Week of October 6, 2002

California's Catfish Hunter out for the year!

Tuesday 4/25/1981 CALIFORNIA - California's ace Catfish Hunter experienced probably the worst case scenario for a pitcher, a season ending injury. After pitching in the 3rd inning of the game against New York (A), Hunter complained about serious pain in his throwing arm. He had to leave the game. After being taken to a local hospital, Hunter was examined by specialists. The diagnosis revealed the sad truth, a Torn Bicep Muscle. Catfish has a record of 1-3 this season, with an ERA of 2.29. In 35.1 Innings he was able to strike out 15 batters.

Houston's Reggie Jackson smashes 500th career HR!!

Saturday 4/22/1981 HOUSTON - Houston's centerfielder Reggie Jackson made baseball history today, collecting his 500th career homerun! His historic shot, off Gary Gentry in the 7th inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in left-center. Perhaps his best year so far was 1977 where he hit .287 with 49 homeruns and 110 RBI. Reggie hit 30+ homeruns in a season 10 times, hitting 40 bombs 7 times. 'It's hard to believe that I did it. I want to thank my family, my friends and my teammates!' The Hall of Fame already has reserved a place for this great player.

Players of the month announced for April!!

American League-Pitcher of the Month :
Steve Busby (MIL) !!
He had a record of 3-0 in 5 games started, with an ERA of 1.57 and 1 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month :
Andre Dawson (KC) !!
He batted .352 in 88 AB, with 11 homers and 25 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month :
Mike Hedlund (SF) !!
He had a record of 2-0 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.13.

National League-Batter of the Month :
Jim Rice (SF) !!
He batted .411 in 95 AB, with 6 homers and 27 RBI.

Seattle's Pat Underwood throws no-hitter!!

Thursday 4/6/1981 SEATTLE - With his best stuff going, Seattle's Pat Underwood overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Kansas City had no chance, getting NO hits against the left-hander. Al Oliver spoiled the bid for a perfect game when he walked with 2 away in the 7th inning.
Underwood (1-0) struck out 4 and issued 1 BB, throwing 64 of 94 pitches for strikes. 'Well, the ball went where I wanted it. I was able to hit the corners with all of my pitches. I'm so happy that it was enough to pitch such a great game.' Don Baylor provided Seattle with the offense Underwood needed as he stroked 2 hits in 3 AB, homering once, doubling once, scoring two runs and collecting 5 RBI. Seattle scored 6 runs on 7 hits.

Power Poll

OK, here's the opening poll. Also receiving votes were Seattle (14), Pittsburgh (13), Cincinnati (12), and Texas (10). New York (N), Boston, Cleveland, and San Diego each received one vote.

TEAM		LAST YEAR	COMMENT	PTS
	MILWAUKEE	107-55, 1st AL East	"Steve Busby - the only reason my Brewers are above .500"	101
	7-time Cy Young Award winner Steve Busby took a talent hit at the beginning of the year... only time will tell what the future holds.
	BALTIMORE	100-62, 2nd AL East	Submitted poll, but no word association.	91
	Will the Orioles be able to once again topple the mighty Brewers and follow the other Steve [Rogers] to the promised land?
	CHICAGO (N)	92-70, 1st NL East	"Chicago has the youth to be the next great dynasty -- is Chris a Groening?"	74
	Will GM Chris Hansen's bravado prove to be psychic or will the age of the pitching staff finally show through after two World Series Wins?
	SAN FRANCISCO	95-67, 1st NL West	"Packers suck."	68
	Can the wily old Catfish get another great season out of the Giants without ERA champ Joe Sambito and his 1980 performance?
	ST. LOUIS	81-81, 4th NL East	"Chicago just isn't close enough to the fountain of youth"	43
	Can Oscar Gamble play up to potential, and will Pedro Guerrero step up in his sophomore year to lead what could be an exciting offense?
	DETROIT	92-70, 3rd AL East	Did not submit a power poll.	41
	Will Detroit have any chance in hell to sneak past two of the AL's best in a crowded division?
	HOUSTON	77-85, 5th NL West	"Curses to anyone named Groening"	38
	Will beloved co-commissioner Brain Marshall's Astros step out of the black hole they fall into when the leaves turn?
	CALIFORNIA	91-71, 1st AL West	Submitted poll, but no word association.	36
	California was a surprise team last year, but they are neck and neck with two very potent teams in the AL West.
	MINNESOTA	87-75, 3rd AL West	"The Twins are hanging on the side of a 100 story building by one finger"	31
	Has the glory of Minnesota faded, or do they have one last breath of life left in them?
	MONTREAL	76-86, 5th NL East	"One of the best hitting teams in history now with Schmidt"	20
	Is the offense as good as Brian McFall's claim? If so, can the non-Sorenson pitching step up?

