Show v i Sports Ji Mirror By Bv JOHN MOONEY Telegram Sports Editor J Breathes there a star with soul so dead Who never to his friend has said Did d you see that wallop I got last night The answer students is No especially if the star aforementioned was a pitcher Its It's strange this pitching business but Ive I've yet to discover a hurler who wasn't as proud of his scanty batting average ashe as ashe ashe he was of his earned run record And the funny thing is that most pitchers would be arrested lot for indecent exposure if they triM to clothe themselves in their combined batting averages I Mel l is a typical chucker of this type but Mels Mel's only hope of getting in the higher leagues lies in his pitching pitching pitch pitch- ing lag and not as he lie would like to believe in his batting prowess Yet ct won his first game of the season in the thc Idaho Maho Falls series recently partly through his legitimate single with the bases loaded After the game Mel l held the clubhouse club club- house hous spellbound with tales his of-his new-found new power at t the I platter i This hallucination that pitchers can hit cropped up again Friday afternoon as I chatted with Paul former Bee hurler who's sp sparking the Twin Falls Cowboys Cowboys Cowboys Cow Cow- boys this season uP Pisco who arrived in Salt Lake City several hours earlier than the rest of the squad Friday to tobe tobe tobe be in shape for the opening game of the series was was en enthusiastic enthusiastic enthusiastic en- en over his new clubs club's chances but more than that hes he's gloating over his sudden surge at the plate You know Paul beamed as he loafed around his room in the die Newhouse hotel late in the afternoon Im really powdering that apple this year Yep Ive I've got five hits this year and three of them have been doubles I had to admit reading a wire f report port of a Twin Poca Falls-Poca- tello game the other evening wh wherein rein s pinch double in the ninth inning was instrumental in winning the contest but apparently Pauls Paul's other hitting feats were overlooked in the rush For Paul modestly admitted that hed he'd been rattling the fences lences with his prodigious wallops and boding ill for other in the league Of course admitted that one of the doubles had been something of a fluke since it soared up out of the lights back of first base and then dropped straight back to earth for a double while white the right fielder second baseman and first baseman played Alphonse and Gaston But just the same it counted in the batting average he ho grinned Why at this rate Ill I'll be in the leagues league's big six in no time Although there were rum rumors rs round around Salt Lake Lake City that was retiring from baseball during the winter winter winter win win- ter Paul says there was nothing to it since the Bee Beeman management management management man man- informed him that his services were no longer required Almost immediately Andy Harrington never one to miss a bet signed Paul and his won and lost record is as asgood asgood asgood good as any in the Cowboy squad to date Concerning Harrington added Theres one of the finest men Ive I've ever worked for Not that Ive I've got anything ng against Tom cause hes he's a swell fellow fellow fellow fel fel- fel- fel low too but the whole Twin F Falls lIs management is tops when it comes to handling players That Carl Anderson and the rest of the boys in n the front office work sw swell ll with Andy and Ive I've never worked on a club where less discontent was shown Weve We've got some youngsters youngsters youngsters young young- its it's true and some of ot the boys re green but all the players play play- ers have lots of hust hustle e and well we'll surprise a good many of these favored teams b before fore the season ends Paul admitted But by golly you should see me clout that apple A A- lot of fans may think my hitting is blind luck but I think Ive I've mastered mastered mastered mas mas- the knack of meeting the ball and I should be as good a hitting chucker as any in the league this y year yar ar Ive developed ed a screwball to go with my nat natural raI slider pitch and it seems to work good on some nights It It looked like a million in spring training but I have nights when it wont won't break like it should he admitted Harrington is swell about pitching us too Paul con- con He always asks me if Ive I've had enough rest and lets me pick my spots spots' to pitch if I want to According to Pete Hughes remembered for his liis cl clouting ut ng at Ogden and Twin Falls has displaced Smead Jolley at Spokane Smead it will be remembered was the fellow who usually led his league in hitt hitting ng but only offered offered of of- a fielding average of about two points better than L his swat mark Hughes while no gazelle when it comes to cavorting in the was a little better on defense than Jolley and his offensive punch rated on a par Manager Ray Jacobs of the Spokane club tried to make mak a L chucker of Hughes and he faced the in Cowboys a spring training training train train- ing game at Yakima but it looks like Pete will continue to prow prowl the pastures as an outfielder |