Show I 1 I 1 I 1 11 1 1 ir TT WAS easy enough to un understand der stand why ewell blackwell was baseballs best pitcher in 1047 and why ho he might easily be baseballs be best s t pitcher in 1948 after meeting blackwell again out b here ere in los angeles I 1 began to study studs ills his ghys phys physical cal makeup make up S six t feet et I 1 1 I f five and a traction fraction I 1 M v tor for a starter he ha kat T looks sli slimmer himer than qu 77 a quill thinner than 11 a drink drink of water your first guess I 1 would bo be that the tha reds nods able sniper I 1 would weigh in at lic i ICO or t pounds alt 1 1 I do better than grantland Grantlan dIl nice fee t h a t 11 blackwell bin said make it t pounds and be rig right effit which means there Is a loti loc of fiber and muscle on those long bones this thin coming national league race should he be the best in baseball baK phill history the cited hean bean pole said amid the rho american league leacue race Ivill ivillee be a two club scramble itce sex box and Yanli ces in the national leagued league they already are arc talking about thi the dodgers braves cardinals and giants these willell will wil lall all 10 bb touch tough tut but the reds wont bo be any pushover push over well be stronger than we w lost last season well get much better pitching well score scare more mora runs well bother more teams fis johnny Is planning a drive at that end and we won wont I 1 be far kway away just how do you figure the race I 1 asked the human skyscraper A very tough race blackwell said atoo too tough forme or me to pick but I 1 can promise you this boston bostan Is going to make a big effort to have a boston world series seri esIt it could h hap ap pen with the new stars brought in stephens and kramer and other help the red sox hayo hay a the edge in the tha american league not a big edge but a margin to work on it would be a killing margin if wo we knew that harris and would he be 0 K pick braves to beat the B braves raves will be tough to handlei in the national they have two star pitchers pitcher 8 in spahn and sain they have a star manager and a hock flock of good ballplayers the dodgers should be e lust just as good gond and the cardinals will be better than a ye year arago ago but the tha Braves still U have a good chance in a very tough scramble I 1 after winning 22 ga hes son I 1 was sorry I 1 that thail I 1 was halted hala by an injured anco and a bad back blackwell sold said 1 I 1 was no good the last three weeks id lilie like io to slip by that 25 2 mark maik this year johnny lindell an another biller fl 6 foot font 4 or mach 5 inch athlete came by a lew few minute laier lindell Is one of the mn enst under I 1 rated ballplayers in tho grame game john ny was a an allaround all around star in california baseball 16 football 0 abill tennis track and held field and golf this covers quite it A span to in baseball hean pitch play the outfield first base and lilt hit lindell refuses to concede the red sox any pennant 1 I know how much those browns will help he said I 1 but im not sure cover tile the 12 gamel game margin we piled up last fail fall heres another angle what wins pennants pitching of course well have ve another strong staff again backed up tip byjoe page but bu who knows how good tex hughson mickey clarris and boo fer his will be all had ad bad arms in 1047 1947 none of the three wf lany top too effective an operation could help hughson but it also could help spud chandler one of the best ivo ive everdeen ever seen tiger turling hurling best what about frank prault shea one of the best gouni young pitchers I 1 ever saw ills his arm was 0 oc ne ki again at the vw end end of 1 the season and this his should mean at least a 22 game winner well have a better betler pitching staff than the red sox and that will make a big 09 diff difference 1 I know its tough to beat out a club that has ted williams vern stephens johnny pesky dom dl DI maggio and so many other good ones but we had a pretty fair ball club top too we ran up 18 19 in a row with our two best pitchers on the bench or in the hospital we also have hava a few fellows who con can bli bit when you need hits the tigers may have the best pitching in either league their infield look any too hot and outfield Is 19 aj R guess cleveland will be a much tougher team cam to 0 o beat bob feller will have or should have a much better year after a much longer rest but the vice race should be between tho the yankees and the he cited sox box I 1 0 4 0 the pennant races you cant blame the west coast in to taking king a deep interest in the two big league pennant rates races the wes west coast gave the two dl da maggio Mag gios joe and dom to io the ya yankees and the red sox box the west east coast rent pent joe gordon and johnny pesky to the indiana end and the red roxand sox and jack robinson to the dodgers this ls a only it a berliner berlI nir ted williams lom san diego to join the red 8 box ox and he still stands as the best allaround all around batter in baseball I 1 I 1 11 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 4 1 I 1 |