FOOLX 1977 Regular Season

[Alan T]

Time to get the season started! Getting exports now.

[Alan T]

Friday, April 1st, 1977

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent SP Á. Reyes to a 2-year contract worth a total of $6,150,000.

Ann Arbor Wolverines: Signed free agent MR H. Braber to a 1-year contract worth a total of $181,000.

Ann Arbor Wolverines: Signed free agent MR F. Miranda to a 1-year contract worth a total of $434,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent MR M. Fujihara to a 2-year contract worth a total of $2,758,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent CL B. Barber to a 3-year contract worth a total of $6,366,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent MR J. Córdova to a 1-year contract worth a total of $217,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent MR E. Alonso to a 4-year contract worth a total of $15,920,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent MR D. Vallee to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,806,000.

Spring Lions: Signed free agent 2B L. Perales to a 1-year contract worth a total of $200,000.

Spring Lions: Signed MR A. Gilbert to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $11,571,000.

Spring Lions: Signed free agent SS G. Herrera to a 1-year contract worth a total of $200,000.

[Montreal_GM]

Not sure what to expect this year as I'm relying on a couple shaky starting pitchers. Offense should be better than ever. Can't wait to find out!

[Alan T]

Ok, all set and ready to go. Good luck to all teams this season.

[Alan T]

Pérez Crashes 3 HR Against Ann Arbor
Monday, April 4th, 1977: Ann Arbor knocked off New York 25-12 in spite of a fantastic home run display by Iván Pérez, the Legends catcher. Pérez drilled three home runs out of the park, but couldn't bring home the victory.

Afterward he turned philosophical.
"It's like going to the prom with the prettiest girl in school, having a great time, but then not getting a good night kiss."

It really wasn't such a bad day. Pérez finished the day with 3 hits, 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. His batting average went up a little bit, too.

[Alan T]

300 Homers for Hill
Tuesday, April 5th, 1977: Boston's outstanding center fielder Jack Hill joined the 300 home run club today at The Tickle Trunk with a booming blast in the Resettlers win over the Ticklers. They topped Balzac 7-3.

On his milestone day Hill had 2 hits in 4 at-bats with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Tongue-in-cheek he told the press, "Don't tell me when I get close to the next milestone. Just tell me after I reach it. It will be easier to hit that way."

In his 1934-game career Hill is hitting .254 with 1864 hits, 300 home runs, 1188 runs scored and 1029 RBIs.

[Montreal_GM]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Pérez Crashes 3 HR Against Ann Arbor
Monday, April 4th, 1977: Ann Arbor knocked off New York 25-12 in spite of a fantastic home run display by Iván Pérez, the Legends catcher. Pérez drilled three home runs out of the park, but couldn't bring home the victory.

Afterward he turned philosophical.
"It's like going to the prom with the prettiest girl in school, having a great time, but then not getting a good night kiss."

It really wasn't such a bad day. Pérez finished the day with 3 hits, 5 RBI and 3 runs scored. His batting average went up a little bit, too.

25-12. Getting things started off on the right foot.

[Alan T]

Hit #2000 for Lions Zaragoza
Monday, April 11th, 1977: Spring's Manuel Zaragoza entered the record books today as he collected hit number 2000 at Ann Arbor Grounds.

"I am proud of this. Not too many player reach this level. You have to be around quite a few years and you have to get a lot of hits," Zaragoza said after the game.

On his milestone day he went 3 for 5 as the Lions won 14-10 over the Ann Arbor Wolverines.

In 1639 career games Zaragoza has hit .301 with 2001 hits, 299 home runs, 1273 RBIs and scored 1155 runs.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Montreal_GM

25-12. Getting things started off on the right foot.

Yeah, I have come to not be surprised by these type of scores from Legends home games

[Alan T]

Number 2000 for Cook
Monday, April 11th, 1977: Naps second baseman Ryan Cook went 1-for-4 and reached the 2000-hit milestone yesterday, but Cleveland still lost the game 6-5 to the New York Legends.

Career-to-date Cook has rung up a .307 average, played in 1622 games and collected 454 doubles, 82 triples and 259 home runs.

