Tuesday 7/17/1975: Hoot Borruso ropes four hits,
   completes cycle
   FLUSHING - Hoot Borruso hits 'em where they ain't.
   Flushing certainly agrees as Brooklyn's rightfielder
   unloaded four hits and hitting for the cycle. A two-run
   triple off Ray Damboise in the 1st inning, accounted for
   his 1st hit. In the 6th inning he belted a double off Ray
   Damboise. A single in the 10th off Earnest Cutwright
   accounted for his 3rd hit. His 4th hit, off Alton Stoops in
   the 12th inning, was a two-run homerun and cleared the
   fence in right-center. That drive completed the cycle,
   causing a smile on his face! Hoot did drive in 4 while
   scoring one run on his own. He now has a total of 92
   hits this season, accounting for a .285 batting average.
   He's now the 18th player in league history to hit for the
   cycle! Bump Bailey was the last player to hit for the
   cycle, doing it 5/31/1975.

   Monday 7/9/1975: Philadelphia's Stubbs wins
   Player of the Week award
   The Continental League Player of the Week award goes
   to James Dally, one of Tampico's best starting pitchers.
   Dally was overpowering all week long, going 2-0 with an
   ERA of 1.62. Along the way he struck out 15 in 16.2
   innings. A complete game added to his brilliant
   performance. James has a record of 10-9 this season,
   with an ERA of 4.01. In 152.2 Innings he was able to
   strike out 118 batters. James has pitched one shutout
   and 8 complete games. He's 7th in the Continental
   League in wins! The Player of the Week award in the
   Universal Assoc. goes to Philadelphia's Allie Stubbs
   this time, as the pitcher displayed the best pitching
   performance in his league. Stubbs was overpowering all
   week long, going 2-0 with an ERA of 0.53. Along the
   way he struck out 12 in 17 innings. He hurled a shutout
   as well.

   The UA takes no prisoners in lopsided Allstar
   Game
   The Universal Association came to play ball.
   Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell the Continental
   League. The UA Allstars absolutely crushed the CL
   squad in the 1975 Allstar Game by a score of 14-1.
   Just about every pitcher the CL threw out there got
   torched by the red-hot UA attack. Troy's Morris Vollucci
   led the assault, going 3-3 with 4 RBI's. Philly hurler
   Allie Stubbs took the win. There were no highlights for
   the CL squad. Better luck next season!

   Sunday 7/1/1975: Batter of the Month award
   winners announced
   Theodore Gallaspy of Bad News wins his 2nd Batter of
   the Month award for putting up the best numbers in the
   Continental League. Theodore went 33 for 95 (.347),
   while hitting 14 HR and collecting 30 RBI. Gallaspy has
   walked 16 times this year and posts a .353 OBP.
   While batting .306, 95 for 310, he has driven in 73 runs.
   He's 4th in the Continental League in RBIs and 2nd in
   homeruns! The Universal Assoc. Batter of the Month
   award goes to Morris Vollucci, Troy's starting
   rightfielder. Vollucci helped his team with an average of
   .340 and 23 RBI in 97 at bats. Morris is hitting .305 this
   year, with 89 hits in 292 at bats. He has driven in 57
   runs, slugging .599. He's 5th in the Universal Assoc. in
   RBIs and 3rd in homeruns!

   Sunday 7/1/1975: Pitcher of the Month award
   winners announced
   Jim Dettling pitched like a legend in June, and the
   Continental League named him Pitcher of the Month for
   his extraordinary performance. He had an ERA of just
   2.39 in 52.2 innings of work in which he struck out 34
   hitters. His record in June is 6-0. Jim pitched a shutout
   as well. His ERA of 2.71 helped him to a 13-2 record
   this year. He struck out 112 and walked 23 in 146
   innings. Jim has pitched one shutout and one complete
   game. He's 1st in the Continental League in ERA and
   1st in wins! Carter Goston couldn't have pitched much
   better than he did in June, and the Universal Assoc.
   thought so as well, naming the left-hander Pitcher of
   the Month. He started 7 games in June, going 6-1 and
   compiling an ERA of 1.95 in 50.2 innings. Carter fanned
   31 hitters. Carter pitched a shutout as well. Opposing
   players hit .281 against Carter this season. While
   posting an ERA of 3.30 he went 13-5 in 20 starts,
   fanning 75 and walking 23 hitters. He has 4 complete
   games and 3 shutouts. He's 6th in the Universal Assoc.
   in ERA and 1st in wins!

   Saturday 6/16/1975: Crash Davis out for 7-8 weeks
   TROY - Troy's catcher Crash Davis will miss at least 7-
   8 weeks after he got hurt seriously while running hard
   toward second base. He began limping and then fell
   down, causing a scary moment for his teammates. He
   had to be carried off the field. Broken Ankle was the
   diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a nearby hospital.
   The message shocked teammates and team officials.
   Crash is hitting .338 this year, with 66 hits in 195 at
   bats. He has driven in 45 runs, slugging .513. He's 8th
   in the Universal Assoc. in batting!

   Monday 6/11/1975: Butterfingers McGuire (BOS)
   will miss 5-6 weeks
   BOSTON - Boston's Butterfingers McGuire suffered a
   serious injury Monday in a game against New York
   (UA). McGuire fell down while running the bases and
   couldn't get up without help. He will miss probably 5-6
   weeks. After x-rays were taken the diagnosis did not
   surprise many: Pulled Groin Muscle. Surgery will be
   performed next week. McGuire has walked 34 times
   this year and posts a .418 OBP. While batting .322, 76
   for 236, he has driven in 49 runs. He's 4th in the
   Universal Assoc. in RBIs and 4th in homeruns!

   Philly Fans Phorgive.............by Aaron Wolfson
   Philadelphia (AP)-- Maybe it's spring air. The
   notoriously cynical fans in the City of Brotherly Love
   have finally found room in their hearts for Scrooge, also
   known as the Keystones front office.

   Fresh off of their first AFBL championship, earned after
   more than a decade of laughingstock status, it seemed
   the Keystones had also earned the trust of that unruly
   fan base.  But it didn't take them long to throw it all
   away with one big decision.

   Just months after he had won the MVP of the Spalding
   Cup, Philadelphia left fan favorite hurler Floyd Pickford
   off their 12-man protection list for the free agent draft,
   where he was gobbled up early by division-rival Troy. 
   Pickford was pitching for Traveling until 1969, when he|
   was snapped up by the Keystones themselves.  Each
   year since he has been a key member in the front of
   the Philly rotation, known for pitching deep into games
   and rarely issuing walks.  He relies on guile and
   craftiness rather than strikeout power to deceive hitters.
 
   So the reaction from the fans was understandable. 
   They wanted GM Jimmy Dugan's head on a platter. 
   Dugan has an unconventional relationship with
   Keystones owner Aaron Wolfson which affords him full
   control over personnel matters.  Wolfson is a wealthy
   recluse who lives on a compound in northern Montana
   and can rarely be reached for comment, but our on-site
   reporter was able to ask him about the Pickford
   decision as he was escorted to what was said to be a
   large military vehicle.

   "Pickford may or may not have been retained," the
   owner said, "but we'll make sure to get you the details
   as soon as we know.  Go Keymakers!"

   Dugan issued his opinions more directly.  "I don't care
   what the fans think, I'm the one who is in control, and I
   know what's best for this team," he said.
  
   Abrasive, but correct.  As Pickford has struggled to find
   his rhythm in Troy, the Keystones have had another
   strong start and are fighting the Coover Division's
   Knickerbockers for the best record in the Universal. 
   Philadelphia is fueled by the dominating performance of
   second baseman Whistlestop Busby.  He leads all of
   baseball in OPS with an astounding 1.231 mark and
   forms an impressive double-play combo with super
   shortstop Fred Chladek.  Catcher Champ Chambers
   and corner outfielders Kester Flint and Jim Guilbert
   have also contributed their usual share to the 2nd
   ranked Keystones offense.

   However, it could also be said that the pitching has
   carried the team despite the loss of Pickford.  Three-
   time defending Cartright Award winner Allie Stubbs
   must mentioned in any discussion of Philadelphia's
   rise to prominence.  And Johan Ooberdorf has evolved
   into a bona-fide second ace in his first full season with
   the team.  But while the back of the rotation has shown
   flashes of brilliance, the young Carter Goston and
   Pickford's replacement Dale Manker have also
   struggled with bouts of inconsistency.  Dugan is
   reportedly not afraid to pull the plug on Manker and call
   up talented prospect Roy Jackon, who the scouts say
   is ready to hold down a Major League rotation spot. 

   The bullpen is stellar again despite another major
   offseason loss with the Big Three of closer Paul
   Nietupski, Elmer Russett and Carl Crete still intact.
  
