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Show ) fCMlVrLANDlf ' j IT WAS easy enough to understand why Ewell BlackweU was baseball's base-ball's best pitcher in 1947, and why he might easily be baseball's best pitcher in 1948. After meeting BlackweU again out here in Los Angeles, I began to study his physical make-up. Six feet five and a fraction, for a starter, he looks slimmer than a quill, thinner than a drink of water. Your first guess would be that the Red's able sniper would weigh in at 160 or 165 pounds. "I do better than GrantlandRice t h a BlackweU said. "Make it 198 pounds, and you'U be right." Which moans there is a lot of fiber and muscle on those long bones. "This coming National league race should he the best in baseball history," the Red bean pole said. "The American league race will he a two-club scramble . Red Sox and Yankees. In the National league, they already are talking about the Dodgers, Braves, Cardinals and Giants. These will ail be tough. But the Reds won't be any push-over. "We'll be stronger than we were last season. We'll get much better pitching. We'll score more runs. We'll bother more teams. Johnny Neun is planning a drive at that first division and we won't be far away." "Just how do you figure the race?" I asked the human skyscraper. sky-scraper. "A very tough race," BlackweU said, "too tough for me to pick. But I can promise you this. Boston is going to make a big effort to have a Boston world series. It could happen. hap-pen. With the new stars brought in, Stephens and Kramer and other help, the Red Sox have the edge in the American league. Not a big edge, but a margin to work on. It would be a killing margin if we knew that Hughson, Harris and Fer-riss Fer-riss would be O. K. Pick Braves to Beat "The Braves will be tough to handle han-dle in the National. They have two star pitchers in Spahn and Sain. They have a star manager and a flock of good ballplayers. The Dodgers should be just as good and the Cardinals will be better than a year ago. But the Braves still have a good chance in a very tough scramble. "After winning 22 games last season, sea-son, I was sorry that I was halted by an injured knee and a bad back," BlackweU said. "I was no good the last three weeks. I'd like to slip by that 25 mark this year." Johnny Lindell, another 6 foot, 4 or 5-inch athlete, came by a few minute later. Lindell is one of the most underrated under-rated ballplayers in the game. Johnny John-ny was an all-around star in California Cali-fornia baseball, football, tennis, track and field and golf. This covers quite a span. In baseball 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 I'm not sure they'll cover the 12-game margin we piled up last fall. Here's another angle what wins pennants? Pitching, of course. We'll have another strong staff again, backed up by Joe Page. But who knows how good Tex Hugh-son, Hugh-son, Mickey Harris and Boo Fer-riss 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 I've ever seen. Tiger Hurling Best "What about Frank Shea one of the best young pitchers I ever saw? His arm was O. K. again at the end of the season and this should mean at least a 22-game winner. We'il have a better pitching staff than the Red Sox, and that will make a big difference. "I know it's tough to beat out a club that has Ted Williams, Vern Stephens, Johnny Pesky, Dom Di-Maggio Di-Maggio and so many other gcod ones, but we had a pretty fair ball club, too. We ran up 19 in a row with our two best pitchers on the bench or in the hospital. We also have a few fellows who can hit when you need hits. "The Tigers may have the best pitching in either league. Their in- 1 field 'doesn't look any too hot and their outfield Is a guess. Cleveland will be a much tougher team to beat. Bub Feller will have or should have a much better year after a much longer rest. But the race should be between the Yankees and the Red Sox. I m m The Pennant Races You can't blame the west coast in taking a deep interest in the two big league pennant races. The west coast gave the two Di-Maggios. Di-Maggios. 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. Dodg-ers. This is only a beginning. Ted Williams Wil-liams left San Diego to Join the Red Sox and he still stands as the best all-around batter in baseball. |