The Pittsburgh Press from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 30

Hihn)tf TT 1k Village Smithy 7 1 By CHESTER I SMITH Sports Editor Avalon Off Despite Easy 64-26 Victory Wasps Seek Sweep Of League Honors; Rough Battle Expected By FRED LANDUCCI The Hornet open their bid for a sweep of American Hockey League ihonors tonight. They already own the Western Division and league championship, their first in history. Now they seek the Calder Cup playoff title, which PAGE 30 TUESDAY, MARCH 18. 1952 4's Are Jusf fie Same CLEARWATER, March 18 A wandering reporter couldn't have picked a worse day to overtake and surround the Philadelphia Athletics. Their manager, Mr.

James Joseph Dykes, one of the game's more volatile conversationalists, was not present. This immediately put the burden on the party of the first part, namely, the reporter. With Mr. Dykes around, you simply sit and listen. "He's a sick man," said one of the coaches, apologetically.

"Got that Violent or whatevgr they call it. It must be pretty bad, because But then It was game-time and the bench had to be cleared of strangers, and the A's went out and blew themselves to one of the worst performances imaginable. Among other things, they committed four errors in one inning and would have had a fifth if it hadn't been that the third baseman, after fumbling the ball thrice, discovered that the base-runner who was charging down the line from second had stopped dead in his tracks. He was charmed, no doubt, by the absurdity of the scene he was witnessing. Anyway, the lug stood there and was tagged out, which made it a force play and removed the error.

Mr. Dyke's illness, it was suggested, was well-timed. They Were Hot at Season's End All this was characteristic of the Athletics, who were the most implausible club in baseball last year. They were the dream boys of the American League as they headed for home. They won 25 of their last 36 games, 19 of their last 26, ilium- i i i mi rnai -i mum uiiiuw ii TV fx fn 57-J I nf-r fell AV HL-f tei'-d -cX An i fcr -how if COulD STAJCrJ also has eluded them in 16 years since the AHL was formed.

The Hornets meet Hershey, Eastern Division winner, at The Gardens in the first of the best-of-seven Series A between division champions. The second game will be played here Thursday and the next two at Hershey, Saturday and the following Tuesday. If additional games are required, they will be alternated. Barons Meet Reds The victor In this series will advance to the playoff finals. Meanwhile, Cleveland and Providence open Series (second place) tonight at Cleveland, while Cincinnati and Buffalo begin Series (third place) at Cincinnati.

These will be best-of-f ive series and the winners then will meet in the best-of-five Series for the right to engage the first- place playoff winner in the finals. Hershey and Pittsburgh met 10 times during the regular season. The Wasps gained a slight edge, five wins to four, with one game being tied. They earned their edge only last Saturday when they whipped the Bears, 6-4, at Hershey, for the win that also clinched the league title. Rough Play Expected A rough and tumble series is expected.

The regular season games were hard-played with little to choose between the rival, teams. With a bigger slice of the players' pool riding on each series, the two teams can be expected to go all out in every game. Hornet officials, in a move they hope will help their team, opened a playoff camp at Johnstown. The Hornets went there yesterday and will not arrive here until 7 tonight. They will return to Johnstown immediately after the game and stay in seclusion until Thursday's contest.

Coach King Clancy reported all his players in fine condition. He has 17 available, but will be able to dress only 15. Block tickets for the series here are being sold at The Gardens and at the Hornets' downtown ticket office on Fourth Ave. Single tickets are available for tonight's game but not yet for the other games, No. PITTSBURGH HERSHEY Ho.

fielding percentage. His partner, Eddie Joost, was second. The A's made more two-base hits than any other club, led in fielding and for the third straight year clipped off more than 200 double plays. They had two pitchers Bob Schantz and Morrie Martin who whipped the Yankees seven times and dropped only three decisions to the world champions. No other pair on any pitching staff in the circuit did as well.

