9/1/71 update
 

The Royals have climbed to 68-68, which has met the goal of ownership, what the next month brings will go a long way to determine the future of manager Will Smith.

AL East
Orioles (83-53) 12 gm lead over Detroit

AL West
White Sox (78-56) 8.5 gm lead on the Twins

NL East
Pirates (81-57) 2gm lead over the Cardinals

NL West
Astros (82-54) 10 gm lead over the Giants

Astros go 10-18 in August, while the Orioles go 17-10 to take over best record

Leaders
Avg
Carlos May (CWS) .335 Ken Boswell (NYN) .333
Amos Otis .318

HR
REG-GIE (OAK) 36 Lee May (CIN) 33
Richie Hebner 18

RBI
Bill Melton (CWS) 101 Earl Williams (ATL) 100
Amos Otis 87

SB
Campy Campaneris (OAK) 44 Joe Morgan (HOU) 47
Amos Otis 28

W
John Curtis (BOS) 21 Jack Fischer (CIN) 20
Paul Splittorff 11

ERA
Bill Gogolewski (WSN) 2.08 Tom Seaver (NYN) 2.07
Dick Drago 2.56

K
Vida Blue (Oak), Sam McDowell (CLEV) 212 Tom Seaver (NYN) 237
Roger Nelson 126

The Twins have lost Tony Oliva for 6months with a torn labrum
Dave McNally has reached the 20 win plateau for the 4th straight season
teammate Jim Palmer will need 4 more wins to join the elite group for the 3rd straight season

Will Smith is 37-28 since taking over for Gordon, and being left alone by the front office.

pennant update
 

The Orioles and the Astros have clinched their respective divisions

Don't look now, but the Royals are within 5 of the White Sox, in the NL East the
Pirates have extended their lead to 4.5 over St Louis

Each team has about 10 games left to play

Pilots
 

I am playing through with the Pilots. But I'm doing everything and it will take me months to get through a season or two.

I am thinking of starting a GM Mode only with 1969 and playing with the Pilots.

I assume that is what you are doing (although with the Royals).

Do you play a day at a time or longer?

I'm thinking setting things up and then paying a week at a time. Then I can look at the highlights and news stories from each week. Write an update on that week and make any gm level adjustments. I suppose the hardest part will be to not try to meddle in too many of the manager's decisions.

I play about 75% of the games in 1 pitch mode, since hiring Will Smith, I allow him to set all of the lineups and rotations. However, in game I make the decisions as far as bullpen and substitutions. I do make all of the GM decisions myself.
As far as games played, I play about 5-10 games a day. I can play a game in about 5-10 minutes. Play most games when I get out of bed while waiting on my boys to get ready for school.

Pennant Race
 

Pirates have clinched

Royals are still 5 back with 6 to play, Splittorff has been lost for the season with an ankle injury

Ron Santo cracked HR # 300 and the broken leg that ended Ken Singletons season, has now cost him his career. :(

Stay tuned, will post as I get closer to division crown or elimination

Ah, it would save a bunch of time to have the manager set the lineups and rotations.

So you are handling all the moves between your minor league teams?

White Sox clinch
 

The Royals have dropped 3 in a row, as have the Sox. However, we have run out of games to get it done.
Congratulations to the White Sox as they will move on to face the Orioles while in the NL the Pirates will face-off against the Astros



I DO make the minor league moves, but, I do not have a draft, instead rookies enter as they did in real life, so I do not have a lot of players in the minors at this time, so not a whole lot of moves. Also, no FA at this time not until 1974 I believe.

1971 season in review
 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have defeated the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games to win the WS

Final Standings
AL East
Orioles 100-62
Yanks 85-77
Senators 83-79
Tigers 82-80
Red Sox 72-90
Indians 71-91

AL West
White Sox 91-71
Royals 85-77
Twins 82-80
A's 80-82
Angels 80-82
Brewers 61-101

NL East
Pirates 100-62
Cardinals 92-70
Mets 84-78
Cubs 79-83
Expos 77-85
Phillies 63-99

NL West
Astros 92-70
Reds 86-76
Giants 83-79
Dodgers 81-81
Braves 76-86
Padres 59-103

League Leaders
Avg
Ron Fairly (CLE) .328 Ralph Garr (ATL) .343
Carlos May (CHW) .325 Ken Boswell (NYN) .324

