[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXV, Issue 11 - May 29, 1972

The Flyers continue to stretch their Eastern Division lead, now 4 1/2 games ahead of Tampa. After an off day today, the club finishes their road trip with two games at Nashville, followed by a four-game set against Miami at State Fair Park.


Last Week's Results

May 22 - OFF

May 23 - vs SAN - W 5-3

Darrel Robinson's pinch hit in the 8th scores two, then Terry Bingham (1 IP) throws a six-pitch 9th for the Flyers' fourth straight win. Kevin Hodgkins (1/3 IP) picks up the win for getting the final out in the top of the 8th after Bill Frazier (7 2/3 IP, 3 R, 7 H, 6 BB, 1 K) gives up a two-out single. Everett Putman goes 3 for 3 with a run, taking his average from a .154 to a .241 mark, while Mike Weber scores twice and drives in two with a homer in the 4th.

W - Hodgkins (4-1)
SV - Bingham (14)
HR - Weber (7)

Before the next game, the club announces a trade with Memphis, sending SP Matt Halstead (3-0, 1.84, WHIP 0.79) and 3B Valentine Stephens (.263, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 10 2Bs) to the Blues. In return, the Flyers receive 3B Mike Schaaf [9/6/4] (.325 in 40 AB), RP Oscar Matthews [7/8/4] (3.10 in 29 IP, WHIP 1.24) and SP Jeremiah Davis [9/4/7] (15-9, 3.38, WHIP 1.36 last year). Davis ruptured a disc in April and is out for the season.

May 24 - vs SAN - W 4-3 (14)

The Flyers win an exciting and dramatic Batting Glove Day in front of 36,326 at State Fair Park. Down by two with two out in the 9th, an Putman pinch hit, Rick Roberts walk and Weber "pinch walk" load the bases. Pinch-hitter Steven Robinson hits an easy grounder to Missions 2B Dave Mikel, but he bobbles it and then throws it away, allowing the two tying runs to score. Leading off the bottom of the 14th, Dale Francis hits a single that gets past San Antonio RF Ed Jorge for an extra base. After an intentional walk to Alan Bruns, an out at third on the bunt by Jeff Harvey and a single by Putman, the bases are loaded again, this time for Roberts. With the infield back, Rick hits another grounder to Mikel at second but beats the relay throw to first, scoring Bruns with the game-winner. Though George Thorn (3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 K) is nearly perfect in the 10th through 13th, Oscar Matthews (1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K) gets the win in his first appearance for the Flyers. Both managers are tossed for arguing some contentious calls behind the plate: San Antonio's Harry Easterday in the 9th and Carolina's Jeremy McGrath in the 12th.

W - Matthews (4-1)

May 25 - vs SAN - W 4-3 (12)

Dale Francis hits a walkoff solo shot with one out in the bottom of the 12th, ending another dramatic extra-inning affair and extending the Flyers' winning streak to seven games. Again both managers watch the finish from the clubhouse: Jeremy McGrath gets tossed in the 9th, while Harry Easterday gets the heave-ho in the 10th. Darrel Robinson breaks a two-two tie in the 8th with an RBI-double, but ex-Flyer C Mark Johnson (4 for 4) hits his second homer of the night off Hodgkins (2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB) to begin the 9th. Clark Davidson goes 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a two-run homer.

W - Jahnke (3-2)
HR - Davidson (1), Francis (5)

May 26 - at NWO - L 5-6 (11)

A depleted Flyers bullpen finally loses in its third straight extra-inning game. Hodgkins (1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 2 K), pitching for the fourth consecutive day, throws a perfect 10th but gives up a leadoff double to New Orleans pinch-hitter Weston McAbee in the 11th. After a sacrifice bunt, Bingham (1/3 IP) enters his fourth straight game but allows a fly ball off the bat of Pelicans SS Dave Brown that's deep enough to score McAbee from third. The Flyers take a 5-1 lead into the 8th, but Justin Nowlin (7 2/3 IP, 4 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K) and Thorn (1 IP, 2 H, 1 K) give up three, then Robin Houston (0 IP, 1 R, 2 H) and John Jahnke (1/3 IP, 1 H) allow three two-out hits in the 9th to tie the game. Paul LaFontaine goes 3 for 6, scoring twice, while Francis hits 2 of 6 with a two-run double in the 4th.

L - Hodgkins (4-2)

After the game, the team announces that RP Robin Houston (5.40 in 20 IP, WHIP 1.90) has been designated for assignment, while RP Dave Elliot [7/6/6] (9 SV, 2.78 in 22 2/3 AAA IP, WHIP 1.32) has been purchased from Winston-Salem.

May 27 - at NWO - L 0-4

Pelicans starter Jim Wright (W, 3-1, 9 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K) shuts out the Flyers on six hits, all at the top of the order by Roberts (3 for 4, 2B), LaFontaine (2 for 4, 2B) and Francis (1 for 3). Justin Randolph (6 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K) is hung with a tough loss in his first start of the year, while Dave Elliot's (1/3 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 K) debut does not go too well. Elliot's ERA stands at a healthy 54.00 mark.

