[italyprof]

The OF is now messy, as Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee, while still productive, are now really part-time players at this point and make for a good RH bench or platoons. Rusty Staub should be in RF, but in 1972 he apparently was injured a good part of the season, so with 3-year recalc but doubling the current season, and him having fewer than 300 AB, even he is a question mark, and Ken Singleton is now a full-time player though, which is a great help. Elliott Maddox will start in CF more often than not, and Leroy Stanton is also available. We still have Ron Swoboda, but I might send him down to AAA join his former platoon partner Art Shamsky,to be called up for emergencies.

3B will also be a platoon, with Celerino Sanchez against LH pitchers and Wayne Garrett against RHers. Tim Foli is a definite upgrade at 2B compared with Boswell who is now a good bench-LH pinch hitter. Bud Harrelson is still at SS. Grote still catching.with Duffy Dyer as backup.

So, our team is:

vs. RH pitchers:

C Grote
1B Kranepool
2B Foli
3B Garrett
SS Harrelson
LF Singleton (backup Cleon Jones)
CF Maddox (Agee every 3rd game)
RF Staub (backup Darwin or Swoboda or Stanton).

Lineup:
Maddox
Foli
Singleton
Staub
Kranepool
Garrett
Grote
Harrelson

Against LH pitchers:

C Grote
1B Darwin
2B Foli
3B Sanchez
SS Harrelson
LF Cleon Jones
CF Maddox/Agee
RF Singleton

Lineup:

Maddox
Foli
Singleton
Darwin
Jones
Sanchez
Grote
Harrelson

Bring on 1972!