GOTHAM KNIGHTS WESTERN DIVISION SHEA STADIUM RICK QUEARY (138-132)
PLAYOFFS 69 West Division loss 3-2 70 World Series Champs
RANKINGS
Hitting 9 Pitching 2 Defense 3
HITTERS
Bourque F+5 Brye C4 Buckner B4 Dunn A2 Geronimo C4 Mendoza F3 Montgomery D-3 Morgan AAA4 Munson C3 Ontiveros C2 Paciorek D3 Pinella C+4 Schmidt AAA5 Swisher F+3 F. White F4
PITCHERS
Caldwell C Figueroa B Garman B+ Hrabosky A- Marichal B May. R. B Medich C+ Mingori B Morlan C Schueler C Splittoroff C Williams. C. B Wise B
NOTES
Commissioner Queary loves the Yankees and the Gotham Knights resemble the Yanks in several ways. First, the Knights lost a close 3-2 series in the Western Divisional playoffs in 69 before winning the 1970 World Series so there is a history of winning. Gotham fans love captain Thurman Munson, fiery Lou Pinella as well as Ed Figueroa, Rudy May and Doc Medich. The Yankee influence is hard to ignore.
Mike Schmidt (AAA5) and Joe Morgan (AAA5) are the two best players in the league and both will battle each other for the MVP award. Morgan is shooting for a repeat of his 73 MVP year, something only Roberto Clemente achieved during his brief LIPL career.
Gotham ranks 2nd in pitching and 3rd in defense so it will be difficult to score against the Knights. Schmidt (5), Mendoza (3), Morgan (4) and Bourque (5) will cover a lot of ground while Ceasar Geronimo (4/3/2*) won four consecutive MLB gold glove awards beginning in 1974.
8 out of the top 12 pitchers on this staff have at least a B rating so they should keep the Knights close enough to win any game. A tip of the cap goes out to Figueroa, Marichal. Rudy May and Rick Wise as well as right hand closer Mike Garman.
I loved watching Al Hrabosky close games. Batters were never sure if the Mad Hungarian was going to throw a pitch or start a brawl but he had a few good years with 9 saves in 74 and 22 in 75.
Steve Mingori was a quality loogy born in Kansas City and is buried only 20 miles from our house. Mingori graduated from Rockhurst high school, the same school David Cone attended. Cone was the youngest brother of the Cone brothers who used to play with all of us over in Budd Park in the old Northeast neighborhood. His mother would force us to take him with us to the park or the other brothers could not play. The Jesuits were some of my finest teachers at Rockhurst College. Interesting how baseball ties us all in different ways. I digress.
You have to keep Schmidt and Morgan from beating up your pitching staff if you want to win. Buckner, Pinella and Munson are all solid vets who will also cause trouble but Schmidt and Morgan are deadly.
The Western Division of the LIPL has 3 of the top 9 teams in the league so it will be a real tight race but the numbers say Gotham will win the divisional title.
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