Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-02-13


49, 160 or 165 pounds.
e2s ~@%=a IL a%s2ssEX Il do better than
Cr,rn,ndp;oe t h t." Blackwell
said. make it 1913
pounds, and you'll be right" Which
means there is a lot of fiber and
muscles on those long bones.
"This coming National league
race should be the best in baseball
history" the Red bean pole said.
"The American league race will be
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 all be tough. But
the Reds won't be any push-over.
We'll be stronger than we were
last season. Well get much better
pitching. Well score more runs.
Well 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
racer" I asked the human sky
scraper.
"a very tough race" Blackwell
said, too tough for me to pick. But
can promise you this. Boston is
going to make a big effort to have
Boston world series. 1t could 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 margin to work on. It
would be killing margin if we
knew that Hughson, Harris and Fer
riss would be o. X.
Pick Braves to Beat
1.-THE Braves will be tough to ham
die in the National. They have two
star pitchers in SPAIN 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
good chance in a very tough
scramble.
after winning % games last sea-
| son, l was sorry that l was halted
by an injured knee and bad back"
Blackwell said. Il was no good the
last three weeks. I'd like to slip by
that Is mark this year"
Johnny Lindell, another 6 foot, 4
or 5-inch athlete, came by a few
minute later.
rated ballpIayers in the game. John
ny was an all-around star in Cali
fornia - baseball, football, tennis,
track and field and golf. This covers
quite span. In baseball he can
pitch, play the outfield, first base
and hit.
Lindell refuses to concede the Red
Sox any pennant. Il 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.
Well have another strong staff
again, backed up by Joe Page But
who knows how good Tex Hugh
son, Mickey Harris and Boo Fer
riss will be? All had bad arms in
1917. 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 Hurting Best
What about Frank Shea - one
of the best young pitchers l ever
saw? His arm was o. K. again at
the end of the season and this should
mean at least 22-game winner
Well have a better pitching staff
than the Red SoX, and that will
make big difference.
Il know it's tough to beat out
club that has Ted Williams, Vern
Stephens, Johnny Pesky, Dom Di-
Maggie and so many other good
ones, but we had a pretty fair ball
club, too. We ran up 10 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.
1.-THE Tigers may have the best
pitching in either league. Their in
field doesn't look any too hot and
their outfield is guess. Cleveland
will be much tougher team to
beat. Bob Teller will have or should
have much better year after
much longer rest. But the race
should be between the Yankees and
the Red Sox."
The Pennant Races
You can't blame the west coast
in taking deep interest in the two
big league pennant races.
The west coast gave the two 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
Soy and Lack Robinson To tho Dodn