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

[Joy in Mudville]

The Boson Red Sox and Kansas City Royals completed a three-player minor league trade Tuesday evening.

Boston dealt pitchers Jim Crawford and Fernando Arroyo to Kansas City for outfielder Jim Dwyer.

Crawford, a 23-year-old left-hander, was the third-round pick by the Red Sox in the 1972 amateur draft.

Arroyo, a 22-year-old right-hander, was taken in the second round of this June's draft.

Both Crawford and Arroyo have been assigned to the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in Wilmington.

Dwyer, 24, is a two-time minor league all-star. The Evergreen Park, Illinois native played collegiately at Southern Illinois University. Dwyer has been assigned to the Red Sox Triple-A farm club.

[Joy in Mudville]

The Boston Red Sox added to their pitching arsenal late Tuesday night in an effort to track down Baltimore in the Joy in Mudville American League East chase.

Boston traded away promising reliever Tippy Martinez in exchange for veteran starter Gaylord Perry.

Perry, 35, was just 8-16 with a 4.14 ERA in starts with San Francisco this season. The veteran who has long been accused of throwing spitballs by opponents carries a lifetime 84-97 record. His career ERA is 3.49.

Perry will give the Red Sox a proven arm that will also eat up innings. Perhaps more importantly, the right-hander will provide leadership for a young Boston staff anchored by 26-year-old Massachusetts native John Curtis.

The Red Sox (65-39) are 7.5 games behind Baltimore in the AL East.

Martinez, 24, was Boston's first-round pick in the 1973 amateur draft. The left-hander was the 18th overall selection that season.

San Francisco has assigned Martinez to its Triple-A farm club in Morris. Meanwhile, right-hander Steve Rogers will take Perry's spot in the Giant rotation.

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With just two days left until the Joy in Mudville League trading deadline, the action has been fast and furious.

A record number of deadline deals have been pulled off and rumors continue to swirl as league GMs anxiously send emails and make phone calls.

Perhaps what set all this in motion was the inaugural JIM League meeting at a local Buffalo Wild Wings. It appears that the wild Texas-Pittsburgh-San Diego trifecta was hatched over a plate of nachos and a few drinks.

Then the fire was fueled faster than you could order Asia Zing sauce as Cincinnati managed to wrangle two All-Star caliber pitchers away from the Cubs. Suddenly other teams--the Dodgers and Astros come to mind--were left scrambling to improve their rosters.

The fire continued to blaze as Texas dealt for pitcher Jim Palmer and Boston nabbed veteran hurler Gaylord Perry.

The reason for all of this of course is that the pennant races are still competitive in all four JIM divisions. The National League, in particular, is far from over.

As the dog days of summer settle in, it will be highly interesting to see which moves pan out and which teams may live to regret their decisions (or lack thereof).

One thing is certain: The JIM has never seen a more hotly contested trading season. Which bring to mind the first word in the acronym JIM.

Joy.

[Joy in Mudville]

Cincinnati added some petro for its pennant drive.

The Reds picked up veteran infielder Rico Petrocelli from the California Angels for second baseman Glenn Beckert and minor league catching prospect Steve Swisher.

Petrocelli will provide a solid backup for third baseman Pete Rose during the dog days of summer. The 31-year-old Petrocelli was batting .237 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 215 at-bats for California this season.

Petrocelli, a career .243 hitter, came to the Angels in a 1972 trade from Boston. He was an American League All-Star in 1970 with the Red Sox.

Beckert, 33, holds a lifetime .264 average. Beckert won a Gold Glove with the Chicago Cubs in 1970, the same season he put together a then-record 28-game hitting streak.

Beckert appeared in just 28 games this season with the Reds, batting .360. After losing playing time to the likes of Lenny Randle and Tony Taylor, Beckert spent most of this season at Triple-A Oakwood.

The inclusion of the 22-year-old Swisher in the trade apparently finalized the deal. Swisher was Cincinnati's fourth-round pick in the 1973 amateur draft. He earned all-star accolades at the Class-A level this season.

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On the final day before the trade deadline, the Houston Astros and St. Louis Cardinals completed a five-player deal.

Houston sent pitchers Jack Billingham and Tom House along with short stop Roger Metzger to St. Louis for outfielder Jose Cruz and minor league infielder Art Howe.

Billingham has been a disappointment for the Astros this season. A year after winning 21 games, the 31-year-old right-hander has made just three starts this season. Billingham is 4-1 with a save in 18 games this summer. However, his career record is 51-26.

House, 27, has been shuttled back and forth between Houston and its Triple-A affiliate. The left-handed reliever was a second-round draft pick by the Astros in 1970.

Metzger will most likely get a shot at being the everyday short stop for the Cardinals. He held that role with Houston following in a 1972 trade with the Chicago Cubs for first baseman Bob Robertson. When the Astros won the 1972 JIM World Series, Metzger split time with Denis Menke at short. However, he has since lost his starting job to youngster Bucky Dent. Metzger, 26, is a career .245 hitter.