What did all this get them? A socking sixth place, 19 points behind the fifth-place Tigers. It was a terrible blow for lovers of good, clean statistics. It's as plain as the face on a contented cow that all Mr. Dykes can hope for is to start the next season where he left off the last one. But it's questionable whether he can do it.

A's Infield Averages 34 The A's are not a young team beginning to know its own strength but one with age on it. That belated drive may have been a last fling by the Old Guard. The infield Fain at first, Suder at second, Joost on short and Henry Majeski at third averages 34 years in age. It can't hold out much longer. Majeski is getting a shove from Bill TOBIN BLOCKS SHOT Don Tobin, 6-4 Avalon center, leaps high to block two-hand push shot by 6-0 Ron Muffy (7) of Gallitzin in the state Class tournament last night at McKeesport.

A height advantage helped Avalon to its 64-26 victory. Pirate Rookies Face Crucial Test Hitchcock for his job. Jack Littrell, up from Savannah, would like to play shortstop. Everett Kell has his eyes on Suder's position. None of the upstarts seems apt to make it.

Nobody will bother Fain, of course. The first-string catcher will be Joe Tipton, backed up by Ray Murray, late of the Indians, and Joe Astroth. Panthers Erratic Against Gallitzin Coach Harry Dennison hopes his Avalon High Panther floor-men learned a valuable lesson last night while advancing in the PIAA Class series through their 26th straight victory of the campaign. Avalon remained unbeaten after giving the smaller and woefully weak-shooting Gallitzin Gremlins, of District 6. a sound 64-26 going-over before 1305 fans at McKeesport Vocational High floor.

Avalon next will dash with District 5 Shade Twp. in a Western Region second-round tourney tilt at McKeesport Fri day evening. Shade held an opening-round bye. 18-Game Streak Ended Against Gallitzin, which cer tainly wasn't of championship caliber despite a previous 27 and 3 record (18 wins in a row), Avalon wound up with a 38-point conquest. But in the first two periods, the Panthers also failed to measure up to standard.

Their play was erratic, passing careless, and shooting inconsistent with the exception of Guards Bob Toward and Richard Frenz. The Panthers started slowly and it was fortunate for them that their rivals were not of equal stature. However, the second half brought an Improvement and Avalon's plays were executed with effective results. Height Pays Off It wasn't a contest almost from the beginning. Gallitzin showed nothing with which to compete against the taller Panthers.

Before Don Tobin, 6-4 Avalon center, was waived out on personal fouls In the last minute, he had scored 19 points from eight lopers and three of four free throws. He was the leading scorer. His mates, Ronnie Mayer and Toward, each finished with 15. Mayer netted five loopers, but sank only five of nine foul heaves. Toward, aggressive with layup shots, had six loopers and three of four free tosses.

Strong Finish Gallitzin's only worthy ball handler was Tommy Stanley, a 5-8 forward. He scored 11 points on five fielders and one of four foul tosses. In making 37 points in the second half, Avalon finished strongly with a good 35 per cent shooting average from 25 loopers on 72 flings. The Gremlins made only eight fielders from 55 shots for 15 per cent. Gallitzin made only 10 of 23 free chances and Avalon netted only 14 of 23.

By PAUL KURTZ Avalon G. T. Pts. Gallitsln G. F.

PU. Mayer.f.... 5 5 15 Madle.f 12 4 SulllTan.f. 0 3 3 Stanley.t 5 111 Tobtn.c.... 8 3 19 Mufly.c 113 3 15 Conway.f...

OlO Frenz, 3 17 Cnase.ir. 113 Irwln.f OOO Capatosto.t.. OOO Gatchell.f 10 2 Donitell.f 0 2 2 Koekenbach.e 10 2 Oil Wuenschel.f. OOO Ulmanlc.f. OOO Thomson.

g. 0 0 0 P.Nlgrwcz.f Oil Stpe.g 1 2 Total. ...25 14 64 8 10 28 Avalon 14 13 25 12 4 Gallitzin 6 6 9 36 Personal fouls: Avalon. 19: Mayer 3. Sullivan 2, Tobin 5.

