North Carolina APBA Baseball League
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An Official Publication of the NCABL - Established 1992

Wyandotte, Berwyn hang with divisional icons

It took a 5 game washout at Wisconsin to do it but Wyandotte has finally gotten to see the back side of Knarro in the NL West (supply your own joke). The Camels have been the talk of the National League, busting out of the gate to sit tied with Knarro at 27-8 before last week's disappointing sweep. The Roadies now hold a 3 game lead, but the teams meet in 2 weeks in Knarro.

Berwyn has used a combination solid pitching and timely hitting, as well as some big bombs by Reggie Jackson to share the lead in the AL East with league powerhouse Ridgewood. The Barons picked up 3 games to tie Ridgewood when the Redlegs dropped 6 of 10 in successive weeks to Winchester.

NL News and Notes - 40 game check up

Eastern Division

Mechanicsburg (29-11) - Guess who leads the team in triples? If you said pitcher Dave Roberts with 2, move to the head of the class. The team has feasted on some lesser opponents in the early going, so perhaps these are inflated stats. Johnny Bench has been consistent with a .318 average, 7 HR and 31 RBI. He has switched places with Richie Zisk all year in the two power categories. Stargell (.313, 6 HR) and Reggie Smith (.265, 6 HR) have also provided power. After a slow start Al Oliver is hitting .301. The aforementioned Dave Roberts has been the team's best pitcher, a perfect 7-0 with a 1.35 ERA. Larry Dierker (5-2) and Paul Lindblad (9 saves) are also worthy of note.

Wisconsin (25-15) - The kids are doing the damage for Wisconsin as rookie Greg Gross (.340, 27 runs) and Lenny Randle (.321) have been the table setters for Cesar Cedeno (.282, 8, 32) and Steve Yeager (.282, 5, 27). Greg Luzinski has been injured and Bobby Murcer in a slump (.238) so the timing of the youngsters has been terrific. Nolan Ryan's (6-5) arm may fall off as he has made 11 starts this season, striking out 85. Don Sutton has been the most effective hurler, posting a 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.77. The Rattlers are 2nd in both hitting and pitching, and it is reasonable to say that only their schedule has kept them out of first place.

Ohio (21-19) - Bill Buckner has been the man in Ohio, leading the way with a .341, 6, 25 start. Lee May has come out of an early slump and leads the team with 9 HR to go with his 22 RBI and .310 average. Graig Nettles has chipped in with 7 HR and the Buckeyes appear to be poised to make a move in the NL East. Swingman Jim Barr leads the pitchers with a 5-3, 3 save record and a 1.30 ERA. Last year's ace Bill Lee has struggled some at 4-3.

Louisville (15-25) - The Redbirds started off the year at 11-9, then dropped 16 of their next 20, including 8 of 10 to Wyandotte and are now 14 games out. Richie Zisk has been a one man wrecking crew, smashing 11 HR with 32 RBI. His .331 average leads the team. Jorge Orta (.290) has won the 2nd base job from Rennie Stennett (.247). Pete Rose is in a bad slump, now hitting just .265. Bert Blyleven is 4-0 with 4 no decisions but co-Cy Young winner Mel Stottlemyre is a disappointing 1-3.

Satellite Beach (14-26) - Carlton Fisk has been able to only play in 15 games but he's hit .408 with 13 RBI. Cesar Geronimo (.289) and Jerry Terrell (.285) are the leading hitters. Only 20 HR so far, 4 off the bat of a soon-to-be-ready-for-prime-time George Foster. Jack Billingham has made a big difference and is 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA. Rookie Dan Spillner and 1972 All Star Tom Bradley are not so fortunate - both 0-5.

Western Division

Knarro (30-10) - A balanced attack has served the Roadies well. Led by Dave Cash (.331) and George Scott (.312) the Roadies are saying "Yes, We Can" when asked about holding off the challenge from Wyandotte. Dave Kingman's 4 HR in 51 at bats leads the team, as does Scott's 23 RBI and Cash's 25 runs. Lynn McGlothen is 6-0 while Jim Rooker is 6-2. Each pitcher has thrown 2 shutouts. The Roadies lead the league in both batting and pitching, and have the NL's best record.

Wyandotte (27-13) - If it weren't for a 5-0 loss at Wisconsin the Camels could be in first place in the NL West. Willie Davis' name has been mentioned several times in trade talks during the past 2 years, but the old vet continues to produce for Wyandotte. Davis leads the team in hitting, runs, RBI, and steals (.384, 32 runs, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 7 sb). Teammate Larry Hisle has contributed 6 HR from the leadoff spot and Ron Cey has knocked in 26. Rudy May has made an incredible turnaround from last year's 4-18 season, and lead the team with a sparkling 5-0 record and a 0.40 ERA (1 ER in 22.1 innings). His only start was a shutout. Rick Reuschel is 4-0 while Tanana and Morton are both 5-2.

