It's only mid-June and you've already been in a vicious pennant race!
Read More Dynasties!
It's only mid-June and you've already been in a vicious pennant race!
Dynastarian
Catnight,
Oh yeah. I'm glad that for most of the year, we've managed to be either tied with the Giants or leading them. There might be hope in baseball that some team might beat the Yankees/Giants logjam. I'm rooting for the Angels in the AL, and if we go down in flames, I'll put my hope in the Stars or the Cubs.
--Pet
Dynastarian
Early June 1966
The Amateur Draft
First, to give you a look at the brand new amateur draft. I'm looking at the numbers this year and I don't see that this is a particulary great class of draftees. I am not saying that there aren't great players here; rather, I'm saying that the drop in quality is much sharper than years before.
Before 1966, some of this kids would graduate high school, then wait six months or so until the draft, then wait another two months before Spring Training. Granted, there were some kids who graduated a semester early -- in December -- so they could start early. Now, everyone is very young, just out of high school. College kids have just about disappeared from the draft. A baseball career is now so lucrative that the "smart" decision is to skip college, with horrible prospects for college baseball.
My review of the 1966 Amateur Draft:
Catcher
1. Earl Williams. Probably the only catcher who can really hit in this draft. His bat will send him into the late second round.
First Base
1. Willie Montanez. A tall strong, Puerto Rican kid. Doesn't hit for much power, but can get on base. Will probably go #1 or #2 in the Draft.
2. Steve Garvey. Only 17, but plays first base like an adult and can hit the fastball well. Will also probably go #1 or #2 in the Draft.
3. Chris Chambliss. Blossomed in his final two years of high school, hitting over .400 each year. Mid 1st-round.
Second Base
1. Dave Cash. The best prospect as a second baseman is known for his ability to hit a curve. But he's a 3rd-round draft choice at best.
Shortstop
1. Dave Concepcion. Venezuelan kid, good on-base skills, considering college in Venezuela if not drafted. Early 1st-round.
Third Base
1. Ron Cey. A good eye for pitches, but needs a little more work at the hot corner. Top Five Draft Pick.
2. Toby Harrah. Hit .500 in his final year of high school. Top Five Draft Pick.
Outfielder
1. George Foster. The kid can hit. Also just 17 years old. Top Five Draft Pick.
2. Cesar Geronimo. Already has "major league composure" at the plate. Good speed and good eye for a kid. Mid 1st-rounder.
3. Ron LeFlore. The big minus on this kid is that he's been in trouble with the law a lot. If you have the guts to draft him, he'll be productive. Late 1st-rounder.
4. Mickey Rivers. Hit .500 his senior year, great arm and fields well. Mid 2nd-round.
5. Tommy Smith. Good arm and above-average power. Late 2nd-round.
Pitchers
1. Fred Cambria. Three good pitches and a good fastball. Probably an Early 1st-rounder.
2. John Curtis. Has four good pitches, just doesn't throw them as fast as Cambria. Early 1st-rounder.
3. Doc Medich. A tall kid -- 6'5" -- who prefers to throw other off-speed pitches instead of a fastball. Mid 1st-rounder.
4. Charlie Hough. His work on the knuckleball pitch at such a young age has impressed a lot of scouts. Mid 1st-rounder.
5. Clay Kirby. Above average velocity, but mediocre control. Mid 1st-rounder.
6. Dick Lange. Struck out 42, walked 6 in his final year of high school. Mid 1st-rounder.
7. Rick Sawyer. Highest reliever in the draft, held opponents to a .099 BA his last year of school. Mid 1st-rounder.
8. Tom Griffin. A tall kid with good junior and senior years in high school. Mid 1st-rounder.
9. Jim Barr. No relation to Candy Barr. Another low BB/high K high school pitcher. Probably Late 1st-rounder.
10. Gary Nolan. 15-1 in his final two years of high school. Late 1st-rounder.
11. Mike Nagy. Throws a slow fastball and needs time to develop. Should be drafted lower but will probably go Late 1st-round.
12. Steve Barber. Relief pitcher with blazing speed. That should be enough to get him drafted Late 1st-round.
(* * *)
And now, the results of the 1966 draft.
1966 Amateur Draft
1. Athletics: Willie Montanez, 1B
2. Peaches: Steve Garvey, 1B
3. Brewers: Ron Cey, 3B
4. Reds: Dave Concepcion, SS
5. Pirates: Fred Cambria, SP
6. Twins: Steve Barber, SP
7. Indians: Chris Chambliss, 1B
8. Stars: Toby Harrah, 3B
9. Cardinals: George Foster, LF
10. Blues: Bill Russell, SS -- A surprise pick by the Blues, as Russell is not considered a good-fielding shortstop.
11. Orioles: John Curtis, SP
12. Astros: Tom Griffin, SP
13. White Sox: Doc Medich, SP
14. Dodgers: Charlie Hough, SP
15. Seals: Dick Lange, SP
16. Senators: Clay Kirby, SP
17. Tigers: Ron LeFlore, CF
18. Cubs: Rick Sawyer, RP
19. Red Sox: Mike Nagy, SP
20. Braves: Cesar Geronimo, CF
21. Phillies: Bill Laxton, RP -- A hard throwing relief pitcher, the Phillies believe Laxton has the skills to be a good closer.
22. Angels: Jim Barr, SP
23. Yankees: Gary Nolan, SP
24. Giants: Doug Rau, SP -- struck out 70 batters in 69 /13 innings pitched as a starter in his senior year of high school.
Braves picks:
First round: Cesar Geronimo (53/83). Center fielder. The fact is, we need infield help and there just isn't a lot of infield help available when you're picking in the #20 spot. When that happens, you're a fool not to pick the best draft talent available, and as we're stocked with pitchers, I was suprised to see Geronimo still available. He is a good fielder with a good arm and I think he'll come along nicely, maybe be a Vic Davalillo type.
Second round: John Knox (48/74). Second baseman. Well...he was the best infielder we could get at this stage in the draft. (In 1953, this guy would have been a third-rounder). I didn't want to leave the draft without any infielder, but Geronimo is so much better than Knox it makes my teeth hurt thinking about it.
Third round: Brent Strom (47/81). Starting pitcher. Seventeen years old. By now, I'm just thinking "best available whatever" and Strom was the man. His only problem is that he can throw three pitches: a fastball, a curve, and a change -- but those pitches don't move. With luck, he can learn in the minor leagues.
Fourth round: Larry Gowell (47/77). Starting pitcher. My scouts say he's an "impressive prospect" but I don't see why. He has real power, but even less movement than Strom. If he ever starts it will be a miracle.
Fifth round: Von Joshua (48/71). Center fielder. Aggressive on the basepaths -- but no speed. I don't see him making the majors. He's just there for the other minor leaguers to learn.
The prospects after Von Joshua were so bad that we skipped the sixth round. (Translation: BM08 ran out of players. -- Pet)
Dynastarian
Late June 1966
Part I
On the 18th of June, I received a call from the offices of Ron Stark Jr. It was very odd for Ron Stark Jr. to want to see me. So, I drove into downtown Boston, managed to find parking, and rode the elevator of the Stark Building to the office that his father used to occupy.
