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BASEBALL'S WEEK
AMERICANLEAGUE
Frank Lane,Kansas City GM, and Charles Finley, club president, were not pleased with theirteam (which slipped to seventh) or with each other. When Pitchers Ken Johnsonand Norm Bass were to be sent to the minors, Finley intervened and each wasgiven another start. Johnson was hit hard, Bass pitched very well. This gaveboth Lane and Finley something to smile—and growl—about. Snapped Lane, "Hethinks he knows as much in 29 minutes as I learned in 29 years." JackieJensen wasn't mad at anyone any longer and returned to the Boston Red Sox. Hehad quit because he felt he couldn't hit, run or field any more. In his firstgame he proved he could do all three. He went two for two (including a homer),scored from first on a single that was bobbled in the outfield and made a finebackhand catch. Bill Monbouquette beat the Senators 2-1 and struck out 17, oneshort of the record. Jim Gentile, Baltimore first baseman, did set a record,hitting two consecutive grand slam home runs against the Twins. "I thoughtthe only way I'd ever get in the record book was by kicking water coolers,"Gentile said. Although the Orioles won four of five they gained just half agame on the Detroit Tigers (see page 26), who were no longer regarded as mereupstarts. They not only hit (.279) and pitched well but they were running, too.In one three-game span, the Tigers stole eight bases. Chicago also got goodpitching, edging Cleveland 4-2 when Herb Score pitched a two-hitter. LikeScore, Cleveland's Gary Bell also won his first game when the Indians came upwith their only offensive thrust of the week, scoring six runs in the 11thagainst the White Sox. With Hector Lopez hitting .154, Roger Maris .125 andMickey Mantle .111, and with the pitchers giving up five runs a game, the NewYork Yankees barely hung on to second place. Washington didn't get many runsbut the pitching (just three runs and 11 hits in four games with Boston) wasthe best in the majors and the Senators won five, lost three. The Los AngelesAngels concluded a successful home stand (27 home runs, eight wins, six losses)then went on the road, did not hit a home run in their first two games and lostthem both. The Minnesota Twins were still at home and were still hitting homeruns (13 in five games). Seven players were injured, and Manager CookieLavagetto said his team was "going on guts." Go they did, getting 54hits and 40 runs while winning three of five.
NATIONALLEAGUE
Eddie Mathewsheard strange sounds in the Milwaukee Braves' infield, learned that RoyMcMillan was the culprit. "He not only covers shortstop like a vacuumcleaner, he even sounds like one," Mathews said. "When he gloves theball he wheezes, and when he throws he snorts." McMillan confessed,"It's the way I breathe when I make a play," he explained. "I maymake a sudden move and I exhale air through my teeth." Nine home runshelped the Braves win three of four. The big noise, however, came from the LosAngeles Dodgers, who stretched their win streak to six. In the ninth inning ofa 5-2 victory over the Phillies, a boy jumped onto the field. Outfielder RonFairly helped him back to his seat by boosting him over the wall, but Fairlygave even more of a lift to his team by driving in five runs in two games. Inthat 5-2 victory Manager Walt Alston started Jim Gilliam (hitting .228 at thetime) for Tommy Davis (.330) at third. "1 heard it was supposed to rainearly," Alston said. "Gilliam makes them get the ball over and maybehe'll get on and we'll get a run or two real quick." Gilliam did get on, hedid score, and the game was rained out after five innings and the Dodgers won.The Philadelphia Phillies also won—after 10 losses. Art Mahaffey went nineinnings for the Phillies for the fifth time and beat the St. Louis Cardinals.Ernie Broglio defeated the Phillies 5-1, but that was the team's only win inthree tries. While the Cardinals skidded to sixth, the Pittsburgh Pirates movedup to third. Bobby Shantz and Clem Labine pitched fine relief and beatCincinnati's streaky Reds, who had won nine in a row. Cincinnati pitchersallowed a paltry 25 runs during their string, then gave up 21 in two games withthe Pirates. The only team to stop the Pirates was the San Francisco Giants(see page 22). Mike McCormick pitched a three-hitter, and Willie Mays drovein¬†six runs in one game as the Giants split four games. No one pitched orhit very well for the Chicago Cubs and their losing streak stretched toeight.
[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
Boxed statisticsthrough Saturday, May 13
TWO PHOTOS
WINNERS IN RELIEF were Clem Labine (Pirates), Ed Palmquist (Twins), ex-Dodgers. Labine beat the Reds, Palmquist the Angels.
