebern and Gene Freese were unavailable for post season
service. Rib tickler Frank Thomas
got jammed right
out of the box, becoming a non-factor early in the season.
Second half closer-for-hire Ted Abernathy saw his season
toppled shortly after joining the squad. All tallied, the 1967
Barons
spent over 27 months on sick pay, and that's not including the
unfortunate CEI to Freese.
Thankfully, the hurlers kept a cleaner bill of health
and stood atop the team pitching
leader mound wire-to-wire. Johnny Podres and Earl Francis are
the UL's premiere 1-2 punch du jour, with
Podres snaking his
second Cy Young nod. Iron Man Billy O'Dell won 14 games from
the number three spot. Only Bob "Fair Weather" Friend
didn't hold up his end of things and was replaced beautifully by
Larry Jaster then Don Larsen, the latter
even crafted a no-hitter for his new team. The bullpen exceeded
expectations, holding their own against the league best. Terry
Fox and Turk Farrell were asked to to the bulk of the clean up,
and neither disappointed.
Once again, Curt Flood and Bernie Allen kept the offense from
being completely laughable.
But here's the punch line: Despite a season of wheeling,
dealing, hole-plugging and re-plugging (or maybe because of it),
the Barons hobbled their way into their second World Series
appearance. However, because of the lack of offense (or maybe
because of it)they were swept out.
-- Charlie Qualls
|
 |
Record:
84-76
(101-60)
-17
Best Player:
Gene Conley (15-9,
2.64, 229 K)
Biggest Flop:
Alex Johnson
(.204-3-28, .483 OPS in 74 G)
A season of transition. Going into '67, Brooklyn management
believed it had one more strong run at the championship before
age and escalating salaries tore the dynasty apart. They were
wrong. Despite putting together two very strong runs in each of
the first and second halves, Brooklyn couldn't muster the
consistency to overtake the surging Cleveland Barons and faded
in the final two weeks of the season finishing in second place
at 84-76. Age and injuries had finally taken its toll with 35+
players Whitey Ford (16-16), Dave Sisler (2-7, nearly 4.00 ERA),
Ted Lepcio (.256-9-58),
and Dick Williams (.255-15-74) all struggling to fill the
complementary roles that helped propel the '66 championship
team. Two longtime stalwarts Mickey Mantle (.284-29-118) and
Gene Conley (15-9, 2.64) battled injuries, but combined with new
leaders McAuliffe (.300, 15, 68) and Kucks (20-16, 3.20) to keep
the 'Bas in the running all season and offer hope for '68.
-- Rick Magar
|
 |
Record:
82-78
(83-79)
-1
Best Player: Dick Howser
(.378, .449 OBP, 69 SB, 113 R)
Biggest Flop:
Bill Monbouquette (7.65 ERA, 1.80 WHIP in 37 G)
Although it may have been slightly underwhelming at times, it's
worth noting that the Monuments seem to have transformed
themselves into a respectable franchise in recent years, with
winning seasons in four of their last five campaigns. They did
it in '67 like they have the last few years: with pure offensive
might. It should come as no surprise that Dick Howser lead the
league in AVG, OBP and VORP, along with 69 steals, and that he
was once again left in the cold during the MVP voting! Dick
Stuart crushed 38 homers, beating his career best by 11 at the
age of 35. Mike de la Hoz hit .320, Ron Santo .323 (even if his
power dried up a touch) with a gold glove. Floyd Robinson made
his second consecutive All-Star appearance with another solid
campaign, hitting .310. The Monument philosophy remains simple:
don't make outs.
Pitching, on the other hand, was typically disastrous. Head of
the pile was Jack Aker, who, following a wonderful rookie
campaign with a 1.68 ERA in the closer role, struggled to an
8.80 ERA. Don Drysdale, switching from the pen to the rotation,
scrapped to a 5.55 ERA Promising signs for next year – young
Jim Nash, brought over from Atlanta in a trade involving Bob
Veale and Dick Hughes, went 12-7 with a 3.55 ERA. Nonetheless,
real question marks will remain over a rotation that is built
upon Nash, 35-year old Bud Daley (69-75 lifetime), Rick Wise
(career ERA 4.46), and one of veteran Dick Donovan (4.98 ERA
last year), Dick Hughes (4.77 ERA last year) and the
aforementioned Drysdale.
