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Plotting more Yank wins, pitcher Don Bums need pitcher Johnny Podres,
Larsen talks with canny Casey Stengel. returning from service this year.
Yankees is only approaching the peak
of his ability and, barring injuries,
should retain his triple crown. That
is, he once again will lead the Majors
in the three most important phases of
hitting batting average, home runs,
and runs batted in.
The first and last of these accom
plishments will be completely dwarfed
by the explosiveness of Mantle's
home-run bat. This should be the
year he'll hit more than GO homers
to break the record set by the im
mortal Bambino back in 1927. Mickey
came within eight of equaling the
mark last year despite a slump in the
closing stages of the race. This year,
now that he has experienced the
tremendous pressure which thwarted
such sluggers as Jimmy Foxx, Hank
Greenberg, Lou Gehrig, and Ralph
Kiner, Mickey isn't likely to be both
ered too much by it. He'll be more
relaxed. And there's no telling what
batting, feats a relaxed Mickey Mantle
might accomplish.
Records are made to be broken and
Ruth's will be, durable as it's been.
Casey Stengel, the wise old manager
of the Yankees, says Mantle is the
man who will break it. Bill Dickey,
great Yankee catcher of another era
and now a coach for the world cham
pions, agrees 100 percent.
''Mickey," he says, "can hit a ball
harder than anyone I've ever seen."
The Yankees, though destined to
continue their American League reign,
will find the competition stiffer this
year, with both Boston and Detroit
developing enough young talent to
join Cleveland and Chicago in close
pursuit. Unfortunately, the league
lacks balance. Baltimore, Kansas City,
and Washington have little to look
forward to except the chore of play
ing out the 154-game schedule.
Al Lopez, who made a career of
chasing Stengel home while managing
the Indians, got ahead of ol' Casey
once last Winter, but only by speak
ing before him at a banquet. As the
new manager of the White Sox, he'll
still be in pursuit of the Yankees, for
Chicago lacks the pitching depth and
hitting power to come out oh top.
The Indians, under their new skip
per, Kerby Farrell, have the pitching
to carry them a long way, but not
far enough. The Tribe has too many
weaknesses elsewhere. The real sur
prise may be furnished by the Tigers.
If their new manager, Jack Tighe,
can get his infield straightened out,
the young Detroiters can finish sec
ond and a close second, at that.
The National League race, which
went right down to the wire last year,
figures to produce another ding-dong
finish with the Dodgers, Braves, and
Redlegs once again running abreast.
I look for Brooklyn to repeat as
champion. True, the Dodgers are get
ting old, but they are not yet too old.
The retirement of controversial Jackie
Robinson may hurt somewhat because
of the competitive lift he gave the
club, but this should be more than
offset by the return of Johnny Podres,
hero of the 1955 World Series, to the
pitching staff.
Milwaukee's Braves, the perennial
bridesmaids, will make the run with
the same team of horses which has
failed in the past. The Cincinnati
Redlegs, if they can find some pitch
ing to go with their power, could win.
But where is that pitching? St. Louis
has an outside chance.
Perhaps the most interesting de
velopment of the year will involve
the Chicago Cubs, who are engaged in
a complete rebuilding job with new
front-office personnel, a new manager,
Bob Scheffing, and pretty much a new
ball club The Cubs are a cinch to be
a better team than the misfit bunch
which finished last in '56.
The American League will bounce
back in Midsummer to win the All
Star game and, as the season pro
gresses, new names will begin to
usurp the sports-page headlines. Here
are a few names to remember:
Bobby Richardson, a second base
man who may force the Yankees to
move Billy Martin to third base;
Buddy Daley, "a new Herb Score"
with the Indians; Heywood Sullivan,
Red Sox catcher; Jim Landis, White
Sox outfielder; Jim Bolger, Cub out
fielder; 'Fred Kipp, Dodger pitcher;
Curt Flood, Redleg infielder, and
Juan Pizarro, 19-year-old pitcher
with the Braves.
My choice for the outstanding
young player of the year: Myron
"Moe" Drabowsky, bonus right-hander
of the Cubs, who was a small riot
at the close of '56.
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