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Show Pip YOUNGSTERS WHO would llko U make good money few yean from now, and not work too hard should start throwing baseballs r various targets. The N.P. (slung for National Pas time) is running out of pitchers. The N.P. needs more than doubl Its present allotment of right 01 left arms that can get the ball ovei the plate with enough stuff to baf fie the barter now and then. Last year, for example, the Dodg ers were good enough to win 1 pennant with a pitching staff com posed of three or four-inning hurl ers. They usually needed four 01 five pitchers to finish out one game. Yet they won a pennant. The American league had onlj eight or 10 pitchers who were able to finish games. Both leagues weri shy of arms that could locate a plate or go the distance. Old-time pitchers such as Ed Walsh, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Icte Alexander and Cy Young could Individually out-pitch out-pitch the greater part of an entire en-tire modern ctaff. Bob Feller could and can handls his share of work. So can Hal Newhouser, Ewell Blackwell and Warren Spahn. Few pitchers today can work 250 innings in a season. Johnson, Walsh and other old-timers ware pitching more than 400 innings a year. Any pitcher who can't work 250 innings shouldn't be listed ai a starting pitcher. He is certainly no part of a regular. Yet, few pitchers now getting relieved around the fourth inning could think ni working 200 innings without an attack at-tack of palsy. Hurler $ Pitch Less Today Feller Newhouser Blackwell Dickson Munger Marchildon there wasn't a pitcher in the American Amer-ican league last season who worked 300 innings. Feller and Newhouser were the closest. There wasn't a pitcher in the National Na-tional league who worked 300 innings. in-nings. Spahn, Blackwell and Branca were the closest up around 280. Today, someone you'd rate as an average good pitcher works in less than 200 innings soy 180. The decline in pitching old-fashioned old-fashioned pitching has been startling. This means in games pitched in games finished in innings pitched in bases on balls in games won (from 30 to 41 a season). Walsh worked in 67 games one season winning 40 and saving 12 others. Today the pitcher who can go nine innings without being removed re-moved is a local hero. This is why we advise all kids to start throwing. You won't have to be too good. The pitchers we rate as real pitchers this season are Blackwell, Feller, Newhouser. Spahn, Dickson, Brecheen and possibly pos-sibly Munger, Trout, Houtteman and one or two from Connie Mack's Athletic group; very likely Brissie; he mnv be the best. A Championship Score The finest championship golf score of the year to date was Claude Harmon's 279 at the Augusta National's Masters show. It was better than Een Hogan's 27S at Riviera, where the next open will be played. There have been endless discussions discus-sions of what a championship score should be. but Harmon baa slipped in the best answer t date. The Augusta National was keyed to its toughest test in every way. Riviera wasn't, with its rough ent, its baked-out fairways and its soft green I doubt very much that 283 will be broken at Riviera in the National Na-tional Open. And Harmon happens to be a golfer who is quite capable of winning a U, S. Open or the P.G.A. Ar carols Comeback A year ago there was pretty fair evidence that Eddie Arcaro was slipping. The slender Italian from Kentucky was still riding fairly well, but he was no centaur. He was booed around New York tracks whether he won or lost. It came to the point where it didn't matter to him whether they booed or cheered. This was the situation when Arcaro Ar-caro headed for Santa Anita last December. But on this occasion his health was better. He was in better condition. And suddenly a new ambition was born. "It will be different out here this time," he said. "It will be a lot different." Eddie began winning. lie began outriding Longdcn, Reeves and the rest of the outfit. When he I saw he couldn't win he was no longer content to pull up and let other horses place and show. Now he was riding them out. All the way. Be also was taking narrow nar-row open'ngs, rising recklessly at times. He was the old Arcara of winning years. Then he came back East again. He began winning on opening day at Jamaica. He has been winning ever since. |