Will the New York Yankees three-peat? Will the 1969 Minnesota Twins slug their way to a title? Or will another team rise to the top? At the one-quarter mark of the season, the Yankees and Twins appear to be the class of the league. It’s been the Yankees’ pitching (2.28 ERA) and the Twins’ hitting (.317 average, 6.9 runs per game) that have put them atop the standings.
The 1961 Yanks became the first GTOP team to start a season 5-0. But, they lost two of the next three to the 1962 Dodgers. Conversely, the 1969 Mets became the first GTOP team to start a season 0-5, and they actually lost again to begin 0-6. But, the Mets did win their next two against the 1967 Red Sox. The 1969 Twins have gone 3-1 in each of the first two weeks of play.
Despite their so-so start, the 1967 Red Sox have three of the top five hitters in the league, and three of the six who are at .400 or better. You’d expect Roger Maris or Mickey Mantle to be the home run leader, but instead it’s teammate Yogi Berra with five home runs in the first eight games. All four Yankee starting pitchers have 3.00 ERAs or better after two starts, with Whitey Ford leading the league at 0.53.
| Week 2 | W | L | PCT | GB | R | RA | +/- | AVG | ERA | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 New York Yankees | 6 | 2 | .750 | — | 37 | 20 | +17 | .210 | 2.28 | Stats |
| 1969 Minnesota Twins | 6 | 2 | .750 | — | 55 | 29 | +26 | .317 | 3.32 | Stats |
| 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers | 5 | 3 | .625 | 1.0 | 24 | 29 | -5 | .206 | 3.47 | Stats |
| 1967 Boston Red Sox | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2.0 | 38 | 26 | +12 | .276 | 3.15 | Stats |
| 1967 St. Louis Cardinals | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2.0 | 30 | 39 | -9 | .250 | 4.56 | Stats |
| 1962 San Francisco Giants | 3 | 5 | .375 | 3.0 | 34 | 43 | -9 | .264 | 5.27 | Stats |
| 1961 Detroit Tigers | 2 | 6 | .250 | 4.0 | 27 | 49 | -22 | .224 | 5.45 | Stats |
| 1969 New York Mets | 2 | 6 | .250 | 4.0 | 24 | 34 | -10 | .198 | 4.37 | Stats |
Week 2 recaps:
> Gameday #5
> Gameday #6
> Gameday #7
> Gameday #8
Week 2 results:
> Cardinals d. Giants 3-1
> Red Sox and Mets split 2-2
> Yankees and Dodgers split 2-2
> Twins d. Tigers 3-1
Week 2 featured YouTube broadcasts:
> 1967 Cardinals vs. 1962 Giants (Gameday #8)
BATTING LEADERS
Average
.441 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
.438 George Scott, 1967 Red Sox
.414 Yogi Berra, 1961 Yankees
.414 Rico Petrocelli, 1967 Red Sox
.412 Tony Conigliaro, 1967 Red Sox
.400 Curt Flood, 1967 Cardinals
.387 Cleon Jones, 1969 Mets
.379 Norm Cash, 1961 Tigers
.375 Orlando Cepeda, 1962 Giants
.371 Rod Carew, 1969 Twins
Runs
11 Rod Carew, 1969 Twins
10 Yogi Berra, 1961 Yankees
9 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
8 Lou Brock, 1967 Cardinals
8 Roger Maris, 1961 Yankees
Hits
15 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
14 Tony Conigliaro, 1967 Red Sox
14 Curt Flood, 1967 Cardinals
14 George Scott, 1967 Red Sox
13 Rod Carew, 1969 Twins
13 Rich Reese, 1969 Twins
Doubles
5 Rod Carew, 1969 Twins
5 Rich Reese, 1969 Twins
4 Lou Brock, 1967 Cardinals
3 many
Triples
2 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
2 Tony Conigliaro, 1967 Red Sox
2 Roger Maris, 1967 Cardinals
2 Harvey Kuenn, 1962 Giants
Home Runs
5 Yogi Berra, 1961 Yankees
4 Harmon Killebrew, 1969 Twins
4 Dick Brown, 1961 Tigers
3 many
RBI
14 Harmon Killebrew, 1969 Twins
11 Dick Brown, 1961 Tigers
10 Yogi Berra, 1961 Yankees
10 Rich Reese, 1969 Twins
10 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
Stolen Bases
4 Rod Carew, 1969 Twins
3 Tony Oliva, 1969 Twins
3 Cesar Tovar, 1969 Twins
2 many
PITCHING LEADERS
Wins
2 Jim Kaat, 1969 Twins
2 Dave Boswell, 1969 Twins
2 Whitey Ford, 1961 Yankees
2 Don Drysdale, 1962 Dodgers
2 Gary Bell, 1967 Red Sox
2 Steve Carlton, 1967 Cardinals
ERA
0.53 Whitey Ford, 1961 Yankees
1.00 Jim Perry, 1969 Twins
1.06 Don Drysdale, 1962 Dodgers
1.15 Don Mossi, 1961 Tigers
1.20 Lee Stange, 1967 Red Sox
1.69 Steve Carlton, 1967 Cardinals
1.84 Gary Bell, 1967 Red Sox
2.25 Ralph Terry, 1961 Yankees
2.40 Bill Stafford, 1961 Yankees
2.50 Juan Marichal, 1962 Giants
Complete Games
2 Juan Marichal, 1962 Giants
Shutouts
1 Whitey Ford, 1961 Yankees
Saves
3 Ron Perranoski, 1962 Dodgers
2 Ron Perranoski, 1969 Twins
2 Joe Hoerner, 1967 Cardinals
Strikeouts
19 Sandy Koufax, 1962 Dodgers
17 Tom Seaver, 1969 Mets
17 Jerry Koosman, 1969 Mets
14 Don Drysdale, 1962 Dodgers
14 Steve Carlton, 1967 Cardinals
14 Jim Bunning, 1961 Tigers
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 