Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 April 1952 — Page 11
- » ar ¢ —
Section Two -
SPORTS
v
Tribe Set
MILT NIELSEN OR" FRANK KALIN LEFT FIELD
b—— A io tl.
‘The Indianapolis Times
SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 1952
odin i oni duly 22,23
| Columns . .,.. a Editorials ........ Our Fair City ....
Amusements .....
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PAGE 11
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LLOYD GEARHART oR PAUL LEHNER : ark CENTER FIELD
3 a
AVE PoPr RIGHT FELD
They're as Ready As | Can Get Them'—Desautels
By EDDIE ASH | Times Sports Editor
AFTER SPENDING 4 weeks plus sweating it out under a sweltering Florida sun, the Indianapolis Indians come home this afternoon to put the finishing touches on their spring training before heading for Columbus to open the American Association's 51st season Wednesday night, No workout is to be held today but the boys are to practice on the Victory Field greensward tomorrow and Tuesday, their final tuneup before the champion-
ship race starts. 0
) + NEW FACES, well-tanned from Florida sun and wind, abound on this 1952 squad of Triple-A farmhands, They are under the new management of ~ genial Gene Desautels, a willing worker himself, who is fired with a determination te make an impressive showing in his first year as a mastermind in the Association ond enhance his chances of becoming a major league skipper some day.
Before departing, the Cleveland farm system practice field at Indianville, Daytona Reach, Fla., yesterday, Desautels tightened his belt, pulled up his’ sleeves, drew a hand across his broad forehead and said, “The players are as ready as I can get them down here and they want to get going, up to where the diamonds are better, out. fields smoother and where parks are fenced in to give them better backgrounds to hit and field against. “I look for an improvement in both hitting and fielding when the boys jog out on the American Association's diamonds, Moreover, some of the pitchers have been hampered by the strong winds in this ocean area and they won't hove that obstacle to contend with in the North,
Veteran Hurlers To Open
By LEO H. PETERSEN United Press Sports Editer
NEW YORK, Apr. 12 —| Major league managers, with only one exception, called on
their veteran pitching stars]
today to.open the baseball season ; Tuesday as the Cleveland Indians 3 yn - and Brooklyn Dodgers were in-| Cis ” ro lr Ne stalled pennant favorites. { Lt Generally favorable weather was forecast for. the start of what promised to be one of baseball’s greatest years despite the fact that some of the game's outstanding stars will be missing. The eight opening games were expected to draw a total of 237,000 fans with clear and cool weather prevailing in most of the cities. The odds-makers made the | Indians a 3 to 2 favorite to win the American League pennant with the defending champion New York Yankees the second choice at 8 to 1. In. the National, the Dodgers, who blew last year’s pennant in a playoff | with the New York Giants, were established 7 to 5 favorites with the defending champions rated at 5 to 2.
= » » | A UNITED PRESS poll of 167 major league baseball writers and columnists agreed with the] odds makers, who made the Phil-| lies third choice in the National followed by the Cardinals] Braves, Reds, Pirates and Cubs in that order. In the American, the White Sox were rated third followed by the Red Sox, Tigers, Browns, Athletics and Senators. The openers will have the Yankees at Philadelphia, the Red Sox at Washington, the Browns at Detroit and the Indians at Chicago in the American League and the Dodgers at Boston, Phillies at New York, Pirates at St. Louis and Cubs at Cincinnati in the National. The hurling aces who will be on the firing line for the openers include such stalwarts as Vic Raschl of the Yankees, Bobby Shantz of the Athletics, Mel Parnell of the Red Sox, Ned Garver of the Browns, Art Houtteman of the Tigers, Early Wynn of the Indi; Billy Pierce of the White Sox, Preacher Roe Of the Dodgers, Warren Spahn of Braves, Robin Roberts of Phillies, Larry Jansen of Giants, Murry Dickson of
rv pret nt
saunas ot VN gr Way,
. JOHNNY MCCALL PITCHER
PPL oid
>
HARRY 26
MALMBERG 2] Eddie Ash
CA or No ot OU SSR
JOWNNY HOTCHINGS COACH
GENE DESAUTELS MANAGER
io A : ® wn ® * » : “EARL TURNER » CATCHER 4 “THE TEAM is fairly set for the league race, at PROBABLE STARTERS—Here are the Indians likely to start in the opener Wednesday night against the Red Birds at Columbus. least at the start. But I do question its all-around hitting : strength, “On the other hand, I have been assured by the parent Cleveland club that any glaring weaknesses which develop will be plugged by reinforcements if money and trades will turn the trick. The American Association is a .new league for the Cleveland farm system and it's new’ to me, too, as a manager. So I guess you can just jot it down we still are feeling our way, “For that reason | don’t care to go out on a limb with a prediction as to our position after the race is run. Just tell the Indianapolis fans we'll give them an entectaining brand of baseball and never quit trying to improve ourselves.