Hits
Amos Otis (KC) 197 Cito Gaston (SD) 188

Doubles
Mickey Rivers (CAL) 38 Tony Perez (CIN) 35

HR
REG-GIE (OAK) 39 Bob Robertson (PITT) 35
Frank Howard (WSN) 38 Dick Allen (PHIL) 32

RBI
Bill Melton (CHW) 119 Bob Robertson (PITT) 113
Amos Otis (KC) 112 Earl Williams (ATL) 113

SB
Sandy Alomar Sr (CWS) 53 Joe Morgan (HOU) 53
Campy Campaneris (OAK) 47 Cesar Cedeno (HOU 47

W
John Curtis (BOS) 23 Jack Fisher (CIN) 23
Fritz Peterson (NYY) 23 Reggie Cleveland (SL) 22

ERA
Bill Gogolewski (WSN) 2.05 Tom Seaver (NYN) 2.26
Jim Palmer (BALT) 2.06 Steve Carlton (SL) 2.51

K
Vida Blue (OAK) 250 Tom Seaver (NYN) 289
Sam McDowell (CLE) 250 Fergie Jenkins (CHN) 244

awards and a Royals review coming soon

Awards
 

Cy Young
Dave McNally (BAL) 22-9 2.33 era
Tom Seaver (NYN) 21-12 2.26 era

ROY
John Curtis (BOS) 23-12 2.97 era
Greg Luzinski (PHI) .272 15HR 59 RBI

MVP
Bill Melton (CHW) .253 33HR 119 RBI
Bob Robertson (PIT) .292 35HR 113 RBI

Al Kaline (DET) had the leagues longest hitting streak at 23

There were a lot of 20 gm winners, 15 to be exact
Dave McNally for the 4th straight year
Jim Palmer and Fritz Peterson for the 3rd straight year
Tom Seaver for the 2nd straight year

1971 Royals leaders
 

Most commonly used lineup, Royals finished 85-77
Joe Gordon (31-40) Will Smith (54-37)

C-Tim McCarver
1B- Mike Fiore
2B-Bill Mazeroski
SS-Maury Wills
3B-Richie Hebner .315, 24 HR
OF-Lou Piniella
OF-Amos Otis .315, 197 hits, 34 2B, 13 3B, 112 RBI, 34 SB
OF-Pat Kelly 34 SB

Bob Oliver 103 K, Joe Foy 75 BB

SP-Roger Nelson 14-11 3.03 ERA
SP-Paul Splittorff 13-15 3.47 ERA
SP-Dick Drago 16-8 2.15 ERA
SP-Carl Morton 10-8 4.20 ERA
SP-Wally Bunker 6-11 4.63 ERA

RP-Monty Montgomery 15 S 1.91 ERA

Go Royals!

Well the Royals were presented with an opportunity to upgrade at 1st base, however it would cost them a few young players.

Charlie O Finley and his A's were looking to cut some salary, they had picked up Orlando Cepeda at the trade deadline in an attempt to chase down the White Sox. Well that did not work out, and with a wonderful group of up and coming young players it was time for them to part ways.

In a 6 player deal the Royals sent

Ernie Banks, Jerry Cram, Jim Wohlford and Bill Butler
to Oakland for
Orlando Cepeda and Larry Gura

Cram is a highly regarded arm young arm in the pen, whereas Butler had been an important swingman between the pen and the rotation over the past 2 seasons, Wohlford is a rookie LFer and Banks, who is headed to Cooperstown, will continue his farewell tour around the league. Cepeda can hopefully be a nice complement to Hebner and Otis in the middle of the Royals lineup, and Gura hopes to find his way to the rotation in the coming years.

Thank you for your support Rocknfire

Interesting, good stuff... I'm curious to see how your '75-'80 Royals compare to RL, but that's a ways off... Unsolicited advice: If you happen to draft/acquire a kid named George Brett, you might want to hang on to him ;-)

Sound advice

Would also like to manage to acquire Hal McRae

New ballpark
 

The Washington Senators are no more

In the offseason the club was moved to Arlington, TX, with that comes the newest ballpark in the majors, Arlington Stadium. It is a renovated minor league park that pales in comparison to some of the current complexes being built. Either way the folks in the metroplex are excited and will welcome the Royals to town for a 4 game series to open the season.

