1972 Replay Update: June 1

I’ve reached June 1 in my 1972 APBA baseball replay and, as the case with any replay done of a season during which I was alive, I think about where I was at that time.

As I’ve said in the beginning of this replay, 1972 was a transitional year for me and baseball helped keep at least one constant in my world then. I was a sixth grader in Bemidji, Minn., and attended a laboratory elementary school on the campus of the local college. I had gone there all six years of my education and I had made friends.

My dad taught at Bemidji State University and I’d walk home from school, cutting through the campus and meeting him at his office. We’d then go home together, making the two-block stroll up 14^th Street to Bixby Avenue.

On June 1, 1972, I was almost finished with sixth grade. In Minnesota, at least back then, we’d go to school through the first week or so of June before ending for summer break. We’d return after Labor Day in September.

Obviously, I don’t remember the exact day back then, but I’m sure I was filled with some anticipation of summer, but also with a little fear of going to junior high in an entirely different realm than what I was used to.

And that’s where baseball came in to help. On that day in 1972, my Minnesota Twins were only a game and a half out of first place behind Oakland in the real season. Detroit was half a game in front of Baltimore to lead the American League East and the New York Mets and Los Angeles led their divisions in the National League. (Remember, the 1972 real season began late because of a player’s strike).

In APBA, there are no strikes and I am playing the original schedule. There are no rainouts in my replay world as well, so every team plays a full 162 games.

That said, here’s how the season has gone so far.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WEST                         W        L          GB

Oakland                     30       17        --

Minnesota                 26        21        4

Kansas City               23        25        7.5

Chicago                      21        26        9

California                  22        27        9

Texas                          12        38       19.5

 

EAST                          W        L          GB

New York                  30       19        --

Detroit                       28       17        --

Baltimore                  27        21        2.5

Cleveland                  25        20       3

Boston                       23        23        5.5

Milwaukee                16        29        12

 

Leaders:

Home runs: Mayberry, KC, 12; Darwin, Minn., 11; Grich, Bal., 11.

Wins: G.Perry, 10-1, Cle.; 9-2, Hunter, Oak.; Lolich, Det. 9-3

Saves: Lyle, NYY, 7; Allen, Cal., 6; Sanders, Mil., 6

Strikeouts: Ryan, Cal., 106; Lolich, Det. 97; Bradley, Chi., 89

 

The season started out pretty bland. Most of the teams were playing around .500 ball and no one, other than the Yankees, seemed to stand out in the American League.

The Yankees have been a surprise in the East. It’s mostly because of their pitching. Mel Stottlemyre has six shutouts. Other Yankees’ pitchers have a combined four shutouts. A third of New York’s wins, 10 of 30, involved games in which opponents never crossed the plate. The big bats aren’t really part of the team. Bobby Murcer leads the Yankees with nine home runs. Catcher Thurman Munson is second on the team with only four.

Cleveland has also been a surprise. Gaylord Perry has been amazing, winning 10 of his 11 decisions. The Indian bats aren’t all that great, either. Greg Nettles leads the Tribe with six home runs. All other Indians have combined to hit 23 home runs.

In the West, Minnesota opened quickly and just as in the real 1972 season, they took an early lead. But a 13-2 run by Oakland at the end of May gave the As the division lead. Reggie Jackson has been a disappointment so far, and I guess APBA replayers see that often. Stars that should stand out sometimes don’t produce. Jackson has only six home runs for the season. Two came in the ninth inning of a game against Minnesota in which Oakland won, 21-1. In the real 1972 season, Jackson had 10 home runs by June 1.

Texas is just plain bad. They were 3-3 on April 6. Then, they fell apart, suffering losing streaks of seven, 11, six and seven games. In between the streaks, they only won five games. A 5-31 record won’t get you out of last place.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST              W        L          GB

Pittsburgh     34        15        --

Chicago          28       20       5.5

Phil’phia        27        23        7.5

St. Louis        26        22        7.5

New York      22        26        11.5

Montreal       20       28       13.5

 

WEST             W        L          GB

Houston        29        23        --

Los Angeles  25        25        3

Cincinnati     24        25        3.5

Atlanta           23        27        5

San Diego      21        32        8.5

San Fran        20       33        9.5

 

Leaders:

Home runs; Stargell, Pitt., 16; Aaron, Atl., 14; Kingman, SF, 12.

Wins: Wise, Stl., 8-1; Carlton, Phl., 8-3; Jenkins, Chi., 8-4

Saves: McGraw, NYM, 9; Giusti, Pitt., 8; Marshall, Mtl. 7

Strikeouts: Carlton, Phl., 125; Seaver, NYM, 82; Wilson, Hou., 77

Pittsburgh is definitely the team to beat in the National League so far. With Blass, Moose, Briles, Ellis and Kison as their starters, I don’t see any long losing streak ahead for the Pirates. And relievers Dave Giusti and Ramon Hernandez (both A (Y) pitchers) have combined for 12 saves.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, is the NL’s disappointing team. Catcher Johnny Bench has 10 home runs, but the rest of the team seems weak at bat. From May 3 to May 21, the Reds won only three out of 19 games.

San Francisco is an odd team to play. Their batters bomb the long ball with Bobby Bonds, Dave Kingman, Ken Henderson, Willie McCovey and Dave Rader. But their pitchers bomb on the mound. Sam McDowell is 2-8 and Juan Marichal is 3-7.

The Cubs bolted into second place by winning 13 in a row. Five were shutout games, including a 20-0 whitewashing of Montreal. They followed that game with another shutout of the Expos and then a 1-0 win over St. Louis.

June 1972 starts now and as I roll games for this month, I’ll be thinking of my time back then, playing whiffle ball with my best friend in his back yard on Callahan Street, of riding bikes to Diamond Point Park and of staying out late, enjoying the cool of the Minnesota evenings while the Twins were playing on television.