Feller His ‘Dodgers Rap Yanks, 4-1; A Writers
Here Toly Red Sox, Phillies Win fo Against BAITS | iz, To, tue fae fine Sac ped th stint, Se Bro. or 410,
| Dodgers made it four out of five; ried a two-run homer while dowski while the Sox {allied two ; os. AMERICAN Association
the {trom the Yankees in their Spring Braves Pinch-Hitter Sam Jethroe|in the third and six in the fourth! the] BOB FELLER, no longer a series by besting the world cham- piasted a three-run homer over off starter Vern Bickford. baseball writers will ride with ! the defending champion Mil-
the (“blow ‘em down” hurler, will get [pions 4-1, before an overcoated the left field wall in the seventh, [Boston mo 830 010 300 1 12 the his final pre-season tuneup today | croWd of 8409 at Ebbets Field < The Braves picked up three| Bickford, Johnson (5) Chipman (7) and | . Pirates, Ewell Blackwell of the * 7 today. ee |Cooperan 8t- Claire: Brodowski, Henry 11 ./waukee club this year, Reds, Gerald Staley of the Cardi-|When Cleveland Manager Al Lopez| pa, wade, 29-year-old Cub and |
Bs {Delock (8) and White. Home Runs-—-Wil-1 d Bob Rush 230 5 bh The Brewers, who won the AAA nals and Bob Rush of the Cubs./sends the 230-game winner Req castoff, pitched himself back I b i D » |against the New York Giants in inte rH es ers own
Hams 2, White, Kethroe » » the majors by limiting the | playoff last year and went on to THE ONLY . manager r 1 . Js didn’t name an.established star victory Field. in six ionings. Fis mound on. 10 Player Limit
» ” » ” » “WITH THE seasoned Bobby Wilson at second base, our infield has already improved. His presence also. strengthens the vital ‘middle,’ from catcher through the diamond to center field. He's replacing the inexperienced Bob Prentice, you know, and is sure to form a smooth
'Phillies-Athletics who's "1:30 p. m. exhibition game at yankees to one run on four hits | PHILADELPHIA—The six-hit capture the Little World series 3 Sm from Montreal of the Internationto star e season was Bucky : : : { Harris of the Washington Sen- Barnstorming with the Giants, ponent, Allie Reynolds, drove in!
Hansen, plus the home-run power
{pitching of Howie Fox and Andy | al League, are the scribes’ firstators, who. nominated Bob Por-
{Cleveland has won 12 of 16 exhi- the Yankee tally with a single
terfield, a question-mark right-|Pition games from Leo Durocher’s following asdouble by Jerry Cole-
‘hander. Tuesday’s top crowd was forecast for Detroit, where the 58,000 seating capacity has been | sold out for some time.
” t J » THE DAY'S smallest crowd—| 10,000—is expected at Boston where the forecast called for warm and possible showers. Roe (22-3) will face another star southpaw, Spahn (22-14) in that nne. The delphia with Raschi (21-10) and who holds a lifetime record of 22 victories against only two defeats against the A’s going against Shantz (18-10), who beat the New Yorkers four times in 1951. For the pennant-hungry Indians it will be” Wynn against Pierce (15-14) with 30,000 expected under clear, but cool conditions, The Giants expect 32,000 for their flag raising ceremony at the Polo Grounds in clear weather with Jansen (23-11) opposing Roberts (21-15), the Phillies fast-ball right-hander.
