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Show I SPORTL1GHT , Home Stretch Competition is Tough I By GRANTLAND RICE 1 THERE are two vital physical factors that make baseball what it Is, and these two have to be hitting hit-ting and pitching. In this connection it might interest you to know that the waning season of 1951, now into August, is offering the best competition com-petition in both departments that we have seen in some time. Who will be the best hitters and the best pitchers In the two big leagues? The percentage per-centage duel in the National League at the moment gives you Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson and Richie Ash-burn, Ash-burn, Wyrostek and Campanella follow In order. Stan Musial Mu-sial is still the one tn hffflt. The Cardi- even greater significance. Who will be tops of the two leagues? In the National we have Preacher Roe, Don Newcombe and possibly Ralph Branca of the Dodgers; Sal Maglie of the Giants; Church and Roberts of the Phillies; Staley of the Cardinals; Car-dinals; Dickson of the Pirates and Spahn of the Braves. Big Newcombe is probably the best pitcher in his league, although Roe is right along side. Newcombe started slowly, but he has been moving in a hurry the last six weeks. Those who still have a chance to win 20 or more games in the N.L. are Roe, Newcombe, Staley, Mag-lie, Mag-lie, Jansen, Roberts but most of them won't. To top the 20-game mark they must win from eight to ten games In the next two months, which is considerable winning. Roe and Newcombe should be kick-ins, with that Dodger collection supplying supply-ing the runs. It makes a heavy difference which team you are pitching for. Gerald Staley of the Cardinals has had a big year. So has Dickson of the Pirates Pi-rates a poor ball club. The amazing Bob Feller Is still king of American League pitchers. Don't forget that Feller threw his first ball for Cleveland back In 1936, 15 years ago. He Is still one of the greats. On the record, Garver of the Browns is the top man. He is crowding crowd-ing Feller, but Garver is pitching for the Browns, not for the Indians. Just back of these we have Raschl, Reynolds and Lopat of the Yankees, Yan-kees, Garcia of the Indians and Parnell of the Red Sox. The big disappointment so far has been Bob Lemon, who has won 20 or more games his last three seasons. r .. a d, . nal entry is close Grantland Rlct , . , , to 30 points above his 1950 mark, but Ashburn has crashed the Musial-Robinson party with his best year. In the American League we have Coan of Washington, Minoso of Chicago, Chi-cago, Fain of the Athletics, Kell of the Tigers, Williams of the Red Sox and Avila of the Indians. These have been under a blanket most of the route. There is no way to give you a guess here, although Ted Williams is the best-known name. Ted came from around .215 to move into this company. He then had three hitless games and dropped back, but he is due to be dangerous all the way. The home-run anteroom is now well filled. In the National League we have Gil Hodges and Ralph Kiner setting the pace, but Musial, Snider, Campanella, Westlake, Pafko, Mays and Thomson are still well grouped. Kiner, the Pittsburgh Exploder, should get the call. It should be Musial and Kiner again, just as it has been before. Kiner is a natural slugger. There was a time when Hodges was putting on a runaway, until Kiner spotted the interloper and set out In pursuit. In the A.L. the home-run crown isn't quite up to the older league. A young fellow by the name of Gus Edward Zernial of the Athletics, picked up in a trade with the White Sox, is the best-looking man in the group, unless Ted Williams breaks loose later. Zernial, a 28-year-old Texan, had 29 home runs last season. He is exactly ex-actly the type the White Sox could use at this moment. Wertz of the Tigers and Robinson of the White Sox are not too far away. The Pitching Race Since pitching is rated from 70 to 75 per cent of winning or losing baseball, the ranking here is of Comparing the Heavyweights A New Jersey letter arrives asking ask-ing us to rank the four top heavyweights heavy-weights in order including those who are soon to make what is often called pugilistic history. Hardest puncher in order Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles. Best boxer Ezzard Charles. Ability to take It Joe Louis, Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano (an unknown quantity in this respect). Ring smartness Almost a dead heat among Louis, Charles and Walcott. Wal-cott. Here again Marciano is an unknown quantity, Marciano must be ranked an unknown quantity on most counts. He is young and strong and he can punch. But Layne, in spite of his victory over Walcott, was entirely too raw, too unskilled, to give any man a rating against him. A fighter who doesn't know he has a left hand simply can't be used as a measure. |
