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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1958)
PREVIEW the 19 : Baseball Seasoun HERE'S HOW THE PENNANT RACES A . A u3 i i i i i i i t i - i i ' k U G4 A former member of the St. Louis Cardinals' publicity staff, Joseph N. Bell has contributed sports articles to various national magaiines. And like any sports writer worth his salt, he doesn't hesitate to stick his neck out as the reader will discover in this forecast of the 1958 season. Opring will be ushered in officially this week with the opening of the major league baseball season which, in 1958, will feature the closest pennant race in history in the National League while the Yankees are clinching the American League flag early in September. At least that's how it looks in March, after a poll of 73 taxi drivers, 113 elevator operators, seven ouija boards, and two Univac machines. Four teams will be in the thick of another exciting, down-to-the-wire National League scramble, with the Dodgers bringing Los Angeles its first World Series after snatching the pennant in a virtual dead heat with Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. In the American League, all the excitement will be wrapped up in the race for the runner-up spot. Detroit will surprise many by edging out the White "Sox, Indians, Orioles, and Red Sox all bunched closely behind. Here's how the two pennant races shape up, team-by-team: National League First, Los Angeles Dodgers. Walter O'Malley has all the cards stacked for him a pantywaist 250-ft. left-field wall for his right-handed swingers to aim at, the enthusiasm of a new home and baseball-hungry fans, and a talented, if aging, ball club that has one more pen nant thrust left in it. The near-tragic loss of Roy Campanella will hurt the Dodgers but not fatally. The Los An geles pitching staff which had the best ecirned-run average in the majors last year will be even tougher in 1958. Gil Hodges is a fixture at first, with Char ley Neal, Don Zimmer, and Pee Wee Reese or Ransom Jackson rounding out a fine infield. Snider, Cimoli, and Furillo in the outfield are as tough de fensively as they are with their bats. These veteran Dodgers still have one last collective effort in them, and the psychological adrenalin of a new home may be just enough to bring Los An geles its first pennant in its first year of major-league baseball. Second, Milwaukee Braves. The world champions are intact and have added strength with Bob Rush from the Cubs. Lew Burdette, Warren Spahn, Bob Buhl, Gene Conley, and Rush will make up a tremendous group of start ing pitchers. Both the infield with Adcock or Torre, Schoendienst, Logan, and Matthews and the outfield with -ll 1 LI me spienoid Henry Aaron, Bill Bruton, and Wes Covington are holdovers from 1957. But there are some cracks show- I - rt "D i. 1 1 nig. idi uion is a decided question mark, and only game competition' will show whether his injured leg will hold up; Schoendienst and Spahn began showing some signs of brittleness last year. These are key men. The Braves haven't the depth to replace them. The cham pions "are loaded with front-line talent, but if they slip there will be several i-iuus looKing oown their throat. Third, Cincinnati Redlegs. The Redlegs had one crying weakness last year pitching. Gabe Paul has gone all out during the off-season to bulwark his pitching staff without sacrificing too much power. He acquired Harvey Haddix from the Phils, Bob Purkey from the Pirates, and Willard Schmidt from the Cardinals all solid front-line pitchers. If Ihey can help Brooks Lawrence and Joe Nuxhall hold the Cincinnati opposition to three or four runs a game, the Redlegs will be very tough. Roy MacMillan and Johnny Temple form the best second-base combination in the National League. Burgess and Bailey are the best one two catching staff in baseball, and the outfield of Bell, Robinson, and Thur man packs a mighty wallop. oi. liuuis uarainais. at. i-iOUis is going to miss Frank Lane but he left them a fine legacy. The Cardinals' hopes in 1958 depend on a young pitch ing staff which blew hot-and-cold last season. Wilmer Mizell, the McDaniel brothers, and Herm Wehmeier flashed tremendous talent some of the time, but Larry Jackson was the only consistent performer. The Cardinals still have Stan Musial almost a (Mm Whether he's stationed at first or in the outfield, Musial is a pro through-and-through, with a hitting eye that hasn't been dimmed by his 38 years. As long as Musial is active and taking aim on his eighth batting crown, the Cardinals will be a threat. The rest of the Cardi nal infield with Kasko, Dark, and Blasingame is solid, and the outfield 36 Family Weekly, April 13, 19SS SHAPE UP ON THE EYE OF OPENING DAY. S New York Los Angeles Detroit S Milwaukee Chicago Cincinnati f Cleveland S St. Louis Baltimore Philadelphia