   A local columnist recently apologized for a profanity
  -laced tirade uttered on talk radio immediately after the
   Pickford trade, writing that "it may be time to enjoy the
   spoils of the champion."  Whether fans do that remains
   to be seen, but it is obvious that this Keystones team
   has no intentions of disappointing them.

   Friday 6/1/1975: New York (UA)'s Spittle named
   Pitcher of the Month
   Jim Dettling pitched like a legend in May, and the
   Continental League named him Pitcher of the Month for
   his extraordinary performance. He went 5-0 in May and
   finished the month with an ERA of 2.03. He struck out
   39 in 44.1 innings. Jim has a record of 7-2 this season,
   with an ERA of 2.89. In 93.1 Innings he was able to
   strike out 78 batters. He's 2nd in the Continental
   League in ERA and 4th in wins! New York (UA)'s
   pitcher Joe Spittle is the Universal Assoc. winner of the
   Pitcher of the Month award in May. His record of 5-1 in
   6 was among the leagues best this month. In 46.1
   innings of work he allowed just 30 hits while striking out
   27, compiling an ERA of just 0.39. Joe got two
   complete game shutouts as well! Joe has a record of 8-
   3 this season, with an ERA of 2.39. In 90.1 Innings he
   was able to strike out 60 batters. Joe has pitched 3
   shutouts and 6 complete games. He's 1st in the
   Universal Assoc. in ERA and 1st in wins!

   Monday 5/21/1975: Player of the Week honors go
   to Shorter and Spittle
   The Continental League Player of the Week award goes
   to Harold Shorter, New York (CL)'s starting leftfielder.
   He had an on base percentage of .517 and hit .462,
   while driving in 8 runs. His season numbers are: .331
   AVG, 53 hits, 8 doubles, one triple and 10 bombs,
   along with 36 RBI and 42 runs scored. He's 7th in the
   Continental League in batting, 9th in homeruns and 6th
   in RBI! New York (UA)'s pitcher Joe Spittle had some
   reason to celebrate as well, as the league named him
   the Universal Assoc. Player of the Week. Joe went 2-0
   with an ERA of 0.50, while fanning 7 in 18 innings of
   work. He hurled a shutout as well.

   Monday 5/14/1975: Player of the Week honors go
   to Chatcho and Wester
   The Player of the Week award in the Continental
   League goes to Durham's Bill Chatcho this time, as the
   rightfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in
   his league. Bill went 9 for 27 (.333), while hitting 6 HR
   and collecting 12 RBI. Bill managed to drive in at least
   one run in every game he played this week. Chatcho
   has hit 12 taters this year while batting .316. He adds 5
   doubles, along with 25 runs scored. He's 5th in the
   Continental League in RBIs and 4th in homeruns! The
   Universal Assoc.'s best player of the week was Troy's
   Fred Wester, who wins the award for the 2nd time in
   his career. Wester was overpowering all week long,
   going 2-0 with an ERA of 1.72. Along the way he struck
   out 10 in 15.2 innings.

   Durham shocks Mudville              by Tony Darling
   Here's something you don't hear every day. Final
   Score: 20-3. Losing pitcher: Eusabio Hegg. That's right.
   Eusabio Hegg. The Durham Bulls have handed Hegg
   and the Mudville Nine one of the biggest blowouts in
   league history. Hegg, who didn't make it out of the 3rd
   inning, tried to be philosophical about the loss, stating,
   "Well, that was an ugly one, wasn't it? Oh well, we'll
   get 'em next time out." Hegg wasn't the only culprit in
   this debacle. Every Mudville pitcher brought into the
   game got treated the same way, except journeyman
   Sheldon Marriot, who pitched a scoreless 7th.
   Mudville's defense also contributed to four unearned
   runs in the mess. All in all, an ugly day in the city of
   Mud.

   A change'll do ya good!               by Scott Fite
   After a dreadful 0-7 start, the Knights have managed to
   win 7 of 11. They are still bringing up the rear in the
   Chadwick division but the signs of life they are showing
   could indicate the season may not end as a total loss.
   With just 4 wins separating the Knights with the Bad
   News Bears, anything is possible.

   As expected Bill Horack has been the club's offensive
   leader thus far. He paces all regulars with a .296
   average, 8 homers, and 16 RBI. The leftfielder is
   entering just his third full season in the league but
   appears to be one of the league's rising stars.
 
   Pitching has been a bit of a disappointment so far with
   no Knight hurler having more than 1 win on his record.
   The staff has given up 28 homers, ranking dead last in
   baseball.

   "There's plenty of hope," said green manager Bobby
   Savoy. "Sure I'm still getting my feet wet here but as
   long as I stay out of their way an let them play like I
   know they are capable, we should be okay."

   Joy in Mudville (for now)            by Tony Darling
   There are murmurings of cautious optimism running
   through the bars of Mudville, with the mighty Mudville
   Nine playing exceptionally well out of the gate. The
   Nine, who have underperformed the last couple of
   seasons, are off to a 17-9 start, which ties them with
   Philly for the league's best record. The seemingly
   ageless arm of Eusabio Hegg has been strong once
   again. His 3-0 record tells that tale, as well as his
   league leading 2.16 ERA. With a bit more run support,
   Hegg could easily be 5-0. Whether or not the Nine can
   keep up this pace remains to be seen. But for now, the
   Mudville crowds are joyous indeed.

   Change in the Big Apple:         by Scott Fite
   After a horrible 3-10 start, the New York Knights fired
   manager Warren Peters from his post. According to
   league records, Peters has been the Knights manager
   since 1962. New Knights owner Scott Fite professed
   his ignorance about the history of the league when he
   stated, “I don’t know much about him other than he was
   the manager when I took over this club. I decided to
   give him a look to see how we started out. It’s clear to
   me that the game has passed Mr. Peters by and it’s
   time to look in a new leadership direction.”
 
   Fite then introduced the new manager for the Knights,
   Bobby Savoy, a 29 year old wunderkind who professes
   to be a lifelong Knights fan. Savoy has managed in the
   minors for the past six years after his own playing
   career was cut short due to an injury.

   “I know I’m young and unproven,” Savoy told the
   assembled press. “I intend to prove that my style of
   management will be successful in these current times.
   I was a Knights fan as a kid, even served as a bat boy
   briefly. This job is a dream come true for me. The only
   thing that could have been better would have been to
   play for the Knights but I’m not one to dwell on regrets.”
 
  Savoy said the coaching staff would remain on for now
  and he would reevaluate the staff at the end of the
  season.

   Monday 4/16/1975: Cincinnati's Jaques wins Player
   of the Week award
   The Continental League's best player of the week was
   Tampico's Francisco Savelli, who wins the award for the
   2nd time in his career. Francisco was on fire, hitting
   .455 with 6 HR and 14 RBI. Arthur Jaques from
   Cincinnati wins his 1st Player of the Week award for
   putting up the best numbers this week in the Universal
   Assoc.. Arthur pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .579
   with 1 HR and 6 RBI while slugging .789. He hit in every
   game this week and extended his hitting streak to 9
   games.

   Saturday 4/7/1975: Percy McConnaughey punishes
   Flushing with five hits
   FLUSHING - Percy McConnaughey saw the ball really
   well, leading Boston to a 11-10 win over Flushing. His
   five hits thrilled his teammates and coaches, and Percy
   seemed happy as well after the game. A pitch from
   Wyman Ferrington in the 4th inning left his bat for a
   triple. In the 6th inning he unloaded a three-run
   homerun off Wyman Ferrington. Number 5 in the 8th
   inning, a shot estimated at 374 feet, cleared the wall in
   left-center. He collected singles in the 1st (one RBI)
   and in the 2nd inning . Percy scored 2 runs, and he
   collected 5 RBI as well! This season has been a good
   one for him so far, as he has 8 hits in 20 at bats,
   resulting in a .400 batting average.

   Thursday 4/5/1975: Hardtack Accardo clubs six hits
   in a game
   BALTIMORE - Hardtack Accardo is among the best
   pure hitters in the game, but his 6 hit performance
   seemed to surprise even himself. His 4th hit was a
   triple off Charles Pendergraft in the 5th inning. He
   collected singles in the 1st , in the 1st inning , in the
   3rd , in the 7th (one RBI) and in the 9th inning .
   Hardtack scored 2 runs, and he collected one RBI as
   well! He's having a very good season so far, batting
   .571. Flushing improved its record to 3-3, scoring 13
   runs on 19 hits.