[Alan T]

Virginia Beach Blanks Wolverines, Hansen Wins
Sunday, April 17th, 1977: Allen Hansen of the Virginia Beach Surf shut down the Ann Arbor Wolverines 8-0 on a 4-hitter, holding them scoreless while ringing up 10 strikeouts and allowing no walks.

After the game Hansen said, "Guys have been fouling off a lot of pitches lately and I've been getting into too many deep pitch counts, but I'm pleased with the way things went today. I went right after them and stayed ahead in the count."

[Alan T]

Zaragoza Reaches 300 Mark
Friday, April 22nd, 1977: Spring designated hitter Manuel Zaragoza pounded a home run during the Lions 6-2 loss to Portland yesterday. Despite the defeat the long ball was a significant achievement and raised his career home run total to 300.

"Some hitters never live up to the hype," said his manager. "Manuel has definitely lived up to his. He's hammered the heck out of the ball year after year."

The Spring star went 2 hits for 4 at-bats during the game, scoring 1 run and had 2 RBI.

During his career Zaragoza is hitting .301 with a total of 300 home runs.

[Alan T]

Portland Stops LaVergne's Hit Streak
Friday, April 22nd, 1977: For 23 games in a row Robby LaVergne of the Spring Lions had at least one hit in every game. His day of reckoning finally came at the hands of the Portland Grocers, who held him without a hit in 2 at-bats. To make matters worse, they also won the ballgame 6-2.

Thus far this year LaVergne is hitting .380 with no home runs, 9 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Paquet Chosen April's Best RL Hurler
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: Laurent Paquet has been around the league long enough to know that relievers are often overlooked. That has never stopped him from doing what he does best -- and he did it extremely well in April and stole away with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

The Naps bullpen ace collected 11 saves and 14 strikeouts in 20 innings, holding the opposition to a .181 average and posting a 1.35 ERA and a 1-2 record.

[Alan T]

Freedom Starter Wins CL Pitching Award
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: In April Washington starter Carlos Bardino mystified Continental League hitters and carried off the Pitcher of the Month honors by chalking up a 4-0 record in 6 starts.

The 25-year-old Bardino added 36 strikeouts in 45 innings and 14 walks to his season record and compiled a 1.20 ERA. Opposing batters hit .194 against him.

[Alan T]

RL's Top Hitter Selected
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: When Bill Fields stepped up to the plate in April, he did it with confidence and today he was honored with the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

The young Ann Arbor third baseman posted a .402 batting average with 4 home runs, 14 RBIs and scored 27 runs. Fields also worked pitchers for 24 walks to post a .511 on-base percentage.

[Alan T]

Garza Captures CL Batter of Month Award
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: José Garza of the Balzac Ticklers was named the Continental League's best batter for his fine performance in April.

He compiled a .346 batting average and .440 on-base percentage during the month. In 28 games he piled up 37 hits, 8 home runs, 29 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Republic League Names Rookie of Month
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: Duncan Gamblin was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 22-year-old right fielder definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen April's Republic League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 28 games Gamblin batted .307 for Spring, slapping 31 hits in 101 at-bats with 7 home runs, drove in 18 runs and scored 18 times.

Miller Named April's #1 Newcomer
Sunday, May 1st, 1977: Eric Miller takes the hill with uncharacteristic poise for a man of so few years. Miller is just a lad, but he strung together some solid starts last month to win the Continental League Rookie of the Month crown.

In April he held opponents to a .239 average as he struck out 26 in 31.2 innings. In 6 starts he nailed down 5 wins, suffered 1 loss and compiled a 2.27 ERA.

