Evening star., 1952-04-05
Steve Ridzik's Luck
Turns, Rookie Blanks
Cards on No-Hitter
BY the Associated Press

Fortune at last has begun to
smile on Steve Ridzik, the Phil
lies 22-year-old rookie right
handler. Ridzik turned in the gem
of his career yesterday at Savan-
nah, Ga. as he pitched the Phils
to a no-hit 80 victory over the
St. Louis Cardinals.
Ridzik, a native of Yonkers.
N. Y, who recently was made a
starting pitcher by Manager Eddie
Sawyer. has had little to cheer
about until this season.
Steve Joined the Phillies' organi-
cation when he was only 16. His
best season to date was in 1949
when he won Is with Utica. This
earned him a Philadelphia tryout
in 1850, but his dreams were shat
tered when he suffered a fractured
kneecap in an intra squad game.
Last year, with a poor Baltimore
team, Ridzik won S and lost IL,
but nevertheless was taken to
camp for another chance.
Walks Four, Hits Three.
The youngster capped his
brilliant pitching this spring with
his no-hitter. Ridzik was slightly
wild. walking four and hitting
three Cards but was tough in the
pinch. He now has pitched IL
hitless innings and II scoreless
frames.
II didn't realize had a no.
hitter going until the seventh
when I started trying to figure
how many hits they had," Ridzik
said after the game.
''It was the first no-hitter I
ever pitched. was using a fast
ball and curve. alternating them
with a palm ball which I picked
up from Jim Konstanty this
spring."
| Willie Jones played a big part
in the victory. He came up with
two great fielding plays and hit
two-run homer in the Phils'
three-run eighth inning. Until
the eighth. Vinegar Bend Mizell,
colorful st. Louis rookie. had
blanked the Phils on two hits.
Dick Bokelman was the victim of
the Phils' uprising.
Second 1852 No-Hitter.
The no-hitter was the second
of the spring. Jim Hearn and
Monte Kennedy pitched the New
York Giants to a 100 victory over
the Chicaoo Cubs March IT.
Sam Zoldak and Bob Hooper
almost pitched a no-hitter for the
Philadelphia Athletics. They held
the Baltimore Orioles to one hit
last night at Fayetteville, N. c., in
a game which the AS won, 60.
Ed Kazanski, $4,000 bonus player
of the Phillies, spoiled the bid
with a sixth-inning single off
Zoldak.
Chris Van Cuyk of Brooklyn also
turned in fine pitching job as
the Dodgers trounced the Boston
Braves, TO, at Montgomery, Ala.
Van Cuyk worked the first seven
innings and Glen Labine finished
up. Van Cuyk has allowed only
one run in q innings.
The Giants scored their first
victory in eight starts against
Cleveland by beating the Indians,
5-3, at Oklahoma City. Larry
Dolby and AL Rosen homered for
the Indians.
Walt Dropo clouted a grand
slam homer in the first inning at
Fort Worth, Tex, to spearhead
the Boston Red Sox to a 9-3 tri-
umph over the Cats of the Texas
! League.
Byrne Has Big Day.
The Chicago White Sox' "B"
team swept double-header from
Dallas of the Texas League, 60
and 8-5. at Dallas. but the main
squad dropped a 5-4 decision to
the st. Louis Browns at San
Antonio.
Tommy Byrne went the dis
tance for the Browns and scat
tered eight Chicago hits. Byrne
featured game-w winning, seventh
inning rally with a double that
drove in one run and set up tn.
tying and winning markers.
Tom Morgan became the first
New York pitcher to 60 the dis
tance as the Yankees edged At
Ilanta Of the Southern Association,
Sd, in a night game at the
Crackers Park. Mickey Mantle
and Yogi Berra homered for the
champions. who won the game