   Spring is in the air!
   The sounds of another season are rapidly approaching,
   as the Rookie and Free Agent Drafts are upon us. In a
   somewhat thin draft pool, the standouts are the 17 year
   old, fireballing phenom Fuzzy Taylor and the poised
   and controlled lefty Surrey Monday. Public opinion is
   split on who will go first in the draft. The teenaged
   Taylor, who was scouted out of the Muscatine Iowa
   Farm League, likely has the higher ceiling of the two.
   But the 21 year old Monday, who majored in philosophy
   at Stanford before deciding to pursue a career in
   baseball, is the slightly more polished of the two. Who
   will go first, the farmboy or the philosopher? Stay tuned
   to find out.


   The Keystones Take the Cup!
   In an exciting rematch of last years Cup Series, the
   Philadelphia Keystones defeated last years champs,
   the Springfield Isotopes. A "key" to the Keystones
   victory was the stellar pitching of veteran hurler Floyd
   Pickford. Pickford ,who was 25-11 in the regular
   season, tallied two victories against the Isotopes.
   Congrats to Aaron Wolfson and all the boys in Philly.

   Tuesday 10/30/1974: Winland and Stubbs receive
   Cartwright Award
   Monroe Winland will never forget this year. His
   dominating season convinced the Continental League
   to name Bad News' right-hander the Cartwright Award
   winner of 1974. Monroe has a record of 26-6 this
   season, with an ERA of 2.25. In 284.1 Innings he was
   able to strike out 245 batters. Monroe has pitched 3
   shutouts and 3 complete games. He's 2nd in the
   Continental League in ERA and 1st in wins! Winland
   wins the award for the 2nd time in his 12-year career.
   Awards may not be the most important thing for Allie
   Stubbs, but Philadelphia's right-hander smiled as he
   was named the Universal Assoc. Cartwright Award
   winner. This season Stubbs compiled an ERA of 2.47,
   going 25-11 in 42 starts. He fanned 146 while giving up
   300 hits in 353 innings. He has 22 complete games
   and 4 shutouts. He's 1st in the Universal Assoc. in
   ERA and 1st in wins! Stubbs wins the award for the 3rd
   time in his 6-year career.

   Tuesday 10/30/1974: Chatcho and Passini win
   Chalmers Award
   The Continental League Chalmers Award goes to Bill
   Chatcho this year. He had an extraordinary season!
   This year Chatcho drove in 144 and scored 121 runs
   while batting .319 with 41 bombs. He's 7th in the
   Continental League in batting, 2nd in homeruns and 1st
   in RBI! Chatcho wins the award for the 2nd time in his
   6-year career. Boston's first baseman Davis Passini will
   never forget this day as well. A great season convinced
   the voters that he is the worthy Universal Assoc.
   Chalmers Award winner. His season numbers are: .334
   AVG, 211 hits, 33 doubles, 6 triples and 23 homeruns,
   along with 134 RBI and 95 runs scored. He's 4th in the
   Universal Assoc. in batting and 1st in RBI!
 
   Tuesday 10/30/1974: Springfield's Trentacoste
   earns Rookie of the Year
   Springfield's leftfielder Carl Trentacoste has worked
   hard to reach the big leagues. His work paid off today
   as the Continental League named him the Rookie of the
   Year winner! Trentacoste has hit 29 longballs this year
   while batting .305. He adds 25 doubles, along with 125
   runs scored. The Universal Assoc. Rookie of the Year
   winner was announced today as well, with New York
   (UA)'s pitcher Chadey Marmalade earning the trophy for
   putting up the best numbers among rookies in his
   league. In 34 starts this year Chadey struck out 167
   batters in 247.1 innings of work. His ERA is 3.93, his
   record 20-8. He's 4th in the Universal Assoc. in wins!

   1974 Season is Complete!
   Another fine season in the books. This years playoff
   teams are the Springfield Isotopes and the Bad News
   Bears for the CL. The UA representatives are the New
   York Knickerbockers and the Philadelphia Keystones.
   Stay tuned to see who will advance to the Spalding
   Cup.
  
   Friday 9/7/1974: Earl Giannelli blisters three bombs
   NEW YORK (CL) - Earl Giannelli can hit 'em a long
   way, and New York (CL) pitchers couldn't smile about
   that today. Bad News' catcher unloaded three bombs,
   adding to his reputation of being one of the best power
   hitters in the game. His 1st shot, a solo homerun off
   Hayward Leng in the 2nd inning, cleared the fence in
   left field. His 2nd blast, a solo homerun off Gerald
   Daddona in the 6th inning, landed an estimated 392
   feet from home plate. A 361 foot drive to left field
   marked his 3rd bomb, a three-run homerun off Gerald
   Daddona in the 8th inning. Earl got 5 hits in 5 AB, with
   three runs scored with 6 RBI. So far this season he is
   batting .283 with 36 homers and 99 RBI. On 6/18/1974,
   Jim Cusanelli was the last player to hit 3 dingers in a
   single game. The final score of the game was 13-6.

   Saturday 9/1/1974: Pitcher of the Month award
   winners announced
   The best month of August in the Continental League
   certainly had Bad News' right-hander Monroe Winland,
   earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. He went 4-
   0 in August and finished the month with an ERA of
   1.05. He struck out 39 in 51.1 innings. Monroe pitched
   a shutout as well. In 32 starts this year Monroe struck
   out 186 batters in 225.1 innings of work. His ERA is
   2.24, his record 20-4. He has 2 complete games and 2
   shutouts. He's 1st in the Continental League in ERA
   and 1st in wins! It's the 3rd time that the Universal
   Assoc. Pitcher of the Month award goes to Flushing's
   pitcher John Hiltz. He struck out 8 hitters in his 6
   starts, putting together a record of 4-2 while pitching 8
   innings. His ERA in August was 1.29. This season
   Hiltz compiled an ERA of 3.42, going 16-12 in 32
   starts. He fanned 76 while giving up 239 hits in 234.1
   innings. John has pitched one shutout and 7 complete
   games. He's 10th in the Universal Assoc. in ERA and
   4th in wins!

   Saturday 9/1/1974: Batter of the Month award
   winners announced
   The Batter of the Month award in the Continental
   League goes to Durham's Fredrick Garand this time, as
   the first baseman displayed the best offensive
   performance in his league. He had an on base
   percentage of .446 and hit .414, while driving in 23 runs.
   This year Garand drove in 64 and scored 62 runs while
   batting .371 with 8 bombs. He's 1st in the Continental
   League in batting! The Universal Assoc.'s best player of
   the month was Boston's Butterfingers McGuire, who
   wins the award for the 5th time in his career.
   Butterfingers pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .320
   with 9 and 23 RBI while slugging .641. This year
   McGuire drove in 87 and scored 96 runs while batting
   .329 with 23 long balls. He's 7th in the Universal Assoc.
   in batting, 7th in homeruns and 6th in RBI!
 
   Saturday 8/18/1974: Ray Cassell on fire, hits for
   cycle
   NEW YORK (UA) - Ray Cassell is a pretty good hitter,
   but his 4 hit performance seemed to surprise even
   himself considering that the hits added up to the cycle,
   one of the most difficult things to accomplish in
   baseball. A pitch from Wilbur Jardon in the 1st inning
   left his bat for a triple. His 2nd hit, a solo homerun off
   Wilbur Jardon in the 2nd inning, landed an estimated
   398 feet from home plate. A RBI double off Wilbur
   Jardon in the 4th inning accounted for his 3rd hit. A
   single in the 7th off Victor Zar accounted for his 4th hit.
   That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his
   face! Ray scored 4 runs, and he collected 2 RBI as
   well! He now has a total of 26 hits this season,
   accounting for a .263 batting average. He's now the
   16th player in league history to hit for the cycle! Jim
   Guilbert was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it
   9/5/1973.

   Monday 8/13/1974: 5-hit performance by New York
   (CL)'s Earl Marcantel
   TRAVELING - Earl Marcantel is among the best pure
   hitters in the game, but his 5 hit performance seemed
   to surprise even himself. In the 3rd inning he unloaded a
   solo homerun off Kirby Arredondo. A pitch from Sim
   Foster in the 8th inning left his bat for a three-run
   homerun, landing 434 feet from home plate in center
   field. He collected singles in the 2nd inning , in the 5th
   inning and in the 6th inning (two RBIs). Earl scored 3
   runs, and he collected 6 RBI as well! His 5 hit
   performance increases his batting average to .248. New
   York (CL) improved its record to 60-54, scoring 13 runs
   on 19 hits.

   Wednesday 7/18/1974: Ray Damboise quiets
   Baltimore bats with shutout
   FLUSHING - Flushing's lefty Ray Damboise will never
   forget this day. The 25-year old recorded his first career
   shutout, a 1-hitter, against Baltimore on Wednesday.
   'Pitching a great game is always a good thing. And it
   doesn't get much better than today.' Damboise (7-13)
   struck out 7 and issued 1 BB, throwing 73 of 113
   pitches for strikes. The hitting star for Flushing was
   third baseman Joe Williford, he went 3 for 4, hitting a
   double. Flushing scored 3 runs on 11 hits.