[Alan T]

May 1st Standings:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Washington Freedom 17 11 .607 - 17-11 0 9-3 8-8 0-0 5-2 134 W3 6-4 London Bishops 16 12 .571 1.0 12-16 4 7-6 9-6 1-1 6-2 W1 4-6 Balzac Ticklers 15 13 .536 2.0 18-10 -3 10-8 5-5 0-1 2-10 L3 6-4 Boston Resettlers 13 15 .464 4.0 12-16 1 7-6 6-9 3-1 6-1 L5 3-7 Mexico City Aztecs 12 16 .429 5.0 14-14 -2 6-7 6-9 0-2 2-6 W4 7-3 Indianapolis Clowns 11 17 .393 6.0 12-16 -1 7-8 4-9 3-2 5-5 L1 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Cleveland Naps 20 8 .714 - 19-9 1 12-3 8-5 3-4 4-6 132 W4 9-1 Spring Lions 17 11 .607 3.0 16-12 1 13-5 4-6 1-2 6-2 L1 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 12 16 .429 8.0 15-13 -3 3-10 9-6 1-0 4-6 L8 1-9 New York Legends 12 16 .429 8.0 12-16 0 6-6 6-10 1-0 1-3 W1 4-6 Portland Grocers 12 16 .429 8.0 10-18 2 7-6 5-10 3-2 8-3 L2 7-3 Virginia Beach Surf 11 17 .393 9.0 13-15 -2 6-7 5-10 0-1 3-6 W2 4-6

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG B. Fields - ANN .402 2 V. De Jesús MEX .384 3 G. Gracía SPG .362 4 M. Gehringer LON .361 5 R. LaVergne SPG .355	League Leaders HR I. Pérez - NY 9 2 M. Boulanger NY 8 2 J. Garza BAL 8 2 E. Hinton MEX 8 2 2 more tied with 8	League Leaders RBI J. Garza - BAL 29 2 I. Pérez NY 28 3 R. Ramos LON 26 4 B. Alderdice WAS 24 5 2 tied with 23
League Leaders W 2 tied with 5 1 E. Miller WAS 5 1 Ú. Moiteiro SPG 5 3 C. Bardino WAS 4 3 3 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA C. Bardino - WAS 1.20 2 F. Clement CLE 1.64 3 J. Tanguay CLE 1.94 4 P. Contreras CLE 2.23 5 E. Miller WAS 2.27	League Leaders K J. Ríos - ANN 48 2 M. Morales SPG 42 3 C. Bannatyne BOS 41 4 A. Hansen VIR 40 5 2 tied with 39

[CleBrownsfan]

I like!

I have a feeling we're going to see a lot from Washington's Eric Miller. Looks like he's going to be a stud pitcher.

[hyde4us11]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

I like!

I have a feeling we're going to see a lot from Washington's Eric Miller. Looks like he's going to be a stud pitcher.

I am pretty excited about him myself. In a league with only 1 for talent changes he sure had a good amount of them. Check out his development page if you get a chance.

[Alan T]

Silver Strokes 3 HR Against New York
Thursday, May 5th, 1977: At Legends Ballpark Joe Silver of the Spring Lions wreaked havoc on New York pitching, beating them 9-6 and leaving them in ruins after a prodigious three-home run performance. It was clear he was in a groove early on and as blast after blast cleared the fences. Fans knew they were witnessing a feat they wouldn't soon forget.

After his monumental game Silver told reporters at the press conference, "The last one was totally unexpected. I just wanted to make good contact, never thinking I would get a home run -- and BANG! -- I got #3."

For the game the Spring left fielder had 4 hits in 4 at-bats, drove in 4 and scored 3 runs.

J. Silver walked in the 1st, hit a solo-shot off I. Ordóñez in the 4th, hit a solo-shot off I. Ordóñez in the 6th, singled in the 8th and hit a two-run home run off S. Aguilar in the 9th.

Silver is hitting .328 in 1977 with 27 RBIs and 6 home runs.

[Montreal_GM]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

I like!

I have a feeling we're going to see a lot from Washington's Eric Miller. Looks like he's going to be a stud pitcher.

Let's hope that control stays right there!

[Alan T]

Cho Blanks Grocers
Saturday, May 7th, 1977: Kan-goo Cho of the Spring Lions mixed his pitches well and fashioned a 8-0 shutout today. The 26-year-old hurler shut down the Portland offense, holding them to 5 hits. He struck out 10 while walking 0.

In 9 starts this season, Cho has recorded 4 wins and absorbed 1 loss. He has pitched 60.1 innings, allowed 58 hits, struck out 49 and has a 3.43 ERA.