Ron Jr. and I chatted, which was always the worst part of meeting Stark. Stark wasn't a mean man, but he loved to hear himself talk and it might be 30 minutes before he finally gets to make a point.
Eventually, he got there. "Well, Pet, I just managed to make a land deal. I'm going to buy that land next to the Coast Guard Station downtown. They've been chatting about a park for years there, but nothing was ever done. So I went to the mayor and he said, 'Ronnie, why don't you move the Braves there? If you sign a 60-year lease I'll get that land for you for cost.' I said, 'Sure, I'll move the Braves'. Boston U.'s been making me offers for Braves Field for years, but I've been turning them down. Now, we move the club to some higher priced real estate, our equity goes up and I get the land at a song and sell the old field. Build new offices for the Braves somewhere on Commercial Street. Win-win all around Pet."
I knew the area. It was at the end of Boston Harbor, in the Charleston/East Boston area, but still in the North End. "You know, Ron," I said, "parking is going to be a nightmare."
"This is prime real estate, Pet. I can't pass it up. In a few years, Pet -- five at the most -- this entire area is going to be dotted with skyscrapers. There's a building boom. Lots of wealthy men who want to see a baseball game and don't want to have to figure out a way to get down to Commonwealth and back. This is the way of the future, Pet. We have to accept reality."
I nodded. It seemed like a fait accompli. "When is this going to happen?"
"I've talked to some architects who tell me it will take about two years to build a stadium. Knowing Boston, maybe a bit longer. So I wouldn't even think of moving into the new Braves Field until '68 or '69."
"Maybe we should call it Morris Stark Stadium." I brought it up because Morris really loved the Braves.
"That would have been a nice gesture," said Ron Stark Jr., "but the architects wanted Braves Field. It fits in with their general plan. But hey...I'm probably going to move the Braves offices somewhere when one of the new skyscrapers comes up. I haven't solved that problem yet, we'll probably have temp offices somewhere. This also gives me the chance to keep an eye on things."
I didn't look forward to that last part.
(* * *)
"About time," said Mike Singer, my head of stadium security.
"What do you mean, 'about time'?" I asked. "Don't you like Braves Field?"
"Sure, if you like pigeon ****." It was one of his continual complaints, that pidgeons would sometimes try to dive bomb the seats. In the mid 50s, we chipped off what must have been 20 years of pidgeon droppings, put out poison to kill the pidgeons (you could never get away with that today!) and put up fake stuffed owls which would keep the pidgeons from nesting in the upper corners of the park.
"This is one of America's oldest, grandest parks."
"Exactly, Pet. But except for the Jury Box, it doesn't have any character. Would they have had to change the name of the club to the 'Bees' if people had come here because of the stadium?"
"People don't come to see a stadium -- !"
"--I've heard it before! You say it a hundred times a day, 'you can draw only if you win'. But this old rotten fossil has been holding us back. I'm glad Ron Stark Jr. is selling the place. I'd like to go to a stadium where I don't have to smell train smoke!" He referred to the trains that would sometimes pass by behind left field."
Even Phyllis was happy. "Boy! Now we can move out of these cramped offices!" The Facade, as we called it, was sufficient for running a front office in 1915 but didn't have enough space for a 1967 front office. Everyone looked forward to moving to the North End.
As for me...I was of mixed feelings. Braves Field didn't have much charm, but it was home, at least. There's that old saying that you might hate your brother, but you'll be d-amned if someone starts a fight with him, because you'll defend him. That's how I felt about Braves Field.
But there wasn't too much I could do about it. Stark was the owner, the decision had been made, and it was final. My only hope was to send out The Old Lady with a championship before 1968.
(* * *)
It's now time to take on the other teams of the NL East. We'll face all of the non-Giants teams at least one time before the All-Star break comes up. We meet the Orioles, who are really struggling this year, in Baltimore.
June 18th-20th, 1966
Boston Braves (56-13) at Baltimore Orioles (25-44)
June 18: The Braves coast to a double-digit victory off six runs, in our biggest scoring game in a long time. Braves 20, Orioles 4.
W: Hank Aguirre (10-1) L: Jim Coutant (3-8)
Chicago wins its sixth straight game to take over the NL West, beating the Phillies 3-2 in Philadelphia.
June 19: Howie Koplitz holds the Orioles to two hits in eight innings. Braves 13, Orioles 1
W: Howie Koplitz (11-4) L: Dave McNally (4-9)
June 20: Despite giving up three runs in the final inning, Don Drysdale strikes out the last two Orioles in relief to give the Braves a win. Braves 9, Orioles 7. Mickey Mantle hits his 550th lifetime home run.
W: Cecil Perkins (8-1) L: Bill Hands (5-5)
(* * *)
While we were plucking the Orioles, the Giants had no trouble with the Stars, sweeping them 5-4, 3-1, and 4-2. The second-year Stars have learned that it's hard to defeat a World Champion.
We host the Reds at home while the Giants host the Phillies. After that, we go to Philadelphia to face the Phils as well.
June 21st-23rd, 1966
Cincinnati Reds (25-47) at Boston Braves (59-13)
June 21: Harvey Branch remains undefeated. Braves 4, Reds 1.
W: Harvey Branch (11-0) L: Paul Toth (5-8) S: Don Carpenter (12)
June 22: Sherman Jones of the Reds come in for relief in the 12th and gives up two walks, a wild pitch, and a single to Joe Torre. Braves 6, Reds 4 (12).
W: Don Carpenter (6-0) L: Sherman Jones (1-2)
June 23: Pete Rose hits the game-winning single in the top of the 11th, and the Braves fail to come back. Reds 11, Braves 10.
W: Sammy Ellis (1-0) L: Don Carpenter (6-1) S: Ed Donnelly (1)
(* * *)
As it turns out, the Giants also lost a game to the Phillies, so we're both exactly where we started, with the Giants still trailing us by one game.
Manager Gil Hodges is wanting to rest Joe Torre. He says that the problem with Fred Haney as a manager was that he didn't rest his players. Reluctantly, I let Hodges move Gordon Massa into Torre's spot as we travel to Philadelphia. Furthermore, due to a spiked foot, Cecil Perkins will miss his start. Jim Bouton will replace him for the next game.
June 24th-26th, 1966
Boston Braves (61-14) at Philadelphia Phillies (47-28)
June 24: Dave Nicholson hits his 32nd home run. Braves 4, Phillies 1.
W: Jim Bouton (1-1) L: Tom Cheney (7-3) S: Ron Herbel (8)
June 25: Harvey Branch holds the Phillies to five hits in seven innings.
W: Harvey Branch (12-0) L: Joe Gibbon (3-1) S: Don Carpenter (13)
June 26: Hank Aguirre and Ron Herbel shut out the Phillies for the sweep. Braves 2, Phillies 0.
W: Hank Aguirre(11-1) L: Bill Monbouquette (8-7) S: Ron Herbel (9)
Dynastarian
Late June 1966
Part II
The damned Giants sweep the Cubs 8-5, 3-0, and 7-0, knocking them off the top of the pole in the NL West. The Stars resume the lead of the NL West.
We host the Dodgers at home as the Giants host the Phillies.
June 27th-29th, 1966
Brooklyn Dodgers (42-36) at Boston Braves (64-14)
June 27: Howie Koplitz and Shayne Hanlon combine to shutout the Dodgers. Braves 2, Dodgers 0.
