OCR Text |
Show Released by Western Newspaper Union. ALTHOUGH Ted Williams, wil-lowy wil-lowy walloper of the Boston Red Sox, won just about eery hitting hit-ting honor in sight in the American league, he failed to snare the thing he wanted most the most-valuable-player award. Williams not only topped the field in the big three of batting percentage, percent-age, homers and runs batted in, but he also led the roster ros-ter in runs scored, total bases and most bases on balls. Although Al-though he was exactly ex-actly 50 points below be-low his last season's sea-son's average, he was good enough to leave the 'remain- Ted Williams der of the field far behind. The reason he lost the "Most Valuable Valu-able riayer" award was fairly obvious. ob-vious. His somewhat inflated ego-Ism ego-Ism resulted in frequent displays of temperament which did little to bolster bol-ster team spirit. The award went to Joe Gordon, Yankee second baseman. base-man. The record proves that Gordon Gor-don didn't have as good a year as Williams. He finished fourth in batting bat-ting with a .320 average and wasn't any closer In other departments. A Comparison Williams' 36 home runs in 1942 were only one less than his 37 in 1941, and his 137 runs batted in last season were 17 more than the previous pre-vious year. The 338 total bases with which he led In 1942 were three more than the figure with which he finished second to Joe Di-Maggio Di-Maggio a year ago. His 141 runs wpra six more than the ,oe Gordon 135 which led the league in 1941. The official figures revealed all too clearly the weakness at bat of the Chicago White Sox. Jimmy Dykes boys accounted for only 25 home runs, the smallest total in the league. They also tied for last with the Tigers in team batting. But the Tigers authored 76 home runs. Boxing Writers Honor Corp. Barney Ross The Boxing Writers Association of New York made the happiest choice in its history when members named Corp. Barney Ross of Chicago winner win-ner of the Edward J. Neil Memorial Trophy as boxing's "man of the year." The award is given annually in memory of the Associated Press boxing writer and war correspondent correspond-ent who was killed in Spain in 1938. Ross was the only nominee for the award and with good reason. Barney, a round-faced marine, deserved de-served the trophy more than any other winner in past years and that isn't meant Yo detract from their glory. Barney is in the Solomons. It wasn't so long ago that he tangled tan-gled with a detachment of Japs while protecting three wounded comrades com-rades and stood oft the1 enemy until help arrived the next day. One-Man Army Ross gave the finishing punch to at least seven of the enemy in that single evening. Because his three pals were wounded, he had refused to be evacuated when his marine unit was ordered to the rear after being isolated in dangerous underbrush. under-brush. The Associated Press reported report-ed that he refused to be evacuated "although it was almost certain death to remain exposed to a hidden machine gun nest During the evening eve-ning he fired more than 450 rounds of ammunition, pitched a pack of hand grenades, and, as he related afterward, 'prayed.' The 'scorekeep-ers' 'scorekeep-ers' who got him out the next day counted seven dead Jap snipers and said that there were at least 10 other oth-er 'probables.' " Barney was promoted on the field to a corporal. His company commander, com-mander, Capt. O. K. LeBlanc, recommended rec-ommended him for either the Navy Cross or the Army Distinguished Service Cross. The fourth man now wearing a uniform to win the award, Barney is only the second to get it after entering military service. The first man to accept the trophy in uniform uni-form was Sergt. Joe Louis, in 1941. Previous winners were Jack Demp-sey, Demp-sey, now a lieutenant commander In the coast guard; Billy Conn, at present an army corporal, and Henry Hen-ry Armstrong. SPORT SHORTS fl. The University of Pittsburgh drew 150,000 to six football games in 1938 but only 63,000 to five games in 1942. X Baseball was named the "most wanted sport" by Camp Roberts, Calif., soldiers in an election to determine de-termine which athletic activities were to be expanded. C. Seventeen of the 20 players on the University of Michigan varsity basketball roster are 6 feet or taller. C. For the second time in history the American league had no triple plays. The other season was 1033. |