Embedded Files
Circuit Clouts
June 1, 1996
June 1, 1996
East W L GB Last R RA
Manhattan 32 25 - 16-13 5 5
Boston 31 26 1 17-12 6 14
Toronto 31 26 1 18-11 2 16
Keystone 29 27 2½ 12-16 8 10
Havana 27 29 4½ 11-17 10 8
Washington 26 31 6 11-18 16 4
Brooklyn 26 31 6 11-18 12 9
Montreal 25 32 7 12-17 15 17
Florida 22 35 10 14-15 18 11
West W L GB Last R RA
Chicago 36 21 - 21-8 2 13
Atlanta 32 25 4 16-13 6 1
Los Angeles 32 25 4 17-12 4 5
Cleveland 31 26 5 13-16 1 7
St. Louis 31 26 5 16-13 15 2
Denver 28 29 8 16-13 17 8
Minneapolis 25 32 11 14-15 12 14
Detroit 25 32 11 13-16 9 18
Seattle 23 34 13 12-17 16 10
TOP STORIES
Manhattan leads the East at the one-third point as one of just two teams in the top five in hitting and pitching.
Tony Gwynn became the 6th
member of the 3,000-hit club on May 23. "Mr Topper" joins Alan Trammell (1995) and Robin Yount (1994) as the three active players who have doubled the list in the last three seasons. Joe Torre (3765), Mickey Mantle (3332) and Orlando Cepeda (3233) top the list.
Rich Aurilia hit game-winning grand slams in back-to-back games May 29-30. The Minneapolis shortstop, who bats 8th, had two career UL home runs in 39 games prior to the outburst.
Ellis Burks (BOS), Frank Thomas (LA), and Ryan Klesko (DET) each hit homer hat tricks between May 18-23. Junior Felix (CHI) hit for the cycle on May 4.
MOST CAREER HOMER HAT TRICKS
7 - Bob Horner
4 - Barry Bonds
4 - Tom Grieve
4 - Gorman Thomas
3 - Ellis Burks
3 - Orlando Cepeda
3 - Fred McGriff
3 - Frank Robinson
3 - Cory Snyder
3 - Frank Thomas
3 - Matt Williams
3 - Gus Zernial
Surprising Sox Lead East
The Manhattan Gray Sox were the only East Division team to stack winning months at the start of the campaign. The Dingy Hose followed up a 16-12 April with a 16-13 mark in May. The other four winning teams in April had losing months in May, allowing Manhattan to seize first place in the division. The Sox rank 5th in both batting and pitching, joining only Los Angeles in the top 5 in both categories. Surprise package F.P. Santangelo (.313) leads the club in batting, while sophomore RF Jon "Get Thee to a" Nunnally (.306-10-37, .899 OPS) and rookie SS Tony Graffannino (.269-6-25, 2.2 WAR) have anchored the heart of the rotation.
Manhattan's 11th-ranked rotation has been bailed out by the circuit's best bullpen (3.12). Cris Carpenter (career 4.32 ERA) has a 1.56 ERA in 12 appearances, and Gregg Olson (career 3.83) has a 2.11 ERA in 25 games. The best starter has been Pat Hentgen, who has a 6-2 record despite a 4.31 ERA. Fifth starter Terry Mulholland (0-5, 7.42) has been a major liability and is a strong demotion candidate.
Elsewhere in the division, Boston and Toronto replaced Keystone and Havana in the top 3. Toronto (18-11) was the East's best team in May and the Federals (17-12) were just behind them.
Boston started the month 16-5 and took sole possession of 1st on the 23rd, before dropping seven of its last eight games. The slump included a series loss to Manhattan, who overtook them, and back-to-back shutouts by the Sox and th
Toronto enjoys the second most productive offense in the league, led by RBI leader Eric Karros (.340-15-58) and May Batter of the Month Juan Gonzalez (.351-15-39). The P-Bears' 94 home runs is 14 more than any other club.
Colts Widen West Gap
AAfter a 15-13 start to the campaign, the Chicago Colts went into a full sprint in May, going 21-8 to open up a four-game lead in the West Division. Despite the 13th-ranked pitching staff, the offense, which is tied with Toronto for the second most runs, has beaten the opposition into submission, with scorelines of 10-4, 14-7, 12-8, 9-1, 14-2, and 11-10 among their wins.
Gary Sheffield (.356-17-51, 1.115) is an early MVP favorite. The 26-year-old 3B leads the league in WAR, is 3rd in batting, and 5th in RBIs. Veteran SS Alan Trammell is not showing his age (37), with a .292 average, 48 RBIs (good for 7th in the league) and a 1.5 WAR.
