Joy in Mudville: A "Friendly" Baseball League Beginning in 1970

[Joy in Mudville]

The following is the last in a four-part series previewing the 1974 Joy in Mudville season. It, in no way, attempts to predict the season outcome.

Atlanta Braves
The only way to go appears to be up for the Braves. Coming off a 46-win season, Atlanta has fallen on hard times. Still, there are reasons to have faith in the future. Hitters such as Ralph Garr and Dusty Baker show promise. A top-notch pitching draft pick could revitalize veterans Jim Palmer and Phil Niekro and solidify the staff.
Cincinnati Reds
The '71 JIM champions may be primed for a return to glory. Cincinnati quietly won 98 games last year and still haven't gotten a consistent year out of Johnny Bench. However, the Reds' catcher looked much improved in spring training and may be the key to Cincinnati's season. Tony Perez and Pete Rose just keep putting up solid numbers year-after-year.
Houston Astros
Houston roared to an NL-record 113 victories before being swept out of the playoffs by Pittsburgh last season. While the offense still appears to be strong, the aging pitching staff is beginning to show signs of cracks. Hard-throwing lefty Frank Tanana will most likely take one of the starting slots.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitching remains part of the LA mystique. Veterans Bill Singer, Don Sutton and Claude Osteen all won 20 games last year. Yet, 25-year-old southpaw Ken Brett has the Dodger brass talking this spring. The Dodger offense, however, holds the key to their pennant hopes. It didn't help that the Dodgers traded away Bill Buckner and Steve Garvey in successive years.
San Diego Padres
San Diego improved its record for the fourth straight season. Despite that, the Padres still haven't won more than 76 games in a season. That being said, San Diego remains excited about its prospects due to the likes of youngsters Dan Driessen, George Brett, Jim Rice and George Hendrick.
San Francisco Giants
This club has finished fifth four straight years. The Giants are a team in transition with promising arms such as Jim Barr and Steve Rogers taking over in the starting rotation. Veteran bats Bobby Bonds and Willie McCovey spearhead the offense. Leadoff hitter Tito Fuentes was a terror during spring training.


Editor's Note: The logos below represent the division champion for the past three seasons.

[Joy in Mudville]

Sixto, Skip and John.

What sounds like the latest trio to light up the radio waves is actually the first trade of the 1974 off-season.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired minor league outfielder Sixto Lezcano from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitcher Skip Lockwood and catcher John Ellis Tuesday afternoon.

Lezcano was the Giants' second-round pick in the 1973 amateur draft (30th overall). The 20-year-old hit .311 at Class-A Lewis before a promotion to Double-A near the end of the season. Lezcano is expected to started in Triple-A ball for the Milwaukee organization.

Lockwood, 27, posted a 14-11 record with a 3.19 ERA in 29 starts for the Brewers last year. He will compete for a spot in the Giants' starting rotation.

Ellis, 25, hit .260 with 10 home runs and 61 RBIs in 141 games with Milwaukee. Originally a New York Yankee, Ellis will likely push disappointing Dick Dietz from his starting role as San Francisco's catcher.

Editor's Note: While the deal is one of many in Milwaukee's history (especially with Trader Tim as GM), it marks the first in the history of the San Francisco Giants. Congratulations, Brandon N., on your maiden voyage.

[Joy in Mudville]

The Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers swapped a pair of middle infielders Wednesday night.

Boston sent second baseman Billy Grabarkewitz to Milwaukee for short stop Bruce Christensen.

Grabarkewitz spent last season with the Red Sox after coming over in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 28-year-old batted just .177 in 147 at-bats with the Red Sox. Grabarkewitz is expected to compete with Junior Kennedy and Fred Stanley for time at second base with the Brewers.

Christensen will backup Boston starter Jim Fregosi at short stop. The 26-year-old batted only .184 in 49 at-bats with Milwaukee last year.

[Joy in Mudville]

Milwaukee fans can't say that Brewer GM Tim L (aka Trader Tim) is standing pat.

Late Wednesday night the Brewers sent left fielder Johnny Briggs to Kansas City for a pair of minor league prospects.

Briggs, 30, hit .242 with 13 home runs and 71 RBIs last season in Milwaukee. A career .239 hitter, Briggs came to Milwaukee last year from Philadelphia for infielder Tommy Helms.

