Messenger-Inquirer from Owensboro, Kentucky • 15

SECTION SPORTS AND COMICS INQUIRER OWENSBORO, KENTUCKY SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 1955 CambinM Joif I ltt W.Ik OWINSIOKO wQUllft I IK Baseball ImICI "Oaf Season To ii i iv IN THIS CORNER RUSS MELVIN Sports Editor of Tha Messenger and Inquirer Livermore Wins 4lh, Edges Calhoun 12-11 In Wild Walkalhon LIVERMORE, Ky. Bases on Baseball ttarts tomorrow in tha major leagues although the official opening day is Tuesday so it is time I attempt to pick the pennant races. Last year I hit 50 per cent in my selections, picking the New York Giants and -the New York Yankees. Both teams did all right in winning games but the Yankees were in the same league with the Cleveland Indians who picked on the weak teams unmercifully and copped the pennant. Here's the way I see 'em finishing this year.

NATIONAL 1. Milwaukee 2. New York 3. Brooklyn 4. St.

Louis 5. Cincinnati 6. Philadelphia 7. Chicago 8. Pittsurgh AMERICAN 1.

New York 2. Cleveland 3. Chicago 4. Washington 5. Boston 6.

Detroit 7. Baltimore 8. Kansas City Savu, president of Local 4059, CIO; Paul F. Stolpman, president of the league; Len Norcia, athletic director, Green River Steel, and Jim Bruton, Green River Steel representative. SEVENTH LEAGUE MEMBER Green River Steel-United Steel-workers CIO 4959, yesterday became the seventh member of the Green River Steel, CIO Local Seventh Team In Softball Loop Tech Opens Baseball Slate With 9-4 Win Over Lewisport TECH AB Bradfield, 3b 3 11 Benny Bell, ss 2 2 1 McGlothlin, cf-p 5 12 Wiggins, 3 0 1 Hudson, 2b 4 0 0 Hite, lb 110 Bratcher, p-rf 3 11 I Nix, rf 10 0 Billy Bell, If 3 10 Hamilton, cf-p 2 10 Lee, rf 110 Totals 28 9 i LEWISPORT AB Frasure, If 0 10 Butler, 2b 4 10 Lambert, 3b 4 0 0 Ayers, 4 11 Taylor, ss 4 11 Clark, rf 10 0 Oliver, cf 4 0 1 Richard, lb 4 0 0 Owens, 2 0 0 Totals 27 4 3 Tech 000 113 49 Lewisport 200 020 04 balls were the rule and not the exception here Friday afternoon as Livermore High won a wild 12 to 11 decision from Calhoun.

It was Livermore's fourth straight win without a loss. Monday the Yellow Jackets travel to Henderson to meet Barret. Calhoun got just five hits but was aided by the walks. Jake Ashton hit a three-run homer in the third innine for the Bulldogs. He also had a single.

Wilhite picked up a double and single for tne losers. Fnr Livermore. Meredith Hen- ninger had two singles, Benny Quigg collected a double and a sin- gle and Ford Bell rapped a iwo- bagger. Rav Humohrev. second of four Livermore hurlers, gained his third win of the season.

The line score: Calhoun 103 002 5-11 5 4 Livermore 131 421 12 7 2 Gallowav, Ashton (5) and Sande-fur; Hutchins, Humphrey (3), Quigg (7), Girvin (7) and Quigg, Eaton (7). Midwest Amateur Golf Meet Opens At French lick Friday FRENCH LICK, April MV-The 20th annual Midwest Ama- teur Golf Tournament, which opens here Friday, already has brought nearly 200. entries from eight states. The three-dav. 54-hole taedal play tournament will be held on the French Lick Springs Hotel Country Club course.

Entries have come from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan and Tennessee. Ray Seneff, tournament manager, said entries will be accepted until the opening day. Dale Morey of Martinsville, the 1954 winner, will not be here as he is a member of the Walker Cup team this year. Neither has last year's runner-up, Joe Campbell of Anderson, sent his entry. But Seneff expects many of the leading midwest amateurs to be on hand to try for the $1,000 in merchandise prizes offered the winners of the three flights and the French Lick Springs Hotel trophy that goes to the tournament winner.