That worked... eh... OK. Not great, but OK. Since only 6 people submitted valid hitter/pitcher lists, here are the top five in order.

Hitter - Jorge Orta (26), George Brett (19), Dave Winfield (18), Joe Morgan (14), and Ken Henderson tied Cecil Cooper (9).

Pitcher - Steve Busby (47), Denny McLain (20), Steve Rogers (19), Daryl Patterson (7), and Joe Sambito (5).

Word Association...

Good = "CDL" (Boston), "Groening" (San Diego)
Bad = "Pittsburgh, the 'Quiz'" (Chicago-N), "Yankees" (San Fran)
Ugly = "Oakland's yearly record" (Milwaukee), "Ralph Garr's fielding percentage history" (SF)

... more to come, I promise.

White Sox Preseason Preview

The last time the White Sox took the field it was with the expectations that a rebuilding period was being entered. Due to this philosophy, the Sox were relatively nonexistant in free agency this year, but have come away with 3 solid picks with their first round selections, which should play huge parts in the future of the franchise. Outfielders Brett Butler and Mel Hall start the seasons in AA and A respectively, but 2B Johnny Ray will start the season with the club, platooning with Tommy Herr at the 2nd base slot. Rumors around town are that Tommy Herr may possibly be on the trading block with the drafting of Ray. First base is solidified once again by returning starter Chris Chambliss, with youngster Willie Upshaw getting some playing time, as the Sox feel he is a year or 2 away from starting regularly. Shortstop is a bit of a questionmark defensively, as Ron Oester, who has split time between short and 2nd so far in his career, will start at short fulltime this season. Third Base will be played by newly acquired Ron Peters, the 25 year old youngster brought over in the Johnson trade. While his bat has yet to be seen with any regularity, his glove is a definite liability on the field. If he doesn't hit very well I'd look for him to possibly be benched at some time during the season. Left field will be filled once again by the elder statesman for the Sox on the field, Dusty Baker. Coming off a career high in home runs, the Sox are hoping he has an even better season this season. Center field will be filled by Scott Northey, who is looking to really improve off of his performance last year. Setting a league record with 250 strikeouts, he really needs to improve on that stat this year or he may find himself without a job. Right field is going to be filled by long time bench warmer Jim Williams. A longtime Sox, Williams looks to take advantage of his opportunity, his first starting job, at age 33. If he doesn't work out, it may mean a return of Richie Zisk to the field. Carlton Fisk will be the field general once again, bringing his power numbers once again to the lineup. Richie Zisk will anchor the lineup at DH once again this season. With his 20+ homer a season he's become a mainstay in Chicago. The pitching staff is strong as normal. With Fidrych and Aase anchoring the rotation, mainstay Tom Griffin, 2nd year starter Steve McCatty, and 2nd year pitcher Brian Allard. If Allard can put up the numbers McCatty did last year, the Sox may be on the upswing pretty quickly. The closer once again will be Mike Davidson, who has done a solid job in the last few seasons. Overall the success of the squad this season will depend on the play of their new youngsters. If they can perform, the White Sox may suprise some people. Otherwise it may be a really long season for the south side hitmen.

Dodgers announce callups!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are moving towards youth this year, with the return of Joe Charboneau, and the promotion of Gary Roenicke and Bob Viselic. Top draft choice Steve Sax will start the year in AAA Albuquerque, as second base is covered well by John Sipin.

