Show i Sports thoughts J Two Johns and a Frank are tormenting baseball sluggers so far Car in the 1977 season The two Johns are John Denny of oC the St St. Louis Cardinals and John Candelaria of oC the Pittsburgh Pirates teSt Both Doth pitchers are competing in the National League Denny who captured the 1976 run earn-run-average title in the National League with a mark Is off to a blazing start Dennys Denny's record as of oC May 31 was 7 wins and 0 losses THE TIIE ST ST. LOUIS Cardinals star gained his seventh win of oC the season on May 31 31 Denny hurled a five hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs The final score was 6 G to 0 for Cor the Car Car- The big blast for Cor the Cardinals was a home run by Ken Heitz Reitz In 1976 Denny posted a so-so so record of oC 11 He lie struck out and walked 74 batters Denny led the National League in the run-average run department with a amark amark amark mark of However most baseball observers figured that the run earn-run-average title by Denny was just a fluke In years past a mark wouldn't have been in the top five ive Dennys Denny's league leading earn- earn run run-a run average of is the eighth highest mark during 21 years of oC the National Leagues League's ERA standings The American League and National League began awarding top ERA titles tilles in 1956 Dennys Denny's 1976 mark is the third highest in the National League in the past ten years MANY l BASEBALL watchers decided that Denny was just lucky to have nabbed the ERA RA title Denny may have proven that his title was not won because of luck due to his early 1977 showing of seven wins and zero losses John Candelaria of the Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pitt Pitt- Pirates pitched a no- no hitter last year in the National League Candelaria finished the 19 1976 6 season with a 16 to 7 record The no-hit no kid has burned National League sluggers' sluggers bats with a league leading run earn-run- average of as of May 18 Last year Candelaria posted a amark amark amark mark of Candelaria improved his record to 7 wins and 1 l loss when he pitched a 2 hit shutout for a 30 30 3 0 o win over the Philadelphia Phillies The big slugging bombs were by AI Al Oliver a triple and Dave Parker a double Frank Tanana is the Frank that was mentioned briefly in inthe inthe inthe the first paragraph The name Frank is a proper description of the Californian strike out sensation Frank Tanana Tanana gained his ninth win of the season last Sunday when he hurled an hitter eight-hitter against the Detroit Tigers The California Angels downed the Tigers 5 to 1 to enable Tanana to improve his record to 9 wins and 2 losses LAST 81 YEAR YE Tanana failed to win twenty games but he is not concerned about becoming a twenty game winner as he has his heart set on joining the thirty-game thirty winners' winners circle The last pitcher to win thirty games in the American League was Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers in 1968 Tanana posted a 19 10 record for the California Angels in 1976 He Ile struck out batters balters and he walked only 73 Tanana's run earn was in 1976 There are a number of rook rookies itS it'S who are surprising a great number of people due to their find showings at the plate this season Mitchell Page who was acquired in the Phil Garner trade by the Oakland As A's with the Pittsburgh Pirates is blasting baseballs Doc and Da Dave ve Guisti were figured as the most important men in the trade for the As Page was supposed to be he a minor figure in inthe inthe inthe the transaction PAGE IMm HAS liAS turned out to be a abig abig abig big steal for or the As A's as he is batting balling so far ar into the 1977 season He lie has driven in 26 runs as of May 18 AI Al Wood Word am and Bob Boh Bailor of the Toronto Blue Ulue Jays have passed the major league test as they are slugging over in the early part of the 1977 season However the baseball season is still young and these early bloomers could wind up as season ending duds i moo AN N AMAZING l item about the C career of Mickey Mantle is that hat although he blasted homers he e struck out 1710 1110 times and wa was walked 1734 times timet Mantle j is ii the number one in both leagues iJu for career strike outs |