Earl News

Vol 3 No 7 ---------------------- July 11, 1994

Standings

Time to Dust Off the Tome

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Batting
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Time to get out the calculators and figure out who is on pace for what. With Kevin Mitchell's (I) big game, he is back on a 22/23 HR pace. He's also looking at potentially 55 Ks, which would tie his 5th place mark last year. It would take some doing to tie Darryl "Why am I still a free agent?" Strawberry's mark of 65. Only Danny Tartabull will give Mitch a chase for the season crown, that is, if his .210 average keeps him in the lineup long enough.

Frank Chance and Jeff Bagwell are neck and neck with Chance's .419 mark from last year, but both might have problems qualifying in ABs. They are in a battle for OBA as well. Similarly, McCovey, who is fighting Bagwell for a spot in the lineup, almost mirrors Josh Gibson's (F) .704 mark with a .706 mark of his own.

Cool Papa Bell (H) is already tied for 10th all time with 6 triples. He only needs 3 more take sole possession of 2nd, but 7 more for the title. Ty Cobb hit 12 doubles in his first 17 games (that would be 49 on the year, if you're counting along with me), but was just passed by Lajoie this past week. Cobb is coming off the DL Sunday, so he has plenty of time. If he continues at his 12/17 pace for the last 31 games, he'll get 21 more, enough to pass Josh "in a league of his own" Gibson's 24. Lajoie needs 4 for the non-Gibson record. Lajoie and Jackie Robinson are on pace to get about 110 hits, right near Chance's 116 from last year.

Tim Raines, in an odd twist of fate, could best the slew of speedsters who toppled his mark last year. 7 of the top 9 spots were achieved in 1993 when Raines' 1990 mark of 33 fell. Joe "Happy Feet" Morgan has 10 CS already, making him a likely candidate to top the mark of 14. Rickie Henderson is using his brains in an effort to catch him, getting caught twice in the same game to move up to 8. Johnny Antonelli would set the mark in errors/game if there is one. He has 4 errors in 8 games. Denny McLain has 3 in 10.

Ted Williams has 40 free passes, easily on target to pass Ruth's 61. Hack Wilson is second, 10 behind him. Likewise, Jackie Robinson has a 10 lead in RS, and could pass Rickie's 62, which Cool Papa came close to last year (59). Ted is also looking at 1 walk for every 3 1/2 to 4 PAs, a large step ahead of Ruth's 4.7. Teddy Ballgame got 7 free passes this week alone.

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Pitching
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Dutch Leonard (D) could challenge Ray Brown's 0.95 mark from the year of the pitcher, but he's a little shy on innings. Dutch and Catfish Hunter (A) are both 6-0 and need 4 wins to set the percentage mark (13-1, .929). Bill Foster, 9-2, can reach 15 wins, but it'll be tough. Al Holland's 7 saves make him a threat to challenge Ray Brown's 13, but not a serious one.

Both Greg Maddux (I) and Bob Gibson (C) are on pace to smash the 147 hits record. Each could go 170 this year (108 and 102 now, respectively). They're both on target for 70 earned runs, Reulbach's mark from last year. Bill Singer's (G) at about a K a game, right near Bill Foster's mark of 0.9.

Hospital Corners

Overall, things look good as a quartet of big stars have returned this week or were OK'ed to return. Willie Wells provided immediate impact for the Destroyers. Ty Cobb will return to couple with the resurgent Rickie Henderson to give the Walla Walla squad a potent leadoff combo. But the biggest news comes from Frango camp as a terrific replacement crew becomes the strongest lineup in the league as Josh Gibson and Babe Ruth come back. Ruth's knee does feel better, and he says it should not impact his swing at all. Watching him in practice, though, our field reporter noted that he is "less than aggressive" chasing after fungoes. It remains to be seen whether this is a mental or a physical issue with the Bambino. Both he and Ruth were doing well: Ruth got off to a .350 start in the first week and Gibson was slugging .500 in his first 100 ABs. Gibson's Ks are down from their notoriously high levels of the past as well.

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Notes from the Training Room
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Charleston, Oscar Collective

Foxx, Jimmie Collective

7/10/94: He tried a practice game yesterday, and he is feeling pretty bad today. Foxx was disappointed by the setback, he felt he could really help his team. He was encouraged by their play, and their support of him, and he looks like he'll follow doctors orders and be back in a week or two. 5

Mays, Willie Collective

Gibson, Bob Collective

Aaron, Hank Barristers

Robinson, Frank Allouets

Cuyler, Kiki Barristers

Campanella, Roy Egrets

Lofton, Kenny Frangos

McCormick, Buck Hayseeds

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Others on the Mend
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SislerGeorge	Allouets	
SimmonsTed	Barristers	
AppierKevin	Collective	
SchangWally	Collective	
SpeakerTris	Collective	
FerrellRick	Destroyers	
LansfordCarney	Destroyers	
SimmonsAl	Destroyers	
TerryBill	Destroyers	
BresnahanRoger	Egrets		
GibsonJosh	Frangos		
MedwickJoe	Frangos		
DickeyBill	Granolas	
ScottMike	Granolas	
KalineAl	Hayseeds	
MorganJoe	Hayseeds	
LombardiErnie	Islanders	
WanerLloyd	Islanders	
BerraYogi	Jets		
CashNorm	Jets		
PuckettKirby	Jets		
				

Leaders

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HOT
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Raines had 8 SB without a CS Week 8 to put himself into the lead. Lajoie's 4 doubles in week 8 put him in the lead. Jackie Robinson (C) has consistently averaged a run scored a game, 34 in 35 games, never more than 2 behind.

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NOT
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(Just to give everyone their due, I missed this one earlier.) Mitchell (I): 9 Ks in week 4.

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UP and DOWN, DOWN and UP
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Ted Williams (H) started out the season 3-23 (.173) and was hitting .216 when he took off, going 11-22 with 3 doubles and 2 HRs in a week to raise his average 76 points and his slugging 168 points. Gehrig (I): 0-23 in weeks 7,8. Was 8-15 in week 6. George Foster (J): 9-25 (.360) to start the season, then 9-59 to lower his average to .214. McCovey (F): 7-12 week 6, 4-22 weeks 7, 8. 4 HRs week 9. At .300, his BA is 55 points higher than his best season.

Willie Wells (D): 3-24 to start the season (.125), then 10-14 to triple his average. Funny, he garnered only 2 RBI with those 10 hits, whereas he had 5 on his previous 3. RBIs came in week 4, 10 in 5 games. He followed that up with 14 in his next 15 games before getting hurt.

My Thoughts

What's up with the RBI records? Someone loading the ball? Come on.

Races

The Evergreen Collective Unconscious pick up a game on the Allouets, who continue to play supra .600 ball. The Destroyers, with Willie Wells back, rebound from 1-7 the previous two weeks to 4-2 this week and keep pace with Allouets. As teams get healthy, look for this race to bunch up.

Jets surprise us with a 4-2 week. They lose game in the standings but close ranks with the Late pack, who were a combined 5-13 for the week. This dip allowed the 5-1 Granolas to regain the margin they had squandered over the last couple of weeks.

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Streaks
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Allouets: 9 game win streak, 6/11 to 6/24/94. Granolas: 6 game road win streak, 5/11 to 5/18/94, followed by 8 game road win streak, 5/21 to 6/16/94. Greg Maddux only victor in 15 game road span. Then they turnaround: 6 game losing streak, 6/17 to 7/1/94 (all on road).

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