[legendsport]

AL PREVIEW: ANGELS by Ross Newhan (Los Angeles Times)

Anaheim, Calif. - They lost 95 games last year. Only one team in all of baseball lost more.

Now the California Angels find themselves in the Western Division of the American League with a road back that is considerably shorter than it might have been prior to last winter's realignment.

The Angels are in with the two expansion teams (Seattle and Kansas City); the team (Chicago) that finished tied with them for eighth last year; a slumbering giant (Minnesota) and a team of promise (Oakland).

"We can win it," said Dick Walsh, the Angels' new general manager. Walsh, returning to baseball after two years as commissioner of the North American Soccer League, had previously spent 18 years in the Los Angeles Dodgers' organization.

Walsh brought to the Angeles a flair that had been heretofore absent in the front office. He said that he was not a Bill Veeck, but that he was a dealer - a wheeler-dealer, perhaps.

He spent the early days of the spring making a big bid for Washington's Frank Howard. Failing there, he went after Baltimore's Frank Robinson and Boston's George Scott. He still hasn't given up.

"I feel we need one more bat," said Walsh, "but it's not imperative. We have the talent to win our division without a Howard or a Robinson."

The onus is on a pitching rotation that won a total of 32 games last year. George Brunet, now 33, was 13-17 as the big winner.

He returns as the oldest member of a quartet that includes 25-year-old Jim McGlothlin (10-15), 23-year-old Andy Messersmith (4-2) and 23-year-old Tom Murphy (5-6).

Messersmith and Murphy pitched only half the year. They have the brightest arms in the system.

The bullpen, which collapsed around Minnie Rojas last year, has been rebuilt through the acquisition of Hoyt Wilhelm and Eddie Fisher.

Rojas was baseball's fireman of the year in 1967, winning 12 games and saving 22. The arm turned sore last summer and he won just four, saving four.

Pitching must carry a team that hit only .224.

The strength is in the All-Star shortstop (Jim Fregosi), the Golden Glove second baseman (Bobby Knoop), the $200,000 left fielder (Rick Reichardt) and a 21-year-old third baseman of immeasurable promise.

The latter's name is Aurelio Rodriguez and the manager, Bill Rigney, says, "he could be another Bobby Avila. He might be the best Mexican player ever."

A young man who could change the entire design is 22-year-old Tom Egan, who received a $100,000 bonus four years ago. The Angels thought that Egan would do his catching in Hawaii this year, but he blossomed as the spring's top hitter.

Should the decision be made to keep Egan, the regular catcher, Tom Satriano, will be moved to first base, where Rigney pieces together a jigsaw puzzle.

The parts include 36-year-old free agent Dick Stuart, veteran Bob Chance and ex-Indian Lou Johnson. The likelihood is that it will be Satriano or a platoon of Stuart and Chance.

With a righthander, Gary Bell, expected to pitch for Seattle on opening night, the Angels' starting lineup will probably read:
1B - Chance; 2B - Knoop; SS - Fregosi; 3B - Rodriguez; C - Satriano; LF - Reichardt; CF - Jay Johnstone; RF - Vic Davalillo.


JIM FREGOSI

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: ATHLETICS by Bucky Walter (San Francisco Examiner)

Oakland, Calif. - There is the scary possibility that the Oakland Athletics are overrated by American League soothsayers.

The spring-training campaign, the A's first in Arizona, had none of the flair that carried the perky young squad through Florida in 1968 as a zesty victor.
More often than not humiliated - twice by the San Francisco Giants, their unfriendly neighbors - the Athletics puzzled their forceful new manager, Hank Bauer.

Excepting Bauer, the A's have added practically nothing to the roster that last year lifted the erstwhile Kansas City team from rock-bottom tenth to sixth place in its first seaon at Oakland, with a clear gain of 20 victories for an 82-80 record.

The A's 1968 strength was pitching, with a staff earned-run average of 2.98. But this spring, opposing batters gleefully teed off on Chuck Dobson, Blue Moon Odom and Catfish Hunter.

Bauer proposed a four-man starting rotation of Dobson, Odom, Hunter and Jim Nash.

Jut-jawed Lew Krausse was assigned to bullpen duty. The A's, in a classic booboo, let ace fireman Diego Segui go to Seattle in the expanion draft along with their outstanding relief pitcher of 1967, Jack Aker.

Bob Kennedy, who did such a fine job of piloting the A's out of the basement with their best record in the "Finley Era," only to be ditched as a reward, made a prophecy just before owner Charles Finley gave him the inevitable bounce.

"Everyone expects us to finish higher," said Kennedy. "You know, it might not be possible. I feel we're getting the maximum from this personnel."

Another maximum year might be enough to pull the A's through in the Western Division, however.

"I think we've got a chance at the pennant," Bauer said. "Certainly the divisional setup helps. You take away guys like Detroit, Baltimore and Cleveland, they're tough ball clubs."

The A's are thin, however. Front liners are adequate. Behind them, however, only shortstop Ted Kubiak ranks as a strong reserve. And Kubiak will suffer through long, monotonous days on the bench while Campy Campaneris handles the job.

Campaneris, Sal Bando at third, Dick Green at second, and Danny Cater at first comprise an infield combination that hardly evokes snickers. Base-theft champ Campaneris is the No. 1 leadoff man in the league.

There certainly are no better outfield potentials - considering raw physical talent - than Rick Monday and Reggie Jackson. Yet Monday has a history of tailing off in July and Jackson must lay the wood to the ball more consistently. His 29 home runs last season contributed only 74 RBI. Apparently Mike Hershberger is catalogued as the left fielder.
Monday, Jackson and Bando are the A's who, maturing, might provide the runs-batted-in muscle the team lacked in 1968.

Soph Dave Duncan and vet Jim Pagliaroni will handle the catching. Pagliaroni is a fine young defensive backstop. Undeniably, he has tremendous power with the bat. It is a question of when - and if - he will catch up to major league pitching, which has overmatched him so far.

Spring training does not a season make. But Bauer must be wondering if his exceptional young pitchers will return to past performance. You can bet he's wondering.


BERT CAMPANERIS

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: PILOTS by Hy Zimmerman (Seattle Times)

Seattle, Wash. - To an expansion team, respectability is its pennant. And the Seattle Pilots, according to their manager, Joe Schultz, will command more than any other expansion team in history.

Schultz, quietly intrepid, has picked his Pilots to finish third in the Western Division of the American League. That means they would have to beat out at least two established teams, obviously the White Sox and the Angels, for it is conceded that Oakland and Minnesota should form the quinella.

Schultz's prediction suffered somewhat in exhibition games and there was fretfulness at the Pilots' losing streak. However, it was recalled that the Senators last season topped the Grapefruit League, then fell on their collective face. So, Schultz optimistically ruled out the exhibitions and waited for the bell.

When that bell rings, the Pilots, who meet the Angels in Anaheim, will answer with a lineup that includes Don Mincher at first, either Tommy Harper or Chico Salmon at second, Ray Oyler at short and Rich Rollins at third.

Tommy Davis, two-time batting champion of the National League, will be in left, with either Harper or Jim Gosger in center and Mike Hegan in right.
Harper's final deployment will be in abeyance until the season opens. At his request, Harper, who converted to the outfield six seasons ago, has been given a chance at reconversion.

Behind the plate, it will be either Gerry McNertney or Larry Haney, both highly respected defensively.

