This Month in RLB - May 1983

This Month in RLB

May 1983 - NL

Rookie of the Month

SP Jesse Duch – Saint Louis Cardinals

Duch had a fantastic month of May, posting a 1.46 ERA and collecting 6 wins in his 7 starts. The rookie pitched well enough to not only be the best rookie in the NL this month but also…..

Pitcher of the Month

SP Jesse Duch – Saint Louis Cardinals

For the second month in a row to start 1983, a rookie starting pitcher has won both Rookie and Pitcher of the Month. Duch gave up less than one baserunner per inning, allowing 43 hits and 6 walks in his 55.2 innings pitched.

Hitter of the Month

RF Jared McCombs – Chicago Cubs

McCombs proved that he is one of the best players in the league this month. A slash line of .422/.466/.752, 20 extra base hits, 22 runs, 22 RBI’s, and 15 steals; McCombs truly did it all for the Baby Bears.

Who’s Hot:

· Cincinnati Reds – The Reds put up a league best 19-9 record, helping them to gain an early 3 game lead in the Central Division. It looks to be another hotly contested division this year in the Central, with the Reds once again leading the pack.

· Atlanta Braves – Despite a negative run differential, the Braves had a successful month, picking up 17 wins to pace the NL East. A slow start only slightly hampered the youthful Atlanta squad, jumping up to lead the division after being in 4th place at the end of April. All five teams are within 3 games of first place in the East; the race is far from over.

Who’s Not:

· NL West Division – Outside of the San Francisco Giants, the West only had a .315 winning percentage in May, going a combined 28-61. It looks to be quite some time before any real fight will be put up for San Francisco in the not so Wild West.

· Philadelphia Phillies – Some experts picked the Phillies to win the East after a 2nd place finish and Wild Card appearance in 1982. They have been off to a sluggish start so far at 26-29 as of press time, putting up a 14-14 record in May.

Milestones/Other Notes:

· 1B Adam McGahee, Pittsburgh Pirates – 100th career HR on May 4

· CL Andy Murphy – Recorded his 200th career save on May 10, one of only 16 players in RLB history to reach this number.