The Mons finished nine games back, but they could well have been
caught up the pennant contenders if the great Willie Mays not
suffered a career threatening knee-break, when he was hitting
.313 with 5 homers in 27 games. Mays will return in '68, but
serious question marks remain. As the Monuments try to move
from the middle of the pack to the top, will their talisman
return?
-- Doug Aiton
|
 |
Record:
77-83
(69-93)
+8
Best Player:
Joe Torre
(.348-26-90, .992 OPS)
Biggest Flop:
Brooks Robinson
(.113-2-9, .386 OPS, 62 G)
Same story, different year. Same broken record. Manhattan is
slow out of the gate. Bottoms-out with a key player
downgrade or injury. Management makes plans for a top 3 draft
pick. Team rebounds. Management begrudgingly makes plans for a
lower pick. And, so the record spins. Another late season
turnaround, the most wins in team history, and two first round
picks bring hope for the next year but, alas, the door bell
rings once again and mediocrity always seems to answer.
-- Jeff Gurganus
|
 |
Record:
75-85
(67-94)
+8
Best Player:
Orlando Cepeda
(.301-42-144, .926 OPS)
Biggest Flop:
Bob Purkey (5-11, 5.40, 1.41 WHIP)
1967
Season Summary Interview with Boston GM Shawn Martin
Who
was your team MVP for 1967?
Without
a doubt, I have to give the nod to our team captain,
Orlando Cepeda. Leading the league in home runs and
RBI is nothing to sneeze at. O-Cep does everything
right on the field, hitting for average and power,
and playing a solid first base (or the outfield, in
a pinch). Cepeda has been a rock for us since
drafting him #3 overall, and we hope that he will be
a life-long Federal.
Which player’s performance was the biggest surprise?
I am
encouraged by the performance of CF Jimmy Wynn. I
thought he did a great job out there in center, and
gave us a few clutch hits throughout the year.
Billy Freehan also did fantastic behind the plate,
though we have gotten used to his good performances.
Biggest disappointment?
The
organization was disheartened by Gary Nolan’s
sub-par rookie campaign, though it must be noted
that there were some unfairly high expectations for
his ’67 performance. Our infield combo (other than
Cepeda), while defensively strong, did not give us
much offensively. That will need to improve next
year.
What
was the team’s biggest accomplishment?
I think
that we achieved two major goals in 1967. I think
we regained a sense of respect amongst the
competitors in the UL East, after a very tough
1966. We became a dangerous opponent simply for our
never-say-die attitude. We also recaptured a sense
of both financial responsibility and flexibility,
after having a few lean seasons at the till. I have
the fans of Boston to thank for that, as they
continued to come and visit Fenway Park regardless
of our placement in the standings. We know that we
are going to have some pricey contracts soon, due to
arbitration or re-signings, and it will help to have
that cap room beforehand.
Who
is primed for a breakout year in 1968?
I am
excited to see how Rocky Colavito can handle the
Federal Monster in left field for a full season. We
are happy to have him on our squad, and if any
player’s swing was tailor-made for Fenway’s left
field wall, it is the Rock’s.
What
is the outlook of the team for 1968?
We
obviously have a few places where we need to
improve. I think we could use a boost on both
offense and pitching, though our rotation looks to
remain quite competitive. A left-handed power bat
in the outfield would help, purely to complement the
Cepeda/Colavito combo. We could also use an upgrade
in the middle of the infield.
You
are a known "Rock and Roll" music fan. What was
your favorite song from this past year, 1967?
I’m
going to have to say “Light My Fire” by The Doors.
That's a damn good tune. I am admittedly hoping
that those Stones boys come up with something better
than “Satanic Majesties Request” next year. I just
got that record, and it is a little rough. Maybe I
just don’t understand that stuff. I did hear from a
friend across the pond that the Yardbirds are going
to be re-forming with some new talent. I'm curious
to see if that works out. It will probably sink
like a heavy dirigible.