Minnesota (16-24) - Hal McRae has emerged as the team's leading hitter with a .348 average, 22 runs and 11 doubles. Jeff Burroughs has been a bit of a disappointment (.254, 6, 17) as has Willie Montanez (.281 with 0 HR). In fact the overall lack of power (24 HR) has been hard to accept. Pat Dobson is often rumored to be traded, and his 6-2, 1.36 record may make him attractive enought for someone to bite. Jim Lonborg is also under 2 with a 1.93 ERA.

Jamestown (12-28) - It's a sad start to what should have been another grand year for Hank Aaron. Aaron has struggled (.198, 1 HR, 13 RBI) and fans are beginning to face reality that the end of his career could be near. Mike Schmidt has poked 6 HR with 22 RBI and looks like a future star in the making. Newcomers Willie Horton (.429, 4 HR in 56 at bats) and Craig Kusick (5 HR in 43 at bats) have been vaulable off the bench. Ray Sadecki (1-6) and Jackie Brown (1-7) have only twice gotten more than 3 runs of support each.

South Shore (11-29) - Dave Lopes. What a season he is having! Batting .357, 37 runs, 15 doubles, 25 steals, 16 RBI from the leadoff spot! Pat Kelly (.304) and Ben Oglivie (.288) have contributed as well, but there really isn't any production from the 3-4-5 spots. If not for Lopes...Having the worst pitching in the NL has led to having the worst record as well. Tom Griffin (3-3, 3.38) is the only starter under 4.00. Stan Bahnsen is 1-7 with a 10.31 ERA. Ouch.

AL News and Notes - 40 game check up

Eastern DIvision

Berwyn (24-16) - Reggie, Reggie!! Reggie Jackson has been a monster, hitting 9 HR and 30 RBI as his average hovers just below .300. Don Money leads the team with runs scored (27) and doubles (10). Surprisingly the player who has struggled the most is last year's team MVP Ken Singleton (.206, 1 HR, 8 RBI). Youngster Andy Hassler is off to a 5-0 start and has been one of the main reasons the Barons share first place.

Ridgewood (24-16) - Some things never change and with the Reds' lineup, you just can't catch a break. Roy White (.350, 28 runs); Rusty Staub (.304, 9 HR, 27 RBI); Don Kessinger (.302); Joe Morgan (.281, 6 HR, 31 runs, 27 RBI, .458 on base pct.)...even Gene Tenace has 7 HR depsite a .208 average. Dick Allen is also slugging the long ball (9) while his game suffers in other areas (.244). The Reds lead the AL with 4.9 runs per game. Benefitting from all of this support are guys like Dave McNally (6-2, 2.09) and Vern Ruhle (4-1). Clay Carroll and Terry Forster each have 4 saves.

Hopewell (23-17) - Part-timers Ron Fairly, Frank White, Mike Anderson and Gary Sutherland are each hitting over .300, but together they have just 2 HR and 29 RBI. Darrell Evans leads the club in HR with 7 and no player has 20 RBI. The Dutchmen are 8th in the league in batting. Pitching is another matter. Tommy John is 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA. Ross Grimsley (5-3) and Ken Brett (5-2) have also been effective. Poor Bill Bonham is a loner as his record of 1-6 sets him apart from the rest of the rotation. Orlando Pena has had a wierd season, 1-2 with 8 saves and a team worst 4.63 ERA.

Monmouth (17-22) - Looking for a comeback player of the year? His name is Joe Rudi. Rudi leads the AL in HR with 12, tied for the lead in RBI with 30 and is batting .349. Claudell Washington has emerged as an early favorite for rookie of the year honors with a .444 average in 63 at bats. Tim Johnson (?) has chipped in at .352, while twin sophomores Cecil Cooper (.330) and Dave Parker (.308) begin to settle in as starters. Of course we couldn't recap the first quarter without mentioning Billy Champion's perfect game over Brooklyn Center. Champion has come out of nowhere to post a 5-1 record with a 3.29 ERA. Pedro Borbon is getting a chance to save some games this year and checks in with 5. Not all is rosy with the Militia hurlers as they are next to last in ERA at 4.69. Paul Splittorff and Jim Colborn each have 5 losses.

Flatbush (13-27) - Well, there's always next year. About the only thing going right in Flatbush is the development of 2nd year thirdbasemen Bill Madlock. Mad Dog leads the AL in hitting at .402 and has 13 doubles. Reigning AL MVP Tony Perez has struggled, batting just .252 with 6 HR. The pitching staff is in a shambles as only Mike Torrez has a starters' ERA under 4. Jim Palmer is 1-2 with 5 no decisions.

Western Division

Winchester (25-15) - Steve Garvey (.345, 10, 32) has emerged as one of the AL's best hitters and is putting together one of the best offensive seasons Winchester has seen in years. Sophomore Bake McBride (.316, 23 runs) has provided a solid bat at the top of the lineup while vets Jim Wynn (8 HR, 26 runs, 24 RBI) and Bill Freehan (.322) have revived dormant careers. The production has been so great that Winchester leads the AL in hitting! They also lead in fielding and are second in ERA. Luis Tiant has gone every 4th day and is 6-4 to lead the team in wins. The 1-2 tandom of Murray (5 saves) and Murphy (4) makes for the AL's #2 bullpen behind Hopewell.

