Jim Gott picks up a niggle that requires a minimum IL stint and Mike Dyer gets the call-up, then Junior Ortiz tears a calf muscle and misses 3 weeks with Tom Prince making his big-league debut as his replacement.
Meanwhile, the lads start warming to the task with a 7-1 run to kick-off June only to quickly reverse course, going 3-7 over our next 10 with some of our worst performances to date and it looks like we’re going to have to do this the hard way once again.
We get Gott back and send hector Fajardo back to AAA where he might manage to get hitters out every so often.
Just as it looks like we’re getting things back on track, we lose Danny Darwin for 6 weeks to a hamstring tear.
He, too, has looked much better in recent outings after a rough start. Don Robinson is shuttled into the spin, with young Paul Wagner called up for his MLB debut.
We enter July at 43-33 and trail the Mets by 4 but by the time the ASG rolls around, they have been in freefall and we are 2 clear in top spot.
Another nice run of wins toward the end of the sectional seems to have consolidated our position only for us to once again lose our way, dropping 7 from 8 while scoring just 12 runs.
A squad as stacked as ours just shouldn’t be having periods like that and despite entering the stretch run narrowly in front we look like total also-rans next to the dominance of Boston and Atlanta.
Sincerely yours, Frustrated.
We use our remaining transaction ticket for this season on a low-key swap with the A’s that I'll once again include with the Deadline trades at the bottom of this update.
Even at this earlyish stage the AL East and NL West look done, with ours and the AL West seemingly headed for some drama.
Monthly Award Winners
June
American League
Batter – Travis Fryman (Tigers): 368 / 9 HR / 23 RBI
Pitcher – Bret Saberhagen (Royals): 6-0 / 2.77 / 34 K / 48.2 IP
Rookie – Pedro Martinez (Red Sox): 4-2 / 1.88 / 36 K / 38.1 IP
National League
Batter – Barry Bonds (Pirates): 379 / 10 HR / 24 RBI
Pitcher – Terry Mulholland (Mets): 4-1 / 1.88 / 22 K / 48 IP
Rookie – Donovan Osborne (Astros): 3-1 / 2.30 / 20 K / 43 IP
July
American League
Batter – Jose Canseco (A’s): 330 / 11 HR / 24 RBI
Pitcher – Roger Clemens (Red Sox): 5-1 / 2.01 / 38 K / 49.1 IP
Rookie – Pedro Martinez (Red Sox): 4-1 / 2.25 / 29 K / 40 IP
National League
Batter – Shane Mack (Cubs): 329 / 6 HR / 14 RBI
Pitcher – John Smoltz (Braves): 4-0 / 1.29 / 38 K / 49 IP
Rookie – Pat Listach (Mets): 490 / 0 HR / 9 RBI
News, Leaders and Top 20s
Milestones and Observations of Note
3000 Hits: George Brett
300 HR: Howard Johnson
A torn calf muscle ends Rangers 3B Steve Buechele’s season, a torn meniscus that of Yankee veteran Willie Randolph.
Dodgers catcher Jeff Reed is knocked out for the year with a knee fracture
Deadline trades of note:
