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Show t" . ' ' r ; - , .. by Sfcnlcy Roberts---- - - ,!?., j,., , " 7.A'-.'i..- -:7- m . ; :.: ; ' ... With faith in God, St. Judo, and his powerful left arm, . Herb Score of the Cleveland Indians greatest pitchers of them all. ... - . St. - . .1 - - - - i 1933. His mother, Anna Mae, ther Thomas Kelly of Holy of the impossible, was indeed" Name o! Mary school in Valsmiling down on Herbert Jude ley Stream, Long Island." Father Kelly, like everyone Score in Boston's Fenway who Herb's helped develop Score into park last May L It was apparently foresaw his future for she blessed him with a middle name that Catholic tradition reserves for those ; 1 ! -- ) hv i :r Al rrc-- i f 1 --- a a :::s hfK t!rcr.g ... fcr H first year as a pitcher, and his performance that day was magnificent: he struck out 16 Red Sox and sent them to the showers shocked and beaten, 1! As the fans ' filtered out of the - park, sportswriters mobbed the Cleveland rookie, firing questions at him with greater speed than his fastball "How'd it feel to strike out IS men?" . . . "Were you nervous?" . . . "Who1 ... skirted big-leag- ue 2-- -- you off as a pitcher! ttrfX. 4 I..t Ann' smiled Herb. "A priest 18 Sccrt crcd'Ji V Fa- - Family Wtekly Magaxlnt, April IS, K tra hU end a Cob Fc"r tayi Scora'i fcr succsss. bi'J Ij be f fcr i hi n his own. J-- d's - the American League's 1055 Rookie of the Year, found him a brilliant pupil None of them was surprised with his amazing record of 215 strikeouts, which was the best in both leagues and by 18 Grover Cleveland Alexander's mark for first-ye- ar pitchers a mark that had stood for 44 years. And just like his fastball, Herb Score has traveled a long baseball distance in an amazingly short time. Only 22 years old, he was born in Rosedale, N. Y., on June 7, which-shattere- mi xV 7 '.C::77 v.-- m MT a , 1 : (V baseball, I play baseball.' Most of the time" she say.Tje'd make an error and Fd have a mess on the floor." On the sixth-grateam at Holy Name school, Herb was playing outfield until the day the club's pitcher didn't show up. 1 was shagging flies in the outfield when Father Kelly walked out and asked me if Td pitch," he recalls. "I said I didn't know anything about pitching, but Td like the chance of throwing them at the plate." He did throw them at the plate, the team won that afternoon, and Herb never rede . .' . L - Juez, patron saint t ,. .. r '. : d who shall do the impossible." Herb jests about this but is quick to admit he faces a lot of "impossible' situations while pitching. "It's .during those tough days on the - mound that I realize the need for God's help," he says, "and I'm not ashamed to admit I ask Him for that help." Herb developed his interest in baseball almost naturally. From the time he learned to talk, his mother recalls, ."Herb would reach? Into the refrigerator, grab an egg, and throw it in the air yelling, 'baseball, r the fastest thing I ever saw and his attitude was equally , impressive." In three seasons Score averaged two strikeouts per inning .and pitched games. . lx no-h- it In Florida, where most of the 16 Major League clubs conduct Spring training, legends spread quickly about this extraordinary left- hander, and the Cleveland Indians signed him up. Has Score lived up to his advance billing? "He's greater than we ever says Cleveland manager Al Lopez. "He's a wonderful kid. Hell be one of expected," the all-ti- me great pitchers." Bob Feller, who ranks as one of the fastest pitchers of them all and who has watched turned to the'DutfieloVl"r':".lZT Major Leaguers come and go "After that, Father Kelly for 17 years, rates" Score's was convinced I could pitch," , fastball better than his own. "Herb is the greatest pitcher says Score. "He started working regularly with me, show-in- g in baseball," says teammate me how. to wind up, de- - Feller. "He has a million-do- l- liverrand coverthe jnounoVJ still remember all he taught me, especially about having faith in God and myself." The Scores moved to Lake Worth, Fla!, when Herb was ol 15. There coach A. F. Smith, Jr., took over from Father Kelly. 'T knew the kid would be great," says Smith. "He was high-scho- larjrm,He!Ujvin,jmaybe 30 games this year." The baseball world agrees with Feller and Lopez that Score's chances of entering the Hall of Fame are as likely as a packed house at an Ethel Merman opening on Broadway. He can't miss, especially with St Jude behind him in the pitching box! ... |