Evening star., 1955-02-22
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by FRANCIS SIANN


TAMPA, FEB 22-Not many of the early arrivals among
the balplayers think San Musal will be hot favorte to
win the home-run crown in 1885, with fourbaggers in
st. Louis cheapened.
"Ive got to Ted Kluszewski Eddie Mathews Duke
Snder and Willie Mays ahead of MuSal rival Ma
onal Lacquer said "Stan could lead guess if he went
aout and tried to bang out of the park every time But
he's too for that stunt Why should pull
great lifetime average?"
AS you may know the Cardinal peeled the screen
off the righted stands earlier this month The wheels
impressed by figures which purpored to show that Cardinal
hitters were hwarted 35 times last by the
whereas the chicken wire took only s away the OPP
position With the stands only $40 feet from home plate
they the inviting in the majors nclud
ing Boson efted wall and the Brooklyn and Polo Grounds
fences.
forget reminded another Card rival "he pitch
ing factor The pitchers really will work those lefthanded
htters and necessary the rghthanders"
MUsIAL WAS ONLY the seventh leading home hitter
in the National League last although he beed 35
Kluszewsk Mays, Snider Gil Hodges Mathews and Hank
sauer all hit 40 and don't forget at least four of
these six are still on their way up whereas Msia IS
old
Stan the Man fundamentally is not home-run hitter
Weighing little 165 pounds at times and than
IT'S Musa smaller than any of the half topped
him in 54 Nor has he led the N L. in homers although
he picked up 80 of em back in 1949.
His forte since he to the Cardinals IA years ago.
just plain hitting safely His lifetime mark of 345 eo
quent proof In played at BATS scored hits
doubles triples and baed in Stan has led
in home runs.
This would be late date his career indeed swing
his head off simply because 1foot high strip
only fields to which he able
hit.
JUST IN PASSING, look up Musals home his
tory? In his first five reguarfrom AZ through
4he nit only 70 nome runs or rate OF IA per season
tThere time out in AS for military
good hitter then, between the of % and g. he
is now?
The book approximately He twice led in batting
and his iveyear average 340 But then beginning in
49, pitchers began look at him with respect
of invariably leading in triples we'll doubles Musal
began dumping pitches outside of parks He homered
rs times in 194849 and has been going at steadily
since averaging 3112 To put it another way, he's hit
221 in his last seven years
1T experience than power" Stan explains
by 4a didn't have to bite at bad pitches had
and waited for the good ball. 1 swing any harder
don't think"
Most harraSsed opponents and grateful teammates
Cardinal managers that Mua never swings hard Why
should he they say when he's got the best wrist action in
the business?"
1T is NOT EVEN certain the cheapening of the home
in ST. Louis will benefit the Cardinals much the
boss folks apparently believe it will nothing
wrong with the Redbirds' hitting year. They
sixth when they picked to fight for the pnnant for
other reasons.
At the plate they points higher as team than
the World Champion Giants and 10 points better than the
Indians who record Ill in the American
Where the Cards mainly got messed apparently in
pitching They only got 40 complete games pitched them
all which neither the worst best in the N
but which sorey disappointed st. Louis fans
To hear clubhouse and dugout gossip of the Card
inal pitchers bit med too because Eddie Stanky
:yanked them readily But then Durocher only got
As complete games from his staff what the
accomplished