Royals Crown ChiSox in 2 of 3

April 22, 1972 (Game #1)
CHICAGO -- The South-Side Hitmen are a few years away. In 1972, it was only Dick Allen and Bill Melton doing the slugging. The rest was small ball, but today it worked when Mike Andrews dropped a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the B9 to score Pat Kelly as Chicago won the opener of a twin bill, 2-1. Kelly had led off with a PH single, slole second and went to third on a wild throw. Wilbur Wood (2-1) went the distance for the win. Al Fitzmorris (0-1) took the loss in relief of Paul Splittorff, who was splendid through 7 IP. Lou Piniella's (1) hard-hit liner cut through a strong wind blowing in off the lake and traveled 422-feet of the CF wall for KC's only run.

April 22, 1972 (Game #2)
CHICAGO -- Big John Maybery's (3) 3-run clout in the T5th lifted the Royals to a 6-3 lead. They went on to win 10-3. Mayberry also added an RBI double. Monty Montgomery (1-0) pitched 7 innings for the win. Fitzmorris (1) notched the save. Tom Bradley (0-1) took the loss.

April 23, 1972
CHICAGO -- Mike Andews throwing error in the T8th allowed two runs to score, broke a 2-2 deadlock, and helped the Royals to a 5-2 win in the rubber game of the series. Mike Hedlund (1-1) hurled 7 innings for the W. Roger Nelson (2) tossed 1.1 for the save. Terry Forster (0-2) was the loser in relief.

Pale Hose Split Pair with Newly Minted Texans

April 18, 1972
CHICAGO -- Wilbur Wood (1-1) dazzled the Texas Rangers (that will take awhile to get used to) and had them looking like, well  . . . the Washington Senators. Chicago won 7-1 with Carlos May (1) and Rick Reichardt (2) providing the thunder with home runs and 3 and 4 RBI, respectively.

April 19, 1972
CHICAGO -- Never say anything bad about Texas. This time 4 Rangers hurlers limited the ChiSox to one run on 4 hits in a 6-1 win. Jim Panther (1-0) got the win in relief. Joe Lovitto and Larry Biittner each knocked in a pair of runs.

Orioles Grounded As Tigers Take Series

Baltimore Orioles fans have not been acquainted with losing in recent past but

the 1972 O's seemingly have not shown up to start the season.  Losing 4 of it's first 5 home games has the Baltimore faithful scratching their heads to figure out where their beloved team has gone.  The Detroit Tigers came into Memorial Stadium without a win on the season, and everything looked like it was going to get back to normal as Baltimore caged the Tigers 7-1 in game 1.  Behind a stellar performance by Jim Palmer (1-0, 1.00 ERA, CG) the birds cruised to their first win of the season.  But normal these days is not what it used to be.  Detroit would take the next two games, outscoring the Orioles 6-2, to capture the series.  Tigers Mickey Lolich (1-1, 4.76 ERA) would strike out 8 batters in game 2 to get a complete game victory (his first) and Tom Timmermann (1-0, 0.00 ERA) would combine with Lerrin LaGrow (1 SV, 0.00 ERA) to capture game 3 with a shutout.  Mickey Stanley hit his 1st homer of the season (game 2) while Norm Cash hit his 2nd of the season in game 3.  Detroit improves to 2-2 on the season while Baltimore drops to 1-4.

Game 1:
Baltimore 7 Detroit 1
WP Jim Palmer (1-0, 9 IP, 5 H, 1.00 ERA)
LP Joe Coleman (0-1, 3.86 ERA)

Game 2:
Detroit 4  Baltimore 2
WP Mickey Lolich (1-1, 4.76 ERA, CG, 8 Ks)
LP Mike Cuellar (0-1, 4.00 ERA, CG)
HR - Mickey Stanley (1)

Game 3:
Detroit 2  Baltimore 0
WP Tom Timmermann (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 7IP)
LP Pat Dobson (0-2, 8.10 ERA, 6Ks)
SV Lerrin LaGrow (1)
HR - Norm Cash (2)

Redbirds Fly Past Expos in Opening Pair

April 15, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Bob Gibson (1-0) scattered 7 hits and fanned 9 on his way to a CG 3-0 shutout win in the home opener at Busch Memorial Stadium. The other interesting note was Ken Singleton getting ejected for an illegal slide. That was a first for this veteran game-player.

April 16, 1972
ST. LOUIS -- Luis Melendez delivered a pinch hit, 2-out, 2-RBI single in the B9th to send the Cardinals to an 8-7 comeback, walk-off victory. Donn Clendenon (1) clobbered a PH 3-run home run to highlight a 4-run 8th for the Redbirds. Rick Wise, who arrived in St. Loo this season after a controversial trade which sent popular Steve Carlton to Philadelphia, did not endear himself to the home-town fans. He yielded 7 runs on 10 hits in 6 IP. Mike Jorgensen and Singleton did most of the damage with 4 hits apiece for Montreal. Rich Folkers (1-0) and Tom Walker (0-1) turned out to be the pitchers of record.

Yankees Defeather Orioles in Baltimore Home Opener

After a strike shortened start to the season the Baltimore Orioles finally got things underway hosting their division rivals the New York Yankees.  The Bronx Bombers wasted little time in showing the previous AL East Champions that there is a new kid on the block.  New York put up 25 hits in two games and 15 total runs to sweep the series at Memorial Stadium.  Ron Blomberg, Bobby Murcer and Bernie Allen all homered for the Yanks in game one while Felipe Alou and Ron Swaboda found game 2 to be more to their liking.  Yankees Mel Stottlemyer threw a complete game 3 hit shutout to earn his first victory of the season.  Fritz Peterson also picked up the win in game two for the Yanks.  Oriole coach Earl Weaver would not allow the press to interview any Baltimore players as he felt there were none worth mentioning or quoting.  The legendary coach's parting words were, "Don't worry, the fans don't start booing until July."

