June

Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field ranks second as the scene of major league homers with 44 there, 24 by the first-place Dodgers. There have been only 33 home runs at New York’s Polo Grounds, where a total of 177 topped the major leagues in 1952. I In the American League, De troit’s Briggs Stadium is tops with 34 homers followed by Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park with 31 each. Griffith Stadium again is proving the toughest major league park for the distance hitters. In 21 games, only 13 home runs have been hit there, four by the Nats.

Milwaukee, ousted from the lead Sunday, moved back on top on Andy Pafko’s two-run, ninth inning homer that whipped the Dodgers, 4-3, before a crowd of 26,000. The Phillies moved into third place ahead of the Cardinals and the Pirates turned the cellar position over to the Cubs. The Cardinals dropped to fourth as Robin Roberts blanked them on seven hits to post his eighth victory, 5-0, and cut his earned run average to 2.25. The Giants and Cincinnati played the longest National League game of the season—l 3 innings—with the Redlegs scoring twice in the 13th for a 4-2 decision. Pittsburgh nipped Chi cago, 4-3, in 11 innings at Forbes Field.

The Tigers and Red Sox Mr Jill would win three places Burton Hswktao. each, the .Browns and Yankees two each and the Athletics and Indians one apiece. The team, with batting aver ages against the Nats, would be: Walt Dropo (Detroit) .500, first base; Pete Suder (Philadelphia) .533, second base; Harvey Kuenn (Detroit) .500, shortstop; George Kell (Boston) .533, third base; Sammy White (Boston) .348, catcher; Gene Woodling (New York) .419, leftfield; Hoot Evers (Boston) .500, centerfleld; Bob Nieman (Detroit) .417, rightfleld. The left-handed pitcher would be Ed Lopat (New York), 3-0, against the Nats, and the right hander Virgil Trucks (St.

He was the second prize prospect the New York Yankees have come up with in the Birmingham area. Olean is a Yank farm club in the Class D Pony League. No contract terms were divulged Monday night the Yankees landed Marshall Gilbert, 18-year-old iex-Woodlawn High first baseman. He was assigned to Owensboro, Ky., in the Class D Kitty League As a Birmingham Black Baron righthander, Johnson won 12 games against Negro American League clubs without a loss.

Failing to break Ruth's 60 maiker. hr mav have a try at Gabby Harnett's 37 homers inone year, tops lor ratehers. Os course the Chicago Cub's Hack Wilson blasted 36 for the National League record. Ruth was an American Leaguer when he set the record Several of the former Negro National League catcher's hom ers have come at the pay-off time—ninth inning. Two oui. trailing the Philadelphia Phil lies 6-5 last week, he hit two run homer off ace Robin Rob erts!. Behind the New York Giants, 3-2.

Little Stu Miller had a four hitter going into the ninth, when Brooklyn staged its winning rally. Miller never did retire a batter; in the ninth. Jackie Robinson’s single and Roy Campanella’s grounder hat hopped over Solly Hemus’ head for a single set it up for Hodges The game was delayed while the Cardinals argued that Plate Umpire Bill Engeln missed a third strike on Hodges. Then came the home run drive into the leftfleld stands. As a result of the victory and Win, Lose or Draw By FRANCIS STANN REPORTS OUT OF ST. LOUIS have it that Bill Veeck Is thinking of selling some of his abler Browns to the Indians and White Sox—and very shortly.

Whitey Ford was the winner, although Allie Reynolds came on in the sixth. The Nats and White Sox, bat tling for third place, split a double-header. Washington won, 16-2, and lost, 5-1. The Tigers lost their 13th straight as the Red Sox beat them, 4-1. Skinny Brown went the distance for the winners and helped his own cause with a home run. Braves Regain Lead. In the National League. Mil waukee and Brooklyn continued their neck-and-neck battle for first place, and today it was tho Braves’ turn to occupy the top rung. They won two games from* the Phillies. 6-0, and 5-3. The* Dodgers took a single game,) swamping the Cardinals.

Pirates' catcher Sandlock's peg to third sacker O’Connell (left) is too late, and umpire Warneke calls the Dodger man safe. The “Bums” won the series, but had the misfortune to play host to the “miracle” Milwaukee Braves, nod wers drvppod out of first nlaon Ofawaore.. Mathews Belts 17 Home Runs As Braves Sink Giants, 12-8 NEW YORK (INS) Ed Mathews drove home five runs with a two-run homer and a bases-loaded double. Monday to lead the league-leading Milwaukee Braves to a 1 2 to 8 win over the New York Giants.

In that series, with Bill Bevens apparently on his way to a no-hitter against the Dodgers, Harris ordered Pete Reiser, representing the winning run, passed. Along came Cookie Lavagetto to breakup the game with a two-run double. Bucky made two moves in a dramatic eighth inning last night and both turned out to be costly, but he had logic functioning for him in each instance. Schmitz Clings to Lead.

