LOST THIRD BASEMAN
It's hard to calculate the importance of the loss of thirdbaseman Gene Freeze. Eddie Kasko has done a fine job filling in for the injured Freeze, though, and in some respects, Cincinnati is a stronger team than they were last season.
The Reds' three starters, Jim O'Toole, Joey Jay, and Bob Purkey are all having fine years, although O'Toole's 12-12 won-lost record might not indicate as much. Short-stop Leo Gardenas and second-baseman Don Blasingame are holding up well, and at first base, cast-off Marty Keough has done some timely power hitting.
PITCHERS PLAGUED
Definitely below par have been the performances of the Reds' relief pitchers. Jim Brosnan, one of the rare breed of pitchers to admit he has thrown at hitters, must be engaged in writing another diatribe against Los Angeles, and his effectiveness in the bullpen has suffered as a result. Bill Henry has not been as good as he was last year either.
Plagued by injuries to its pitching staff, fourth-place Pittsburgh is currently in an off swing in their on-again-off-again season. A fine outfield, and an excellent infield have not been able to compensate for injuries to the like of righthander Bob Gibbon or for Vern Law's failure to make a completely successful comeback.
The Pirates remain an exciting team, however. All-Stars Roberto Clemente, Dick Groat, and Bill Mazeroski, and relief pitcher Elroy Face rank high among the individual stars of today.
Breathing down the Pirates' neck is fifth-place St. Louis, for whom the inability to win the close one has been a crippling weakness. Further, although the Cardinals have been able to hold their own against the first three clubs, they have been unable to fatten their record by preying on the second division teams.
Pittsburgh has won ten of twelve from St. Louis, and the Braves hold an 8 to 5 edge. Even the Mets and the Colts have managed to take four and five games respectively from the Cardinals.
You've got to hand it to the Cardinals, though. They've got Stan Musial, and as long as they do, they're a fine team. The question is whether Musial will still be alive by the time he's eligible for the Hall of Fame. If he keeps on playing as long as he's able, he may be dead long before the required five-year waiting period has elapsed.
BRAVES DOING FINE
You've got to hand it to the Braves, too. Warren Spahn may not win twenty this season, but the great lefthander can still, on a given day, be one of the best around. The Braves have also had fine performances from Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and even aging Joe Adcock; but the pitching staff is no longer one of the best in the league, and the infield isn't as impressive as it once was.
The seventh-place Phillies have done O.K. this year. The big bat of Roy Sievers has given them needed power and All-Star righthander Art Mahaffey has pitched solid ball all season. Outfielder Tony Gonzales has been hitting steadily at slightly over .300.
Besides these, though, the Philies are pretty much the same old gang that lost 23 straight last season and finished dead last.
Behind Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston are battling for inclusion in the eight-team National League, with the Cubs holding a slim edge at the moment. Chicago has a number of fine young players like Billy Williams, Ron Santo, and George Altman, but the club has almost nothing in the way of a pitching staff and virtually no manager.
Houston has done respectably to stay even with them. With a 5 and 24 record in July, the Colts have sunk a long way since their impressive beginning, and only time will tell whether or not their young players will ever make it big. At least they've stayed way ahead of the Mets.
Ah, yes, the Mets. Without a decent pitcher, or a competent fielder on the team, the amazin' Mets are really in bad shape. Rookie secondbaseman Hot Rod Kanehl is the only young player of promise on the team, and despite the game determination of the fading Gil Hodges and Richie Ashburn to play again next season, the Mets may be even worse next year than they are now.
Frank Thomas is definitely a major-league power hitter, and a good one, but he, Ashburn, and Kanehl, are really the only bright spots in the Mets' bleak picture. and next year there may be just Thomas and Kanehl.
Casey Stengel claims he'll be back next season, but whether or not many of Mets fans will is a moot point