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White Sox Free From Injuries, To Start Fast
By UNITED PRESS
The Chicago White Sox pinned their pennant hope on a fast getaway today when the greatest rash of spring injuries in history made them the only American league contender which can open the season with every regular in the lineup.
Barring misfortune in the 19 days remaining before the season inaugurals, Manager Paul Richards will field all his first-stringers while the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox all will be without key regulars.
The Indians were the latest to be hit by the "injury jinx" when it was disclosed that right-fielder Harry Simpson will be sidelined until about May 10 with a fractured left arm. This news followed 24 hours after second-string catcher Mickey Grasso suffered a broken left ankle which will keep him out of action at least three months.
The World Champion Yankees will open the season without spectacular center-fielder Mickey Mantle while the Red Sox will start the campaign with slugger Ted Williams watching from the bench. Mantle, recuperating with a knee injury, is not expected to see action until May 1 while Williams, who suffered a broken collarbone early in spring training, may be sidelined until May 15.
In addition, the amazing succession of mishaps has claimed Dick Kryhoski of the Baltimore Orioles with a fractured wrist, Bobby Thomson of the Milwaukee Braves with a broken ankle, pitcher Bob Cain of the Philadelphia Athletics with a calcium deposit in his left wrist and Washington's Bob Porterfield, who
Was it on the head by a batted ball. Simpson, a good fielder and a long ball hitter, was injured in a collision at home,护场员 The Towson Tide of the Chicago Cubs on Thursday. The injury was at first believed to be only a bruise but x-rays disclosed the fracture yesterday. Simpson probably will be replaced by Bob Kennedy or 33-year-old Wally Westlake,
The knowledge that he now has the only able-bodied contender in the AL, enabled Richards to shrug off an otherwise alarming performance yesterday by 18-game winner Billy Pierce. Pierce, the southpaw ace of the White Sox's staff threw 14 of his first 15 pitches wide of the plate and was hammered for six runs in three innings as the Washington Senators cruised to a 9-2 victory.
Handlers Dream As Jackson Wins
New York — (U.P.) Handlers of Tommy (Hurricane) Jackson, boxing's sensual new slugging star, laid plans today for a drive they hope will carry him to the heavy-weight championship by September.
That's mighty big dreaming for a lad who only three months ago was fighting in preliminary bouts, but last night's spectacular six-round technical knockout of Dan Bucceron gave Jackson's pilots the right to dream just as big as they want.
Matchmaker Teddy Brenner of Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway arena, site of last night's widely-televised and broadcast slugging bee, disclosed these tentative plans for the 22-year-old whirlwind from the seaside resort of Rockaway Beach, New York;
A fight on May 3 at the Parkway,
possibly against Roland La Starza;
another in June against Cuban
heavyweight contender Nino Valdez;
and then an outdoor title
clash in September against champion
Rocky Marciano.
State to Award Letters
Manhattan—(U.P.)-Basketball letters will be awarded to 11 varsity players and numerals will go to 13 freshman players at the seventh annual Kansas State college basketball recognition banquet here tomorrow night.
Dodger Veep Says Bums Duo Will Outpitch Phillies Aces
New York- (U.P.)—Reaction ranged from raised eyebrows to outright guffaws today over a potent pitching prediction made by Fresco Thompson, Brooklyn Dodger vice president in charge of hits, runs and fewer errors.
Fresco didn't quiver an eyelash when he asserted that Dodger Carl Erskine and Don Newcombe would "win eight or 10 more games this season than the Phillies' Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons. This disregards the accepted theory that Roberts and Simmons are the National League's greatest one-two punch.
But it's just possible that friend$^2$
Fresco may have the final chuckle.
Pesco may have the main checklist You need go no further back than last season for substantiating figures And supporting them are statistics culled during the current spring training season.
Last season, for instance, Roberts was the leading winner in the league with 23 victories against 16 defeats. Simmons had 16 wins against 13 losses. That's a 39-29 total.
