Billy Champion spins NCABL's first ever perfect game!!North Carolina APBA Baseball League REGISTER An Official Publication of the NCABL - Established 1992
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Vol. 8, No. 1 |
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October 12, 1999 |
Billy Champion spins NCABL's first ever perfect game!!
Not much has gone right for the Monmouth Militia lately, but perhaps an omen of change has appeared. Billy Champion retired all 27 Brawler batters enroute to becoming the league's first pitcher in history to throw a perfect game. He struck out pinch hitter George Mitterwald to end the game, his 9th strike out on the day.
Champion entered 1974 with a career record of 8-10, 4.44 ERA. Champion made only 5 career starts prior to this year, but has started 4 times in 1974 as part of the Militia's rotation. To see the boxscore, click here.
NL News and Notes - Wyandotte enjoys 15-5 start
This is to be the year the Roadies were challenged for the NL West crown, but it seems that they don't intend on letting go. The only thing different about the start of the season is that it's Wyandotte who has kept pace with Knarro instead of Minnesota. The Camels have matched Knarro with a blazing 15-5 start, best in the leauge.
Knarro's offense is again a balanced attack, with Dave Cash leading the way at .330. Dave Kingman has 4 HR in just 27 at bats but is having trouble finding a place to play. Jim Rooker leads the starters with a 3-1 record and an ERA of 0.84. Tom House is 3-0 out of the pen.
Like the Roadies, Wyandotte is winning with a solid lineup 1-8 and good pitching. Willie Davis is hitting .337 to pace the NL's top offense, and Larry Hisle's 4 HR matches Kingman. Not to be outdone, Rudy May is off to a 3-0 start and a microscopic 0.56 ERA. Reuschel, Tanana and Morton also have 3 wins, covering a questionable bullpen outside of Sosa.
Minnesota is off to a rough 7-13 start and has moved many players in hopes of having a more balanced future. Gone after 20 games are: Mike Jorgensen and Rich Folkers to Hopewell; Joe Decker to Wyandotte; Buzz Capra and Chuck Taylor to Berwyn; and Oscar Zamora to Ridgewood. In exchange the Ostrogoths obtained Geoff Zahn, Reggie Cleveland and four picks in the 1975 draft.
South Shore and Jamestown are occupying the game between the other 3 teams. Dave Lopes is following up his rookie of the year season with a .365 start, 4th in the NL. He also leads the league in runs (32) and steals (16). The talk in Jamestown is rookie Wayne Garland and his 4-0 start. Garland has allowed just 4 runs in 34 innings. Henry Aaron is off to a quiet start, homerless in his first 53 plate appearances.
Mechanicsburg, Louisville and Wisconsin are again the top teams in the NL East, and the Flash hold a 2 game lead after taking 4 of 5 from the Redbirds. Stargell and Bench at the center of the Flash offense. Each is hitting .329 and Bench leads the NL in RBI with 23 and is tied with Zisk with 6 HR . The Redbirds' Pete Rose leads the NL in hitting at .387. Wisconsin solidified its position with 4 wins against Ohio. Nolan Ryan won the 1st and 5th game to move his record to 3-3. Rookie Greg Gross (.356) and Steve Yeager (4 HR, 19 RBI) have been the surprise leaders of the offense.
The problem for Ohio has been their offense...or lack of it. They are hitting a paltry .194 with just one full time player hitting over .250 (Bill Buckner at .261). Satellite Beach continues to have problems, recently losing Mike Lum, Tom McCraw and Bill Sharp to injuries. Randy Jones and recent call up Bob Forsch look to be pretty decent pitching talents. One bright spot has been Jack Billingham, 3-1 with a 2.51 ERA.
AL News and Notes - Red (Hot) Barons atop AL East
Berwyn's offense has gotten the team off to a great start at 14-6, a game ahead of defending champion Ridgewood. Rick Burleson, Reggie Jackson and Bob Watson are all hitting over .300. Jackson has 4 HR and 18 RBI, 2nd in the AL. With the recent addition of Buzz Capra and Chuck Taylor, the Barons have picked up some pitching to contend with Ridgewood for the AL East title.