Yyndall's Baseball Team To Hold Drill At Chautauqua Park Wyndall's Super Market, a member of the Ohio Valley Baseball League, will hold its initial workout of the season this afternoon starting at 1:30. at Chautauqua Park. Manager Jim Rice said that all positions on the team were open and he welcomed all candidates. Today's workout will be a short one because of Easter Sunday, Rice said. 1955 Owensboro Softball League.

Left to right are Robert Washburn, international representative, United Steelworkers, CIO; August expects to operate an eight team league, but will definitely consider the applications of other teams if received before May 2, 1955. Inter-league practice games, schedules and other league business will be discussed at a league meeting to be held Wednesday at 7:00 p. m. at Texas Gas. Walberg And Gibson Remafched for Bout at Sportscenter Monday Whitey Walberg, a sensation in his first appearance at the Sportscenter last week, is slated to return against the rugged Stu Gibson again Monday night.

Walberg cleaned the ring last week, defeating not only the "Louisville Terror," Gibson, but throwing the referee out of the ring, too. However the match ended in a disqualification for Walberg, with Gibson the groggy winner. Walberg lias requested and received from promoter Scotty Williamsanother opportunity to meet Gibson to prove that, in Walberg's words, "Gibson is all growl but little bite." Backing up what should be the season's roughest mat tilt will be a four-man tag match. Leon Graham and Dick Byrer two other newcomers who had the fans buzzing last week will team up against Ivan Rasputin and Jules LaRance. Graham, a product of Chillicothe, Ohio, and Byrer, from Buffalo, N.

were proof positive of the "new look" that Scotty has promised to the wrestling fans. Both men have wrestled extensively throughout the East and North where the competition is extremely keen, and both have made exceptionally fine names for themselves. Williams stated that due to the reepption of the local fans to these men last week, he was anxious to get them back into action here. Leon Graham will take on Rasputin in the opening one-fall bout set to start at 8:15. LEWISPORT, Ky.

Owensboro Tech rallied in the final four innings Friday afternoon to hand Lewisport High a 9 to 4 defeat in the Wildcats opening game of the season. A trio of Tech pitchers, Bobby Bratcher, Lawrence Hamilton and Len McGlothlin, held the Lewisport nine to three hits. McGlothlin relieved Hamilton in the sixth and didn't allow a single the final two frames, striking out the side in the seventh on nine pitches. Besides his fine pitching effort, McGlothlin also was the hitting star with two of the six Tech blows and drove in four runs. Benny Bell had one single and drove in a pair of tallies.

Tech's next game is April 19 at Hartford. On the 21st the Wildcats will meet Henderson County there and on the 22nd will play sost to Livermore. April 26 and 29 the Wildcats will play Catholic and they have a return contest with Lewis-port on May 3. Tech also will play Livermore another contest but the date hasn't been set. Two Techerrors sent Lewisport into a 2-0 le'ad in the first inning.

With two oui in the fourth, Donnie Hite walked, stole second and scored on Bratcher's single. The Wildcats tied it in the fifth. Benny Bell walked but was forced by McGlothlin who promptly stole second. Jerry Wiggins then singled home Lenny to tie the count. Lewisport went ahead 4-2 in the bottom half of the frame.

Avers was safe on an error and Taylor followed with a drive into right field that rolled under the fence for a home run. Tech wrapped up the game in the sixth. Hite walked, Bratcher was safe on an error and Billy Bell was hit by a pitched ball to fill the bases. After a strike out. Rod Brad-field sacrificed with Hite sconng.

McGlothlin then doubled to drive in Bratcher and Bell. The Wildcats pushed across four more runs in the seventh. With one out, Hamilton was safe on an error, Keith Lee walked and Brad-field was hit by a pitched ball to load the sacks. Benny Bell singled home two tallies and McGlothlin got another blow to drive in Brad-field and Bell. Opening Programs To Be Spread Over Three-Day Period By JACK HAND NEW YORK Ufi The New York Giants and the Cleveland" Indians are favored to meet for the second straight year in the World Series as the 16 major league teams Saturday awaited the first pitch of the 1955 baseball season.