Boston Pittsburgh Kansas City San Francisco v Washington Chicago of .Cunningham, Moon, Ennis, and Boyer is better noted for its hitting than its fielding. Fifth, Philadelphia Phillies. The key to the Phils' chances is held firmly in the confident, determined right hand of pitcher Robin Roberts, -who got his first major-league lumps last year. Still only 30, Roberts is convinced he's ready for a big year; if he's right, the Phillies will be troublesome. The addition of Wally . Post from the Redlegs will add power to a woefully weak attack. Richie Ash burn is a fixture in center, and several talented rookies will compete for the third outfield spot. Jones, Fernandez, and Hamner around the infield need to hit if the Phils are to be in contention. Stan Lopata, one of the best hitting catchers in baseball, may wind up play ing first base. Jack Sanford, a phenom enal first-year pitcher in 1957, and Curt Simmons could team with Roberts to give the Phils rugged front-line pitching. Sixth, Pittsburgh Pirates. Danny Mur taugh, in his first full season at the Pirate helm, may climb a couple of notches, the Pirates have good power with Frank Thomas, Dick Groat, Ro berto Clemente, and Bill Virdon. They could have a great deal more if Ted Kluszewski practically given to them over the Winter by the Redlegs comes through. The outfield of Meijas, Cle mente, and Virdon is one of the best fielding units in the league, and the catching staff, headed by Hank Foiles, is above average. Pitching is still something of a question mark. Bob Friend, Ronnie Kline, and Vernon Law have been very good pitchers on oc casion. If they all happen to have a good season, along with Big Klu, the Pirates can climb higher than sixth. Seventh, Sao Francisco Giants. Even the magic of San Francisco and the lift of seeing people instead of empty seats won't be enough to overcome the talent deficiences of the newly moved Giants. Willie Mays can play only one position or perhaps two at a time; and there just isn't enough of Willie to go around. Behind Johnny Antonelli and Reuben Gomez, there isn't much pitching, Catcher Valmy Thomas is unseasoned. Bobby Thomson and Hank Sauer might support Mays with their hitting, but they'll let Willie chase most of the fly balls. The infield is undistinguished. Eighth, Chicago Cubs. Ernie Banks and the nation's most attractive ball park don't add up to a pennant. Without some help from unexpected quarters, the Cubs can look forward to another dismal season. They have one hope of salvation: a young and talented pitch ing staff featuring Dick Drott. Moe a - Drabowsky, Don Elston, and the newly acquired Taylor Phillips. Walt Moryn is the best of a mediocre batch of out fielders. The Cubs need a take-charge guy to build a fire under them and a front office which doesn't make deals like the horrible trade of Bob Rush, a talented and seasoned pitcher, for young Phillips. American League First, New York Yankees. The Yankees can spread-eagle the American League field almost by default. Rookies Tony Kubek and Bobby Richardson will be better with a year of seasoning, and Yogi Berra is due for a comeback after a dismal slump for him in 1957. To these, add the brilliant Mickey Mantle, the steady performance of Gil Mac- . Dougald, Hank Bauer, Bill Skowron, and Andy Carey, and a bench unex celled in either league for strength in depth, and you have the makings of a pennant winner. Whitey Ford should improve on his '57 record, and Bobby Shantz, further along the comeback trail, might be the biggest winner on a pitching staff that will include Bob Turley, Art Ditmar, Don Larsen, Bob Grim, and Johnny Kucks. Indicative of Yankee strength is the fact that hard hitting Norm Siebern, last year's out- standing minor leaguer, will probably have a tough time breaking into the lineup. It looks like a shoo-iri for the Yankees against a rather mediocre field of also-rans. Second, Detroit Tigers. If anyone is to give the Yankees trouble, it will prob ably be the Tigers. Billy Martin, acquired from Kansas City over the Winter, will finally plug a gap at second base that has plagued the Tigers for years. Boone, Kuenn, and Bertoia will round out a hard-hitting infield; and outfielders Al Kaline, Charley Maxwell, and Gus Zemial boast good power. Tiger pitching is on the upswing. Frank Lary is due for a big season, and Jim Bunning, Paul Foytack, and Billy Hoeft look like steady winners. The combina tion of effective pitching, potent slug ging, and a fiery competitor in Martin should bring Detroit the runner-up spot in 1958. Third, Chicago White Sox. The White Sox of 1958 will lose more 1-0 and 2-1 games than any two teams in either league. Chicago has speed and good defense, but it still takes some punch to win ball games and this the Sox don't have. Theic pitching is magnifi cent. 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