Senate Probes UL's “Fake Baseball Monopoly”
WASHINGTON (Jun 1)—A bipartisan Senate committee is investigating the United League's longstanding anti-trust exemption. California senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have joined forces with Texas senators Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison to create the commission.
Sen. Feinstein, a Democrat from San Francisco, and Sen. Gramm, a Republican from San Antonio, issued a joint statement that the United League was suspected of operating as a “fake baseball monopoly” and that the commission would launch a full investigation into the league's “shady” operations.
Beltway insider Stedman Pacafox has suggested that the effort is a cynical attempt to pressure league officials to place new UL franchises in California and Texas. In a recent speech in her hometown of Galveston, Sen. Hutchison said the fact that the “two largest and most economically dynamic states” had only one UL franchise between them was an “abomination.” The Texas and California senate delegations—otherwise strange bedfellows—discovered their common interest in UL expansion during the annual Senate softball game (during which Sen. Feinstein doubled and reached base on a walk), according to Pacafox, the Beltway insider.
The only club in UL history was the Dallas Texans, who played at Turnpike Stadium in Arlington from 1962 to 1976 before moving to Seattle. Since then, the Lone Star State has not only been without a UL franchise, but has often lacked even Triple-A representation. The Houston Aeros, Boston's farm club, arrived in 1990 but left after the 1992 season for Hartford, Conn. The Texas Twisters, Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Barons, began operations in 1993.
In 1995, the San Francisco Spiders relocated to Fridley, Minnesota after four decades in northern California, leaving the much more successful Los Angeles Outlaws as California's only UL team.
Houston and Dallas have repeatedly appeared on expansion shortlists, but the state was passed over in the last two rounds of expansion in 1984 and 1990, in part because investors were squeamish after the failure of the Texans franchise.
The San Francisco Spiders’ move to the Land of 10,000 Lakes was forced by a devastating earthquake that damaged an already-decrepit Seals Stadium beyond repair during the 1994 season. Bay Area politicians, led by San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, immediately vowed to bring a UL franchise back to northern California, and the Senate committee appears to be an effort to ratchet up the pressure.
The league's 1984 expansion omitted American cities entirely, putting teams in Toronto, Canada and Havana, Cuba, while the last round of expansion in 1990 added two East Coast teams in Miami and Philadelphia.
Many pundits credit the awarding of the Keystone Starlings franchise to a relentless and high-profile campaign of diverse civic leaders across the spectrum of entertainment, academia, arts, and sciences. Pacafox, the aforementioned Beltway insider, called the California-Texas Senate group far more powerful and sinister than the “Brotherly Glove” coalition, which included Will Smith, Patty LaBelle, Bob Saget, Wilt Chamberlain, Toni Basil, Kevin Bacon, Alexander Haig, Chubby Checker, Isaac Asimov, Eddie Stanky, Noam Chomsky, and Darryl Hall, among others.
Pacafox noted that the so-called Feinstein-Gramm commission has broad powers to investigate the UL’s fake baseball operations and tighten the screws on the league office if it doesn't comply with its wishes.
President Bob Dole, a multi-sport star in high school and is a known baseball fan who is up for reelection in 1996, has not weighed in on the issue.
The league has no plans to expand beyond its current 18 teams, and the UL Commissioner said in 1990 that further expansion is unlikely until the end of the decade, although those comments were before Feinstein-Gramm, the Beltway insider noted.
West Division
West Division
East Division
East Division
Jeff M. Robinson won Pitcher of the Month, going 5-1, 2.52. The 33-year-old righthander is on pace to equal his career high of 18 wins and surpass his career high of 2.3 WAR, both in 1992.
Jermaine Allensworth was the unlikely Rookie of the Month for May. The 49th overall pick of the 1996 draft hit .346-7-22 for the month.
Ed Sprague had an 8-RBI performance in an 18-1 thrashing of Minneapolis May 6.
Closer Heathy Slocumb leads the staff with a 2.92 ERA, to go with 9 saves.
Dwight Gooden got his 200th win on May 31. He is the 21st member of the 200-win club. Teammate Fernando Valenzuela (197 wins) will be the next member of the club.
Ellis Burks' May 18 homer hat trick was the third of his career, putting him in elite company. Only 12 players in UL history have accomplished the feat three times. #5 starter Kenny Rogers is an impressive 7-2, despite a 4.99 ERA.
