IN: MR Ray Crone, C Sammy Taylor, LF Chuck Hinton
OUT: LF Rocky Colavito

Lineup: Feds will be hard up to replace Colavito's lost production.  McAuliffe will need to stay healthy and channel his 1969 career year (.295-31-110).  Bottom of the order is a weakness.  Look for the inconsistent Sangy and defensive specialist Tolan's numbers to drop. 

Bench: Sammy Taylor gives Harris another option behind the plate, and Bobby Murcer hit an impressive .915 OPS in 35 games, but Jerry Kindall and SS Clete Boyer are strictly leather, no wood.

Rotation: One of the most promising young rotations in the league last year should improve.  Koosman looked like a bust a year ago, but went from 4 wins/44 K to 20/208.  Nolan improved his wins and hit ratio for a third straight year.  The teenager Blyleven should get 30+ starts and provide the depth that was lacking last year, when Short and Rooker were a combined 15-26.

Bullpen: The league's second worst bullpen will call on "The Mad Hungarian", Al Hrabosky, who notched 7 saves in 8 games without allowing a run during a September callup.  Lefty Pete Richert had a career year, and righty Ray Crone adds experience and depth.

Outlook: Expect lower scoring games at Fenway this year, but offensive downgrades should be more than offset by the further development of one of the league's top rotations.
 

IN: *2B Ted Sizemore, Willie McCovey, *1B Tony Horton, *MR Chuck Taylor, *MR Milt Wilcox
OUT: CF Jim Hickman, 3B Ed Charles, MR Taylor Phillips

Lineup: Mantle, Aaron, and McCovey sounds epic, but the three of them combined barely cracked 100 RBI last year.  Mantle missed half the season and Aaron missed 50 games to a string of injuries, and both were anemic at the plate between DL stints.  Dietz, Foy and Sizemore are all undercooked but will be pressed into service due to lack of options.

Bench: Josephson hit .348 in a short September callup and should challenge Dietz.  Pat Kelly is a solid backup OF for the ailing oldsters.  Bob Robertson had 24 homers, but 159 whiffs and just a .283 OBP.
 
Rotation: Young, untested starters will face a trial by fire.  Coleman gets the ace job after winning 10 games last year, but Stone, Stoneman, and Santorini have just 16 major league wins between them, and Ellis spent last year in St. Paul.

Bullpen: Ray Lamb had a solid 3.18 ERA in 20 appearances in his rookie year.  Look for steady improvement from Milt Wilcox and Dan McGinn.

Outlook: Prospects have seldom been bleaker for the Bas, who will need breakout years from Coleman and Stone and huge comebacks by Aaron and Mantle to avoid a second year in the cellar.
  

IN: SP Earl Francis, *1B Bob Watson, *SP Steve Kline, *2B Don Money
OUT: SP Bob Veale, SS Jose Pagan

Lineup: The Barons did little to address the league's weakest offense.  Callison and Alou are the only quality hitters, and no other regulars cracked .680 OPS.  The team set the record for fewest home runs (47) last year, and may set the standard for fewest runs this year after surpassing it by just 11 runs.

Bench: Bill Robinson offers good speed and defense, and hit 15 HRs for Atlanta and Cleveland.  Buck Rodgers is a good defensive catcher who hit .252 and with platoon with Etchebarren.

Rotation: Ranked dead average last year, despite solid years from Palmer and Boswell.  Expect Foster to trim his walk rate and ERA, but otherwise more of the same.  Steve Kline, the 14th overall pick last year, is the only new face.

Bullpen: Humphreys returns to the closer role, after notching 21 saves despite major control problems.  Rookie southpaw Steve Mingori was also generous with the free passes, and will be joined by veteran Joe Grzenda in the setup role.

Outlook: After a relatively quiet offseason and with no breakout years in sight, the Barons seem condemned to their third straight losing season.
 

IN: *2B Bobby Grich, *SP Jerry Reuss
OUT: SP Bob Gibson, CF Don Demeter

Lineup: No other team can boast three 25 HR/90 RBI men, yet Reggie Jackson and Dick Allen had down years.  Frank Howard bounced back from a horrendous 1969 (.205-14-64) and will be eager to pick up a $4 million option next year.  Yaz works well in leadoff spot, with four years of .360+ OBP since becoming a regular, but the offense turns from torrent to trickle starting with Bonds at #5.