Big Newk comes marching back to Dodgertown this season after two years in service. His last time out, in 1951, he was a 20-game winner and reports are that he looks better than ever. This is supported partially by spring training appearances in which he has given up only four hits in 10 innings.
Meanwhile, Erskei started to live up to expectations with a league-leading percentage of .769 on 20 triumphs and only six defeats. To get a 39-29 total, Newcombe would have needed a 19-23 record—and if he ever goes to the pitch post 42 times you can bet your bottom bob that he'll get more than 20 wins.
This is Indiana Carl's fourth full season in a Brooklyn uniform but it is the first time in which he has been able to relax from worry and admit that he is a regular. It has helped a great deal.
Yet the big man of the duo could be a "new" Erskine.
Ordinarily the collar ad kid has had to knock himself out every spring in an attempt to win a job. By the time the campaign got under way he was sworn to a nervous nubbin and all season long was burdened by that initial handicap.
This year he has it it "made" after that 20-game season of 1953 and the World Series strikeout mark of 14 in the game. It has made a big difference
Erskine this time is bringing himself along slowly and carefully, working patiently on his control. Without bearing down he has been the first pitcher to go nine full innings and in 19 innings of work has permitted only three runs. His nine inning performance, a 10 to 2 win which could have been a shut-out, was over the A's, who have been the red-hot terror of the Grapefruit league.
"I didn't cut loose against them either," he beamed, "because I still need plenty of work."
Which means that the quiet, modest 27-year-old expects to get much better. With his "restful" start, he could have a terrific year. If Newcombe comes through as he should, it well may make a faultless seer out of Fresco.
Rochester basketball coach Lester Harrison was wined $500 for "inexusable conduct" against referee Arnie Heft as the Royals were defeated by the Minneapolis Lakers.
Frank Selvy, Furman's all-American, scored 19 points as the College All-stars defeated the Harlem Globetrotters last night 94-87.
The Philadelphia Phillies scored two six-run innings yesterday to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers 19-5 in an exhibition game at Clearwater, Fla.
Visit 10 countries during leisurely summer in Europe. Departing June 12th, returning August 20th You can have lots of fun with your own group from KU Reservations still available, but hurry. Our ample block of low-cost steamship space is going quickly.
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Chicago — (U.P.) — Kid Gavilan's theme song Friday night will be "don't fence me in."
Olson's Tactics To Corner Keed
To put the song over, he will do his own drumming with left hooks aimed at Bobo Olson, the ring's greatest corral artist.
During the 82 rounds welterweight champion Gavilan has sparred in preparation for Friday's shot at Olson's middleweight crown, he concentrated on tactics featuring the left hook to prevent stalker Olson from penning him in corners or against the ropes.
Olson's enclosing maneuvers played a major role in his victory over England's Randy Turpin for the middleweight title last Oct. 21. He "fenced in" the Englishman 14 times and battered him at will.
Gavilan said today "He not put me against ropes. When he press me, maybe I go down like thees." He went into a crouch. "And maybe I come up like thees." He came up with three rapid-fire left hooks. He dropped into the crouch again. "Or maybe I come up like thees." He threw a long bolo right uppercut.
Talking with reporters in his living quarters at the Midwest hotel, which also contains the Midwest gymnasium, he explained that the heavier Olson, "Will try make me fight heeps kinda fight." He smiled grimly and added, "But I make heem fight my kinda fight."
Olson will try to make a close-quarter fight of it, so he can use his best weapons—body punches—on the Keed's breadbasket so he can wear down the speedy Cuban and give him a thorough trouncing in the last half of the scheduled 15-rounder.
Gavilan, in his sparring sessions, has depended largely upon left hooks to keep his mates at a distance. Gavvy and his handlers believe Olson is more open to left hooks than to any other punch. Many boxing men agree.
Billy Goodman, who has done everything for the Boston Red Sox, has a lifetime batting average of .311.
Gavilan planned to complete his sparring preparations with five rounds today and five tomorrow. He expects to scale between 152 and 153 pounds at the Friday noon weigh-in. Olson will register about $159_{1}$ .
