Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-23
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS srANN
White Sox Will Miss KeII

THAT SIX-MAN TRADE directly involved only the
Chicago White Sox the Baltimore Orioles but was
the New York Yankees who it, When the champs
slapped down the Sox last week they opened the
Chuck Comskey and Marty Marion to the obvious fact
that Chicago solid pennant contender.
The big joining the Sox is Jim Wilson, pitcher
who "a years old 1--WE had to have another starting
pitcher, Manager Marion explained Now we have five
Wilson, Bob Keegan, Billy Pierce, Dick and Jack
Harshman" The big man they up another old
timer George Kel, and is to wonder what the
will do for batting punch.
Kel is over the HILL perhaps and sometimes it is
strain for the from Swifton Ark, to bend to
field his position at third But he is handy
the bat his lifetime 3 years. average of $40 attests
On ball club like the he might be con-
sidered small loss, but Kels departure from the sox
could hurt
ALL SPRING THE soX' front-oh1ce brass have been
making noises as if they had winner or at least
potential threat to the Yankees AS recently May
they had won six games in row, with the Yankees
invading Chicago.
Were ready as we'll ever be-" Marion ntoned
The Sox it developed, weren't ready enough. The
Yankees took them in three straight games The old
shattered the morale of the Chcagos They changed
the way Comiskey and Marion had been thinking.
When the Boston Red Sox followed the heels of the
Yankees tumbled the White fourth place
62 back of the Yankees the Marion team
went into action. They snapped Kells bat for Wilson'S
pitching.
KEEL IS LARGELY moderated hitter. His average
ofttimes surprises the casual follower of batting marks
Starting in 1916 when he baed 1922 for both the old
Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers off
eight straight better than-300 batsman.
He sumped in 81 falling to 276 after dividing his time
between Boston and Chicago but last year Ke was in full
stride again with .3l2.
George is best remembered perhaps, for his 343 in
199 That the when Ted Williams shooting
third straight batting championship the sixth of
his He considered shoo-in Kell the only
with chance to beat out Williams and he regarded
lOngshot
his final appearance at bat of the year Kel was
thrown pitch against his fists He swung and the ball
booped safely into the outhed The statistics took
mand and ruled that both Ke and Williams had finished
with 343 Then they carried the arithmetic further
Kell got the nod by the barest fraction
The record books show Kel Williams .343 hitters
in 949 but the aserisk denotes that Ke the champion
IF THERE WAS ANY GREAT doubt as to Kells fitness
to reign hitting champ it dispeled the next year,
1880 He didn't win the title but he batted $40 and all
things considered he far better sugger than when
he unseated Williams.
Playing only third base and for only one club Detrot
the versatile from Arkansas led the American League
in games 157 times at bat CAD, hits (28) and doubles
t56) He also drove in lO runs almost twice many
in 40.
The White sox must have thought highly of KeI when
May a. 1854, they bought him from Boston for
estimated 100000 in cash plus Grady Hatton, another
infelder. For Chicago that is pretty good outlay
100000
Kel gave the Sox pretty good year. He played first
base, third base and the ouhed He hit 1872 For old
timer with suspect back George did all right by playing
in 1913 games But suddenly the White Sox became dis
enchanted and now Kell is an oriole.
WHAT THE WHITE SoX are going to do for good
righthanded hitter poses only part of the question The
other part What the orioles going to ptching
Wilson had been vagabond of ex-Red Soxer,
cX-Brown ex-Ahletc exBave and ex-Orioe He is fair
of a pitcher and H. 1854, he pitched no-hit
no-run game for Milwaukee against the Philes
But less than year later he waived out of the
National League and sold to Baltimore. He did very we'll
the Orioles winning dozen games But he also 49,
leading the American League in losses
No doubt about it, Wilson gives the Sox fifth pitcher
Item Can he hit? Can Of the White Sox Ave starting
pitchers hit like Kell?