On the mound, Schultz will choose from among Steve Barber, Gary Bell, Gene Brabender and Marty Pattin. Mike Marshall, who won 15 games at Toledo last year, is another possibility.

The bullpen is a beauty, with the likes of Diego Segui and Jack Aker. Jim Bouton and his knuckleball also will be available.

This is a solid entry because of judicious selection in the expansion draft by General Manager Marvin Milkes and his aides.

It is a club which will score runs and will protect itself adequately on defense. The question is the pitching, and where is it not?

The Pilots last summer stocked up with enough spearbearers to provide depth and one of them, Hegan, who was scheduled for the wings, captured a starring role to become perhaps the biggest baseball bargain now extant.
Whereas the Pilots had to pay $175,000 each for lesser-endowed athletes, Hegan, frozen on the Syracuse roster, was purchased for $25,000 from the Yanks.

Using a big bat, Hegan forced his way into the Pilots' quarters. He should help them attain respectability.


MIKE HEGAN

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: ROYALS by Joe McGuff (Kansas City Star)

Kansas City, Mo. - Charles O. Finley has faded into the West. Kansas City has served its year of exile from the American League and now the city moves into a new era of baseball with an expansion franchise and local ownership.

Kansas city's new team, known as the Royals, is owned by Ewing Kauffman, wealthy founder of Marion Laboratories, a pharmaceutical firm. Those who have gone through expansion before say Kauffman may find himself needing a line of headache remedies.

The attitude in Kansas City has been positive, however. A total of 7,300 season tickets was sold, a record for the American League. The public has accepted the idea of starting over with an expansion team and has given every indication it will support the team through its formative years.
Joe Gordon, who is returning to Kansas City after managing the A's briefly in 1961, believes the Royals will be better than most experts think. Cedric Tallis, the executive vice president, concurs in this view.

"We could make progress real fast this year," Gordon said. "If we can eliminate mistakes, we can be in a lot of games. If our players progress as we think they will and if we get help in a few positions, we could be a contender next year."

This year's version of the Royals is expected to be a scrambling team, strong on pitching and short on power. The Royals appear to have better than average speed and probably will play a running game.

Gordon believes he has three starters who can win. They are Roger Nelson, Wally Bunker and Dave Morehead. Nelson, taken from Baltimore, was the Royals' No. 1 choice in the expansion draft. Bunker, once a star with Baltimore, had arm trouble for several years, but appears to have completely recovered. Morehead, drafted from Boston, developed a shoulder injury while he was with the Red Sox, but seems sound again.

Mike Hedlund, a young righthander drafted from Cleveland, probably will be the fourth starter. Moe Drabowsky will be the No. 1 late-inning relief man. Dave Wickersham, a veteran, is expected to share the bullpen duties with him.

Mike Fiore, drafted from Baltimore, is the likely first baseman. Bob Oliver and Chuck Harrison are also possibilities. Jerry Adair, drafted froM Boston, will be at second. Jack Hernandez, take from the Twins, will be at short. Joe Foy, formerly of Boston, will be at third.

The catchers will be Ellie Rodriguez, a Yankee product, and Jimmy Campanis, purchased from the Dodgers.

Pat Kelly, a draft selection from the Twins, will play center field. He has excellent speed and appears to be a good outfielder. Joe Keough, drafted from the A's, had an outstanding spring and can play either left or right. The third outfield position remains unsettled. Among the possibilities are Lou Piniella and Ed Kirkpatrick.

The Royals' lack of power should not bother them at home, since their park is large. The distance down the left-field line is 370 feet. It is 338 feet down the right-field line. The Royals have removed the 40-foot screen Finley erected in right field, replacing it with a fence that is 13 feet high. The height of the left-field fence has been lowered from 21 to 13 feet.

If the Royals are to be competitive this year, they must get strong pitching and Hernandez must come through for them at short. They appear to be better off than the expansion teams of 1961 and 1962, but how much better off remains to be seen.


WALLY BUNKER

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: WHITE SOX by Edgar Munzel (Chicago Sun-Times)

Chicago - A return to form of the "big three" of the starting staff, improved hitting and the introduction of divisional play will combine to lift the White Sox back into title contention in 1969 after they plunged into the second division last year.

Placed in the weaker Western Divison of the American League, Chicago could be in the running all the way, even though Minnesota and Oakland will generally be rated the favorites.

The White Sox plunged to a tie for eighth in last year's ten-team circuit after being in the thick of the four-way pennant fight in 1967. The biggest reason for the tailspin was the injuries that impaired the effectiveness of the big three: Gary Peters, Joe Horlen and Tommy John.

Two years ago they won a total of 45 games games and last season they combined for only 26 victories.

Peters (4-13) was bothered all season by a groin injury and subsequently a sore elbow, caused by favoring the original injury. Horlen (12-14) was handicapped by a sore shoulder and John (10-5) suffered a torn ligament in the pitching shoulder during a fight with Dick McAuliffe of the Tigers.

But this spring all three appear to be back in the full bloom of health.

"I believe Peters, Horlen and John are all back in their best form," said Manager Al Lopez. "And the pitching shapes up solidly with Sammy Ellis (acquired from the Angels in a winter deal) as the No. 4 starter and either of two youngsters, Jerry Nyman and Don Secrist, as No. 5.

"Our bullpen also is strong with Wilbur Wood and Bobby Locker with the result that we could have the same kind of excellent pitching the White Sox had two years ago.

"Now if we are able to step up our hitting, I'm confident we can be in the thick of the fight for the division title. And I'm sure we can do it.

"I look for batting improvement at every position except shortstop. And there it isn't likely because Luis Aparicio had such a great year last season that it would be difficult for him to be any better.

"Where I look for the biggest lift is at third base, where Bill Melton has clinched a job, and in left field with another rookie, Carlos May. Pete Ward, Sandy Alomar, Duane Josephson, Buddy Bradford and Ken Berry also can do better than they did last season."

There will be some artificial aid for the White Sox' hitters - shorter fences and the installation of Astro Turf in the infield. There will be more hits and homers and the White Sox hope they will be collecting them, rather than the opposition.


TOMMY JOHN

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: INDIANS by Russell Schneider (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

Cleveland - Alvin Dark doesn't want to be misunderstood. "I am not predicting a pennant," he said many times during the last several weeks when people asked about his Cleveland Indians. "But we CAN win it," he added.

More people would agree with the Cleveland manager if, somehow, the Indians could find a way to score more runs than they did last year, when only two clubs crossed the plate fewer times.

But the Tribe finished third without a bona fide slugger, so, with just a little help, Cleveland could indeed win its first pennant since 1954 and its third in history.

That's why Dark and Gabe Paul made a pitch for the Senators' Frank Howard during the off-season, but apparently they didn't want to pay the price.

Superior pitching - probably the best in the American League - is the Indians' strong suit.

Figured for most of the starting assignments are Luis Tiant, a 21-game winner in 1968 whose 1.60 earned-run average led the league; Sam McDowell, Sonny Siebert and Stan Williams. Those four posted a cumulative record of 61-44 last season and Dark is looking for improvement from McDowell and Siebert.

Siebert suffered elbow miseries, winning only one game after the All-Star break, but he is sound again.

The Indians' bullpen also is a strong point and, with the addition of Jack Hamilton, should be even better than last season.
Williams also is a member of the relief corps, for he thrives on as much work as possible, and other firemen include Mike Paul (a southpaw who will see some starting duty, too) and Mexican righthanders Vicente Romo and Horacio Pina.