Cruz is a player the Astros have long coveted. The 26-year-old outfielder has seen his playing time diminish in St. Louis. A lifetime .259 hitter, Cruz has only 182 at-bats this season. Cruz, a National League All-Star in 1971, is batting only .242 with two home runs and 28 RBIs. He figures to be veteran Carlos May's backup in left field.

Howe, 27, was a third-round draft selection by the Cardinals in 1973. He will be assigned to Houston's Triple-A farm club.

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The body count is beginning to resemble an Agatha Christie novel or a Clint Eastwood movie.

Injuries continue to play a significant role in the Joy in Mudville League pennant races. Eleven players currently are listed on the league's disabled list. However, far more have found themselves on the shelf with a variety of ailments.

While injuries affect all teams, they really hurt contending clubs. Boston was especially hit hard in the past month. Sluggers George Scott and Reggie Smith along with short stop Bruce Christensen all spent time out of the lineup. Thus, the Red Sox have faded in the American League East race.

While Oakland has made its run in the AL West, the A's have lost short stop and leadoff man Bert Campaneris (possibly for the season) and staff ace Vida Blue. Oakland's hopes of catching the first-place Minnesota Twins now rests with the likes of Gary Ryerson and rookie replacement Rudy Meoli.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has brought up highly touted minor league star Gary Matthews. Taking over in left field from light-hitting Brant Alyea, Matthews has hit at a .380 clip since being added to the Twins. He and young star Richie Zisk have combined with veterans such as Rod Carew, Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew to propel Minnesota to the top of the West standings.

Pittsbugh, the National League East leader and defending JIM champion, must attempt to fend off Philadelphia without All-Star third baseman Richie Hebner for at least the next two weeks. That leaves third base in the hands of veteran Gene Alley and former first-round draft pick Ray Knight.

Houston, which overtook Los Angeles for the NL West lead, added pitcher Larry Dierker and third baseman Steve Ontiveros to the DL. Slugging first baseman John Mayberry already is out for the season. Right-hander Jim Bibby, a player numerous teams inquired about in deadline trades, has taken Dierker's rotation slot. Veteran Doug Rader and rookie Jerry Royster are splitting time at third.

The Los Angeles Dodgers recently got infielder Ted Sizemore back from a lengthy stint on the DL. Los Angeles hopes Sizemore will provide the push needed down the stretch to overtake Houston.

The pennant race winners may be determined not only who is on the field, but also by who isn't.

Diamond JIM Notes: A 9-20 record in August sent two-time defending AL West champion Texas into a free fall. Part of the Rangers' demise can be attributed to the acquisition of pitcher Jim Palmer. The former Oriole and Brave went 0-5 with a 4.50 in seven starts with Texas . . . Add Baltimore All-Star Darrell Evans and Chicago White Sox outfielder Jose Cardenal to the league history books. Both players hit for the cycle in July. Evans became the fourth Oriole to accomplish the feat . . . Los Angeles closer Jim Brewer is a huge reason for the Dodgers' success. Brewer has allowed just three earned runs in 55.1 innnings this season. Brewer is 6-0 with 33 saves and a microscopic 0.49 ERA . . . Detroit Tigers Elliott Maddox and Fred Lynn, San Diego Padre George Brett, California Angel Rick Reichardt and Chicago White Sox Jose Cardenal all bagged five-hit games during the month . . . Detroit slugger Dave Kingman is closing in on Willie Stargell's single-season home run record. Kingman has 38 longballs. Stargell hit a JIM-record 44 back in 1972 . . . Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench has leaped to No. 2 on the career home run list. Bench has socked 28 homers this season. His career total is now 138, two behind Dick Allen.

JIM August Awards
American League
Player of the Month--Fred Lynn, Detroit Tigers
Pitcher of the Month--Jon Matlack, Baltimore Orioles
Rookie of the Month--Fred Lynn, Detroit Tigers

National League
Player of the Month--Joe Morgan, Houston Astros
Pitcher of the Month--Dave Roberts, San Diego Padres
Rookie of the Month--Claudell Washington, Cincinnati Reds

Major League 1970 09-01-1974 Standings Report

American Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Baltimore Orioles 94 39 .707 - 98-35 -4 52-15 42-24 5-5 20-11 14 L2 7-3 Boston Red Sox 78 55 .586 16.0 67-66 11 40-27 38-28 10-4 27-12 L2 6-4 Detroit Tigers 68 65 .511 26.0 65-68 3 33-32 35-33 10-4 17-24 L1 6-4 Cleveland Indians 61 72 .459 33.0 56-77 5 31-37 30-35 7-6 23-15 L1 4-6 New York Yankees 57 78 .422 38.0 65-70 -8 28-39 29-39 5-6 15-23 W2 4-6 Milwaukee Brewers 51 84 .378 44.0 57-78 -6 27-41 24-43 3-8 17-26 L5 3-7 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Minnesota Twins 78 56 .582 - 70-64 8 42-25 36-31 4-7 28-23 24 W5 7-3 Oakland Athletics 72 61 .541 5.5 74-59 -2 37-29 35-32 6-5 22-23 W1 6-4 Chicago White Sox 62 72 .463 16.0 62-72 0 31-37 31-35 7-8 18-23 L4 4-6 Kansas City Royals 61 72 .459 16.5 62-71 -1 34-31 27-41 10-10 23-25 W2 5-5 California Angels 60 74 .448 18.0 61-73 -1 33-35 27-39 6-6 23-20 W3 5-5 Texas Rangers 60 74 .448 18.0 65-69 -5 25-41 35-33 7-11 23-31 W1 3-7

National Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Pittsburgh Pirates 78 54 .591 - 82-50 -4 38-28 40-26 7-6 19-17 28 W3 8-2 Philadelphia Phillies 76 57 .571 2.5 75-58 1 44-26 32-31 11-9 18-19 W1 7-3 Chicago Cubs 63 69 .477 15.0 65-67 -2 33-33 30-36 8-12 18-18 L1 6-4 St. Louis Cardinals 61 72 .459 17.5 63-70 -2 31-36 30-36 10-6 18-26 W1 5-5 New York Mets 60 73 .451 18.5 61-72 -1 35-31 25-42 6-9 21-23 W1 4-6 Montreal Expos 44 89 .331 34.5 40-93 4 26-38 18-51 5-8 12-21 L9 1-9 Western Division Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Houston Astros 83 50 .624 - 85-48 -2 48-19 35-31 11-5 25-17 27 L1 5-5 Los Angeles Dodgers 79 53 .598 3.5 79-53 0 39-25 40-28 11-4 22-13 L3 3-7 Cincinnati Reds 76 57 .571 7.0 76-57 0 40-27 36-30 5-5 16-21 W4 7-3 San Diego Padres 69 65 .515 14.5 70-64 -1 37-30 32-35 5-9 24-23 W1 4-6 Atlanta Braves 59 76 .437 25.0 54-81 5 26-43 33-33 7-9 22-19 L1 6-4 San Francisco Giants 50 83 .376 33.0 51-82 -1 25-40 25-43 6-10 21-19 L1 4-6

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Major League 1970 09-01-1974 League Stats Page

American League Batting Leaderboards Batting AVG F. Lynn DET .337 S. Garvey BAL .333 R. Carew MIN .331 E. Maddox DET .329 J. Cardenal CHA .325 On-Base PCT K. Singleton BAL .419 E. Maddox DET .417 F. Lynn DET .412 C. Yastrzemski BOS .401 R. Zisk MIN .401 Slugging PCT M. Schmidt CLE .540 F. Lynn DET .534 D. Parker CLE .532 D. Evans BAL .505 D. Allen KCA .504 On-Base + Slugging F. Lynn DET .946 M. Schmidt CLE .928 D. Evans BAL .890 D. Allen KCA .881 E. Maddox DET .879 VORP F. Lynn DET 56.5 M. Schmidt CLE 56.1 R. Zisk MIN 48.0 D. Evans BAL 47.7 R. Carew MIN 44.8 Runs Created F. Lynn DET 107.4 M. Schmidt CLE 100.4 D. Allen KCA 97.1 R. Zisk MIN 93.2 E. Maddox DET 92.5 Runs Created / 27 outs F. Lynn DET 8.14 E. Maddox DET 7.93 M. Schmidt CLE 7.61 R. Zisk MIN 7.29 D. Evans BAL 7.06 Isolated Power D. Kingman DET .254 M. Schmidt CLE .241 D. Parker CLE .229 D. Allen KCA .226 D. Evans BAL .225 Games T. Harper NYA 135 R. White NYA 135 W. Crawford TEX 134 M. Epstein CHA 134 M. Hegan ML4 134 At-Bats A. Johnson CAL 559 J. Rudi OAK 543 P. Kelly KCA 541 B. McBride OAK 534 J. Johnstone KCA 533 Runs B. McBride OAK 90 D. Kingman DET 89 M. Schmidt CLE 88 K. Singleton BAL 88 P. Kelly KCA 87 Hits S. Garvey BAL 177 F. Lynn DET 168 B. McBride OAK 165 P. Kelly KCA 161 R. Carew MIN 160 Total Bases F. Lynn DET 266 D. Allen KCA 259 M. Schmidt CLE 258 D. Kingman DET 254 S. Garvey BAL 252 Singles S. Garvey BAL 135 P. Kelly KCA 131 B. Murcer NYA 126 B. McBride OAK 125 J. Grubb BAL 122 Doubles J. Rudi OAK 36 F. Lynn DET 35 C. Tovar MIN 31 D. Allen KCA 29 J. Johnstone KCA 28 Triples M. Schmidt CLE 14 J. Beniquez ML4 11 A. Otis BAL 10 P. Kelly KCA 9 B. McBride OAK 9 Home Runs D. Kingman DET 38 D. Evans BAL 28 D. Allen KCA 25 J. Burroughs CLE 24 M. Schmidt CLE 23 Runs Batted In