W: Howie Koplitz (12-4) L: Shayne Hanlon (7-7) S: Don Carpenter (14)
June 28: Joe Torre hits two home runs and Mickey Mantle hits one on the way to a win. Braves 5, Dodgers 2.
W: Cecil Perkins (9-1) L: Earl Wilson (9-8) S: Don Carpenter (15)
June 29: The Braves score four runs in the bottom of the 8th. Braves 4, Dodgers 2.
W: Harvey Branch (13-0) L: Randy Towers (7-7) S: Don Carpenter (16)
(* * *)
We sweep the Dodgers. The Giants sweep the Phillies. The Phillies got the worst of the double-team, and have lost seven straight games.
So we host the Pirates (#5 in NL East) while the Giants host the Orioles (#6 in NL East). I feel the race between both teams will go to the first team that doesn't stumble.
Rudy Regalado finally returns and replaces the awful Pumpsie Green at third.
June 30th-July 2nd, 1966
Pittsburgh Pirates (34-44) at Boston Braves (67-14)
June 30: Hank Aguirre strikes out eight Pirates in eight innings -- and the Braves score 11 runs without a single extra-base hit. Braves 11, Pirates 0.
W: Hank Aguirre (12-1) L: Jorge Orta (5-7)
(* * *)
Only 28 days after Bob Bowman entered the list of those who have hit four home runs in a game...he was joined by Carl Yastrzemski.
Yaz hit four home runs in a game against the Orioles, helping the Giants win at home 11-1. He went 5 for 5 that day, and his first home run -- off Bill Hands of the Orioles -- was the second of three Giants homers in the bottom of the 1st inning. In the bottom of the second, he would hit a grand slam off Hands, after Hands had walked three batters.
All in all, he hit two homers off Bill Hands and two off Antonio Tallez. He had a chance to be the first player in baseball history to hit five home runs in a game, but singled off Sam Bramwell in the bottom of the eighth.
This is not the first time that two four-homer games took place in the same year. In 1963, Bill Skowron of the Cubs had a four-homer game -- and just three months earlier, Yaz's teammate, Frank Robinson, hit four out against the Cubs.
(* * *)
July 1: The Pirates are shut out and held to four hits. Braves 5, Pirates 0.
W: Howie Koplitz (13-4) L: Wayne Genser (6-7)
July 2: The Braves finish the series with another shoutout.
W: Cecil Perkins (10-1) L: Alan Hyte (1-14) S: Ron Herbel (10)
(* * *)
We've won nine straight games.
The Giants have won ten straight games. They are determined to extend this to a photo finish, but I think this Braves team is willing to fight them tooth and nail.
Our last stop before the Break -- a road trip to Philadelphia.
July 3rd-July 5th, 1966
Philadelphia Phillies (47-34) at Boston Braves (70-14)
July 3: Mickey Mantle hits his 8th home run of the year. Braves 6, Phillies 4.
W: Harvey Branch (14-0) L: Ron Blackburn (3-4) S: Don Carpenter (17)
July 4: On the nation's 190th birthday, the Phillies are inspired to go to a 7-0 lead, preventing a comeback. Phillies 7, Braves 3.
W: Steve Blass (9-4) L: Hank Aguirre (12-2)
The Giants win their 12th straight and move into a tie for first in the NL East, routing the Dodgers in Brooklyn 16-3.
July 5: Joe Morgan triples for three RBIs to help the Braves come back in the top of the 9th. Braves 5, Phillies 3.
W: Lindy McDaniel (6-1) L: Ron Perranoski (4-4) S: Don Carpenter (18)
(* * *)
Around the world:
US Planes begin bombing Hanoi and Haiphong during the Vietnam War.
France formally leaves NATO.
The National Organization for Women, NOW, is founded in Washington, D. C.
President Lyndon B. Johnsno signs the Freedom of Information Act, which goes into effect the next year.
In baseball:
Satchel Paige makes his final professional baseball appearance, pitching the first two innings for Peninsula against Greensboro in the Carolina League. He gives up two runs.
Ealr Francis (Orioles) is out for four weeks with a hip injury.
Dean Chance (Athletics) is out for four weeks with a broken collar bone.
Antonio Dagres (Blues) is out for the season with a broken wrist.
Gene Freese (Red Sox) is out for three months and possibly the season with a broken hip.
Elston Howard retired at age 37 after an 11-year career with the Yankees, Dodgers, Senators, and Angels. Originally a Negro Leaguer, he played with the Kansas City Monarchs in 1948 and played there until the Yankees signed him in 1950.
He didn't break into the Yankees roster until 1955, but could not displace the popular Yogi Berra so he was traded that same year to Brooklyn -- where we won National League Rookie of the Year. His best year was in 1958 as a member of the SuperDodgers, where he won World Series rings in 1958 and 1959. He was also a two time All-Star, both times for Brooklyn.
Howard is credited with popularizing the "donut" -- a weighted ring placed at the end of a bat to give it weight to make the bat seem lighter when used in a game. Before the donut was invented, player would have to swing multiple bats at the same time while preparing to hit.
Dick Hall retired after a 13-year with the same team -- the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hall finished with a 40-61 lifetime record and a 3.20 ERA, with 27 saves.
Billy Harrell retired at age 36. A shortstop, he played for the Indians, Phillies, Indians again, Dodgers, Tigers, Angels, Pirates and Tigers again. His only full time season was with Cleveland in 1957, but he was on the "SuperDodgers" World Series roster in both 1958 and 1959.