Behind the plate the Indians also think they have a surplus of talent and they were willing to deal one of their catchers in a trade for a slugger. The receivers include Joe Azcue and Duke Sims, who will probably share the job, and rookie Ray Fosse.

Tony Horton, who led the Indians with 14 homers in 1968, will play first base and Dark is counting upon him to hit much more than last year's .249. Horton lathered the baseball in spring training.

Dave Nelson, a rookie last summer, has moved in at second base and seems sure to be there for a long time. Nelson has great speed and he and center fielder Jose Cardenal could steal more bases than any other two teammates in the American League.

Elsewhere, Dark is expected to do considerable juggling of the Tribe lineup.
Max Alvis, a regular at third base since 1963, will have to fight off the challenge of Zoilo Versalles, who is also a factor at shortstop, where Larry Brown has reigned a couple of years.

Also unsettled are the left and right field positions. Jimmie Hall, it seems, will play both, alternating in right with Richie Scheinblum and in left with Chuck Hinton and Lee Maye. Also available for spot duty is veteran Russ Snyder, who batted .281 last year after his acquisition from the White Sox.
How effective Dark's juggling turns out to be will determine, to a large extent, how effective the Indians are in scoring more runs in 1960. And how well they score runs will determine how high they finish in the American League's strong Eastern Division.

"We're in a tough division, no question about it," Dark said. "But I like challenges anyhow."

There is little doubt the Indians CAN win the pennant - although that is NOT the prediction.


LUIS TIANT

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: ORIOLES by Lou Hatter (Baltimore Sun)

Baltimore - On the hypothesis that after a team's hitters hit rock bottom there is no place to go but up, Baltimore rates as a solid pennant contender if its bat swingers merely attain normal expectations this year.

Such is the theory of Manager Earl Weaver, whose Orioles finished second to Detroit last season, despite an inelegant .225 team average - lowest in the club's 15-year history.

Defensively led by perennial Golden Glove third baseman Brooks Robinson, the same cast is back that committed the second-fewest errors (126) in the American League.

To an already talented pitching staff that reaped 55 victories from lefty Dave McNally, Jim Hardin and Tom Phoebus, a fourth experienced starter, southpaw Mike Cuellar, has been added through a trade with Houston. What is more, Jim Palmer, hero of the 1966 world champion Orioles, demonstrated in spring training that his arm miseries of the last two years apparently are history.

Behind this array of five rotation hurlers, the bullpen should be competent. Team speed is ample. Bench reserves, featuring outfielder Merv Rettenmund, 1968 minor league plaeyr of the year at Rochester, and infield newcomer Bobby Floyd, figure to be stronger.

"I am going to hope that Boog Powell and Brooks Robinson have the same kind of year as last season," Weaver opened his estimate of 1969 hitting prospects.
Inference: That the bulky first baseman's .249 average will suffice if he again slugs 22 homers and drives in 85 runs; that repetition of Robinson's .253 mark, 17 home runs and 75 RBI is not an unrealistic target.

Weaver continued: "I am going to hope that Don Buford can duplicate an excellent season."
Inference: The peppery outfielder-infielder led the Orioles with a .282 average, slammed 15 four-baggers and stole 27 bases.

"I am going to hope that Frank Robinson has the same type of year he had in the second half of 1968, with a few more home runs and RBI."
The record: From a June low of .179 after recovery from a case of mumps and a sore arm, Baltimore's No. 1 slugger finished at .268 with 15 homers and 52 runs batted in.

Second baseman Dave Johnson, who hit .242 with nine homers, "is capable of a .275 average and 15 home runs," Weaver reckoned.

Other "bounce-backers" from whom the Orioles boss is expecting more potent plate production are:

Center fielder Paul Blair, who skidded from .293 to .211 last season following a fractured right ankle in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Reserve outfielders Dave May and Curt Motton, both of whom flashed comeback form in Florida after hitting for embarassing .191 and .198 averages, respectively, last year.

"If Andy Etchebarren can bat .300 against lefthanded pitching again, I'll be satisfied," Weaver added. He implied that the .233-hitting catcher would be platooned with lefthanded-swinging veteran Elrod Hendricks.

"Although he should do better, I am not counting on Mark Belanger (.208) among my bounce-backers," Weaver added, "so long as he does the job with the glove at shortstop.

"It wouldn't be too hard for Powell and Brooks Robinson to hit five or ten points higher, with three or four homers extra," Weaver reasoned. "And it wouldn't be too difficult, now that he's healthy again, for Frank Robinson to hit 15 points higher, plus an extra ten home runs. He has done it before, often.

"Give us these, plus a normally good year from Blair and Johnson, and we are scoring a lot more runs.

"These are not extravagant goals that can not easily be accomplished by players of their experience and ability," Weaver concluded. "If they do it, the Orioles are back in business."


FRANK (L) AND BROOKS (R) ROBINSON

[legendsport]

April 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: RED SOX by Ed Costello (Boston Herald Traveler)

Boston - First in 1967. Fourth in '68. Will it be another fourth-place finish for the Boston Red Sox this year, or a duplication of two years ago for another American League pennant?

If three of Manager Dick Williams' worries can be eliminated before the '69 campaign is too old, the Red Sox will not be also-rans.

Jim Lonborg and Jose Santiago, both pitchers, plus outfielder tony Conigliaro comprise the question marks.

There is another tender spot, catching, that could make Williams shake his head now and then as veteran Russ Gibson and rookie Gerry Moses toil behind the plate.

This latter business, however, will be forgotten quickly if Lonborg, Santiago and Conigliaro bounce back.

Spring outings for Lonborg and Santiago can not be rated encouraging. The right shoulder that dropped Lonborg to 6-10 last season flared recently. Santiago's tender elbow left him on the disabled list for the second time in two seasons.

As for Conigliaro, he is showing signs of beating a slight weakness in his left eye. After being hit by a pitch in 1967, he was forced out of action with six weeks to go. He gave it a try last year, but failed. Now he insists his eyesight has improved and at times this spring has shown it.

If Conigliaro makes it, he will give the Red Sox the top outfield in baseball, with Carl Yastrzemski and Reggie Smith his outfield and slugging mates. Yastrzemski tailed off from his triple-crown year of 1967, but still led the league in batting and ranks as one of the most feared hitters in the game.

On the mound there is no reason why Ray Culp (16-6) and Dick Ellsworth (16-7) can't repeat those marks and possibly do better. Lee Stange is another dependable hurler and southpaws Bill Landis and Ken Brett are good bets, particularly if Brett escapes arm trouble that hampered his progress last year.

Backing up these pitchers in the bullpen will be another lefty, Sparky Lyle, and rookies Ray Jarvis and Fred Wenz.

The infield appears excellent. Flashy Ken Harrelson, after a year in right for the recuperating Conigliaro, is a fixture at first.

Former first sacker George Scott, who sagged with the bat last season, will handle the business at third base. There is no worry about Scott at third, because he is a vacuum cleaner with the glove. But he and his bosses are keeping their fingers crossed that Scott's flop with the stick (.171) in 1968 "was one of those things."

Steady and improving Mike Andrews at second gives signs of another great season, while Rico Petrocelli is tops among shortstops so long as his arm troubles are kept under control.

The Red Sox' bench is imposing. Joe Lahoud and Conigliaro's brother, Billy, are itching for a shot in right field, although like everyone else they are pulling for Tony to make it back strong.