Ridgewood has the league's most productive offense at 5.3 runs per game. Currently on top of the AL East, the Redlegs 13-7 record is good enough for a 2 game lead over Berwyn. Dave McNally is 4-0 with an 0.52 ERA, and has emerged as the new stopper for the Reds. Rookie Vern Ruhle is 3-0 while Lolich is 3-2. On offense, Roy White is batting .407, he and Joe Morgan are tied for the lead in runs with 16 while Morgan leads in RBI with 19. Staub, Allen and Tenace each have 4 HR. They have also acquired Oscar Zamora to add some depth to the teams sole weakness, its bullpen.
Hopewell, Monmouth and Flatbush are all under .500. The 9-11 Dutchmen recently acquired Mike Jorgensen to add some pop to their offense. Tommy John has been the stopper at 3-0, 0.71. In Monmouth, Joe Rudi has returned to form and is batting .333 with a league-leading 8 HR. Trouble is that the rest of the team only has 4 HR. Flatbush, a league worst 5-15, has been pleased with sophomore Bill Madlock. He is 3rd in the AL with a .393 average.
In the West, Winchester leads Bellingham by a game. Del Unser has been a pleasant surprise with his .351 average and 4 HR. The Rifles strong point is pitching, and they are 1st in the AL at 2.26. The Rifles bullpen is 2-0 with 5 saves and a sparkling 1.03 ERA. Bellingham has been influenced by the winning tradition of Gaylord Perry. Perry is 5-1 with an ERA of 1.04. Rod Carew (.384) and Jerry Morales (.366) are 3rd and 4th in the AL in batting.
Topeka is at .500 while Brooklyn Center and Cooperstown are below .500 and waiting for something good to happen. Topeka's Ralph Garr leads the AL in batting at .434, but until a 21-3 outbreak against Cooperstown, the team could not score any runs. Steve Carlton is off to a hot start, 4-1. Topeka is hoping new manager Dave Hogan will be lead the team from the pack; he's off to a good start, a 4-1 series with Cooperstown. Cooperstown is in a big slump, last in the league in batting at .228, 8th in pitching. Cardinal regulars Doug Rader and Billy Williams are batting below .200. Phil Niekro's 3-1 record is the lone bright spot on the mound. For Brooklyn Center, Cleon Jones (.351) and Boog Powell (5 HR) have started well.
Players of the Month
This feature will appear during the last week of each month. Look for it in 3 weeks.
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NL East |
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NL West |
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Mechanicsburg |
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Knarro |
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Louisville |
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Wyandotte |
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Wisconsin |
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South Shore |
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Ohio |
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Jamestown |
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Satellite Beach |
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Minnesota |
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AL East |
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AL West |
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Berwyn |
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Winchester |
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Ridgewood |
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Bellingham |
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Hopewell |
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Topeka |
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Monmouth |
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Brooklyn Center |
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Flatbush |
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Cooperstown |
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League Leaders - 20 games
National League |
American League |
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Batting |
Rose, Lou - .387 |
Garr, Top - .434 |
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Runs |
Lopes, SS - 22 |
Four tied with 16 |
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Hits |
Lopes, SS - 31 |
Garr, Top - 33 |
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RBI |
Bench, Mec - 23 |
Morgan, Rid - 19 |
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Doubles |
Lopes, SS - 9 |
Four tied with 8 |
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Triples |
Rose, Lou and Terrell, SB - 3 |
Morales, Bel - 4 |
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Homeruns |
Zisk, Lou and Bench, Mec - 6 |
Rudi, Mon - 8 |
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Walks |
Gross, Wis and Bonds, Mec - 16 |
Bailey, Top - 19 |
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Strikeouts |
Geronimo, SB and Bonds, Mec - 22 |
Perez, Fla - 21 |
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Steals |
Lopes, SS - 16 |
Brock, Top - 14 |
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ERA |
Rooker, Kna - 0.84 |
McNally, Rid - 0.52 |
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Wins |
Garland, Jam 4-0 and Sutton, Wis 4-1 |
Perry, Bel 5-1 |
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Saves |
Marshall, Lou - 3 |
Bird, Top and Pena, Hop 4 |
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Strikeouts |
Ryan, Wis - 43 |
Carlton, Top - 42 |
Somehow I missed including a great article by Phil Preston on his pre-draft preparation. To view the article, click here.