The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-04-14
SPORTS of TIMES
YdnkeeS-Si:
Bucs-Maybe
BY LOU FABR0
Times Sports Editor

about the NCAA championship basketball game be-
tween victorious Cincinnati and the dethroned Ohio
State Buckeyes, a brand new baseball season crept
in the sports scene.
Buckeye cage fans notwithstanding, the opening
of the 1861 major league diamond season this week
was accompanied with the usual avalanche of spec
ulation and predictions as to who will be squaring
away against whom in next falls World Series.
PREVAILING OPINION FAVoRS the New York
Yankees in the American League and Los Angeles
in the National. Last year, however, San Francisco
was an overwhelming MI. faVorte and Chicago had
strong support in the AL The Giants failed miSer-
ably and plopped into fifth while the ChiSOx couldn't
do any better than third. Incidentally, we also rode
that Giant-ChiSoX b~andWagon last year.
Rereading one of last years national magazines,
we noticed it had doomed the Pittsburg Pirates to
sixth they WON and the st. Louis Cardinals to seventh
they came in third. This gave us new courage to
take another crack at the national guessing game.
AS far as the American League is concerned,
we'll 60 along with the majority and pick the New
York Yankees to win their 18th AL. pennant since
1921 when they captured their first flag.
IN CONTRAST TO THE confidence we show in
picking the Yankees, we hesitate to 60 out on a limb
in the National League because five teams-Pitts-
burgh, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, st. Louis and San
Francisco-are all first-rate contenders. With a little
luck, any one can go all the way. The way it looks
here, the Pirates seem hungry enough to snatch the
pennant again.
Jumping back quickly to the AL, we pick the
Yankees because the club is loaded with power, has
a tight defense, great catching and has a Wel-balanced,
although not outstanding, mound corps. With these
qualities, New York looks like a standout in a league
which is considerably weaker than the senior loop.
Stocking two additional teams only made the other
AL. clubs weaker in comparison to the Yankees.
Should the Yankees falter, any one of four other
squads can scramble in the throne. These are: Balti-
more, Cleveland, Chicago and Minnesota. Our pick
for the runnerup spot is Baltimore, the only team to
fight the Yanks to the wire before settling for second
place last year. The Orioles have a superb pitching
staff and infeld, but outfield power is lacking,
CLEVELAND LOOKS STRONG enough to move
UP one notch, into third place, thus showing the aging
White Sox into fourth. The Minnesota Twins, who are
really last years Washington Senators playing in a
new location and under a different banner, appear
destined for fifth place again. This time, however,
they'll be~in the first division since there are now
10 teams in the loop.
Detroit is a sixth place club again in our book
while Boston seems headed for seventh again and
Kansas City for eighth. Providing the insulation from
the basement for the Athletics are the two new
grab bag" clubs-the Los Angeles Angels and the
new Washington Senators. LA. is our choice for ninth
and the Senators for last.
Focusing the spotlight back over to the National
League, we still find ourselves on a limb for picking
the Pirates. Pittsburgh is virtually the same club
as last year-and that was good enough to win. The
Pirates have an airtight defense, good front line
pitching, balanced hitting and average catching. The
BUGS don't have power-hitting and their second string
pitching is a question mark.
PIRATES, HOWEVER, Will find it tougher
to win the pennant this year because the rest of the
league is stronger than in 1861 contrast to the
sagging situation in the AL. Just one key injury in
the front line would scuttle the Buccaneers. Los
Angeles has everyone talking about its brilliant young
talent-and there's plenty of it; st. Louis has a
stronger mound corps, and with former Columbus Jet
Julio Javer around all season, a tighter defense;
Milwaukee finally has plugged its leaky infield but
sacrificed outfield power; and San Francisco still has
most of the talent that was supposed to S~kyrocket the
club into the championship last year.
All four of these clubs are prime candidates for
first place if the Pirates slip. Picking how they'll
finish if Pittsburgh doesn't falter is really a tough
job.
WE'RE INCLINED TO PICK Los Angeles for
second although we feel st. Louis is a real dark
horse. Thus we feel it's a tossup between the two
for second. Milwaukee is our candidate for fourth
and San Francisco for fifth. Cincinnati appears to be
a good bet for sixth. The Chicago Cubs, their staff
of coaches and their big IBM machine seem destined
for seventh and Philadelphia will probably bring up
the rear again.
R%ecapping briefly, here's our lineup with last
years rank noted in parens:
National American
Pittsburgh Q) New York Q)
LOS Angeles l4l Baltimore (l
3-St. Louis 81 3-CIeveland al
4-Milwaukee (2) 4-Chicago (3(
San Francisco 81 5-Minnesota (5)
6-Cincinnati () 6-Detroit ()
chicago "a Boston On
3-Philadelphia 49, 8-Kansas City 81
9@Los Angeles
10-Washington
Now on with the season.
Compliment: the applause
that refreshes. Catholic D- E4Ee6uE.VRly
Rest-Apr
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