   Monday 7/9/1974: Holey wins Player of the Week
   award
   The Continental League's best player of the week was
   He was in a zone all week, compiling an ERA of 0.54
   while going 2-0. He hurled a shutout as well. Opposing
   players hit .222 against Wilfred this season. While
   posting an ERA of 3.29 he went 11-9 in 22 starts,
   fanning 99 and walking 44 hitters. He has 6 complete
   games and 3 shutouts. He's 7th in the Continental
   League in ERA and 3rd in wins! Hobert Crowder of
   Baltimore wins his 1st Player of the Week award for
   dominating Universal Assoc.'s hitters the entire week.
   Hobert went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.55, while fanning 21
   in 16.1 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well.

   Sunday 7/1/1974: Matta and Scheunemann receive
   Pitcher of the Month award
   Toledo's pitcher Arthur Matta is the Continental League
   winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in June. His
   record of 5-0 in 7 was among the leagues best this
   month. In 50.2 innings of work he allowed just 34 hits
   while striking out 29, compiling an ERA of just 1.24. In
   20 starts this year Arthur struck out 65 batters in 136.1
   innings of work. His ERA is 2.31, his record 11-4. He's
   3rd in the Continental League in ERA and 3rd in wins!
   The best month of June in the Universal Assoc.
   certainly had Brooklyn's right-hander Steamboat
   Scheunemann, earning him the Pitcher of the Month
   award. His ERA of just 1.09 helped him to a 3-0 record
   in June. He worked 33 innings, striking out 5 hitters
   while walking 6. Steamboat also fired a shutout.
   Opposing players hit .223 against Steamboat this
   season. While posting an ERA of 2.15 he went 3-0 in 4
   starts, fanning 13 and walking 11 hitters. He has one
   complete game and one shutout.

   Monday 6/18/1974: Jim Cusanelli blisters three
   bombs
   BALTIMORE - Baltimore beat New York (UA) 6-5, but
   that was not the real story of the game. Jim Cusanelli
   was, as he went deep three times. In the 1st inning he
   unloaded a solo homerun off Chadey Marmalade.
   Number 2 in the 3rd inning, a shot estimated at 376
   feet, cleared the wall in left field. His 3rd blast, a solo
   homerun off Chadey Marmalade in the 8th inning,
   landed an estimated 463 feet from home plate. Overall
   he stroked 3 hits in 4 AB, with three runs scored and
   driving in 4 runs. George Burdex was the last player to
   hit 3 homeruns in a game, doing it 6/1/1974.

   Tuesday 6/12/1974: Chocktaw Bill Going blanks
   Baltimore with a 2-hitter
   BALTIMORE - Chocktaw Bill Going had his best stuff
   going, and Baltimore hitters had nothing to cheer about.
   Boston's right-hander pitched a 2-hitter, his 1st shutout
   of the season. Going (4-9) struck out 3 and walked 3,
   throwing 64 of 108 pitches for strikes. 'Giving my team
   a chance to win is the most important thing for me. I
   was able to do it today.' Butterfingers McGuire provided
   Boston with the offense Going needed as he finished 2
   for 4, homering once, and driving in 2 runs. Boston
   improved its record to 31-32, scoring 2 runs on 6 hits.

   Driving Determination
   Two of the top teams in the AFBL have shown that they
   are willing to pull out all the stops in order to win. When
   it was announced that Traveling Allstars management
   were going into fire sale mode, it didn't take long for the
   Mudville Nine and the Philadelphia Keystones to step
   up. While both teams are already strong, they have
   both made significant moves to get even better. In the
   UA, the Keystones went for pitching. They greatly
   improved their starting pitching with the addition of
   Allstars stud Johann Ooberdorf. Ooberdorf improves an
   already solid rotation and makes Philly's top 3 arms the
   envy of the league.

   Over in Mudville the scenario was somewhat different.
   The Nine, who in times past were carried in large part
   by their starting pitching, made a move to bolster their
   sometimes erratic offense with the addition of Allstar
   third-sacker Walt Halasz. Halasz steps in for struggling
   Nine 3B Wild Bill Bannister, who has yet to fully
   develop his potential. The rumor mill in Mudville is
   already buzzing with trade rumors surrounding
   Bannister. With the addition of Halasz, Mudville figures
   to put additional pressure on 1973 Champs, the
   Springfield Isotopes, who currently lead the Nine by a 4
   game margin.

   Both Philly and Mudville paid dearly for these
   improvements with both teams agreeing to give up their
   next two #1 draft picks to the struggling Traveling
   Allstars. Allstars GM Jay Ray was serious about
   rebuilding, and with three 1st round picks in each of the
   next two drafts, they should be well on the way.

   Friday 6/1/1974: George Burdex on fire, crushes
   three
   BALTIMORE - George Burdex was in a groove, and the
   results spoke for themselves. He powered New York
   (UA) to a 12-0 win over Baltimore by homering three
   times. His 1st shot, off Henry Trueblood in the 1st
   inning, was a solo homerun and cleared the fence in
   left-center. His 2nd shot, a solo homerun off Henry
   Trueblood in the 6th inning, cleared the fence in left-
   center. Number 3 in the 8th inning, a shot estimated at
   397 feet, cleared the wall in left field. George collected
   3 hits in 4 trips to the plate, scoring FOUR times and
   collecting 4 RBI. On 4/29/1974, Bill Chatcho was the
   last player to hit 3 dingers in a single game.

   Friday 6/1/1974: Thompsom (DUR) and Hiltz (FLU)
   win monthly pitcher award
   Charley Thompsom pitched like a legend in May, and
   the Continental League named him Pitcher of the
   Month for his extraordinary performance. He had an
   ERA of just 1.33 in 47.1 innings of work in which he
   struck out 24 hitters. His record in May is 5-0. Charley
   also fired a shutout. Opposing players hit .231 against
   Charley this season. While posting an ERA of 2.10 he
   went 8-3 in 12 starts, fanning 54 and walking 12 hitters.
   He has 2 complete games and one shutout. He's 1st in
   the Continental League in ERA and 2nd in wins!
   Flushing's pitcher John Hiltz is the Universal Assoc.
   winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in May. He
   went 5-1 in May and finished the month with an ERA of
   3.20. He struck out 10 in 45 innings. John has a record
   of 10-1 this season, with an ERA of 3.40. In 95.1
   Innings he was able to strike out 35 batters. He's 1st in
   the Universal Assoc. in wins!

   Friday 6/1/1974: Red hot Chatcho and
   McConnaughey win Batter of the Month award
   It's the 5th time that the Continental League Batter of
   the Month award goes to Durham's rightfielder Bill
   Chatcho. Chatcho helped his team with an average of
   .355 and 29 RBI in 107 at bats. Chatcho has walked 17
   times this year and posts a .389 OBP. While batting
   .332, 69 for 208, he has driven in 54 runs. He's 9th in
   the Continental League in batting, 1st in homeruns and
   1st in RBI! The Universal Assoc. Batter of the Month
   award goes to Percy McConnaughey, Boston's starting
   catcher. Percy was on fire, hitting .379 with 9
   homeruns and 22 RBI. This year McConnaughey drove
   in 36 and scored 46 runs while batting .338 with 11
   longballs. He's 4th in the Universal Assoc. in batting,
   5th in homeruns and 9th in RBI!

   Sunday 5/20/1974: Everett Todman turns in great
   performance against Philadelphia
   PHILADELPHIA - All you need to win is a dominating
   pitching performance. And Troy's Everett Todman did
   so today, in a 2-hit shutout against Philadelphia.
   Todman (5-4) struck out 8 and issued 5 BB, throwing
   73 of 128 pitches for strikes. 'I didn't feel that I had good
   stuff while warming up. But it got better the more I
   threw the ball. I guess I was lucky.' Tom Czapla
   provided Troy with the offense Todman needed as he
   collected 1 hit in 4 trips to the plate, hitting a double,
   with 3 RBI. Troy scored 5 runs on 8 hits.

   Sunday 5/13/1974: Mudville's Ollie Douglas has
   great day with five hits
   BAD NEWS - 'Wow, five hits in one game is something
   special, isn't it?' said Mudville's first baseman Ollie
   Douglas after the 14-3 win over Bad News. A RBI triple
   off Earle Spooner in the 2nd inning, accounted for his
   1st hit. His 2nd hit, off Earle Spooner in the 3rd inning,
   was a two-run homerun and cleared the fence in left-
   center. A 394 foot drive to left-center marked his 5th hit,
   a three-run homerun off Herbert Deluz in the 9th inning.
   He had singles in the 5th inning (one RBI) and in the
   8th inning . Ollie did drive in 7 while scoring 4 runs on
   his own. He is hitting .276 this season, with 6 HR and
   24 RBI.

