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Maroons Move Maris
Toppers Strive for Pennant, End of Era in STL
ST. LOUIS (July 16) -- Weeks of intense negotiations with several clubs reached a climax today, when the St. Louis Maroons agreed to terms with the Atlanta Hilltoppers to a six-player deal that sends right fielder Roger Maris, the league's premier lefty slugger, to the most rapidly improving team in the league.  Maris, 32, was the Maroons' best player, and arguably of the league's top five hitters, over the last five years.  He has been a perennial 30 HR-100 RBI man since 1960 and turned in his best two seasons in 1965 and 1966, seasons in which he hit over .300 and drew over 100 walks.  Atlanta GM Glen Reed couldn't send a stronger signal that he intends to win this year, and complete the first worst-to-first turnaround since the 1959 San Francisco Spiders.  For their part, St. Louis now boasts perhaps the best young core of players as it embarks on an all-out rebuilding.
     Speculation over a possible trade began in the offseason, as Maris entered the final year of his three-year, $9.5 million contract, and heated up after the Maroons stumbled out of the gate.  The Maroons front office held a series of meeting in May and June to discuss the club's future, and decided at that time to embark on a full-scale rebuilding campaign, with Maris as the centerpiece of the trading block.  GM Timothy Smith indicated that several clubs expressed interested in Maris, but Atlanta's offer was the most appealing and the best fit for St. Louis.
    The Maroons got Reggie Smith, Joe Morgan, and Dick Hughes in the deal.  Smith, 21, is a switch-hitting rookie outfielder rated by BA as the second best hitting prospect.  He was the 7th overall pick in this year's draft and is regarded by many to be the next Maris.  Morgan, 23, was the first overall pick in 1965, and is widely considered the best young second baseman, despite recent rating downgrades.  Hughes, 28, a late addition to the deal, is a right-handed starter who was the 13th overall pick this year, by Washington, and was with the Toppers just one month.  Smith says the inclusion of Hughes sealed the deal for St. Louis, which made a top pitching prospect one of the prerequisites for a Maris deal.
    After four straight last place finishes, Atlanta is involved in a heated three-way race for the West Division crown.  In addition to Maris, the Hillies got left-hander Woodie Fryman, the 10th overall pick of the Brooklyn Superbas in 1966, and second baseman Jim Lefebvre.  The addition of Maris bolsters an already potent offense, which features Harmon Killebrew (.316-24-88), Don Pavletich (.299-20-66), and Ron Hunt (.340-16-57).

Cleveland's New #4 Tosses No-Hitter
CLEVELAND (July 29) -- GM Charlie Qualls' deal with Manhattan for Don Larsen is paying almost-immediate dividends.  After no-decisions in his first two starts with his new club, Don Larsen threw the UL's first no-hitter in almost three years, blanking the Maroons 9-0 at Sportsman's Park.  Larsen, 37, was 11-3, 3.02 in 15 starts with Manhattan before joining Cleveland on July 16.  Larsen replaced Bob Friend as the fourth man in the league's best rotation.  Friend won 22 games last year but struggled with a 5.20 ERA and 8-8 record.
     Larsen won 128 games in 11 seasons with the Washington Monuments, the team that drafted him in the first round in 1953, before joining the Gray Sox this spring.  Cleveland ranks first in overall ERA (3.24) and starters' ERA (3.12), led by Johnny Podres, who is authoring one of the best seasons in UL history (13-4, 1.43), and Earl Francis (13-3, 2.44).  But it was the newcomer Larsen who tossed the no-hitter, the first since 1964, when San Francisco's Jim Maloney no-hit the Colts on Sept. 19, then blew out his elbow in his next start and has not pitched in the UL since.

West Contenders Plagued by Injuries
Colts, Outlaws Lose Cleanup Hitters, Toppers Lose #2 Starter
LOS ANGELES (July 28) -- The drama that is the 1967 West Division race took an unexpected twist in the last week, as all three contenders suffered injuries to key players.  The Los Angeles Outlaws lost two-thirds of their star-studded outfield within a week, Atlanta's Jim Palmer was injured for the fifth time in 15 months, and Chicago's cleanup hitter Joe Adcock broke his nose in a collision on the basepaths.  Los Angeles, which is pinning their pennant hopes on the league's best outfield, took the biggest hit.  The Outlaws will be without Frank Robinson (.318-28-76) until the end of September.  Team doctors say he should be ready to return by the last week of the season, or the World Series, but his absence diminishes L.A. chances of advancing to the Series.

July 21 -- RF Frank Robinson, LA -- herniated disk, out for 8 weeks (hurt on defensive play, a deep fly out by Boston's Bobby Tolan)
July 22 -- SP Jim Palmer, ATL -- back spasms, out for 3-4 weeks (left with 2 outs in 8th inning in St. Louis)
July 26 -- LF Joe Adcock, CHI -- broken nose, out for 4 weeks (collision with Cleveland 2B Roy McMillan on fielder's choice groundout)
July 28 -- CF Roberto Clemente, LA -- fractured wrist, out for 2 weeks (injured on defensive play, diving catch of fly ball by San Francisco's J.C. Martin)
 

Glen v. Reed
by Charlie Qualls
     Glen Reed’s Atlanta Hilltoppers are shaking up the UL community by competing for the title sooner than expected.  His former team, the Brooklyn Superbas are charging harder than Wilma Flintstone’s credit card before the impending ice age.  Could we be heading for the ultimate Old vs. New World Series match up?
     It must have been tempting for new Superba ringleader Rick Magar to tear down and re-make the club in his own image.  Instead, he kept the aging Super Franchise together, keeping the East competitive.  His efforts paid off, landing the franchise another WS title, further cementing (and placing his stamp on) the 'Bas place in UL lore.  Like his predecessor, Magar’s not afraid to swap out big names to stay on top.  But he knows Reed’s ass groove is still imprinted in the head office chair.
     Glen Reed can’t concern himself with what’s happening in his old stomping (crushing, really) grounds, he’s got his hands full turning the beleaguered Louisville Colonels into winners again.  His rationale for switching teams was to bring a big bang to the UL’s black hole.  Said Reed, “I thought that leaving one team in good shape and trying to restore another one would raise the competitiveness of the whole league.”  No good Reed deed goes unrewarded.  In three short seasons, Glen has turned his Hilltoppers into a powerhouse.
     Rick Magar is cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances:  “We expect to contend down to the final week, but age may have finally caught up to this Dynasty.”  Burdette is already gone, Mighty Whitey’s Ford could be running out of gas.  Conley and Mantle are sailing through their primes, but the support staff may have given their notice.  Ted Lepcio, Don Blasingame and Dick Williams peer into a chilly off-season in the Free Agent market.  Also, all three may be turning the corner on warmed over.  Are the Superbas' cards on the table or do they have a trade ace up their sleeve? One thing seems certain: time in the basement wasn’t at all to their liking, so they’ve been on fire ever since.  Cleveland is making a stand with superb pitching and defense but patchwork hitting.  The August schedule favors the Barons, but the ‘Bas could really show their claws in September.
     Back to the south, the Hilltoppers have anointed their chosen one to be The Mystic Raja himself!  Down the road be damned!  Captain Morgan and Sir Reginald Smythe youth-en-ized!  Palmer/Carlton could be the next Conley/Burdette with one small bonus: Cakes and Lefty are kicking ass at the beginning of their careers.  Who can catch them?  Is Peter Vays feigning weakness as a diversion before making his next move?  Frank’s tanked, but there’s still plenty of offense to go around.  No reason the pitching staff won’t be able to hang in.  There’s definitely some tweaking going on in Chicago, but it’ll be hard to drive the nail without sacrificing the hammer.   The Outlaws wouldn’t have to sacrifice their Hammer, but young arms may have to be dealt to land that missing piece.
     Reed’s competitive nature is the X-Factor in all of this.  He claims to want to make the UL competitive again, except that his club building skills are the reason the East was so non-competetive for so long.  Will he bring his special kind of baseball punishment to an unsuspecting West?  Which Eastern Division team is on their way to being his next project?  With two Super Teams currently in the League, Reed should probably just be given his own Division.
 