With Kansas City replacing Philadelphia as the new home of the Athletics and seven new managers hoping to make good on their jobs, the season promises to be different at least. A quick check of the probable opening day lineups as compared to a year ago shows a turnover of about 30 per cent. Baltimore, for instance, will field only three of the men who started them on their way to a seventh-place finish in 1954. The openings will be strung over a three-day period Monday, Tuesday and Thursday before all 16 clubs will have played their first home games. The attendance total is expected to top last year's count of 448,935 and may approach the record of 492,772 set in 1946 if the weather is good.

Kansas City, enthusiastic about its new major league status, should account for a healthy increase with a sellout 31,000 a doubledecked Municipal Stadium as compared to the 16,331 who saw the sorry A's open at Philadelphia in 1954. Washington and Cincinnati get the jump on the others by opening Monday, a day early. President Eisenhower is due to throw out the first ball at the residential opener at Griffith Stadiumn where the upstart Senators will play Baltimore's "new faces of 1955." Chicago will be in Cincinnati for the Reds' traditional opener before the usual sellout crowd of over 33,000 fans. Here's the Tuesday program: NATIONAL LEAGUE New York at Philadelphia Pittsburgh at Brooklyn Cincinnati at Milwaukee St. Louis at Chicago AMERICAN LEAGUE Detroit at Kansas City Chicago at Cleveland Washington at New York Boston at Baltimore On Thursday, they will shift partners and cities for home openers at Detroit, Chicago and Boston in the American and St.

Louis, New York and Pittsburgh in the National. Only Al Lopez of Cleveland and Casey Stengel of the New York remain among the American League managers of '54 with the same club. Bucky Harris shifted from Washington to Detroit, Lou Boudreau moved from Boston to Kansas City and Paul Richards left Chicago to become manager-general manager at Baltimore. Coach Marty Marion took over the White Sox. Chuck Dressen came back from the minors to handle Washington and Pinky Higgins advanced from Louisville to boss the youthful Boston Red Sox.

Mayo Smith, a successful manager in the Yankee farm system at Birmingham, became the only new boss in the National when he suc ceeded Terry Moore at Philadelphia. Most observers expect a two-club fight in the American between the Indians, who won 111 games and finished eight games in front last season, and the runnerup New York Yankees. It will be an upset to almost everybody, except manager Marion and general manager Frank Lane, if the Chicago White Sox sneak home. The Sox are solid with Minnie Minoso, Chico Carrasquel and Nellie Fox, but must get a terrific year from Walt Dropo and every day from George Kell to stay in the race. Pitchers Jack Harshman, Virgil Trucks, Billy Pierce and Sandy Consuegra must carry a big load.

In the National, the experts expect a three-club race among New York, Brooklyn and Milwaukee with St. Louis the "dark horse." Cincinnati's power and Philadelphia's pitching earn respect and improved Pittsburgh and Chicago are supposed to fight it out for the cellar. The Giants are practically a stand pat club, counting on Johnny Antonelli, Sal Maglie, Ruben Gomez, Don Lidle and Jim Hearn as front line pitchers with relief help from Marv Grissom and Hoyt Wil-hclm. Willie Mays, of course, is the big gun of the attack. Brooklyn's hopes rest on comebacks by catcher Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe and better pitching.

Karl Spooner, the September phenom, came up with a sore arm that has complicated manager Walter Alston's plans. Milwaukee is a solid ball club. With Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock Hank Aaron and Bobby Thomson to hit the home run and Warren Spahn, Lew Burdette and Gene Conley to top the pitchers, the club should be in the race all the way. Thomson's ankle appears to have completely recovered, but now he has shoulder trouble. St.