[Alan T]

Stariczack Goes Yard 3 Times
Wednesday, May 25th, 1977: Ryzard Stariczack, the Cleveland third baseman, put on a dazzling display of power today at Ballpark of Cleveland against the Virginia Beach Surf. In the 8-3 victory Stariczack penned his name into the record books, slamming a trio of home runs in one of baseball's finest single day efforts.

What a display it was -- three home runs, 3 hits in 4 at-bats, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. It certainly was a day for the league record books.

"He can hit them out anywhere, right, center, left, it doesn't matter," the Virginia Beach manager said. "He's super strong and stays on the ball so good."

Talking about his theory of hitting after the game, Stariczack said, "Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off... the right pitch will come and when it does, be prepared to run the bases... or trot around the bases... like I did today."

So says the latest person to hit three homers in a game.

R. Stariczack hit a solo-shot off A. Hansen in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off A. Hansen in the 3rd, flied out in the 5th and hit a two-run home run off E. Velásquez in the 7th.

In 51 games this year Stariczack has posted a .322 average and put up these numbers: 7 home runs, 37 RBIs and 38 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Got to love someone from Poland with the nickname Hillbilly

[Alan T]

2000 Hits for Ohayashi
Thursday, May 26th, 1977: Yoriyuki Ohayashi reached the 2000-hit milestone this afternoon at Resettlers Ballpark. The 34-year-old Clowns first baseman went 2-for-3 in a losing effort in the Indianapolis 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Boston Resettlers.

Taking a look at his lifetime stats, Ohayashi is hitting .303 with a total of 282 home runs.

[Alan T]

Best Pitcher Picked by Republic League
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Edgardo González hasn't been around the big leagues long enough to know that youngsters shouldn't be winning Republic League Pitcher of the Month. But when you put up numbers like his, you're going to get some notice.

In May the Cleveland starter earned a 5-0 mark in 6 starts. He threw 44 innings, struck out 38 and compiled a solid 2.45 ERA.

In 12 starts this season, González has picked up 8 wins while suffering no losses. He has pitched 86.2 innings, allowed 73 hits, struck out 69 and posted a 3.01 ERA.

[Alan T]

Continental League Announces Top Starter
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Veteran Hirohisa Arai put together quite a successful stretch in May for the Mexico City Aztecs, earning himself the Continental League Pitcher of the Month award.

Arai racked up a 5-0 record in 8 starts, posting a 2.53 ERA over 53.1 innings and striking out 33.

For this year Arai has chalked up 8 wins and 2 losses in 15 starts with 69 strikeouts in 95.1 innings and a 2.64 ERA.

[Alan T]

RL Honors Boulanger, Best Hitter in May
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Michel Boulanger battered Republic League pitchers all May and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award.

"I've been around FOOL-X long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 27-year-old Boulanger told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I may not take the field and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month."

In 29 games, Boulanger hit .352 with 8 home runs, 31 RBIs and scored 28 runs.

To date, Boulanger has collected 72 hits for a .344 average. He has posted 16 home runs, scored 48 runs and driven in 50 runs.

[Alan T]

CL's Top Hitter Announced
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: For the month of May, António Méndez of the Indianapolis Clowns has really worn out the sweet spot on his bat. He has assaulted, used and abused Continental League pitchers to the tune of a .371 batting average and was honored as the hottest hitter of the month today.

Méndez went 46 for 124 last month with 7 walks. The center fielder tallied 4 home runs, 25 RBIs, 23 runs scored and compiled a .418 on-base percentage.

Méndez on the season is hitting .333 with 7 home runs. His stats include 43 RBIs and 44 runs scored.

[Montreal_GM]

C'mon standings, make me happy.

[Alan T]

RL Spotlight Shines on Rookie Star
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Duncan Gamblin is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Republic League Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers.

In May the Spring hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .324 average with 35 hits, 6 home runs and 26 RBIs.

This season Gamblin is batting .316 with 13 home runs.


CL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Tom Morgan's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Washington catcher has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

In May he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award.

During the month he hit .295 with 3 doubles, 3 triples and 6 home runs. Morgan also scored 17 times and drove in 18 runs.

This year Morgan is batting .277 with 56 hits, 6 home runs, 29 RBIs, 17 walks, .333 OBP and has scored 27 runs.