-- Shawn Martin
|
 |
Record:
72-88
(86-76)
-14
Best Player:
Joey Jay (16-9,
2.93, 141 K)
Biggest Flop:
Ed Charles
(.201-4-17 in 117 G)
“The more
things change, the more they stay the same." That’s the way
local sportswriters describe the situation with the
Griffins. No one is quite certain how Detroit manages to
come close to respectability one year only to crash and burn
the next – despite having relatively the same line-up. As
the Griffins limped into yet another pathetic 4th-worst
record in the UL, the only thing on the few remaining fans’
minds was “Bonds or Jackson?”
The Good -
Joey Jay managed to finish 16-9 with a 2.93 ERA
The Bad – Bob
Gibson turned in another stellar year, finishing 7-16 with a
5.27 ERA
The Ugly – In
batting average, OBP, runs scored, hits, and SOs, the
Griffins are ranked either 11th or 12th in the UL
-- Sean Holloway
|
|
| |
|
|
L E A D E R B O
A R D S |
|
BATTING
AVERAGE |
HOME RUNS |
RBI |
VORP |
RUNS
/ GAME |
|
Dick Howser, WAS |
.378 |
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
.348 |
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
.344 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
.335 |
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
.332 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
.330 |
|
Jim Fregosi, STL |
.328 |
|
Ron Santo, WAS |
.323 |
|
Bob Clemente, CHI |
.323 |
|
Mike de la Hoz, WAS |
.320 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
42 |
|
Harm Killebrew, ATL |
39 |
|
Dick Stuart, WAS |
38 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
36 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
31 |
|
Don Demeter, LA |
31 |
|
Frank Howard, DET |
31 |
|
Hank Aaron, LA |
30 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
29 |
|
Frank Robinson, LA |
28 |
|
*Billy Williams, SF |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
Orlando Cepeda, BOS |
144 |
|
Dick Stuart, WAS |
140 |
|
Harm Killebrew, ATL |
137 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
118 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
114 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
110 |
|
Frank Howard, DET |
109 |
|
Ron Santo, WAS |
101 |
|
Dick Allen, DET |
100 |
|
Bernie Allen, CLE |
99 |
|
*Don Demeter, LA |
99 |
|
|
|
|
|
Dick Howser, WAS |
89.4 |
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
71.8 |
|
Joe Adcock, CHI |
69.2 |
|
Ron Santo, WAS |
64.5 |
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
62.4 |
|
Don Demeter, LA |
60.7 |
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
59.7 |
|
Bernie Allen, CLE |
57.3 |
|
Mickey Mantle, BRO |
56.7 |
|
Harm Killebrew, ATL |
53.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATLANTA |
5.6 |
|
|
WASHINGTON |
5.1 |
|
|
LOS ANGELES |
5.0 |
|
|
BROOKLYN |
4.7 |
|
|
CHICAGO |
4.7 |
|
|
CLEVELAND |
4.4 |
|
|
BOSTON |
4.4 |
|
|
MANHATTAN |
4.4 |
|
|
ST. LOUIS |
4.2 |
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO |
4.2 |
|
|
DETROIT |
4.1 |
|
|
DALLAS |
4.0 |
|
|
EARNED
RUN AVERAGE |
WINS |
STRIKEOUTS |
VORP |
RUNS
ALLOWED / GAME |
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
1.80 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
2.32 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
2.48 |
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
2.64 |
|
Fritz Peterson, LA |
2.71 |
