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Flyers Weekly, Volume XXIV, Issue 12 - June 7, 1971

Changes to the roster but no change in the standings for our Flyers, still in third spot and 2 1/2 games back of Jacksonville. This week brings a big opportunity to make up ground, with three against second-place Tampa starting today at State Fair Park, followed by a trip to Jacksonville for three starting Friday.


Last Week's Results

May 31 - at HOU - L 2-6

The Flyers score only two runs despite ten hits and five walks off Daryl Jarrell (W, 4-4, 5 IP, 1 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K) and the Buffaloes bullpen. Dave Powell goes 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Bill Morgan (6 2/3 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 K) was less than stellar, allowing a pair of solo shots. Jeff Harvey leaves after a throw from second in the 6th; he's listed as day-to-day with a "tight shoulder".

L - Morgan (5-2)

The next morning, the CBA Press Office announces the monthly award winners, and the Eastern Division Batter of the Month for May is Carolina's own Matt Kirk! Matt went 38 for 91 (.418) with four doubles, three triples, four homers, eleven RBIs, seventeen runs scored and three stolen bases for an OPS of 1.113!

June 1 - at HOU - W 16-5

Twenty hits power the Flyers to a blowout victory where every position player scores at least once. Matt Halstead (6 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 10 H, 4 K) is the beneficiary of the onslaught, led by Russ Roderick (4 for 5, HR, 4 R, 3 RBI), Lloyd Mitchell (4 for 4, 2B, R, 4 RBI) and Dave Powell (2 for 4, 3 R, 3 RBI).

w - Halstead (5-3)
HR - Roderick (2), Wayman (3)

June 2 - at HOU - W 6-5 (13)

Chris Wayman hits a grand slam in a five-run Flyers 5th, and Mark Johnson doubles home Powell with two down in the 13th for the Carolina win, despite allowing seventeen hits. Kevin Hodgkins (1 2/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K) blows his fourth save of the season, but Robin Houston (2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) gets the job done in the final two frames. Roderick goes 3 for 3 but leaves after doubling in the 5th; he's listed as day-to-day with a bruised foot.

W - Houston (2-1)
HR - Wayman (4)

On the trip back to Charlotte, the team announces a trade with Dallas, sending C Mark Johnson and MR Evan Becnel to the Drifters for MR Terry Bingham [9/8/3] (4.01 in 33 2/3 IP, WHIP 1.16) and C Gary Armitage [3/2/9] (.250 w/ .431 OBP at AAA Little Rock). Both Bingham and Armitage are assigned to the big league roster.

June 3 - vs ATL - L 3-4

Flames 2B Jimmy Audette (2 for 4) drives in the winning tally with a two-run double off Roger Coomes (6 IP, 4 R, 10 H, 1 BB, 2 K) in the 6th. The Flyers manage just five hits but draw nine walks, led by Mark Weber (1 for 1, 3 BB), whose 440-foot solo shot to straightaway center in the 4th is the longest tater of his career.

L - Coomes (4-5)
HR - Weber (4)

June 4 - vs ATL - W 10-6

Darrel Robinson, in his first start at third in two weeks, hits a double and two homers, scoring three runs and driving in six, a career high. Gene Arndt (4 1/3 IP, 6 R, 4 H, 7 BB, 1 K) cannot find the plate, but the bullpen of Thorn, Randolph, Bingham and Hodgkins allow just two hits in the final 4 2/3 innings. Steven Robinson adds a 3 for 4 night with a double, a run, two RBIs, and his second error of the year in left.

W - Thorn (1-0)
HR - D. Robinson 2 (3,4)

June 5 - vs ATL - W 6-3

Kirk drives in three with a base-clearing double in a six-run Flyers 6th for the come-from-behind win before 39,708 on Baseball Cap Day. Don Downey (L, 4-4, 5 2/3 IP, 6 R, 5 H, 8 K) had two outs in the inning before three singles, two walks, a balk and another walk loaded the bases for Matt. Flames catcher Scott Harrison and manager Randy Gerry were both ejected in the 5th after arguing balls and strikes.

W - Morgan (6-2)
SV - Hodgkins (17)

June 6 - vs ATL - L 4-5

A heartbreaker at State Fair Park as Hodgkins (2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 K) gets his fifth blown save of the year. With a 3-2 lead in the 9th, Kevin gets two outs but allows the tying run with two singles and a wild pitch. Then Flames 3B Clement Eberhardt fouls off seven pitches before parking the one he wanted to deep left-center for a 5-3 Atlanta lead. The Flyers score one in the bottom half and have the tying run on third, but Roderick strikes out swinging, completing an 0 for 5 night. Gary Armitage (2 for 4, R) hits a two-run single in his first at-bat in the CBA this season.