» Ld nn THE CARDINALS will open their season with a night game with Staley (19-13) going against Dickson (20-16). A crowd of 20,000 was anticipated with the weather clear, ‘There were three managerial changes from 1951 — Rogers Hornsby “taking over the Browns; peppery Eddie Stanky the Cardinals and Lou BRoudreau the Red Sox. In addition, Tommy Holmes of the Braves and Phil Cavaretta of the Cubs are starting their first full year as pilots, having taken over their clubs during the 1951 season,
» » » COMMISSIONER Ford Frick and Presidents William Harridge of the American and Warren Giles of the National predicted close pennant races and a banner year at the gate. All the managers were optimistic with Al Lopez of the Indiang and Chuck Dressen of the Nodgers flatly . predicting they wntild win the pennants,
Probable Pitchers = For Opening Day
By United Press AMERICAN LEAGUE
"es ‘New York (Raschi 21-10) at Philadelphia attend’ a haseball
(8hants 18-10. or Kellner 11-14; 22,500 (clear and cool) 1:00 p.m. (CBT. Bosten (Parnell 18-11) “at Washington {Fortertield vi} 30,000 (clear and warm) : , m. (CST). 8t. Louis rer 20-12: or Pillette 8-14) at Detroti (Houtteman 0-0) 58,000 (clear and mild turning, to rain and cold %y : ) night) 1:30 p. m. '(C Chicago
leveland 20-13) at
(Wynn
(Plerce 15-14) 30,000 (clear and cool) 12:30] dians, e 14 hits and or mecsty the Indians, gave up |
NATIONAL LEAGUE Brooklyn (Roe 22-1) at Boston (Spahn 22-14) 10,000 (warm and possibly showers)
100.p, m. (C8TH } "es Phitadei hin (Roberts 21-15) at New York I ABSSN 23-11) 32.500 (clears 12:30 p.m. iC8T), . th (Dickann 20-16) at St. Lonis ater MEN Dis Chambers. 14-121 ~ 20,000 (elear: 2:30 m. (CET). . Chicazd Rush 11-12) at Cincinnati SEispk well 16-15) 34,000 (clears 1.00 p.m ‘CBT . . i
defending National League champions. The 12th victory was a 3 to 2 decision yesterday at Evansville,
Feller, a 22-8 performer last
{
|- season, is scheduled to hurl the
Cleveland home opener Thursday against Detroit. Cleveland opens the season Tuesday at Chicago. n ~ - { THIS YEAR'S Giants are calling Feller’'s curve “the best in the
Yankees open at Phila- pusiness” and Lopez is banking game Tuesday at Boston.
on the big righthander to hurl at least seven innings today. Lopez has been juggling his outfield in exhibition ‘games but is expected to start his veteran infield of Al Rosen, 3b; Ray Boone, ss; Bobby Avila, 2b; and
1b; Quincy Troupe, Negro catcher who originally was ticketed for Indiapnapolig, is due_to start b=hind the plate. Dale Mitchell, Larry Doby and Jim Fridley probably will start in the outfield. Durocher is expected to go with Roger Bowman on the mound. The _ lefthander won two and lost four for the 1951 Giants, » ~ J BOBBY THOMSON, three-run/ homer against lyn last ‘year put thé Giants in the World Series, will be in left field today and Willie Mays, who cavorted in Victory Field's spacious outer gardens when he was a Minneapolis flvchaser, may join the New Yorkers today in time for the game. Mays is scheduled to enter the Army May 15. Dick Wakefield, former ‘“problem player” now trying to return] to major league baseball, is due for some outfield action, also. A free agent, Wakefield has turned down already this season by Cleveland and the - Chicago! White Sox. >
Cleveland-Giants
EVANSVILLE, Apr. 12 -Pinchhitter Boh Kennedy drew a base on balls from’ Lefty Monte Kennedv with the bases loaded in the ninth inning today as the Cleveland Indians came from behind to heat the New York Gigwise, 3-2. A crowd of R706, largest ever to game ~ here, watched the. Indians score twice in the ninth inning for their 12th victory in 15 exhibition games against the Giants, Bob Lemon and Lefty Lou Bris.sie, who divided the.pitching for
whose Brook-
five walks, but were tight in the pinches, Jim Hearn yielded five hits in pitching the first five in‘nings for New York. New York (N) T. o0n 002 toh Cleveland fA ; Hearn, Kenned® (fi and Westrym, Naohle Ri; Lemon, Rrissie (7) and TebiSets Wir.
ning Pitcher—Brissie, Losing Pitcher — Kennedy, - . ol
-234 0
nnn 100 02. 3 TT
man in the fifth.
» ~ ~ REYNOLDS ALLOWED only, one hit for four innings but the Dodgers tagged him for three runs in the fifth, Carl Furillo, Bob Morgan, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snider singling while Billy Cox drew a pass. Jackie Robinson was out of the Brooklyn lineup with a broken big toe on his left foot, He said that he would play in the opening Jerry Coleman, out for a week with a shoulder injury, returned to the Yankee cast.
Red Sox-Braves BOSTON—Ted Williams, only veteran playing in a Red Sox!
