END OF MAY UPDATE
May has come and gone, and the playoff picture looks like it is already taking shape in the Continental League of Professional Baseball Clubs.
In the Western Division, the
Dallas Texans have a 5 1/2 game lead over the second place team.
Bobby Avila continues to impress, as he leads the league with a .407 batting average. May also treated Texans starting pitcher
Harold Norris well, as he won the league's Pitcher of the Month award. Over 7 starts in the month of May he went 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA.
Behind the 28-20 Texans are their rival right down I-45, the
Houston Colt .45s. At only 23-26, the Colts don't seem to be a real threat for the division crown. While their league worst rotation could use some help, the lineup has gotten a real boost from late April signee
Ray Jablonski. Jablonski hit .400 in May while slugging 6 home runs.
Behind the Colt .45s are the 21-27
Denver Doves. The Doves had a rough go of it in May, with just a 9-15 record in the month. 18-year-old third baseman
Bob Bailey continues to be their most consistent performer, even taking his game up a notch in May. This month he hit .391 with 5 home runs in 24 games played.
Rounding out the Western Division are the abysmal
Minneapolis Millers. At 13-35 and 15 GB of the division leaders, they've been all but eliminated from contention. Their league worst offense has truly sunk them, and
Maury Wills has been mostly uninspiring since returning from an intercostal strain.
The race isn't any tighter in the Eastern Division. At 37-12, the
Toronto Maple Leafs have a commanding 8 1/2 game division lead. Tied for 1st in runs scored and 1st in runs allowed, the Maple Leafs truly have been the league's most dominating team.
Leon Wagner,
William Reynolds, and
Don Taussig have provided a potent 3-4-5 middle of the lineup. Wagner is second in the Continental League in homers with 22, while Reynolds is hitting .318 with 15 homers himself. Taussig is hitting .314, but for much less power, as he has only 6 home runs. If there's any concern for this monster club, its been the struggles of 18-year-old
Tommy John. After an impressive month of April, John limped to a 2-2 record with a 4.60 ERA over 4 starts in May.
Behind the Maple Leafs are the 28-20
Buffalo Lakers. The Lakers were hot in May, going 16-8. They'll also expect a big boost with the return of
Ted Williams within the next 4 days. Williams has missed the better part of the last two weeks with a hamstring strain. Hitting .400 with 29 home runs on the year, Williams is the odds on favorite for the Most Valuable Player Award. Keeping the Lakers afloat in his absence has been third baseman
Frank J. Thomas and catcher
Roger McCardell. Thomas, a three time all-star with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit .337 with 14 HR in May. McCardell hit .409 with 6 HR in the month. In a surprising move, the Lakers traded away outfielder
Bill Wilson to the Mets for 18 year-old starting pitcher
Joseph Carboni at the trade deadline. Wilson was batting .264 with 11 HR for the Lakers. Carboni had a .402 ERA in 6 starts for the Mets. While the Lakers are tied with the Maple Leafs for runs scored, their pitching staff has been suspect, so they hope Carboni can come in and help right the ship.
The
New York Mets and
Atlanta Pilots are tied for last in the Eastern Division at 21-26, however the two teams couldn't have had more different months. The Mets showed signs of improvement in May, going 12-11 after a dismal 9-15 month of April. The Pilots went just 9-14 in May after a 12-12 April. While the offense has been the big issue for the Pilots all year long, the struggles of the starting rotation is what truly did them in this month.
John Smith followed up his 4-0 month of April with a 2-2 May. He had an ERA of 4.05 in May after having a 0.92 ERA in April.
Al Downing also struggled more in May, going 2-4 with a 3.83 ERA after going 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in April.
The Mets improvement comes from a steadying of the middle of the lineup.
Tony Oliva,
Steve Demeter, and
Ted Kluszewski provide a solid middle of the lineup, however they have very little help around them and a poor rotation. With the acquisition of Bill Wilson, the lineup has the potential to get even better in June.
AROUND THE MLB
American League
1)
Washington Senators 25-9
2)
Chicago White Sox 27-12 (1/2 GB)
3)
Cleveland Indians 20-16 (6 GB)
4)
Detroit Tigers 16-15 (7 1/2 GB)
5)
New York Yankees 15-21 (11 GB)
6)
Baltimore Orioles 14-22 (12 GB)
7)
Boston Red Sox 14-23 (12 1/2 GB)
8)
Kansas City Athletics 10-23 (14 1/2 GB)
League Leaders
Average
1) Roy Sievers (CWS) - .373
2) Harmon Killebrew (WAS) - .342
3) Marty Keough (BOS) - .338
Home Runs
1) Harmon Killebrew (WAS) 14
2) Bob Allison (WAS) 13
3) Woodie Held (CLE) 13
Runs Batted In
1) Bob Allison (WAS) - 34
2) Roy Sievers (CWS) - 32
3) Rocky Colavito (DET) - 31
Wins
1) Gene Conley (CWS) - 6
2) Jim Bunning (DET) - 5
3) Jim Perry (CLE) - 5
Earned Run Average
1) Pedro Ramos (WAS) - 1.85
2) Gene Conley (CWS) - 2.06
3) Bill Monbouquette (BOS) - 2.27
Strikeouts
1) Milt Pappas (BAL) - 44
2) Pedro Ramos (WAS) - 42
3) 3) Bill Monbouquette (BOS) - 40
National League
1)
Los Angeles Dodgers 27-11
2)
St. Louis Cardinals 21-17 (6 GB)
3)
Cincinnati Reds 20-17 (6 1/2 GB)
4)
Milwaukee Braves 21-20 (7 1/2 GB)
5)
San Francisco Giants 18-19 (8 1/2 GB)
6)
Philadelphia Phillies 17-24 (11 1/2 GB)
7)
Pittsburgh Pirates 15-22 (11 1/2 GB)
8)
Chicago Cubs 14-23 (12 1/2 GB)
League Leaders
Batting Average
1) Roberto Clemente (PIT) - .372
2) Ken Boyer (STL) - .368
3) Hank Aaron (MIL) - .340
Home Runs
1) Hank Aaron (MIL) - 12
2) Ken Boyer (STL) - 11
3) Frank Howard (LAD) - 11
Runs Batted In
1) Jim Ray Hart (SF) - 36
2) Hank Aaron (MIL) - 34
3) Joe Adcock (MIL) - 31
Wins
1) Larry Jackson (STL) - 7
2) Don Drysdale (LAD) - 5
3) Mike McCormick (SF) - 5
Earned Run Average
1) Joe Nuxhall (CIN) - 1.09
2) Juan Marichal (LAD) - 1.14
3) Mike McCormick (SF) - 1.78
Strikeouts
1) Jim O'Toole (CIN) - 59
2) Don Drysdale (LAD) - 58
3) Marcelino Lopez (PHI) - 55