L - Randolph (6-1)

May 28 - at NWO - W 6-5

Mike Schaff's three-run double in the 1st sets the Flyers on their way to a 6-0 lead. However, Frazier (6 1/3 IP, 3 R, 8 H, 3 K) gives up five hits for three Pelicans runs in the 6th, then Jahnke (2/3 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB) allows two more in the 8th to make it a one-run game. Hodgkins (1 1/3 IP, 1 BB), making his fifth appearance this week, closes out the 8th and throws a perfect 9th, earning the save and preventing a New Orleans sweep. Steven Robinson hits 2 for 5 with a run and an RBI, while Mike Weber (1 for 3, 2B, RBI) scores twice.

W - Frazier (2-1)
SV - Hodgkins (2)

After the game, the team announces that 2B Eddie Chaney [5/5/4] (.250 in 28 AB this year, .388 in 49 AB last year) has been claimed via waivers from Norfolk and assigned to the major league roster. 2B Jeff Harvey (.244 in 21 AB this year, .218 in 87 AB last year) is designated for assignment to free up a roster spot.

Last week: 4 - 2
This month: 15 - 8
Overall: 34 - 15, 1st, +4 1/2 on Tampa


Who's Hot

Darrel Robinson
Last 8 games: 7-17 (.412), 1 HR, 4 RBI

Dale Francis
Last 8 games: 12-31 (.387), 1 HR, 5 RBI

Jack Lowe
Last 7 games: 6-16 (.375), 0 HR, 4 RBI

Rick Roberts
Last 5 games: 7-19 (.368), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Steven Robinson
Last 5 games: 5-16 (.313), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Who's Not

Alan Bruns
Last 6 games: 0-14 (.000), 0 HR, 0 RBI

Mike Sutton
Last 8 games: 1-11 (.091), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Mike Schaaf
Last 8 games: 3-23 (.130), 0 HR, 3 RBI

Frank Thomas
Last 5 games: 2-14 (.143), 0 HR, 0 RBI


A Closer Look - Carolina

The Flyers' pitching staff remains the best in the league, tops in ERA (2.96), opponent's average (.244) and runs allowed (178) while just seventh in homers (35). With Bill Morgan (2-1, 1.97, WHIP 1.27) still 7-10 days away from coming off the DL, new members of the rotation Ken Green (1-0 in 4 GS, 2.67, WHIP 0.96) and Justin Randolph (6-1, 1.66 in 38 IP, WHIP 1.11) have taken up the slack, though Keith Becker (3-2, 3.61, WHIP 1.12) has also begun to recover from his slow start (4.70 ERA in April, 2.56 ERA in May). Meanwhile, the bullpen of Terry Bingham (14 SV, 0.47 in 19 1/3 IP, WHIP 0.83), Kevin Hodgkins (2.25 in 24 IP, WHIP 1.17), George Thorn (2.30 in 27 1/3 IP, WHIP 1.13) and Oscar Matthews (2.81 in 32 IP, WHIP 1.22) has continued its dependable work.

Carolina's offense ranks fourth in scoring (240) and second in walks (223) but has lost ground in batting (.268), steals (34) and homers (25). The heart of the order in CF Paul LaFontaine (.332, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 27 BB, 7 2Bs), SS Dale Francis (.340, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 28 R, 10 2Bs) and C Mike Weber (.282, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 35 R, 28 BB) have led the way, while LF Steven Robinson (.357, 2 HR, 30 RBI) has cooled in May (.236) after a torrid April (.435). 2B Clark Davidson (.237, 24 R, 14 SB) and 1B Everett Putman (.227 in 44 AB) continue to struggle at the plate, but newcomer RF Rick Roberts (.294 in 85 AB, 19 BB) has stepped into the leadoff spot with a .423 on-base percentage.


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

A lot of changes to the roster this week... That might seem strange, considering our success so far, but you have to keep an eye on next year and an eye on the bottom line, even if you're winning this year...

After some hesitation, we realized that paying Matt Halstead $8.6 mil for the next four years to be our #4 or #5 reliever was not really in our best interest. Oscar Matthews had been the Memphis closer, while Mike Schaaf is just 21 and one of the league's top prospects. He's off to a slow start with us, but he could easily be a .330 to .350 hitter before too long... Valentine Stephens became the odd man out, and $1.2 mil is a bit much for a backup... As for Jeremiah Davis, he basically just evens up the financials a bit... Rather than sending $4 million in cash to Memphis, instead we take $4 mil in dead salary off their hands and get a solid starter for next season...

Eddie Chaney is not a big difference from Jeff Harvey, but he's a little cheaper, a little faster, and a little better with the leather...

Robin Houston was getting $1.3 mil after a breakout year last season, which was already a lot for a mop-up man... but now he can't pitch an inning or two without giving up a run, and I can't have that...

With Houston gone, there's nobody left in the bullpen that Justin Randolph can displace, so I guess he'll have to stay in the rotation with Frazier being optioned down when Morgan returns...

Well, I've got about a hundred amateurs to scout for Thursday's draft... so see you at the ballpark!