|
Joey Jay, DET |
2.93 |
|
*Bill Singer, CHI |
3.00 |
|
Bob Shaw, STL |
3.03 |
|
Don Sutton, STL |
3.08 |
|
*Jim Palmer, ATL |
3.13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Carlton, ATL |
23 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
20 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
20 |
|
Johnny Kucks, BRO |
20 |
|
Jim Palmer, ATL |
20 |
|
Bill Singer, CHI |
20 |
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
19 |
|
Jim Nash, WAS |
17 |
|
Fritz Peterson, LA |
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny Antonelli, LA |
252 |
|
Whitey Ford, BRO |
246 |
|
Herb Score, BOS |
232 |
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
229 |
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
226 |
|
Johnny Kucks, BRO |
219 |
|
Steve Carlton, ATL |
208 |
|
Bill Singer, CHI |
208 |
|
Pedro Ramos, DET |
206 |
|
Fergie Jenkins, SF |
187 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Johnny Podres, CLE |
95.5 |
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
78.1 |
|
Earl Francis, CLE |
75.2 |
|
Fritz Peterson, LA |
64.6 |
|
Steve Carlton, ATL |
63.5 |
|
Joey Jay, DET |
62.2 |
|
Jim Palmer, ATL |
56.1 |
|
Steve Barber, ATL |
55.4 |
|
Pedro Ramos, DET |
53.1 |
|
*Bill Singer, CHI |
51.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CLEVELAND |
3.7 |
 |
BROOKLYN |
4.0 |
 |
LOS ANGELES |
4.1 |
|
|
ATLANTA |
4.3 |
|
|
CHICAGO |
4.3 |
|
|
SAN FRANCISCO |
4.7 |
|
|
DETROIT |
4.8 |
|
|
MANHATTAN |
4.9 |
|
|
DALLAS |
5.1 |
|
|
BOSTON |
5.1 |
|
|
ST. LOUIS |
5.1 |
|
|
WASHINGTON |
5.2 |
|
|
A W A R
D S & M I L E S T O N E S |
|
Batter of the Month |
Pitcher of the Month |
Rookie
of the Month |
Single-Season Records |
|
APR
|
Harmon
Killebrew, ATL |
|
MAY
|
Ron Hunt, ATL |
|
JUN
|
Joe Torre, MAN |
|
JUL
|
Roger Maris, ATL |
|
AUG
|
Joe Torre, MAN
(2) |
|
SEP |
Dick Stuart, WAS |
|
|
APR
|
Johnny Podres,
CLE |
|
MAY
|
Gene Conley, BRO |
|
JUN
|
Jim McGlothlin,
LA |
|
JUL
|
Johnny Antonelli,
LA |
|
AUG
|
Steve Carlton,
ATL |
|
SEP |
Jim Palmer, ATL |
|
|
APR
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
MAY
|
Rod Carew, DAL
(2) |
|
JUN
|
Jim McGlothlin,
LA |
|
JUL
|
Cesar Tovar, DET |
|
AUG
|
Steve Carlton,
ATL |
|
SEP |
Rod Carew, DAL
(3) |
|
|
Dick
Howser, WAS
.3779
average
, #3 all time
(Howser '66, '63)
.449 OBP, #6 all-time
209 hits, #7 all-time
Roger Maris, STL
122 runs,
#7 all-time
Lou Brock, SF
101
stolen bases,
#5 all-time
37 caught stealings, #2 all-time
Johnny Podres, CLE
1.796 ERA,
#2 all-time (Conley '59 1.789)
|
|
|
Player of the Week |
|
4/10
|
Don Demeter, CHI |
|
4/17
|
Orlando Cepeda,
BOS |
|
4/24
|
Jim Fregosi, STL |
|
5/1
|
Rod Carew, DAL |
|
5/8
|
Lou Clinton, ATL |
|
5/15 |
Ron Santo, WAS |
|
5/22 |
Rod Carew, DAL
(2) |
|
5/29 |
Ron Hunt, ATL |
|
6/5 |
Frank Robinson,
LA |
|
|
6/12
|
Lee Walls, DET |
|
6/19
|
Frank Robinson,
LA (2) |
|
6/26
|
Joe Torre,
MAN |
|
7/3
|
Jimmie Hall, MAN |
|
7/10
|
Mickey Mantle,
BRO |
|
7/17
|
Joe
Adcock, CHI |
|
7/24 |
Harm
Killebrew, ATL |
|
7/31 |
Joe Torre,
MAN (2) |
|
|
|
|
|
8/7 |
Ron Hunt, ATL
(2) |
|
8/14
|
Felix Mantilla,
LA |
|
8/21
|
Frank Howard,
DET |
|
8/28
|
Sammy Taylor,
CHI |
|
9/4 |
Dick Williams,
BRO |
|
9/11 |
Ron Hunt, ATL
(3) |
|
9/18 |
O. Cepeda,
BOS (2) |
|
9/25 |
Lou Brock, SF |
|
|
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