Bench: Depth was never a strong suit at Kiner Field, witness two rookies and two sub-.200 hitters in Johnny Edwards and Vern Fuller.  Only CF Cesar Tovar (.293/.739) inspires confidence, and he'll likely replace Bonds in CF at some point.

Rotation: Ramos posted career lows in ERA and WHIP and finished one win shy of his seventh 20-win season. Will need big years from the sophomore Dock Ellis, who nearly halved his walks and doubled his Ks last year, and Bill "Froggy" Hands, whose win totals have shrunk every year since his 10-win rookie campaign in 1967.  The staff was one arm short of earning Detroit its first pennant; will rookie southpaw Jerry Reuss (11-10, 3.14 in Toronto) lead them to the promised land?

Bullpen: Clevenger's 30 saves were one off the league lead, and Wayne Granger and Joe Hoerner were both sub-3.00 in 79 combined appearances.

Outlook: Another run at the pennant is not out of the question, especially if wunderkind Jerry Reuss matches expectations.
 

IN: RF Roberto Clemente, 2B Davey Johnson, MR Dave LaRoche, SP Marcelino Lopez, 1B Jim Gentile, *C Ellie Rodriguez, MR Taylor Phillips, CF Jimmie Hall, C Earl Averill
OUT: 1B Joe Torre, SP Johnny Podres, SP Bob Anderson, SS Bobby Richardson, LF Chuck Hinton

Lineup: With all the talk of Torre's departure, from 1 to 5 the Sox still stack up as well as any team in the league.  Santo is coming off a career high .921 OPS, Pinson, Stargell, and Ward should all rebound from bad years, and Clemente is perhaps the best #2 hitter in the circuit.  Clemente and Johnson improve an already top-notch defensive unit.

Bench: "Diamond Jim" Gentile remains an on-base machine, and Jimmie Hall provides good coverage as a fourth outfielder.

Rotation: Significant downgrade with Podres and Anderson gone, but Niekro steps up as a legit ace after establishing career bests in ERA, innings, and Ks.  Seaver regressed a bit, but pitched a full season and tripled in strikeout total.  Lopez looks solid but is untested, and Lolich and Pizarro have a grand total of four wins between them over the last three years.  Look for Jim Nash and minor leaguer Don Gullett to get some starts before midseason.

Bullpen: LaRoche gives the league's worst bullpen some much needed help.  Cecil Upshaw excelled in the closer role after Dick Radatz's meltdown and subsequent demotion, but the Monster will get another shot this spring.

Outlook: Offense is solid, but not good enough to mask the shortcomings of gutted pitching staff.  Should be the best team in New York City, however.
 

IN: SP Johnny Podres, SP Steve Barber, 3B Ed Charles, RF Lee Thomas
OUT: SP Nelson Briles, MR Dave LaRoche, C Sammy Taylor

Lineup: The defending champs line up the same starting eight that won the title last year, including six under the age of 25.  Bernie Carbo is poised for a breakout year and no fewer than five hitters have a realistic shot at hitting over .300.

Bench: Killer clobbered 29 HR last year and adds a power element to a club that was 1st in runs, but only 5th in homers, while "The Glider" hit .293 as  the full-time third-sacker in Brooklyn and makes a potent platoon tandem with Hebner.

Rotation: Podres adds star quality to the most durable and most consistent rotation in the league.  All five starters had at least 30 starts, 200 innings, 13 wins, and ERAs under 4.00, and Podres only makes it better.

Bullpen: World Series MVP Narleski returns, and an already solid pen is reinforced by longtime lefty starter Steve Barber and a healthy Don Drysdale, who had a 2.11 ERA in 16 games before a rotator cuff injury.

Outlook: Clear favorites to repeat, the Mons are poised to make a run at 100 wins for the first time since 1956.  And with 6 of 8 hitters and 4/5th of the rotation under 25, it is perhaps not too early to start making comparisons with the '52-'58 dynasty.

IN: 1B Joe Torre, LF Rocky Colavito, SP Ron Reed, 2B Felix Mantilla, SP Nelson Briles, LF Spanky Spangler
OUT: RF Roberto Clemente, SP Steve Barber, SP Earl Francis, SP Marcelino Lopez, 1B Jim Gentile

Lineup: The addition of Torre, Colavito, and Mantilla gives the Toppers one of the most formidable lineups in UL history.  Number to watch is 223, the team record for home runs, which ATL could smash; seven hitters cranked at least 17 dingers last year.  Freehan, the #8 hitter, had a .779 OPS, better than most clubs' #5 hitter.  Defense is an afterthought, particularly in the infield.