   Monday 5/7/1974: Charley Thompsom shuts out
   Bad News on 2 hits
   DURHAM - Bad News' hitters were dominated by
   Durham's Charley Thompsom. He gave up just 2 hits in
   recording his 1st shutout of the season. Thompsom (5-
  3) fanned 2 and walked none, throwing 95 pitches. 'I was
   able to keep´em off balance. That certainly helped.'
   Durham's rightfielder Bill Chatcho finished 1 for 4,
   homering once, and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough
   to support the brilliant performance of Thompsom. The
   final score of the game was 3-0.

   Tuesday 5/1/1974: Ochocki and Pickford receive
   Pitcher of the Month award
   Winner of this months Continental League Pitcher of
   the Month award is New York (CL)'s Cornelius Ochocki.
   He had an ERA of just 3.05 in 56 innings of work in
   which he struck out 30 hitters. His record in April is 5-
  1. The best month of April in the Universal Assoc.
   certainly had Philadelphia's right-hander Floyd Pickford,
   earning him the Pitcher of the Month award. He went 6-
  1 in April and finished the month with an ERA of 1.60.
   He struck out 18 in 56.1 innings. Floyd got two
   complete game shutouts as well!  

   Tuesday 5/1/1974: Batter of the Month award
   winners announced
   The Continental League Batter of the Month award goes
   to Theodore Gallaspy, Bad News' starting second
   baseman. Gallaspy helped his team with an average of
   .347 and 22 RBI in 101 at bats. Morris Vollucci of Troy
   wins his 4th Batter of the Month award for putting up
   the best numbers in the Universal Assoc.. He had an
   on base percentage of .465 and hit .430, while driving in
   26 runs.

   Friday 4/20/1974: Traveling's Wickware out for 5
   weeks
   TRAVELING - Traveling is without its lefty Gilbert
   Wickware for at least 5 weeks. He injured himself while
   throwing a pitch to Frank Poncio in a game against
   Toledo. His face showed signs of pain immediately after
   the ball left his hand. Doctors examined him after the
   game and diagnosed a Strained Elbow Ligament which
   will require surgery. This season Wickware compiled an
   ERA of 6.59, going 2-2 in 5 starts. He fanned 21 while
   giving up 35 hits in 28.2 innings.

   And We're Off!
   The 1974 season of the AFBL is underway. Who will
   ride to the top in the league's 13th season? Will the
   Isotopes repeat? Will the Keystones continue their
   domination of the Universal Association? Can the
   Mudville Nine return to their winning ways? Stay tuned
   to find out.

   The Isotopes Win!!!
   In what has to be considered an upset, the Springfield
   Isotopes defeated the highly touted Philadelphia
   Keystones, the team with the best record in baseball,
   in an amazing 7 game contest. At first, it was all Philly,
   as the Keystones jumped to a quick 3-1 lead in the
   Series. But Springfield was not to be denied, and
   roared back to life in tying the Series at 3 games
   apiece. That led to a game 7 duel between Philly ace
   Ally Stubbs and Wilfred Holey of Springfield. Once
   again, Philly appeared to have the edge, and Stubbs
   pitched a gem. But Holey, with the Series on the line,
   rose to the occasion and out-dueled Stubbs as
   Springfield took the game and the Series, winning by a
   2-1 tally.

   Springfield and Philly go to the Cup!
   After two very hard fought playoff contests, the dust has
   settled and The Isotopes will be facing the Keystones
   in the 1973 Spalding Cup Series. The Series promises
   to be a good one, with both teams seeming up to the
   challenge. Stay tuned!

   The 1973 Season is Complete!
   The AFBL wraps up its 13th season with some
   surprises. The New York Knights, who led the
   Doubleday Division most of the season, lost their last 9
   games to see Springfield take the flag. The Mudville
   Nine showed their age as they faded to 3rd place. In
   the Cartwright Division, the Toledo Mudhens finished 9
   games up on heated rivals the Bad News Bears.
   In the UA, Philadelphia walked away from their Waugh
   Division competition in a romp, leading the nearest rival
   by a huge 25 game margin! The Knickerbockers made
   a race of it, but Baltimore held them off to capture the
   crown in the Coover Division. Stay tuned for the
   Playoffs!

   Monday 10/8/1973: Cornelius Ochocki fires 1-hitter
   against Mudville
   NEW YORK (CL) - New York (CL)'s Cornelius Ochocki
   overmatched the opposing hitters all day long. Mudville
   had no chance, collecting just one hit against the right-
   hander. 'Pitching a great game is always a good thing.
   And it doesn't get much better than today.' Ochocki
   (20-13) struck out 6 and walked 1, throwing 70 of 118
   pitches for strikes. Dutch Schultz provided New York
   (CL) with the offense Ochocki needed as he stroked 3
   hits in 4 AB, scoring twice. The final score of the game
   was 5-0.

   Monday 10/1/1973: Player of the Week honors go
   to Halasz and Vollucci
   Walter Halasz from Traveling wins his 2nd Player of the
   Week award for putting up the best numbers this week
   in the Continental League. Halasz helped his team with
   an average of .455 and 5 RBI in 22 at bats. The
   Universal Assoc.'s best player of the week was Troy's
   Morris Vollucci, who wins the award for the 9th time in
   his career. He had an on base percentage of .476 and
   hit .421, while driving in 11 runs.

   Saturday 9/22/1973: Johann Ooberdorf pitches his
   2nd shutout of the season
   TRAVELING - Traveling's right-hander Johann Ooberdorf
   is a great pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff,
   blanking Springfield on just 2 hits. It's his 2nd shutout
   this season, and the 13th time he has done it in his
   career. Ooberdorf (16-14) struck out an astounding 14
   and walked none, throwing 70 of 101 pitches for strikes.
   'Today I just felt fine. I had a good feeling while warming
   up.' The hitting star for Traveling was first baseman
   Crazylegs Kallenberg, he went 3 for 4. Traveling scored
   2 runs on 7 hits.

  Thursday 9/13/1973: Philadelphia has no chance in
   a 2-hitter by Lonzo McCleskey
   PHILADELPHIA - Baltimore's right-hander Lonzo
   McCleskey is clearly one of the best pitchers in the
   game. Philadelphia found out the hard way, getting just
   2 hits. McCleskey 4th shutout this season was a
   masterpiece, as he was almost untouchable. He has
   now hurled 30th shutouts in his career. McCleskey (21-
  10) struck out 7 and walked none, throwing 63 of 105
   pitches for strikes. 'Today I just felt fine. I had a good
   feeling while warming up.' Baltimore's centerfielder
   Leonard Burridge stroked 2 hits in 4 AB, and collecting
   2 RBI. That was enough to support the brilliant
   performance of McCleskey. The final score of the game
   was 2-0.

   Saturday 9/1/1973: Matta (TOL) and Pickford (PHI)
   win monthly pitcher award
   Winner of this months Continental League Pitcher of
   the Month award is Toledo's Arthur Matta. His record of
   5-1 in 7 was among the leagues best this month. In
   46.1 innings of work he allowed just 36 hits while
   striking out 26, compiling an ERA of just 1.94. In 33
   starts this year Arthur struck out 106 batters in 233
   innings of work. His ERA is 2.28, his record 18-12. He
   has 5 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 2nd in the
   Continental League in ERA and 2nd in wins! Floyd
   Pickford pitched like a legend in August, and the
   Universal Assoc. named him Pitcher of the Month for
   his extraordinary performance. He started 7 games in
   August, going 5-2 and compiling an ERA of 2.21 in 57
   innings. Floyd fanned 21 hitters. Floyd pitched a
   shutout as well. In 32 starts this year Floyd struck out
   84 batters in 250 innings of work. His ERA is 2.63, his
   record 19-8. Floyd has pitched 3 shutouts and 10
   complete games. He's 1st in the Universal Assoc. in
   ERA and 2nd in wins!

   Saturday 9/1/1973: Reyes earns Batter of the Month
   award
   The Continental League Batter of the Month award goes
   to Frederick Reyes, Reyes helped his team with an
   average of .302 and 30 RBI in 96 at bats. While
   compiling an on base percentage of .330, Frederick hit
   .287 and slugged .502. He has collected 86 runs batted
   in this year. He's 6th in the Continental League in RBIs
   and 4th in homeruns! It's the 3rd time that the Universal
   Assoc. Batter of the Month award goes to
   Philadelphia's second baseman Whistlestop Busby. He
   had an on base percentage of .422 and hit .356, while
   driving in 25 runs. Whistlestop has gone 144 for 493
   (.292) this season, hitting 26 taters and driving in 82
   runs. He has scored 77 runs on his own.

