Let's just pick things up where that trade update left them then, shall we? Very well.
The trade frenzy either coincides with or precipitates a sharp turnaround in our fortunes as we win nine in a row. The fact that these games were against the struggling Mets and expansion Expos matters not. It happens just as the Phils cool off and suddenly we have closed the gap to 5 and at least sparked some hope of a miraculous comeback. We see through this stretch what our lineup is truly capable of, with Stargell just destroying pitchers seemingly at will, Oliver putting in a star-making turn and Rose slowly working his way back up to being the apex predator we know he is.
We keep on this improved track right through to the All-Star Break, putting an emphatic exclamation point on an unbelievable 17-2 run since the Ellis deal with this Al Oliver-led demolition of the defending Champs that happens
without both Stargell or Rose in the lineup.
At this point we are 3½ back of the Phillies, but we slip back into poor old habits again after the break, dropping three of four at home to the Padres (putting us at 3-6 against them to this point) and a couple more to the Dodgers. In one of those, Giusti implodes for the umpteenth time and, with my eye very much turned to the future, I resist the urge to move Gibbon back to Stopper for a while and stick with the status quo. This season has been like a damn game of
Whack-a-Mole and, I tell you, my mallet is pretty much worn down to the nub.
Thankfully the Phils are having problems of their own and the margin as we enter August remains just 4 ½, with the Cubs tied with us at 60-48.
Some of these batting numbers are verging on tawdry. Al Oliver wins the batting award for July (hitting 452!) and special note to Bobby Tolan, who has racked up 3.5 bWAR - behind only Oliver and Clemente - in a backup role. His 22 SB from 25 attempts don't hurt.
Dave Roberts is continuing to impress in his rookie season, all while also hitting 257! Dock Ellis has settled right in, winning the July pitching gong.
Some outrageous figures here as well, with the Pilots on track to lose 108 and the defending Champs also looking at a 100-loss season. Plenty of baseball left in this season from the looks of it.
News, Leaders and Top 20s
Monthly Award Winners
June
American League
- Batter – Tony Oliva (Twins): 373 / 5 HR / 17 RBI
- Pitcher – Denny McLain (Senators): 5-0 / 1.73 / 32 K / 41.2 IP
- Rookie – Vida Blue (A’s): 3-2 / 1.79 / 25 K / 40.1 IP
National League
- Batter – Dick Allen (Phillies): 301 / 7 HR / 24 RBI
- Pitcher – Larry Dierker (Astros): 6-0 / 1.87 / 40 K / 53 IP
- Rookie – Jerry Reuss (Astros): 4-1 / 2.01 / 16 K / 40.1 IP
July
American League
- Batter – Ed Charles (Twins): 367 / 8 HR / 23 RBI
- Pitcher – Rudy May (White Sox): 6-0 / 1.81 / 37 K / 44.2 IP
- Rookie – Tom Griffin (Twins): 4-1 / 1.14 / 48 K / 47.1 IP
National League
- Batter – Al Oliver (Pirates): 452 / 5 HR / 28 RBI
- Pitcher – Dock Ellis (Pirates): 4-1 / 1.99 / 28 K / 45.1 IP
- Rookie – Del Unser (Dodgers): 432 / 2 HR / 7 RBI
Milestones and Observations of Note
- Sandy Koufax is giving himself a fantastic chance of achieving a second Triple Crown, something no other pitcher has done. He also collects career Win number 200 during the month, with Frank Robinson belting his 400th homer as well.
- Eddie Mathews – playing for Seattle at the ripe old age of 37 – is threatening to win his first HR title since his rookie year all the way back in 1952.
- The Expos lose 2B Tony Taylor for the remainder with a meniscus tear, while a knee injury also puts Rich Reese of the White Sox on ice for two months or so.
- Some elbow inflammation puts Houston pitcher Alan Foster out of commission for 6 weeks.
- Bill Hands gets moved on again, traded by Seattle to the Twins for Stan Bahnsen straight up. A few other Deadline trades of note:
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