[Alan T]

June 1st standings:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Washington Freedom 33 24 .579 - 34-23 -1 19-8 14-16 1-4 8-7 105 W1 6-4 London Bishops 32 25 .561 1.0 28-29 4 13-14 19-11 3-3 15-6 W3 3-7 Balzac Ticklers 30 27 .526 3.0 33-24 -3 17-16 13-11 4-2 7-14 L1 7-3 Mexico City Aztecs 29 28 .509 4.0 31-26 -2 14-13 15-15 3-6 8-13 W3 8-2 Indianapolis Clowns 25 32 .439 8.0 24-33 1 15-15 10-17 5-2 8-6 L3 3-7 Boston Resettlers 22 35 .386 11.0 24-33 -2 10-17 12-18 4-3 8-8 L4 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Cleveland Naps 36 21 .632 - 37-20 -1 21-9 15-12 3-5 6-10 105 W1 4-6 Spring Lions 35 22 .614 1.0 35-22 0 24-9 11-13 4-3 11-6 L1 5-5 New York Legends 29 28 .509 7.0 27-30 2 14-13 15-15 3-1 5-6 L1 7-3 Ann Arbor Wolverines 28 29 .491 8.0 29-28 -1 13-14 15-15 3-1 10-9 W1 6-4 Virginia Beach Surf 24 33 .421 12.0 26-31 -2 15-12 9-21 1-2 8-9 W3 6-4 Portland Grocers 19 38 .333 17.0 16-41 3 12-15 7-23 3-5 11-11 L6 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG B. Fields - ANN .374 2 G. Gracía SPG .362 3 V. De Jesús MEX .355 4 M. Boulanger NY .344 5 3 tied with .335	League Leaders HR J. Garza - BAL 17 2 M. Boulanger NY 16 3 C. Hammerich CLE 15 4 E. Hinton MEX 14 4 2 more tied with 14	League Leaders RBI J. Garza - BAL 60 2 M. Boulanger NY 50 3 D. Ortíz WAS 49 4 J. Silver SPG 46 5 C. Hammerich CLE 45
League Leaders W 2 tied with 8 1 H. Arai MEX 8 1 E. González CLE 8 3 A. Fitzsimmons VIR 7 3 3 more tied with 7	League Leaders ERA C. Bardino - WAS 2.46 2 H. Arai MEX 2.64 3 J. Tanguay CLE 2.66 4 A. Hansen VIR 2.77 5 E. González CLE 3.01	League Leaders K A. Hansen - VIR 90 2 J. Ríos ANN 89 3 M. Morales SPG 83 4 C. Bannatyne BOS 81 5 2 tied with 76

[Alan T]

Where did all of the New York power hitters go? Only one Legend among the HR or RBI leaders.

[Alan T]

Demers Goes Deep 3 Times
Wednesday, June 1st, 1977: Ron Demers of the Portland Grocers had a lot to celebrate in today's 8-4 win over the New York Legends. Three times he celebrated by pounding the ball out of Grocers Park.

He kiddingly told reporters after the game, "Hopefully, I can continue to close my eyes and swing as hard as I can. It worked well today."

The powerful Portland first baseman tagged 3 hits in 3 at-bats, drove in 5 runs and scored 3 times in his three-home-run outburst.

Demers added, "Seriously, I just try to swing early and often to give myself a chance. I let the pitcher supply all the power, I just try to figure out how to get the bat on the ball."

"We talked about changing our strategy for the third one... and then he hit another homer," the New York manager said. "We just couldn't get him out."

R. Demers hit a solo-shot off I. Ordóñez in the 2nd, hit a two-run home run off I. Ordóñez in the 4th, walked in a run in the 5th and hit a solo-shot off L. Strawser in the 7th.

So far this year Demers has 13 home runs and a .207 batting average.

[Alan T]

Legends Vera Blanks Surf
Monday, June 13th, 1977: In an impressive outing, Martín Vera whitewashed the Virginia Beach Surf 6-0.

"I'm getting a lot more downward movement instead of side to side. That side-to-side stuff can get hit a long way," said Vera, who is throwing with more of an overhand motion.