Waiting in the wings should anything happen to the infield top four are pinch-hitter extraordinaire Dalton Jones; gloveman Dick Schofield, former National League dependable, and Syd O'Brien, up from the Red Sox' farm system.

Boston's faithful fans feel their favorite club can reach the top again. The cold-eye clan, however, is delaying predictions, pending the status of Lonborg, Santiago and Conigliaro.


JIM LONBORG

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: SENATORS by George Minot Jr. (Washington Post)
WASHINGTON - The Senators surely will be more of an "artistic success," as club owner Robert E. Short likes to put it, this season, if for no other reason than Ted Williams.

The world's greatest authority on hitting - and no shrinking violet, either, when pitching is discussed - has lifted the Nats' spirits with his refreshing enthusiasm, made them more competent professionals with his make-sense teaching and kept them in line with an occasional outburst, delivered in his bigger-than-life voice.

Although better when compared with 1968, that forgettable year, the Senators will probably finish even deeper in the basement than last fall, when they lost only one more game than Chicago and California. The catch, of course, is the expansion alignment, which has placed Washington in an untenable position.

The Senators find themselves grouped with 1968's top five finishers in the American League. In the other division, the West, they would have had a fighting chance to beat out at least four clubs; in the East they are conservatively rated a 200-to-1 shot.

With a late start to camp (after holding for a raise, which he got to $90,000 a year) and carrying an extra 285 pounds, slugger Frank Howard didn't appear to be himself until the exhibition season was drawing to a close and he had "shrunk" to a more reasonable weight.

Left fielder Howard will again be platooned at first base, at least until Mike Epstein proves that he can consistently handle big-league pitching. Epstein, who represents the team's lone left-handed power threat, has been a special project for Williams this spring.

Epstein, a disappointment, was discontented last season and so was catcher Paul Casanova. Casanova has rebounded to the point where Williams describes him as "one of my most pleasant surprises." For Williams, he is hustling as he did for Gil Hodges. Behind him is Jim French, who talks tough to pitchers and is the only one of the Senators brash enough to sass Williams.

An unexpected plus this spring has been Hank Allen. He was one of the leading hitters this spring and will platoon in right field with Ed Stroud, who provides speed on a heavy-footed club and also had a good spring.

Center field belongs to Del Unser and he looks better than ever. The rookie surprise of a year ago, Unser has the ability to hit to all fields. The leadoff man hit safely in 15 consecutive games and led his team in batting and runs batted in for most of the exhibition season.

The Senators' solid defensive left side of the infield is manned by third baseman Ken McMullen (a 20-homer man) and shortstop Ed Brinkman (who has a new stance tutored by Williams). Tim Cullen backs up Brinkman and will share second base with Bernie Allen.

Williams has impressed on his pitchers that "there is another pitch than a fast ball." As a result, all the staff have been curve and slider conscious.

Camilo Pascual needed no lesson - the King of the Curve again heads the staff. Behind him is Joe Coleman, Jim Hannan, and lefthanders Barry Moore and Frank Bertaina. Moore may also serve in the bullpen, at least until the Air Force springs southpaw Darold Knowles in June.

In the bullpen will be righthanded firemen Dennis Higgins, knuckleballer Bob Humphreys, Dave Baldwin, Dick Bosman and Casey Cox.

Williams said that being a good manager "should be 1000 times easier" than being a good player. "I think I can become one if I get the time," added the last of the .400 batters.

"I don't expect to learn the game from a manager's viewpoint even this year. Remember, I never managed as much as an American Legion team before."


TED WILLIAMS

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: TIGERS by George Cantor (Detroit Free Press)

DETROIT - The prevailing sentiment in Detroit this spring is that there is only one team capable of beating the Tigers. And that team is the Tigers.

Even though it won the pennant by 12 games last season and grew up enormously in the World Series, this club has problems a good deal more tangible than possible complacency.

The danger zones are third base, shortstop and second-line pitching. A falling off at any one of these place could make the Tigers vulnerable.

Don Wert is a veteran performer coming off two poor seasons in a row at third. Manager Mayo Smith is inclined to blame the beaning Wert suffered last June for his dreadful .200 season and expects a jump of about 60 points from him.

Wert's fielding continues second only to Brooks Robinson in the league, but another bad year at the plate could but this position up for grabs with the Tigers.

There is also uncertainty at shortstop. Smith insists that he will go with young Tom Matchick. The only trouble is that if he stick with that lineup one of Detroit's slugging outfielders must ride the bench.

The Tigers shifted center fielder Mickey Stanley to short for the Series to get Al Kaline into the lineup. Smith wanted to test Stanley there again this spring, but Stanley's sore shoulder kept experimentation at a minimum.

Besides Stanley and Kaline, the Tiger outfielders are Willie Horton, who hit 36 homers last year, and Jim Northrup who led the club in runs batted in with 90. The Tigers would dearly to play all these hitters at once and it appears inevitable that Smith must shift Stanley again.

The ball club is set on the right side of the infield with veteran Norm Cash at first and Dick McAuliffe, who developed into a first-rate defensive man, playing second. The incomparable Bill Freehan will return as catcher, despite a spring-training accident in which he broke his nose.

Super pinch-hitter Gates Brown leads a versatile Detroit bench.

The Tigers should have no problems with the first two men in their pitching rotation. Thirty-one game winner Denny McLain and World Series hero Mickey Lolich give Detroit one of the game's top righty-lefty combinations.

After that, there's trouble.

Earl Wilson, who struggled to a 13-12 record last year, has shown no signs of coming out of the tailspin. In 16 innings this spring, Wilson was tagged for 25 runs and 35 hits.

Joe Sparma was supposed to be the fourth starter, although wildness forced Smith to lift him from the rotation in August. Sparma has had control troubles again this spring and the Tigers may have to raid the bullpen to bring in John Hiller and Pat Dobson to alternate with Wilson and Sparma in spot starting assignments.

Rookie Daryl Patterson will be in the service until June, so the stopper of the bullpen probably will be 39-year old Don McMahon. Hiller and Dobson will back him up when they are not starting and an unimpressive array of journeymen will also see action. Rookie lefthanders Fred Scherman and Mike Kilkenny may help out, too.

The Tigers are good enough to repeat as champs. This is still the same club that did it in 1968 - but it brings back the same problems that were overcome in the big year. The problems are big enough to trip them up, too, if last year's impetus fades away.


MICKEY STANLEY

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
AL PREVIEW: YANKEES by Joe Trimble (New York Daily News)

NEW YORK - The year, the Yankees depart from the own tradition. Their hallmark, the long ball, representing hitting power, no longer exists. This will be a "go-go" team, one which may the first New York American League club to fail to hit 100 home runs in a season.

For 23 straight years, the Brox Bombers have hammered 100 or more balls over the fences, including the all-time record of 240 in 1961, when Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle waged their season-long battle to eclipse Babe Ruth's record of 60 in one year. Maris did it, with 61 in 162 games. Mantle fell short with 54.

Manager Ralph Houk, forced to deal with the material at hand, wisely has accepted its limitations and foregone any expectation of miracles.

"This club can be a good one," Houk said. "The pitchers and the kids, with their speed, must carry it. We can go only as far as they can take us."
Houk had assembled a team of fast, young, line-drive hitters who offer an adequate defense with speed and daring on the bases. The pitching staff, fortunately, is a good one that will not require many runs to win. It will have to stand up under the season-long pressure of tight, low-scoring games.

