PREVIEW
the 19
: Baseball
Seasoun
HERE'S HOW THE PENNANT RACES
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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. To a staff already boasting Billy
i
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Family Weekly, April 13, 1958
37
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