Show CA CE 4 I TT T WAS easy enough to understand A why Ewell Blackwell was baseballs baseball's baseballs baseball's baseballs baseball's base base- balls ball's best pitcher in 1947 and why he might easily be baseballs baseball's best I pitcher in 1948 I After meeting Blackwell again out here in Los Angeles I began to study his physical make Six feet five and a fraction I l Ifor Ifor for a starter he looks slimmer than t ta i I ti a quill thinner than thana a drink of water I 1 Your first guess R would be that the j Reds Red's able sJ sniper per r 4 would weigh in at or pounds I I do better than Grantland Rice t h a t t Bla Blackwell said Make it pounds and you'll be right Which means there is a lot of fiber and muscles on those long bones This coming National league race should be the best in baseball history the Red bean pole said The American will league race be bea a two-club two scramble Red Sox and Yankees In the National league they already are talking about the Dodgers Brav Braves Cardinals and n Giants These will all be tough But the Reds wont won't be any push Well be stronger than we were last season Well We'll get much better pitching Well We'll score more runs Well We'll bother more teams Johnny is planning a drive at that first division and we wont won't be far away Just how do you figure the therace therace therace race I asked the human sky sky- scraper A very tough race Blackwell said too tough for me to pick But ButI I can promise you this Boston is going to make a big effort to have havea a Boston world series It could happen hap hap- pen With the new stars brought in Stephens and Kramer and other help the Red Sox have the edge edgein in the American league Not a n big bigi I i edge but a margin to work on It would be a killing margin if we knew that Hughson Harris and Ferries Ferriss Ferriss Fer- Fer riss ries would be O. O K Pick Braves to Beat The Braves will be tough to handle handle handle han han- dle in the National They have two star pitchers in Spahn and Sam Sain They have a star manager and a flock of good ballplayers The Dodgers should be just lust as good and the Cardinals will be better than a year ago But the Braves still have havea a good chance in a very tough scramble After winning 22 games last season season season sea sea- son I was sorry that I was halted by an injured knee and a bad back Blackwell said I was no good the thelast thelast thelast last three weeks Id I'd like to slip by that 25 mark this year Johnny Lindell another 6 foot 4 or inch 5 athlete came by a few minute later Lindell is one of the most underrated underrated under under- rated ballplayers in the game Johnny Johnny Johnny John John- ny was an around all-around star in California California California Cali Cali- fornia baseball football tennis track and field and golf This covers quite a span In bas baseball baU he can pitch play the outfield first base and hit Lindell refuses to concede the Red Sox any pennant I know how much those Browns will help he said but Im I'm not sure they'll cover the game 12 margin we piled up last fall Heres Here's another angle what wins pennants Pitching of course Well We'll have another strong staff again backed up by Joe Page But who knows how good Tex Hughson Hugh- Hugh son Mickey Harris and Boo Ferriss Ferriss Ferriss Fer- Fer riss will be All had bad arms in 1947 None of the three was any too effective An operation could help Hughson But it also could help Spud Chandler one of the best Ive I've ever seen Tiger H Hurling Best What about Frank Shea one of the best young pitchers I ever saw His arm was O. O K K again at atthe atthe I the end of the season and this should mean at least a game 22 winner Well We'll have a better pitching staff than the Red Sox and that will make a big difference I know its it's tough to beat out a I club that has Ted Williams Vern Stephens Johnny Pesky Dom Dam DiMaggio DiMaggio DiMaggio Di- Di Maggio and so many other good ones but we had a pretty fair ball club too We ran up 19 in a row with our two best pitchers on the I bench or in the hospital We also have a few fellows who can hit when you need hits I I The Tigers may have the best pitching in either league Their infield infield in in- field doesn't look any too hot and in-I in their outfield is a guess Cleveland will be a much tougher team to beat Bob Feller will have or should have a much better year after a much longer rest But the race should be bc between the Yankees and the Red Sox The Pennant Races You cant can't blame the west coast coastin in taking a deep interest in the two big league pennant races The west coast gave the two Dl- Dl Joe and Dom to the Yankees and the Red Sox The west coast sent Joe Gordon and Johnny Pesky to the Indians and the Red Sox and Jack Robinson to the Dodgers ers This is only a beginning Ted Williams Williams Williams Wil Wil- liams left San Diego to o Join the Red Sox and he still stands as the best aU around all around batter in baseball |