(20-13) If uke Easter or Harry Simpson. lineup of rookies, brought in five
runs with successive homers in two innings today as the Ameri can Il.eaguers beat their intra city rivals, the Braves, 12 to 7 for the first time this season in five exhibition meetings. Williams clouted a two-run 302-foot homer in the third inning that struck ‘the right field foul pole, and & three-run, 410-fopot blast next inning. into the bull pen;
Army Boxers Seek Titles
@
been’
Sam Lionti
"MANY OF THE Army's outstanding amateur boxers will make bids for championships, Apr. 21-25, in the big 5th Army tournament at Camp Atterbury. All fighting on the five nights will be in the Atterbury Sports Arena, A strong team of boxers stationed at Atterbury has heen working out for several weeks, : ® n ” ” AMONG. the strong contend ‘ers for titles are Middleweight
a .
*
idians
Before AA Opens
THE Indianapolis Indians.are g0 shorthanded this spring under the new ownership of the Cleveland Indians they already are down to the official American Association player limit even hefore it goes into effect in May. The little band of Hoosiér Inscheduled to arrive today from their Florida training camp, consisted of only 21 players, ” ” ~ “ HOWEVER, THE 'Tribesters probably won't be so shorthanded for long. With the parent Cleveland club-coming in today to play the New York Giants, additions to the Rover Boys of Victory Field are said to be in the cards to be announced tomorrow. Cleveland has 29 players on its current roster, including Pitcher Sam Jones, who trained with the Indianapolis Indians and accompanied them north to report to the parent club today. Cleveland's squad includes 12 pitchers (counting Jones), three catchers, seven infielders and seven outfielders. “The American League player limit is 25, but official eutdown time {isn't until May 15.—E. A.
« Rocky Bellard
Lewig, Lightweight Cocco; Middleweight Sammy Lionti; Bantamweight Bfllie Thweatt, and Welterweight Rocky Bellard. T.ewis has had 22 fights and has won 16 of them, nine by knockouts, He recently went to the semifinal round of the Indiana, AAU Tournament in Muncle. oes
Charles Frankie
o n ” ”
% COCCO HAS won the Phila
delphia Golden Gloves and AAU
of Fox and Del Ennis, Philadelphia Phillies {victory over the Philadelphia {Athletics in the opener of their two-game city series today. Major share of credit for the victory went to Fox, acquired
from the Cincinnati Reds in an{Teceive a first or second place pre-
off-season trade and making his feAson.ballot, is a tie choice with the fourth and
.& 10 ofifth places. Louisville, Columbus in that order round
local debut in a Phillies uniform {Philadelphia (N 212 001 000 Philadelphia (A 000 000 000 0 nn ) Hansen (7) and Lopata, Burgess Scheib 4) and Astroth Hamme Ennis, Fox “Winning Pitcher Fox Pitcher--Zoldak
Fox, Zoldak Runs Losing
Pirates-Senators WASHINGTON - The
led the to a 6-0
place nomination for 1952.
St. Paul and Kansas City are the No, 2 and No. 8 picks, ex-
| actly the same way both clubs
finished the 1851 schedule
~ » »
INDIANAPOLIS, which didn't
Minneapolis for and Toledo out the writers’ selection. Toledo was the only other club that didn’t get a first or second place vote, The Mud Hens, how-
Pitts- ever, had one third-place vote, two
keystone combination, paired with Harry Malmberg at short. Prentice is not going north with us. He has been transferred to the Class A Reading Club. “Earl Turner is the No. 1 catcher and he knows about all there is to know about. Triple-A competition. Joe Montalvo, the other catcher, is unlikely to hit as well as Turner, but we expect to solve that problem as we go along. I would say our catching is adequate. “The same opinion goes for the mound staff, after Cleveland sends us a couple more experienced. hurlers. As of now “the Tribe's first four pitchers are Johnny McCall and Lloyd Dickey, southpaws, and Ray Narleski and Jose Santiago.