Tuesday, March 30, 1954 University Daily Kansan
Yanks, Bums Will Repeat Fraley Says
Phone 151
For Appointment
By OSCAR FRALEY
New York —(U.P.)— Winding up spring training a bit early, Fearless Fraley can tell you today it figures to be the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees in the World Series—again—next fall.
With this kiss of death, you should be let in on a little secret.
But you could live two miles from the Goose Bay airport, which is as close to nowhere as possible, and see this much with your eyes closed. Barring failure to show up, the Yanks and Dodgers are "in."
I haven't seen a baseball player in action since Billy Martin broke up the World Series last fall. My spring training was done on the Bear mountain ski slope with orange juice hot toddies. And the first time I get in the sun I'll peel quicker than a 52nd street stripper.
The Brooks should win in a goanus gallop, probably as easy as their 13-game margin of last season. On the other hand, it's difficult to see how the Yankees can make it six in a row—or to find anybody to stop 'em.
League by league, here's how the end stacks up from here:
National league: 1, Brooklyn; 2, St. Louis; 3, Milwaukee; 4, Giants; 5, Phillies; 6, Cincinnati; 7, Cubs, and 8, Pittsburgh.
Sure, you're tired of seeing the Yankees and Dodgers win. So is everybody else but the Yanks and Dodgers. Yet the balance of power has not been disturbed appreciably. The Yanks may not make it by their $8\frac{1}{2}$-game margin of last season, still that too is quite a gan to close.
American league: 1, Yankees; 2, Cleveland; 3, White Sox; 4, Red Sox; 5, Washington; 6, Athletics; 7, Detroit, and 8, Baltimore.
In the National league, the Cardinals appear to have the pitching to oust Milwaukee from second place. The sudsy surprises of '53 worked on all cylinders last season and if a few things go wrong they may have to hustle to hold off the resurging Giants. The Giants "may" go pretty good.
From there it's anybody's boat race in the second division with the Phils challenging for the first division. I am unimpressed by Cincinnati claims that it could go "all the way," the gentlemen who made that statement undoubtedly inmanate the match, and all 154 ball games. The Cubs and the Pirates are, well, the Cubs and Pirates.
Cleveland, Chicago, and Boston all should make valiant runs at the Yankees during the season.
Tennis Team To Open Season
Coach Dick Mechem's tennis team opens its 1954 tennis season, and the KU spring sports schedule, when it meets the strong Oklahoma Sooners in a dual meet on the KU varsity courts at 3 p.m. Thursday.
While this will be the first meet for KU, Oklahoma has already had three duals under its belt, winning all three on a southern tour.
Oklahoma has been the conference champion in tennis four out of the last five years. It was runnerup to conference champion Colorado last season.
Ken Taylor, Big Seven conference singles champion last season, and two other lettermen, John Martin and Dave Metezer are the mainstays of the Oklahoma team. Coach Mechem said that Oklahoma is probably the outstanding team in the Missouri valley area this year.
Bad weather the past two weeks has hampered the Jayhawkers, and they have not progressed as far as Coach Mechem would like. Since the team has not been able to work out regularly, Coach Mechem is not certain who he will start for KU in the five singles and two doubles matches.
"Letterman Al Hedstrom will play the No. 1 singles match, but from there on it is anybody's guess who will start," the coach said.
Dick Hadley, a transferee from Yale, and lettermen Don Franklin and Merl Sellers are fighting neck and neck for the No. 2 singles match. Roger Youmans, another letterman, will play the No. 5 singles match.
Although it is certainly not decided yet, Coach Mechem said that Hadley and Hedstrom would probably play the No. 1 doubles match.
"This meet with Oklahoma was not on our original schedule, but I am glad that we are going to have it because it will give us some experience before meeting Colorado a week from Saturday," the coach said.
Melvin Sam Lyle, end coach at Georgia Tech, was named to the University of Oklahoma coaching staff.
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