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Flyers Weekly, Volume XXIV, Issue 7 - May 3, 1971

Our Flyers won both their promotional days at State Fair Park last week and kept pace with Jacksonville to hold their half-game lead of the East. After an off day today, the club goes to New Orleans and San Antonio for three games apiece.


Last Week's Results

Apr 26 - vs MEM - W 4-0

Matt Halstead (6 1/3 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K), Evan Becnel (2/3 IP, 2 K) and Justin Randolph (2 IP, 2 H, 3 K) hold the Blues to eight singles and a walk for the shutout. Russ Roderick hits 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

W - Halstead (1-1)
HR - Johnson (1)

Apr 27 - vs MEM - W 3-2

Mike Weber triples and scores in a three-run 2nd, while Bill Morgan (7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 7 K) throws an outstanding game. Chris Wayman takes a beanball to the head; a concussion will keep him out of action for about a week.

W - Morgan (2-0)
SV - Hodgkins (6)

Apr 28 - vs NWO - L 2-4

The Flyers cannot recover after Roger Coomes (5 IP, 4 R, 9 H, 3 K) allows two doubles and a tater in a four-run 1st. Mike Sutton, in a rare start in right, goes 3 for 4 with a steal and an RBI.

L - Coomes (2-2)

Apr 29 - vs NWO - W 4-1

Keith Becker (7 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K) is stellar on Mini Bat Day, while Walt Finney hits 2 for 2 with a double, two walks, a run and an RBI. Weber also doubles and scores twice.

W - Becker (4-1)
SV - Hodgkins (7)

Apr 30 - vs NSH - W 6-3

Every Carolina position player gets a hit, and six different Flyers score while Gene Arndt (6 1/3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 4 BB, 4 K) throws a shutout through six. Justin Randolph (2/3 IP, 1 K) ends the 7th in some discomfort; he is listed as day-to-day with "tightness in his shoulder".

W - Arndt (2-2)
SV - Hodgkins (8)

May 1 - vs NSH - L 2-3

Matt Halstead leaves after two innings of work with pain in his back; he is now day-to-day with a strained muscle. Russ Roderick and manager Jeremy McGrath are both ejected in the 8th for arguing balls and strikes. Matt Kirk goes 3 for 4 with an RBI.

L - Halstead (1-2)

May 2 - vs NSH - W 8-5

On Baseball Cap Day, Kirk (2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI) and Roderick (3 for 5, 2 RBI) go deep back-to-back in a four-run 2nd, but Bill Morgan leaves another start due to injury. He's listed as day-to-day with an "inflamed back muscle".

W - Morgan (3-0)
SV - Hodgkins (9)
HR - Kirk (2), Roderick (1)

Last Week: 5 - 2
This month: 1 - 1 (17-8 in April)
Overall: 18 - 9, 1st, +1/2 on Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Mike Weber
Last 5 games: 6-14 (.429), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Matt Kirk
Last 6 games: 10-25 (.400), 1 HR, 3 RBI

Mike Sutton
Last 5 games: 5-11 (.455), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Bill Morgan
Last 3 games: 2-0, 1.40 ERA, 19 1/3 IP
Named Eastern Division Player of the Week (2-0, 0.73)

Gene Arndt
Last 3 games: 2-1, 2.37 ERA, 19 IP

Who's Not

Chris Wayman
Last 5 games: 1-18 (.056), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Roger Coomes
Last 3 games: 1-2, 4.20 ERA, 15 IP


A Closer Look - Carolina

The Flyers rank second in batting (.292) and third in scoring (140). LF Steven Robinson (.341, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 19 R) has been the surprise contributor, with C/1B Mike Weber (.341, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 23 R, 15 BB, 8 2Bs, 2 3Bs) and 2B Russ Roderick (.340, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 4 2Bs) the keys to the offense. 3B Darrel Robinson (.226, 2 HR, 17 RBI) is the weak point thus far with a .573 OPS.

The pitchers are tops in the league in ERA (2.98) and third in runs allowed (99). Bill Morgan (3-0, 2.34, WHIP 0.89), Keith Becker (4-1, 3.21, WHIP 1.13) and Matt Halstead (1-2, 2.73, WHIP 1.18) are all solid starters. Kevin Hodgkins (9 SV, 3.00, WHIP 1.33) leads the CBA in saves, while southpaw John Jahnke (0.60 in 15 IP, WHIP 1.07) has a .125 average against left-handed hitters.


The View From The Top (The Manager's Column)

A lot of little aches and pains in the pitching staff last weekend, but I think you have to expect that after playing seventeen straight games this early in the year. The league, in its infinite wisdom, makes it up to us by giving us the next four Mondays off, plus a Thursday too.

We finally faced (and beat) a left-handed starter last week, so now a few guys actually have double-digit at-bats against southpaws! It's a little tough to platoon when the righties only get 4% of the starts instead of the 25% you'd expect.

Wayman should be in the lineup again by the San Antonio series, so I'll once more be trying to get three pegs (Johnson, Weber, Wayman) into two holes. I've thought about trying to teach one of these guys to play third, but none of them really have the arm for it.

Halstead and Morgan will probably both skip their next starts to heal up; Randolph might get one of them if he feels 100%, or I could recall Bud Fox from Winston-Salem. The trouble is, the only guy on the roster with options left is Mike Weber. I think we're gonna see if anybody needs a shortstop bad enough to take Ed Rooker's .182 average and $8.5 million salary off our hands via waivers.