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The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 9

Publication:
The Courier Newsi
Location:
Blytheville, Arkansas
Issue Date:
Page:
9
Extracted Article Text (OCR)

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 1954 BLYTHEVILL1 (ARK.) COURIER NEWS PAGE MINI Hornsby Must Get Credit for Much Of Improvement in Tougher Redlegs By HARRY GRAYSON NEA Sports Editor NEW YORK (NEA) To hear anybody associated with the Reds talk of anything more hopeful than a second division finish is a bit of a surprise at first, but on second thought, the notion persists that Gabe Paul might be right. "If we had anotnei- good right- hand pitcher, we'd- raise all kinds of trouble," says General Manager Paul. The Reds have a corking leadoff man in Bobby Adams, authentic belters in Bell, Kluszewski and Greengrass. Behind them, Johnny Temple has been a clutch hitter. This outfit gets runs.

The Reds were one of the solid patsies of the National League until this spring. Paul gives Rogers Hornsby credit for knocking the lethargy out of the Rhinelanders. This seems a little out of line 'with the facts, for Paul fired the gruff Rajah and brought up Birdie Tebbetts as manager. "If Hornsby didn't much else, he accomplished what I wanted done most," explains Paul. knocked that nice, comfortable second division feeling out of the Reds.

Cincinnati was the greatest second division- city in the game. The pay was good. It's a nice place to live, travel conditions are excellent. So after a brief period of early season hustling, the club settled down to-the second division pace. Everything was wonderful.

No one seemed to care where we finished. "Old Rajah at least took care of that. He belted that take-it-easy way right out of the Reds. His desire to win seepea through to the team and the town. "I'm sorry to relate that this is TWO SIDES TO A see Ted Kluszewski's mighty muscles Cripple.

The big Cincinnati first baseman plays in a sleeveless shirt for more freedom of action in swatting the Ion? ball. (NEA) the only thing he did for us, but.I have to hand him credit for that. The guy woke us up and, like I say, Just gave us that one right-hand- er. This small but ultra important point, forms some sort of a milestone in Hornsby's long and up-and-down career. It's the first complimentary thing we've heard about the daddy of all right- hand a club let him go.

Paul, like Hornsby, an old I Branch Rickey man, appreciates I this, but he can't give too many I other accolades to the Rajah. I "I understood he was a great teacher, but I never saw, him teach anybody on this club," says the man who front office decisions in the Rhineland. "He did, however, convince me of what I suspected all batting is a very simple you can hit the ball. 'Don't grip the bat he told the batters. 'Always aim to hit the ball right back through the pitcher's box.

Prac-. much i winner Saddler Handed Losses Feather Champion Is Upset by 3-1 Algerian Underdog NEW YORK (ffl Featherweight Champion Sandy Saddler and Percy Bassett, the "interim" king, had better stick to the 126-pound class from now on. The champ expected a romp against Hoacine Khalfi, a 3 to i underdog, last night at St. Nicholas Arena and lost a split decision to the fleet Algerian lightweight. Bassett found himself in way over his head against Orlando Zulueta at Brooklyn's Eastern parkway and lost a unanimous verdict to the clever Cuban with the snapping left jab who is ranked second among lightweight contenders.

Rover's Mate Khalfi's stunning success was the -second major upset in four days for the French stable of Jean Bretonnel, who saw Jacques Royer, a 5 to 1 long shot, upend Tiger Jones Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Khalfi used superior speed and a solid right hand punch to offset Saddler's left hand punching and roughing tactics. Referee Teddy Martin had Khalfi a lopsided 8-2 but the other official more They still have themselves. could have told them. to, hit the ball "Hornsby didn't even know the simple ABC rules that a schoolboy would know.

He did crazy things, made bad pinch-hitting choices and had a guy like Temple on the bench the entire season. he didn't even use Temple as a runner, although Johnny is exceptionally fast. He had no plan. Pitchers would be shagging flies in the outfield when told they were to pitch. "It wasn't that Hornsby was too rough and tough, for he Wasn't.

The -players simply lost confidence in him. He unquestionably had it once, but has lost touch with the modern game, I'm afraid." But the Reds are out of the second division doldrums, and it's pleasant to 'see Rogers Hornsby thought it was close. Judge Joe Eppy voted for Khalfi 6-4 and Judge Joe Agnello for Saddler 6-4. The AP card found for Khalfi 5-41. Saddler weighed 132 and Khalfi 135 for the bout, which opened the New London sporting club as a Monday night TV (Dumont) rival for Eastern Parkway (ABC).

