Commentary
Mulholland fared well in both leagues last season Have a few notes, wise and otherwise. …
Some final figures are in for Terry Mulholland, who divided his time this past season with Los Angeles and Cleveland.
The ex-Laurel Highlands left-hander started out on the West Coast, then was traded to Cleveland, where he worked as a reliever and starter, although he really didn’t see much action the final month of the season as the Indians wanted to get a look at some of the younger players they had called up from the minors for the closing run.
Mulholland appeared in 21 games with the Dodgers, being the finishing pitcher in 12 of them. He worked 33 innings, allowing 45 hits, including seven doubles and 10 home runs, 29 runs – of which 26 were earned for a 4.34 earned run average – seven walks and struck out 17.
Batters were about equal against him, right-handers hitting .367 and lefties .327.
With Cleveland, he earned a 3-2 record, appearing in 16 games, three as a starter, and was the finishing pitcher in five others with a 4.60 earned run average. In 47 innings, he gave up 56 hits and 27 runs (24 earned), 14 doubles, two triples and five homers while walking 14 and striking out 21.
Mulholland has always had a good move from the mound to first base, discouraging would-be base stealers, and there were no stolen bases against him all season. Again, he was about even from either side of the plate, lefties hitting .303 against him, to .300 by right-handers.
For his career, Terry now owns a 116-127 record, covering 2,291.1 innings, with 1,204 strikeouts and a 4.34 ERA.
If only he could spend another 15 years in the majors. Professional baseball, all sports for that matter, need more people like Terry representing them.
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A reader asked a question recently that this desk can only come up with a three-fourths answer for him. He recalled that over the years the Pittsburgh Pirates had four sets of brothers playing for them at the same time, and did we know who they were.
After some head scratching, we could come up with the Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd playing side-by-side in the outfield; the O’Brien Twins, Johnny and Eddie, playing the infield and even trying their hands at pitching; and the Riddle brothers, Elmer who pitched and Johnny who was a coach but who got back into action as a catcher for his kid brother. But who was the fourth brother combo? Can anybody help our reader?
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There will be one interesting addition to scholastic wrestling when the new season gets under way next month.
Along with the other weights, there is now a 215-pound class. Previously, there had been just a 275-division, where anybody 200 pounds or over had to compete. Many times that would send some guy about 190 pounds against a 250 or 260-pound opponent.
Now they should be a little more evenly matched. We will wait and see.
You don’t know how many times this corner has wished that the lumbering heavies were eliminated altogether.
Some can give you pretty good action with a big thud when one puts the other down, but too many other times they will grab and spar, back up, go off the mat, stand there head-to-head and push, do anything but wrestle. For action, they should take a lesson from the little guys.
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Last weekend’s football results showed that Stony Brook College defeated Robert Morris, 23-13. How about this for a pairing – Stony Brook against Slippery Rock. They could play the game in Stoneboro, Pa., or go to my old stomping grounds in eastern New York State where there is a community named Rock City. The winner could then meet Stonehill College (Mass.), and the game could be played in Pebble Beach, Calif., or Boulder, Colo. The possibilities are endless.
Jim Kriek is a Herald-Standard sports correspondent and columnist.