It Turned Into A Royal Occasion

The first half of the season in the American League West belonged to those economy-model teams from Chicago and Minnesota, but in recent weeks two clubs—Kansas City and Texas—that were expected to be near the top all along have moved into the battle. During a five-day stretch in mid-August, each of the four teams was in first place at one time or another, and as the leaders headed into last weekend's action every game became important. SI's Joe Jares ( White Sox), Larry Keith ( Rangers), Peter Gammons (Twins) and Jim Kaplan ( Royals) dogged the contenders as they prepared to enter their stretch drives. Their reports:

THURSDAY

ROYALS

"Who gets the gong?" is the name of a Royal ritual. After each Kansas City win Equipment Manager Al Zych hangs a gold gong in the locker of the player who made the most conspicuous blunder. Of late it has been difficult to find gongees. The Royals have tied a team record—and moved from fourth to first—with eight straight wins. They are getting power—their 110 homers are exactly twice as many as they had at this time last season—and superb relief pitching. The latest bullpen hero is palmballer Doug Bird, who has two wins and six saves in his last 10 outings.

"Am I going to pitch tonight?" Bird asks Manager Whitey Herzog. "Having a hell of a week. Maybe to some right-handed batters?" Herzog shrugs. "Perhaps in the ninth," he says. Sure enough. Bird faces Milwaukee's Jim Wynn, who is the potential winning run, with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth. Bird induces him to hit a ground ball, and KC beats the Brewers 9-6.

The gong? It goes to starter and winner Paul Splittorff, who pitched seven innings. "I guess I was supposed to go nine," he says.

WHITE SOX

"Darnedest team I ever saw" is how Texas Manager Billy Hunter has described the White Sox. "They give you five outs an inning about three times a game, and then they hit so well that it doesn't do you much good." Not only have the Chicago fielders been fumble-fingered, but the pitching has also given up more earned runs than any non-expansion staff in the league. Tonight in Baltimore it is their pitching that the White Sox hitters have to overcome.

Lefthander Ken Kravec, 0-4 for August, gives up 12 hits and four runs in 4? innings, but the Sox are rescued by some Scandinavian sock from two players owner Bill Veeck picked up cheap. Third Baseman Eric Soderholm (a $50,000 free agent of Swedish descent) hits a home run in the second, and strapping Outfielder Wayne Nordhagen (a 29-year-old Norwegian obtained in a minor league trade) drives in four runs with the first and second homers of his brief major league career. Chicago wins 6-4 and moves into second place.

Surrounded by reporters in the locker room, Nordhagen savors the attention.