There will be two bright, young and almost-new faces in the daily lineup, Bobby Murcer at third base and Jerry Kenney in center field. Both hit lefthanded, with little power. Murcer occasionally wheels one out of sight, but Kenney is strictly a slap hitter, far from the mighty man he succeeds, Mickey Mantle.

Both are converted shortstops who have hit for good average wherever they have played. Murcer failed to make it at short with the 1966 club and has been in the Army the past two seasons. Kenney looked like a hitter, but not a shortstop, in a brief trial in 1967 and was in the Navy all of '68.

The rest of the team is about the same as last year's fifth-place finishes. Tom Tresh returns to shortstop, Horace Clarke to second base and Joe Pepitone will be on first. The catching again will be shared by the left-right platoon of Jake Gibbs and Frank Fernandez. Roy White will be the left fielder, with Bill Robinson stationed in right.

Ace Mel Stottlemyre, righty Stan Bahnsen (the 1968 Rookie of the Year) and southpaw Fritz Peterson are the big three starters, with rookie righty Bill Burbach and former Dodger southpaw Mike Kekich behind them. The bullpen is solid, with veterans Lindy McDaniel, Steve Hamilton and Joe Verbanic. Don Nottebart, 33-year-old National League castoff, also will relieve.

Missing from the scene for the first time in 18 years will be the magnificent Mantle. His retirement leaves the club without an inspirational leader, other than the manager.

Houk did a great job lifting the Yanks to fifth place last year. Unfortunately, the four clubs that came in ahead of New York - Detroit, Baltimore, Cleveland and Boston - are grouped with the Yanks and Senators in which is probably the strongest division in sports.

The Yanks can not match the power of the Tigers, Orioles and Red Sox, nor the super pitching of the Indians. So, it will be another miracle if they can move higher than fifth. But they should have no trouble keeping Ted Williams' Senators in the cellar.


JERRY KENNEY

[legendsport]

On to the National League...

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: CARDINALS by Bob Broeg (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

ST. LOUIS - For a ball club that could become the first in the National League to win three straight pennants since the Nation was singy "Mairzy Doats" in World War II, the St. Louis Cardinals have not let the status interfere with the quo.

In fact, as a result of Roger Maris' retirement and the departure of Orlando Cepeda, who just two years ago was the unanimous choice as the league's Most Valuable Player, the Redbirds will go to the post with two new regulars - Vada Pinson in right field and Joe Torre at first base.

Although an overstuffed Maris was a timely performer in his two seasons with the Cards, Pinson figures to add to the St. Louis lineup offensively and defensively. An 11-season veteran at 30, the fleet former Cincinnati star has a career average close to .300, even though he tailed off to .271 last year.

If Pinson can be said to possess some of the incentive with which Frank Robinson rocketed from the Reds to the American League's MVP award in Baltimore's championship season of 1966, Torre has an even greater incentive. He wants to show up Paul Richards, the taciturn Texan who ripped the Braves' player representative before sending him packing.

Torre, like Pinson, joined the high-salaried Redbirds with a smile and a slight pay increase, after Atlanta had offered him a cut. From Bob Gibson's $125,000 on down, the Redbirds have squeezed the Anheuser-Busch eagle until it screams on payday, with a starting lineup drawing close to $700,000, the 25-man roster about $950,000 and the 40-player list, plus manager and coaches, totaling around $1,150,000.

In giving up Cepeda, St. Louis saved only about $10,000, because Torre's salary is estimated at $70,000. As General Manager Bing Devine viewed it, the Redbirds gained more flexibility, because Torre, like Cepeda a righthanded power hitter coming off a poor season, can catch and play first base.

The idea is that Torre will provide stronger protection behind lefthanded-hitting Tim McCarver. If and when Torre does strap on the mask and pads, the Cardinals will take a look at lefthanded-hitting first baseman Joe Hague.

The fact is, though, that Torre does not figure to play first base defensively as well as Cepeda did. And the Cardinals have had a solid defense in these pennant-winning seasons since Mike Shannon, moving from the outfield to the infield, mastered third base.

The second base combination, Dal Maxvill and Julian Javier, is as slick as a flim-flam man, and the swift outfield of base-stealing champion Lou Brock, defensive genius Curt Flood, and the triple-talented Pinson is a joy.

The pride of the club, however, is the pitching staff headed by Gibson, the blue-ribbon competitor whose 1.12 earned-run average for 300-plus innings last year was even lower than tha immortal Walter Johnson's 1.14 for Washington in 1913. Gibson was not batted out of the box as he averaged nine innings for his 34 starts and recorded 13 shutouts among his 22 victories.

To augment the starters - Gibson, Nelson Briles, Ray Washburn and Steve Carlton - who were primarily responsible for a league-leading 2.49 ERA, Devine added Dave Giusti, who was acquired not once, but twice.

Obtained from Houston for catcher John Edwards, the righthander was lost to San Diego in the expansion draft and then reacqurired in exchange for four young players.

No one is more optimistic about the Cardinals than their vice president in charge of base hits, Stan Musial.

"This is a team of young veterans extremely well-balanced, the class of the league," said Musial, who was the No. 1 star the last time the Redbirds had a chance to win a third straight pennant and made it - 1944.


JOE TORRE

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: CUBS by Jerome Holtzman (Chicago Sun-Times)

CHICAGO - The Chicago Cubs open the season with what may be big illusions. After two successive third-place finishes (following 20 years in the second division), the Cub players and management feel that this will be their year, the year they leap to a divisional championship and possibly to the National League pennant.

It could be and it is not our mission to dampen such spirit and confidence. But to go all the way, or even to the Eastern Division title, the Cubs will have to get considerably better pitching. Forgetting the pitching - which is difficult - the Cubs, indeed, may have the best or nearly the best eight-man ball club in the league.

Unquestionably, they have the best infield, both offensively and defensively. There can be no quarrel with Ron Santo at third, Don Kessinger at short, Glenn Beckert at second and the ageless Ernie Banks at first. Moreover, their iron-man catcher, Randy Hundley, is also among the best at his position in the league.

No one seems to know how much longer Banks can continue. He is a genuine baseball Methuselah and still lives and hits home runs, 32 last year to lead the club. Leo Durocher, the Cub manager, indicated to the press three years ago that he thought Banks was through. Now Durocher, occasionally repentant, asks Banks, "Where can I get some of those pills?"

Santo is an All-Star starting his tenth full major-league season. He hit .246 last season in the Year of the Pitcher and vows it won't happen again. It probably won't, either, because Santo is an extremely determined athlete, both at bat and in the field, and has broken or equaled more big-league fielding records than Baltimore's Brooks Robinson.

Kessinger and Beckert, also mature and possessed with competitive fire, may be the best second base combination in the league. Kessinger has outstanding range, a good arm and though without power, compensates by punching the ball where it is pitched. He is a superb breaking-ball hitter. Beckert is sure in the field and led all National League infielders in batting last season with a .294 average.

The outfield isn't as strong but it is major league, nonetheless. Billy Williams, who has played in 819 consecutive games and has a .290 lifetime average, is in left; Adolfo Phillips, injured in spring training, is the club's regular center fielder, and Jim Hickman probably will be in right.

The Cubs gave two rookie outfielders, Don Young and Jim Dunegan, a thorough test in spring training. Young is good defensively but doesn't hit. He probably will play center until Phillips returns, which should be soon. Dunegan is a big fellow, strong as an ox, and somewhat similar to Washington's Frank Howard, when Howard was in his apprenticeship. Dunegan was sent down for seasoning but figures to be back for a long stay.

