BASEBALL'S WEEK

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Six months ago Lou Burdette thought his major league career, which had spanned 16 seasons and 195 wins, had come to an end. But one person who did not give up on Burdette was CALIFORNIA (3-5) General Manager Fred Haney, who was manager of the Milwaukee Braves when Burdette won three games in the 1957 World Series. Signed to an Angel contract, Burdette knew that he would have to earn a place on a young, fast-moving team. He did. His 5-1 record and four saves have made him one of the most important members of the third-place Angels. Lou passed a personal milestone in Yankee Stadium last week when he pitched two innings of perfect relief against the Yankees to win his 200th game. Hard-hitting shortstops helped both NEW YORK (5-2) and BOSTON (3-3). Horace Clarke was moved into the Yankee lineup two weeks ago, and the team won six of eight as Clarke raised his average from .200 to .229. The Red Sox's lead-off man, Rico Petrocelli, with a season's total of 49 RBIs, sparked a streak in which Boston won 14 of 20. Early-season sensation George Scott, homerless since June 19, was benched for weak hitting. It took three losses to the Yankees and a fight between Traveling Secretary Howie Fox and Third Base Coach Billy Martin to ignite MINNESOTA (6-2). The Twins swept a four-game series from WASHINGTON (3-5), as Jim Kaat won twice, to become the winningest (14) pitcher in the league. Kaat's explanation for his record: "I'm throwing harder and trying not to rely on pinpoint control." The Senators had to depend on gift runs during a streak of 43 innings in which they scored only one earned run. Rookie Barry Moore made his first major league start a great one, three-hitting KANSAS CITY (1-5) to break the Senators" five-game losing streak. Infielders Ken McMullen and Ed Brinkman contributed 16 hits to the Washington offense. For the second time this season an umpire put the A's speedy Campy Campaneris out of the lineup. He missed the first week of the season after an umpire stepped on his left hand in the last exhibition game in spring training. Last week, following his steal of third. Bill Kinnamon stepped on his right thumb, and nine stitches were required to close the wound. Manager Al Dark was slightly annoyed: "I'd never seen a ballplayer spiked by an umpire, but now I've seen it twice in half a season." Jim Nash won his third straight for the A's after being called up from Mobile. Since his three perfect innings in the All-Star Game, DETROIT (2-5) Pitcher Dennis McLain has been ineffective, losing three times and giving up 17 runs. When the Orioles drove him out in four innings (he gave up eight runs), McLain and Pitching Coach Stubby Overmire had a verbal battle in the clubhouse. Yelled McLain: "Stubby's trying to run the club." Responded Overmire: "You're popping off too much. I've been in baseball too long to be bothered by things like this." One thing Stubby could do nothing about was the number of runs his pitchers had given up; since July 16 Detroit starters have failed to last more than five innings in six of seven games, and they have allowed CLEVELAND (3-5) and BALTIMORE (6-1) 70 runs and 114 hits. The Indians were slumping, losing 16 of 22 and dropping out of third place. Fred Whitfield won a game against the Tigers with a two-run homer and had three for the week. Frank Robinson (page 12) was almost unstoppable. His six home runs helped the Orioles extend their lead to 12 games. Even though CHICAGO (4-3) has won eight of its last 12, the White Sox were 20 games out of first, their worst showing since the late 1940s.

Standings: Balt 66-33, Det 52-43, Cal 52-46, Clev 51-45, Minn 49-49, Chi 46-51, NY 45-51, KC 42-54, Wash 43-58, Bos 42-58