Kockenback 3. Toward 1. Frenz 9, Slpe 2. Gallitzin. 19: Madle 5.

Stanley 3. Conway 3. Muffy 3, Chase S. Missed free throws: Avalon 9: Mayer 4. Tobin 1.

Kockenbach 1. Toward 1. Frenz 2. Gallitzin 13: Madte 2, Stanley 3. Golden 2, Conway 2.

Muffy 1. Chase 3. Officials: A. W. Senapole and Zlgmund Mlhallk.

Graziano to Meet 'Sugar' April 16 CHICAGO, March 18 (UP) A championship fight between Mid dleweight Titleholder Ray Robinson and former Champion Rocky Graziano was set for April 16 in the Chicago Stadium today after the Illinois Athletic Commission inquired into the status of Graziano's managers. The inquiry came after a television announcer charged that Eddie Coco, convicted of a sec ond degree murder charge recently, was one of Graziano's managers and that Rocky should be forbidden to fight. Graziano denied that Coco was his manager now and said that though Coco had received 11 per cent of his purses as a "sort of co-manager" from 1944 until last January, they had broken up Farr Wins Bout CARDIF-, Wales, March 18 Tommy Farr, 216, 38-year-old Welshman who once fought Joe Louis for the world heavyweight boxing championship, decisioned Giorgio Milan, Italian titleholder. 195, in a 10-round bout last night, Dauthuiile Wins PARIS, March 18 France's Laurent Dauthuiile won a ten-round middleweight decision over Norman Hayes of Boston last night. with Big League Clubs 1 jPLlMltrtil mm Henry, Garlepy.

2 Schertll. 3 Branixan. 4 Armstrong, Mario, 6 Caron, Barry, 8 Kullman. 9 Lablne. rw 10 Corcoran, rw 11 Toppazzlnl.

rw Brown, rw 14 Brlen. 1 19 A. Brown, lw 16 Bettlo. lw 17 Crawford, 18 Elmer Valo, a outfielder who could get work almost anywhere even though he does run through fences and butt heads with his fellow workers while performing his chores, has been shifted to centerfield. Zernal will be in left and Allie Clark, another ex-Clevelander, in right.

The A's don't think they have such bad pitching, and they haven't. Bob Hooper, who has won 27 and lost 20 in the last two seasons not at all bad considering the club he is with Martin, Schanz, Alex Kellner and Sam Zoldak start them off well. Ed Burtschy, Joe Coleman and Dick Fowler all have a chance. John Kucab and Carl Scheib are the better reliefers. Now explain this: Old ball clubs are supposed to fade at the finish.

But the ancient A's chose that grinding period to hit their peak. No wonder they have a manager who is running a Campus Chatter State Has Chance To Upset Kentucky (According to Doc Carlson) By CARL HUGHES Dr. H. Carlson, who probably knows more about Penn State basketball than anyone other than the iaons tjoacn, figures the Mt. Nittany quintet has a chance in the NCAA playoffs.

The reason that observation calls for raised eyebrows is that Penn State meets Ken Dr. Carlson tuckyrated the nation's No. 1 team in the opening round. think the States can make it interesting for Kentucky," the effervescent Carlson claims. "In fact, there's a definite upset possibility there." The Pitt coach watched his team play and lose to Penn State three times this season.

One of the Panther victims, on the other hand, meets Duquesne In NCAA play. While the Lions are clashing with Kentucky at Raleigh on Friday night, the Dukes will be meeting Princeton at Chicago. Pitt whipped the Ivy League champs here in December, 58-52. Duquesne should take them," Doc offered on that one. "Prince ton has only one big man, while the Dukes have two.

That should make the difference." Moore's Opinion Dudey Moore's answer to sec-ond-guessers who claim the Dukes were rated too highly: "Maybe we're not as good as we were rated but we're not as bad as we looked in the NIT." Elmer Gross, Penn State coach, was co-captain of the last Lion quintet to go to the NCAA Tournament. That entry lost to Dartmouth in the 1942 playoffs, then beat Illinois in a consolation contest. St. Francis Is the last of the district's small colleges with a chance for post-season honors. The Frankies meet St.

Joseph of Philadelphia in the National Catholic Tournament quarterfinals tomorrow night at Troy, N. Y. The other two Tri-State small college tourney entries Clarion and West Liberty both bowed in the first round of the NAIB hoop whirl. No TV for Dukes Station WDTV has decided not to take time from regular spon sors to allow television of Duquesne games in the NCAA. The Dukes' collapse in the NIT probably was a background reason.

Negotiations are underway, however, to broadcast the contests. Although Pitt beat Notre Dame twice in basketball this season, the Panthers didn't receive a place on the Irish all-oponent team. Duquesne and Pitt both have their baseball drills underway. Lou (Doc) Skender has his candidates work ing out in the gym on the Bluff while Ralph (Sarge) Mitterling Is making use of the field house at Pitt. AHL Playoffs SERIES A First Mm Best mt Barest Tonight Hershey at Pittsburgh.

S0 n. Thursday -Hershey at rcttsburgh. SO D. m. Saturday Pittsburgh at Hershey.

Next Tvesday Pittsburgh at Hershey. Other game, if needed March 2T. at Pittsburgh; 29, sit Hershey: April 1, at Pittsburgh. SERIES stwwi Place mt Ptva Tonight Prorldenc at Clerelend. ThuMday Providence at Cleveland.

SundayCleveland at Providence. Other games. If needed March 33, at Prondencc; 21. at ClertXand. SERIES Third Place.

Best mt Plr Tonight Buffalo at Cincinnati. Thursday Buffalo at Cincinnati. Saturday Cincinnati at Buffalo. Other games. If needed Sunday, at Buffalo; next Tuesday, at Cincinnati.

qJomwao 0 Mm a.aflaHa 4 ltwj1 Stati WkUtry Proof aWow-Vltra in-, Nw York St Ditrifctr MhrfUi IfHI SAN BERNARDINO, CaL, March 18 Thoughts after reading Ty Cobb's blast at modern day ball players in Life magazine: Cobb says most players don't learn the fundamentals and most of them don't practice, not even their weaknesses. He's right. The players com- ing up from the minors today when they should be doing 10 of their last 13, five of their last six. They had the league batting champion in Ferris Fain. Gus Zernial led the league in home runs, runs-batted in and assists by an outfielder.

He was second in total bases and third in slugging. Pete Suder, the Aliquippa Antelope, had the AL's top Flamingo Arena Bouts Altered Three of the five bouts on to night's Flamingo Arena boxing card were changed at today's noon weigh-in. Light-heavyweight Skeets Star-key of Braddock, who was to have met Billy Brown in the top eight-rounder, will, instead hook up with Johnny Robinson of Brooklyn, N. Y. IKQV will broadcast the feature fights, starting at 10 p.

m.1 Freddie Manns, undefeated North Side middleweight who expected to make DeWitt Dean of Detroit his 13th straight victim, will instead turn his guns on Lem Smith, another Detroiter who will substitute for Smith in the eight-round co-feature. And Billy Wagner, the crisp-punching Greenfield featherweight, takes on Juan Manuel of Detroit in a six-rounder that was to have brought in Ray St. Armour, also of Detroit. Lou Calloway of Bloomfield and Jackie Wright of the Hill are scheduled for another six-rounder. Good action is promired in the opening four, with Arnie McKee, hustling Lawrenceville featherweight, meeting ex-Golden Gloves Champion Sharkey Lewis of the Hill.

The weights: Starky, 168. T. Robinson 167 (S), Manns. 156 vs. Smith.

149 8. Wagner. 127 vs. Manuel. 131 6).

Calloway. 140 ts. Wrifht. 140 (6). McKee.

136 ts. Lewis. 130 C4t. Dorazio Seeks Release from Pen HARRISBURG, March 18 (UP) Gus Dorazio, one of eight boxers knocked out bv Joe Louis over an eight-month period, today asked the State Pardons Board to recommend his release from Rockview State Prison. The former fighter has served 19 months of a 23 to five-year prison term for second degree murder.

Dorazio beat Alfred Blo-meyer to death durin? a labor dispute in Philadelphia. The 34-year-old fighter made the appeal under his real name Gustave Vinculato. 1 Mayer, 2 Mathers, 3 Horton, 4 Ashley, 5 Backor, 6 Blair, rw 7 R. Hanntgan.lw 9 Maloney. 10 Mliray.

1 1 Hassard, 12 Solinser. Iw 14 Hanniean, I 1 5 McLellan. rw 16 Faroe, rw 17 Bolvln. 18 Sullivan, 19 Ezlnirkl. lw Powell, Bower Win AHL Honors By THE UNITED PRESS Center Ray Powell of the Providence Reds and Goalie Johnny Bower of the Cleveland Barons officially clinched S300 bonuses each today as the American Hockey League's leading scorer and top netminder, respectively, for 1951-52.

The 26-year-old Powell tallied 97 points on 35 goals and 62 assists to win the scoring title by a wide margin. His 62 assists also were high for the AHL. Bower yielded only 165 goals, an average of 2.43 for full 68-game schedule. In addition to the $300 cash prize, Foweu will receive tne Carl LiscoKibe trophy and Bower the Harry (Hap) Holmes Memorial Award. Gil Mayer of the Pittsburgh Hornets finished second to Bower in the goal-tenders race with an average yield of 2.57 goals for ts games.

Mayer was xops shutouts with five. Top-Seeded Siena Debuts in Tourney TROY, N. March 18 (UP) Top-seeded Siena and Defending Champion St. Francis of Brooklyn, which drew first-round byes, make their first appearance tonight in the quarter-final round of the National Catholic Invitation basketball tournament. Siena plays Scranton, and St Francis meets Lemoyne of Syra cuse, N.

Y. The quarter-final round concludes with a doubleheader tomorrow night with St. Francis of Loretto, vs. St. Joseph's of Philadelphia, and Marquette vs.

Iona of New Rochelle, N. Y. By Walt Ditzen In 6 Games Youngsters to Play Against Giants Today By LESTER J. BIEDERMAN Pittsburgh Press Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO, March 18 This is the week the Pirate rookies can turn into men. Starting this afternoon when the Bucs meet the Giants here at San Bernardino, they'll play six straight major league teams.

And if the youngsters continue to display their lavish talents, Pittsburgh fans will be in for a big surprise this season. Manager Bill Meyer said today he was going to continue to use the rookies all week long to find out for himself just how good they really are. And if they live up to their record in the first five contests, they may make the grade. Pollet Debuts Meyer will turn loose the first of his veteran pitchers against the Giants as Howie Pollet goes to the mound for his initial turn but the rookie, standouts Jim Waugh, Ron Kline, Ron Neccai and Ed Wolfe also will come in for fheir share of work. Dick Hall will remain on first base, Lee Walls on third and Bobby Del Greco in centerfield And the more Meyer sees of Del Greco the more he's convinced the Pirates have the future great centerfielder of the league in the Pittsburgh Italian ball hawk.

"Sometimes, I can't believe that kid is so good," Meyer says of the 18-year-old Del Greco. "He hasn't had any hard chances in the outfield and he has an uncanny knack of getting a terrific jump on a fly balL I wish some of these teams would run on him. I'd love to see the ex pressions on their faces when Del Greco catches them with his rifle arm. Del Greco Has Power "The kid has power, too. He showed me something in San Francisco Saturday night when he belted that home run.