(* * *)
Dynastarian
Code:1966 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP Morgan, Joe BOB 86 .262 324 85 16 5 6 61 33 12 1 66 34 .398 .379 Torre, Joe BOB 78 .341 314 107 16 1 19 29 31 0 0 59 73 .580 .401 Nicholson, Dave BOB 80 .306 301 92 8 3 33 76 58 0 0 82 84 .681 .444 Allen, Bernie BOB 83 .218 275 60 12 1 10 37 29 0 1 37 41 .378 .309 Davalillo, Vic BOB 59 .329 213 70 7 0 4 8 22 4 1 27 27 .418 .354 Regalado, Rudy BOB 56 .322 205 66 6 0 10 16 27 3 0 35 39 .498 .372 Smith, Dick BOB 68 .306 186 57 10 2 5 24 22 2 0 32 34 .462 .390 Green, Pumpsie BOB 61 .203 172 35 1 2 0 24 38 0 0 25 11 .233 .299 Davis, Tommy BOB 65 .292 171 50 5 3 7 13 16 0 1 30 38 .480 .342 Mantle, Mickey BOB 39 .277 148 41 5 2 8 25 37 0 0 23 31 .500 .382 Christopher, Joe BOB 41 .306 144 44 4 0 11 39 27 1 0 41 36 .563 .454 Cunningham, Joe BOB 49 .250 132 33 7 2 5 21 24 0 0 24 16 .447 .357 Mincher, Don BOB 43 .234 107 25 9 0 9 14 10 0 0 22 30 .570 .333 Massa, Gordon BOB 19 .407 59 24 2 0 0 2 6 0 0 7 7 .441 .413 Mota, Manny BOB 36 .309 55 17 0 0 1 3 5 0 0 7 9 .364 .356 Koplitz, Howie BOB 22 .164 55 9 1 0 0 3 14 0 0 6 4 .182 .203 Branch, Harvey BOB 18 .205 44 9 3 0 0 2 8 0 0 5 4 .273 .234 Aguirre, Hank BOB 18 .116 43 5 0 0 0 2 12 0 0 3 2 .116 .174 Gagliano, Phil BOB 19 .171 41 7 1 0 0 2 6 0 0 4 1 .195 .209 Drysdale, Don BOB 15 .194 36 7 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 4 2 .222 .184 Perkins, Cecil BOB 12 .160 25 4 0 0 0 1 8 0 0 3 2 .160 .192 Bouton, Jim BOB 2 .000 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Cardenal, Jose BOB 2 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .500 Carpenter, Don BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 McDaniel, Lindy BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Graham, Bill BOB 0 1.000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 1.000 Santiago, Jose BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Beard, Ralph BOB 0 1.000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000Code:1966 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9 Koplitz, Howie BOB 150.1 2.27 22 22 13 4 0 58 36 10.12 Branch, Harvey BOB 134.0 2.08 19 18 14 0 0 60 21 7.86 Aguirre, Hank BOB 116.1 3.17 18 18 12 2 0 71 45 11.06 Drysdale, Don BOB 98.0 4.68 19 15 8 4 1 100 43 15.06 Perkins, Cecil BOB 91.1 1.48 20 12 10 1 0 46 19 10.25 Herbel, Ron BOB 62.2 1.72 37 0 0 0 10 22 5 7.47 McDaniel, Lindy BOB 40.1 2.90 25 0 6 1 2 34 11 11.38 Carpenter, Don BOB 35.1 1.02 28 0 6 1 18 21 5 6.37 Graham, Bill BOB 19.2 3.20 16 0 2 1 0 7 2 8.24 Bouton, Jim BOB 18.1 3.93 8 2 1 1 0 14 6 10.80 Beard, Ralph BOB 14.2 3.07 9 0 0 0 1 4 5 11.05 Santiago, Jose BOB 12.2 2.84 9 0 0 0 0 4 3 14.21
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Unfortunately I don't see that happening, abben. Petrel's game appears to be stuck in some kind of pattern. The Yanks and Giants, perhaps because of their market size coupled with contract lengths, are simply too powerful. Playing more like them may be the only way.
Dynastarian
abben,
The quest for the rarest of rarities -- a middle infielder who can actually pick up a bat -- will be my goal before the June deadline. I can see you zeroed in on the fact that 3B/SS is my one weakness -- not only can Pumpsie Green not hit, he can't field either, and I'm stuck paying him $5 million plus a year. Unless I can offload him to a less wise team.
CatKnight,
Absolutely right, and don't think everyone in 1966 hasn't notice it either. Johnny Carson is already making jokes about the Yankees supremacy -- "If Hitler had the Yankees, we'd all be eating sauerbraten." Most of the reporters think this has the potential to ruin baseball.
However, the New Yorkers are reflexively circling the wagons. Giants and Yankees fans claim "jealousy!" and make ominous sounds about "baseball socialism" when anyone suggests ways to solve the problem. There are still a few owners out there who think that somehow, by some miracle, they'll end up in the throne room someday and earn eight years of success like either pennant winner. But a lot of owners want something done about this problem, and soon.
As for the Braves keeping up with the Giants, I credit it to one thing -- the fluke Free Agent market of 1965-66. Whether due to financial reasons, or because most teams simply gave up, monster free agents like Mantle, Christopher, and Torre went unsigned, and I signed them all on pennies on the dollar. I bought a pennant winner for about $25 million dollars. But I have to start all over again in 1966-67.
abben,
About old Commissioner Rozwell or whatever his name is: right now, he has to play it careful, because this is still an owner-driven system. The owners don't want to give up any kind of power for any reason. What the Commissioner does about this will be revealed later, but there may be no immediate solution that satisfies.
--Pet
Registered User
Pet, if you want to reduce the Yankee/Giant advantage, reduce the number of seats they have in their stadium. You'll need to rename the stadium to something else, or else it won't take from year to year. But it lowers the expected revenue and gets them to behave a little more reasonably. I've found it's the best method.
Dynastarian
1966 All-Star Game
Part I
The 1966 All-Star Game was played at the place where it all began -- Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois.
This is the third time that the All-Star Game has been played at Comiskey. The first time was in 1933, when it was the site of the very first All-Star Game. The second time was in 1950.
Comiskey has always been known as being a big park. It is 352 feet to either foul line and 415 to dead center field. Furthermore, the foul territory is ridiculously deep, about 85 feet from home plate to backstop, giving infielders plenty of chances to snatch foul balls. Somehow, however, teams manage to find offense and the Sox have brought a championship here as recently as 1953.
Unfortunately, like Comiskey Park in Cincinnati and Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, Comiskey is suffering from the tough neighborhood blues. Too poor, too black, too crime-ridden. Fans are taking the train more and more often to the park and not taking the car. Supposedly, people are afraid to come see a game here but attendance has been going up for the last three years so I can't see that.
(* * *)
And now, ladies and gentlemen, your 1966 All-Stars
National League
C: Joe Torre, Braves (2 consecutive)
1B: Donn Clendenon, Giants (2)
2B: Jim Gilliam, Dodgers (11)
3B: Don Wert, Astros (1)
SS: Bob Johnson, Giants (6 - 4 consecutive)
OF: Carl Yastrzemski, Giants (6 consecutive)
OF: Dave Nicholson, Braves (1)
OF: Frank Robinson, Giants (6)
Johnny Callison, Astros (1)
Bill Mazeroski, Orioles (3)
Willie McCovey, Reds (2)
Dal Maxvill, Stars (2 consecutive)
Eric Mackenzie, Brewers (1)
Howie Goss, Pirates (2 consecutive)
Don Landrum, Cardinals (2)
Tobias Watson, Cubs (1)
Bill Monbouquette, Phillies (3)
Fred Newman, Giants (2 consecutive)
Harvey Branch, Braves (1)
Claude Osteen, Giants (6 - 3 consecutive)
Howie Koplitz, Braves (1)
Tom Cheney, Phillies (2)
Don Carpenter, Braves (1)
Ron Herbel, Braves (1)
Bob Lee, Cardinals (1)
Leonard Johnson, Cubs (1)
Manager: Sam Mele, Giants
These year, it was a battle between the Braves and Giants -- and not just in the inner inclinations of any individual baseball fan.
Rather, both the ravenous New York and Boston presses tried desperately to tilt the favor towards one team or another -- but the Giants really went wild in a full-court press to get New York baseball fans to send an all-Giants lineup.
They got four starters, which is impressive...but what was more impressive was that Giants shortstop Bob Johnson got 4.4 million votes. He does have six All-Star games on his checklist, and he's hitting .364 this year -- but 4.4 million votes? The league should have investigated that total. Lucky for us that the players and managers filled out the bench spots with the names of a lot of Braves players.
The Braves and Giants each sent six players. The only other teams to send more than one player were the Phillies, Astros, Cardinals, and Cubs, each with two players. Particularly interesting is that the Brooklyn Dodgers sent only one player -- second baseman Jim Gilliam. It's probably the first time in a long time that the Dodgers sent only one representative.