Zulueta, a 13 to 5 choice, won as he pleased over Bassett, avenging two previous defeats by the top-ranking feather contender. The Cuban weighed 130 pounds. 135 to Bassett's In 1914 there wert only three 20-game winners in the American League. Walter Johnson won 28, Harry Covaleski 22 and Ray Collino 20. I've made a lot of real "golf shots," as we say, in my career, but the one which gave me the most satisfaction came in the Masters Tournament of 1942.

Ben Hogan, my old Fort Worth caddie rival, already was in with 280 and I started out on the final hole needing a 4 to tie him. My tee shot went into the rough behind a yards from the green. The shot facing me was as hard a one as you'll find. I selected a 5 iron to try an degt out with. My and hook it sharply around the tree and over a at the same time put enough on it to get me to the green.

In a spot like this, the average golfer too often tries to lift the ball with the club instead of trusting the club's loft and hitting down and through. The mental hazard of being in a spot like I was too often takes over and people forget their games. I hit from a closed stance to make sure I hooked the ball and then swung normally, hitting right through the ball to get the distance I needed. The ball went onto the green- about 12 feet from ttie pin. It meant my winning the tournament.

Big Inning Is Used by Central Team Taking full advantage of a couple of Central errors, the Lange Gra-Y softball teams combined four singles and a Walk to push across six runs in the big fourth inning to defeat Central 10-7 in a regular league game at Little Park yesterday afternoon. Central led off with three runs in the top of the first inning and chalked up four more in the third to gain a commanding 7-1 lead, but Lange pushed across three in Read Courier News Classified Ads. the bottom of the third to get back in the ball game. In the fourth, the Central Rebels were unable to score as Jones' single went for naught. In Lange's half, Smothers popped to Jones, Killett singled, Lentz was safe on an error and McDowell singled to score Killett.

Huddleston's walk followed by Eaton's single and a wild throw on Dunkin's dribbler produced three more. Mathis rolled out, short to first but Cook singled to end the scoring, as Smothers rolled out. John McDowell did the hurling for Lange and got credit for the win, while Tommy Smith was the loser. last at least one nice bow what looks like the note. for Dependable Roads Arkansas Needs CONCRETE A dependable highway system in this state is essential to national defense and commerce.

Both military and commercial rely heavily upon motor transport. Pav the state't principal highways with concrete will provide dependable roads because concrete is the safest, most durable and economical of all pavements. Concrete is skid-resistant, wet or dry. At night you can set better on concrete because of its light color. Concrete is moderate in first cost yet it can be designed accurately for anv leeal axle load -and it will keep its load-carrying caotcity throughout its long life.

It costs less to maintain and lasts fit longer, Result: true service, Nil- IS THF I OW ANNUAL CO ST A Vf FOR A YOU CAN OWN AN -18" J-Door and local Make a daft with this budget-priced beauty! Oldtmobile'i oil-new lower, lovelierf More powerful, with brilliant new "Rocket" Ingine! See and drive today! Your price depends upon choice of model and body style, optional equipment and accessories. Prkei may vary slightly In adjoining communities because of shipping charges. All prices subject to change without notice. til TOUR OLDSMOtlLI DIALIR HORNER-WILSON MOTOR 317 East Main For Coddling They'rt the Ones Who Wanted to Set Stars Play Bait ByAL CARTWIUGHT NEA Special Correspondent Stories out of Washington said the investigations was of the Army's allegedly coddling athletes, not a probe of the involved talent. But who absorbed most of the ridicule from the public? The athletes.

We feel qualified to speak of the service athlete with something hazily resembling authority because you're listening to a steel-nerved veteran of World War who spent 16 months in the middle of probably the greatest concentration of name athletes south of the banquet circuit. And why were we at Bainbridge Naval Training Center, keeping score and writing releases? For the same reason the muscle men were following orders. Was this being coddled? We believe it was, being of the opinion that the services could do away with gaudy varsity sports programs and no one would ever miss them. Atheltics have a place in the picture, but not to the point where the brass connives to acquire players and battalions of recruits are sandbagged to help fill the stands. The star's fate was in the hands of the athletic officer.

If he came to Bainbridge as a boot who had a first rate athletic background, he remained. If he continued to play first rate, he remained longer. You could say the same thing about thousands of service men from the other crafts specialists, oarbers. Coaches talked trade like Stanky and Tebbetts. When some players got orders to ship out, they were on the phone, calling Andy Pilney in Norfolk or Joe Beggs at Camp Shelton to see if they could use a good man before it was too late.

Stan i a 1' 5 assignment to Bainbridge kicked up a typhoon among the dry-land Navy bases. The training center at Sampson, N. also needed a left-hand hitter, and you could hear the squawking from Lake Geneva clear doWn to Port Deposit. Bainbridge officials were accused of calling up the draft board. The organized traffic in Navy talent continued when Musial shipped out because Bill Dickey needed some power in his Pearl Harbor League.

