by Mike Montgomery
Seems that win loss wise, this season is better. Fifty games in and only eight games out of first and a just below .500 record. It really seems as I have ranted before that the Astrodome is the culprit that hold our hitting back. I really thought it would be a big plus, but at this point I think it is an even split. Our hitting is marginally better than in past years. Our power hitting is a little better. But when the ownership would love to see is to see the city build us a nice outdoor stadium close to downtown Houston. Sort of a "home run" park kind of place. That would give the fans in Houston some power to cheer for and light the scoreboard with more runs and long balls. More excitement.
On the field, how about Big Mac? He is cooled off some in the last two weeks, but he stormed out of the gate at one point only one or two home runs behind the league leader in home runs. The trade that moved legendary Yogi Berra to Houston. We really feel that in the long run, he has more power and is a better behind the plate leader than Johnny Grabowski and may push Tony Pena for the full time catcher duties. How about pitcher Kid Speer!?! - the pitcher from no where that has compiled a 6-0 record and an 1.91 ERA in 9 starts! Pretty good. RP Hal Newhouser with a 1-1, four saves and a 1.49 ERA over 18 innings!?! We are a little concerned about Jim Palmer having an off year with a 4-5, 2.79 ERA in 10 starts. And Catfish Hunter at 2-7, 3.63 ERA in 10 starts, off to his usual slow start. He has in the past, caught fire during the second half of the season and pitched well the last two seasons in the second half. We are hoping the same this time around too.
Still it seems the Achilles heal is hitting. With six of our regular players at sub .210 marks it seems to be same song, 4th verse. We still, I think have a good team in place. Just getting them to win is the big challenge facing us
by Rian Heaslip
CAN THE DODGERS OVER-TAKE THE MARINERS?
After 50 games the L.A Dodgers are an impressive 30-20 and have allowed a league low 145 runs an average of 2.9 runs per game. But the team is still trailing the division leading and reigning LBL Champs Seattle Mariners by one game." We really believe this is our year," stated GM Rian Heaslip. The problem with the Dodgers this year has been offense they have really had trouble scoring runs. The recent trade for Joe DiMaggio is proof that the Dodgers are not going to be a pushover. "We already had the best pitching in the league now we have a good offense to go with the pitching," says new manager and former 1B coach Wayner Terwilliger. So how far will this team go? Only time and hitting will tell.
by Ron Miles
THE NEED FOR DIRECTION
The lack of direction for this young franchise may hurt them in season four more than just being an expansion team. With no apparant committment towards pitching or hitting this team could be destined to be bad for a longtime. With this being said Special Consultant Bill Veeck has been hired to right this ship and tame this circus. A plan of action will be instilled soon after the All-Star break and no one appears to untouchable.
Under these circumstances Bill Dickey has proven to be solid. Playing great defense and hitting well Dickey is clearly this teams MVP up to now. Eldon Aucker has been a workhorse in the rotation appearing in 41 games already this season and posting a 3.47 ERA. Orel Hershiser has been a nice surprise this season. After being cast-off and picked up by nobody, Orel has gone 5-3 in 12 appearances.
by Josh Spirlock
CUBS TO COLORADO?
With the Cubs lack of offense and the fact that the Cubs are losing money, Owner/GM Josh Spirlock has put in a request to League President Oscar Madrid to move the Cubs to Denver where the city has a brand new fabulous state of the art stadium waiting for a team to come in a play.
In some minor league and exhibition games played there the games have been very high scoring and the power alleys are very big. At a press conference today in Chicago, Spirlock had this comment "Nothing is final yet, we have put in such a request, but again nothing is final."
The league need a majority vote for a franchise to be able to move and with the cries for more offense this might be what the league needs. Although the pitchers may hate it, the hitters will enjoy it and the fans will embrace any team that comes there, just ask the Avalanche of the NHL.
League President Oscar Madrid made this comment through his attorney, "Although nothing has been brought before the board of owners, the Cubs are doing a great service to the league, attendance is down across the board and the lack of offense, unless your Babe Ruth, is evident. Now, would I like to see the Cubs move to Colorado, No I would not, who wants to watch a baseball game while it's snowing? But it couldn't be any worse than Wrigley in early April or late October, but the Cubs don't know what late October feels like in Wrigley anyway.
The Cubs have a lease for Wrigley that runs out after this season and talks between Spirlock and Chicago have broken off. "We want a new state of the art stadium, with nice luxury boxes, a bigger outfield and some better scenery, but other than all those things, we love Wrigley and everything it stands for, but just like the great Memorial Stadium, Arlington Stadium and Cleveland Municipal Stadiums before, it's time to move on."
The league only hopes Spirlock, now being nicknamed Josh Modell or Art Spirlock, has the best interest of the league and not himself. Only time will tell.