 

Peter Vays: The TSN Interview TSN: Does the loss of Frank Robinson cripple your pennant chances? PV: Let me start out by saying that I think Frank Robinson had a chance at MVP this year.  Having said that if we make the question generic, can any team replace an MVP?  I think the answer is no.  Now to your question.  Cripple is a very hard work so I will say no but I think without Robinson, Atlanta and Chicago become the leaders of this division.  Things that may keep the Outlaws in the race.  One, we feel we have good enough pitching to possibly carry us.  Two, you never know what injuries could hit the other division leaders and we are actively working on this. TSN: Back up a moment.  What do you mean "actively working on this"?  Are you suggesting you are trying to debilitate opposing teams' players? PV: We really can't comment much but Margie Velma Barfield has been seen with a number of the Atlanta players.  She is officially been named the Hilltoppers #1 fan and leader of their groupies. TSN: Your young pitching staff has exceeded all expectations this year.  Which pitcher has most impressed you? PV: Fritzy may have flown under the radar last year but he actually put up very similar numbers as he solidified himself as a top pitcher in this league so I have to go with Jim "Red" McGlothlin.  He was a late 1st round pick and as the league is learning I toss these guys right in if they have the tools.  Jim has responded very well.  He already has a pitcher of the month and a rookie of the month.  His July was very weak so August will be the test to see if he has the stamina to finish the season strong. TSN: Will Johnny Antonelli return as an Outlaw in 1968? PV: We would love for Johnny to return and finish his career in LA but baseball is a business and his demands are pretty steep considering he will be 38 next year.  If we can keep him and the core of our team then we will but if the choice comes down to anchoring the team to a 38 year old for the next 3 years or building for a 5 year run then we have to go with option 2.  We are actively shopping Johnny to try and get him another WS run right now.  He just won pitcher of the month and is blowing away his stats from his Cy Young campaign last year.  He would probably add another 4-8 wins to any team so we are hoping one of the contenders makes a fair offer. TSN: By throwing your ace onto the trading block, are you throwing in the towel and surrendering the division to Atlanta and Chicago? PV: If Antonelli is traded then we are officially looking forward to next year.  When we traded for him in 1965 the goal was a WS ring.  Last year we came up a few games shy but we are committed to giving him the best chance possible this year whether that be with the Outlaws or not.

Rick Magar: The TSN Interview TSN: Cleveland has just further reinforced the league's best rotation and looks as strong as ever.  At 6.5 games back with two months to go, how do you rate your pennant chances? RM:  Not great.  I'm going to let the team run its course this season and see if it has another championship run in it, I owe them that.  But, many of the players are clearly not what they used to be.  I'm expecting to keep Cleveland close, but I don't think the offense has enough gas in the tank to finish like last season and Ford has not found that extra gear like in '67's final months.  This is the end of the line for this version of the Superbas and 1968 will be a new look. TSN: Your starting rotation, particularly Whitey Ford and Johnny Kucks, is starting so show its advanced years.  Who will fill their shoes in the future?  Is Sammy Ellis ready for prime time? RM:  Kucks is pitching well and will be back in the rotation in 1968 and 1969, and at just over $3mil per season he's a good value.  Ford's option ($8mil) will not be picked up along with several other declining vets who will have to be sacrificed to free up cap room for our arbitration eligibles next year (McAuliffe, Gentile, Perry, Hickman, McCarver, etc.).  Ellis will replace Ford in the rotation and the 'Bas will still have one of the premier staffs in the game.  The biggest change will be in the field where Brooklyn may start 4-5 new players in 1968. TSN: Ford, Conley, and Mantle are all in the twilight of their careers.  Which players are you planning to the next generation of Superbas around? RM:Mantle and Conley will probably both perform at a very high level for at least the next two seasons and I intend for them to retire as Superbas.  The next generation of McAuliffe, McCarver/Josephson, Ellis, and Horton along with veteran holdovers Gentile, Perry, Kucks and a young emerging bullpen will keep Brooklyn in the thick of things.  In addition, a fair amount of cap space will be freed up next season to look at free-agent talent, a luxury which has been non-existent for the past few years as the payroll matured and then started to exceed revenues.