GAME 1:
New York 10  Baltimore 0
WP: Mel Stottelmyre (1-0, 3H, 8 Ks CG)
LP: Pat Dobson (0-1, 21.00 ERA)
HR: NYY - Blomberg (1), Murcer (1), Allen (1)  

GAME 2
New York 5 Baltimore 2
WP: Fritz Peterson (1-0, 6.2 IP , 6H, 2 Ks)
LP: Dave McNally (0-1, 8.2 IP, 11 H, 4Ks, 5.91 ERA)
SV: Sparky Lyle (1)
HR: NYY - Alou (1), Swaboda (1)

1972 Season Coming in JAN. 2017

The 1972 Major League Baseball season was the first to have games cancelled by a player strike. It was also the last season in which American League pitchers would hit for themselves on a regular basis; the designated hitter rule would go into effect the following season.

Labor strife and more moving

1972 was tainted by a players' strike over pension and salary arbitration. The strike erased the first week and a half of the season, and the Leagues decided to just excise the lost portion of the season with no makeups. As a result, an uneven number of games were lost by each team; some as few as six, some as many as nine. The lack of makeups, even when they affected the playoffs, led to the Boston Red Sox losing the American League East by half a game to the Detroit Tigers.

1972 marked the first year for the Texas Rangers, who had moved to Arlington from Washington, D.C. (where they played as the Washington Senators) after the 1971 season. The team was one of the worst ever fielded by the franchise, losing 100 games for the first time since 1964. Manager Ted Williams hated it in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and resigned at the end of the season. To make room for the Rangers in the American League West Division, one of the teams already in that division would have to switch to the East Division. Technically, both the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers were the easternmost teams in the West Division, but only one of them could move. It was decided that Milwaukee, as the newer franchise, would make the move. The Brewers and White Sox would again become divisional rivals in 1994 with the formation of the American League Central, but this would last only through 1997, when Milwaukee transferred to the National League.

1972 would mark the Kansas City Royals' final year at Kansas City Municipal Stadium, as the next year they would move to Royals Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex in suburban Kansas City.

Most teams (18 of 26) switched from wool flannel uniforms to double knit uniforms made of nylon and rayon at the outset of 1972. The Pirates were first to adopt double knits when they moved from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium in July 1970. The Cardinals switched at the start of the 1971 season, and the Orioles gradually phased out their flannels throughout 1971, becoming all-double knit in time for the postseason.

The Giants wore flannels until midseason, going to double knits at home only; the flannels would not be phased out for the road uniforms for 1973. The Red Sox switched to double knits midway through 1972. Only the Royals, Expos and Yankees wore flannels full-time during the 1972 season, and all three converted to double knits for 1973.

The World Series was won by the Oakland Athletics, the first of three straight behind the bats of Reggie Jackson and Bert Campaneris, and the pitching cadre of Catfish Hunter, Rollie Fingers, and Vida Blue. The year ended on a sad note when  Roberto Clemente died in an airplane crash off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on New Year's Eve, while participating in aid efforts after the 1972 Nicaragua earthquake.

Oakland A's Sweep St. Louis Cards in 1971 World Series

Perhaps the comparison is not exactly kosher, but the 1971 ARAIG World Series resembled the 1989 real-life Series. After a long delay, the Oakland Athletics swept the series in a dominating and anti-climactic way. Congrats to Bill Schneider for brilliantly managing his squad.

GAME ONE – Dick Green launched a 3-run home run in the B6 to lift Oakland to a 4-1 opening game Vida Bluewent the distance. Mike Epstein, hitting in the lead-off spot, went 3-3.

victory.

GAME TWO – The Athletics sent Bob Gibson to the showers after just 3 innings and went on to an 8-3 victory. Rick Monday led the way offensively with 3 hits, including a triple and round-tripper. He scored twice and drove in 4. Catfish Hunter was the winning pitcher.

GAME THREE – Diego Segui surrendered just 4 hits in 7.2 IP as Oakland won 3-1 in St. Louis. Darold Knowles andRollie Fingers finished up. Joe Rudi banged out 3 hits. Epstein homered in one of his 2 hits.

GAME FOUR – Vida Blue (2-0) just missed his second CG with another brilliant performance in a 6-3 win as Oakland earned the sweep. Fingers (2) got the 27^th out and was piled upon. Epstein smashed 2 more hits. Green collected 2 more RBI.

Other facts and highlights:

** Mike Epstein was named co-MVP with his .533 (8-15) batting average, 12 TB, 5 R, and 2 RBI.

** Vida Blue, the other co-MVP, was 2-0 in 17.2 IP. He fanned 14 and had an ERA of 2.04.

** The A’s pitching staff had a 1.75 ERA for the series. The A’s hitters his .273.

** Tommy Davis (.500), Dave Duncan (.333), Gene Tenace (.333), Joe Rudi (.333), and Dick Green (.308) also hit over .300.

** The Cardinals hit just .189 as a team

** Joe Torre, who hit .363 in real-life season, hit just .063 (1-16) in this series.

** Lou Brock (.333) was the only Redbird regular over .300.

** The Cardinals pitching staff had a 5.29 ERA