The roller coaster that is the Chicago Chiefs has returned for the 1963 FABL season, and boy,
what a ride it's been so far. With hopes of playing consistent baseball and shaking off their
up-and-down trajectory, the Chiefs have faced a rocky start in the first 17 games.
The season kicked off on the road, with the Chiefs dropping both games in Philly. Last season's
darling, pitcher John Thomas, struggled in his first start. Despite giving up just over two runs per
game in his rookie run in 1962, Thomas was rocked for six earned runs in just over three innings
against the Keystones. The rough start continued with a three-game set in Washington, where
the Chiefs lost a decent effort by Bud Andrews in game one and were outscored 14-1 in
the final two contests.
After opening the season 0-5, the Chiefs returned to Chicago for a six-game homestand
against Boston and Minneapolis. They took game one by a score of 5-3, but the bats finally
broke out in game two as the Chiefs cracked 16 hits and scored 15 runs in a blowout of
the Minutemen. Every position player had at least two hits, except for rookie SS Harry
Bailey, who settled for just one.
Next up was a welcomed four-game set with the struggling Millers. All the contests were
close, but the Chiefs managed to come out victorious in all four games. Stopper Dutch
Lane was a perfect three-for-three in save opportunities during the series, shutting down
the Millers in each of the first three games. Veteran Doc Zimmerman continued his
hot start to the season with seven hits and four RBIs in the four games. The series
was tightly contested, with the Chiefs outscoring the Millers by just seven runs in the
four-game sweep.
PLAYERS OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL
Hitter of the Month: Doc Zimmerman(.419/.486/.661, 26-62, 6 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 13 RS, 2 SB)
Pitcher of the Month: Dutch Lane(5/5 saves, 0.00 ERA, 6.1 IP, 2 K, 0 BB)
Rookie of the Month: Tom Spruill(.271/.323/.390, 16-59, 4 2B, HR, 12 RBI, 4 RS,)
Minor League Player of the Month: Bob Starr(AAA)(.275/.491/.550, 11-40, 2 2B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 11 RS, 14 BB)
GAME OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL
