Idaho State Journal from Pocatello, Idaho • Page 11

By TOM MORRISON Journal Sports Editor The epitaph for W. C. Fields, Ihc famed comedian, reads: "I would rather be in Philadelphia." A lot of die-hard baseball fans would have preferred to be in (he "City of Brotherly Love" last winter when the. hoarse death rattle of the Pioneer League was heard and muny felt the former Class circuit would join the graveyarJ of minor leagues with an epitaph on a tombstone reading: "What Happened?" What almost happened is a long and sad story. It's been a familiar tale in hundreds of once strong minor league baseball cites across the nation.

A near miracle saved the Pioneer League. A few far-sighted major league teams and men in Idaho, who helieved in the diamond sport and league president Claude Engberg, averted the death knell of pro baseball in the State. Although bedridden, the Pioneer League bounced back and lias a new lease on life. Needed transfusions, which will cost the four big league clubs thousands of dollars, were given to Idaho'Falls by the Los Angeles Angels, Caldvvell by the Chicago Cubs, Twin Falls by the San Francisco Giants and Pocatello by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In Pocatdlo's case, (Idaho Falls and Twin Falls had similar symtoms.

Caldwell figured it was immune) the doctors called in to save the patient were a dedicated and hard-working board of directors and progressive-minded businessmen. Of course, the specialist in Pocatello's case was the World Champion Los Angefes Dodgers. When the St. Louis Cardinals pulled out of Billings, who operated a financially successful club and Boise, who decided Idaho's capital city didn't need "America's Favorite Pastime," the Pioneer League looked sick indeed. However, when Boise died, a new PL team was horn at Caldwell, a city believing spectator sports are here to stay and built an all-purpose sports stadium to prove it.

Caldwell picked up Boise's franchise. Twin Falls, a club with money in the bank after three successful seasons, didn't wain the community la lose baseball a second time. People in the Magic Valley found it hard to live without the diamond sport when the Cowboys dropped from the league and supported it fully when Twin Falls rejoined. Idaho Falls, the second oldest active member of the PL, felt baseball was a needed part of community life and held onto its franchise dating back to 1940. Pocatetlo, the oldest active member of the circuit, lias beat Boise to the punch for a change and held onto professional baseball.

Today, weather permitting, the Pioneer League with a new status arid full of young rookies with dreams of the major league and vim nnd vigor to spare, opens its 2Gth consecutive season. The new rookie setup of the PL could be the shot in the arm many baseball buffs have wanted to see. The four clubs should be evenly matched and put up a great fight for the pennant. The scars of battle in the Pioneer League show. Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Ogdcn and Boise, all one-lime members have gone to baseball's graveyard.

Lewiston and Salt Lake City arc operating in other minor leagues. It's surprising to me why more of the major league clubs can I realize that with fewer and fewer minor league teams the great reservoir of diamond talent needed to train players the caliber of baseball sold on the big league level is going It's about time some of the big brass in baseball's ivory tower realized they will need every minor league city still in baseball to help provide their clubs with needed talent in the future. Although the major leagues have expanded to 20 teams there arc less than half the minor league clubs remaining than provided 16 clubs with players a few short years ago. It's not hard to see major league baseball talent isn't there. The New York Mets and Washington Senators are a couple of big clubs needing better players, but there isn't enough major league talent to go around.

How long will the "New Breed" Met fans pay to watrh losing efforts? Sure, colleges and universities arc providing more players than ever before and baseball's great minds have helped some of (hem financially, but if the big leagues want to keep their product where it was in the days of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb Lou Gcrliig Joe DiMaggio, Carl Hubbel and others named to the Hal of Fame more of the lucrative money going into the pockotbooks of big league owners will have to be shared in baseball at lower levels. When the big leagues started to televise their games into minor league territories, like Pocatello, the gates fell off Why should a fan pay to watch local pros play when he can sit in his living room and watch the big leagues free? It takes a real fan, and they are becoming far and few between to watch a rookie boot a ball in person instead of i i home and seeing Harman Killebrew belt a homer on TV Instead of selling baseball where it should he sold on the minor league level (he big leagues are helping put razors, Wades and under arm deodorants in bathrooms A worthwhile project but il isn't training future stars. Baseball needs help. Like a cancer, the plight of the minor leagues could spread to the majors in few years, especially if the big leagues a sell top-notch baseball entertainment played by pros who can match the best ever named to the Hall of Fame What more, the big leagues will.have to continue to produce stars like Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle to lure fans into the parks. If many more minor leagues fold, where will the majors get the needed talent? Not in colleges.

