Between The Lines

FINGER-LICKIN' GOOD
Wade Boggs became the first man since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit .400 over the course of a season's worth of games. During the Red Sox' final 107 games of the 1985 season, beginning June 13, Boggs hit .402 (173 for 430). Over the first 55 games of this season, through June 8, Boggs hit .395 (81 for 205). So in that stretch of 162 games Boggs was 254 for 635—an even .400. And don't expect him to wilt. In his first four seasons, Boggs averaged .342 before the All-Star break, .395 after. Through the first 59 games he had swung at and missed only 21 of the 1,192 pitches thrown to him.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

?"I know I'm leading the team in getting chewed out by Earl [Weaver]. This is three times now he has cursed my mother. The thing that really bothers me is that he keeps mentioning that word Rochester."—Baltimore pitcher Brad Havens.

?"I figured it was the only way I could win 300 games in 90 minutes."—San Diego pitcher Eric Show on his upcoming screen role as Christy Mathewson.

GLORY DAYS
In a battle of 41-year-olds Don Sutton beat Tom Seaver for his 299th win on June 9. That game also featured a matchup of aging catchers, Bob Boone (38) and Carlton Fisk (37). Sutton versus 306-game winner Seaver was the greatest confrontation of total victories (604) since Aug. 26, 1926, when 408-game winner Walter Johnson met Red Faber, a 197-game winner. As for Sutton's performance, White Sox vice-president Ken Harrelson said, "He scuffed so many baseballs that had to be thrown out, we outfitted all the Catholic Youth Leagues of Chicago."

RICHARD II
The Mets needed a onetime starter on June 9, so the call went to 29-year-old Rick Anderson, who had spent the last seven seasons at Tidewater. In his previous start for the Tides, Anderson rushed through 8? perfect innings against Toledo because his wife was due, then waited five days until Richard III was born. Anderson's father and mother, Richard I and Jeane, flew from Anchorage to New York to see Richard II's major league debut. Anderson came through with a solid seven innings of four-hit ball against the Phillies and left with a 3-2 lead, only to watch as the Mets' bullpen gave away the game. The next day Anderson was on his way back to Tidewater.

THE MICKEY KLUTTS INJURIES OF THE WEEK
Wade Boggs missed a start because of bruised ribs suffered when he fell against a couch in a Toronto hotel room pulling on his cowboy boots, and Oakland catcher Mickey Tettleton went on the disabled list with a foot infection that may have been caused by tying his shoelaces too tight.

MISCELLANEOUS

?In consecutive games against the Yankees, Lee Lacy and Juan Beniquez—who previously had a combined total of three home runs—each had three-homer games. Lacy did it on June 8 to become the first righthanded batter since Ben Chapman in 1932 to hit three in Yankee Stadium. Beniquez hit his three on June 12 in Memorial Stadium, the only Oriole other than Bobby Grich (1974) ever to do it.

?The Mets have used the same batting order in three straight games only once, April 12-13-14. That also was their only three-game losing streak of the season.