[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXIV, Issue 16 - July 5, 1971

The Flyers move up to second place, still one game behind the Ospreys but one game ahead of the Tomahawks. The club hosts Nashville for three (including Baseball Cap Day today) and New Orleans for four this week to take them to the All-Star break.


Last Week's Results

June 28 - at TAM - L 2-3

Justin Randolph (2 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB) sets the Tomahawks down in order in the 7th but cannot do the same in the 8th. Matt Halstead (5 1/3 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K) looks good, while Russ Roderick hits 3 for 4 in a losing effort. Roderick has hit 10 of 17 since being dropped to #7 in the lineup. Chris Wayman leaves the game being hit by a pitch in the 3rd; a broken hand will keep him out of action until mid-August.

L - Randolph (7-2)

After the game, Chris Wayman was placed on the DL, and Darrel Robinson was recalled from Winston-Salem. Though he hit .207 in 150 at-bats with the Flyers, Robinson has hit .397 with a 1.124 OPS in his three weeks at AAA.

June 29 - at TAM - L 0-2

Dave Powell's thirteenth error of the season at short leads to a run, spoiling a superb debut by Bill Frazier (7 2/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 3 K). The Flyers manage just two hits against Tampa starter Derrick Real (W, 11-1, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K), who wins his tenth straight decision in front of a sellout crowd of 41,981 for Baseball Cap Day at Teflon Field.

L - Frazier (0-1)

June 30 - at TAM - W 10-2

After skipper Jeremy McGrath is ejected for arguing Matt Kirk's (2 for 5, 2B, R, 4 RBI) second caught stealing of the night, the Flyers go on a tear, with a two-run homer by Steve Brown in the 4th and a three-run shot by Steven Robinson (2 for 5, 2 R, SB) in the 5th. Bill Morgan (6 2/3 IP, 2 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K) also has a good outing to prevent a Tomahawks sweep.

W - Morgan (8-3)
HR - S. Robinson (7), Brown (4)

July 1 - vs MEM - W 4-2

The Flyers score four runs on just four hits, including a two-run homer by Valentine Stephens that ties the game at two in the 2nd. Mike Sutton's pinch hit scores the game winner in the 7th, and Bud Fox (7 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K) earns his first win of the year.

W - Fox (1-1)
SV - Hodgkins (20)
HR - Stephens (3)

July 2 - vs MEM - L 5-9

Good nights at the plate by Mike Weber (3 for 5, HR) and Alan Bruns (2 for 4, R) cannot overcome poor performances by Keith Becker (4 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 1 K) and Randolph (0 IP, 2 R, 3 H) as the Blues collect fifteen hits, led by 1B Andy Thurman (4 for 5, 3 R, RBI) and SS Ed Dinsmore (3 for 5, 2B, 3 RBI).

L - Becker (6-5)
HR - Weber (9)

July 3 - vs MEM - W 7-0

Matt Kirk (2 for 5, 2 R) leads off the bottom of the 1st with a homer, and that's all the scoring the Flyers need as Halstead (6 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K), Randolph (2/3 IP, 1 H), Houston (1 IP, 1 H) and Jahnke (1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K) combine to shutout the Blues. With eleven hits and nine walks, every Carolina position player reaches base.

W - Halstead (6-3)
HR - Kirk (8)

July 4 - vs MEM - W 7-6 (10)

Gary Armitage's (4 for 6, 2 R) single scores Alan Bruns from second with two down in the 10th for a wild comeback win. After Bill Frazier (2 1/3 IP, 6 R, 8 H, 2 BB) makes an early exit, Jahnke (2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K), Randolph (2 IP), Bingham (1 IP) and Hodgkins (2 IP, 1 K) hold the Blues to two hits over the final 5 2/3 innings, while the Flyers collect eighteen singles, led by Armitage, Kirk (3 for 6, R) and Powell (2 for 4, 4 RBI). Both managers are ejected from this game, Carolina's Jeremy McGrath in the 7th and Dave Boger of Memphis in the 10th.

W - Hodgkins (3-4)

Last week: 4 - 3
This month: 3 - 1 (15 - 12 in June)
Overall: 47 - 35, 2nd, -1 of Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Matt Kirk
Last 5 games: 9-25 (.360), 1 HR, 8 RBI

Steven Robinson
Last 5 games: 6-19 (.316), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Gary Armitage
Last 5 games: 5-15 (.333), 1 HR, 3 RBI

Alan Bruns
Last 5 games: 7-14 (.500), 0 HR, 3 RBI

Who's Not

Steve Brown
Last 5 games: 2-20 (.100), 1 HR, 2 RBI


A Closer Look - Carolina

The Flyers rank second in batting (.280), walks (337) and scoring (406) while seventh in homers (53) and last in steals (35). C Mike Weber (.332, 9 HR, 38 RBI, 58 R, 55 BB, 20 2Bs) continues to make a case for MVP honors, but LF Steven Robinson (.296, 7 HR, 54 RBI, 43 R, 12 SB) and CF Matt Kirk (.313, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 47 R) slumped a bit in June. The weak spot seems to be in right, where neither Mike Sutton (.293 in 147 AB, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 7 SB) nor Walt Finney (.226 in 212 AB, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 34 BB) have taken a firm grasp of the starting job.

Carolina pitchers have allowed the fewest walks (243) in the league to go with the third-best ERA (3.68) and opponent's average (.257) while ranking fifth in runs allowed (348). Matt Halstead (6-3, 2.90, WHIP 1.18), Keith Becker (6-5, 3.97, WHIP 1.05) and Bill Morgan (8-3, 3.77, WHIP 1.19) can be still counted amongst the top pitchers in the game, and newcomer Bud Fox (1-1 in 4 GS, 2.37, WHIP 1.29) has not allowed more than two earned runs in a start thus far. Kevin Hodgkins (3-4, 20 SV, 7 BS, 4.02, WHIP 1.26) is tied for second in the league in saves despite the highest ERA on the staff; Justin Randolph (7-2, 2.69, WHIP 1.26) is second on the team in wins.


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

I sure am glad I told you about the lineup just before Chris Wayman got hurt and messed things all up! Chris is a tough loss to take; he is probably the second-most productive bat in our lineup. However, it looks like Russ Roderick started hitting again, and with Wayman out, he'll be batting second... so it may all work out okay.

Steve Brown has been a bit of a bust so far, but I'll probably stick with him a while, since this lineup needs all the power it can get. The same goes for Valentine Stephens over Alan Bruns at third.

All the pitchers are looking good, though Bill Frazier did get hit hard Sunday... but between the All-Star break and off days, I'll only need two more starts from my #5 this month. Roger Coomes' recovery is not going well, though, so don't expect him back before mid-August.

All in all, I'm pretty happy here at the halfway point... I just wish we could hit some doubles and get on a good winning streak. Maybe it'll happen this week against the bottom half of the West... so come out to the ballpark, cheer us on and fill out your All-Star ballot! Just one week left!