Meanwhile, the Brewers landed pitcher Al Fitzmorris and outfielder Leon Roberts. Fitzmorris, 28, is a three-time minor league All-Star. The right-hander was selected as the Double-A pitcher of the year two seasons ago. Fitzmorris is expected to earn a spot in the Brewer rotation.

Roberts, 23, was the Royals' third-round draft pick last summer. He hit .376 at Class-A Lombard.

[Joy in Mudville]

What do Red Sox and Twins have in common? They both come in pairs and each resides atop the Joy in Mudville American League standings.

Following a disappointing 1973 season, Boston raced out of the gates to an 18-8 record. The Red Sox have a 1.5-game lead over Baltimore in the AL East.

Two new stars have emerged for the BoSox. Left-handed starter John Curtis is off to a 6-0 record. Curtis, a Newton, Massachusetts native, pitched back-to-back two-hit shutouts in the season's opening month.

Meanwhile, Boston first baseman George "The Boomer" Scott leads the AL with 24 RBIs. Scott has six homers and is batting .361.

Minnesota has thumped its way to the top of the AL West standings. Veterans Rod Carew (.438), Tony Oliva (.366) and second-year man Richie Zisk (.357) have led the way.

Left-handed reliever Terry Forster (4-0, three saves, 0.90 ERA) has also taken the AL by storm.

The Twins are 16-8 and hold a 3.5-game lead over two-time defending West winner Texas.

Diamond JIM Notes: Not is all good news for Minnesota. The Twins lost starting pitcher Jim Kaat for at least two weeks with shoulder ailments . . . Texas leadoff hitter Dave Nelson tied a JIM record by going 6-for-6 in a 12-4 rout of the Yankees April 26. Nelson joins Tony Conigliara, Vada Pinson, Greg Luzinski and Larry Bowa previously accomplished the feat . . . Kansas City first baseman Dick Allen and Philadelphia second baseman Denny Doyle each collected five hits in a single game during April contests . . . Notables who missed time during the season's first month due to injury included Cleveland pitcher J.R. Richard, St. Louis' infielder Joe Torre and Minnesota second baseman Rod Carew . . . Frank Howard of Texas and Harmon Killebrew of Minnesota each announced their retirements from the game effective at the end of the season. Howard, a career .246 hitter with 65 home runs, was a member of the 1971 JIM champion Cincinnati Reds. Killebrew, a lifetime .242 hitter, is tied for sixth on the all-time JIM home run list with 107 longballs.

April Awards
American League
Player of the Month--Amos Otis, Baltimore
Pitcher of the Month--Tom Seaver, Baltimore
Rookie of the Month--Fred Lynn, Detroit
National League
Player of the Month--Al Oliver, Pittsburgh
Pitcher of the Month--Woodie Fryman, Philadelphia
Rookie of the Month--Davey Lopes, St. Louis

Major League 1970 05-04-1974 Standings Report

American Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Boston Red Sox 18 8 .692 - 16-10 2 9-6 9-2 1-0 5-3 137 W3 7-3 Baltimore Orioles 15 8 .652 1.5 16-7 -1 8-5 7-3 0-1 4-1 L1 7-3 Detroit Tigers 14 9 .609 2.5 15-8 -1 5-3 9-6 2-0 2-6 L3 6-4 Cleveland Indians 13 10 .565 3.5 12-11 1 6-6 7-4 1-1 2-1 L1 7-3 New York Yankees 10 15 .400 7.5 13-12 -3 5-9 5-6 2-1 2-4 W4 5-5 Milwaukee Brewers 5 16 .238 10.5 6-15 -1 0-11 5-5 0-1 2-6 L3 3-7 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Minnesota Twins 16 8 .667 - 12-12 4 7-5 9-3 2-0 9-3 136 W1 4-6 Texas Rangers 12 11 .522 3.5 13-10 -1 5-5 7-6 0-1 4-5 L1 6-4 California Angels 11 14 .440 5.5 10-15 1 5-6 6-8 0-0 3-1 W1 5-5 Chicago White Sox 10 13 .435 5.5 10-13 0 4-9 6-4 0-2 4-4 W1 3-7 Kansas City Royals 10 14 .417 6.0 10-14 0 5-7 5-7 2-2 6-7 L1 5-5 Oakland Athletics 7 15 .318 8.0 7-15 0 4-6 3-9 0-1 2-4 W1 3-7

National Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Pittsburgh Pirates 17 7 .708 - 15-9 2 10-3 7-4 2-2 6-3 136 W2 7-3 Philadelphia Phillies 13 10 .565 3.5 15-8 -2 6-4 7-6 1-1 2-4 L1 4-6 Chicago Cubs 12 11 .522 4.5 13-10 -1 7-3 5-8 1-2 1-4 W1 4-6 New York Mets 10 14 .417 7.0 10-14 0 3-6 7-8 1-0 4-4 W1 5-5 Montreal Expos 6 15 .286 9.5 6-15 0 1-5 5-10 1-1 2-5 L1 3-7 St. Louis Cardinals 8 18 .308 10.0 10-16 -2 4-10 4-8 2-2 2-6 L7 2-8 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Houston Astros 17 9 .654 - 16-10 1 13-2 4-7 2-0 7-5 136 W5 7-3 Los Angeles Dodgers 15 10 .600 1.5 16-9 -1 9-6 6-4 1-1 2-2 W7 7-3 Cincinnati Reds 13 11 .542 3.0 13-11 0 5-6 8-5 3-1 6-3 L2 7-3 San Diego Padres 13 13 .500 4.0 13-13 0 9-5 4-8 0-2 7-9 L3 4-6 Atlanta Braves 13 14 .481 4.5 11-16 2 6-10 7-4 1-4 7-4 L1 4-6 San Francisco Giants 10 15 .400 6.5 9-16 1 5-9 5-6 1-0 7-4 W1 6-4

[Joy in Mudville]

Los Angeles--Dodger right-hander Bill Singer threw the first no-hitter of the 1974 season April 29 as Los Angeles defeated New York 4-0.

Singer, off to a slow start at 2-5, walked seven and struck out 11. The 30-year-old threw 154 pitches as he became the ninth pitcher in Joy in Mudville history to notch a no-hitter.

Singer is a four-time 20-game winner with a lifetime 96-59 record.

Game ID: 250 - Monday, April 29th, 1974


Monday, April 29th, 1974
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
New York Mets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 X 4 10 1


New York AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
B. Harrelson SS 3 0 0 0 1 2 1 .167 0 7
C. Jones LF 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .217 2 6
B. Powell 1B 2 0 0 0 2 2 1 .313 3 9
T. Agee CF 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .241 3 10
R. Miller RF 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 .315 0 6
S. Braun 3B 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 .269 2 11
K. Boswell 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .284 0 9
a-M. Jorgensen PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .267 0 2
b-W. Garrett 2B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .185 1 3
J. Grote C 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .224 0 6
J. McAndrew P 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .222 1 3
R. Sadecki P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
c-T. Foli PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 0 0
R. Folkers P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
Totals 27 0 0 0 7 11 16

a - M. Jorgensen pinch hit for K. Boswell in the 7th
b - W. Garrett substituted for M. Jorgensen in the 7th
c - T. Foli pinch hit for R. Sadecki in the 8th

BATTING
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: R. Miller, K. Boswell
GIDP: B. Harrelson
Team LOB: 7

FIELDING
Errors: S. Braun (3), B. Harrelson (5)
Double Plays: 1 (Braun-Boswell-Powell)
PB: J. Grote


Los Angeles AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
J. Morales LF, CF 5 1 2 1 0 0 1 .306 1 6
M. Sanguillen C 4 1 2 0 0 0 4 .253 0 6
R. Clemente RF 3 1 2 0 0 1 1 .366 2 8
a-J. Ferguson PH, RF 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .250 1 3
W. Davis CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 .274 1 12
b-H. Breeden PH, LF 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .056 0 3
W. Parker 1B 4 0 1 1 0 0 4 .178 0 8
D. Johnson 2B 3 0 0 1 0 0 5 .349 5 21
J. Lefebvre 3B 3 0 0 0 1 1 2 .176 0 5
B. Russell SS 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 .257 1 5
B. Singer P 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 .059 0 0
Totals 34 4 10 3 2 4 21

a - J. Ferguson pinch hit for R. Clemente in the 7th
b - H. Breeden pinch hit for W. Davis in the 7th

