[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXIV, Issue 13 - June 14, 1971

A three-game sweep over Jacksonville pulls the Flyers back into second place, half a game behind the Ospreys. After taking today off, the club plays three at Norfolk, then hosts Jacksonville for three more, including Retro Game Day on Sunday.


Last Week's Results

June 7 - vs TAM - W 3-0

Keith Becker (9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K) needs just 95 pitches for the first complete game thrown by a Carolina starter this season. Mike Weber hits 3 for 3, including a two-run insurance homer in the 8th.

W - Becker (5-3)
HR - Weber (5)

June 8 - vs TAM - L 1-11

Roger Coomes (1 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 1 K) and Robin Houston (2 IP, 4 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 2 K) are both hit hard, while Tomahawks starter Derrick Real (W, 8-1, 7 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K) is the first pitcher in the East to reach eight wins. Darrel Robinson (1 IP, 1 BB) makes his pitching debut in the 9th.

L - Coomes (4-6)

After the game, the club announces that 3B Valentine Stephens [5/7/5] (.167 in 24 AB) has been acquired from Houston via waivers. Darrel Robinson is sent down to Winston-Salem to make room for Stephens.

June 9 - vs TAM - L 3-5 (11)

George Thorn (2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) gives up a two-out pinch hit to Paul Zimmer with the bases loaded in the 11th, scoring the winning runs for Tampa. Kevin Hodgkins (1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H) gave the ball to Thorn with two on and one out after allowing a single and a double. Bud Fox (6 1/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K) looks good in his first start of the year, while Chris Wayman hits 4 of 5 and Weber goes 2 for 4 with a two-run homer. Kirk, Roderick and Stephens each go 0 for 5 on the night.

L - Hodgkins (1-3)
HR - Weber (6)

June 10 - OFF

June 11 - at JAX - W 8-7 (10)

Bill Morgan (2 1/3 IP, 6 R, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K) is rocked early, but Russ Roderick (3 for 5, 2B, R, 4 RBI), Matt Kirk (3 for 6, 3B, 2 R) and the Flyers bullpen make up the ground for a comeback victory. Roderick singles home Walt Finney (2 for 2, 2 R) in the 10th and later scores on a wild throw by Jacksonville SS Darwin Bauer. Houston, Jahnke, Thorn, Bingham and Randolph combine to two-hit the Ospreys through 6 2/3 innings of relief, then Hodgkins (1 IP, 1 R, 3 H) gets another adventurous save with the tying run on third and the losing run on first.

W - Randolph (6-1)
SV - Hodgkins (18)
HR - Stephens (1)

June 12 - at JAX - W 6-1 (10)

The Flyers leave eleven runners on base in regulation before the floodgates open with five runs in the 10th on three singles, two walks, a balk and a wild throw by Ospreys OF-turned-SS Rick Jenkins. Jeff Harvey, in for defense after Roderick commits two errors, drives in Weber with a base hit for the game winner. Hodgkins (1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 2 BB) blows a save for the sixth time; he is 0-2 with two losses and two blown saves in his last four appearances.

W - Randolph (7-1)

June 13 - at JAX - W 5-3 (10)

Another nailbiter at Humana Park today as the Flyers score one in the 9th to tie the game and three in the 10th to win it. Stephens' leadoff double leads to the tying run, while Mike Sutton (2 for 5) doubles in two and scores on Alan Bruns' two-bagger in the first extra frame. Becker (7 1/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K) takes another shutout into the 8th but gets a no-decision.

W - Thorn (2-0)
SV - Bingham (2)

Last week: 4 - 2
This month: 8 - 4
Overall: 37 - 26, 2nd, -1/2 of Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Mike Weber
Last 5 games: 10-19 (.526), 2 HR, 5 RBI
Named Eastern Division Player of the Week

Mike Sutton
Last 5 games: 5-12 (.417), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Alan Bruns
Last 8 games: 9-22 (.409), 0 HR, 3 RBI

Who's Not

Valentine Stephens
Last 7 games: 3-21 (.143), 1 HR, 1 RBI

Roger Coomes
Last 4 games: 1-3, 11.30 ERA, 14 1/3 IP


A Closer Look - AAA Winston-Salem

At 45-18, Winston-Salem is still the top team in AAA. Though Bud Fox was just called up, the pitching is still strong with Bill McCue (8-3, 2.87, WHIP 1.20), Bill Frazier (9-2, 3.74, WHIP 1.32) and second-rounder Christopher Horan (2-0 in 3 GS, 1.96, WHIP 1.04) in the rotation. Mike Doyle (1.57 in 23 IP, WHIP 0.96), Floyd Myers (7 SV, 1.61 in 22 1/3 IP, WHIP 0.85) and leftie Bob Lamb (1.89 in 19 IP, WHIP 1.05) all have been effective from the pen. 2B Clark Davidson (.300, 10 HR, 38 RBI, 48 R, 43 BB, 9 2Bs, 5 SB) looks just about ready for the bigs, while RF/CF Rudy Olson (.325, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 33 R, 10 2Bs, 10 SB) and 1B Steve "The Sheriff" Brown (.261, 13 HR, 40 RBI, 28 R, 28 BB, 10 2Bs) continue to impress as well.


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

I can't figure it out... we're 9-1 against Jacksonville, supposedly the top team in the East, but .500 (10-10) against the rest of the division. Either way, I think we did what we needed to do last week, though I was hoping to win both series.

Valentine Stephens swings a big bat, but it doesn't make contact with the ball quite often enough. I'm planning to give him a couple weeks to see if playing every day improves his eye; otherwise, we'll hand the keys to the hot corner to Alan Bruns and take our chances.

I don't know what to make of Roger Coomes lately. It seems like every time I get a report from the coaches about him, it's bad news. I don't understand why he would drop off so severely at age 32, but if Bud Fox keeps throwing well, Coomes may be the #5 starter before too long.

I wouldn't have expected a reliever, Justin Randolph, to be leading the team in wins, but I believe that's due to Kevin Hodgkins' poor performance thus far. He blew twelve saves last year and is on pace for a higher total this season. We may have to try something different in the closer's role.

Seems like a lot of negative notes for a good week... I think four extra-inning games in a row makes a manager question everything! Anyway, if we win this next series with Jacksonville, I think we'll be leading the division once again, so c'mon down to State Fair Park this weekend and help us out!