Where the other pitchers will come from is anybody's guess. Wade Blasingame, Bob Sadowski, and Hank Fischer all had indifferent years. Barring startling improvements on the part of any of these gentlemen, the Braves don't look like contenders.
Last Year's Winner?
There can be little question that the same applies to the Mets, the Houston Astros, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the improved Chicago Cubs. That leaves St. Louis and Los Angeles still in contention, and in deciding this there can be no question. The second infallible rule of National Leagure prediction is: "Never pick last year's winner."
That would eliminate the Cards even if their internal weaknesses didn't. The most serious is the lack of relief pitching, with only Ron Taylor as a candidate for the ElRoy Face role. The Cards unquestionably do have baseball's best infield, but the outfield that held together to bring them the pennant last year has not been proven over a season.
Admittedly, it's a close choice. Admittedly, the race is likely to be as tight as ever. Admittedly, the Dodgers have as weak-hitting a ball club as there is in the major leagues. But nonetheless, I'm going to take a flyer and take Los Angeles.
Too many bad things happened to the Dodgers last year. It's inconceivable that two starting pitchers can be lost again, that Tommy Davis will slump 70 points, that all the bright young rookies will hit .240.
The Dodgers can play defense this year. John Kennedy, a third baseman acquired from the Washington Senators, is a good enough fielder to take some of the pressure off Maury Wills, who has had his troubles at short. John Roseboro, Ron Fairly, Wes Parker, and Tommy and Willie Davis will have to provide what punch the team will have.
What makes the Dodgers, of course, is the pitching staff, and, yes, I'm quite aware of Sandy Koufax's latest medical bulletins. If Koufax can't pitch at all. I agree, the Dodgers are dead. But if he can go once a week, which the doctors say he probably can do, the Dodgers look golden. No other team can bring a topflight starter to the mound as consistently as Los Angeles, with Koufax, Don Drysdale, and the rejuvenated Johnny Podres now backed up by Claude Osteen, who some won 15 games for the lowly Washington Senators last year. If Ron Perranoski is back in forth, the relief pitching is as good as anyone's. In any event, Bob Miller, alternating between starting and relief roles, and looking like a top-flight pitcher after an excellent spring training season.
Five years out of the last 15, the National League pennant has been won by one game. If the Dodgers can stay close to the pace, their pitching should decide it in their favor in the important September series. And I hope they remember I said so when they send out the World Series tickets.
HOW THEY'LL FINISH
1. Los Angeles
2. St. Louis
3. Cincinnati
4. Philadelphia
5. Milwaukee
6. San Francisco
7. Chicago
8. Pittsburgh
9. Houston
10. New York