Baseball' for the most part is a minor sport in college. Football and basketball get the big gates and money. Baseball on the college level doesn't sell. It will have to be subsidized. One solid year for a rookie on a team like Pocalello in llic Pioneer League is worth (lie eight years of high school and college experience.

A youngster hitting .500 in college or high school couldn't ml his weight against major league pitching. I want to say the Los Angeles Dodgers have been more than cooperative with Pocatello as were the Chicago Cubs last year Pocalello is lucky it still has baseball Attend a game today and find BYU Star Wins 400-Meter Race Little Leaguers Resume Action In Friday Tilts A break in Pocatello weather allowed the Western Boys' Baseball Association and the Ross Park Pony League to get underway Friday night. In the Optimist League of the Association, CLC defeated Crest Theater 2-0. The winning picther was Kent Bybee. The Red Steer squad shut out the Lions team 2-0 with Lenny Bell pitching a one-hitter.

He struck out 13 baiters. Kiwanis, of the South Hawthorne League, swamped Chad's 16-8 with Dennis Adams the winning pitcher. He had 11 strikeouts to his credit. Paul Noorda of the Kiwanis team hit a double. On the Chad team, Brent Hill was four for four with a double and Steve Timpson also grabbed two bases with a hit.

In the Irving II League, First Security walked away from Ralston Purina with a 22-7 win. Mike Sparks was the winning hurlerwith 11 strikeouts and two triples to his credit. Also, Lynn Stoddard hit two doubles with teammates Terry Divin and Mike Steven each getting a double. Frazier's slipped past Bannock Motors 11-7. Twelve strikeouts were credited to winning pitcher Bruce Cranor.

On the victors team Terry Vance hit two doubles. Mike McPeek made the only bid for extra bases for Bannock Motors with a double. VFW, in the Lewis and Clark League, bested Bannock Brand 13-10 with Roger Henderson directing the action from the mound. VFW's David Nissen was three for three including a double. Teammates Steve Christianson hit a triple and Tommy Holcomb got a triple and six RBI's.

On the Bannock Brand squad, Mike Prescott, Terry Slites and Charles Keister had doubles, with Prescott pulling in three runs. Ross Park Pony League action saw Simplot's capture a 9-4 win over Forde Johnson. Winning pitcher was Prestly Vann who was four for four and he belted two doubles and two singles. Siinplot player Gene Baird had three doubles with Bobby Grayson with one. EUGENE, Ore.

(AP) Bob Tobler of Brigham Young University won his semifinal heat in the 400-meter race at the NCAA Track Championships Friday in seconds, just iibont equal--or better--than the best collegiate lime this season. Two-tenths of a second behind Tohler was Arizona Stale's Ulls Williams who was unable to compete against Tobler in the Western Athletic Conference Championships this year because of a pulled muscle. Those two may go down to the wire fn the finals. The winner of other semifinal heat was Kfinl Bernard of Michigan but his time was slower than either Tobler or Until Tobler's time of 45.9, the best time for the 440 this year was 46 seconds flat. The 400- meter race is about two yards shorter a the 440-yard dash.

Warned Not to Write LONDON British Davis was warned' Thursday' that he would be barred from Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Champion ships if he writes for a Sunday newspaper during the tournament. Sangster's first article is due to appear Sunday. SPORT SLANTS by Pap 1 DAHO SUNDAY JOURNAL Sunday. June 21, 1964-11 Hdnnum.lnkf Contract Oarsmen Set Sight! For Olympic Trials SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP Even before the final of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship, California's nigh-stroking oarsmen have established themselves as a potent threat for the Olympic Trials in New York July 8-11.

