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Flyers Weekly, Volume XXV, Issue 17 - July 10, 1972

Carolina gives one game back to Tampa after the Tomahawks sweep the Blues in four, making the margin 11 1/2 games for the Eastern Division lead. The Flyers go on another road trip West after the All-Star break, beginning with four at Memphis.


Last Week's Results

July 3 - vs MEM - L 5-8 (10)

Terry Bingham (2/3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 BB) allows three Blues runs in the 10th, including a pinch-hit two-run homer by former teammate Valentine Stephens, giving the win to another ex-Flyer, Matt Halstead (W, 5-2, 1/3 IP). The Flyers manage just five runs despite collecting twenty hits by leaving fourteen runners on base. John Trull (R) and Mike Weber (2 2B) each go 4 for 5, while Everett Putman (1 for 4, 2B, R) and starter Justin Randolph (5 IP, 3 R, 8 H, 4 K) both drive in a pair.

L - Bingham (1-1)

July 4 - vs MEM - W 7-3

Mike Schaaf hits a triple and a tater, scoring twice, while Keith Becker (8 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K) throws eight solid innings to save the bullpen and earn his ninth win. Alan Bruns hits 3 for 3 with a run, Weber goes 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Putman extends his nine-game hitting streak with a 2 for 5 night, scoring once and driving in one.

W - Becker (9-3)
HR - Schaaf (5)

After the game, 2B Thomas Wilkins (2 for 6 in 3 games) is outrighted to Winston-Salem, so 2B John Conyers can be assigned to the active roster.

July 5 - vs MEM - W 3-0

Bill Morgan (7 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 6 K), Oscar Matthews (1 IP, 2 K) and George Thorn (1 IP, 1 K) combine to one-hit the Blues, but the big news of the day occurs with two out in the bottom of the 1st. Weber is hit by a pitch and leaves the game with a scratched cornea; he may miss as much as two weeks, leaving him out of this year's All-Star Game. Meanwhile, Dale Francis hits a two-run homer and Trull adds an RBI-single for a three-run Flyers 4th.

W - Morgan (6-1)
SV - Thorn (2)
HR - Francis (10)

July 6 - vs DAL - L 1-5

Drifters starter Kevin Badgett (W, 8-4, 9 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 4 K) gives the Flyers just four hits and no walks, while Ken Green (4 2/3 IP, 5 R, 9 H, 1 BB, 2 K) again struggles to find the form he enjoyed just a month ago. However, Green does drive in the sole Carolina tally with a single in the 3rd.

L - Green (5-3)

July 7 - vs DAL - L 6-10

Bill Frazier (1/3 IP, 5 R, 7 H) allows five straight Drifters singles to begin the game, adding half a run to his 5.27 ERA in one outing. As for highlights, Rick Roberts (3 for 5, 2 R, RBI), Schaaf (2 for 5, RBI), Darrel Robinson (2 for 2, R) and John Conyers (1 for 1, 3 RBI) each hit a double, though Conyers' three-run knock only makes up for his second career relief appearance (1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 BB) in the top half of the 9th.

L - Frazier (5-3)

After the game, the team announces that 2B John Conyers (4 for 15 in 7 games) has been traded to Nashville for a player to be named later. RP Dave Brown (3.90 in 30 IP, WHIP 1.33) is recalled to the active roster.

July 8 - vs DAL - W 10-2

Bruns (3 for 5, HR) drives in five Flyers, and Schaaf (3 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI) adds a pair of doubles as Randolph (8 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K) puts on a pitching clinic to defeat the Drifters. Paul LaFontaine (3 for 4) and Francis (2 for 4, RBI) each score twice for Carolina.

W - Randolph (10-2)
HR - Bruns (3)

July 9 - vs DAL - W 1-0

Roberts leads off the bottom of the 1st by hooking a homer around the foul pole down the right-field line. Little did the 38,847 assembled for Baseball Cap Day at State Fair Park know that his tater would be the only scoring done this night. Becker (8 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K) throws an outstanding game with Thorn (2/3 IP, 1 BB) and Bingham (1/3 IP, 1 BB) closing it out in the 9th, outdueling Drifters starter Ed Urquhart (L, 9-6, 7 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K). Clark Davidson leaves the game with a sore shoulder after making a throw in the 4th, but he expected to be 100% after the three-day All-Star break. Bruns took over for Davidson, his first action at second in three years.