The pitching staff took an obvious loss with the departure of long-time Dodger Bill Singer. The Dodgers had plenty of money to spend in the off-season, but no big-name pitcher would talk to their GM, so Tom Hausman has been converted from reliever to starter.

The Dodgers started hot last year, but couldn't sustain it over the long haul. Here's hoping they can stand up better this year in the strong NL West.

Aging Twins Scrape Together Enough For '81 Flag Bid

After two consecutive seasons of near .500 ball the 1981 Twins have cause for some hope as the aging ballclub tries for one more flag run.

On offense, 1981 Twins MVP Ken Henderson (.260, and AL leading 42 HR, 125 RBI) will try to come close to the 1980 campaign that saw the big slugger barely miss on league wide MVP honors. Rightfielder Jorge Orta (.291, 29 HR, & an AL leading 132 RBI), SS Rick Burleson (.296, 85 RBI), catcher Ellie Rodriguez (.307), and LF Ralph Garr (17 HR, 93 RBI) were the other offensive stars for the 1980 effort. Garr is expected to come back from an off year after winning the 1979 AL MVP Award with a .307, 24 HR, 113 RBI pace. Youngsters Steve Kemp (14 HR, 70 RBI) and Paul Molitor (36 steals) are expected to improve on their 1980 totals while utility experts Lonnie Paul Dade (.273) and Danny Walton (.283) try to get into as many games as possible. Biggest newcomer is FA Al Bumbry, who just cracked the opening day lineup after a torrid spring

On the hill, the familiar vet names of McDowell, Marone, and Tatum are joined by some of the "younger" Twin hurlers that are making their CDL mark: Paul Hartzell (12-14) showed improvement last year and will be the #3 man in '81. Dyer Miller had a dissapointing 4.40 ERA as the #1 long man in the pen, but he still appeared in 77 games and a return to form is expected. Reliever Mike Stanton got into 65 games in a fine rookie season. Larry McWilliams suffered a setback year after a fine rookie campaign, but he still made the 25 man roster and will battle back for a starting spot. Rookie Charlie Lea won the #5 spot for now, but if he falters there are plnty of reserves behind him, including the often overlooked Rickey Clark.

Veteran Twins hurler Charlie Walters finally won an opening day spot on the roster after 12 seasons on the sidelines. He caught the attention of the Twins coaching staff after learning a new pitch last fall, and displaying it's effectiveness in a dominant September callup. Other vet pitchers to look for include C.B. Johnson, who may take the #1 spot from Sam McDowell, and free agent Roger Nelson. Nelson was the clubs biggest off season free agent signing, and C.B. Johnson came over from the Cubbies in the biggest Twins trade of 1980.

1981 Outlook: A much stronger pitching staff could put the Twins up among the leagues best come October, but their gradually declining offense will need some comebacks and some herculeon efforts like the 1980 seasons of Ken Henderson and Jorge Orta. Prediction: 3rd in the AL West with and 85-77 record.

"Gone," he moaned...

His sleep was restless. Uneasy.

"Rollie."

Tossing and turning, his breath came out in short, sharp breaths, causing his auburn under-nose tresses to flutter like autumn leaves caught in the last thunderstorm of the season.

"No.... Rollie... No..."

The sweat came in waves, pouring off his forehead and cascading down his face, turning the soft downy cider colored hair on his upper lip a rich, angry, vibrant dark brown with subtle hints of red.

"Please...."

"ROLLIEEEEEEEEE!!!"

With a bolt he sat upright, eyes staring wide, fixed with a horrific intensity, knowing what was wrong.

Fingers was gone. His rich, luxuriant ebony curls that gently lept from under his nose like a small fawn finding its way through the forest undergrowth, and then curling back... back and around like the toes of small elven slippers -- gone.

Trapped under the bright red cap of the enemy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And the Quiz slumped back into bed, fitful sleep coming hesitantly, tears now mingling with sweat, and trickling through the hidden back alleyways of impressive ginger facial hair.

