The Omaha guide., 1946-04-27

from a spot above the eye level
While his size does a lot to con-
fuse, Newcombe was called on the
big time strictly on the strength
of his ability to pitch with control
and amazing strike out technique.
Just %, Newcombe has a lot OF
! youth to help his chances,
Campanella, who at Is is con
Coded to be the best catcher in
Negro basebaV halls from the
eyed and clever, he is predicted to
be the most likely cadidate sent
up to the judgement seat thus far.
He has been secuted more frequ-
emily than any other Negro play
e, and it is believed that he would
have been the first of his race to
enter the organized game had he
not been a catcher. The report has
it that the moguls were unwilling
to open up with a spot as vital
as that of guardian of the home
sack. The catcher, as you know, is
the quarterback of the baseball
diamond, and he has to LEI all of
the things and call the turn with
out error.
Both Newcombe and Campan-
allo have a decided advantage that
is denied to Robinson and Wright
their predecessors on the Dodgers
farm roster. They will be able 20
timber up mentally with greater
ease because of the thought of
CARRYING a whole race on their
shoulders will not be original en-.
ough to bother them too much
The way has been opened and il
is UP to them 10 get in there ano
| pitch and catch like the two great
athletes they are.
Coincident with signing of New.
combe and Campanella comes
revival of the rumors that Branch
Hickey, Brooklyn Dodgers biggit
is smoothly operating to get con.
troll of things in the Negro leagues
Hickey has denied this statement
! Several times, the last occasion
being last week when he BLASTED
: the reports as false, and made &
statement which summed UP, ir
essence means: he is a true be-
lever in democracy, and as such
he is giving the Nebro bows the
break they deserve to get into
the big game.
We'll, hickey, is something of a
philosopher, and in print anyhow,
his words always seem to point to
the fact that he has a noble heart
full of high ideals. Truthfully, ]
don't have any reason to doubt
anything he says on this score,
and I don't think any other writer
has either, but I think Hickey
would be putting a little more
truth behind the thought if he
expressed it something like this:
"Organized baseball is in one
heck of a mess right now. The
players are getting wise to the
fact that the game makes a lot OF
money, and that, except for a few
touted stars, most of the dough
goes into the Golfers of the oper-
ators. The fans, too, are causing
us a few sleepless nights. You
see, we have always promoted
baseball Is the great American
game Well, too many have beer
asking us. how American is The
American Negro, and why isn't h,
in the game?"
Then you've got those Pasque
brothers down in Mexico threat
ening to bust up our hold on The
game with their $6, 900, 900. Those
Guys r unpatrotic even though
they don't live on this side Of the
border. Thew must want to inter
~nationalize the game, and they
claim that we have a monopoly.
Well, monopoly is a nasty word to
Americans, especially baseball
fans. We don't like such reports
getting out, SO were signing up
Negro players, many of whom are
better than u best anyhow and
at the same time were building
new customer intelest to guaran-
tee the future.
Of course Hickey and none of
the biggies will ever make that
statement, but they've given the