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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, May 12, 1954
By JACK LNDBERG
Kansas Assistant Sports Editor
This is the time of year when all baseball enthusiasts are in their glory and all non-baseball fans think the enthusiasts are crazy and the game itself is silly. We, of course, are prejudiced for the game.
The non-baseball follower is under the impression that the game is slow moving and lacks excitement. This depends on how well the game is understood.
In defense of the slow moving theory, did anyone stop to think that today's fast-ball pitchers are capable of throwing the baseball close to 100-miles-per-hour. The ball only travels 60 feet 6 inches from the pitcher's rubber to home plate, and at 100-miles-per-hour, that is practically a split second decision by the batter.
The followers of the national pastime also appreciate the other defensive plays that are made in every day play that just seem to be routine. An outfielder, for instance, running back to the wall, or stands, and jumping into the air at the last moment to make the catch. Or an infielder going far to his left or right to stop a hard hit ball, then turn and throw out the runner in one easy motion. Or a catcher, making one of the hardest coaches there is, a foul ball hit straight into the air.
As to the game being non-exciting. Some of today's faster men in baseball are capable of running from home plate to first base in a little over three seconds. When the defensive team makes a double play from short-to-second-to-first they have to have excellent timing and coordination to complete the play.
All of these plays are taken for granted because they happen every day. But the players who execute these plays spend many hours of practice before they are capable of doing them.
The personal duals that go on between the pitcher, catcher, and the batter are also as exciting as the rest of the game.
And all these plays are not made in the major league ball parks. The same plays are made every day from the sandlots on up.
This little story about Floyd "Nig" Temple, Kansas baseball coach, was told to us by Jack Miller, sports editor of the Wichita Beacon. It seems as though "Nig" was just appointed player-manager of the Iola Indians, who were then a member of the K-O-M league. In one of the early games of the season, Temple slid hard into the second baseman of the opposing team to break up
Phillies Release Lindell Old, But Pathetic Story
New York—(U.P.)-The departure from the majors of Johnny Lindell was an old story in the big leagues of baseball but one which always has its pathetic inflections.
Johnny actually was luckier than most. He had two separate careers under the big top, the first as an outfielder who knew World Series glory with the Yankees and the second as a pitcher.
It is those memories which will keep him going as he travels back down the minor league hill.
There are a lot of old heroes out there in the "bushes" who knew the cheers of the big league fans and once were the center of national attention. Often people wonder why they do it, and generally the answer is unvaried.
Sure, some of them stick with it to eat. But all of them play out the string as long as possible because they love baseball and can't
get it out of their blood. Even the stories failure hope that somehow, someday, they'll make it back to the big time.
Many of them are actually but a step away. In a majority of cases the road is running the other way, but they refuse to believe it. Those with the highest hopes are the crew of former major leaguers playing in the larger minor league circuits such as the Pacific Coast league, the International league, and the American Association.
a double play. The second baseman picked himself up and said to Temple, this is a pretty easy league, we don't play that kind of ball here. To which Tempie replied, you do now, because I'm here.
Take a look at the Pacific Coast league, as example. Out at San Diego there's Dick Sisler, who won a pennant for the Phillies in 1950.
Baseball Standings
National W L Pct Grip
Brooklyn 13 9 .591 ...
Philadelphia 12 9 .571 ...
Cincinnati 14 11 .560 1/8
St. Louis 12 11 .522 1/8
New York 12 11 .522 1/8
Milwaukee 10 11 .478 2/8
Chicago 9 10 .474 2/8
Pittsburgh 7 17 .292 7
American W L Pct GB
Detroit 11 6 .647 ...
Chicago 15 9 .625 ...
Cleveland 13 9 .591 $\frac{1}{4}$
New York 12 10 .545
Philadelphia 9 13 .409 $\frac{4}{8}$
Washington 8 12 .400 $\frac{4}{8}$
Baltimore 8 12 .400 $\frac{4}{8}$
Boston 5 10 .333 5
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How the stars got started.
Red Barber says: "I was a work through the University of Florida when I was asked to be substitute announcer on a farm program. That got me a job. In two years, I became chief announcer. My break in sports came in '34 when I broadcast Cincinnati Reds games. Been doing Major League play-by-play ever since!"
for Mildness and Flavor
*Published in Printers' Ink, 1954
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