With the exception of those still taking recruit training or attending Physical Instructors School, the ballplayer's Navy life off the diamond was pretty much of a picnic Musial Another Great Iron Man Various Injuries Don't Faze Him By HARRY GRAYSON NEA SporU NEW YORK (NEA) Stanley Musial if as as he is devastating. Stan the Man is perhaps baseball's foremost iron since Lou Gehrig. NIGHTSHIRT LEAGUE Minneapolis shirt looks more like a nightshirt on Tommy McKenna, 7, tut he, stands up ready to take his cut. Tommy is the son of the Millers', trainer. (NEA) Del Rice, catcher for the St.

Louis Cardinals, has appeared behind the plate in more than 100 games per season the last four years. Quebec will have a 10-day moose hunting season opening Oct. 1. Last year the season was six days longer. was 'most everyone's on the overmanned Bainbridge base.

PI graduates who were top athletes were moved into a division called Welfare and Recreation. Eddie Miksis had to spend two extra weeks in school before a place could be found for him on the complement, PI School was rough. Many had a surprisingly stiff time meeting requirements. Johnny Mize remained a PI man for almost twice the normal curriculum because he couldn't learn to swim. The "morale" angle of having Frank Merriwell scoring touchdowns for a particular service i stretched.

The slob In the stands would much rather be in town. Little things like an inflamed appendix and tonsils and a twisted knee don't stop the greatest of the Cardinals. MusiaTs appendix and tonsils kicked up right after the kickot'f Of 1947. Dr. Robert Hylaud froze the appendix and the plucky Donnora Dand played 149 a first base .312, the poorest of his illustrious National League career.

Stan a hospital for the double-header that bo-ought him back as good as appendectomy and a tonsillectomy. In 1950, Musial broke from the barrier as rapidly as he has this spring, but in late May badly wrenched his right knee slipping and falling when he stepped in loose dirt rounding first base at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field. He played the rest of the way with the knee in an elastic ribbed brace. That didn't stop, him from leading the league for the fourth time batting ,346. The knee han't been Just right ever since.

MARTY MARION had difficulty fielding a team when the Cardinals were hit by an influenza epidemic early in the campaign of 1951. Musial was one of the sickest, yet the record shows that he got in 152 games and batted .355 to show the way for the fifth time. Stan the Man was CD 111 in Cincinnati that he was suited up only to frighten the Reds. He was sitting one out for one of the mightly few times in his life. Late in the game, Manager Marlon asked him if he could possibly pinch hit.

White as a sheet and on shaky legs, he hit the ball into the right field stands to win the game. One Charley horse another, 80 Musial was on two flat wheels at Sportsman's Park, May 2 when he became the first player in history to hit five home runs in a double-header. That alto tet ft new record for total bases in twin ball, 21. MusiaJ didn't want to run, so he hit the ball out of the park. MUSIAL THRIVES ON bad phf- sical breaks.

Indeed, it a severe injury that put him on the track of his six batting champion-' ships. He was a pitcher playing outfield when he fell and hurt his throwing shoulder attempting a shoestring catch for the Day- Beach club of the Florida State League in 1940. Ask him. where he got hit Individualistic a thief in a crouch looking over hia shoulder for a he can't tell you. "I couldn't pitch in the spring of 1941," he recalls.

"I had a wife and baby, so I Just had to hit." As hard as he has played, Mutial in eight seasons did not mist a game. He was out' of eight in two campaigns three in another. The fewest he played 140 and that in his freshman year, when Billy Southworth made the mistake of alternating him somewhat in the early going with Coaker Triplett. Habitually a late starter, Mtttiat got out of the gate rapidly this season, and is taking dead aim a4 .400. Don't bet he won't make He has the kick of Native in the stretch.

Fights Lost By THE ASSOCIATED PREM New York Hoacine Khalfl, 135, outpointed Sandy Saddler, 132 New (Don- title), 10 Brooklyn Orlando Zuluata. 135. Cuba, outpointed Percy Baa- sett, 130, Philadelphia, 10. Edmonton, Alta. Earl Walk, 194, Toronto, outpointed Beshore, 2 LOB Angeles, 10.

Billy Burke had to play 144 (8 rounds) before winning the 1931 U.S. Open golf title. He beat George Von Elm in the second playoff, 148 to 149. They tied at 149 in the first playoff. 4 TAYLOR OISTILUED BOTTLtO BY TtTlOR BIJTILLEir COMMT FRAJdCfOIT.

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About The Courier News Archive

Pages Available:
164,313
Years Available:
1930-1977