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1978 in review:

BATTING

C - Thurman Munson (.297/.344/.362) lost all power, with only 25 doubles, three triples, and four home runs. He led the team in at bats but scored only 71 and drove in 75. He may be on the downside of his career. Backup Wayne Nordhagen (.297/.302/.431) showed some pop but little patience (two walks in 202 at bats).

1B - Richie Hebner (.253/.359/.440) was second on the team with 18 home runs and walked more than he struck out, but was hardly fearsome. Mike Ivie (.308/.362/.483) matched Hebner's 61 RBI with 16 homers and looks to deserve an expanded role next year.

2B - Bill Madlock (.309/.388/.459) was far from a career year but still very productive. He ranked second on the team with 84 runs scored and drove in 82. Madlock also was the team's best baserunner, stealing 20 in 25 attempts.

SS - Frank Taveras (.302/.331/.383) continues to produce at the bottom of the lineup, driving in 81 runs this season without a home run. His baserunning fell off, as he stole only 35 bases in 54 attempts.

3B - Len Randle (.248/.367/.303) fell off dramatically, collecting only 19 extra base hits. He preserved an ability to draw walks (71) but contributed little else at the plate.

OF - Larry Hisle (.283/.375/.489) led the team with 28 homers, 96 RBI, and 90 runs scored.

Jerry Mumphrey (.317/.358/.403) started hot and ended with pretty good numbers. He stole only 10 bases this year, however.

Larry Biittner (.271/.319/.345) was mediocre at best and rookie Denny Walling (.268/.373/.337) managed to score 39 runs in only 54 games.

DH - Hal McRae (.295/.356/.432) led the team with 36 doubles, added 14 homers, and drove in 89.

Bench - Bob Randall (.264/.314/.316) played in half the games without meriting even that. Ted Sizemore had only 33 at bats and spent most of the season at AAA.

PITCHING

Jon Matlack (16-13, 3.89 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, .282/.322/.370) led the team with 275.2 innings and allowed only 17 home runs, but did give up a whopping 316 hits (which did not even lead the team). He was faily typical in allowing 22 unearned runs, a major problem for the Riders this season.

Lary Sorensen (12-15, 4.07, 1.39, .286/.319/.374) was nearly a statistical clone of Matlack, pitching 267.2 innings, allowing 320 hits, 16 homers, and 23 unearned runs. One big difference: Matlack struck out 157 and Sorensen only 77.

Tommy John, three years removed from major surgery, proved he is back (and maybe better than ever): 20-12, 3.91, 1.62, .313/.362/.392. He threw 225.1 innings and was the third Rider pitcher to allow 300+ hits (301).

John Montefusco (11-12, 4.69, 1.46, .287/.337/.421) was a much-needed dose of stability after being acquired for Bill Lee (0-4, 7.75, 2.01, .337/.411/.518 in nine starts). Montefusco allowed 23 homers but ranked second on the team with 146 strikeouts in only 189 innings.

In the pen, Rich Gossage (5-4, 32/47, 4.52, 1.35, .234/.323/.373) had a disastrous year as closer, allowing eight homers in 63 innings and walking 29.

Dave LaRoche (3-4, 1/3, 3.96, 1.51, .246/.349/.356) threw 102 innings in 71 games. Ron Reed matched him with 71 games (97 innings, 6-9, 0/5, 4.73, 1.36, .277/.326/.454).

Long-reliever Bruce Kison (2-2, 4.42, 1.60, .272/.359/.345) walked 50 in 93 innings but kept the ball in the park (three homers)

Skip Lockwood (4-4, 3.88, 1.58, .278/.344/.459) allowed seven homers in only 46 innings. Elias Sosa (2-2, 2.59, 1.48, .250/.343/.261) was very effective in his 18 innings.



Overall the team allowed 131 unearned runs... disgraceful.

After a rather extended break and the contraction of four teams, the APL is back in action. The 1979 draft was held this week; Milwaukee had the 10th pick in the first round and selected starting pitcher Rick Sutcliffe.

Unfortunately, the Riders had traded what they assumed would be a late second round pick in a what they assumed would be a weak draft to Montreal as part of the Bill Lee for John Montefusco deal. Neither of those assumptions proved true, as the Riders stumbled to an 82-80 finish, giving them a top-half pick in each round, and the four-team contraction introduced a lot of fresh talent. Terry Kennedy was available in Milwaukee's 2nd-round spot, and would have made a nice replacement for Thurman Munson someday, but the Riders would have to wait and hope Kennedy fell to the third.