Tigers 1981 preview

Detroit, MI -- April 2 1981

100 in 81! That's the buzz being heard around Tiger Stadium lately as the Tigers are looking to improve on their 92 win 1980 season. After hovering below the .500 mark for the previous 6 years, Detroit finally put it all together and finished a strong third in the tough AL East, amassing their best record in the CDL so far.

But to the city, the press, and specially the fans, this is not enough. Attendance kept dipping and Detroit's fans don't seem satisfied unless the team makes the playoffs. Today, we'll bring you part 1 of the 1981 Tigers preview, a team that management hopes will bring the team its first 100 win season, and perhaps a post-season appearance.

CATCHER: Thurman Munson shares duties with Ted Simmons to form one of the best defensive catching tandems in the AL. Both combined for 13 HR & 79 RBI to provide solid offense as well. 29 year old Steve Swisher will start in the ML roster to give the duo some rest once in a while.

FIRST BASE: It seems everyone in Detroit has been waiting forever for Jason Thompson to bloom into the hot prospect he was billed as. Last year he finally showed some flashes of brilliance (.251, 20, 76) but the team needs him to bring it up a notch to really strengthen the Tigers offense.

SECOND BASE: Entering his 7th season as the Tigers regular 2B, and he's only 26, Willie Randolph has been a cornerstone of the Tigers infield. His outstanding defense combined with 90 runs scored, 51 SB's, 7 HR's and a .266. He's yet to hit his prime and should only keep getting better.

SHORTSTOP: Ivan DeJesus is the second half of perhaps the most exciting double play combo in the AL, but his offense left much to be desired in '80. Hitting only .201 after being most of the season well below the .200 mark, Detroit needs Ivan to contribute a little more offensively if they are to have a chance.

THIRD BASE: Detroit re-signed Buddy Bell in the off-season until 1985. A solid defensive performer, he's been a consistent offensive contributor as well. Always a sure 20 HR/75 RBI man, he achieved career highs in '80 with 26/94. Although he's a career .219 hitter, his BA has improved during the last few years (.238/.231/.239/.221).

OUTFIELD: Billy North comes as a breath of fresh air to spark the Tigers offense during '81. The 32 year old vet will be the team's leadoff hitter from day one, making the Tigers one of the most exciting and fast teams in the majors. Randolph, DeJesus, Bake McBride and North are all serious SB threats, so fans should see lots of agressiveness in the basepaths. Flanking North in the OF will be Claudell Washington, Larry Hisle, McBride, Gorman Thomas and Joel Youngblood. Washington, Hisle and McBride will see the bulk of playing time.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Several players will platoon here, including Simmons, Thomas and Youngblood.

Tomorrow, pitching preview.

'79 and '80 MVP's look to Pace Expos in '81

As the season grows nearer the Expos fans, management and players are getting more and more excited. Montreal has made two major moves in the previous off-seasons which is why they are so ancy to start 1981. The Expos have now acquired both of the past two years NL MVP's. Mike Schmidt and Joe Morgan will be leading the lineup that has been a perennial doormat in the NL East. Mike Schmidt the 1979 NL MVP has been dominant with his powerful stick, in Florida's spring training league he ripped a 512 foot homerun, the Expos hope that is a sign of what is to come. While the 1980 MVP in the form of Morgan has been dominating in all parts of the game, he stole 15 bases in 15 spring training games while hitting .399. The Expos GM can only hope these two amazing veterans who have dominated the league individually can join powers and make the Expos dominate the league as a team.

1981 CDL Season Predictions

Who will win the 1981 World Series? Only time will tell. Until, then, here are my educated guesses as to who will do what this season.

AL East

1. Baltimore - Probably the best team in the CDL. The Orioles have a deep pitching staff and a good offense and will be tough to beat in the playoffs.

2. Milwaukee - As unfair as the NL West in the mid 1970s, where the two best teams in the CDL resided, the AL East of today presents the same problem. Busby having a bit of decline could be the difference maker in this division.