The Cubs have one reliable starting pitcher, Ferguson Jenkins, a 20-game winner in each of the last two seasons. Jenkins, a workhorse, hasn't missed a turn in two years. He has an A-plus fast ball, in addition to good off-speed pitches, all of which he can control.

The other starters are Bill Hands, who blossomed with 16 victories last year; Ken Holtzman, the onetime "next Sandy Koufax"; Rich Nye and Joe Niekro. If Hands and Holtzman have big years and if the bullpen of Phil Regan, Ted Abernathy and Hank Aguirre can survive the strain, the Cubs could win a flag for the first time since 1945. If not, they should finish no worse than third place again.


ERNIE BANKS

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: EXPOS by Ted Blackman (Montreal Gazette)

MONTREAL - Fans here don't take expansion teams lightly anymore.

It was only last spring that the mighty Montreal Canadiens found themselves in a surprisingly tough match against the St. Louis Blues for the Stanley Cup. The Blues lost four straight, but only by a goal each time, and the local bettors who laid two goals took a bath. Some expansion club.

They won't write off the Expos, either, although the club is an expansion team and you know all about the Mets and Astros - and Senators, of course. Gene Mauch has warned them. He never saw the Blues play hockey, but he holds the same belief - make the least mistakes and you will fool people.

"We'll win more than people think we will," said Mauch, the bright young skipper charged with molding a team out of "players with their first big chance and players with their last." He sees no moreof a challenge with the Expos than he did with the Phillies he once inherited.

"We're better prepared to play ball and the Phillies were better prepared to pitch," he said, comparing his new team with the 1961 Phils - losers of 107 games. He expects the Expos to win more games than that and promises that Montreal fans will see their team play .500 baseball at home.

His premise is this: The pitching isn't the world's strongest, but the offense is fairly potent. The club will score plenty and despite the uphill pitching battle the Expos should be able to defend because they have three key players.
"A catcher, a shortstop and a second baseman," said Mauch. "That's why the Angels were so strong. When you've got a Gary Sutherland at second, a Maury Wills at short and a John Bateman behind the plate, you can help your pitching an awful lot."

The starting rotation consists of Mudcat Grant, Larry Jaster, Bill Stoneman and Howie Reed. Combined they started 25 games in the majors last year.

The bullpen pitched a total of 59 innings in the big leagues last season.
Not impressive, right? But Grant was a starter before the Dodgers stuck him in the bullpen, Jaster was shuffled back and forth at St. Louis, and Stoneman, a Cubs leftover, looked terrific in spring training. Reed won 15 at Oklahoma City last year.

"Grant will win more games than any pitcher on a first-year expansion team," Mauch promised. "Yeah, more than 14."

Even if the pitching staff performs with mediocrity, the Expos should win a few because of the offensive talent and experience in the field. Mauch has made it clear he wants no Met-type muffs and he has the men who should be able to wield big-league gloves.

Donn Clendenon, once he has worked himself into shape, will be the first baseman. Ex-Phillie Sutherland is a competent second baseman, Wills is aiming for All-Star status at short and Coco Laboy was a triple-A star at third in the Cards' system.

Bateman could be an excellent receiver and the outfield shows no great weakness - Mack Jones in left, Rusty Staub in right and Don Hahn or Don Bosch in center. The swing man is Manny Mota, on the recovery list as the season starts.

Staub is a proven .300 hitter and Mauch expects him to forget his choked-up Astrodome swing and hit 20 homers at Jarry Park. Jones, Mauch feels, will smash 25 downtown. Clendenon batted in 87 runs for the Pirates last year. Laboy drove in 100 at Tulsa, Sutherland hit .275 at Philly and the 36-year-old Wills still has it.

A few runs for, a few runs against. Lots of action. They will love it in Montreal. In other cities, they may be surprised.


RUSTY STAUB

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: METS by Jack Lang (Long Island Press)

NEW YORK - The day of the tenth-place Mets is over and there is little chance that an era of sixth-place Mets is beginning.

The darlings of Shea Stadium could be the surprise team in the league this year. They are likely to beat out the expansionist Montreal club and they could finish higher than some of the established clubs in the Eastern Division.

"We're going to finish in the money this year," All-Star catcher Jerry Grote insisted during spring training. "We got a young club that's coming. The oldest man in our lineup is Tommie Agee and he's only 27. We've all been playing together for awhile and that's when you start becoming a team."

If there was one thing Gil Hodges did achieve in his first season as manager it was order. The previous year the Mets had set records for most players used and most pitchers used. Hodges said he would do away with that and he did. The only roster changes all season resulted from injuries and military calls.

The shortened strike zone and lower mounds notwithstanding, pitching still is the name of the game and the Mets have pitching. It was pitching that made them respectable last year with 19-game winner Jerry Koosman and 16-game winner Tom Seaver. Both were All-Star selections.

In addition, the Mets have bright youngsters like Nolan Ryan and Jim McAndrew with a year of experience under their belts.

Each of the past two years the farm system produced an outstanding rookie pitcher. It was Seaver in '67 and Koosman in '68. This year it should be Gary Gentry, a former Arizona State star who was drafted but unsigned by the Orioles, Astros and Giants before the Mets succeeded in landing him in June 1967.

In his first year of triple-A ball, Gentry was 12-8 with a 2.91 earned-run average at Jacksonville.

The Mets' bullpen is in good hands with Cal Koonce and Ron Taylor steady and dependable workers.

At the outset of spring training and again as the training grind neared an end, Hodges insisted that what the Mets needed to make a splash this year was a comeback by three men - shortstop Bud Harrelson, right fielder Ron Swoboda and center fielder Agee.

"I'm not asking them to do something they've never done before," he said.

"All I am hoping is that they can have the kind of years they've had in the past."

Of the trio, Harrelson seemed the biggest question mark. The little shortstop, called the heart of the team by Gene Mauch in 1967 when he enjoyed a fine season, got off to a slow start this spring and could not play until the exhibition schedule was two-thirds over. He is recovering from knee surgery.

Swoboda has to concentrate more to have a good year. That is Hodges' belief. There is no one on the club who hits a ball farther and few have Swoboda's all-round skills. Last season he hit seven homers in his first 16 games and only four the rest of the year. His average from from .281 in 1967 to .242 last year.

Even if Agee, Harrelson and Swoboda can come back, the Mets have two other holes. Ed Kranepool, the first of the club's big bonus babies, has long been a disappointment, Hodges is not satisfied with his play at first and may have to alternate him with Cleon Jones, who worked out at the bag late in spring training.

Aging Ed Charles played third with distinction last year but he can not play every day. Amos Otis, a converted outfielder, is the bright hope. He was given the job at the start of spring training and told it was his until he lost it.

Catching is one department where the Mets have no problems. Grote was a .282 hitter and an All-Star last season.

The Mets are a young club and they are coming.


TOM SEAVER

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: PHILLIES by Allen Lewis (Philadelphia Inquirer)

PHILADELPHIA - The Phillies are in the midst of a rebuilding campaign and how well the do in 1969 depends in great measure on how much is contributed by their new faces.

The newcomers included five rookies and a veteran who could be one of the season's major surprises. His name is Deron Johnson, a 29-year-old third baseman-first baseman who has seen service with four other big-league clubs.