He did not, and when it came time to pick the Riders gave serious consideration to selecting another catcher, Rick Sundberg. At the last minute, however, the club decided that finding a pitcher of Sammy Stewart's ability is a rare occurrence in the third round and grabbed the swingman.

Finally, in the fourth round, the Riders were thrilled to find promising youngster Jeffrey Leonard still on the board and grabbed him to provide some outfield depth.

1979 Preview:

With contraction, the APL now consists of two 10-team leagues with no divisions. Only the top team in each league will make the postseason.

The Riders remain in the Patriot League with little apparent hope of winning it. Larry Hisle is gone, removing the only legitimate power hitter in the lineup. The team still has a respectable rotation with Tommy John, Lary Sorensen, Bruce Kison and newcomer Rick Sutcliffe, but it will not be enough without some unexpected offense from somewhere.

The Riders' payroll is $76.4M, 10th in the league.

The 1979 season will start with a trip to Minnesota to face the Mooseheads.

Game 1: Frank Taveras starts the season with a single, then steals second, and later scores the first run of the year on Hal McRae's single. McRae doubles home two more runs to start a five-run third, and the Riders are on their way to a 9-0 win in the season opener. Tommy John is sharp, pitching eight shutout innings. Willie Aikens, back with the team after missing 1978, drives in four runs.

Game 2: Rick Sutcliffe's first start isn't pretty; he walks four and allows six hits in six innings of work. Half of those runners score. The Riders bats can't keep pace and Minnesota evens their record with a 5-2 win. Larry Biittner has three hits for Milwaukee, including two doubles, and Mike Ivie hits his first home run of the season.

Game 3: Ruppert Jones hits a grand slam and Jeff Newman adds a two-run shot in the next inning as the Watchmen take the opening series with a 6-2 win in the finale. Willie Aikens drives in both Milwaukee runs, giving him six RBI in the first three games.

The Riders continue their season-opening nine-game road trip with a visit to Yankee Stadium to face the Mammoths.

Game 4: The Big Apple is not kind to the Riders as the Mammoths rough up just about every pitcher Milwaukee sends to the mound, capping things with an eight-run eighth to seal a 15-4 victory. Richie Hebner drives in all four Milwaukee runs, hitting two homers.

Game 5: Tommy John proves his Opening Day start was no fluke, throwing seven scoreless innings at the Mammoths as the Riders win 6-0. Wayne Nordhagen drives in two runs and Mike Ivie hits his second home run.

Game 6: Milwaukee blows one-run leads in both the ninth and eleventh innings before losing 6-5 in the twelfth. Mike Ivie commits two consecutive errors in the 12th to seal their fate.

The Riders continue their road trip in Washington.

Game 7: Milwaukee rallies from a 4-0 deficit with two in the seventh and two in the eighth to force extra innings. A walk to Ted Sizemore and a sacrifice by Frank Taveras puts the lead run on second for the Riders. Jeffrey Leonard bounces out, but Richie Hebner singles off reliever Steve Mura to drive home the run. Rich Gossage allows a double and a single in the bottom half but retires the next two batters to earn his first save of the season.

Game 8: Milwaukee collects eight hits but none of them for extra bases; two of their runners are caught stealing, and the Riders fall 3-0 to Steve Rogers and the Commandos.

Game 9: Tommy John continues to amaze; he throws 8.1 scoreless innings. After allowing a walk and single in the ninth, Rich Gossage appears to retire the final two batters and save a tense 1-0 victory for the Riders. Frank Taveras drives in the only Rider tally with a third-inning single.

Milwaukee's home opener will come against Georgia Force of Atlanta (6-3).

Game 10: All that waiting for the home opener, and such a disaster it turned out to be. The Riders are mostly shut down by Georgia's Dennis Martinez, and the Force scores four runs late off Ron Reed to turn it into an 11-3 laugher.

Game 11: Milwaukee surrenders single runs in each of the third through seventh innings (two of them unearned) and drops a 5-3 decision to Georgia Force. Jerry Mumphrey has four hits for the Riders.

Game 12: Bruce Kison takes another shelling, dropping to 0-3 on the season with an ERA of 8.18, and the Riders are swept in their first home series of the year, losing 6-5 when a furious ninth-inning rally ends on a run-scoring double play and a lineout.

Montreal will be in town next.

Game 13: Tommy John gives up his first run of the season, but is still plenty good enough to give the Riders their first home victory of the season, 8-1 over Montreal. The Riders collect 16 hits and steal four bases. Jeffrey Leonard hits his first home run, which also accounts for his first RBI of the season.

