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April 8 1968
Owner says play .500 ball. BNN predicts 92-70 and third place 4 games out. First is reachable.
Last minute change in lineups. Willie Stargell plays 1B against RHP with Matty Alou in LF. Donn Clendenon plays 1B against LHP with Stargell alternating in LF with Curt Flood.
Maz has gotten weak. He's 2.5 stars and BNN ranks him 18th in MLB at 2B. Boston won't talk about Rico Petrocelli who is 5.0 stars, 24 yo, and getting paid minimum wage. Jim Fregosi is 3.5 stars
BNN rates Freddie Patek 12th in MLB at 2B so for now he's playing there. Bob Veale or Bob Moose for a 2B is way too much. Nobody is interested in Steve Blass.
RP Joe Gibbon, RP Stu Miller, C Jay Porter, and SS Bobby Wine all cleared waivers. Only Wine accepted a demotion to AAA.
Traded RP Joe Gibbon 2.0 stars age 32 and AAA CF Conrad Brown age 25 1.5/1.5 for for RP Dave DeBusschere age 28 2.0 stars. Got a fan interest increase for DeBusschere!
So DeBusschere refuses to be demoted! He shows 5 years 140 days service. I thought they couldn't refuse demotion until six years. Anyway RP DeBusschere 2.0 stars age 28 and A ball C Tom Dettore age 20 1.0/2.0 for RP Claude Raymond age 30 2.5 stars and AAA LF Lou Piniella age 24 2.0/2.5.
Tom Dettore was born in Canonsburg PA a few miles south of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg has a statue of Perry Como downtown and the there are two drive up lanes at McDonalds, one named for Como and the other for Bobby Vinton. Real life Dettore brlefly played for the Pirates as a pitcher.
Traded C Jay Porter age 35 2.0 stars for A ball 3B Jim Holt age 23 1.5/2.0. Had to retain 40% ($22k) of Porter's salary.
Traded RP Stu Miller age 40 2.0 stars for Util IF Robert Klein age 31 2.0 as 2B. Klein has an option year. Retained 30% ($24k) of Miller's salary.
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