Jim Gilliam leads the National League, making his 11th trip to the big event. This ties him with Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Stan Musial, and Vern Stephens -- all of whom have made 11 appearances. Eleven players make first time appearances to the All-Star Game -- including five of the Braves.
(* * *)
American League
C: Gene Oliver, Yankees (4 consecutive)
1B: Chris Bradley, Angels (1)
2B: Frank Bolling, Tigers (9)
3B: Eddie Mathews, Senators (12)
SS: Jose Pagan, Yankees (2)
OF: Bob Skinner, Yankees (7)
OF: Roberto Clemente, Yankees (7, 6 consecutive)
OF: Hank Aaron, Angels (10 consecutive)
Bob Bowman, Senators (5)
Dick Howser, Red Sox (4)
Matty Alou, Indians (3)
John Orsino, Twins (3)
Tony Wood, Athletics (1)
Roy McMillan, Seals (10, 8 consecutive)
Brian O'Kelley, Peaches (2 consecutive)
Jim Owens, White Sox (1)
Jack Cullen, Blues (1)
Jim Proctor, Yankees (5, 3 consecutive)
Milt Pappas, Senators (1)
Bob Hendley, Yankees (1)
Kelly Osborne, Yankees (3 consecutive)
Jim Brady, Yankees (2)
Ron Piche, Peaches (1)
Dick Egan, Tigers (1)
Pete Cimino, Senators (1)
Special Guest Manager: Casey Stengel
The Yankees sent eight players to the All-Stars, more than any other team. Bob Skinner of the Yankees got the most votes, but nowhere near the number of votes Bob Johnson got.
The Yanks would send eight players and the Senators sent four. The Tigers, Angels, and Peaches sent two players and everyone else sent one player.
In Particular, the Peaches should get an award for sending...Ron Piche. "Piche". Sounds like "Peach". Brilliant or what? I would have signed the guy just for the name appeal.
There are three big All-Stars coming to the celebration. Roy McMillan and Hank Aaron visit a 10th All-Star game, joining Joe Medwick and Billy Herman as 10-time All-Stars. As for Eddie Mathews, it is his 12th All-Star Game, leading all players, tying him with Mel Ott and Mickey Mantle and putting Mathews one short of the All-Time records set by Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio with 13 appearances.
(* * *)
And you might have noticed the "special guest manager". That's right, Casey Stengel has (briefly) come out of retirement to coach one final All-Star Game before hanging up his cleats. Trust me, Johnny Keane of the Yankees was glad to let Casey have his moment -- sometimes, both for players and managers, the All-Star Game is a bit of a chore.
Fans wondered if he would show up in a Yankees uniform, but he did not. He showed up in an all-white baseball uniform, devoid of even a number on the back. "I'm a blank slate. Write whatever you want on me," he told the reporters. For a few moments, he looked like a Milwaukee Brewer, who wear all-white home uniforms -- but they don't wear white caps.
I'm glad to see Casey back. Casey can bring class and fun to just about anything. It's almost cruel to bring him back for one last hurrah, but at least it gives baseball a chance to say goodbye in person and a chance for him to walk off the field triumphantly as his final moment.
(* * *)
Of course, the Home Run Derby has to take place before the game. There must have been something in the air at Comiskey, because the ball was really carrying that night. Generally, seven home runs is a good total when you have ten "outs", but Donn Clendenon hit what would have been 11 round-trippers. Bob Johnson and Hank Aaron had hit seven each, and that just left who would be in fourth place. Bob Skinner finally hit the deciding home run by breaking a six-way tie among players with five homers each, hitting his sixth and moving on to the second round.
Johnson. Clendenon. Skinner. Aaron. Some of the biggest names in baseball. Everyone was more or less neck and neck with the final round, until Bob Skinner failed to get the ball to carry, registering his fifth out and with that, two New York Giants, Donn Clendenon and Bob Johnson would go to the final round with five homers apiece.
Clendenon was up to bad first, and hit four home runs with his allotment of outs. The crowd watched as Bob Johnson was just one short of tying Clendenon, but it was caught in left field, giving Johnson only three home runs. Donn Clendenon of the New York Giants was the winner of the Home Run Derby.[/b] Clendenon has hit 22 home runs this year.
Dynastarian
1966 All-Star Game
Part II
(* * *)
As for the game itself, the starting pitchers were Brian O'Kelley of the Peaches and Tobias Watson of the Cubs. Both escaped the first inning unscathed, but the second inning was more troublesome for strikeout artist O'Kelley. He walked Bob Johnson and Donn Clendenon, and with two out, Don Wert singled to short center and loaded the bases for the Nationals. However, the foul ground at Comiskey worked in the Americans favor as Johnny Callison popped up to catcher Gene Oliver just behind the backstop.
In the top of the third, however, the Nationals would have their say again. Milt Pappas of the Senators came in to pitch for the Americans, and with Jim Gilliam on first, Manager Sam Mele called for the hit and run. Joe Torre answered with a double that brought in the Nationals first run of the game. Nationals 1, Americans 0. Bob Johnson would then reach first on a errror by the Yankees' Jose Pagan, and Carl Yastrzesmki would drive home another Nationals run with a single. Nationals 2, American 0. However, Pappas would escape the third by striking out both Donn Clendenon and Dave Nicholson.
Unfortunately for the Nationals, the Americans could score runs, too. Bill Monbouquette of the Phillies came in to pitch in the bottom of the fourth, and with an 0-2 count, Bob Skinner hit Monbouquette's hard curve over the left field fence. Nationals 2, Americans 1.
The Americans put the pressure on. Roberto Clemente would double to the wall in right, and one out later, Chris Bradley got on first when Dave Nicholson in left field let the ball go by him. This set up Hammerin' Hank Aaron of the Angels, who slid Monbouquette's slider into right centerfield to clear the bases and given the Americans a three-run lead. Americans 4, Nationals 1. Jose Pagan would then double, pinch-hitter Bob Bowman would single to left, and when Eddie Mathews flew out for the second out, Pagan would tag home for the final run of the half-inning. Americans 5, Nationals 1.
In the top of the fifth, the Braves' Joe Torre would double to right and Bob Johnson would hit a grounder driving Torre to third, but Yaz would line out to bring the game to its half-way mark.
With the bottom of the fifth, Fred Newman of the Giants would pitch. With two outs, Gene Oliver would single to center and Chris Bradley would also single to left, bringing up Hank Aaron. Aaron was very patient, working Newman to a 3-1 count before hitting into the deep left field gap at Comiskey. As the outfielders scrambled for the ball, the throw to the infield would see Aaron stopping at third and driving in two RBIs. Jose Pagan would then hit the follow-up single that drove in Aaron. Americans 8, Nationals 2. John Orsino of the Twins would then pinch-hit for Jack Cullen and he would hit the second home run of the evening off Newman, giving the Americans a huge lead before Eddie Mathews grounded out to end a 5-run American League inning. Americans 10, Nationals 2.
In the sixth, with Jim Proctor of the Yankees on the mound, the Nationals crept back. Donn Clendenon showed his Home Run Derby skills by hitting the second pitch a good 390 feet and over the wall to close the gap by one run. Americans 10, Nationals 3. Dave Nicholson would then single and Don Wert of the Astros would hit a first-pitch home run to deep left to make it a five-run game. Americans 10, Nationals 5.