"It's not rocket science. It was just a little adjustment, but that's all it took."

The New York hurler held Virginia Beach scoreless, allowed 2 hits, chalked up 5 strikeouts and yielded 2 walks.

To date this season Vera is 6-3 with 14 starts and an ERA of 4.35 with 62 strikeouts in 80.2 innings.

[Alan T]

Pérez Rips HR Number 300
Tuesday, June 14th, 1977: 300 home runs is a lot of home runs to hit. It's a number that very few players reach. Today Iván Pérez became a member of that exclusive club. He belted it at Legends Ballpark against the Naps. But sometimes milestone homers don't win the game. The powerful New York catcher got all of the headlines, but Cleveland came away with the victory. They beat the Legends 4-1.

During the postgame interview he told the press, "It's a big relief to get it over. I tried not to think about it, but it's kind of hard when you have a huge sign on the scoreboard staring at you every time you step up to the plate. The home run was nice, but I would have preferred to win the game."

His batting totals for the game showed 1 hit in 4 at-bats, 1 home run and 1 run batted in.

The hardworking and dedicated Pérez also said, "I'll celebrate a little with my family tonight but not too much. This is not the last home run I will hit. I think I have a lot baseball left in me and have other goals. I'll get back to work tomorrow."

Pérez has a lifetime .314 average with 1773 hits, 199 doubles, 17 triples, 300 home runs and 1035 RBIs to date.

[Alan T]

Cook Parks 3 HR in the Seats
Thursday, June 16th, 1977: Going... Going... Gone!
Ryan Cook did it three times in the Cleveland 21-11 victory over the New York Legends.
Three home runs in one game! "I was in a groove," he said, "and every pitch they tossed up there looked like a grapefruit."

Commenting after the game to the press, the elated Cook explained, "I tell you what, I was so shocked because I didn't think the last ball had enough to get out. I thought it was just going to be a long out."

For the day the Cleveland second baseman went 4-5 against New York with 9 RBIs and 5 runs scored in a brilliant display of power hitting.

R. Cook hit a two-run home run off J. Morrow in the 1st, singled in the 4th, hit a GRAND SLAM off J. Morrow in the 6th, was hit by a pitch in the 7th, flied out in the 8th and hit a three-run home run off F. Cruz in the 9th.

Cook is swinging at a .314 pace on the year with 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and 71 runs scored. He has played in 72 games.

[Alan T]

FOOLX News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
Monday, June 20th, 1977: The votes are tallied and the players have been chosen -- all that's left is to "Play Ball"! It's time once again for the midyear classic where the league's premier performers come together to show their skill and talent. The All-Stars from the Continental League and the Republic League are set to tangle to determine which league is the best.

The roster for the Continental League is:


SP H. Arai (MEX)
SP C. Butler (WAS)
SP E. Miller (WAS)
SP A. Martínez (MEX)
SP G. Lacoste (WAS)
SP R. Gabriel (BOS)
CL J. López (MEX)
MR L. Hernández (BAL)
MR J. Green (IND)
CL A. Kame (WAS)
CL K. Sun (LON)
CL B. Barber (BAL)
SS J. Salas (LON)
LF B. Alderdice (WAS)
RF R. Ramos (LON)
1B K. Shelton (WAS)
C J. Guevara (IND)
CF A. Méndez (IND)
C M. Gehringer (LON)
3B E. Hinton (MEX)
2B S. Iwamoto (WAS)
LF J. Garza (BAL)
RF U. Missaoui (MEX)
LF V. De Jesús (MEX)
SS D. Ortíz (WAS)
RF P. Maganda (IND)
1B C. Ríos (BAL)
SS J. Hernández (BAL)


The roster for the Republic League is:


