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University Daily Kansan
Giant Boss Says Red-Hot Indians Will Clinch '53 AL Pennant by July 4
By United Press
"They'll clinch the American League pennant by July 4 if they're as good as they look."
That's Leo Durocher's analysis of the Cleveland Indians today and, even allowing for the exaggeration, the Giants' manager must know where he speaks. For the Indians are staging one of the most remarkable routes of a big-league team in the history of spring training, and none other than Leo's Giants are the victims.
Including yesterday's 3-0 victory, the Indians have walloped the Giants eight straight times and have taken 10 of the 12 games played between the traditional rivals this spring. In the last six games the Indians have clubbed a total of 21 home runs and now they're beginning to receive standout pitching performances from their key hurlers.
Bob Lemon, a 22-game winner last season, breezed seven innings yesterday in his most impressive performance of the spring and now it's only up to Bob Feller to round into form before the Indians' pitching becomes practically invincible. In his last outing, 22-game winner Mike Garcia shut out the Giants for six innings and 23-game winner Early Wynn thrilled them in his last start.
Home runs continued to mark the Indians' shellkings of Giant pitching as Dale Mitchell and substitute first-baseman Bill Glynn each connected.
The defending champions--received good news today. The Yankees learned that 16-game winner Vic Raschi suffered only bruises when hit on the right knee by Dave Philley's liner yesterday and the Dodgers heard that first-baseman Gil Hodges' inflamed knee and foot points can be expected to heal with rest.
Raschi was hit on the knee after pitching seven scoreless innings against the Athletics yesterday and it was feared at first that a bone might have been broken. X-rays dispelled the fears, however, and Raschi now is expected to take his regular turn.
Hodges was in Long Island College hospital in New York where club physician Dr. Herbert Fett spiked fears that Gil was suffering with arthritis. At the moment, Gil is expected to be ready for opening day.
In other games, the Tigers beat the Reds' "B" team, 9-7, for their fifth in a row and 14th in 19 exhibition games; granny Hammer's 10-inning homer gave the Phillies a 9-8 triumph over the Giants. The Giants Donald impressed with six strong innings as the Pirates' "B"s' beat the "A'S" 3-1.
The Browns routed the Cubs although Preston Ward hit his fourth homer in three games; Seventeen-game winner Gerry Staley went seven innings as the Cardinals beat Birmingham, 6-3, and the Braves routed the Dodgers, 11-3. The Yankees shut out the Athletics, 5-0; the Senators downed the Reds "A"队, 8-5, and Fort Worth of the Texas League upset the White Sox, 6-4, in 10 innings.
Holland, Mich. —(U.P.)—Champion and Challenger folded their training tents today and headed home while boxing fans argued how the five-week postponement would affect the outcome of their heavyweight title fight.
Fighters Quit Bout Drills
Champion Rocky Marciano was scheduled for a morning visit to the doctor whose advice led to the postponement of his April 10 bout to May 15 because of "ulcerated" blood vessels in his nose. Then he was slated to fly to New York, enroute to a vacation at his Brockton, Mass., home.
Challenger Jersey Joe Walcott left his camp swiftly after the postponement was announced, flying last night to Philadelphia on the way to his Camden, N.J. home.
Marciano was sure the delay "won't hurt" his chances.
"The doctors said I would be taking a very great risk with the title if I went in there with a bad nose," the champion said. "They said three or four good punches with the small gloves might cause it to bleed so much the fight would be stopped."
Friday, April 3, 1953
It's the Yankees all the way. They'll win the 1953 American League pennant with plenty of games to spare. No other club will be able to even stay within shooting distance of Casey Stengel's prolific outfit.
Bv CHUCK MORELOCK
The reasons for these profound statements? Simply because the Yankees are the greatest clutch performers in the game of baseball today. They aren't a team composed of nine dazzling stars, although they hardly can be called a bunch of stumble-bums. But the Yanks have developed a habit of coming through when the chips are down. They've been doing it for years. They did it last year. And they'll do it again in '53.
We have no love for the Yankees. There's nothing we enjoy more than seeing the New Yorkers hit a slump. We're tired of having the Bronx Bombers win the AL flag with so much regularity. And we wish them nothing but misfortune in the coming campaign.
But nevertheless we have a deep respect for the Yankees. A baseball fan is almost forced to admire that certain Yankee quality which is so hard to define but which is so important to a team. Call it esprit de corps, hustle, drive, self-confidence. Whatever it is, the Yankees have it.
The Yanks are not invincible. Second division clubs knock them off frequently. They have their losing streaks. And they sometimes perform like a bunch of Class D players. But when the Yanks are faced with a crucial series or road trip, they come through. The Yanks seem to thrive on pressure. They didn't "clutch up" when they faced Cleveland before 70,000 rabid Indian fans in the Ohio city last summer in the most important doubleheader of the year. Instead they battered the Cleveland hurlers all over the park to sweep the twin bill.
The Yankees, who have copped four straight American League flags and four straight World Series, have a great deal more on hand than mere spirit. They have a great shortstop in Phil Rizzato, a slugging outfielder in Mickey Mantle, and the major's best catcher in Yogi Berra. The pitching is excellent, the defense solid, and the batting power abundant.
yet, other major loop squads have these advantages. Stars perform for other teams. Other teams have dangerous hitters and classy pitchers. But they can't react to pressure like the Yankees can.
The Yanks may get off to a slow start, as they did last season. They may look bad at times, the pitchers may be shelled from the mound, the hitters may strike out with the bases loaded. But when the crucial games of August and September roll around, the Yanks will come out on top. We will be delighted if they blow some of these pressure-packed contests. But it's a safe bet they won't.
Relays Officials Ask NCAA To Make KU Record Legal
Despite protests by two coaches that the KU sprint medley relay team's new world record was established "through improper methods" at the Texas Relays last weekend, meet officials have asked the NCAA to make the mark official.
Track coach M. E. Bill Easton withheld comment yesterday, saying only "We'll let them do the protesting."
He referred to statements made by Kansas State track coach Ward Haylett, whose team finished second, and Ralph Higgins, Oklahoma A&M mentor, whose foursome finished third.
The four-man team had smashed
Haylett said that stagger marks on the Austin, Tex. track were improperly used during the event so that one 220-yard man ran 250 yards and the other 190. This, he said, gave the Jayhawks an advantage because the man who ran the 250 was a stronger runner.
the existing world mark of 3:22.7 with their 2:21.8 sprint medley run as Kansas dominated the long distance events, copping the four-mile and two-mile relays, and distance medley relay.
However, Col. Frank Anderson, Texas A&M coach and referee of the meet, said the time was certified to him by track officials and that there was no report to him of anything improper. He forwarded an application to the NCAA asking that the record be made official.
Max Umsted, chief curve inspector, and Hamilton Lowe, judge of the curve, said there was nothing wrong.
Plymouth Congregational Church 925 Vermont St.
DALE E. TURNER, Minister
SUNDAY SERVICES
Nine and Eleven a.m.
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE
6:30 a.m.
April 5
at
Lawrence Commonwealth Drive-In Theatre
Speaker
Chaplain W. J. Britton
from Topeka Forbes Air Base
Sponsored by
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Thick, juicy ham steaks, fried the way you like them best! A wonderful Easter-time meal. Plan especially to come out and have one Easter Sunday. There's really no reason to have to prepare meals on holidays. Let us serve you.
CHUCK WAGON
"A-round the Corner" ON HIGHWAY 59 SOUTH OF LAWRENCE