[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXV, Issue 5 - April 17, 1972

Winning five of seven, the Flyers stretch their Eastern Division lead out to 1 1/2 games. The club finishes this homestand with three against Tampa (including Batting Glove Day on Wednesday), then visits Atlanta for three games after their first off day on Thursday.


Last Week's Results

Apr 10 - vs NOR - W 5-2

Bill Morgan (5 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 6 K) throws five shutout innings despite putting the leadoff man on second in his first four frames, and the bullpen of Jahnke (1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K), Thorn (1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K), Hodgkins (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Randolph (2/3 IP, 1 H) and Bingham (1/3 IP) hangs on for the Flyers' fourth straight victory. Paul LaFontaine goes 3 for 5, scoring two and driving in one, while Steven Robinson hits 2 of 4 with three RBIs. Clippers SS Alec Dew has a 4 for 4 night with two doubles and a run in a losing effort.

W - Morgan (1-0)
SV - Bingham (4)

Apr 11 - vs NOR - W 10-4

Mike Weber hits a three-run homer in the 8th, while Dale Francis goes 1 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs. Keith Becker (8 IP, 4 R, 1 ER, 8 H, 4 K) makes a solid start; Clark Davidson (0 for 2, 2 BB, 2 R) steals three bases, giving him seven swipes in this young season.

W - Becker (1-1)
HR - Weber (2)

Apr 12 - vs NOR - L 4-6

Bud Fox (2 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H) is hit hard before he doubles over in pain, leaving the game in the 3rd inning with a torn tricep. He is out for the year. Meanwhile, the bullpen of Randolph (1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H), Houston (2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K), Thorn (2 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and Jahnke (1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 K) does not fare much better, while the Flyers' bats manage just six hits. Alan Bruns (1 for 1, 3 BB, R, RBI) reaches base in all four plate appearances.

L - Fox (1-1)

After the game, Bud Fox is placed on the 60-day DL, while Bill Frazier [5/7/5] (last year: 0-3 in 4 GS, 6.66, WHIP 1.93) is recalled from Winston-Salem.

Apr 13 - vs ATL - W 6-1

Justin Nowlin (8 IP, 1 R, 8 H, 8 K) puts on a clinic, while Bruns (2 for 5, 2B, 2 RBI) is one of four Flyers with two hits on the night.

W - Nowlin (2-0)

Apr 14 - vs ATL - L 1-4

Entering a tie game with the bases loaded and two out, Terry Bingham (0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) walks Flames C Carl Janke on his eleventh pitch to force in a run, then gives up a single to SS Mike Orton to score two more. Kevin Hodgkins (2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER) is hung with the loss, but his runner reaches base on an error by Bruns. After a fly out, George Thorn (1/3 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB) beans former teammate 1B Chris Wayman (1 for 2, HR, 2 R) and walks the bases loaded after another fly out, setting the stage for Janke's marathon battle with Bingham. Matt Halstead (7 2/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 4 K) pitches well, holding another former teammate, 2B Russ Roderick, to an 0 for 4 night.

L - Hodgkins (0-1)

Apr 15 - vs ATL - W 9-5

A two-run homer by Weber (2 for 4, 2B) in the 6th and a grand slam by LaFontaine in the 7th give the Flyers a come-from-behind win. Morgan (5 1/3 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 8 K) struggles, but Randolph (1 1/3 IP, 1 K) earns the win by finishing the 7th and pitching a perfect 8th.

W - Randolph (1-0)
HR - LaFontaine (1), Weber (3)

Apr 16 - vs ATL - W 7-5

LaFontaine (3 for 4, 2 R) and Francis (2 for 3) both hit two-run homers in the 2nd. while Davidson scores twice on a 2 for 4 night. Becker (8 IP, 5 R, 10 H, 5 K) stumbles late, allowing four runs in his final three innings, but Bingham (1 IP, 2 K) closes it out for his fifth save.

W - Becker (2-1)
SV - Bingham (5)
HR - LaFontaine (2), Francis (1)

Last week: 5 - 2
This month: 10 - 3
Overall: 10 - 3, 1st, +1 1/2 on Jacksonville


Who's Hot

Paul LaFontaine
Last 7 games: 14-27 (.519), 2 HR, 9 RBI

Steven Robinson
Last 7 games: 10-27 (.370), 0 HR, 5 RBI
Currently on a 12-game hitting streak

Who's Not

Steve Brown
Last 5 games: 1-12 (.083), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Valentine Stephens
Last 5 games: 3-18 (.167), 0 HR, 3 RBI


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

Well, things are going great despite lackluster performance from Clark Davidson (.224, OBP .296) at the top of the order, plus Valentine Stephens (.229, OPS .559) and Steve Brown (.189, OPS .500) at the bottom of the lineup. It's still too early to evaluate, but these three need to show me something in the next couple weeks or else...

I'd say Paul LaFontaine found his groove! A .519 week is nothing to sneeze at...

Two season-ending injuries in two weeks reminds me just how lucky we were last year... Losing Bud Fox makes me even more glad we picked up Justin Nowlin. Otherwise, we'd have both Bill Frazier and Christopher Horan in the rotation, when I'm not convinced that either one is ready...

The pitching has been solid overall... except for John Jahnke. His season stats so far are not pretty: 6 G, 4 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K ... That's a 9.00 ERA and a 2.25 WHIP!

Anyway, so far, so good... so c'mon down and cheer us on!