SP E. González (CLE)
SP J. Ríos (ANN)
SP M. Morales (SPG)
CL J. Tanguay (CLE)
SP A. Hansen (VIR)
SP D. Brown (NY)
MR L. Sánchez (POR)
CL A. Morales (POR)
MR S. Nichols (VIR)
MR C. Garza (ANN)
MR J. Webster (NY)
MR G. Bowers (ANN)
3B B. Fields (ANN)
2B R. Cook (CLE)
1B M. Boulanger (NY)
CF C. Hammerich (CLE)
LF D. Anderson (CLE)
C I. Pérez (NY)
SS R. LaVergne (SPG)
RF D. Gamblin (SPG)
C F. Navarro (ANN)
LF J. Silver (SPG)
2B K. Bailey (VIR)
SS B. Carney (VIR)
3B R. Stariczack (CLE)
RF N. O'Farrell (NY)
CF B. Bray (SPG)
CF I. Guerrero (NY)

[Alan T]

Missaoui on a Tear, Hits for Cycle
Friday, June 24th, 1977: It was a special day at Estadio Azteca for Urdighis Missaoui at the plate, not only did he contribute to the Aztecs 5-4 win over the Freedom, he hit for the cycle.

"Boy, Urdighis had a game, didn't he? It's a rare player that has the talent to hit for the cycle. It takes speed, power and maybe a little luck, too. You don't see this happen very often." the Mexico City manager said.

Missaoui went 4-4 on the day and had 2 runs batted in and 2 runs scored -- and he got his name in the record book, too.

U. Missaoui tripled in the 1st, singled in the 4th, doubled in the 6th, walked in the 8th and hit a two-run home run off A. Kame in the 9th.

This season Missaoui is batting .314 with 94 hits, 14 home runs, 42 RBIs, 39 walks, .399 OBP and has scored 53 runs. He has played in 76 games.

[hyde4us11]

Sosa not an all star. That's a first in like forever lol.

[Alan T]

Bob Clark Wallops 3 Homers for Surf
Thursday, June 30th, 1977: Bigger paychecks may be in the offing, if Bob Clark continues to hit like he did today against the Legends. The Virginia Beach right fielder crushed three into the stands at Legends Ballpark in a remarkable performance, propelling the Surf to a 13-7 win over New York.

He tagged 3 hits in 4 at-bats, drove in 6 runs and scored 4 times.

Speaking to writers after the game, he said, "It was just one of those days when you got something to hit and did something with it." The New York skipper agreed with him. "We made three mistakes and he made us pay each time."

B. Clark hit a solo-shot off J. Morrow in the 2nd, hit a GRAND SLAM off J. Morrow in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot off J. Morrow in the 5th, struck out in the 7th and walked in the 8th.

In his season totals, Clark has 21 home runs, .239 BA, .309 OBP, 66 RBIs and 49 runs scored. He has played in 82 games.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by hyde4us11

Sosa not an all star. That's a first in like forever lol.

He's hitting only .269 this season. Still among league leaders for RBIs and Home Runs though.

[Alan T]

RL Pick for Top Pitcher in June is Rodríguez
Friday, July 1st, 1977: Tony Rodríguez of Ann Arbor had an excellent June with a 5-0 record and was selected the Pitcher of the Month in the Republic League.

He finished the month with a 2.87 ERA while piling up 32 strikeouts in 47 innings and holding opposing hitters to a .231 batting average.

On the year Rodríguez has compiled a 10-8 mark with a 4.77 ERA.

[hyde4us11]

Originally Posted by Alan T

He's hitting only .269 this season. Still among league leaders for RBIs and Home Runs though.

Hopefully that means a hot streak is coming. You have to think he has at least one hot streak in him.

[Alan T]

CL #1 Pitcher in June is Mexico City's Arai
Friday, July 1st, 1977: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Hirohisa Arai still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in June. The 29-year-old starter for Mexico City was named Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 5 wins and 1 loss with 27 strikeouts in his 6 starts, putting up a fine 1.54 ERA in 35 innings of work.

Checking out his stats for the season, Arai has notched 13 wins and 3 losses in 21 starts, 2.35 ERA and struck out 96 batters in 130.1 innings.

[Alan T]

RL's Best Batter Picked
Friday, July 1st, 1977: On the heels of a very productive June, Ryan Cook received Republic League Batter of the Month recognition today.

The battle-tested second baseman hit .312 for the Cleveland Naps and racked up 9 home runs, 29 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

Currently Cook is hitting .318 and has collected 17 home runs, 63 RBIs and scored 81 times, while playing in 82 games.