Optimistic Look
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l J Youngoa g Blood Givesives Cards Optimistic Lookamok for 72 By Paul StillwellSt Torre contributed two singles to the 10hit Missourian Sports Writer attack whichwl ch was aided by four Montreal errors Stoneman who won three of the STST. LOUISLOUIS-At this point in the baseball four games the Expos took from StSt. Louis season most teams have been reduced toto- this year probably would have beenb n better trumpeting thathatt perennial propro- off had he stayed in bed But the Expo crastination wait illtil next year rightright-bander was not exactly blameless For some teams the waiting will be more himself waitpleasant than for others Picked by many to INLIo TIlETOE SIXSlag INNINGS HE WORKED he finish fourth this year the StSt. Louis uncorked four wild pitches one short of the Cardinals have now assured themselves a National League record for a game held by youve surprising placesecond windup in the NaNa- Larry Cheney Inn case you've forgotten tional League East They are alsovisa enen- Cheney set the mark inn Brooklyn in 1918 tertaining hhopeses that the strong showingshaving and was something of a celebrity as far as willm provide the impetus for an even better wild pitches go He holds the major league iniSfinish in 1972 record for most years leading the league in PART OF THE PREPARATION includes wild pitches six times in his yearnine-year giving the teamsteam's younger players a chance career to sowshow what they can do And ironically For Torre it was pretty much a typical they were able to do something Sunday that gametwo hits and an RBI He has now the regulars hadn't been able to allaU twovirtually clinchedl the National League batbat- seasonbeat Montreal's Bill Stoneman ting championship and the RBI crown forfor-oror- beatStoneman went into the game the the season and is a strong candidate forfor- Cardinals'Cardinals last home contest of the year Most Valuable Player honors He has gone with an 58 lifetime record against StSt.St- far beyond the offensive contributions of thetoethe- Louis including a mark in 1971 So he last dinalCardinal third baseman to be figured to have the30upper hand againagainst a Ken Boyer in 1964 Cardinal lineup that included only three ONE HAS TO GOCO A LOT farther back regulars Joe TarrTorre Lou Brack and Joe 18371937 in fact to find 8a National League Hague player who surpassed TorresTorre's 19711911 figures MAKING THEIR CARDINAL DEBUTS in batting average and runs batted inia It for the year were shortstopfALMilt Ramirez was another Cardinal and another andttcenter fielder Jorge Roque pronounced Joe Medwick That year Medwick batted hayhor-hay roekaykay AmericaAmerican League discard with RBI The last Cardinal to havehave- Daryl Patterson opened on the mound forfor- a higher average than Torre was Stan the with In 19481 the year he won It was only his second major league start his third MV plaque and first in the National League His Although starter Patterson hurled his receiver was Bob Stinson a throwthrow-inn in last longest stint of the season Sunday 4 and year'syears Richie Allen trade Even though he iss thirds innings he couldn't get the one three years older Stinson has far less big moretwoout he needed to pick up the victory league playing experience than regular Under baseball rules a starting pitcher catcher Ted Simmons must work five full innings to qualify as the ROQUE A PUERTO winner RICAN led the daysday'sOLDYEARattack with three hits NEWCOMERNEWCO MIKE JACKSOJACKSON bailed out He reached base allail four times he batted Patterson in the fifth but got into trouble of and scored twice in the 17 victory Ramirez his own in the sixth and needeneededl help fromfrays contributed two hits but the gamewinning Dennis Higgins no kid at 32 but still new run wawe driven homeborne by the man who hadbad to the Cardinals Like Patterson Higgins isis- specialized in that category allaU season the an AL castoff He spent most of 19711911 in the veteran Torre For the Cardinal third minors sacker it was his 21 st game winnerwhiner nearly HigginsHiggini allowed two hits and no runs durdur- twice as many as any other Cardinal this inglagIng his 3 innings to pick up the year victory his 13firstBrat as a Cardinal.