3. Detroit - If you thought Milwaukee had it bad, the Tigers have it worse. In perhaps any other division, the Tigers would be the favorite to win, but in the AL East, it appears third place will be their destiny.

4. Toronto - The Blue Jays could be one of the most improved teams in the league and a fourth place showing in the AL East would be a fine example of that.

5. Cleveland - The Indians were very close to putting it together a few years ago, but rebuilding is the word in Cleveland and in a few years should be back on top.

6. New York (A) - The Yankees are even closer to their glory days, but a tough division combined with some offensive holes will lead to this finish.

7. Boston - The next dominant team in the AL. By 1984, the Red Sox should make another World Series appearance. Unfortunately for the Red Sox faithful, it is 1981.

AL West

1. California - The Angels win the AL West, take the Brewers to the limit in the ALCS and add Catfish Hunter. This is definitely the team to beat in the AL West.

2. Seattle - The Mariners had an amazing run last year and there is no reason to expect anything less this season. A key injury for the Angels and we could see our first expansion team make the playoffs.

3. Minnesota - The Twins have been dangerous since 1969 and will be dangerous until the end of time. Excellent hitting and quality pitching will make the Twins a factor until late in September.

4. Texas - There are so many good American League teams at the moment. Any of these first four teams could win the AL West without anyone being surprised. The Rangers have a quality team and are only one year removed from winning the AL West.

5. Kansas City - A team that is preparing for the downswing in AL teams in the next few seasons. A couple more picks like Bedrosian and Royal fans will have something to talk about. Also, watch out for Scott Sanderson who will win the AL Cy Young Award.

6. Chicago (A) - The White Sox embarked on a rebuilding effort this offseason and have done a fine job of converting their vets into prospects to bring this team back to the head of the American League Class.

7. Oakland - Someday, Oakland is going to put it all together and win the World Series. Until then, fans will have to be excited by a deep minor league system.

NL East

1. St. Louis - That's right, I pick the Cardinals to win the NL East and perhaps more than that...but more on that later. The Cardinals have had excellent drafts the last few years ago and those drafts will pay off for Redbirds this season.

2. Montreal - I'm convinced that MVP Joe Morgan and some excellent starting pitching will place the Expos much closer to the division title this season than last.

3. Chicago (N) - The Cubs will not be defending their title this season. Starting pitching is unlike fine wine, in that starting pitching does not age well, something the Cubs must be worried about.

4. New York (N) - The Mets are a fine team, but just a little too thin on offense to compete this year.

5. Pittsburgh - Once the cream of the NL East, now the Pirates are near the bottom as they rebuild for a resurrgence in the mid 1980s.

6. Philadelphia - Cal Ripken is a Phillie. Unfortunately, he isn't ready for Philadelphia. The Phillies are team that will improve much faster than anyone thinks and being a serious contender by 1983.

NL West

1. San Francisco - This might be the year their stranglehold over the NL West ends. Their starting pitching is woefully thin and their offense may not have enough to overcome this weakness. Of course, the second place team will self destruct in September.

2. Houston - That's right, the Astros will once again perform one of their famous chokes and lead for most of the season, until Reggie breaks something in September. The Astros are back, but a more cursed franchise, I cannot find.

3. Cincinnati - Always a team on the brink of breaking through, always falling just a bit short. The NL West will be the most interesting race with five legitimate contenders. Anyone can win, but of course, San Francisco will.

4. San Diego - The Padres were so close to being the favorites to win the division, but Catfish Hunter is an Angel rather than a Padre. Because of that, the Padres will have to settle for a fourth place finish, six games back of the Giants.

5. Los Angeles - Another good team in this division. The difference between winning this division and finishing fifth might be the loss of Mr. Dodger, Bill Singer to the Mariners.

6. Atlanta - The future of the NL West. Scary minor league talent that should be winning division titles from 1983 until 1990.

ALCS - Baltimore over California in 6.
NLCS - St. Louis over San Francisco in 7.
World Series - Baltimore over St. Louis in 5.