Imperial Valley press., 1938-02-21
Bench
BY b. Kinne
Post Press
Sports Editor
Warming

Although this rule applies gen.
orally on any golf course at any
time. it appears to apply double
just before a tourney. When you
hear two top-notch golfers talk
ing in the locker room for ex-
ample, at the Barbara Worth club
just before the Imperial Valley
amateur which starts this week.
the conversation invariably runs
thuSly:
How'd you nit em today?'
Lousy. Simply awful. How'd you
go?'
Terrible. Couldn't hit the ground
with my hat"
Really, it doesn't fool anyone
Must be a part of the goofy golf
ing code.
While on golf. it's a Jolly FORUM
ate for the amateurs that Johnny
Turnac, the Yuma siege gun is
barred from competition because
of professional activities.
Because Johnny really winds up
on a golf ball And he can knock
in a pitch shot about as easy we
can a six incn putt. Which, after
all, isn't saying great deal, be-
cause those six inch puts are pref
ty tricky things for us to maneu-
yer.
Those Padres who pointed the
way last season are again primed
for the big parade.
Their position is said parade ma
turally cannot be predicted. In the
spring of 1887 little was heard of
the Padres, and few picked them
to place or shoW-fewer, if any,
to win. "Hardpan" Bill Lane if he
had any lunches, did not reveal
them, for he is a man of few
words. His outfit had been some
what disorganized when it pulled
up stakes in Los Angeles the year
before, and it is not customary for
clubsto win pennants their Sec
ond season in new city. Anyway,
the Padres punctured precedent
and prediction by finishing
bang-up third in the regular sea-
son and winning four straight
from Sacramento and Portland in
the playoff to win the pennant-
playing with such precision that
not once was it necessary to
change pitchers in the eight games
of the playoff, so consummate was
the skill of the combination in
the closing days. That part of the
picture may never be repeated be-
cause such complete supremacy
over a two-wek period against top
flight clubs in practically unprede-
dented. But there are other means
of winning championships.
Since those thrilling days the
San Diego club has lost few i'm
numbers. but considerable i'm
power. The absentees are George
Myatt. Bud Tuttla, Ted Williams
and Rupert Thompson. ThOmp-
son hit hard and consistently for
the most part. His 1926 placed
him in tied for tenth place
among the leagues hittcrs. Will
liams hit hard, rather than con-
sistently, and finished with
mark of .29l-which was nothing
exciting unless you saw the kid
in action. II is just possible that
the loss of power has been over
emphasized. In the meantime
three better than 800 hitters
have been added. One, of these
happens to be another Williams,
also yOunsster, who may prove
to be just as great i'm his way as
Ted. This is John Milo Williams,
who hits .352 i'm the Western In
ternational league last season.
became free agent through a
technically. and was sought by
half dozen big league. clubs
when Lane stepped i'm and whirI-
ed the lassO. He replaces Myatt,
a .281 hitter.
The pitching figures to be a re-
plica of last season, with the same
Big Five" powering the wheel of
fortune-"Tiny" Jim Chaplin, Wal
lace Hebert, Manuel Salvo, How
ard Craghead and Dick Ward. Be-
tween them they turned in SO VIC
tories last season, or three within
the number of games with which
Portland won the pennant in 1896.
Thus far the main pitching re-
cruit is Marion Tobin. a youthful
giant from the Western Interna-
tional. He is huSkiest among a
staff of regulars which averages
200 pounds. and the least of