Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-07-30

sN~4< N>'~"'*.~" players IN the big
liams leagues who are
not big lie ague
ballplayers.
This applies especially to pitch
ing, with any number of right and
left arms trying in vain to locate
the plate. There have been too many
badly played games, too many mis-
plays. But there are still more than
a few stars.
How would you size them up?
Here, at least, is starter:
American league - Ted Will
liams, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Boud-
reau, Joe Gordon, George Kell,
Ken Keltner and Allen Zarilla.
National league-Stan Musial,
Ralph Kiner, Hank Sauer, Coun-
try Slaughter, Johnny Mize,
Andy PafkO, Pee Wee Reese,
Del Ennis, Tommy Holmes and
Carl Furillo.
The National league has come up
with the stronger hitters in Kiner
and Sauer, two able powerhouses in
human mold who can hit the ball
long way. AS things look at this
somewhat early date, the older
league has picked the better crop
of kids.
Lack Great Ballplayers
But outside of Musial, the older
circuit has nothing to match Will
iams, Boudreau and DiMaggio as
great ballplayers.
Williams is the only ballplayer
left with even an outside chance
to crowd Ty Cobb's brilliant
lifetime record of 1867. Williams
is up above $50 for his entire
career, which means he will
need two or three 400 seasons to
start threatening challenge.
In any event, Williams is the only
ballplayer left hanging around with
the Hornsbys, Jacksons, Sisters and
one or two others who belong on the
higher uplands of swat
Williams is the last of the big
hitters, the only one who might
know another 400 year in his
league. The National has its chal-
lenger in Musial, great ballplayer,
and another potential 400 entry.
Williams and MuSial are the two
best we have eft when it comes to
moving the old ash furniture around
the house.
The pitchers? You can forget
about them. There isn't a pitcher
today in the same class with Cy
Young, Pete Alexander, Christy
MatheWsOn, Walter Johnscn-espe-
cially johnson. And no one around
who is as good as Eddie Plank or
Lefty Grove.
The last great pitcher the game
had was Dizzy Dean. Bob Teller
could have been, if it hadn't been
for his outside interests, plus the
war. Hal Newhouser isn't too far
off. Ewell Blackwell was on his way
when a sore arm bowled him over.
Golf Psychology
Golfers can't understand why
their games should change so quick
ly and so sharply.
Golf is largely game of
mental attitude for the day. This
varies sharply. There are GER
tain days when you can con-
centrate on what you want to
do. AS Jim Barnes put it
Concentration is thinking of
the right thing-at the right
time"
This means that you can remem-
Der to swing smoothly-to keep
your head in place, two of the es-
sential things to do. A day later
you'll keep hurrying your back
swing and then hurry your down
swing. Your mental attitude is one
of hurry.
"On the days play well, or better
than USUAL certain leading anna
teur said recently, Il feel lazy.
That's a good way to feel if you
want to score. Feel lazy. That
doesn't mean you have to loaf walk
ing. 1t means you are in no hurry
to get the club head in motion. You
loaf on the backswing and then loaf
on the downswing"
Finish Your Backs,Uing
This is true enough. On certain
days, the golfer starts his down.
swing before he finishes his back
swing. This is one of the games
most common faults. Unless the
backswing is fully completed, the
downswing is wrecked in advance.
"You looked up on that one,"
someone will say. Looking up
wasn't the fault. Hurrying the
hnn Iy ktrn 70
reason, the head was lifted.
You can feel lazy on certain days.
On other days you can't. You try
to-but it won't work any too eff
fectively. On certain days, you can
think of only swinging the club
head.