Louis may have the top rookies in third baseman Ken Bnyer and outfielder Bill Virdon. With such men as Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst to built around, manager Eddie Stanky nerds only the pitching to be a threat. Probable Pitchers For Opening Games NEW YORK UH Probable pitch ers for opening games of major league season (won and lost rec ords for 1954 in parentheses): MONDAY American League Baltimore at Washington Kretlow (6-11) vs Porlerfield (13-15). Only Game Scheduled National League Chicago at Cincinnati Rush (13-15) vs Fowler (12-10). Only Game Scheduled TUESDAY American League Chicago at Cleveland Trucks U9- 12) vs Lemon (23-7).

Washington at New York McDer-mott (7-15) vs Ford (16-8). Detroit at Kansas City Carver (14-11) vs Kellner (6-17). Boston at Baltimore Sullivan (15-12) vs Coleman (13-17). National League New York at Philadelphia Antonelli (21-7) vs Roberts (23-15). Pittsburgh at Brooklyn Surkont (9-18) vs Erskine (18-15).

Cincinnati at Milwaukee Staley (7-13) vs Spahn (21-12). St. Louis at Chicago Lawrence U15-6) vs Minner (11-11). Last year tht Yankees traded off Vie Raschi and tha games that he normally would have won were the different in the pennant. Allie Reynolds, one of their great money hurlers, has retired and the games he could be counted on to win will have to be carried by someone else.

But the New Yorkers won 103 games last summer and that normally would be enough to cop the flag. The Yankees have picked up some help in Bob Turley and possibly Don Larson and Johnny Kucks might be the rookie surprise. They have the best outfield in baseball and if Bill Skowron comes through, the infield won't be bad. Jerry Ccleman, Phil Rizuto or Billy Hunter will take care of the shortstop position all right. Cleveland's big three of Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia and Early Wynn doesn't figure to have such a tremendous season again.

Some of the lowly clubs might refuse to play dead this year. Garcia and Wynn have been having their troubles this spring. Herb Score looks great and could take up the slack but the infield looks weak, much weaker than the Yankees. Al Rosen has an injured finger and Vic Wertz certainly isn't a fancy Dan around the Chicago's smartest move apparently was the trading of Ferris Fain but the ChiSox will be missing Paul Richards. Charley Dressen has a pretty fair team at Washington but isn't in the same class with the YanEees or Indians.

Washington could beat out Chicago for third. If Ted Williams doesn't play for Boston, the Red Sox will have a hard time hanging on to fifth place. Detroit has a young club, one that could come fast. I'll pick Baltimore for seventh just because of Richards. Kansas City looks hopeless although the A's do have several fine youngsters.

In the National, I'll string along with another hunch. I saw the Braves play in Evansville last week and must admit that they didn't impress me too much But Bobby Thomson and Del Crandall weren't in the lineup and that will make a difference. Sammy White isn't much of a catcher but Milwaukee sent Ebba St. Claire to Toledo and if anything happens to Crandall, I feel certain they will pull him up. At Toledo he will be working every day staying in shape and there is no sense in having a fellow like St.

Claire sitting on the bench. I look for Bobby Buhl to makt a comeback and if he does, that will help out tremendously. The Braves finished just eight games out last year and Chet Nichols and Buhl could make up that difference. I look for the Giants to taper off slightly. I doubt if my old friend Dusty Rhodes will be quite as sensational this year although I hope so.

But I think some of the pitchers will slack off a little and that could prove fatal. I would like to pick Brooklyn for the second division but they have too much talent. St. Louis has the material for a battle for the pennant while Cincinnati lacks pitching. If any of the Redleg hurlers come through with great years, they could move up.

Philadelphia will be hurting if Curt Simmons doesn't come up with a good year. Chicago and Pittsburgh just don't have it. Soma of the wrestling fans in this arta have asked ma why Scotty Williams, the local promoter, is bringing in so many new names. There is quite a long story to it but one of the reasons is that Scotty wants to get away fromthe same old wrestlers, week after week. Instead of getting them from the South, as has been the case in the past, Scotty is now going into the Midwest and East.