The Americans, however, were not out of home runs. With Harvey Branch of the Braves on the mound, Frank Bolling hit a single and Bob Skinner walked to put men on first and second. One out later, Gene Oliver worked a full 3-2 count, then hit a 3-RBI rocket over the left center field fence to swing the game further away from the Nationals. Americans 13, Nationals 5.
The bottom of the seventh brought more misery for the Nationals. With Branch still on the mound, Eddie Mathews hit an RBI single and Bob Skinner added yet another home run for the Americans to give them an amazing 17 runs -- an All-Star record! Americans 17, Nationals 5.
It was all over but for the fat lady singing. Ron Piche, the "Piche of a Peach", came in to close it out in the 9th for the Americans, striking out Frank Robinson and Joe Torre, and retiring Bob Johnson on a lazy fly ball to right field in a game marked by an amazing American League offensive display.
FINAL SCORE: Americans 17, Nationals 5.
(* * *)
The Americans would hit five home runs, and their 17-5 triumph set two records: obviously, one was the most points scored by a team. The other was a tie for biggest margin of victory, with the AL routing the NL 12-0 at Fenway Park in 1946.
Bob Skinner of the Yankees went 2-3 with 2 walks, a HR and 4 RBI to be awared Most Valuable Player award by the press. But as one reporter put it, "But everyone gave Casey Stengel the award for Most Valuable Manager. Surrounded by a bunch of grinning baseball players, the Ol' Perfessor showed off his pearly whites with a big smile. 'This was as good as my World Series wins!' he told everyone assembled, and...you know...maybe for one night, we can believe it. Tonight, Stengel was the Most Valuable Man, because he got to leave the game the way he had left the field so many times in the past -- in triumph!"
As for me...well, I'm glad the Old Perfesser had a good time. But really...let's have a National League team host the game next year! The Americans have hosted the game the last five years...and they're 4-1! The National League needs all the help it can get!!
Dynastarian
Late July 1966
The Braves are preparing to go into the "back half" of the season. Through a freak set of circumstances and the stars aligning right, we've won 72 games. That puts on track to win...oh...134 games. Which would be the best ever result by anyone in baseball history...but the Giants have the exact same record.
Chuck Sullivan put it best. "Pet, we've left the realm of baseball and entered the realm of science fiction." The Athletics have dropped to last place. They'll probably finish with about 40 wins, and...well, with the Yankees....anyone want to suggest a hundred games out of first place?
Despite the fact that we swim in uncharted waters, we still want to win the World Series. Part of our weakness is our infield, in the form of Bernie Allen (82/82) and Pumpsie Green (74). Pumpsie is now hitting .203, is a sucker for a change up and had a .906 fielding average in fifteen games at short. Therefore, the Danelaw says:
1) Get a replacement for Green and Allen
2) Get rid of Pumpsie, at least.
Unfortunately, the statistical sample of cheap (<$5.3 million), good fielding and decent hitting outfielders is a sample of n=1. That man is George Smith (83), riding the pin for Minnesota whie Jerry Lumpe starts at second.
I call up the GM of the Twins and suggest a Green-for-Smith trade.
Ahem. As a member of the fraternity of GMs, we use language that's a little bit...salty. We make frequent references to bodily functions, sexual deviancies and all sorts of blasphemies, even in causal conversation. But the GM of the Twins...the stuff that he said to me when I mentioned a Pumpsie Green trade would have melted your ears if he could have heard it. He slammed the phone down.
That's okay. It just comes with the territory. I called him back, he shouted, "What is it now, Pet?!" and we made a deal that didn't involve Green.
Trades:
to Twins: Bill Freehan (C) (78/82), Ray Herbert (SP) (65), and $3 million
to Braves: George Smith (83)
Giving up Freehan hurt, but when you have a chance, you have to win now, and we haven't been this close to the Giants in a long time. Herbert is washed up, but the Twins farm system is more threadbare than the negligee of a Playboy bunny. And we had the money.
The Atlanta Peaches offer $3.5 million for Green, which I think is ludicrous. They have second thoughts about it at the last minute and try to back out of it, but I browbeat them into taking the trade.
to Peaches: Pumpsie Green (2B)
to Braves: $3.5 million
That does it for us. I'll spend most of my effort before the trading deadlien to resign my free agents.
(* * *)
We start the second half of the season with a visit from Brooklyn. Cecil Perkins gets the call as #1 starter.
July 12th-14th, 1966
Brooklyn Dodgers (44-43) at Boston Braves (72-15)
July 12: The Dodgers score three runs in the top of the ninth. Mantle gets a single and makes it to second, but cannot score. Dodgers 4, Braves 3.
W: Jack Fisher (1-0) L: Ron Herbel (0-1)
The Orioles are held to two hits and the Giants win in New York 4-2. It is their 14th straight win and they now lead the NL East by one game.
July 13: Mantle hits his 9th home run as Koplitz pitches a good six innings. Braves 6, Dodgers 4.
W: Howie Koplitz (14-4) L: Earl Wilson (10-9) S: Don Carpenter (19)
July 14: Despite four home runs by the Braves, the Dodgers pull away and win the series. Dodgers 9, Braves 6.
W: Moe Drabowsky (1-0) L: Hank Aguirre (12-3)
(* * *)
And of course, the Giants sweep the Orioles to win their 16th straight and knock us two games out. However, the Braves will have three days to think about how to handle the Giants.
While we were off for three days, the Giants played the Bucs in Pittsburgh. Didn't even slow them down. Not even jet lag. 16-2, 5-0, and 2-1 to make it 19 straight and stretch their lead to 3 1/2 games.
The last team to win 21 straight were...last year's giants. If they do it again I'm going to be sick. At least, the Giants will be off for three days while we play the Brewers at home. That way, I don't have to watch the Giants win.
July 18-20th, 1966
Milwaukee Brewers (21-66) at Boston Braves (73-17)
July 18: Mickey Mantle hits two home runs and Harvey Branch remains undefeated. Braves 11, Brewers 3
W: Harvey Branch (15-0) L: Don Sutton (3-15)
July 19: Dick Smith hits a fielder's choice RBI to move a run across in the 8th for the Braves. Braves 3, Brewers 2.
W: Ron Herbel (1-1) L: Willard Schmidt (1-1)
July 20: Nine runs in the bottom of the eighth make it a painful loss for the Brewers as the Braves sweep. Braves 13, Brewers 0.
W: Howie Koplitz (15-4) L: Dextor Magor (5-16)
With Roberto Clemente out for three weeks with an injury, the New York Yankees lose two straight for the first time this year, losing in Atlanta 3-1 and 6-3.
(* * *)
We're now two games behind the Giants. As the Giants go to Wrigley Field to play the second-place Cubs, we hope to have some good fortune against the fifth-place Pirates.
July 21st-23th, 1966
Pittsburgh Pirates (37-56) at Boston Braves (76-17)
July 21: Down 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates make two errors and allow two Braves unearned runs. But Dave Nicholson grounds into a double play to end the game. Pirates 5, Braves 4.
W: Chuck Hartenstein (3-5) L: Ron Herbel (1-2) S: Josh Kite (11)
A sacrifice fly by the Cubs Ron Sadowski in the bottom of the 9th scores the winning run for the Cubs and ends the Giants 19 game win streak as the Cubs win 5-4.
