On February 16, the New York Times presented its 1969 American League projections. The consensus was that the Yankees’ chances of contending were not good. The team’s strength was its top three starting pitchers – Mel Stottlemyre, Fritz Peterson, and Stan Bahnsen – but the rest of the staff presented major problems for manager Ralph Houk. Additional starters would have to be found from among Al Downing, Fred Talbot, Mike Kekich, Don Nottebart, Bill Burbach, Alan Closter, and John Cumberland. Lindy McDanie and Joe Verbanic were solid in relief from the right side, while Steve Hamilton was an effective lefty relief pitcher, but they needed help.
The Yankees' Infield Was Weak
The Yankees’ infield left much to be desired. It was expected that Mickey Mantle would be the first baseman, but Mickey’s legs were in terrible shape and he had hit .237 with only 18 home runs. Second baseman Horace Clarke was tenuous defensively and anemic offensively, having hit .230 with 2 home runs. Third base, expected to be manned by Bobby Cox, was a problem. Although Cox provided solid defense, he hit .229 with 7 home runs. Shortstop was wide open, with Bobby Murcer and Jerry Kenny returning from serving the causes of freedom in the army. Other candidates included Gene Michael, Tommy Tresh, Nate Oliver, and Len Boehmer.
The Outfielders Didn't Hit Much
The Yankees’ outfield needed an infusion of fresh talent. Roy White in left, Joe Peptione in center, and Bill Robinson in right, with only Billy Cowan and Dick Simpson as replacements, had little chance of reminding fans of Gene Woodling, Mickey Mantle, and Hank Bauer. In 1968, White led the team in batting team in batting, which is misleading since Roy hit .267. Pepitone batted .245 with 15 home runs while Robinson hit .240 with only 6 home runs.
Jake Gibbs Followed Elston Howard
Jake Gibbs would continue to be the Yankees’ catcher, which ended a line of great catchers that started with Bill Dickey, followed by Yogi Berra, who was succeeded by Elston Howard. Gibbs hit .213 with 3 home runs in 1968.
The Tigers Should Repeat
Nineteen sixty-nine will be the first season in which each league is split into two divisions. The Tigers are the defending World Champions and are the favorites to win the American League’s Eastern Division title. Led by 31 game winner Denny McLain and World Series hero Mickey Lolich, they are the cream of the crop. The Yankees, in the same division with the Tigers, Orioles, Red Sox and Senators, figure to finish fourth, ahead of the Senators and Indians.
Pitching Dominates
Baseball in the late 1960s has changed. Pitching has dominated hitting, as it hasn’t since pre-Ruthian days. In 1968, Carl Yastrzemski won the batting title with the lowest average in baseball history when his .301 was the only batting average of at least .300 in the entire league. American League teams batted .230 and averaged only 3.41 runs a game.
The Yankees Batted .214 and Won 83 Games
In 1968, the Yankees were 83-79, averaging 3.27 runs a game and a .214 team batting average. Despite pitching problems, the team ERA was 2.79, which was only fifth best in the ten-team league. But a rule change may affect the lack of balance that favors pitching. Starting in 1969, the height of the pitching mound will be lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches, which means that pitchers will have less leverage when pushing off the pitching rubber. Whether that helps the Yankees’ hitters remains to be seen
References:
"American League: Tigers Mandatory Choice to Keep Flag in 1969; Eastern Division." New York Times. 16 February 1969, p. S6.