Johnson was purchased from the Atlanta Braves in December after hitting a mere .208, with eight homers and 33 runs batted in. This was far from his peak season of 1965, when he led the National League in RBI with 130 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

A physical examination taken after his acquisition by the Phillies revealed a broken bone in the top of his right hand, a break that happened in spring training last year and had not been discovered. A January operation removed the broken bone and Johnson has been swinging like the slugger he used to be.

If he continues to hit in the regular season the way he did in spring training, the Phillies will have the man to bat behind Richie Allen and give them a formidable one-two punch.

Johnson played third base most of the training season and Manager Bob
Skinner moved Allen from left field to first base in a late spring move designed to give the Phillies power at the corners, although the defense may be less than sparkling.

The Allen shift leaves the left-field job to be battled for by John Briggs and possibly rookie Ron Stone, both of whom can also play first.

In addition to Johnson, the other new faces who will be in the regular lineup this season are shortstop Don Money and center fielder Larry Hisle. Both Money and Hisle opened the season with the Phillies a year ago and both went back to the minors before the end of April for more experience.

They got it and now they are deemed ready to play every day. Each has great potential and figures as a candidate for rookie-of-the-year honors.

"I'll be happy if they hit .240 this year," said Skinner. "Their potential is so great that they'll keep on getting better, and I know we'll be a better ball club for having them in the lineup."

In addition to Hisle, who may have recurring problems with his health, the other outfield fixture is right fielder John Callison, still struggling to regain the form that once made him a star. In reserve are Don Lock and Stone, hottest hitter on the club in spring training.

Cookie Rojas will play second base, with Tony Taylor and Bobby Wine, recovered from a back operation, the prime infield subs.

The Phillies are thin in catching, with Mike Ryan expected to perform iron-man duty. A fine receiver and thrower, Ryan hit only .179 last year, but has shown signs of improvement this spring.

Chris Short, a 19-game winner last year and a 20-game winner in 1966, heads the pitching staff, which is young and inexperienced for the most part. Behind Short in the starting rotation are lefthander Woodie Fryman and young righthanders Rick Wise and Jerry Johnson. Rookie Billy Wilson could turn out to be the ace of the bullpen, which also includes Gary Wagner and Dick Farrell, as well as rookie Barry Lersch.

The Phillies don't figure to be a pennant contender unless the new faces have exceptional years.


RICHIE ALLEN

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: PIRATES by Charles Feeney (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

PITTSBURGH - After two straight sixth-place finishes, the Pirates have dipped into the youth bag in hope of making a respectable showing in 1969.
Manager Larry Shepard is banking on a combination of rookies and veterans to mold the Bucs into a winner.

The veteran nucleus remains Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Matty Alou, Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley.

But the health of Clemente and Alley is a big question mark as the season approaches.

Alley, the veteran shortstop, has had aches in his right shoulder for the past 20 months. He was placed on the disabled list as the season opener approached.

Clemente, four-time National League bat champ, played the 1968 season with a damaged right shoulder. He hurt it in a fall in his home just before
reporting to the Bucs' 1968 camp.

Now the right shoulder is better but Clemente has a sore left shoulder. He hurt it making a futile attempt for a diving catch in an exhibition game against the Red Sox on March 14.

Clemente has been on the rubbing table in the trainer's room more than he has been on the field this spring. He was sent home to Puerto Rico to rest and may not be ready for the season opener.

The kids have been a delight for Shepard, who is working on a one-year contract and knows the performance of the team will determine how long he remains as field boss.

Bob Robertson, Al Oliver, Richie Hebner and Manny Sanguillen stuck with the team and at least two of them will become regulars.

Freddie Patek, a 5-foot-5 shortstop with good speed, will be Alley's replacment at short until the veteran says he is ready to play.

Robertson, a power-hitting rookie from Mount Savage, Md. will play "somewhere," according to Shepard.

Robertson's best position is first base. But Oliver had a good spring and he could wind up at first, with Robertson moving to third base.

Hebner is a 21-year-old, left-handed hitting third baseman who is short on experience. He has played only 200 pro games. He batted .276 at Columbus last year and has a big future.

Sanguillen looms as the backup catcher to Jerry May, who batted .219 is 137 games last season.

"Some day Sanguillen may be the No. 1 catcher," Shepard says, "but I plan to open with May."

Shepard's pitching staff is cluttered with "ifs" and with inexperience.

Steve Blass, a surprise 18-game winner last year, and veteran Bob Veale, 13-14 in 1968, form the one-two punch.

Sherpard lists sophomores Bob Moose, 8-12 with a fine 2.74 ERA last year, and Dock Ellis, 6-5 a year ago, as his No. 3 and No. 4 starters.

And what about Jim Bunning?

This onetime big winner for the Phillies and Tigers slipped to 4-14 as a Pirate in an injury-riddled year. Bunning, according to Shepard, had to prove himself again in spring training.

In the exhibitions, the 37-year-old righthander seemed to be proving himself well.

Ronnie Kline, the old Senator with an assortment of pitches - some illegal - heads the bullpen. Kline was a Buc surprise last season after being obtained from the Twins. Now 37, he was 12-5.

Bruce Dal Canton figures to help as a middle-inning reliever and, if Moose or Ellis flop, Dal Canton will move into the starting rotation.

The Pirates, entered in the National League's Eastern Division, figure at best as a third-place club. The Cards and Cubs stand out ahead of them.


ROBERTO CLEMENTE

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: ASTROS by Joe Heiling (Houston Post)

HOUSTON - He is a large man with bulging eyes who speaks in short, clipped sentences. He has a penchant for long, fat cigars and for saying, "Don't worry about it."

This spring, Spec Richardson, the general manager of the Houston Astros, had plenty to worry about.

Just two days into camp, two of his pitchers were involved in a head-on highway collision, and luckily neither Jim Ray or Howie Reed was killed.

Then Donn Clendenon refused to report. He was supposed to play first base, slug a fistful of home runs and drive in 80 or 90 runs.

To get Clendenon, an ex-Pirate, and Jesus Alou from Montreal, the Astros had to turn over Rusty Staub to the expansion club.

During the next three weeks - when Richardson suffered the personal loss of his mother - the controversy became so entangled that he saw his team play just three exhibition games.

Even so, his handiwork was evident. After the Astros finished dead last in 1968, Richardson shopped the trade marts. He may have come up with the items to give the Astros the best team they have yet put on the field.
Harry Walker thinks so and he is the fellow who must make his boss look good and the Astros a winner.

"I think the club could be a little better balanced than in other years," Walker said. "I don't know where we will finish in our division. Who can say now? We'll run more and I think we'll hit more. Our defense should be better. We'll go as far as our pitching will take us."

To land experienced talent such as catcher John Edwards, first baseman Curt Blefary and the youngest of the Alou brothers, Jay, the Astros had to relinquish rights to a pair of established starters - Mike Cuellar and Dave Giusti.

The gamble may not be overly risky. The big three on the mound are Don Wilson, Larry Dierker and Denny Lemaster. They are established starters.

Tom Griffin, a 21-year-old righthander, won the No. 4 berth after a year of learning at Oklahoma City, where he was 7-14. That's not impressive until you see him throw. He could be another Gary Nolan.

Jack Billingham, obtained from Montreal in the Clendenon settlement, could work his way into the rotation.

The bullpen is where the Astros have their fingers crossed. They are counting on a big comeback by ex-Tiger Fred Gladding and are sold on former Yankee Dooley Womack.

