Dodger Catcher Dreamed
Of Stardom as Youngster
(This it the first of three
dispatches tracing the ca
reer of Roy Campanella).
By MILTON RICHMAN
New York HP) Little
Roy Campanella, standing
there and selling newspapers
on a Philadelphia street cor
ner, instinctively knew that!
one of his big league heroes
had just belted a home run at
nearby Shibe park.
"How can you tell, Roy?"
asked one of his eight-year-
Virg Akins
Named
Top
Contender
New York "PI Virgil
Akins, St. Louis' slick boxer
puncher, was named top con
tender for the vacant world
welterweight crown today in
the Ring magazine's latest
ratings.
Because of his impressive
r 12th:round kayo over ex
champion Tony Demarco on
Jan. 21, Akins was boosted
notch to first rung, where he
replaced Cuban Isaac Logart
Logart, inactive since his
decision victory over Mexi
can Gaspar Ortega in the first
welterweight elimination bout
at Cleveland, Dec. 6, was
dropped to second place
Vince Third
Vince Martinez, of Pater
son, N.J., was raised from
fifth to third because of his
decision over Gil Turner in
the second elimination bout
at Philadelphia, Jan. 15.
Although the Akins-De
marco thriller at Boston was
not an elimination, Akins'
performance in flooring De
marco three times before stop
ping him was considered out
standing. Akins, Logart and Marti
nez are the three survivors
of the original six-man tourn
ament.
Tommy (Hurricane) Jack
son, top heavyweight contend-
er a year ago, was finally
dropped from the top lo be
cause of defeats and inacti
vity. His departure left room
for unbeaten Ineemar Jo
hansson of Sweden to return
to the ratings at number 10
Johansson is champion of
Europe.
BETHEA-JOHNSON VIE
Chicago IIP) Heavy
weights Wayne Bethea and
Young Jack Johnson meet to
night in a televised bout. Both
are sluggers with a knockout
punch and neither boasts ex
ceptional boxing ability. Each
has had 25 pro fights; Bethea
has won 16, lost seven and
drawn two; Johnson has won
15, lost nine and drawn 1.
Ex-Mental Paiieni
Murders Mother
Fort Smith, Ark. (IP)
State mental hospital doctors
examined Bobby Joe Burns,
28, today to try to learn why
he drugged his mother and
cut off her head.
Burns, who had been re
leased from the same hospital
last May, faces first-degree
murder charges.
Authorities said he signed
a rambling statement Tues
day confessing that he killed
his mother, Mrs. E. W. Burns,
56, Monday as part of an Az
tec rite that he staged, "in
spired by Khrushchev of Rus
sia." Children found Mrs. Burns'
head wrapped in sheets in a
cardboard box in the choir
loft of the Immaculate Con
ception. Roman Catholic
church. Police found the body
in the blood-spattered Burns
kitchen.
Burns fled to pastureland
In Oklahoma west of Fort
Smith. A farm woman saw
him and notified the sheriff
at Moffett, Okla. When a dep
uty drove up and offered him
a ride, Burns meekly ac
cepted. "Yes, I'm cold," he said.
Burns in his statement to
officials said that he gave his
mother a hypodermic of dem
erol, making her unconscious,
and then cut off her head. He
said he took the head to the
church because "there it
would be blessed."
at
the
RIVERSIDE PARKING
LOT
AS
LOW
AS
old companions, who also was
peddling papers.
"Easy as pie," chirped the
chubby little Campanella boy,
still keeping an ear cocked to
the roar of the crowd at the
ball park.
"Hear them yells?" he
said. "That ain't no double or
triple they're hollerin' about
That there is a home run.
Gotta' be, because they keep
yellin' so long.'
Even as a youngster, Roy
Campanella dreamed of the
day baseball fans would be
hollering for him although no
Negro had ever played in the
major leagues as yet.
Lived Near Shibe Park
Shibe park, which is now
Connie Mack stadium, was
onlv a few blocks from the
Campanella home.
Most of Roy's boyhood bud
dies preferred to play stick
ball but Campanella liked
"hard ball" much better. It
wasn't long before he was
playing sandlot baseball and
by the time he was 13 he al
ready was a member of the
neighborhood American Le
gion team.
Campy wasn't particular
what position he played but
while he still was attending
Gillespie Junior high school
he noticed that no one ever
wanted to be the catcher. So
he volunteered to handle the
mask and mitt.
Actually, Campanella was
not much of a hitter at all in
his youth. He had a number
of other things going for him,
though, such as tremendous
enthusiasm, a fine arm and
a remarkable ability for play
ing three and even four games
in a single day.
At 15, Campy came into a
windfall. The owner of the
the Bacharach Giants, an all
Negro semi-pro team, paid
him $35 to play on Friday
nights, Saturday and Sunday.