L - Hodgkins (1-2)

Just before press time, the club announced that SP Gene Arndt has been claimed via waivers by New Orleans. Bud Fox [4/9/5] (7-2 in 12 GS, 2.80 ERA, WHIP 0.99 at AAA Winston-Salem) was recalled to take Arndt's place in the rotation.

Last week: 4 - 3
This month: 4 - 2 (12 - 14 in May)
Overall: 33 - 24, 3rd, -2 1/2 of Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Russ Roderick
Last 5 games: 8-22 (.364), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Alan Bruns
Last 5 games: 6-16 (.375), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Who's Not

Chris Wayman
Last 5 games: 1-17 (.059), 1 HR, 5 RBI

Mike Sutton
Last 5 games: 2-14 (.143), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Roger Coomes
Last 3 games: 1-2, 8.10 ERA, 13 1/3 IP

Keith Becker
Last 3 games: 0-1, 8.22 ERA, 15 1/3 IP


A Closer Look - The Amateur Draft

1st Round - MR Johnny Westerman, 23 [9/7/5] - $153,000
Westerman, a leftie, had fourteen saves and 71 whiffs with a 2.03 ERA in 48 2/3 innings for Washington State. Johnny can already throw nearly 100 mph!

2nd Round - SP Christopher Horan, 20 [4/9/7] - $94,500
Another southpaw, Horan struck out 103 with a 3.23 ERA in 122 2/3 IP at SUNY Buffalo.

3rd Round - 3B John Dittmer, 19 [7/3/5] - $52,500
A switch-hitter, Dittmer hit .488 for Walpole HS (Massachusetts).

4th Round - 2B Clayton Henderson, 20 [5/5/4] - $38,500
Henderson hit .274 with 8 homers in 213 at-bats for Michigan State last season. Clayton bats left-handed and plays some third and short as well as second.

5th Round - CF Larry Price, 19 [5/2/4] - $25,000
Price stole twelve bases and hit .483 at South Fulton HS (Tennessee).


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

A lot to talk about, and little of it has to do with how we played last week! It was good to win all three series on the road trip, but a split with last-place Atlanta is hard to take, especially with a pair of one-run losses.

The draft went pretty well, though I was hoping to find an outfielder before the fifth round. I was concerned that there were five good prospects available when we picked sixth, but one of our top five was still available...

Johnny Westerman is an exciting guy to watch throw, with a high 90s fastball and a decent slider. He already has good control and could be dominating once he learns to make his fastball hop and drop.

Christopher Horan has a ton of collegiate experience from a school I know quite well, University at Buffalo. He mixes his pitches well: a high 80s fastball, circle change, curve and slider. At age 20, he's starting out in AAA and won his first start for Winston-Salem... so far, so good!

Though he had some clutch pinch hits, Mark Johnson wasn't happy with his lack of playing time (and we weren't happy paying him $8.9 million to sit the bench). Meanwhile, Becnel was already on waivers to make room for Bud Fox (moving Gene Arndt to long relief) when Dallas called about Johnson. With both Arndt ($1.7 million) and Johnson both off the ledger, our payroll stands at just under $60 million, fourth-lowest in the league.

Terry Bingham has two championship rings from '67 and '69 with San Antonio. He has 81 saves in his career with a 3.90 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Terry can throw all four of his pitches for strikes, but sometimes gives up the longball. The 8th inning will be his domain, though at age 37, he can't go as long or as often as he once did.

Gary Armitage is a guy that does just one thing but does it well: draw walks. He only had 41 career at-bats in the CBA (including four games with Carolina two years ago) before last week, but he has 110 walks in AAA the past two years for a .365 on-base percentage. Not great swinging the bat or throwing stealers out at second, but he's not awful at everything, and he's just a backup catcher.

Darrel Robinson has cleared waivers and was all set to be sent down to Winston-Salem... until he hits two homers Friday. Now I _still_ don't know who's my regular third baseman, and I have a waiver claim in on _another_ corner man, when I haven't gotten a chance to call up the last guy I picked up!

I think that's just about everything... Big week coming up! Winning these next two series would put us right back in the thick of the pennant race... wish us luck!