[jmm8356]

Flyers Weekly, Volume XXV, Issue 22 - August 14, 1972

Winning five of seven, the Flyers add three games to the Eastern Division lead and now stand thirteen clear of Tampa. After an off day today, the club hosts San Antonio (with Bobblehead Doll Day tomorrow) and New Orleans (including Baseball Cap Day on Friday and Mini Bat Day on Sunday) for three games each.


Last Week's Results

Aug 7 - at MIA - W 6-5

Darrel Robinson (2 for 3) hits a double and a homer, scoring twice and driving in two, and Paul LaFontaine (2 for 4, 2 RBI) brings home the game-winning run with a single in the 8th. Bill Morgan (6 1/3 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K) whiffs four of the first five batters he faces, while Terry Bingham (1 1/3 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 K) has the tying run on second and winning run on first before earning save #30, which leads the league by four. Mike Schaaf (2B, R, RBI) and Dave Snow (2 R, RBI) also go 2 for 4 on the night.

W - Morgan (8-3)
SV - Bingham (30)
HR - Robinson (2)

Before the next game, 1B Steve Brown (.188 in 101 AB) is outrighted to Winston-Salem so that 1B Everett Putman (.313 in 208 AB) can be activated from the disabled list.

Aug 8 - at MIA - W 6-3

Alan Bruns extends a career-high six-game hitting streak by going 3 for 4 with a double and a triple, driving in two and scoring the eventual game-winning run in the 6th. Mike Weber also hits 3 of 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI, while Bill Frazier (7 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 4 BB) puts together his second straight solid performance after some recent struggles. Dale Francis collects a run and an RBI on a 2 for 4 night.

W - Frazier (7-4)
SV - Hodgkins (4)

Aug 9 - at MIA - L 3-4

Entering a tie game with a runner on second and two out in the 7th, Bob Lamb (1 1/3 IP, 2 H) gives up a bloop single that scores the decisive run and hands Keith Becker (6 2/3 IP, 4 R, 9 H, 1 BB, 7 K) his seventh loss. Clark Davidson hits 3 for 4 with two stolen bases, scoring twice from the leadoff spot, while Weber goes 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.

L - Becker (11-7)

Aug 10 - at MIA - W 10-4

Davidson goes 4 for 5 with a homer, three runs and two RBIs, and LaFontaine hits 5 of 6 including a double, scoring twice and driving in two to help Justin Randolph (5 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K) take the league lead in wins. Randolph even got into the action offensively with a double and a run in the 2nd. Schaaf adds a 3 for 4 night with a double, a tater, two runs and three RBIs, while Everett Putman goes 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs.

W - Randolph (14-4)
HR - Davidson (2), Schaaf (7)

Aug 11 - vs TAM - W 5-1

Four Flyers errors do not faze Ken Green (7 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 7 K), and Putman goes 4 for 4 with an run and an RBI to even the season series between Tampa and Carolina at five wins apiece. Both Weber (2 for 4, 2 RBI) and Francis (2 for 3, R, RBI) hit triples, while Schaaf homers for the second straight game.

W - Green (9-5)
SV - Hodgkins (5)
HR - Schaaf (8)

Aug 12 - vs TAM - W 8-7

Weber hits two solo shots and Putman goes 4 for 5 with a run and an RBI, but the bullpen almost makes the game too interesting for the 32,573 assembled for Retro Game Day at State Fair Park. Four Flyers relievers allow a run apiece: Matthews (1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 1 BB), Elliot (1 IP, 1 R, 2 H), Hodgkins (1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 K) and Bingham (1 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 1 K). After a homer by Tomahawks 3B Jack Thomas in the 5th, Bill Morgan (4 1/3 IP, 3 R, 10 H, 5 K) beans 2B Geoffrey Bailey, sparking a bench-clearing brawl that gets both players ejected and hands Bob Lamb (2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) a gift win. John Hoyle hits 3 of 4, scoring twice, and Rick Roberts goes 2 for 3 with a run.

