Baseball's Week

NATIONAL LEAGUE

"I was never so glad in my life as when spring training ended," one Cactus Leaguer admitted recently. "After Mays, McCovey Cepeda and Hart every day, anything else is Triple-A." Cepeda is gone now, traded to St. Louis for Ray Sadecki, but throwing a pitch to a Giant is still a little like tossing a pebble into a rock crusher. SAN FRANCISCO (6-0) had won eight straight through Sunday, with small embellishments like knocking Sandy Koufax out in the second or scoring 13 runs in one inning. In a streak like that, Willie Mays Ott to have hit his record-breaking 512th home run. He did. Unexpected players committed nine errors in three games, and PITTSBURGH (3-3) dropped to second. In one stretch, for implausible example, Roberto Clemente made two throwing errors, watched a third strike with two men on base, and punched a fan after the game. When, one day, Clemente did hit a bases-loaded two-out single, Manny Mota and Matty Alou got tangled at third for the final game-losing out. Even in this, their finest hour, the HOUSTON (5-1) Astros were upstaged by their Astrohome. After nine victories in 11 games, the ball club had a firm grip on third. The Astrodome, unfortunately, had another first. To the zippered-plastic infield (first infield with built-in infield fly), guaranteed-glare dome and dying grass, add indoor rain squalls: the roof leaks. The damp Astroturf, however, didn't slow Grady Hatton's mudders. PHILADELPHIA (3-3) Manager Gene Mauch announced, "Anybody who gives up on this team is crazy." The Phillies, who had already scored three runs in the bottom of the 11th, got a two-out, two-run Dick Groat single to beat the Pirates 8-7. ATLANTA (3-3) remained tied for fifth in the National League or, depending on whom you ask, ninth in the circles of hell. Young Second Baseman Woody Woodward (.333) replaced veteran Frank Boiling. "Something happens when Woody is in the lineup," says Bobby Bragan. "We win." LOS ANGELES (1-5) was getting the hitting it could have used last year. Jeff Torborg was .294, Maury Wills .282, Jim Lefebvre .310, Willie Davis .296 and the whole team second in the NL at .252. And the pitching? Best ERA in the league. Then how come they were tied for fifth place? Who knows? But they must be doing something wrong. Rob Gardner pitched a four-hitter for NEW YORK (3-3), Tug McGraw allowed seven hits in his game, Dennis Ribant five in his, and Jack Hamilton (who had a one-hitter earlier in the week against the Cardinals) only two in his, yet the Mets—bless their little hearts—were able to win only two of four games from the last-place Cubs. The wrecking crews, scheduled to tear down old Sportsman's Park after last Sunday's game, reported for work early. ST. LOUIS (1-4) pitchers surrendered 13 runs in one inning Saturday night and 10 more (in nine innings) the next afternoon. Cardinal batsmen, around the same time, were getting one safe hit (a bunt) against the Mets and letting Bob Gibson lose two three-hitters to the Giants within six days. Manager Don Heffner, who has changed the CINCINNATI (3-3) lineup 16 times in 18 games, kept making moves. At one time or another, prize rookie Tommy Helms was on third, Pete Rose was back at second and Deron Johnson was on the bench. They worked, too. Cincinnati had its best week of the season. W. Russell Arrington is a Republican, Majority Leader of the Illinois Senate, and a CHICAGO (2-5) fan. Whenever he can, he sneaks off to watch the Cubs play. A week ago, when Laughing Leo's kind of team was only 4-12 instead of 6-17, he watched them blow a one-run lead with two out and a 3-2 count in the ninth inning. "That," said Arrington, "is a team that only Tom Dewey could really appreciate."

Standings: SF 18-7, Pitt 14-8, Hou 15-10, Phil 11-9, Atl 13-12, LA 13-12, NY 8-10, St. L. 8-14, Cinn 7-14, Chi 6-17

AMERICAN LEAGUE

There's a new cheer for the Birds, as league-leading CLEVELAND (4-3) discovered when it caucused in BALTIMORE (3-3) for four games with the second-place Orioles. The "Charge!" syndrome has finally reached Maryland. The up-to-the-minute management plays bugle notes over the P.A. system, and their fun-loving fans dutifully scream on signal. Whee. Friday night the bugles blasted as the Indians' Sam McDowell prepared to pitch, and it was Cleveland Manager Birdie Tebbetts who charged. "They can do anything they want when the ball isn't in play," Birdie trumpeted to the ump. "They can dance in the aisles or blow up the place. But this is something being done to my club that I have no chance to do to theirs." Birdie lost the argument and lost the game, then lost two more on Sunday when the Birds tied the Indians for the league lead. Frank Robinson hit the first fair ball ever out of vast Municipal Stadium. Young Rick Reichardt and Jack Warner continued to lead CALIFORNIA (4-2), but such ancients as Norm Siebern (10 for 16, 7 RBIs), Jack Sanford and Lew Burdette helped mightily. Meanwhile, brand-new Anaheim Stadium has drawn 270,159 for 12 home dates—up 158,318 from 1965 Angel attendance. Twice in six days CHICAGO (1-4) was stopped on one-hitters, getting just one extra base hit and five runs in 46 innings. The White Sox won 1-0 on Saturday behind Tommy John (and that was the first run Tommy had been given in 16 innings, or since he himself had hit a home run). But when they tried that one-run-a-day act again on Sunday, they lost. Charles Dressen, self-proclaimed pitching expert and the man who brought in Ralph Branca to face Bobby Thomson, got two shutouts from his DETROIT (3-2) pitchers. Mickey Lolich (3-1, ERA 3.77) five-hit Boston 8-0, and Denny McLain (4-1, ERA 1.98) one-hit Chicago 1-0. Between its own shutouts, Detroit got shut out 1-0 and 7-0. Tony Oliva of MINNESOTA (4-2) popped 11 hits in 16 at bats to lift his average to .394, and the Twins reacted by winning five straight. Oliva previously had had two hits in 19 at bats, and the Twins had lost five of six. But the Twins were still last in the American League's six-team first division. WASHINGTON (3-2), first in its class, continued to play poorly against poor teams and well against good ones. After sweeping two from Baltimore, the Senators then managed two losses to the A's, a team batting .188. One clue: Pitcher Pete Richert has worked on no-hitters three times in five games but has only a 1-4 record. Except for George Scott (above) and Carl Yastrzemski, BOSTON (3-3) had little to talk about. The pitchers have a staff ERA of 4.55, and there is a standing-room-only bullpen. KANSAS CITY (2-4) had a somewhat different situation. "I'm going to keep the bullpen empty," Al Dark told Rookie Pitcher Chuck Dobson, "it's you all the way." Dobson said, "I thought he was kidding." Dark wasn't, the bullpen stayed empty and Dobson beat the Senators 2-1 on four hits.

New York (2-4) lost four in a row before Johnny Keane was fired, then won two in a row for Ralph Houk. Mickey Mantle batted in all the runs in a 3-1 victory.

Standings: Balt 15-4, Clev 15-4, Det 13-9, Chi 11-8, Cal 12-9, Minn 9-9, Wash 7-12, Bos 7-14, NY 6-16, KC 5-15

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]