Unless you subscribe to one of the numerous wrestling magazines, the names of the fellows might not be known to you in this area. But the chances are the wrestlers are better than what has appeared here for quite some time. Wrestling arenas in the Midwest and East are much larger than thost in-the South and attract more people, therefore the grapplers are paid more money. So isn't it natural that the better wrestlers will be competing where there is the most Whitey Walberg, who headlined the last wrestling card at the Sportscenter and is back again Monday night, is one of the finest young grapplers in the business today. Although a comparative unknown in this area, he is a headlincr in the East and should develop into a good drawing card here.

Attention Little Jack Hicks, Commissioner of Little League baseball in Owensboro, informs me that the signing up night for the two circuits probably will be held around April 21. The exact dates will be announced in the MESSENGER anl INQUIRER when they are decided upon. I have been getting quite a few calls from youngsters regarding the dates and I have been turning the callers over to Jack, hence the announcement. Babe Ruth League signing up time will probably be the following week. Coca Cola and the Police Department teams have already started practice but the WOMI and WVJS teams won't start until this week.

They held off drills until after Holy Week. These two teams plan on working out together at Foust Junior High Saturday afternoons. All boys 13 to 15 years of age who do not belong to any team in the Babe Ruth League are welcomed to practice with the two clubs. The four managers will return, John Jewell with the championship Coca Cola club, Owen Dieterle with Police Department, which will have a new sponsor this summer, Taylor Bristow with WVJS and the writer with. WOMI.

The Owensboro Softball League signed its seventh team, the Green River Steel Steelworkers C.I.O. 4959, League President Paul F. Stolpman announced yesterday. Jim Bruton, star shortstop of last year's Taylor's Tavern team, stated that a meeting of company and union players will be held in the near future to select a manager and team captain. Bruton also stated that new green and white uniforms will be furnished by the company and union which are co-sponsoring the team.

Among other outstanding players expected to play for the steeler's are Jack Seidel, Carl Spalding, Jim Ballard, and Jack Hufnagel. Green River Steel Steelworers C. I. O. joins Texas Gas Transmission Local 73 U.

A. W. of A. F. of L.

and Naval Reserve as "Closed Teams." As a "closed team" the Steeler's may use only players employed by the Green River Steel Corp. "Open teams" that must file a 16 man roster on or before May 15th, and who were previously signed by the league, are Hillman's Jewelers, Aetna Finance and Taylor's Tavern. The Owensboro Softball League Go Lightly Beats Mr. Al L. In Gotham Slakes Al Jamaica NEW YORK, April 9 tf)-Go Lightly, a son of the distance running Faultless from the Roslyn Farm of Gough W.

Thompson of Pikesville, came from off a sizzling early pace today to win the $30,400 Gotham Stakes at Jamaica. After battling for the lead most of the way with Simmy, co-holder of the world record at fur-I longs, and Mr. Al Go Lightly I pulled away in the final 70 yards 10 win ny a nau-iength. Mr. Al was second with a length and three-quarters over Bangborough as Simmy, running as the odds on choice of 39.911, dropped back to fourth.

Go Lightly, eligible only for the Preakness and Belmont Stakes of the rich 3-year-old specials, stepped the mile and one-sixteenth for his first stakes triumph in 1:46 3-5 under the guidance of Joe Cul-mone. The victory was worth and was only the colt's third in 16 starts. Backers of the Roslyn entry received $34.10, $12.00 and $7.20 in the mutuels. Mr. Al owned by Howard Weinstein and ridden Bangborough, carrying the silks of the Flying Stable, je- turned $7.30 to show.

Social Outcast Sets Track Record In Beating Fisherman BOWIE, April 9 -Social Outcast, the long shot in a select field of four, smashed the track record for a mile and a sixteenth today as he came from behind to win the $75,000 John B. Campbell Memorial, the richest handicap in the history of Maryland thoroughbred racing. It was a photo finish, Alfred G. Vanderbilt's chestnut gelding, spurred in the stretch by jockey Eric Guerin, edged out game little Fisherman by a nose and was a good two and a quarter lengths ahead of favored Hello-scope. Joe Jones, who won the Campbell inaucural last vesr head behind William G.

