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June 1961 Recap
North Division
An 18-7 June saw Boston make their move and they now lead the pack by 6. A late surge by the Gothams has at least got them almost back in touch with the middle two teams, but with the Beacons at or near the top of almost every stat category they will be tough to haul in, especially if Clarke keeps playing the way he has to this point.
West Division
For a while there Portland looked ready to run away with it, but a sweep loss to New York in the final series of the month left them with a fairly ordinary 14-11 mark and, more importantly made them look vulnerable for the first time in some time. The others will take heart from that—well, at least the Lizards and Canaries will. Sad to say the Rainiers, at 15 games back and with the league’s worst record by some margin, look unlikely to feature in any stretch action this time around.
South Division
It all came crashing down in June for Florida, who have fallen to third place after a 9-16 month. Their void was filled by a hot Atlanta unit, who strung together a 19-6 sectional with Reese and Anson running amok, and now lead the division by 6. The Firebirds’ biggest issue is rotation depth: once you get past Joss and Tiant they are eminently gettable, a point I’m sure is not lost on the Blues and Panthers, both of whom will have to get a-movin’ if they want to catch up. The Pirates, it’s safe to say, will be playing more of a spectating role over the remainder.
East Division
Well I almost got it right. Virginia didn’t overtake Washington, but they’ve caught them and the two are tied at the top of the division with a 40-41 record. What was once the least competitive grouping is now the closest, with the four teams within 3½ games of each other. This one should go right down to the wire.
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