Trades:
to Angels: Tomas Malabe (70/70) (RP)
to Orioles: Larry Foss (65) (SP), Harry Anderson (71) (LF)
Everyone is scratching their heads on this one. Foss has been knocked by the major magazines for being no good, but he was 12-5 this year for the Angels with a 2.93 ERA. He's traded for a 26-year old journeyman who's never played a major league game.
July 22: Harvey Branch gives up 4 walks, but only one hit and shuts out the Pirates for his 16th win. Braves 9, Pirates 0.
W: Harvey Branch (16-0) L: Ken Johnson (4-5)
July 23: Dave Nicholson hits his #36th homerun of the year, the second of two against the Pirates this game. Braves 6, Pirates 5.
W: Cecil Perkins (11-1) L: Alan Hyte (1-15) S: Don Carpenter (20)
(* * *)
The Braves now go on the road for an 18-game road trip. Among the six teams we play -- the Giants, although not until August. We start under the brand new Gateway Arch as the Braves challenge the Cardinals.
July 24th-27th, 1966
Boston Braves (78-18) at St. Louis Cardinals (44-52)
July 24: Four runs in the sixth inning give the Braves their first win on a long road trip. Braves 5, Cardinals 3.
W: Howie Koplitz (16-4) L: Denny Lemaster (8-10) S: Don Carpenter (21)
The Giants lose to the Orioles 5-4 in Baltimore, and the Braves close to one game.
Bob Bowman of the Senators is out for the season with a severed knee ligament.
July 25: In 78-degree weather, the Braves cool down the Cardinals. Braves 8, Cardinals 2.
W: Hank Aguirre (13-3) L: Fred Norman (0-3)
July 26: Leading 6-0 going into the eighth, Harvey Branch lets the Cardinals score 5 runs -- but Ron Herbel holds off the Cardinals in relief. Braves 6, Cardinals 5.
W: Harvey Branch (17-0) L: Larry Jackson (5-8) S: Ron Herbel (11)
Dynastarian
Late July 1966
Part II
The Braves head to Baltimore to find out exactly how good recent acquisition Larry Foss is. Cecil Perkins will miss a start with a mild elbow inflammation; Jim Bouton will take his place. As for the Giants, they take three days off before going to Pittsburgh.
July 27th-29th, 1966
Boston Braves (81-18) at Baltimore Orioles (37-65)
July 27: Jim Bouton complains of an arm twinge at the end of the fourth inning with the Braves up 8-3. He leaves the game and Drysdale throws 5 innings of relief to get the win. X-rays of Bouton's arms showed he was all right. Braves 11, Orioles 4. The Braves move to within a 1/2 game of the Giants.
W: Don Drysdale (9-4) L: Larry Foss (12-7)
July 28: Bill Hands of the Orioles holds the Braves to two hits in eight innings as the Braves fall back to one behind the Giants. Orioles 1, Braves 0.
W: Bill Hands (8-9) L: Cecil Perkins (11-2) S: Brent Lunn (15)
July 29: The Orioles get three runs but it's all they need as the Braves lose for the second straight time only the second time this season. Orioles 3, Braves 1.
W: Jim Coutant (5-9) L: Howie Koplitz (16-5) S: Ryan Ulmer (6)
With the Yankees beating the Senators 4-3 and the Athletics losing to the Tigers 6-5, the A's become the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention this season.
(* * *)
The Braves are looking a little...shaky. Just a little. We have an 82-20 record. We win four out of every five games we play. But nothing short of absolute perfection will get you the pennant in 1966.
Maybe we can find some of that perfection when we got to Milwaukee and play the last-place Brewers.
(* * *)
July 30th-August 2nd, 1966
Boston Braves (82-20) at Milwaukee Brewers (23-76)
July 30: The Brewers are held to four hits and Aguirre strikes out 7 in 8 IP. Braves 12, Brewers 2.
W: Hank Aguirre (14-3) L: Mickey Lolich (6-15)
Suddenly, we get news of a monster trade:
Trades:
to Athletics: Joey Amalfitano (78-2B), Wesley Brad (71-SP)
to Giants: Gaylord Perry (87-SP)
Perry was the #1 Draft Pick in 1957. He's 75-127, which isn't much of a record until you consider that he has played his entire career for the Athletics. Furthermore, his ERA is only 4.20 despite always playing teams that were better than his.
We fire right back at the Giants, after several desperate calls.
to Senators: Ron Keller (68/94 - SP) John Knox (48/73 - 2B) and $5 million
to Braves: Tony Taylor (85 - 2B)
The man's an average fielder -- but he can definitely hit. He was the 1958 Rookie of the Year, and oddly enough, won the Gold Glove the same year. He cost $5.5 million, but I got permission from Ron Stark Jr.
July 31: Harvey Branch shuts out the Brewers to win his 18th game of the year. Braves 6, Brewers 0.
W: Harvey Branch (18-0) L: Karl Spooner (2-14)
August 1: Ed Roebuck gives up four earned runs in the top of the 11th to put the Braves up 5-1, but with Lindy McDaniel on the mound, Carl Warwick hits a 2-run homer in a last gasp shot at avoiding a sweep. Braves 5, Brewers 3 (11).
(* * *)
Before the July deadline, I sat down with the agents of the big guns. Joe Torre. Joe Christopher. Mickey Mantle. Dave Nicholson. I asked them if they would consider staying on in Boston for 1967 at Braves prices.
I got something akin to people laughing in my face. Some of the agents quite frankly said that if anyone had offered other than us, our clients would have taken it. "You just don't pay enough," said one guy. "Our clients want to be signed by the New York teams. That's where baseball is headed in the future. Those teams are always going to be winners."
Even Howie Koplitz was deciding to try for $9 million. Which means that in 1967, this team might be decimated. But I did re-sign a few names. Bill Graham, Tommy Davis, Jim Bouton, Don Carpenter and Joe Cunningham will be staying with us a while. If we fail to win a pennant in 1966, at least I can rebuild the Braves around those guys in 1967.
(* * *)
Around the world:
The Hough Riots, a symptom of racial turmoil, take place in Cleveland. Four people died during the riots. (The Indians were on the road during the entire period of rioting.)
A sniper shoots at students from the University of Texas at Austin from atop a 27-story tower.
In baseball:
Jim Gilliam (Dodgers) reached his 2000th hit.
Jeff Miller (Peaches) is out for the season with a broken elbow.
Eddie Fisher (Seals) is out for the season with a broken hip.
Steve Aucoin (Brewers) is out for the season with elbow tendonitis.
Tom Steele (Reds) is out for the season and most of 1967 with a torn rotator cuff.
Joe Schaffernoth (Cardinals) is out for the season with a broken ankle.
Herb Hippauf (Cardinals) is out for three months with a broken hip.
Bill Singer (Senators) is out for the season with a severed knee ligament.
Barry Latman (Blues) is out for the season with a broken foot.
Charlie Rudman (Phillies) is out for five weeks with ruptured knee ligaments.
Whitey Lockman retired after a very long career in baseball.