burgh Pirates today combined two for seventh and led last-place bal- ns , on
hits and an outfield fly by Rookie Shortstop Clem Koshorek in the
ninth inning to squeeze out a 3-2 victory over the Washington Sen ators. Dick Hall Johnny Merson had singled just hefore Koshorek drove in the winning run
Pittsburgh (N 160 100 001 7 8 Washington (A non 002 non 2 1 J Dickson, Pollet (4 Wilks (1 and. Mr Cullough Hudson Marrero (4: r (Ty and Grasse Winning Pitcher Losing Pitcher—Morens (7
and
Wilke
noon n10 006 1 4 Ni 006 030 01x 4:7 Miller (8) and Silvera: Wade and Campanella, Walker (7 Wade, losing Pliche;
New York (A) Brooklyn Reynolds Schmitz (7 Winning Pitener Reynolds
Frank Cocco
titles and in 1948 weni to the semifinal of the National AAU, -Lionti, a Korean veteran, has won eight of his 10 amateur ' fights. Thweatt has held amateur titles in three weight divi-
sions -although he has had only five fights, having started as a flyweight. Bellard has. made®* only one appearance ‘in the Atterbury arena and won a decision over a Ft. Knox, Ky, scrapper,
=
, 8lxth
0 Saints
College Baseball
lots with 15. Columbus, : where Indianapolis opens the 1952 Association season Wednesday night, was the only other team to receive eighth-place votes,
n n ~ FOUR OF the 18 Peg the Indians for «third place; five for fourth, five for fil, thgee for and one for sevenih. Widest range of picks Faul and Columbus, The were selected for every position except last while the Red Birds got a ballot for every spot except first Here's how the scribes
writers
went to St
voted Points Milwaukee St. Paul Kansas INDIANAPOLIS Mifineapolis
City
4 f--T.ouisville T~Columbus Tooled ov.coiviversers 2h KEY- Points are computed on the hasis allowing R first-place vote, 7 for a place vote, etc,
Welsh Rare Bifs
By Jack Welsh
[Louis
nf for A
gecondd
Browns will midgets this vear, Hornghy told Veeck the The Rajah hitters
The without
St he Roger gag angle was out kes netriuct his
he'll get on his knees to no ane,
fn
Dut
” ~ N
WILLIE MAYS failed in his hardship plea, It seems the board couldn't decide who the hardship was on—his farhily or the Giants,
” » ”
SONJA HENIE won't take her ice show- to Paris because of the falling exchange rate. At least she's franc about it.
St. dabhn's (N.Y) 5 Lakalle (Pay. ft, Ft. Knox 6. Noirs Dame |, : ig Michigan 13, Virrinia 4
|
@ «i. “JIM VITTER seems to be my best relief timber at this time, in the righthanded department. And maybe Frank Papish for southpaw relie® But don't say ‘definitely’ en that point. Charlie Sipple also is available for righthanded relief. )
“The veteran Poul Lehner is the choice for the vital center‘field post and | think he'll till the spot admirably if his phys“ical condition holds up. He'll hit, that's for sure.
“Milt Nielsen, the starting left fielder, can do everything ‘except throw well. But we'll take a chance’ on his arm because of his other good points. Dave Pope in right lacks Triple-A experience J he’s the best for the posi« tion on our roster at thisitime. The spare outfielders as of now are the two, veterans, Frank Kalin and Lloyd Gearhart, These two righthanded swingers will gét in the lineup against southpaw pitching. ” ” n ~ » ” “AL SMITH is doing splendidly in the fielding department at third and owns the best arm on the club. At the plate, however, curves are his nemesis, but we think we are pulling him out of that hole and I'm confident he'll make it. Like Pope, Smith is a speed merchant and can take that-extra base without too much exertion. “Herb Conyers still is more or less an experiment at first base but his baseball background says he'll hit for distance sooner or later. We're banking oo it. Malmberg is fairly set in the short field and has been hitting.
“Our bench strength is-doubtful and I realize we're sort of weak there. There's a shortage of competent infielders in the Cleveland farm system this spring, but the scouts know it and hope to improve the gituation in time, “That's all for now. Like the players, I'm anxious to shove off for the North. Fee: better already.”
Oliver Leads. At Greensboro
GREENSBORO, N, C., Apr. 12, HIS SEVEN-UNDER-PAR 64 (UP) — Ed (Porky) Oliver of equalled the course record’ and Lemont, - Ill, .hade. trouble ap-| proaching the greens but putted Cut one stroke from the previous sensationally today-to lead at the competitive record for the tour halfway mark in the $10,000 Open nament. It also won him a tie
Zhe
Rolf tournament with a’ 36-hole for second place with Doug Ford total of 136.
of Harrison, N. Y., at 137, But Dave Douglas of Newark, First rotind leader Skee Riegel, Del. dimmed that first-place Jus- of Tulsa, Okla., blew up, hie fer by pulverizing par for “the six more strokes than yes 3 {lawest round in the 15-year his-!/for a two-over-par round that put: tory of the tournament. {him in a. fifth place tie at 140. . ! Sf :
»