Show Second Time Around THE HE MOST important spot In 1 any baseball players player's career Is la lathe the second time around It is the sophomore year not the freshman pan span that counts Naturally a ballplayer likes to toI I look k good Rood that first season to et J w. w H. H f his chance but too many of them have suddenly hi hithe hit the soapy chute chute after a fine initial initia campaign much to to the sorrow of some optimistic m man a n a- a ger Among those who will vill be c closely I 0 s e 1 y watched next season season season sea sea- Grantland Rice son will be Al Dark the Braves' Braves shortstop Richie Ashburn the footed fleet-footed Phillip outfielder Billy Goodman the Red Sox first baseman Larry Doby the Indian outfielder and Hank Sauer and Virgil Stallcup of the Reds Some of the pitchers under scrutiny will be Gene Bearden of the Cleveland club Robin Roberts and aDd Curt Simmons of the Phillies Bob Porterfield of the Yankees Pittsburgh's Bob Chesnes Ralph Hamner Damner of the Cubs and Erv Palica Pallca and aDd a few other Dodger entries s. s The three prize rookies who can play leading roles next season are Dark Ashburn and Bearden Ashburn Ashburn Ashburn Ash- Ash burn will have no winning pennant-winning act to unroll but Dark and Bearden might Both are fine young ballplayers ballplayers ballplayers ball ball- players on teams that won pennants pennants pennants pen pen- nants last fall largely or partly because these two rookies were round around The Braves couldn't have won without Dark and the Indians couldn't have won without Bearden I can almost hear Billy Southworth Southworth Southworth South- South worth singing Honey dear listen here here Im Im I'm afraid to go home without without without with with- out Dark Dark a great football player player- almost another Van Buren a fine golfer a golfer a star allaround around athlete can be the top entry of 1949 So can Gene Bearden of the Indians If It Dark is as good as ashe ashe ashe he was last year and Bearden is Just as effective we might see sec a replay of 1948 this next s season ason and Porterfield can mean meana a lot to the Yankees You may recall recall recall re re- re- re call the able job Frank Shea did for the Yankees in 1947 He was a different Shea in 1948 where he had exchanged his streamlined form for a blimp If Shea reports at or pounds he has a chance He has plenty in the way of stuff and heart Doby like is hardly a sophomore He was around in 1947 But n not t too much in evidence His first big year was 1948 and he has the equipment needed to have a bigger year in 1949 S S S Looking to 1949 We are now looking through winters winter's winters winter's winters winter's win win- ter's snowstorms mists and fogs togs into the campaign of or 1949 from late April to October Who will be the star rookie of 1949 to tomake good on his second trip around You already have the leaders- leaders Dark Bearden Ashburn and Good Good- man mall Doby can be rated if you figure him a 1948 freshman or a 1949 sophomore Doby is as good an around all-around outfielder as Ive I've seen besides Williams and DIl gio And Bearden is the best young pitcher Ive I've seen in some time He lie was the pennant and the worlds world's series savior of 1948 19 But there are always pitfalls pitfalls pitfalls pit pit- falls ahead Who can tell teU where they arc In 1947 Ewell Blackwell looked to be one of the star pitchers of 6 Inch star many years The foot 6 from California won 22 games and lost host eight with the drooping Reds With other teams he would have passed the 30 mark Here was one of the great young pitchers from baseball history to reach the game But it was a different story in 1948 The tall taU and willowy Blackwell Black- Black wen well came along with a sore arm He was never right through the 1048 1948 season where the year before he had pitched 17 consecutive no- no hit bit Innings You cant can't pitch with a sore arm You cant can't pitch with too much fat tat Shea You can only pitch when you are in ID shape You can only play baseball when and last you are in shape yet spring Id I'd say that about 70 per percent percent percent cent of ot the players who reported were not in nearly as good condition condition condition condi condi- tion as Ducky Medwick was and Medwick has been around for tor more mor years than most of us can r remember member Medwick has always reported in shape shap And then gotten In n better shape Most ballplayers report in soggy shape and spend most of of their time trying to work of off fat tat At least too many do I dont don't believe this will win happen to Dark Ashburn Bearden Dearden Doby Goodman Chesnes and one or two others who can be vital cogs in various pennant machines of 1949 I look to see both and Porterfield Porterfield Porterfield Por Por- of the Yankees ready rendy to go |