   Saturday 9/1/1973: Matta (TOL) and Pickford (PHI)
   win monthly pitcher award
   Winner of this months Continental League Pitcher of
   the Month award is Toledo's Arthur Matta. His record of
   5-1 in 7 was among the leagues best this month. In
   46.1 innings of work he allowed just 36 hits while
   striking out 26, compiling an ERA of just 1.94. In 33
   starts this year Arthur struck out 106 batters in 233
   innings of work. His ERA is 2.28, his record 18-12. He
   has 5 complete games and 2 shutouts. He's 2nd in the
   Continental League in ERA and 2nd in wins! Floyd
   Pickford pitched like a legend in August, and the
   Universal Assoc. named him Pitcher of the Month for
   his extraordinary performance. He started 7 games in
   August, going 5-2 and compiling an ERA of 2.21 in 57
   innings. Floyd fanned 21 hitters. Floyd pitched a
   shutout as well. In 32 starts this year Floyd struck out
   84 batters in 250 innings of work. His ERA is 2.63, his
   record 19-8. Floyd has pitched 3 shutouts and 10
   complete games. He's 1st in the Universal Assoc. in
   ERA and 2nd in wins!

   Saturday 9/1/1973: Reyes earns Batter of the Month
   award
   The Continental League Batter of the Month award goes
   to Frederick Reyes, Reyes helped his team with an
   average of .302 and 30 RBI in 96 at bats. While
   compiling an on base percentage of .330, Frederick hit
   .287 and slugged .502. He has collected 86 runs batted
   in this year. He's 6th in the Continental League in RBIs
   and 4th in homeruns! It's the 3rd time that the Universal
   Assoc. Batter of the Month award goes to
   Philadelphia's second baseman Whistlestop Busby. He
   had an on base percentage of .422 and hit .356, while
   driving in 25 runs. Whistlestop has gone 144 for 493
   (.292) this season, hitting 26 taters and driving in 82
   runs. He has scored 77 runs on his own.

   Monday 8/20/1973: Bailey (MUD) and Hiltz (FLU)
   win P.O.W. award
   Bump Bailey from Mudville wins his 9th Player of the
   Week award for putting up the best numbers this week
   in the Continental League. In 26 at bats he hit .500 with
   2 HR and 5 RBI. Bump is hitting .309 this year, with
   126 hits in 408 at bats. He has driven in 77 runs,
   slugging .549. He's 9th in the Continental League in
   batting, 5th in homeruns and 7th in RBI! The Universal
   Assoc.'s best player of the week was Flushing's John
   Hiltz, who wins the award for the 3rd time in his career.
   John went 2-0 with an ERA of 2.12, while fanning 7 in
   17 innings of work. He hurled a shutout as well.

   Wednesday 8/15/1973: George Gonce dominates
   Baltimore, throws NO-HITTER
   BALTIMORE - Great things can happen when you
   throw strikes. And George Gonce did so today, in a no-
   hit shutout against Baltimore. Gonce (8-12) fanned 9
   and walked 2, throwing 119 pitches. 'Today I just felt
   great. I had a good feeling while warming up, and I
   knew something special was about to happen.' The
   hitting star for New York (UA) was third baseman Elbert
   Pingleton, he collected 3 hits in 4 trips to the plate,
   scoring 2 runs. New York (UA) improved its record to
   57-58, scoring 6 runs on 11 hits.

   Monday 8/6/1973: Brooklyn's Norwood Kozyra gets
   milestone hit
   FLUSHING - Brooklyn's players had every reason to
   congratulate Norwood Kozyra, who reached a
   milestone today, collecting his 2000th career hit! With
   one out in the 1st inning, Norwood drilled a single,
   causing a standing ovation from the crowd. His best
   year so far was 1962 where he hit .367 with 40
   homeruns and 112 RBI. 'This day is special, I'll
   probably remember it my whole life. Thank god I'm
   blessed with the talent to play this game.'

   Wednesday 8/1/1973: Thompsom (DUR) and Beien
   (CIN) win monthly pitcher award
   Durham's pitcher Charley Thompsom is the Continental
   League winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in
   July. He struck out 39 hitters in his 6 starts, putting
   together a record of 4-0 while pitching 39 innings. His
   ERA in July was 1.22. Charley pitched a shutout as
   well. In 24 starts this year Charley struck out 147
   batters in 178.1 innings of work. His ERA is 2.47, his
   record 12-7. He has 5 complete games and 3 shutouts.
   He's 3rd in the Continental League in ERA and 7th in
   wins! Cincinnati's pitcher Jim Beien is the Universal
   Assoc. winner of the Pitcher of the Month award in
   July. He struck out 23 hitters in his 5 starts, putting
   together a record of 4-1 while pitching 23 innings. His
   ERA in July was 1.71. This season Beien compiled an
   ERA of 3.78, going 11-9 in 25 starts. He fanned 100
   while giving up 167 hits in 195 innings. He's 10th in the
   Universal Assoc. in ERA and 7th in wins!

   Wednesday 8/1/1973: Batter of the Month award
   winners announced
   The Batter of the Month award in the Continental
   League goes to Durham's Bill Chatcho this time, as the
   rightfielder displayed the best offensive perfomance in
   his league. Bill was on fire, hitting .372 with 5
   homeruns and 25 RBI. Chatcho has hit for a .301
   average this season. He has 42 extra base hits along
   with 212 total bases, resulting in a .541 slugging
   percentage. He's 1st in the Continental League in RBIs
   and 1st in homeruns! Davis Passini of Boston wins his
   2nd Batter of the Month award for putting up the best
   numbers in the Universal Assoc.. Davis went 29 for 94
   (.309), while hitting 9 HR and collecting 20 RBI. While
   compiling an on base percentage of .383, Davis hit .352
   and slugged .539. He has collected 76 runs batted in
   this year. He's 1st in the Universal Assoc. in batting,
   9th in homeruns and 5th in RBI!

   Sunday 7/22/1973: Mudville's Groceman severely
   injured
   MUDVILLE - Mudville is without its right-hander Bill
   Groceman for at least 4 weeks. He injured himself while
   throwing a pitch to Jim Sibell in a game against
   Springfield. His face showed signs of pain immediately
   after the ball left his hand. Inflamed Bicep Tendon was
   the diagnosis after x-rays were taken in a nearby
   hospital. The message shocked teammates and team
   officials. Opposing players hit .255 against Bill this
   season. While posting an ERA of 3.50 he went 8-11 in
   22 starts, fanning 82 and walking 27 hitters. Bill has
   pitched 2 shutouts and 9 complete games.

   Wednesday 7/18/1973: Francis Caal quiets New
   York (CL) bats with shutout
   TAMPICO - New York (CL)'s hitters were dominated by
   Tampico's Francis Caal. He gave up just 2 hits in
   recording his 1st shutout of the season. The bid for a
   no-hitter was broken up when Dutch Schultz singled
   with no outs in the 8th inning. Caal (10-6) fanned 4 and
   walked none, throwing 90 pitches. 'My catcher called a
   very good game. I have to give credit to him.' Tampico's
   second baseman John Goh stroked 1 hit in 3 AB,
   homering once, and collecting 2 RBI. That was enough
   to support the brilliant performance of Caal. Tampico
   improved its record to 38-53, scoring 4 runs on 5 hits.

   Thursday 7/12/1973: Henry Trueblood pitches his
   1st shutout of the season
   PHILADELPHIA - Henry Trueblood, usually uneffective,
   had a great performance against Philadelphia on
   Thursday, pitching a 2-hitter for his 1st shutout of the
   season. Trueblood (3-7) fanned 3 and walked 1,
   throwing 100 pitches. 'I hit the corners with all of my
   pitches. That helped a lot!' Randolph Vial provided
   Baltimore with the offense Trueblood needed as he
   went 2 for 4, stroking two 2B's. The final score of the
   game was 5-0.

   Monday 7/9/1973: Fred Wester fires 2-hitter against
   Cincinnati
   TROY - Troy's right-hander Fred Wester is a great
   pitcher. And he once again showed his stuff, blanking
   Cincinnati on just 2 hits. It's his 2nd shutout this
   season, and the 6th time he has done it in his career. 'I
   didn't feel that I had good stuff while warming up. But it
   got better the more I threw the ball. I guess I was
   lucky.' Wester (10-5) struck out 7 and walked 1,
   throwing 67 of 98 pitches for strikes. Troy's catcher
   Floyd Barber finished with 2 hits in 3 AB, homering
   once, hitting a double, scoring twice. That was enough
   to support the brilliant performance of Wester. The final
   score of the game was 3-0.