The Golden Bears, unbeaten in the West, impressed everyone at Onondaga Lake Friday with style and power in sweeping to a three-lengths victory over Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a qualifying heat for the six-crew varsity final today, Coach Jim Lemmon's galley- men rowed at 38 to 39 strokes per minute, using the wide- bladed shovel oars, in turning in the fastest time of the three varsity heats over the Olympic distance of 2,000 meters--about miles. Washington's Huskies were clocked in 6:07.4 in beating sur- prising Princeton by one-quarter length. Navy's darkhorse eight overcame Cornejl's defending champions near the lin- ish line and scored by about a foot in 6:12.0. The first two in each of the varsity heats qualified for to- days climax final. It was scheduled lo start at 3 EST, SAN FRANCISCO (AP)-Alex Hanmim, whose coaching helped raise the San Francisco Warriors from last place to the Westen Division championship of the National Basketball Association last season, signed a two- year contract with the Warriors Friday.

HOMffSnjOY COURSf OK njE ion IRA.MW COlO- MOIEL BUSINESS All MANAtERS NEEDED (Bit MOttWVIANAGIR SCHOOL OPEN FOR BUSINESS AT OUR TEMPORARY LOCATION HAVIN'S TIRE SERVICE 620 Pershing (Temporary Location) Slow Hitting Javier Clouts Home Run By MURRAY CHASS Associated Press Sports Writer Jalian Javier, St. Louis' weak- hitting second baseman, is the Philadelphia Phillies' newest batting hero. While the National League- leading Phillies were sweeping a doubleheader in New York Friday night, Javier was in St. Louis balling down second-place San Francisco 3-1 for the second straight night; The results gave the Phillies the biggest lead of the games. Javier clouted a two-run homer in the seventh inning, breaking a 1-1 tie.

The night before he drove in five runs with a homer and a double in the Cardinals' 7-6 victory over the Giants. Before the 27-year-old Javier started his one-man attack against the Giants, they were tied with the Phillies for first. And before that, Javier had knocked in only 23 runs and hit six homers in 58 games. Now he has 30 RBI with eight home runs and a .239 average. Looked upon as the fourth man in the Cardinals' All-Star infield, Javier has been at least 50 per cent responsible for getting St.

Louis out of its sagging slump, which consisted of a five-game losing streak and 17 losses in 23 games. The Cardinals now are working on another streak. This one consists of four victories. The Phillies have a three- game winning streak with their 2-1 and 7-2 triumphs over the Mets. Elsewhere in the NL, Cincinnati trampled Los Angeles 11-1 and Houston outlasted Milwaukee 9-7.

Rain washed out Chicago at Pittsburgh. See the Chiefs At Halliwell Park HUNZIKER TAKES OVER LEAD Class Drivers Grab Spotlight at Auto Races By TOM MORRISON Journal Sports Editor All the top point super-modified drivers in the Pocatello Stock Car Racing Association competing in Friday night's races at the Airport Speedway shared the same luck. all bad. as the Class throttle jockeys grabbed the spotlight with a crash-thrilled main event. A four car crackup on turn No.

3 and a two-car smashup on turn No. 2 in the first lap nf the 20-lap Class main event brought 1,200 chilled fans to their feet and an ambulance and three wreckers on the quarter-mile oval. Theron Driever In car 777 rolled on top of 333 driven by Lynn Jackman on turn No. 2. John Carlson in 114 was turned over on turn No.

3 in a four-car accident that involved Denny Jones in 1113, Vic Thomas in 325 and Bruce Bowman in 390. After a re-start Jackman came on to win the event and took over the high-point honors for the Class drivers in the circuit. Jackman also posted the top time in the trials with a 1D.05. Loren Brower, who timed in second at 19,12 placed second in the Class main event and Roy Lacey won third. Fred Hunziker roared to a nifty 15:44 for- the fastest time among the super-modified racers and also won the Class A main event to move into first place in the PSCRA point standings with 120 points.

