73 LIBERTY REVIEW: #9 CHICAGO COLTS: EVEN THE ROMANS WERE EVENTUALLY CONQUERED

 Joe Ingersoll
Wrigley Field 
129-87 Franchise Record 
70 West Champs 
71 World Series Champs 
72  World Series Champs 
73  Rankings: 5th Pitching / 10th Hitting 


STARTERS 

Dietz c 145
Davis T. 1b 107
Tyson 2b 60
Aparicio ss 75
Menke 3b 84
Stargell lf 186
Monday cf 126 
Zisk rf 147 

BENCH 

Madlock 3b 171
Montanez ut 91 
Speier ss 88
McBride of 86
Menke inf 84 
Harmon inf 41
James C of 34 


PITCHING 

Jackson G 196
Reynolds B 191 
Bolin 150
Bonham 130
Tiant 120 
Hunter 107 
Jenkins 101 
Nelson 101 


NOTES 

I learned a lot growing up in NE Kansas City.  We had a classmate who was not only much bigger than the rest of us but was also the toughest kid in the class and he could hold his own against kids much older than him.  We had another kid who could not control his temper and one day they fought and the tougher kid was smart enough just to slap his inferior foe around without doing any permanent damage. 

Joe Ingersoll reminds me of the tougher kid. The Chicago Colts have been slapping around the other Liberty league teams just enough to make sure everyone knows who the toughest franchise in the league actually is but does not rub your their noses  in the dirt. 

It must be nice to play all your games in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field and send out a starting rotation of Tiant, Hunter, Jenkins and Nelson.  The numbers also indicate Ingersoll has plenty of bullpen options to shutdown any unforeseen rallies. 

Roger Nelson is the returning Cy Young winner.  The statement points out Ingersoll's genius in roster construction and bidding.  Nelson has outstanding OPS numbers against opposing hitters but the numbers do not show up in ERA+ or WAR numbers. Nelson has just enough innings not to be limited so he can make as many starts as the other better known starters.  Pitchers like Nelson could lead the Colts to another playoff run. 

The other common DNA in a Colt team is the ability to crush opposing pitchers. The tradition continues with Willie Stargell.  Stargell led the NL during the 73 MLB season in doubles (43), home runs (44), SLG ( 646) and OPS (1038) and OPS+ ( 186).  It frightens me to think what he will do while making Wrigley his home. 

Monday and Zisk provide Stargell with adequate protection but the Colts do not have as many talented hitters that have ravaged the league in the past.  True, Dick Dietz (145) is another example of Ingersoll finding another diamond while everyone else only saw a rock during the draft but too many contracts expired to keep the band of brothers together. 

The Colts have the ingredients for a playoff run and numbers do not measure the talent of a manager or a GM in the Liberty league.  The numbers say Chicago will finish 4th in the West but Ingersoll is a master of getting the most out of whatever hand he has to play.