Show I These Hitters Will Bear Watching By GRANTLAND RICE As n S 16 MAJOR league clubs move off under full steam there will willbe willbe willbe be more than one or two high spots to watch as the campaign rolls along It is only natural that most of these elevated notches will take in inthe inthe the stars of 1948 such s u c h as Stan S tan r- r Lou Bou- Bou Boudreau Boudreau Boudreau dreau Ted T e d Wil Wil- Williams Williams WilP P liams hams Joe DiMaggio H Bre- Bre Brecheen Brecheen Brei gio Harry a r r y i cheen Gene Bear- Bear Bearden Bearden Bearden den the run home-run duel between Ralph I Kiner and Johnny Mize plus such od- od Grantland Rice as Larry La L a r r y Yogi Berra's catching improve improve- ment With Joe DiMaggio's wounded heel in such a precarious state the three holdover leaders from 1948 will be Williams and Bou- Bou dreau Boudreau is the mystery man His batting average for 10 seasons is now It was well below this mark at this date last season Yet the Cleveland pilot lifted his batting count to a phenomenal up up- upward upward upward ward leap Lou L u is now 32 years old The question is Will the Cleveland star keep ke p in the general neighbor neighbor- neighborhood neighborhood neighborhood hood of this season or drop back to his lifetime average around Boudreaus Boudreau's 1949 career will write an important chapter in the new American league race What about the duel between Williams and 1 Last year 1 struck for Williams for 1 hit 39 home borne runs Wiliams 25 1 drove home runs Williams The Cardinal slugger had a fair edge in every department of hit hit- hitting hitting hitting ting but it will be interesting to see whether he can repeat this triumph tri tri- triumph triumph against one of the greatest hitters of all time On the other side of the question it might be noted that Stan can also handle the old ash rather deftly His lifetime I big league av av- average average av- av average is Williams being These are the two top men today with no one else close What about the big league pitching duel between Harry Darry Breechen and Gene Bearden Last year each won 20 and dropped 7 for a mark of Breechen Breech en allowed earned runs per game Bearden This is about as close as the count can be Johnny Sam Sain ain the Braves Brave's able star won 24 games to lead both I leagues Hal possibly I the best pitcher in in baseball today today- at least he is one of the best three is is another contender who hopes hope to lead both leagues in games won even with only an average outfit would roll home work working working working ing with the Red Sox or Indians Sain Sam and Vic Vie Rasch should lead the pitchers with Bre Bre- Brecheen Brecheen Brecheen cheen Bearden and Lemon close The Run Home-Run Picture The section or sector allotted to to run home-run hitters will be a highly highly- interesting compartment this sea sea- son First of all it is high time the Johnny Ralph Mize-Ralph Kiner deadlock was broken The two tied in 1947 and they remained tied in in 48 They each struck off 51 homers in 1947 and 40 last year making a total of 91 This cant can't go on forever It is due to be snapped this new season Last season both Joe DiMaggio and Stan hit 39 home runs each Heres the odd part about this count Stan told me this spring I actually hit 41 homers Two were credited only as two base Yet certain certain certain tain umpires stated they were home runs They really were Theres no question of a doubt about this tIus fact manager Eddie Dyer cut in in Stan ac ac- actually actually ac- ac actually had 41 homers last year which would have given him the triple crown Umpires make few mistakes But apparently two blew a pair of four in the case rarely complains The fact that he was supported by Eddie Dyer and a number of umpires is proof enough that he was right No Noone one can say yet whether Ted Williams will go out for right field swinging into the run home-run zones or fight for the batting leadership of his league Williams and are two star all-star hitters The condition of Joe lag Dil DiMaggio's DiMaggio's gios gio's heel beel may eliminate one of the strong contenders Mize lize Kiner 1 and Williams should provide most of the four-base four artillery But there is isone isone isone one more entry entry Sid Sid Gordon of the Giants Gordon blasted 30 home runs last season He lIe is far in front of the pack this tl spring with a March and early April record that takes you back to the big years of Babe Ruth I This run home-run scramble should be one of the most interesting fea fea- features features tures turcs of the new season |