Bench: Spanky Spangler is a solid fourth outfielder with a good glove and better eye.  Roy Foster was third among rookies with 13 homers in just 300 at-bats.

Rotation: Briles and Reed shore up the league's second worst rotation, which returns only Carlton and Timmermann.  Lefty has been dominant at times, but inconsistent, and doubled his walk tally to a league-high 115.  Dal Canton and Timmermann regressed last year and look undercooked.

Bullpen: Relievers will keep the ball in the park, but at the expense of high hit and walk rates.  Look for righthander Eddie Watt to take over sole closer duties from Don Gross, who is well past his prime.

Outlook: Look for Toppers to challenge the UL scoring record of 900 runs, but fall short of the pennant because of lack of pitching depth and poor defense.
 

IN: SP Bob Anderson, SS Bobby Richardson, CF Jim Hickman, SP Bob Veale, SS Jose Pagan, *1B Cecil Cooper, *MR Rich Folkers
OUT: SP Ron Reed, LF Spanky Spangler, 2B Davey Johnson

Lineup: Taylor, Maris, and May rival any 2-3-4 hitters in the league.  Maris hopes to rebound from a dip in his power numbers.  The bottom of the order was a problem last year, which the addition of Richardson and Hickman and promotion of Rettenmund will try to address.

Bench: Pagan adds great versatility at all four infield positions, and Hickman will try to put a horrendous year behind him as he platoons vs. lefties. 

Rotation: Anderson was a huge addition and gives the Colts two Cy Young threats.  All eyes will be on Singer to see if he can repeat his 24-3, 1.67 performance.  Wood showed all the promise that made him a first round pick four years ago.  Veale is only weak link, but Mueller has 15-2 Bill Champion waiting in the wings.

Bullpen: Circuit's top bullpen returns intact, led by Bob D. Johnson, who posted the best rookie season for a closer in UL history, and workhorse Dooley Womack, who sliced 1.5 points off his career ERA and contributed 9 saves in 64 appearances.

Outlook: No one in the West can touch the Colts if their big three starters stay healthy and Maris gets his swing back.
 

IN: *Dave Kingman, SP Bob Gibson, MR Sparky Lyle, *MR Reggie Cleveland, *1B Chris Chambliss
OUT: x

Lineup: The slugging Kingman (third overall pick) joins an already formidable ensemble.  Look for Powell and Bailey to bounce back toward 90-RBI territory, Carew to notch his fourth 200-hit season in five years, and RF Willie Crawford to have a breakout year.

Bench: Decent depth with Duke Sims, who has a little pop (10 HR in 343 AB), Bud Harrelson, and rookie Chris Chambliss.  Blefary's rapid deterioration is worrying.

Rotation: Four starters suffered season-ending injuries last year, including the projected 1-2 starters.  Billingham, a sophomore righthander, was unhittable (9-5, 2.33, 2.1 K/W) in 18 starts before tearing a back muscle and will fill the ace vacancy left by Conley's retirement.  Merritt had 31 wins in '68 and '69, but Perry and McAndrew have been inconsistent and Lyle is a gamble in the rotation. 

Bullpen: Mostly a collection of failed starters, with the exception of Jerry Johnson, a failed reliever after taking 14 losses in the closer role, which this year goes to rookie Reggie Cleveland, a Saskatchewanian who was drafted by the owner's daughter.

Outlook: The offense will provide enough firepower to lift the club over .500, despite pitching deficiencies.
  

IN: 3B Don Demeter, *CF Ken Henderson, *3B Bill Melton
OUT: 2B Felix Mantilla, MR Ray Crone

Lineup: Offense hit a 9-year low in production last year, and departure of Mantilla subtracts another 25 HR and 80 RBI, but the two young Kens--Singleton and Henderson--should help pick up the slack.  Demeter returns to Arroyo Seco after missing most of last year with a ruptured disk and then hitting .194 with 6 RBI in 46 games with Detroit.  He hit .300 and averaged 95 RBI a year in the three previous years, but will face enormous pressure to earn the league's fattest paycheck ($13.5 million).