The Outlaws were 17-12 in May and feature a top 5 offense despite the cold bats of Tony Phillips (.246) and Stan Javier (.237).
Ace Greg Swindell, last year's pWAR leader, is off to a torrid start (8-2, 3.32). Closer Dave Schmidt, age 38, is tied for 2nd with 15 saves.
Toronto Polar Bears fans believe they've got a talented young star in Juan Gonzalez.
He did nothing to dissuade that notion in May, as he hit .408 with 9 home runs, 25 RBIs and 28 runs scored.
The end result was the right fielder being named the United League Batter of the Month.
So far this season, Gonzalez is batting .351 with 15 home runs, 39 RBIs and 47 runs scored. He has 80 hits in 228 at-bats, 21 walks and a .406 OBP. Gonzalez has played in 55 games.
Cleveland Catcher, Rich Gedman, is one of the hardest workers in the game. Not only does he have a stellar work ethic, he is also a fan favorite. "One day I got to the ballpark early," said superfan, Greg Norris. "I mean I got there really early. In fact, they were still getting the field ready and the first one out of the locker room and on the field was none other than Gedman. You can tell he just has a love for the game that goes above and beyond most players on the field. When I left that night following the game, the last player on the field was Rich Gedman. He makes you proud to be a fan of the Cleveland Barons."
Teammates seem to agree. "When Rich gets on that field, it makes all of us want to play harder for the fans," said Barons teammate, Roberto Hernandez. "Not only is he a great guy but he is one heck of a player. He is always out there signing autographs for the kids and when he is in the gym, he is always the one hitting the weights the hardest. He is a special person on and off the field."
Keystone's offense has been a big disappointment. Picked by many to be a top-2 offense, the Starlings rank only 8th in runs. Carlos Baerga's OPS (.744) is down 155 points, John Shelby (.779) is -75, and Edgar Martinez (.777) is -50. Watch out though. The fact that Keystone is only 2.5 games back despite this collective scoring slump means the team is a strong pennant contender when the bats come back to life.
The Maroons rank 2nd in pitching, led by Britt Burns, who is 5th in WAR (1.9) and 7th in ERA (3.17). Jim Gott, age 35, who was 4-12 with Boston last season, is 6-2 in his first 13 St. Louis starts.
After an 18-12 start, the Leones are 9-17, due to extended May batting slump: Scott Fletcher (.205), Kevin Seitzer (.224), Shane Mack (.233), Rafael Palmeiro (.253). One bright spot has been sophomore RF Matt Lawton (.280-12-33) who leads the team in home runs. Another is closer Tim Scott (1.80, 13 SV).
Barry Larkin collected his 1500th hit on May 18. Triple-A callup Justin Thompson had a successful first month, going 4-1, 4.72, including anchoring a four-hit shutout of Brooklyn May 31.
Lenny Dykstra got his 2,000th hit on May 3 in a 7-2 win over Havana, his former club. The 4th overall pick in 1985, Lenny played in St. Louis for nine seasons. He has a career average of .297 and his 57.3 WAR ranks 12th among active hitters.
Rich Aurilia hit game-winning grand slams in back-to-back games May 29-30. The Minneapolis shortstop, who bats 8th, had two career UL home runs in 39 games prior to the outburst.
Righty Kevin Brown, age 30, is off to the best start in his eighth season. Brown is 6-2, 3.00 and ranks 3rd in ERA and 10th in WAR. He has allowed 0 ER in 4 of his 12 starts.
The Bas are 15-19 since Ken Griffey's injury on Apr. 24. The Kid should return to the lineup on June 1.
Ryan Klesko is the league's hottest hitter, batting .360 with a 1.262 OPS in his last 14 games. The Griffins' offense sits at #9, however, due in part to Dave Nilsson's lackluster .242 average and .712 OPS.
Jim Abbott suffered a torn rotator cuff May 6 that will end his season. The 27-year-old southpaw struggled, going 0-3, 10.36 in his first eight games, including five starts. The 6th overall pick in 1989 won 12 games in his rookie year, but has notched only 14 more wins in the last six years.
SP Wilson Alvarez, a former top-10 prospect, suffered a career-ending torn rotator cuff May 26. The 25-year-old showed some promise in Triple-A, but could only get his ERA under 5.50 once in his five UL seasons. He was 2-6, 5.86 in 15 starts this year and 20-51, 5.50 for his career. The Rainiers also lost Joey Hamilton for the season on Apr. 21 and Jaime Navarro for 2-3 months on May 18, leaving Jack Armstrong as the only opening day starter left in the rotation.