Topeka (21-19) - Speed kills and the Fire Ants are stealing bases at a 1 per game pace. Ralph Garr is sizzling with a .377 average and 22 extra base hits in 161 plate appearances. Mickey Rivers (.330, 12-0 in steals) and Manny Sanguillen (.305) are also part of the Topeka hit parade. The longball is not a Fire Ant trademark, but Bob Bailey's 5 round trippers ties Garr for the team lead. Garr has 25 RBI, many of those set up by Rivers' skill at stealing bases. Steve Carlton leads the club in wins at 6-3, but Hunter (3-4), Holtzman (3-3) and Wood (4-4) are struggling. Doug Bird has 5 saves. The Ants are 2nd in hitting and 3rd in pitching in the AL.

Bellingham (18-21) - The Bells got off to a hot start but have certainly cooled down, dropping their last 6 games to Monmouth. Rod Carew has rebounded from a disappointing 1973, hitting .383 with 15 steals. However he has only scored 12 runs, indicative of trouble in the middle of the Bellingham lineup. Jerry Morales seems to like his starting position and is batting .317 with 5 triples. Lou Brock is having a so-so year at the plate (.270) but has amassed 20 steals thus far. Clean up hitter Toby Harrah has 7 HR and 24 RBI, but is batting only .205. Gaylord Perry (6-2, 1.51, 3 shutouts) is seeking his 3rd consecutive Cy Young award. This fine record comes despite only 3.2 runs per game of support. He is the only Bells' starter with a winning record.

Brooklyn Center (18-22) - The Brawlers efforts to get to .500 are led by Cleon Jones (.339) and Dan Driessen (.287). Powell, Pinson and Metzger are all batting in the 270-280 range and give the team a more balanced attack than last year. The squad still lacks power as Powell's 5 HR lead the team. On the mound, Briles and Rogers have 4 wins each but no starter has stood out above the rest. Bill Campbell has had a jekyl and hyde type year - 6 saves and an 0-4 record.

Cooperstown (16-24) - What happened to the Cardinals' offense? They are last in the AL in batting at .226, and have only one regular over .260 (Steve Brye at .290). Amos Otis and Dusty Baker are both hitting .248 while fan favorite Doug Rader is at .198. Billy Williams (.160) has lost his starting job. Baker does has 8 HR and 23 RBI. Phil Niekro has done well in filling Gaylord's shoes at 6-3 with a 1.19 ERA. But he is pretty much a one man show as Joe Coleman, Bob Gibson and John D'Acquisto are a combined 3-12, 7.11 ERA. Ouch.

Players of the Quarter

National League - Dave Lopes, South Shore

American League - Billy Champion, Monmouth

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Standings - 40 games

NL East	W	L	GB		NL West	W	L	GB
Mechanicsburg	29	11	-		Knarro	30	10	-
Wisconsin	25	15	4		Wyandotte	27	13	3
Ohio	21	19	8		Minnesota	16	24	14
Louisville	15	25	14		Jamestown	12	28	18
Satellite Beach	14	26	15		South Shore	11	29	19
AL East	W	L	GB		AL West	W	L	GB
Ridgewood	24	16	-		Winchester	25	15	-
Berwyn	24	16	-		Topeka	21	19	4
Hopewell	23	17	1		Bellingham	18	21	6.5
Monmouth	17	22	6.5		Brooklyn Center	18	22	7
Flatbush	13	27	11		Cooperstown	16	24	9

League Leaders - 40 games

	National League	American League
Batting	Davis, Wya - .384	Madlock, Fla - .402
Runs	Lopes, SS - 37	Morgan, Rid - 31
Hits	Davis, Wya - 63	Garr, Top, Garvey, Win - 57
RBI	Zisk, Lou, Cedeno, Wis - 32	Garvey, Win - 32
Doubles	Lopes, SS - 15	Madlock, Fla, Garr, Top, Baker, Coo - 13
Triples	Robinson C, Jam, Terrell, SB, Cedeno, Wis - 4	Morales, Bel, Metzger, BC - 5
Homeruns	Zisk, Lou - 11	Rudi, Mon - 12
Walks	Bonds, Mec - 35	Bailey, Top and Tenace, Rid - 31
Strikeouts	Yeager, Wis - 40	Foote, BC - 38
Steals	Lopes, SS - 25	Brock, Top - 20
ERA	Barr, Ohi - 1.30	John, Hop - 1.12
Wins	Roberts, Mec 7-0 and Sutton, Wis 7-1	Five tied with 6 wins
Saves	Lindblad, Mec - 9	Pena, Hop - 8
Strikeouts	Ryan, Wis - 85	Carlton, Top - 76

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