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Want to know the inside story on New YORK'S (5-3) seven-game winning streak, a club record? Well, the secret is an old baseball, black with age and shaped like an egg, which Coach Yogi Berra was using for infield practice. Yogi produced the ball after the Mets had lost seven in a row (not a club record) whereupon the team immediately began to win. When Sandy Koufax finally stopped the Mets, Berra threw away the lucky ball. "We're superstitious to a certain degree," said Berra. More tangible reasons for the Mets' success are two Bobs, Friend and Shaw, both of whom came to the team in June and have added stability to a young and shaky pitching staff. They have also added eight victories, including two by Friend last week. For LOS ANGELES (5-3) Phil Regan won his seventh game in relief and lowered his ERA to 1.74, but the Dodgers were unable to gain on PITTSBURGH (3-3). "You've done a good job," Pirate Manager Harry Walker told his players after they had won two out of three from SAN FRANCISCO (3-3), whereupon the Bucs went out and lost two games to the Dodgers and Astros. Even so, they continued to have the top four hitters in the league. During the early part of the season Jim Ray Hart of the Giants was a top hitter, too, but during July he has been under .150. Rookie Bob Schroder and world traveler Don Landrum made costly errors for the Giants one day and found themselves stripped of their uniforms and sent down to the minors the next. But there were a few bright moments for the Giants. After he had struck out 15 batters, Gaylord Perry (14-2) declared, "I like strikeouts. It feels better when you don't hear the ball whistling by you." HOUSTON (3-5) Trainer Jim Ewell put Pitcher Larry Dierker in the proper mood for work with some pregame music the night he was to face the Pirates. Although Dierker didn't like the Johnny Cash music ("I'd rather hear Sam Cooke," he said), he went out and pitched a complete game victory anyway, PHILADELPHIA (3-4) continued to hang near the leaders, no thanks to Houston Astroturf. Left-hander Chris Short watched an end-of-the-bat roller skid over the synthetic infield and into the synthetic outfield, thus allowing the winning run to score. "They can take this place," growled Short, thus joining a long line of discontented visitors. CINCINNATI (5-3) Temporary Manager Dave Bristol and ATLANTA (2-5) Outfielder Hank Aaron (page 22) almost had a fight at home plate after Bristol gave out the word that Aaron had "better button down his cap" because the Reds' pitcher might be a little wild. Replied Aaron: "Tell him he can take his psychology back to the minors." CHICAGO'S (2-7) Ernie Banks had his 2,000th hit, a double against the Reds. The next day he got number 2,001 and won a game. Speaking about Robin Roberts, who had given up only two runs in 23 innings for the Cubs, Manager Leo Durocher said, "You can pitch when you're 90 years old if you use your head and never let them get a good pitch." (You hear that, Warren?) ST. LOUIS (7-1) pitchers turned hitters, starting rallies and/or driving in winning runs in three games.

Standings: Pitt 58-38, SF 58-40, LA 55-40, Phil 52-45, StL 49-47, Hou 48-48, Atl 45-52, Cin 44-52, NY 42-54, Chi 31-66

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PHOTO

CARDINALS' MIKE SHANNON

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mike Shannon of the St. Louis Cardinals has finally begun to earn his stripes—if not yet his stars—as Stan Musial's replacement. Always an outstanding defensive outfielder with an exceptionally strong arm, Shannon has learned to hit. Says Manager Red Schoendienst, "Shannon has been a big reason for our team's recent improvement." Since the beginning of July Mike has batted over .415, with six home runs and 19 RBIs, and during that time the Cards have moved from seventh place—three games below .500—to fifth, only 9 games behind league-leading Pittsburgh. Last week Shannon was particularly destructive, going 5 for 5 in one game and hitting .484 as the Cards won six in a row. Part of the reason why Shannon turned killer was his decision to use a lighter bat. "It feels more comfortable," he says. He is also waiting longer on pitches before he takes his swing, the result of working with Coach Dick Sisler in the Florida Instructional League last winter. "We thought Mike was a guess hitter," says Sisler, "and a guess hitter is a .250 hitter." During his streak, Shannon has not exactly been picking on patsies, either. Two key home runs have come off the best pitchers in baseball: he beat Sandy Koufax in Los Angeles and Juan Marichal in San Francisco. In fact Shannon has become such a threat at the plate that his teammates have started calling him The Cannon. The Cardinals hope The Cannon continues to boom throughout the remainder of the season.