Game 14: Montreal scores five times in the second inning, getting two-run homers from UL Washington and Dave Concepcion, but the Riders put together a six-run seventh and hold on for an 8-7 victory.

Game 15: Milwaukee has its best offensive showing of the season, pounding out 20 hits in an 11-3 win to complete a sweep of Montreal. Denny Walling and Thurman Munson both collect their first RBI of the season. Lary Sorensen gets his first win and Jon Matlack a save.

The Riders head to Cleveland to face the first-place Saltdogs (11-4).

Game 16: With two prospects in the starting lineup, the Rider offense is no match for the Saltdogs. Milwaukee gets only five hits off three Saltdog pitchers in a 5-1 loss. Bruce Kison pitches well for Milwaukee but falls to 0-4.

Game 17: Tommy John takes his first loss, allowing three runs in 3.2 innings, and Cleveland prevails 6-2. Mike Ivie takes a golden sombrero for the Riders.

Game 18: Rick Sutcliffe pitches six shutout innings and the Riders get RBI from both prospects in a 6-1 victory over Cleveland, averting a sweep.

From Cleveland the team flies to California to face old West Division foes Anaheim.

Game 19: The Angels get one big inning off Lary Sorensen and another off Jon Matlack, both keyed by Ron Cey homers, and hold off a late Rider rally, 11-9. Cey drives in six.

Game 20: Things go pretty normally for six and a half innings, with a 1-1 score after that point. Ron Reed enters the game to pitch the bottom of the seventh. The first three batters hit singles. Jon Matlack enters. Triple. Single. Stolen base. In comes John Montefusco. Wild pitch. Single. Homer. In comes Dave LaRoche. Single. Double. Homer. Finally the string of hits ends at 10. HIT BY PITCH. Single. Single. Single. Single. Single. Walk. LINE OUT!!! FINALLY!!!! FLY OUT!! Single. Uh oh. Nope, it's ok. Ground out. 16 runs score, the first 17 batters reach base safely. Riders lose, 23-1 after allowing six more in the eighth.

Game 21: Two errors by the Riders lead to two unearned runs for the Angels and Milwaukee's ninth-inning rally falls one run short as they are swept by Anaheim, with a 5-4 score in the finale. Thurman Munson grounds out to end it with runners on first and second; Tommy John takes his second straight loss.

The Riders return home to face Chicago.

Game 22: The Goats had the same record as Milwaukee, but you wouldn't know it from the series opener. Fergie Jenkins pitches seven shutout innings for Chicago while the Goats break out for six in the seventh and go on to a 9-0 win.

Game 23: The Riders continue to have trouble scoring runs, and the Goats pound out 14 hits in a 7-2 win over Milwaukee.

Game 24: The Riders fall into a tie for last place with their sixth straight loss, 9-4 to the Goats. Milwaukee gets 13 hits but strands a ton of baserunners and get only two extra base hits.

Milwaukee will next host the Philadelphia Athletics, who currently share the PL basement with the Riders at 8-16.

Game 25: Milwaukee is alone in last place after dropping their seventh straight game, 3-1 to Philly. Tommy John is the tough-luck loser, dropping to 4-3 despite his 1.77 ERA.

Game 26: Rick Sutcliffe has possibly his best outing of the year, allowing only two hits over 6.2 innings, and the Riders snap their skid with a 5-1 victory, scoring four in the bottom of the seventh to snap a 1-1 tie.

Game 27: The Riders pull themselves out of last place, staging two late rallies to win their second straight. Jeffrey Leonard's two-out RBI single in the eighth ties the score at three, but the Athletics get the lead back in the ninth on Ron Reed's wild pitch. With one down in the bottom half, Bill Madlock and Willie Aikens single. Philly leaves Mark Littell in, and Richie Hebner singles to , tying the score. Pinch runner Ted Sizemore scampers to third, sliding in ahead of the throw. Mike Ivie enters to pinch hit and hits a seeing-eye grounder up the middle that finds its way to center field, scoring Sizemore with the winner.

The Mooseheads are back on the schedule with a series in Milwaukee.

Game 28: Moose Haas carves up the Milwaukee lineup and Bruce Kison drops to 0-6 on the season as the Riders are shut out, 5-0, in the series opener.

Game 29: Tommy John gets back in the win column, pitching a complete game 5-hitter. Richie Hebner has three hits and four RBI to key a 5-1 victory.

Game 30: Richie Hebner continues his hot hitting with a home run and the Riders win the series with a 3-2 decision in the finale. Elias Sosa gets the win with a scoreless inning of relief and Rich Gossage gets his fourth save.

The Riders will host the New York Mammoths next.