Lance Mueller: The TSN Interview Just days after Los Angeles GM Peter Vays signaled throwing in the towel this year by stoking Johnny Antonelli trade rumors, it appears that it is Chicago that is looking beyond October to next year, dealing slugging center fielder Don Demeter to the Outlaws, who have doubled-down on 1967.  TSN sat down with Chicago GM Lance Mueller to discuss the Demeter-Clemente trade and his plans for the future of the Colts. TSN: Was Demeter the best man in this deal? LM: I think, statistically speaking, there is no doubt that Demeter was the best player in the trade. Clemente is a fine player and highly skilled outfielder but he can not match the power, OPS, or versatility in the field that Demeter brings to the ballpark. However, Demeter is in line for another substantial raise through arbitration and his salary (along w/ Cash's certain multi-million dollar raise) would have made other contract moves extreme difficult to execute. TSN: Does this trade mean Chicago is giving up this year and focusing on the future? LM: With Post out for the essentially the remainder of the season and Adcock to miss a critical three weeks in which the Colts play Atlanta ten times, it seemed like the hopes for this season were going to fade fast but not fast enough to beat the trade deadline, so we decided to strike while the iron was still hot. There was a long negotiating process with Los Angeles GM Peter Vays in which a number of players names were thrown into the mix and eventually removed for one reason or another. I think Peter was happy to get Demeter as he is determined to take the fight to Atlanta this year and battle for the West crown. Having had a long stretch of success, I was willing to back off this year and focus down the line. I'm very excited to have adding Joe Coleman to our squad, he is an excellent young pitcher who's presence helps us immensely in our goal of building a highly competitive five man rotation for the future. I think w/ Singer, Brunet, Wood, Coleman, and pitcher X (and, no, he's not related to Racer X), the Colts stand to have one of the strongest young rotations going into next season and beyond. That fifth starter may come via one of the two first round picks we now have in 1969 or by other means, but I think that additional pick shows our determination to put a young, competitive, skilled team on the field every day that fans are going to want to come and watch for years to come. TSN: What role will Clemente play in Chicago? LM: Bobby is a highly skilled outfielder and talented hitter and he will take over in center field as soon as he recovers from his fractured wrist. We are thrilled to have Roberto on our team but we also know that a player of his abilities will draw interest from other squads and there is always the possibility that he could land elsewhere if the right situation were to present itself to us. For now though, we're happy to have Arriba on our side and we plan on doing all we can to stay competitive, and if we can't be the victors this season we certainly plan to play the part of spoilers.

Glen Reed: The TSN Interview TSN: After four years in the cellar, the Hilltoppers have made a dramatic climb and now lead the West Division.  Are you surprised at how quickly the club rose? GR: I had a three-year rebuilding plan similar to one I've used in other leagues, so I knew it could work, but I really did believe LA would be dominating the division at this point, so yes, it is a surprise to be in first this late in the season. I've been proved wrong on two counts, actually--I also thought Chicago would fade along with its talisman, Ernie Banks, but Lance continues to defy gravity, or at least my prediction. TSN: Is Roger Maris the last missing piece standing between you and your first West Division pennant? GR: I sure as hell hope so!!! Chances to win don't come along very often, so I decided to spend all my chips to take my best shot at winning now. Truly, pitching was and is my biggest need, but the reality of my financial situation and salary cap limitations ruled me out of the big-name pitchers like Antonelli and Ford, among others. While I looked at other top-tier players, the reality is Maris was the best and cheapest option (salary-wise). Also, my two highest-rated players, Killer and Allison, are the same age as Maris, so I figured I could put together perhaps the best 3-4-5 in the game and see what I can't do in that three- or four-year window they give me. TSN: You dealt two of your best players, both under 23, and one of your best young pitchers for a 32-year-old.  Are you concerned that you gave up too much in the Maris deal? GR: Two big hitting spects and a cheapish, big-talent pitcher were a lot to give up when I believed I was the only dude seriously in the running--I was outbidding myself! But the addition of Fryman and the other guy made the pill easier to swallow. Speaking of Woodie--from AAA to my starting rotation no longer than it took Palmer to tweak his back for a month! Did I mention pitching as my biggest need? Fudge!! TSN: How was it negotiating with the St. Louis GM? GR: Oh, he's a real tightass!!!