A year later, he became the
regular catcher for the Balti
more Elite Giants and it was
not long afterwards that he
quit high school to campaign
around the country with that
team.
Not Life of Riley
Playing in the Negro league
didn't exactly afford Campan
ella the life of a baseball
Riley.'
The big day for Roy came
in October, 1945. He had just
caught a game for the Negro
All-Stars against a group of
big leaguers in Newark, N.J.,
when Chuck Dressen, then as
now a Dodger coach, told him
that Rodger President Branch
Rickey wanted to see him.
Campy figured it was some
kind of a joke at first but the
next day he dutifully visited
the Dodgers' office in mid
town Brooklyn and came face-
to-face with the colorful Rick
ey. Rickey asked Campanella
if he would like to come into
the " Dodgers' organization,
but Roy, thinking that Rickey
was about to form another
Negro league turned down the
offer. Less than two weeks
later Campanella learned that
the Dodgers had made a sim
ilar offer to Jackie Robinson.
And Robinson told Campan
ella that he was going to sign
with Montreal of the Interna
tional league, thereby becom
ing the first Negro ever to
play in organized baseball.
Campy thought he had miss
ed the boat. It turned out he
was only a little late.
The following spring, the
Dodgers sent him to Nashua,
N.H., of the New England
league and his career was
launched.
3.187 HOLES-IN-ONE
Chicago (IP) A total of
3,187 holes-in-one were re
corded during 1957 by the na
tion's golfers, according to
Golf Digest magazine. Of the
total, 2,949 were made by
men and 238 by women.
Charles Hedrick of Lubbock,
Tex., made the longest shot
374 yards at the Meadow
brook course in Lubbock.
ON-THE-JOB TRAINING
Durham, England (IP)
Apprentice Robert C. Shaw,
20, was so proud of being put J
in charge of fire extinguishers
at the paper mill where he
worked that co-w orkers
dubbed him "the fire chief."
A long fireless period ended
with four in a row that caused
caused 550,190 worth of dam
age. All were started, a court I
ruled Tuesday, by "the fire
chief."
Per
Month
Idaho Tops
Statistics
In Offense
Los Angeles HP) Idaho's
Vandals were tops on offense
and California's Bears were
best on defense in Pacific
Coast conference statistics re
leased today by the PCC com
missioner's office.
On offense, Idaho had aver
aged 73.4 points in seven
games, making 191 field goals
and 132 free throws for a to
tal of 514 points, and compil
ing a 38 per cent figure in
field goal attempts.
On defense, California had
allowed opponents an aver
age of but 45 points a game.
Opponents could only make
97 field goals and 76 free
throws in six contests for a
total of 270 points.
Idaho was trailed in total
scoring by the University of
Southern California with a
67.7 average; UCLA with
65.7; Oregon, 61.7; Oregon
State, 60.8; Washington State,
54.9; Stanford, 54.3; Califor
nia, 52.8, and Washington, 51.
In total defense, California
was followed by Oregon
State, 54.5 points a game;
Washington, 57.1; UCLA, 62;
Stanford, 62; Washington
State, 62.6; Oregon, 64.8;
Southern Cal, 65.9, and Ida
ho, 67.4.
Cal Heads Free Throws
California also led in free
throws with 99 in 140 at
tempts for a .706 percentage.
Oregon State had .705; Idaho,
698; UCLA, .695; Stanford,
.667, and Oregon, .659.
Oregon State was second to
Idaho in field goals with a
.374 percentage. Southern
Cal had .351; Stanford, .350,
and Oregon, .349. The re
bound lead was held by Ore
gon State with .585 percent
age, followed by Idaho .531
and California .527.
The UCLA Bruins was tops
in field goal defense, allow
ing foes but .315 per cent.
Southern Cal was second
with .317 per cent, and Cali
fornia .355.
Idaho's athletes also lead
in individual statistics.
Gary Simmons averaged 23
points in seven games, and
teammate Hal Damiano led
in field goals, making 28 of
60 attempts for a percentage
of .467.
The first state legislature
of Arkansas assembled Sept.
12, 1836.
'ANNE FRANK'? Accord
ing to rumors circulating in
London, Millie Perkins
(above) of New York has
been selected for the title
role in the 20th Century Fox
production, "The Diary of
Anne Frank."
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C0UR
'
PRIZE ROOKIE SIGNS One of baseball's biggest give
away programs ended as Dave Nicholson, 18, shown with
his parents in St. Louis, Mo., signs a contract with the
Baltimore Orioles for a price estimated at $110,000 or
above. Nicholson's baseball experience is limited to high
school contests and the Ban Johnson League, but 15 of
16 major league teams had bid for him.