   Sunday 7/1/1973: Mudville's Hegg earns Pitcher of
   the Month award
   Eusebio Hegg couldn't have pitched much better than
   he did in June, and the Continental League thought so
   as well, naming the right-hander Pitcher of the Month.
   His record of 4-0 in 6 was among the leagues best this
   month. In 45 innings of work he allowed just 33 hits
   while striking out 38, compiling an ERA of just 1.00.
   Eusebio also fired a shutout. Eusebio has a record of 8-
  5 this season, with an ERA of 2.88. In 137.2 Innings he
   was able to strike out 111 batters. He has 4 complete
   games and one shutout. Baltimore's pitcher Lonzo
   McCleskey is the Universal Assoc. winner of the
   Pitcher of the Month award in June. He started 6
   games in June, going 4-1 and compiling an ERA of 1.79
   in 50.1 innings. Lonzo fanned 29 hitters. Lonzo fired
   two shutouts! In 18 starts this year Lonzo struck out 80
   batters in 146.1 innings of work. His ERA is 2.95, his
   record 11-5. Lonzo has pitched 2 shutouts and 9
   complete games. He's 5th in the Universal Assoc. in
   ERA and 2nd in wins!

   Sunday 7/1/1973: Bad News' Leak earns Batter of
   the Month award
   The Continental League's best player of the month was
   Bad News' Kelly Leak, who wins the award for the 1st
   time in his career. In 93 at bats he hit .398 with 7 HR
   and 23 RBI. His season numbers are: .308 AVG, 90
   hits, 13 doubles, 6 triples and 15 bombs, along with 55
   RBI and 56 runs scored. He's 10th in the Continental
   League in batting, 4th in homeruns and 4th in RBI! It's
   the 2nd time that the Universal Assoc. Batter of the
   Month award goes to Troy's rightfielder Morris Vollucci.
   Morris pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .311 with 12
   and 32 RBI while slugging .689. Morris has gone 91 for
   296 (.307) this season, hitting 21 longballs and driving
   in 69 runs. He has scored 58 runs on his own. He's 3rd
   in the Universal Assoc. in RBIs and 4th in homeruns!

   Monday 6/18/1973: Goncalves and McCleskey win
   Player of the Week award
   The Continental League Player of the Week award goes
   to Eldridge Goncalves, Tampico's starting catcher.
   Goncalves helped his team with an average of .579 and
   7 RBI in 19 at bats. The Universal Assoc. Player of the
   Week award goes to Lonzo McCleskey, one of
   Baltimore's best starting pitchers. Lonzo went 2-0 with
   an ERA of 0.00, while fanning 11 in 17 innings of work.
   He hurled a shutout as well. In 16 starts this year
   Lonzo struck out 73 batters in 129.1 innings of work.
   His ERA is 2.92, his record 10-4. He has 8 complete
   games and 2 shutouts. He's 6th in the Universal Assoc.
   in ERA and 2nd in wins!

   Tuesday 6/12/1973: Bingo Long pitches 1-hit
    shutout against Durham
   TRAVELING - Age doesn't matter. At least Traveling's
   left-hander Bingo Long shares this opinion. The 37 year
   old pitched a 1-hit shutout against Durham, recording
   his 1st shutout of the season. 'I had a good grip on the
   ball today and I was able to put it where I wanted. That
   kept them out of balance.' Long (6-8) struck out 5 and
   walked 1, throwing 52 of 88 pitches for strikes.
   Traveling's third baseman James Stotsky finished with
   2 hits in 4 AB, homering once. That was enough to
   support the brilliant performance of Long. Traveling
   improved its record to 28-35, scoring 4 runs on 8 hits.

  Sunday 6/10/1973: Bad News' Gronosky severely
   injured
   BAD NEWS - Bad News' left-hander Bert Gronosky will
   not pitch again this year, suffering a serious injury in
   the game against Mudville on Sunday. Gronosky was
   rushed to an hospital near the ballpark, where doctors
   took x-rays. Those revealed the serious injury, Torn
   Ligament Elbow. Opposing players hit .167 against
   Bert this season. While posting an ERA of 1.29 he
   went 1-0 in 0 starts, fanning 5 and walking 1 hitters.
 
  Thursday 6/7/1973: Lonzo McCleskey fires NO-NO
   against Brooklyn
   BALTIMORE - Baltimore's right-hander Lonzo
   McCleskey made some history today, firing a no-hitter
   against Brooklyn. Their hitters found out the hard way
   that he is among the leagues top pitchers, never having
   a chance against his overpowering stuff. McCleskey (8
  -4) struck out 5 and issued 3 BB, throwing 56 of 96
   pitches for strikes. 'Wow, what a nice day. I guess I
   had a good breakfast today. That's a dream coming
   true for me!' The hitting star for Baltimore was
   centerfielder Karl Andreozzi, he stroked 1 hit in 4 AB.
   The final score of the game was 3-0.

   Wednesday 6/6/1973: Burton Sorrell stars with
   2000th career hit
   BAD NEWS - Burton Sorrell got a standing ovation from
   23342 fans in Bad News, who witnessed his 2000th
   career hit. In 13 years of big league action so far,
   Burton has compiled a batting average of .268, along
   with 199 homeruns and 869 RBI. 'You dream about that
   as a kid, but when you reach such a milestone it's hard
   to believe. Fantastic.' His hit in the 5th inning was a
   double off Jim Dettling.
 
   Saturday 6/2/1973: Baltimore's Leonard Burridge
   gets milestone hit
   CINCINNATI - Leonard Burridge got a standing ovation
   from 43970 fans in Cincinnati, who witnessed his
   2000th career hit. His best year so far was 1962 where
   he hit .295 with 48 homeruns and 118 RBI. 'I guess I'll
   celebrate a bit today. But the most important thing is
   winning, and my whole career I gave everything I could
   to help my team.' With one out in the 4th inning,
   Leonard drilled a single, causing a standing ovation
   from the crowd.
 
   Friday 6/1/1973: Dettling (SPR) and Stubbs (PHI)
   win monthly pitcher award
   It's the 2nd time that the Continental League Pitcher of
   the Month award goes to Springfield's pitcher Jim
   Dettling. His record of 3-1 in 7 was among the leagues
   best this month. In 49 innings of work he allowed just
   26 hits while striking out 36, compiling an ERA of just
   1.10. Opposing players hit .198 against Jim this
   season. While posting an ERA of 1.68 he went 7-4 in
   16 starts, fanning 77 and walking 14 hitters. Jim has
   pitched one shutout and one complete game. He's 1st
   in the Continental League in ERA and 5th in wins!
   Philadelphia's Allie Stubbs had a terrific May, and it
   earned him the Universal Assoc. Pitcher of the month
   award. He had an ERA of just 2.47 in 51 innings of
   work in which he struck out 21 hitters. His record in
   May is 6-0. This season Stubbs compiled an ERA of
   2.63, going 12-1 in 13 starts. He fanned 45 while giving
   up 84 hits in 109.2 innings. He's 3rd in the Universal
   Assoc. in ERA and 1st in wins!

   Friday 6/1/1973: Baltimore's Cusanelli named
   Batter of the Month
   The Continental League's best player of the month was
   Traveling's Walter Halasz, who wins the award for the
   1st time in his career. Halasz helped his team with an
   average of .420 and 20 RBI in 88 at bats. Walter is
   hitting .310 this year, with 53 hits in 171 at bats. He
   has driven in 25 runs, slugging .480. Baltimore's
   second baseman Jim Cusanelli had some reason to
   celebrate as well, as the league named him the
   Universal Assoc. Batter of the Month. He had an on
   base percentage of .417 and hit .358, while driving in 29
   runs. Cusanelli has hit for a .346 average this season.
   He has 31 extra base hits along with 126 total bases,
   resulting in a .704 slugging percentage. He's 3rd in the
   Universal Assoc. in batting, 3rd in homeruns and 1st in
   RBI!
 
   Friday 5/25/1973: Nat Tannahill (TOL) will miss full season
TOLEDO - Toledo's rightfielder Nat Tannahill will miss the rest of the season. He injured himself running the bases in the game between Toledo and Mudville. The injury didn't seem to be serious the moment it happened. But suddenly Tannahill collapsed in pain and had to be carried off the field. After being examined by several specialists the diagnosis is clear: Torn Thigh Muscle. He has hit one longball while batting .307 this season. His 51 hits and 29 walks add up to a .408 on-base percentage.

   Wednesday 5/23/1973: Springfield has no chance
   in a 2-hitter by Cornelius Ochocki
   NEW YORK (CL) - With his best stuff going, New York
   (CL)'s Cornelius Ochocki overmatched the opposing
   hitters all day long. Springfield had no chance,
   collecting just 2 hits against the right-hander. Ochocki
   (7-2) struck out 5 and issued 1 BB, throwing 66 of 104
   pitches for strikes. 'I really like to play baseball, and I
   love the way I was able to play it today.' Luciano
   Schepp provided New York (CL) with the offense
   Ochocki needed as he finished 1 for 2, blasting a
   homerun, with 3 RBI. The final score of the game was
   3-0.