From 1945 to 1965, he would play every season except in 1946. Until the end of 1963, all of those seasons were with the New York Giants, except for 1964 with the Orioles and 1965 with the Tigers. He finished with 2,192 hits, a .287 batting average, and 202 HR with 984 RBI. He was 26 when the Giants won the Series in 1954 and would go to three more World Series. He was also a two-time All-Star (in 1952 and 1955) and would win Gold Gloves as a first baseman in 1952 and 1959.
Bill "Mumbles" Tremel retires at age 36 after 13 years in baseball with the Indians, Phillies and Cubs. A middle reliever, he would appear in 670 games without a single start for the Indians, Phillies, and Cubs. He would finish with a 3.12 lifetime ERA and a 66-54 record. Even though he never played for a championship team, he was a four-time All-Star, one with Cleveland and three times with the Phillies.
Billy O'Dell retires at age 34 after 12 seasons with the Blues, White Sox, Blues again, and Phillies as a starting pitcher. He finished with a 132-89 lifetime record and a 3.46 lifetime ERA. The rookie left-hander was an immediate favorite for the Blues in their first season in Kansas City in 1954.
Bob Thorpe retires as a right fielder at age 36. The consommate substitute late-inning replacement as a right-fielder due to his poor batting -- he finished with a .250 AB but a .279 OBP -- he played for the Braves, White Sox, Athletics (in 1953, he played for all three in the same year!), then the Blues, Phillies, and Indians. When he played full-time, it was usually for a poor team, but he won Gold Gloves three times, in 1957 and 1958 with the Phillies and 1964 with the Indians.
Bob Lillis retires at age 35 after 11 years as a shortstop with the Yankees, Blues, Indians, and Peaches. Finishing with a .257 AB and .292 OBP, he only had 382 AB in 1960 but not only won the Gold Glove at shortstop for the Blues but was an All-Star that same year.
At age 36, Chuck Tanner retires after 13 seasons at age 36. A left fielder for the Braves, Senators, Tigers, Athletics, and Orioles, he was the best that Philadelphia had on some very bad Athletics teams. He won a Gold Glove for the Athletics in 1961.
Wally Post retires as a left fielder at age 36 after playing for the Reds, Athletics, and Reds again since 1949. He finished with a .267 AVG and 221 lifetime HR. He was an All-Star for the Reds in 1957.
"Baby Joe" Presko retires as a starting pitcher at age 36 after a 15-year career for the Cardinals, White Sox, Athletics, White Sox again, and the Angels, the team with which he played the longest. He finished with a 108-107 lifetime record and a 4.07 ERA.
Davey Williams retires at age 37 after a 16-year career with the Giants, Braves, Phillies, Dodgers, and Cubs.
Hal Smith retires after a 13-year career with the St. Louis Browns/Kansas City Blues, Pirates, Reds, and Cardinals. He had a .275 BA in 2,526 games.
Read More Dynasties!
Science fiction is right. Both your Braves and the Giants are nearly immortal. (Unfortunately they more so.)
Ya know, if you have any money left in your budget you could always hire a hitman. And I don't mean a slugger. Go take out a few Giants players. If you're caught, claim you were acting in the best interests of baseball.
Dynastarian
CatKnight,
You might regret those fateful words, heh heh. It will be a very strange year, 1966, but you'll have to read to find out what happens.
Code:1966 Batting Team G AVG AB H 2B 3B HR BB K SB CS R RBI SLG OBP Morgan, Joe BOB 104 .266 399 106 20 5 7 72 43 17 1 82 42 .393 .376 Torre, Joe BOB 96 .347 378 131 18 1 25 44 38 0 0 76 93 .598 .416 Nicholson, Dave BOB 98 .302 364 110 11 6 37 91 70 0 0 94 99 .670 .441 Smith, George BOB 92 .253 312 79 17 5 4 28 64 3 1 34 35 .378 .321 Allen, Bernie BOB 86 .215 279 60 12 1 10 37 29 0 1 37 41 .373 .305 Regalado, Rudy BOB 74 .288 274 79 7 0 11 21 34 3 0 44 45 .434 .340 Smith, Dick BOB 86 .295 254 75 11 3 10 33 34 3 0 44 47 .480 .380 Mantle, Mickey BOB 57 .274 226 62 6 2 16 29 58 0 0 40 49 .531 .357 Davalillo, Vic BOB 60 .329 213 70 7 0 4 9 22 4 1 28 27 .418 .357 Christopher, Joe BOB 59 .288 212 61 8 0 17 56 40 1 0 57 49 .566 .438 Davis, Tommy BOB 75 .309 181 56 5 3 7 13 16 0 1 31 43 .486 .355 Taylor, Tony BOB 67 .207 174 36 10 1 1 28 28 2 5 21 10 .293 .330 Cunningham, Joe BOB 55 .244 135 33 7 2 5 24 25 0 0 24 16 .437 .363 Mincher, Don BOB 43 .234 107 25 9 0 9 14 10 0 0 22 30 .570 .333 Mota, Manny BOB 42 .348 66 23 1 0 1 4 6 0 0 10 10 .409 .394 Koplitz, Howie BOB 26 .182 66 12 2 0 0 3 16 0 0 8 4 .212 .214 Massa, Gordon BOB 20 .400 60 24 2 0 0 3 6 0 0 7 7 .433 .415 Branch, Harvey BOB 22 .183 60 11 3 0 0 2 11 0 0 6 5 .233 .206 Aguirre, Hank BOB 22 .094 53 5 0 0 0 3 14 0 0 3 2 .094 .158 Gagliano, Phil BOB 19 .171 41 7 1 0 0 2 6 0 0 4 1 .195 .209 Drysdale, Don BOB 15 .189 37 7 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 4 2 .216 .179 Perkins, Cecil BOB 17 .114 35 4 0 0 0 1 13 0 0 3 2 .114 .139 Bouton, Jim BOB 3 .000 6 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Cardenal, Jose BOB 2 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .500 Carpenter, Don BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 McDaniel, Lindy BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Graham, Bill BOB 0 1.000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1.000 1.000 Santiago, Jose BOB 0 .000 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 Beard, Ralph BOB 0 1.000 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000Code:1966 Pitching Team IP ERA G GS W L SV K BB R/9 Koplitz, Howie BOB 179.1 2.41 26 26 16 5 0 69 41 9.99 Branch, Harvey BOB 166.2 2.11 23 22 18 0 0 71 28 8.10 Aguirre, Hank BOB 141.0 3.19 22 22 14 3 0 87 55 11.17 Perkins, Cecil BOB 124.1 1.66 25 17 11 2 0 63 25 9.92 Drysdale, Don BOB 103.0 4.54 20 15 9 4 1 104 44 14.94 Herbel, Ron BOB 77.0 1.99 46 0 2 2 11 29 6 8.06 McDaniel, Lindy BOB 47.1 3.23 29 0 6 1 2 42 13 11.79 Carpenter, Don BOB 39.1 0.92 31 0 6 1 21 25 5 5.95 Graham, Bill BOB 25.0 3.24 21 0 2 1 0 11 4 8.64 Bouton, Jim BOB 22.1 4.43 9 3 1 1 0 14 6 11.28 Santiago, Jose BOB 15.2 2.30 10 0 0 0 0 9 5 14.94 Beard, Ralph BOB 14.2 3.07 9 0 0 0 1 4 5 11.05
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