Hclis i entry. Social Outcast covered the distance in 1:42.3, a full second a tenth better than the track record established last November by country liumkin The Va nde rbilt 5-year-old, weighted at 125 pounds, paid $19.40 and $7.40. Fisherman paid $.160 to place. Because of the small field, there was no how betting. KITTY LEAGUE OFFICIAL SCHEDULE AT AT AT AT AT AT FULTON UNION CITY MAYFIELD PADUCAH OWENSBORO MADISONVILLH May 3.

5-6 May 20-2H22) May 26-27 May 14 (15) 16 May 9-10 June 2 June 16-17 June 1, 4, (19) June 9-10-11 June (5) 6 Fllllnn KITTV 4 4 June 26-27-28 21, 23 July 8-9 July 1-2 (3) nil 1 1 July 15-16 Aug 11-12, 17 July 6-7 Aug 4-5-6 July 29-30 (31) July 23-24-23 Aug 26 Aug (14) 16 Aug 24-25 Aug (28)-29 Aug 19 May 4. 7-(8) May 11-12-13 May (15) 18-19 May 28 (29) May 23-24-25 May 30-30 June 7-8 June 10, (12) 14 June 24-25 (26) June 18(191-20 Untnn fifu June 3 ICAfJIC July (171-18 July 20-21-22 June 29-30 July (10)11-12 UIIJUII VII July 5, 14 ICAUUC July 29-30 Aug 6 (7) 9 Aug 17-18 Aug 10-11-12 July 26-27-28 Aug 2 (21) 29 Aug 27 (28) Aug 26 Aug 20 May 28 (29) May 9-10 May 3, 5-6 May 17 May 14-(15)-16 June 15, 24-25 June 4(51-6 May 30-30 May 23-24-25 June 9-10-11 Mavfitlrl July (10M1-12 July 6-7, 13 111 July 1-2(3) June 18-( 191-20 June 29-30 liClfllUU Aug 10, 18, 27 July (31) July (241-25 July 20-21-22 Aug 4-5-6 Aug 1, 3 July 27-28 Aug 13 (14) Aug 23 Aug 20, 24 May 23 24 25, 3l May 14, 16, 17 May 4, 7-(8) May 9-10 May 28 29) June 18, 20, 22 June 9, 11, 13 June 2-3 June (51-8 June 24-25-(26) Darlnrah June 29, 30 July 8-9 July 4-4--JS HAD July (101-11-12 July (17)48-19 raQUCdll Aug 13, 15(21) Aug 4-5. 8 July 23. 2fi JlAK July 29-30-(31) Aug. 17-18, 27 Aug 22-23 Aug 19, 25 28) Aug 26 May 11-12-13 May 26-27, 31 May 18-19 May 20 21 (22) June 7-8 June 1, 21-22-23 June (121-13-14 June 15-16-17 Ma f.30 IW nthr-A 17)1819 Ju'y July 14-15-16 June 27-28 GAME iL 26-27 UWenjDCrO Aug Aug 1S-1 Aug (7) 8 9 Aug 10-11-12, 29 Uftl 11 3 i Aug 22-23 Au8 l3-2Q May 17-1819 May 20-21 (22) May 26-27 May 11-12-13 May 4-7-(8) June (121-13-14 June 1516-17 May 31, June 1 June 7-8 June 2-3-4 MarlifAnvilU July 20-21-22 June 27-28 June 21 22 23 July 14-15-16 July 4-4-5 II I 15 naulJQImllC Aug (7J-8-9 Aug 13-(14) July 89 Aug 1-2-3 July 23-25 28 JUfcl Aug 24-25 Aug.

15, 16, 22 Aug (21) Parentheses denote Sunday games. Doubleheaders. 120 Games Season opens May 3, closes August 29. All-Star Game, Wednesday, July 13, 8 p.m..