Otherwise, the Astros' lineup is pretty well set.

Edwards is the catcher after playing on pennant winners at Cincinnati and St. Louis. Blefary, a member of Baltimore's 1966 champions, is at first, with Joe Morgan at second, Denis Menke the shortstop and Doug Rader at third.

The outfield has Norm Miller and Bob Watson platooning in left; slugging Jim Wynn, a 37-homer, 107-rbi man in 1967, in center, and Alou in right.

"We've got a lineup that should score some runs," said Walker, a man who holds hitting close to his heart, "and I think we'll be an exciting team to watch."


LARRY DIERKER

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: BRAVES by Wayne Minshew (Atlanta Constitution)

ATLANTA - The Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar was discussing the Braves during a spring-training lull.

"With Cepeda in their lineup now, the Braves should average five runs a game. If their pitchers can hold the other club to two or three...

"Now, they have Cepeda, Aaron, Carty, Millan, Boyer... If they don't win this year, forget it. I'm glad I don't have to pitch against them all season."
Cuellar is right. The Braves should score. And they should get good, steady pitching.

The key is defense as the Braves prepare to chase the Reds and Giants for the National League's Western Division title, and shortstop Sonny Jackson is the man who must produce most. Baseball history proves that pennants are no won without a good shortstop.

Montreal manager Gene Mauch, whose Expos shared spring-training facilities with the Braves, regards Jackson's play as a determining factor where Atlanta title chances are concerned.

"If Sonny Jackson plays a good shortstop all year, the Braves have an excellent chance to win it all," said Mauch.

Jackson, injury prone much of his career, is confident he can produce.

"I hear that kind of talk," the Silver Spring, Md. native said, "but it doesn't bother me. I think I can play; I'm young and improving all the time."

Surrounding Jackson on the Braves' infield are Orlando Cepeda at first base, Felix Millan at second and Clete Boyer at third, and they are capable, both defensively and offensively.

Cepeda was obtained during the spring from the Cardinals for catcher-first baseman Joe Torre, and he knows what it's like to be on a winner.

"That's the name of the game, win!" Cepeda said.

Cepeda and Boyer give the Braves power at the corner positions; Millan is a potential .300 hitter.

Tommie Aaron and Bob Aspromonte give the Braves some versatility in reserve.

The Braves' outfield will consist of Hank Aaron, Felipe Alou and Rico Carty, the latter attempting a comeback after missing a full season because of tuberculosis.

Aaron anticipates a good season as he approaches a career total of 3000 hits (he needs 208) and Alou is returning off a .317 year.

Pat Jarvis (16-12 last year) and Phil Niekro (14-12) head a pitching staff that set a team earned-run average record last season with a 2.92 mark. Milt Pappas, George Stone, Ken Johnson, Ron Reed and Jim Britton are potential starters with Cecil Upshaw and Claude Raymond in the bullpen.

Rookie Bob Didier beat out veteran Bob Tillman for the starting job behind the plate. The position figures to be a weak spot with Torre gone.

"I think this year we have a chance at it," said Manager Luman Harris. For the low-keyed Harris, that is the same as Joe Namath bragging he would win the Super Bowl.

Of the Braves' five rivals in the Western Division, Cincinnati and San Francisco finished ahead of them last year and Harris expects them to be tough again.

"Houston's much improved, too," said Harris, "and as for the Dodgers, you can't rule them out - they finish last one year and first the next."

Harris summed it up: "If we don't have injuries, which you can't ever foresee, and everything jells, we could be right up there this year."


ORLANDO CEPEDA

[legendsport]

APRIL 6, 1969:
NL PREVIEW: DODGERS by John Wiebusch (Los Angeles Times)

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers had a 59-77 record on Sept. 1 last year and team morale was sagging. "How can a team with a pitching staff like that be in last place?" people asked, but those people had not seen the defense.
Zoilo Versalles was at shortstop and Bob Bailey was at third and seldom in the history of baseball have so few mishandled so many for a pitching staff.

The Dodgers' team earned-run average hovered between 2.50 and 3.00 all season but the defense gave away an additonal half-run a game and the losses multiplied.

Manager Walter Alston made the change just before Labor Day. He put Bill Sudakis, a young man of 22 who had hit .294 at Albuquerque, at third base, and Paul Popovich, a utility infielder, a shortstop.

The Dodgers had other contributors to be sure. Willie Crawford, the man who received $100,000 from the club in 1964, began to hit after five years of inconsistency and Jim Lefebvre and Ron Fairly, inactive through much of the season with injuries, began a resurgence back to respectability.

The team finished with 18 victories in 27 games and rose from tenth place to tie for sixth.

It is significant, consequently, that the men who make the odds in Las Vegas placed the Dodgers only slightly behind San Francisco in their wagering alignment for the National League's Western Division. Cincinnati and Atlanta both finished ahead of Los Angeles last season.

The reason for the new respect are pitching and, just as important, defense.
The Dodgers' starting pitching staff of Don Drysdale, Bill Singer, Don Sutton and Claude Osteen may be the finest in the major leagues.

Drysdale, who missed the month of of September with an arm injury, is, at 32, still the anchorman. He has won 204 major league games and his streak of 58 consecutive scoreless innings last season stands as one of baseball's monumental individual achievements.

Osteen, 29, is the only lefthander in the foursome. The man who has a 2.96 earned-run average for four seasons with the Dodgers has added another pitch, the screw ball, this season. His curve ball is still one of the best in the National League.

Singer, 25, and Sutton, 24, have arrived as established major-league pitchers. Singer, the master of the fast ball, had 227 strikeouts in 257 innings last season; Sutton, whose best pitch is the curve, ranked among the league's earned-run leaders at 2.60.

Alan Foster, a 22-year-old righthander, will be the club's fifth starter. Foster has the potential to become one of baseball's premier pitchers.

The bullpen, with the exception of lefthander Jim Brewer (2.49 ERA in 54 games), is the staff's uncertainty.

Other likely saviors are Pete Mikkelsen, a veteran of four previous major-league teams who had a 16-4 record at Tulsa last season; Joe Moeller, who has shuttled between the Dodgers and Spokane for six years; John Purdin, who pitched well in the first half of 1968, then faded near the finish, and Art Darwin, a 25-year-old righthander with a blazing fast ball who was drafted from the Baltimore organization last winter.

The Dodgers' main problem this spring has been finding a power hitter of consistency. Andy Kosco, acquired from New York, hit 15 home runs with the Yankees and could supply the needed punch.

Los Angeles' lineup is set - or reasonably set - at three positions. Tom Haller will start behind the plate, Sudakis at third base and Crawford in left.

Two rookies - outfielder Bill Russell and second baseman-shortstop Ted Sizemore - could start on opening day. Russell, 20, is an exciting prospect with great speed but it is questionable whether he is ready to jump from the California League; Sizemore, 22, is an aggressive hitter who was converted last winter from catcher back to the positions he played in high school.

The other infield candidates are Lefebvre and Popovich. Wes Parker, in all probability, will be the first baseman, but Kosco could be switched to the position to buoy the offense.

Fairly, Len Gabrielson and Kosco are Russell's challengers for the remaining outfield positions, although Willie Davis will be the center fielder when his broken arm heals.

If pennant contenders are made of pitching, defense and speed, then Dodgers are indded contenders in 1969. They will not score a lot of runs... but perhaps they won't have to.


DON DRYSDALE