W - Lamb (4-2)
SV - Bingham (31)
HR - Weber 2 (13,14)

Aug 13 - vs TAM - L 3-7

A depleted Flyers bullpen blows up for a four-run 9th to prevent a sweep of the Tomahawks. Lamb (0 IP, 2 R, 2 H) enters a tie game in the 9th and immediately gives up a single and a double. Bingham (1 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K) gets one ground out, but Tampa RF Terry Duplessis beats out a slow roller to second on a bang-bang play that brings Carolina skipper Jeremy McGrath screaming onto the field, arguing to no avail as the go-ahead run scores. Then the floodgates open: a single, double steal, intentional walk, and two-run single puts the game out of touch. Frazier (6 2/3 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K) throws his second decent game this week; Weber goes 2 for 3 and scores twice in a losing effort.

L - Lamb (4-3)

Last week: 5 - 2
This month: 8 - 4
Overall: 77 - 41, 1st, +13 on Tampa


Who's Hot

Mike Weber
Last 5 games: 11-19 (.579), 2 HR, 7 RBI
Named Eastern Division Player of the Week! (11-24 (.458), 2 HR, 7 RBI)

Mike Schaaf
Last 6 games: 10-23 (.435), 2 HR, 5 RBI

Dave Snow
Last 5 games: 5-12 (.417), 0 HR, 2 RBI

Clark Davidson
Last 8 games: 8-21 (.381), 1 HR, 3 RBI

Justin Randolph
Last 3 games: 3-0, 2.12 ERA, 17 IP

Who's Not

Alan Bruns
Last 5 games: 3-18 (.167), 0 HR, 4 RBI


A Closer Look - AAA Winston-Salem

At 80-38, Winston-Salem is thirteen games ahead of the rest of Triple-A ball. 3B Jeremy Coon (age 28, .298, 18 HR, 90 RBI, 28 2Bs) tops the hit parade, but the list goes on and on: 2B Thomas Wilkins (age 28, .291, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 22 2Bs), 2B Jonah Carwile (age 27, .281, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 66 R, 63 BB, 22 2Bs), CF John Swanson (age 26, .275, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 55 BB, 26 2Bs, 5 3Bs), OF Rudy Olson (age 23, .329, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 22 2Bs) and 1B Steve Brown (age 27, .320 in 222 AB, 25 HR, 59 RBI, 45 BB, 18 2Bs).

The pitching has been great as well, despite a rash of injuries. While Tom Merchant (age 29, 16-3, 1.74, WHIP 0.91) is the obvious ace, Christopher Horan (age 21, 12-7, 3.83, WHIP 1.25) has thrown well too. With John Wilson (age 25, 3-1 in 6 GS, 2.98, WHIP 0.87) and Ray Oglesby (age 32, 10-7, 4.75, WHIP 1.30) both on the mend, Wilbert Cagle (age 22, 2-0 in 4 GS, 1.69, WHIP 0.97) has impressed since his callup from AA Hickory. The bullpen is solid, top-to-bottom: Floyd Myers (age 25, 19 SV, 3.42 in 52 2/3 IP, WHIP 1.20), Johnny Westerman (age 24, 2.41 in 37 1/3 IP, WHIP 1.10), Dave Brown (age 31, 4.50 in 36 IP, WHIP 1.22), Chad Williams (age 35, 2.25 in 36 IP, WHIP 1.08) and Dave Reed (age 28, 1.42 in 12 2/3 IP, WHIP 1.03).


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

Life is good... We're winning consistently, and the major league roster is healthy again, knock on wood...

Clark Davidson got a chance to start this week, and all of a sudden, he showed signs of being ready to hit leadoff... Along with hitting 8 for 21, he walked five times for an .500 on-base and stole three bases in four tries... So now, the questions are (a) who to play in the outfield now that I don't need Roberts at the top of the order and (b) how do I get Snow back into the lineup? , because he's hitting well too... The possibilites are either to put Davidson in center, which is not really a solid position for him, or play Snow at third and bench Schaaf, but Schaaf's pounding the ball too... I can't even hide someone at first, because Putman hit .458 last week as well... Decisions, decisions...

For now, I'm going to go with Davidson at second and John Hoyle in left... It's the bottom of the order anyway, so we might as well have at least one outfielder who's good with the glove!

Promotions galore at State Fair Park this week, so c'mon down!