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Asylum: Where They've Been; Where They're Headed
The Keepers settled a little too comfortably into basement residency (I'm sensing a theme with my teams) in Our League B213. The team seemed to lack the edge one might expect of a squad from Asylum that plays its games at Sanitarium Hills Stadium. On paper, the numbers seem, if not formidable, at least respectable. Barry Larkin led the team in hitting at .295, adding 12 homers and 42 stolen bases. Willie Mays was solid, .280, 19, 72, as were Garret Anderson, .283, 18, 68, Orlando Cepeda, 24 HR, 74 RBI, and Joe DiMaggio, 25 HR, 94 RBI.
The starters, Bill Monbouquette, 11-13, 4.55, Lefty Grove, 13-13, 4.06, David Cone, 12-11, 4.64, and Ken Hill, 9-14, 4.27, tended more toward stolid.
The bullpen, with 15 losses and 10 blown saves was stodgy. In a effort to shake things up, manager Kid Heckett convinced the front office to part with much of its meager budget to sign Livan Hernandez, John Hiller, and Tony Lazzeri. Hernandez faltered in 7 starts while Lazzeri sparkled, hitting .326 with 2 HR, 9 RBI in 26 games. Hiller will get a chance as closer after posting a 1.27 ERA during his brief time with the team. It is hoped that he will provide a spark to lift the team from the easy-going lethargy they slipped into this year.
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