That ball went on a low line over that wall in left-center and it must have traveled all of 400 feet. It would have cleared our wall at Forbes Field, too. "1 read the other day where Casey Stengel described Joe Di-Maggio as 'all talent and no You might say the same thing about Del Greco. What a future that boy has! And only 18!" Del Greco is leading the Pirates in batting at the end of their first five games, including two contests with the Browns and three with minor league foes. He's hitting .375 and has chalked up one homer (the only one for the Bucs thus far), two doubles and three singles in 16 times at bat.

Also, he has indi cated he has an exceptional eye at the plate. He drawn seven walks. something to keep their legs in shape and getting ready for the next year. Few ball players ever come to spring training camp in good condition. They seem to feel that's what spring training is for.

Yet the smart ones the ones who get the big money are in prime condition the day they report. Vince DiMaggio, who caught up with the Pirates in Oakland Sunday, says Cobb just happened to be an unusual man because he played 24 years in the American League and retired at the age of 42. "I'm only 29," DiMaggio said, "and I'd love to play ball again this year. But my legs say no. My heart and my head say yes, but the legs just won't take it.

"I noticed it last summer when I played with Spokane in the Western International League. The legs couldn't stand up under double-headers, although I can still catch a fly ball and throw. Cobb was just a superman." Catcher Jim Mangan, who batted .291 for Indianapolis last year, will miss the next two weeks of exhibitions. He Is remaining In San Francisco for a refresher course In the Navy and will rejoin the Bucs in Texas. Delaney Meets Graham AKRON, March 18 Promoter Bob Heath announced today that Ronnie Delaney, Akron middleweight, would meet Otis Graham, sixth ranking contender from Philadelphia, in the Akron Armory March 27.

FAN FARE THAN WE AZE. 70 0uT5MATTHEM MEM could stand much more in the way of basic baseball and many of them are the worst hunters you ever saw. Ball play-e very seldom practice their weak points. They'll continue to work their Ty Cobb strength. If they're good hit ters now, they stay in the batting cage as long as possible.

But if they have a fielding flaw, they'll never try to correct it by practice. Frankie Frisch often screamed when he saw players who couldn't throw, playing pepper and standing around the batting cage, and he yelled when those who couldn't bunt with a tennis racquet, never tried that art. I subscribe to Cobb's theory that Ted Williams would be even greater batsman than he is if he had tried to hit to left field when other teams put on the shift. But in Williams' case, it's a matter of pride. Williams knows he has so much power that this is a challenge and he fights it, rather than try to lick it.

I have often broached the subject of hitting to right field to Ralph Kiner when the National League teams go into their shift on him. But Ralph claims the fans come out to see him hit home runs and he prefers taking a chance on a home run than popping up to an infielder as he shoots for right field. Every man to his own choice, I guess. Cobb talks of the big batting averages of his day. But he must remember he and his kind had the advantage of the sacrifice fly rule that added or should have added about 20 points per man if he could hit a long balL Cobb complains because players today spend the off-season working indoors or loafing, By BEANS KEAKDON 21 Years in National League Q.

What has been the record number of injuries suffered by a single team in the majors? A. The Yankees of 1949 had a record injury list of 71. Joe Di-M a 1 Tommy Hen-r i 1 and Yogi Berra only played in 17 games together all that season. II many woridt Series have the a es Beans Keardon won? A. The Yanks have been in 18 Series, have won 14 times.

Q. How many throws per game does a pitcher average? A. 125. Q. What has been the longest losing streak in the majors? A.

20 games, held jointly by the Boston Americans of 1906, and the Philadelphia Athletics of 1916 and 1913. Q. What is the record number of years for an umpire staying in the big leagues? A. Bob Emslie served 88 years behind the plate in th'e National League, from 1891 to 1939. Tom Connolly spent 33 seasons in the big show, 1899-1900 in the National, and 1900-1931 in the American.

Mint Juleps Okayed FRANKFORT, Ky March 18 Mint Juleps at the Kentucky Derby apparently were here to Stay today, but only after a one-vote victory, 51-29, in the Kentucky House of Representatives, where one less vote would have beaten the bill, since passage required 51 votes. 151 I sWrfsi.sTi i ft-r ai.