Hunziker was forced to leave the main event because of a damaged rear-end. Wayne Von Alman of Idaho Falls grabbed the main event after John Lpwis of Pocatello was forced to slow down on the track because of engine trouble after rolling to a comfortable lead. Lewis won the Class main event and moved from fifth in the standings to second place for top car honors with 128 points. Preston Morris of Pocatello, who was deadlocked for the lead with Dusty Nelson of Arco at 109 going into Friday's action, timed in third in the trials at 16:42 behind' Gary Hill of Blackfoot at 15H6 before a bad piston forced him off the track for the night and he dropped to third place in the standings at 121. Hill the defending champion, won the Class A trophy dash but bad luck hit his golden rocket and the Blackfoot driver dropped to fifth In the standings at 100 points.

Dusty Nelson of Arco, who was tied with Morris for the lead at 109, raced in the Canadian- American Modified Racing Association meet in Salt Lake City and did not compete. TOP DRIVERS Class A Fred Hunziker, 129 John Lewis, 128 Preston Morris, Pocatello. 121 Dusty Nelson, Arco 109 Gary Hill, Blackfoot. ......100 Class Wayne Von Alman, I.F..*1M Willie McKeen, I.F Gerald Young, I.F Class Lynn Jackman, 44 Lorcn Brower, 35 Cluff, Pocatello 14 101 92 Von Alman placed third in the Class A heat and second in the Class heat to grab high-point honors for the Class drivers in the circuit. He also won the Class trophy dash.

PCL Plays Despite Rain By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS With almost a dozen games rained out this week, all 12 Pacific Coast League teams got into action Friday night--and four of them had to work overtime. San Diego lost its chance at Spokane lo move up lo within oi.e game behind front-running Portland in the Western Division. Spokane exploded for three runs in the 14th to win 10-7 and Portland was shut out 2-0 by Hawaii. Portland leads the division by two games. Seattle edged Tacoma 6-5 in 11 innings.

In the Eastern Division, Oklahoma City climbed to within two games of the leading Arkansas Travelers by defeating host Dallas 6-4 while the Travelers lost 11-0 at Denver. Indianapolis whipped Salt Lake City 9 2 i a six-run explosion in the seventh inning. The lengthy Spokane game came lo a halt in the'bottom of the 14th when Ken McMullen socked a three-run homer off Dom Zanni, San Diego's fourth pitcher. Tncoma started out with three runs In the first inning with Dick Dietz clouting a two-run homer. The Giants scored twice more In the fourth.

Willie McKeen of Idaho Falls look over second place in the Class standings with a second place in the Class A heat and third in the Class heat plus driving into second spot in the super-modified main event. Bob Lock captured the Class first heat and Earl Cluff won the Class second heat. Cluff also rolled into first place in the Class C. trophy dash. The results: Super-modified Main Event--1.

Wayne Von Alman. Idaho Falls- 2. Willie McKccn. Idaho Falls; 3. Gerald Young.

Idalio Falls Class Main Event--I. Lynn Jackman. Pocatello; 2. Un-en Brower, Pocalcllo; 3. Roy Laecy, Poca- tellti.

Class A Heal--1. Fred Hunzlkor, Pocatello; 2. Willie McKcen, Idaho Falls; 3. Wayne Von Alman. Idaho Class Heat--1.

Jolm Lewis. Pocatello; 1. Wnyne Von Alman. Idaho Falls. 3.

Willie McKeen. Idaho Falls. Class First Heat-- 1. Bob Pocatetlo: 2. Denny Jones, Pocntello: 3.

Bruce Bowman, Pocati-llo. Class Second Heat--1. Earl Cluff; Pocatello; 2. Lynn Jackman, Pocatello; 3. Ixjren Pocatello.

Class A Trophy Dash--Gary Hill. Blackfool. Class Trophy Dash a Von A a Idalio Falls. Class Trophy Dash--Earl Cluff. Pocatcllo.

Fastest Times; 15:44, Fred Hunziker, Pocatcllo; 15.46, Gary Hilt. Blackfool: I6.42. Preston Morris, Pocatello; 16:71. Ted Corringlon. Pocatello; 16:81, Bill Mccham, Idaho Falls; 17:12.

Willie McKeen. Idaho VOTE FOR R. H. MiLBERG Republican Candidate CORONER Efficient, Immediate response. Full 24-hour service.

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