Last seasons young closer Monty Montgomery remains on the DL with a rotator cuff strain, he will hopefully be going the club in a few weeks.

Expectations are running high in KC, as they come off a 85 win season, a season that saw the attendance exceed 1m for the first time in team history. The Royals are in the midst of building their own stadium, to be called Royals Stadium, it is set to open in April of 1973.

1972 Top Prospects
 

Mike Schmidt-3B Phillies
Rick Reuschel-MR Cubs
Dwight Evans-RF Red Sox
Dave Goltz-SP Twins
Steve Busby-SP Royals
Gary Matthews Sr-LF Giants
Lynn McGlothen-SP Red Sox
Gary Ryerson-SP Brewers
Johnny Grubb-CF Padres
Dick Tidrow-SP Indians

Just thought you might find it interesting to recap where many of these guys once started

5/01/72 update
 

Royals are red hot, posting their hottest start yet, at 16-7
However, Richie Hebner was just lost for 3 weeks after spraining his thumb sliding into 2nd.
Paul Splittorff also left his last start early and is being evaluated, he is considered day-to-day.

AL East
Tigers 12-7

AL West
Royals 16-7

NL East
Phillies 15-6

NL West
Dodgers 16-6

AVG
Wes Parker (Oak) .408 Al Oliver (PITT) .458
Richie Hebner (KC) .347

HR
Boog Powell (BALT) 7 Bobby Bonds (SF) 7
Richie Hebner (KC) 2

RBI
Richie Hebner (KC) 19 Bobby Bonds (SF) 22

SB
Amos Otis (KC) 11 Joe Morgan (HOU) 12

W
Mickey Lolich (DET) 5 Dock Ellis (PITT) 4
Dick Drago (KC) 4

ERA
Mike Cuellar (BALT) 1.07 Steve Blass (PITT) 1.35
Paul Splittorff (KC) 1.58

K
Joe Coleman (TEX) 36 Tom Seaver (NYN) 42
Steve Busby (KC) 26

Billy Williams (CHC) has joined the 2000 hit club
Dave Cash (PITT) has a 27 game hitting streak

Splittorff has been lost for 8 weeks with tightness in his left shoulder, it is thought to be scar tissue leftover from last seasons injury

Dave Cash saw his hit streak end at 28 games

Devastating
 

Just as the Royals welcomed back Richie Hebner, Amos Otis has been lost for 6 months with a torn labrum

Also, in my attempts to find a suitable replacement, which there are none, I noticed that Hank Aaron was forced to retire with a career ending injury. The Hammer finished with 597 career HR

05/01/72
 

This should be titled 6/1/72, sorry
Wow, no Splittorff or Otis, this could make for a long year. For now, we remain in contention, will be kind of hard to judge manager Will Smith, if he has no great talent available.

AL East
Yankees maintain a 2gm lead over the Tigers and Indians

AL West
A's with a .5gm lead over KC and 1gm over the White Sox

NL East
Pirates 1.5gm lead over the Mets

NL West
Dodgers hold 1.5gm lead over the Giants

AVG
Wes Parker (OAK) .349 Al Oliver (PITT) .376
Pat Kelly (KC) .281

HR
REG-GIE (OAK) 12 Bobby Bonds (SF) 13
Bob Oliver (KC) 5

RBI
Carlos May (CHW) 33 Bobby Bonds (SF) 38
Bob Oliver (KC) 27

SB
Sandy Alomar Sr (CHW) 18 Joe Morgan (HOU) 27
Pat Kelly (KC) 16

W
Doc Medich (NYA) 9 Tom Seaver (NYN) 8
Dick Drago (KC) 7

ERA
Lynn McGlothen (BOS) 1.46 Tom Seaver (NYN) 1.62
Dick Drago (KC) 2.38

K
Vida Blue (OAK) 77 Tom Seaver (NYN) 100
Dick Drago (KC) 58

Tom Seaver is the early pacesetter for a pitching triple crown, can he maintain it?
Bill Hands (CHC) twirls a no hitter at the hated Cardinals
Dick Tidrow (CLEV) and Jerry Reuss (SL) are both lost for the season

Frank Robinson (BALT) collected hit # 2500