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Flyers Weekly, Volume XXV, Issue 21 - August 7, 1972

While the Flyers take three at Jacksonville, the Tomahawks drop four straight, falling ten games behind Carolina's division lead. After four games in Miami, the club returns home to host Tampa for three (including Retro Game Day on Saturday).

Last Week's Results

July 31 - vs MIA - W 6-0

Justin Randolph (6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K) and Bruce Rafferty (3 IP, 2 H, 1 K) combine to shutout the Meteors, while Dave Snow goes 0 for 2 but drives in three on a pair of sacrifice flies and a ground out. Dale Francis (R, RBI, CS) and Alan Bruns (R, RBI, SB) each hit 3 of 4 on the night.

W - Randolph (12-4)
SV - Rafferty (1)

After the game, the club announces that they've signed SP Bill Morgan (7-3, 2.31, WHIP 1.17) to a five-year extension for $8.4 million a year.

Aug 1 - vs MIA - L 1-6

A scoreless game is broken wide open when Ken Green (7 IP, 4 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K) gives up a three-run triple to Meteors pinch-hitter Douglas Harris (2 for 2, 3B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI), beginning a four-run Miami 7th. Ton VanWinkle, subbing for Mike Weber (migraines) behind the plate, goes 2 for 2 with two walks, driving in the lone Flyers run with a double in the bottom of the 7th.

L - Green (7-5)

Aug 2 - vs MIA - L 4-6 (13)

With two down in the top of the 13th, Dave Elliot (1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 H, 3 BB) gives up a two-run single to Meteors reliever Gordon Brown to lose before a sellout crowd of 41,750 on Batting Glove Day at State Fair Park. After a walk, a stolen base and a balk put a runner on third with one out, a pair of intentional passes loads the bases, bringing the infield and outfield in. Elliot gets one Miami batter to ground out, 4-2, before Brown drives in the game winners. The game is nearly lost in the 9th when Terry Bingham (2/3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 K) gives Miami a 4-3 lead with a pair of singles, but in the bottom half, Darrel Robinson triples and scores on a Paul LaFontaine (3 for 7) hit, sending the game into overtime. Rafferty (3 IP, 1 H, 2 K) does another fine job of long relief; Rick Roberts hits 2 of 6 with a homer and two RBIs.

L - Elliot (1-2)
HR - Roberts (4)

Aug 3 - OFF

Aug 4 - at JAX - W 7-4

Bruns (2 for 3) hits an RBI-double and scores as part of a three-run Flyers 2nd, while Weber's two-run two-bagger breaks a four-all tie in the 7th. Roberts goes 2 for 5 and scores twice; Steve Brown hits 2 of 4 with a run and an RBI. Keith Becker (7 IP, 4 R, 8 H, 1 K) picks up win #11, one off Randolph's team lead and two shy of the league lead held by Jacksonville's Jerry Salmons (13-6).

W - Becker (11-6)
SV - Hodgkins (3)

Aug 5 - at JAX - W 8-1

Francis hits 3 of 5 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the 9th to cap off this Flyers victory. Randolph (6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K) hurls a fine game to tie Salmons for the league lead in wins, while both Roberts (1 for 4, 2B, 2 RBI) and LaFontaine (3 for 5) score twice for Carolina.

W - Randolph (13-4)
HR - Francis (16)

Aug 6 - at JAX - W 6-4

Green (6 IP, 3 R, 8 H, 1 BB, 6 K) pitches well and drives in three runs with a bases-loaded walk in the 1st and a two-run single in the 5th to secure a sweep of the Ospreys. Weber (1 for 5, R) also drives in two with a base hit in the four-run 1st.

W - Green (8-5)
SV - Bingham (29)

Last week: 4 - 2
This month: 3 - 2 (13 - 14 in July)
Overall: 72 - 39, 1st, +10 on Tampa


Who's Hot

Dale Francis
Last 7 games: 10-26 (.385), 1 HR, 5 RBI

Justin Randolph
Last 3 games: 2-1, 1.93 ERA, 18 2/3 IP

Who's Not

Mike Schaaf
Last 5 games: 3-21 (.143), 0 HR, 1 RBI


A Closer Look - Carolina

Carolina still sports the top staff in the league, first in ERA (3.44), batting average against (.245), runs allowed (424) and walks (338) while seventh in homers (75). Bill Morgan (7-3 in 19 GS, 2.34, WHIP 1.16) and Justin Randolph (13-4 in 14 GS, 2.41, WHIP 1.19) are #1-#2 in the league for ERA. Keith Becker (11-6, 3.18, WHIP 1.07) continues to perform, but Ken Green (8-5 in 17 GS, 4.75, WHIP 1.40) and Bill Frazier (6-4 in 17 GS, 4.99, WHIP 1.56) have both struggled as of late. A lot of new faces in the bullpen lately, but the change has not been for the worse. Terry Bingham (29 SV, 4 BS, 2.33 in 38 2/3 IP, WHIP 1.06) and Kevin Hodgkins (2.02 in 49 IP, WHIP 1.12) remain, but neither Bob Lamb (3.79 in 71 1/3 IP, WHIP 1.07), Oscar Matthews (2.62 in 55 IP, WHIP 1.16), Bruce Rafferty (2.45 in 7 1/3 IP, WHIP 1.23) nor Dave Elliot (3.19 in 36 2/3 IP, WHIP 1.25) was on the Opening Day roster.

The Flyers are tied for second in scoring (567) and third in both batting (.272) and walks (457), but the club ranks only ninth in taters (64) and tenth in swipes (76). Mike Weber (.304, 12 HR, 65 RBI, 66 R, 67 BB) has rounded into form, thanks to a stellar July (.394, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 5 2Bs, 2 3Bs). Dale Francis (.311, 16 HR, 71 RBI, 69 R, 19 2Bs) leads the team in both runs and RBIs, and Paul LaFontaine (.355, 7 HR, 54 RBI, 64 R, 17 2Bs) has the best batting average in the Eastern Division. Mike Schaaf (.290, 6 HR, 54 RBI, 15 2Bs) has improved greatly with regular playing time, while Rick Roberts (.246, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 62 R, 52 BB) continued to slide in July (.231, OBP .303).


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

It makes me nervous that we only signed one contract extension when ten of the other eleven teams had at least three... Of course, when you see what kind of figures some ex-Flyers got, you can understand why we hesitate to sign someone we're not sure about... RP George Thorn (4.14 in 54 1/3 IP, WHIP 1.40) got three years at $2.1 mil from Nashville... 3B Valentine Stephens (.253 in 217 AB, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 12 2Bs) got $1.6 mil for three years from Atlanta... LF Steven Robinson (.285 in 277 AB, 4 HR, 47 RBI) got four years at $1.3 mil from Norfolk... Even RF Mike Sutton, who's been in Triple-A since June, got $475,000 from the Clippers!

So we get the big one... Bill Morgan, at age 29, for the next five years at $8.4 million... compared to the $5.8 mil he's gotten the last three years, where he's compiled a record of 31-18 with a 3.36 ERA and 512 whiffs in 508 1/3 innings... I'll take it!

Everett Putman comes off the DL tomorrow, so we can put Steve Brown out of his misery... last year: .182 in 110 AB (but five doubles and four homers)... this year: .188 in 101 AB (with one double and two homers)... I'm _so_ glad we got him back on waivers...

Overall, the club is playing pretty well, and we've got a double-digit lead for the division again... so I'm pretty happy, for once...

Another series with Tampa coming up, though... and we have to take revenge for the sweep they got in their park a few weeks ago... so c'mon down and cheer us on!