Evening star., 1952-04-26
|Underdog Cubs Rival
Browns as Sensations
|0f Ear|Y-Season Play
BY the Associated Press

The upstart st. Louis Browns,
sensations of early-season play in
the American League, have been,
getting a lot of cheers. And now
look who has come along as SEN
sations Of the National League.
None other than the Chicago Cubs.
Most of the National League
owners ridiculed the Cubs all
winter for not making deals.
What can they do with that
club?" they asked. How can
they afford to stand pat? Eddie
Miksis is the only pro on the
roster" ....
That was the way the CONVEX
Sation ran at the winter meetings
and around the training camps,
too. Sure. they won the Grape
fruit League title. But they did
that last year. It didn't mean
a thing. Or did it?
Trail Dodgers by One Game.
The Cubs have carried their
fine preseason play into the reg
ular season. With a 6-2 record
they're within clutching distance
Of the lead. trailing Brooklyn by
only one game.
frankie Baumholtz has been a
spring sensation. In yesterdays
7-3 victory over Cincinnati, he
raped a triple and two singles to
boost his average to ASS. He has
hit safely in all eight Cub games.
Hank Sauer'S home run and two
runs batted in boosted him into a
second-place tie in both depart
ments with three homers and IL
RIBS.
Miksis, who was slated to be the
Cubs second baseman. before he
pulled a leg muscle. returned to
the lineup at shortstop, replacing
Roy Smalley, benched by a leg
injury.
Blackwell Blows Lead.
Bob Kelly silenced the Reds
with five hits for his first win
while handing Ewell Blackwell his
second straight loss. Blackwell
blew a 20 lead and Reliefer Niles
Jordan didn't do any better.
Gerry Staley of the Cardinals
needed help from Reliefer Al
Brazle and solid hitting by Wally
Westlake. Stan Musial and Steve
Bilko to whip Pittsburgh. Ga. The
28-year-old curve-ball pitcher hac
a shutout until the seventh. Wher
the Pirates jumped him for two
more in the eighth, Brazle came in
WeStlake and Musial smashed
three singles to account for hall
the Cards IL hits. Bulky Steve
Bilko had two doubles and a single
in the attack on loser Joe Muil
and four others.
Only 1,945 fans watched tn,
game in chilly weather. It wa
the smallest Forbes Field turnou
since the 1902 on September
1916.
Indians Beat White Sox.
Harry Simpson, who flounderet
with a .229 average in his rooki,
year, was the big noise in Cleve
lands 5-4 victory over the Whit,
Sox. The fleet outflelder cappec
a three-hit day by knocking home
two runs with a double in the las
OF the ninth to tie the score aftel
Chicago scored two in the top half
Simpson then came home on LUX,
Casters fly with the winning run
1t was tight contest between
Early Winn and Billy Pierce unit
the ninth. After Ray Boone HON
cred in the second, Pierce shu
out the Indians on one hit through
the next six innings. Given
two-run lead in the first of tn
: ninth, he couldn't stand pros
perity.
The Browns and Detroit wer,
not scheduled. Everybody else wa
: rained out. including the frs
: 1851 Polo Grounds meeting o
Brooklyn and the Giants. Othe
postponements were New York a
Washington and Boston at Phila
=. delphia in the American an,
Philadelphia at Boston in tn
National.