Even for the weakest offense in the league, Brad Ausmus' hitting has been abysmal. Brad is hitting .179 with a .540 OPS. Only LA's glove specialist Dick Schofield Jr. has paltrier numbers.
On the plus side, Mike Mussina is continuing his dominance. The 27-year-old is 3rd in strikeouts (79) and 8th in ERA (3.18).
League Leaders
League Leaders
Batting Average
Tony Gwynn ATL .370
Jeff Treadway DET .357
Gary Sheffield CHI .356
Tim Raines DEN .354
+Juan Gonzalez TOR .351
Mike Piazza BOS .350
+Juan Samuel SEA .350
+G. Anderson MPS .350
Jim Edmonds CLE .346
Frank E Thomas LA .344
RBIs
+Eric Karros TOR 58
Frank E Thomas LA 58
Carlos Delgado CLE 54
Alex Rodriguez CLE 51
Gary Sheffield CHI 51
Mike Piazza BOS 49
+Alan Trammell CHI 48
+Manny Ramirez ATL 45
+Ellis Burks BOS 44
+Ed Sprague MAN 44
Infield Zone Rating
Rey Ordonez BOS 10.8
Tony Graffanino MAN 10.2
Tony Batista STL 8.7
+Benji Gil SEA 7.4
+Craig Grebeck CLE 7.4
Home Runs
Frank E Thomas LA 23
Carlos Delgado CLE 17
+Ryan Klesko DET 17
Gary Sheffield CHI 17
+Ellis Burks BOS 15
Jim Edmonds CLE 15
+Juan Gonzalez TOR 15
+Eric Karros TOR 15
Matt Williams BRO 15
bWAR
Gary Sheffield CHI 3.2
Frank E Thomas LA 3.1
Mike Piazza BOS 3.1
Jim Thome BOS 3.0
+Juan Gonzalez TOR 2.7
Rondell White ATL 2.7
Eric Karros TOR 2.6
+Jeff Cirillo LA 2.6
Jim Edmonds CLE 2.6
Marty Cordova BRO 2.4
Outfield Zone Rating
Darin Erstad DEN 10.9
Michael Tucker STL 9.5
Stan Javier LA 9.2
+Andruw Jones MPS 7.8
F.P. Santangelo MAN 7.4
Earned Run Average
Pedro Martinez ATL 2.09
+Chris Nabholz HAV 2.96
+Kevin Brown BRO 3.00
Darryl Kile ATL 3.03
Jon Lieber BOS 3.09
+John Smoltz TOR 3.13
+Britt Burns STL 3.17
+Mike Mussina FLO 3.18
+Butch Henry KEY 3.32
+Greg Swindell LA 3.32
Strikeouts
Pedro Martinez ATL 113
Steve Cooke CHI 82
Mike Mussina FLO 79
+Fern Valenzuela ATL 71
Shane Reynolds HAV 70
Tom Glavine WAS 69
+Dwight Gooden ATL 67
+Floyd Youmans LA 67
Jon Lieber BOS 65
+Bruce Hurst LA 64
Wins
Greg Swindell LA 8
+Kenny Rogers BOS 7
+Julian Tavarez CLE 7
+Fern Valenzuela ATL 7
13 tied with 6
pWAR
Pedro Martinez ATL 3.6
Jon Lieber BOS 2.5
Fern Valenzuela ATL 2.3
Steve Cooke CHI 2.1
+Britt Burns STL 1.9
+Bret Saberhagen STL 1.9
+Jim Gott STL 1.7
+Sean Bergman HAV 1.7
Greg Swindell LA 1.7
+Kevin Brown BRO 1.7
Awards
Awards
Batter of the Month
APR Carlos Delgado CLE
MAY Juan Gonzalez TOR
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Pitcher of the Month
APR Pedro Martinez ATL
MAY JM Robinson CHI
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Rookie of the Month
APR N. Garciaparra ATL
MAY J. Allensworth CHI
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
Player of the Week
4/8 Carlos Delgado CLE
4/15 Frank Thomas LA
4/22 Jon Nunnally MAN
4/29 Mike Piazza BOS
5/6 Junior Felix CHI
5/13 Tim Raines DEN
5/20 Eric Karros TOR
5/27 Ryan Klesko DET
6/3
6/10
6/17
6/24
7/1
7/8
7/15
7/22
7/29
8/5
8/12
8/19
8/26
9/2
9/9
9/16
9/23
9/30
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