Bench: Catcher Tom Haller drove in 68 runs and Jimmy Wynn drew 84 walks to go with his solid defense.  Leon Wagner will be good for the occasional pinch homer.

Rotation: One of the most consistent and durable Fives in the league.  The workhorse Dierker may be the most underrated ace in the league, Peterson is just a couple years removed from a 24-win season, and Bahnsen topped them both with 34 wins over the last two seasons.  Dobson had 12 wins and 127 Ks in his freshman effort.

Bullpen: The Outlaws think so highly of Tatum that he displaces last year's saves leader for the closer job.  Expect Mike Paul to slip back into the closer role at some point.

Outlook: The Outlaws should extend their run to six straight winning seasons, but just barely.
 

IN: *SP Dick Drago, *MR Lowell Palmer
OUT: MR Sparky Lyle, CF Jimmie Hall, C Earl Averill, RF Lee Thomas

Lineup: Return of healthy Flood and Smith and a potential breakout year from Nettles should lift already solid offense.  Morgan, Fregosi, and Hegan provide multiple place-setting options.  Speedy glove man Jose Cardenal earned a starting job by hitting .287 and boosting his OPS by over 100 points.

Bench: Mike de la Hoz and Max Alvis both performed well in utility roles, and veteran Norm Siebern could step in to a starting role at first or outfield after his .383 OBP in 100+ games last year.

Rotation: Despite solid run support, not a single starter could muster 10 wins last year.  Darks Reds will need Sutton to return to his 1968 ace form.  Burdette is just 10 wins shy of all-time win record, but he and Ron Kline are a combined 82 years old, which means the training staff will be working overtime to keep their bodies in one piece.

Bullpen: Bob Locker returns to full-time closer role, as Russ Kemmerer is demoted to setup man.  Beyond that, the traditionally strong Maroon bullpen looks unusually thin.

Outlook: Maroons will live or die on starting pitching and will need a fully healed Nolan Ryan and a resurgent Don Sutton to bounce back over .500.
 

IN: *1B John Mayberry, *SS Mark Belanger, *CF Buddy Bradford, *CF Larry Hisle
OUT: Willie McCovey

Lineup: The addition of rookie 1B John Mayberry should shake up a lineup that has ranked near the bottom  in runs for three years, but he can't do it alone.  Munson needs to increase his walk rate, and Monday needs to cut down his K rate.  This could be a make-or-break year for underachievers Billy Williams and Pete Rose.

Bench: Rookie CF Larry Hisle provides good speed and defense and Lee May is a power threat who may occasionally spot for Mayberry vs. lefties.

Rotation: The Spiders allowed 130 fewer runs last year, thanks to marked improvements by Bosman and "Red" Hedlund and a strong rookie outing by Griffin, who climbed from the 42nd overall pick in 1969 to the #6 prospect this spring.

Bullpen: League's 3rd best bullpen returns essentially unchanged.  Jim Ray replaces Clay Carroll in the righthanded closer role.  McGraw made huge strides, halving his ERA to 3.57 and notching a team-high 23 saves.

Outlook: Improved offense should push the club to 85-90 wins, assuming they can finally string together two good pitching seasons in a row.
 

March 1 (224)
ATLANTA gets
SP Nelson Briles
WASHINGTON gets
SP Steve Barber
WAS '71 2nd round pick (#23)

March 1 (225)
MANHATTAN gets
C Ellie Rodriguez
MR Dave LaRoche
MR Gerry Arrigo
$2 million
WASHINGTON gets
SP Johnny Podres

March 1 (226)
ATLANTA gets
SP Mike Kilkenny
WASHINGTON gets
SS Bob Heise

March 1 (227)
ATLANTA gets 
$1 cash
CLEVELAND gets
SP Earl Francis
ATL '72 5th round draft

April 1 (228)
BROOKLYN gets 
1B Willie McCovey
SF '72 3rd round pick
SAN FRANCISCO gets
$1 cash

April 1 (229)
ATLANTA gets
DAL '72 2nd round pick
DALLAS gets
SP Bill "Spaceman" Lee
 
April 1 (230)
ATLANTA gets
1B Joe Torre
SP Ron Reed
MANHATTAN gets
LF Roberto Clemente
SP Marcelino Lopez
ATL '72 1st round pick
CHI '72 1st round pick