Steve Dale’s Other World Show, featured on WGN-AM Radio 720, hosted me to talk about my book The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs: Go and Glow on Sunday, June 13.
Popular host Steve Dale also is the host of two nationally syndicated radio shows.
As part of our wide-ranging and fun discussion, we talked about the Cubs’ bullpen woes in 1970.
The Cubs started that year with three good closers, Phil Regan, Ted Abernathy, and Hank Aguirre.
But I noted that when Regan faltered, instead of going to Abernathy or Aguirre, the Cubs inexplicably traded Abernathy, and he became one of the best relief pitchers in the American League for the Kansas City Royals in both 1970 and 1971. Then they compounded the problem by releasing Aguirre, who was 3-0 at the time. As a result, the Cub bullpen of 1970 never recovered.
Steve was interested in learning more about the baseball statistic VORP, Value Over Replacement Player, and I explained how the 1970 Cub starting rotation of Ferguson Jenkins, Ken Holtzman, Bill Hands, and Milt Pappas had one of the top VORPs in the last 60 years. So the 1970 Cub starters were great, but often the bullpen failed to hold a lead.
I also noted how after not platooning his players in 1969, Manager Leo Durocher learned to do so in 1970, so his lineup was more well rested.
Steve was excited about the section near the end of the book that featured a paragraph about each player, calling it his favorite part of The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs: Go and Glow. The section offers statistics about each player and information about what he did after retiring as a player. Aguirre, for example, became a millionaire auto parts manufacturer.
We really had a fun discussion! A big thank-you to Steve Dale and WGN-Radio for having me on to talk about The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs: Go and Glow.
Owned by Nexstar Media Group, WGN-Radio, based in Chicago, is a 50,000 watt station that has broadcast since 1922.
You can hear the entire interview with me now at https://wgnradio.com/wgn-plus/steve-dales-other-world/author-of-the-forgotten-1970-chicago-cubs-go-and-glow-it-was-really-one-of-the-best-races-that-the-national-league-has-seen-in-many-many-years/.