BATTING
Home Runs: J. Morales (1, 1st Inning off J. McAndrew, 0 on, 0 outs)
Total Bases: M. Sanguillen 2, W. Parker, R. Clemente 2, B. Russell 2, J. Morales 5, J. Ferguson
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: , M. Sanguillen 2, D. Johnson, J. Lefebvre
GIDP: B. Russell
Sac Fly: D. Johnson
Team LOB: 9

FIELDING
Errors: D. Johnson (3)
Double Plays: 1 (Parker-Russell-Singer)


New York IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
J. McAndrew L (1-3) 4.1 7 2 1 0 3 1 71 51 2.88
R. Sadecki 2.2 3 2 2 2 0 0 50 28 3.27
R. Folkers 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 6 7.36

PITCHING
Game Score: J. McAndrew 46
Batters Faced: J. McAndrew 22, R. Sadecki 12, R. Folkers 3
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: J. McAndrew 7-3, R. Sadecki 5-2, R. Folkers 1-1
Pitches - Strikes: J. McAndrew 71-51, R. Sadecki 50-28, R. Folkers 6-6
Inherited Runners - Scored: R. Sadecki 1-1

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
B. Singer W (2-5) 9.0 0 0 0 7 11 0 154 89 3.63

PITCHING
Game Score: B. Singer 91
Batters Faced: B. Singer 34
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: B. Singer 4-11
Pitches - Strikes: B. Singer 154-89


GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: B. Singer
Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
Weather: Partly Cloudy (55 degrees), wind blowing in from right at 9 mph
Start Time: 10:05 pm
Time: 2:45
Attendance: 24907

[Joy in Mudville]

Major League 1970 05-04-1974 League Stats Page

American League Batting Leaderboards Batting AVG E. Maddox DET .407 A. Otis BAL .370 T. Oliva MIN .366 M. Schmidt CLE .365 G. Scott BOS .361 On-Base PCT E. Maddox DET .485 M. Schmidt CLE .478 R. Zisk MIN .465 B. Madlock BAL .451 F. Lynn DET .449 Slugging PCT M. Schmidt CLE .662 A. Otis BAL .652 E. Maddox DET .628 G. Scott BOS .620 D. Allen KCA .620 On-Base + Slugging M. Schmidt CLE 1.140 E. Maddox DET 1.113 A. Otis BAL 1.079 G. Scott BOS 1.008 D. Allen KCA .994 VORP A. Otis BAL 16.8 E. Maddox DET 16.7 M. Schmidt CLE 15.7 G. Scott BOS 14.9 D. Allen KCA 12.2 Runs Created E. Maddox DET 27.8 G. Scott BOS 26.3 D. Allen KCA 24.6 A. Otis BAL 24.5 M. Schmidt CLE 22.7 Runs Created / 27 outs E. Maddox DET 14.71 M. Schmidt CLE 12.02 A. Otis BAL 10.51 B. Madlock BAL 9.93 G. Scott BOS 9.71 Isolated Power D. Allen KCA .320 M. Schmidt CLE .297 A. Otis BAL .283 G. Scott BOS .259 D. Evans BAL .241 Games R. Cey BOS 26 T. Conigliaro BOS 26 C. Fisk BOS 26 J. Lahoud BOS 26 D. Monzon BOS 26 At-Bats G. Scott BOS 108 C. Yastrzemski BOS 107 T. Conigliaro BOS 106 G. Michael NYA 105 M. Rivers CAL 105 Runs E. Maddox DET 21 A. Otis BAL 19 D. Allen KCA 18 B. Murcer NYA 18 C. Yastrzemski BOS 18 Hits G. Scott BOS 39 M. Rivers CAL 36 E. Maddox DET 35 J. Johnstone KCA 34 T. Oliva MIN 34 Total Bases G. Scott BOS 67 D. Allen KCA 62 A. Otis BAL 60 E. Maddox DET 54 S. Garvey BAL 51 Singles T. Oliva MIN 32 J. Johnstone KCA 30 B. Murcer NYA 27 R. Zisk MIN 26 M. Rivers CAL 25 Doubles R. White NYA 10 D. Nelson TEX 9 I. Brown DET 8 M. Rivers CAL 8 J. Beniquez ML4 7 Triples D. Allen KCA 3 E. Kirkpatrick KCA 3 A. Otis BAL 3 M. Rivers CAL 3 J. Cardenal CHA 2 Home Runs D. Allen KCA 8 D. Kingman DET 6 B. Melton CHA 6