W - Becker (10-3)
SV - Bingham (25)
HR - Roberts (2)

After the game, the club announces that RP Robin Houston (5.40 in 20 IP, WHIP 1.90) has been sent to Dallas in a minor league deal.

Last week: 4 - 3
This month: 5 - 4
Overall: 61 - 27, 1st, +11 1/2 on Tampa


Who's Hot

Mike Weber
Last 5 games: 8-15 (.533), 1 HR, 6 RBI

Mike Schaaf
Last 5 games: 21-40 (.525), 2 HR, 7 RBI

Bill Morgan
Last 3 games: 3-0, 1.42 ERA, 19 IP

Keith Becker
Last 11 games: 7-1, 1.82 ERA, 74 1/3 IP

Justin Randolph
Last 4 games: 3-0, 2.92 ERA, 24 2/3 IP

Who's Not

Jack Lowe
Last 6 games: 1-17 (.059), 0 HR, 0 RBI

Clark Davidson
Last 8 games: 2-20 (.100), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Everett Putman
Last 5 games: 3-17 (.176), 0 HR, 1 RBI

Ken Green
Last 4 games: 0-3, 12.89 ERA, 14 2/3 IP

Bill Frazier
Last 3 games: 1-2, 9.53 ERA, 11 1/3 IP


A Closer Look - AAA Winston-Salem

With a record of 56-32, Winston-Salem is six games clear of the field in Triple-A. 2B Thomas Wilkins (age 28, .292, 11 HR, 45 RBI, 51 R, 14 2Bs, 4 3Bs, 12 SB) is expecting another call from the home office any day now. 1B Steve Brown (age 27, .329 in 161 AB, 17 HR, 37 RBI, 41 R, 35 BB, 14 2Bs) is still ripping the ball off minor league pitching, and CF John Swanson (age 26, .285, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 22 2Bs) continues to impress. Other offensive contributors include: 3B Jeremy Coon (age 28, .298, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 20 2Bs), C Tom VanWinkle (age 25, .321, 5 HR, 28 RBI), OF Rudy Olson (age 23, .312, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 14 2Bs) and C Gary Armitage (age 32, .303 in 122 AB, 46 BB).

The pitching staff caught some bad luck last week when John Wilson (age 25, 3-1 in 6 GS, 2.98, WHIP 0.87) ruptured his tricep tendon, probably ending his season, but the rotation of Tom Merchant (age 28, 10-2, 1.71, WHIP 0.90), Christopher Horan (age 21, 9-6, 4.16, WHIP 1.28) and Ray Oglesby (age 32, 10-5, 4.27, WHIP 1.27) remains strong. With Dave Brown (age 31, 2.65 in 17 IP, WHIP 1.12) making his second courtesy call to the majors, the bullpen is still solid, thanks to Floyd Myers (age 25, 13 SV, 3.64 in 42 IP, WHIP 1.26), Johnny Westerman (age 24, 2.89 in 28 IP, WHIP 1.29) and Chad Williams (age 35, 2.45 in 22 IP, WHIP 1.23).


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

Looking at the Hot & Not list, it's like The Tale Of Two Teams... The top half of the lineup and the top of the rotation versus the bottom half of the lineup and the bottom of the rotation... Yet we're still winning more than we lose, so it's hard to complain too much...

Conyers was supposed to go to Winston-Salem, but he refused the assignment after clearing waivers, so we were giving him a second look when Frazier had a 1/3 inning start... Suddenly we needed an extra reliever, at least to the All-Star break, and the easiest roster spot to open was Conyers's, so he's off to Nashville... Wilkins will probably get another callup before we play again on Thursday...

Houston was a tough sell... $1.2 mil for a minor league reliever? ... But the Double-A manager started making noise that a couple of his relievers needed to go up to AAA, and the only reliever I wanted to lose from that level was Houston... so our buddies in Dallas got him for next to nothing... At least we waited until after last week's series against the Drifters... He probably would not have gotten a warm reception at State Fair Park...

I'm pretty sure Weber will be back before Lowe gets too tired from catching every day, especially when he gets three days off starting today...

Anyway, enjoy the All-Star Game, and see you next week!