   Monday 5/14/1973: Player of the Week honors go
   to Giannelli and Zacek
   The Continental League's best player of the week was
   Bad News' Earl Giannelli, who wins the award for the
   1st time in his career. Earl pounded opposing pitchers,
   hitting .481 with 4 HR and 11 RBI while slugging 1.037.
   Earl has gone 35 for 133 (.263) this season, hitting 6
   taters and driving in 24 runs. He has scored 21 runs on
   his own. He's 9th in the Continental League in RBIs and
   4th in homeruns! Glen Zacek from Boston wins his 2nd
   Player of the Week award for putting up the best
   numbers this week in the Universal Assoc.. Glen
   pounded opposing pitchers, hitting .619 with 1 HR and
   5 RBI while slugging .905.

   Monday 5/7/1973: Springfield's Dettling wins
   Player of the Week award
   Jim Dettling of Springfield wins his 2nd Player of the
   Week award for dominating Continental League's hitters
   the entire week. Jim went 2-0 with an ERA of 0.00,
   while fanning 13 in 17 innings of work. He hurled a
   shutout as well. Jim has a record of 5-3 this season,
   with an ERA of 1.88. In 71.2 Innings he was able to
   strike out 47 batters. He has one complete game and
   one shutout. He's 4th in the Continental League in ERA
   and 3rd in wins! The Player of the Week award in the
   Universal Assoc. goes to Philadelphia's Kester Flint
   this time, as the leftfielder displayed the best offensive
   performance in his league. Kester went 8 for 20 (.400),
   while hitting 3 HR and collecting 9 RBI. Flint has hit 12
   homeruns this year while batting .361. He adds 4
   doubles, along with 28 runs scored. He's 7th in the
   Universal Assoc. in batting, 1st in homeruns and 4th in
   RBI!

   Tuesday 5/1/1973: Pitcher of the Month award
   winners announced
   It's the 1st time that the Continental League Pitcher of
   the Month award goes to Toledo's pitcher Bert Tolliver.
   His record of 5-1 in 7 was among the leagues best this
   month. In 56.2 innings of work he allowed just 31 hits
   while striking out 27, compiling an ERA of just 1.43.
   Bert pitched a shutout as well. Winner of this months
   Universal Assoc. Pitcher of the Month award is
   Philadelphia's Allie Stubbs. His ERA of just 2.76 helped
   him to a 6-1 record in April. He worked 58.2 innings,
   striking out 24 hitters while walking 3.

   Tuesday 5/1/1973: Chatcho (DUR) and Flint (PHI)
   win monthly award
   Durham's rightfielder Bill Chatcho had some reason to
   celebrate, as the league named him the Continental
   League Batter of the Month. He hit .279 with 23 RBI
   and slugged .567 in 104 at bats. The Universal Assoc.
   Batter of the Month award goes to Kester Flint,
   Philadelphia's starting leftfielder. Kester was on fire,
   hitting .349 with 9 homeruns and 21 RBI.

   Monday 4/16/1973: Player of the Week honors go
   to Barreiro and Flint
   The Continental League Player of the Week award goes
   to Bill Barreiro, Springfield's starting centerfielder. In 20
   at bats he hit .600 with 2 HR and 3 RBI. Barreiro has
   hit 3 taters this year while batting .451. He adds 4
   doubles, along with 15 runs scored. He's 2nd in the
   Continental League in batting! It's the 1st time that the
   Universal Assoc. Player of the Week award goes to
   Philadelphia's leftfielder Kester Flint. In 21 at bats he hit
   .429 with 4 HR and 8 RBI.

   Monday 4/9/1973: Brooklyn's Borruso wins Player
   of the Week award
   The Continental League Player of the Week award goes
   to Guadalupe Mumbower, Toledo's starting second
   baseman. He had an on base percentage of .467 and
   hit .444, while driving in 10 runs. Mumbower has hit for
   a .484 average this season. He has 6 extra base hits
   along with 29 total bases, resulting in a .935 slugging
   percentage. He's 3rd in the Continental League in
   batting, 1st in homeruns and 1st in RBI! The Universal
   Assoc.'s best player of the week was Brooklyn's Hoot
   Borruso, who wins the award for the 7th time in his
   career. He hit .593 with 3 RBI and slugged .889 in 27 at
   bats. He got at least one hit each game this week and
   is on a 7 game hitting streak right now.

   And they're off!
   The 1973 season is underway. One week into the
   season only two games separate the best record from
   the worst. Stay tuned for another great season!

   Mudville takes two!
   The mighty Mudville Nine have repeated as AFBL
   Champs, defeating a strong Boston Beaneaters club in
   a 4 game set. Game 1 was a close one, going to
   Mudville 5-4. But then the Mudville batsmen went into
   overdrive, tallying scores of 15, 8, and 7 in the next 3
   games to take the Spalding Cup. In other notes from
   Mudville, congratulations to the amazing Eusabio Hegg,
   on the occasion of his 9th consecutive 20+ win season.
   Hegg had some trouble with the league's new, slightly
   livelier ball early in the season, but soon found his
   groove and posted a 21-9 record. His performance led
   some to grumble over Mudhen Arthur Matta's selection
   as Cartwright Award winner. When asked for his
   thoughts on the matter, Hegg was quoted as saying "I
   used to play against Artie in college. He's a great
   competitor, a great guy and he deserves the award for
   sure."

   With this season officially over, the stove has begun to
   heat up. The Free Agent and Rookie drafts are coming
   soon.
  
   Friday 10/26/1972: Matta (TOL) and Stubbs (PHI)
   win Cartwright Award
   Arthur Matta will never forget this year. His dominating
   season convinced the Continental League to name
   Toledo's left-hander the Cartwright Award winner of
   1972. His ERA of 2.12 helped him to a 21-10 record
   this year. He struck out 146 and walked 45 in 267.1
   innings. Arthur has pitched one shutout and 3 complete
   games. He's 1st in the Continental League in ERA and
   3rd in wins! The 1972 Universal Assoc. Cartwright
   Award winner is from Philadelphia this year. Allie
   Stubbs put together impressive numbers on the mound
   this season as well. In 38 starts this year Allie struck
   out 150 batters in 325 innings of work. His ERA is 3.05,
   his record 21-14. He has 29 complete games and 3
   shutouts. He's 2nd in the Universal Assoc. in ERA and
   3rd in wins!

   Friday 10/26/1972: Chalmers Award winners
   announced
   The Chalmers Award in the Continental League was
   handed to Durham's rightfielder Bill Chatcho! His
   season features a batting average of .339 (204 hits in
   601 AB), 24 doubles, 12 triples and 43 homeruns.
   Chatcho collected 136 RBI and 113 runs as well. He's
   3rd in the Continental League in batting, 1st in
   homeruns and 1st in RBI! A season for the ages earned
   Boston's catcher Percy McConnaughey the Universal
   Assoc. Chalmers Award this year. Percy is hitting .352
   this year, with 199 hits in 566 at bats. He has driven in
   129 runs, slugging .659. He's 1st in the Universal
   Assoc. in batting, 3rd in homeruns and 2nd in RBI!
   McConnaughey wins the award for the 2nd time in his
   3-year career.

   Friday 10/26/1972: Munley and Craft receive
   Rookie of the Year
   Springfield's leftfielder Charley Munley has worked hard
   to reach the big leagues. His work paid off today as the
   Continental League named him the Rookie of the Year
   winner! Munley has hit 31 homeruns this year while
   batting .312. He adds 22 doubles, along with 66 runs
   scored. The 1972 Universal Assoc. Rookie of the Year
   winner is from Troy this season. Hamilton Craft put
   together impressive numbers for a rookie en route to
   win the first major award of his career. Let's hope more
   will follow for this 22 year old ballplayer. Craft has hit 21
   taters this year while batting .252. He adds 25 doubles,
   along with 79 runs scored.  

   It's Mudville and Boston for the Cup
   I guess it's only fitting that the teams with the two best
   records find themselves vying for the championship. It
   was not the playoff series that one might have
   expected, at least in the CL.
 
   In the CL, the number 1 (TOL) and 3 (MUD) ranked
   pitching staffs battled it out. While a low scoring series
   might have been the expected result, somebody forgot
   to tell the Mudville batsmen, who outscored their
   opponents by an amazing 40-10 over a short 4 game
   set.
 
   Over in the UA, Cincinnati was slightly favored, rating
   ahead of Boston in both team ERA and BA. But the
   Beaneaters prevailed in a hotly contested 6 game
   series.
 
  Will the Mudville Nine repeat as Champs? Or is Boston destined to take the title? Stay tuned.