Rookie of the Year

On this day in 1975 - Fred Lynn, who led the league in runs, doubles and slugging percentage for the AL champion Red Sox, is the overwhelming choice as AL Rookie of the Year.  

 

I don't know who our rookie of the year is but every week we seem to have a new rookie.

 

Over sixty players signed in today so we were able to use three fields for the first time since the snowbirds left in the spring.The National League fielded two teams themselves and actually sent a couple players over to the American League fields.

 

The Nationals played on Servicemaster Field. The home team was comprised of F Miller, Moots, Thompson, Remington, B Miller, Merritt, Barnes, Leggett, Fulton, Morey, and G Baker. The first five batters reached base and scored giving them an early lead  The visitors (Altemose, Kline, Mundy, Lopez, Bombard, Bess, Bloom, Smith, Mills, L Baker, and Lewis) were  only able to put one run across in their half of the first. After a big first, the bats went quiet as they managed a lone run in each of the next two innings. The home team was shut out in the second but managed to narrow the gap to a lone run by scoring five in the third. The big hit a bases loaded double by Bess. During the next three innings we saw the lead change as the home team was held to no runs while the home team scored one in each of the three innings.

 

In the seventh, the visitors retook the lead as Thompson had a critical double and helped them score four runs. While the offense came through, so did the defense as they actually held the visitors scoreless in the last three innings. The visitors managed another four runs in the ninth to give them 15 for the game. With the home team shut out in the last three innings, the final score was 15 to 9.

 

Key Performances

Ron Thompson    5 for 5

Bill Miller    4 for 5

Walt Leggett    4 for 5

John Fulton     4 for 5

 

Ed Kline     5 for 5

Wayne Mundy    4 for 5

Greg Bombard    4 for 5

JT Smith    4 for 4

 

The American Team on Golds Field played a very competitive game that was close until the very end. The visiting team of Dampier, Gonzalez, Hamilton, Jacobson, Toro, Alumbaugh, Constantine, Coffman, Rodriquez, and Wells looked the team to beat after scoring five runs in the first and holding the home team of Witmer, Laffoon, D'Herin, Held, Zelazny, Butler, Schapler, Davis, and Hartley to a scant two runs. In the second the home team tied the game as the visitors went three and out and the home boys scored two to knot the game. In the third Freddie Gonzalez's home run helped the visitors score three. The home team answered with five off seven singles. In the fourth both teams seemed to score at will. Tom Hamilton had a triple while Jacobson, Toro, and Gonzalez had doubles for the visitors. The home team managed five again on six singles.

 

Over the next three innings, each team scored a total of five runs. Key hits for the visitors were Alumbaugh's double and Gonzalez's triple. Schapler, Davis and Held all had doubles for the home team. In the eighth inning Les Jacobson's double was the big hit but the team left a couple runners on base and managed only two runs. The ninth started with the visitors getting their first three batters on base and starting to feel the momentum shifting. Fortunately solid defense stopped them after only two runners crossed the plate. The final score was the Home Team 25 and the Visitors 22.

 

Key Performances

 

Freddie Gonzalez    6 for 6 with a home run, a triple and two doubles

Tom Hamilton    5 for 6 with a triple and double

Les Jacobson     6 for 6

 

Donnie Witmer    6 for 7

Joe DHerin     5 for 7

Bob Zelazny    6 for 7

Dean Schapler    5 for 7

JD Davis    4 for 6

Dave Hartley    4 for 6

 

 

While everyone else was done, The American League game on Gatorland Field played on as neither team could shut down the other. The visitors (Chrest, Rivera, Jacobs, Wolff, Benson, Simon, Marino, Pepin, S Hill, Ota, and Lopicolo) scored five in the first aided by Bill Wolff's homerun. The home boys (Scarbrough,Shaffer, King, D Hill, Wise, Byrd, Herbie O, Reagan, Levesque, Bowley and Holder) unfortunately went four and out. It was more of the same in the next inning as the visitors were out scored 4 to 2. In the third, the first five batters scored for the visitors and it looked like the game would soon be over Too bad no one told the home boys as they scored six in the bottom of the third to close the gap They batted ten batters and had eight singles along the way. Both teams scored two in the fourth leaving the score at 16 to 10, favor of the visitors.

 

The next three innings saw solid defense and key hits by both teams as the visitors scored five runs and the home team 4 runs. So going into the eighth inning the home boys had a comfortable 21 to 14 lead.Duff Hill lead off and scored the only run for the visitors, leaving the door open for the home team that had the meat of their line up coming up. Tommy wise home run produced four runs and it looked like it was going down to the ninth. Unfortunately Tom's hit was it for the inning as the next two batters made outs.

 

With only four runs separating the teams going into the ninth and a big crowd gathering the visitors  sent Jose Rivera up to start the inning. Fifteen batters and eleven runs later they took the field on defense. During the run Frank Jacobs had a home run and Bill Wolff a double. The home team failed to recapture their earlier success and they went three and out to end the game. Final Score Visitors 33 and the Home Team 18.

 

Key Performances

 

Larry Chrest     6 for 8

Jose Rivera    7 for 8

Frank Jacobs    6 for 8 with a double and home run

Steve Hill    5 for 6 with a home run

Ken Ota 5 for 6

Pat Lopicolo    6 for 6 and winning pitcher

 

Denny Shaffer    5 for 5

John Byrd    5 for 5

Herbie  O     4 for 5