The Lincoln times., 1955-01-06
Indian Killer
Durocher Top
Major Pilot

81. LOUIS. Mo. - Ihe Giants,
who won the National League pen
nant and worlds championship,
also swept the No Men of the
Year honors in the major leagues
in the annual selections announced
by The Sporting News. but the
American League champion In
dians also claimed recognition
when their Indianapolis (Ameri-
can Association farm club collect
ed three Men of the Year citations
in the minor leagues
The national baseball weekly,
after considering the accomplish
mentS of the 1854 season, awarded
its major league accoladeS to Hor-
ace StonehaM, president of the
Giants. as the outstanding eXecu-
tive, Leo Durocher as the man
ager of the year and Outfielder
Willie Mays as the leading player
for 1854.
In citing the Giants trio, The
Sporting News lauded Stoneham as
the foundation on which much
of the success of his club rests.
Durocher was praised for his out
standing job of rallying a team
that had fallen into the second di-
vision the year before and leading
it to the championship. largely
through his own driving force
Mays 1854 record. even if the
young outfielder had not been the
Sparkplug Of the Giants, entitled
him to being honored as the No.
player of the year, the baseball pa
per said.
The minor league awards as
Men of the Year went to General
Manager Eddie Stumpf of Indian
apoliS, Manager Kerby Farrell and
Pitcher Herb Score as the respec-
tive Standouts as executive, man
ager and player.
Pinning the laurels on Stumpf.
The Sporting News said he not on
ly helped develop valuable talent
for the parent Cleveland Indians,
but also lifted his team from
fourth place in the American AS
sociation and attracted h e
leagues top safe of 282 .979. Far
relrs Judgment and skill in handl
ing young players in his debut at
the helm of the club was praised
for bringing Indianapolis its first
pennant since 1943.
Score, who will get his major
league chance with Cleveland next
season. was cited as the outstand-
ing minor league pitcher in 1854.
The southpaw had 22-5 record
and set new American Associa-
ton record for strikeouts with 800
The No. l Men of the Y 7
awards also included the designa-
ton of Jim Meagham, general
manager of Cedar Rapids (Three-
l., as the outstanding executive in
the lower classification minors
Meaghan has proved for the last
five years that sound promotion
can draw crowds, even with sec
division clubs. and by his eff
forts. has made Cedar Rapids one
of the bright spots in the minor
league picture, The Sporting News
said in making the selection.
The concentration of the No. l
Men Of the Year honors on the
| Giants and Indianapolis marked
the first time in the 19-year his
tory of the selections that any one
club in either the majors or the
minors had monopolized tn
awards.
In 1858, the winners of T h e
Sporting News citations were
President Lou Perini of the Braves
Manager Casey Stengel of the
Yankees and Third Baseman Al
RoSen of the Indians as the No.
Men of the Year in the major
| leagues. The choices in the minor
leagues were Dick Burnett, owner
of the Dallas tTexas) Eagles; Bob
by Bragan. manager of Hollywood
(Pacific Coast; Pitcher Gene
Conley of Toledo (American AS
sociation) and, as the top execu-
tive in the lower classification
leagues, Carl Roth, general man.
ager of Peoria (Three-D.