MEDFORDJilJTRIBUNE
Crabtree
Chosen by
Green Bay
By UNITED PRESS
Two members of Oregon's
Rose Bowl team, tailback Joe
Francis of Oregon State and
Linfield passing star Ron
Parrish were drafted Tuesday
by National Football league
teams.
One of the biggest sur
prises was the absence of Jim
Shanley, the great Oregon
halfback, from the draft lists.
Francis, who Tuesday night
was given the Pop Warner
award in Palo Alto as the
most valuable senior football
player on the ' West coast,
was the second player chos
en in Tuesday's fifth round.
He was drafted by the Green
Bay Packers.
Parrish to Rams
Quarterback Jack Crabtree
and tackle Jerry Kershner
were the Oregon players
drafted. Crabtree was picked
by the Philadelphia Eagles in
the 12th round and Kershner
was chosen by Green Bay in
the 21st round.
Parrish, the Prineville lad
who starred at Linfield, was
picked on the 21st round by
the Los Angeles Rams who
are seeking someone to re
place Norm Van Brocklin.
Francis was termed by for
mer Stanford . great Ernie
Nevers as "one of the great
est backs ever turned out on
the Pacific coast," as he re
ceived the Pop Warner
award.
The first two ski areas in
New Hampshire , to install
snow-making equipment are
Black Mountain at Jackson
and Mittersill in Franconia.
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Piston rings
Piston pins
Condensor
Distributor points
All gaskets valve
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TESY CH
Windward
Ends Race
San Diego (IP) The Los
Angeles sloop Windward to
day held the first to finish
trophy and the record time
trophy after crossing the
finish line in record-shattering
time in the San Diego to
Acapulco yacht race.-
The Windward, owned by
E. R. and Don Chilcott, may
yet lose the over-all title,
however. The handicap win
ners of the race, with some of
the class C boats having as
much as two to three days,
will not be decided until at
least Thursday afternoon or
later, a Copley News corres
pondent aboard the Coast
Guard cutter Perseus said.
Jay Fullmer
Aims Higher
Salt Lake City (IP)
Stylish Jay Fullmer, a more
accurate if less powerful
puncher than brother Gene,
set his sights higher today
after his unanimous 10-round
welterweight decision over
Idaho's Glen Burgess Tuesday
night.
ASHEVILLE 'SAL' BID
Knoxville, Tenn. (IP)
Asheville, N.C., without or
ganized baseball for two years
may be added to the Class
A South Atlantic league as
the eighth team. John Dun
can, a Knoxville attorney who
is acting league president,
said Asheville is "strongly in
terested" in obtaining a fran
chise, and a group of business
men has invited league of
ficials to discuss possibilities.
$778
II Per Month
On Approved Credit
O
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EVR0LET
Buck Sliaw
Quits Post
Denver (IP) The man
who replaces Lawrence T.
(Buck) Shaw as head football
coach - at the Air Force
Academy will not have any
of Shaw's assistants as his
disposal.
Simultaneously with the
announcement Tuesday that
Shaw had resigned, the
academy said three assistants
on the football staff had com
pleted tours of duty and
would be transferred. They
are Lt. Byron Gillory, back
field coach; Lt. James Bounds,
line coach, and Lt. Marvin
Jenkins, end coach.
ILL-FATED CIGARETTE
Nashville, Tenn. (IP) Wil
lis Hawkins stopped to light a
cigarette Tuesday and ended
up in the hospital for treat
ment of burns. Investigators
said Hawkins halted to light
his jnatch over a gas main
that was leaking, setting off a
flash fire.
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Wedneiday, January 29, 195S
Francis Gets
Trophy as MVP
Palo Alto, Calif. OP)
Quarterback Y.-A. Tittle of
the San Francisco Forty Nin
ers and Joe Francis of Ore
gon State were honored Tues
day night at the Palo Alto
club's 12th annual Million
Dollar banquet. x
Glenn Stackhouse of the
United Press San Francisco
bureau presented Tittle with
a gold plaque as the UP's "pro
player of the year."
Tittle won the award in a
United Press poll of members
of the National Football Writ-
COMMISSIONER PICKED
Portland (IP) Mayor
Terry Schrunk Tuesday nam
ed Dr. Jack E. Battaglia, a
1943 graduate of the Univer
sity of Oregon medical school,
to the Portland boxing com
mission replacing Dr. Clin
ton S. McGill, who resigned.
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Shell and Richfield Stations Displaying Goodyear's Diamond
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE NIKS
ers association. He received
11 of 31 votes to edge out five
other candidates for the
honor.
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SKINNER - BUICK - CADILLAC
143 So.
flu'lll A ;
Francis won the Pop War
ner award as the Pacific
coast's most valuable college
football player of 1957.
Riversid
STAMPS O
123 S. Riverside
Phone SP 3-6266
9th and Bartlett Sts.
Medford
Phone SP 2-6115