Manager Eddie Stanky sent his Cardinals through a long day workout and got dividends in the night game. Enos Slaughter hit 4-for-4 and Stan Musial had a double and single in three trips. The Yankees keep rolling along. In the Detroit contest, Pinch-hitters Johnny Mize and Yogi Berra sparked a seven-hit, seven-run rally in the sixth in ning. Mizes single was his 1,999th major league hit. Piersall's 6-for-6 spree led a 19-hit Boston attack' in the first game at St. Louis, but the Red Sox had to scramble for the second when they were outhit, 11- 10. Dick Gernert’s bases-empty home run in the second inning made the difference. The double defeat ran the Browns’ losing streak to nine.

Philadel phia and the Cubs had an open date. The Braves, now leading the Dodgers by 6 percentage points, i open a six-game series at Pitts- j burgh tonight, while Brooklyn begins a four-game set with the j Cubs. Zernial Blasts Two. Gus Zernial, the leading home run slugger in the American; League, hit a pair at Chicago, j raising his total to 15. But it 1 took a bases-empty blast by j Eddie Robinson in the ninth i inning to give Philadelphia the j victory. Willard Nixon of the Red Sox; pitched perfect ball against the, Browns until Virgil Trucks dou- j, bled with two out in the sixth, j St. Louis got only three other hits, all singles.

The White Sox moved into third place with a pair of tri umphs over the Red Sox, 6-0 and 1-0 Billy Pierce tossed the first shutout giving up only two hits, while Sandy Consuegra threw the second. Mel Parnell lost a four-hitter in the night cap. The see-saw battle for first place In the National League continued between Milwaukee and Brooklyn. The amazing Braves moved a half game ahead by winning a double-header from the Pirates, 7-3 and 8-0. Don Liddle pitched a five-hitter in the first game and Bob Buhl came right back with a two-hit job.

Meanwhile, Shortstop Phil Rizzuto and Rightfielder Hank Bauer of the Yankees also took over the lead at their positions, giving the champions four front* fanners. Centerflelder Mickey Mantle tops the entire poll with 3,154 votes and Catcher Yogi Berra is also ahead. The only significant change in the National League balloting moved Roy Campanella of the j Dodgers ahead of Catcher Del I Crandall of the Braves.

A crowd of 33,962 brought Milwaukee’s home attendance to 400,730. The Braves won a pair of squeakers from Philadelphia, 6- in 10 innings and 3-2, while the Cardinals were disposing of the Dodgers, 6-5. As a result, the Dodgers were replaced at the top by Mil waukee and the Phillies lost third place to the Cardinals. Pittsburgh split a daylight double-header with Chicago, winning, 6-5, and losing, 3-2, while the Giants divided a twilight-night pair at Cincinnati. The Giants took the first game, 7- but lost the second, 12-5.

Last night’s 9-6 victory over the Phillies, accomplished with a 14-hit attack that included two doubles, two triples and two homers, moved the Braves two and a half games in front of Brooklyn. That lead sounds skimpy when compared to the Yankee’s 10 V game bulge in the American League, but it ties the season record in the National. It has not been matched since April 27, when the Phillies held the same edge over the Cubs, who now occupy the cellar. The Braves came home Tuesday only 6 percentage points behind Brooklyn after a 22-game road trip.

Hutchinson.... Giving Freddie the ax wouldn’t be likely to solve any of the Tigers’ problems this season, but rare are the owners who won’t try to ease the heat on themselves by firing the manager. Larry Doby of the Indians is averaging nearly a strikeout a game, with 50 in his first 55 games. A continuation of that pace will get him in toe record book. Vince DiMag gio set the major league record with the Braves in 1938 by fanning 134 times. The American League mark of 120 was set by Gus Williams of the Browns 40 years ago.

They might even threaten that fabulous 26-game lead held by 1902 champs in the National. The Yanks took advantage of another lapse by Cleveland yester day, dividing a double-header with Detroit as the Indians lost to Wash ington, 5-1. Asa result. New York picked up another half game on the Tribe, now threatened from below by Chicago. New York won the first game, 63, for Whitey Ford on homers by Mickey antle, Billy Martin and Yogi Berra but lost the second, 10-3, as Walt Dropo drove in four runs with a homer and two singles. Chicago climbed within a game of Cleveland by breaking even with Philadelphia.

Harvey Keunn seems to have the makings. The Phillies haven’t done too badly. Both Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons Fr,,,cU UnB were bonus kids and now they probably are the best right and left handed pitchers, respectively, in the National League. But for every Roberts and Simmons there are a dozen flops, including some of the Phillies’ other bonused phenoms. The Braves finally are getting some mileage out of Johnny Antonelli, who was gifted with something like $65,000 back in 1948. Johnny wore out his pants on the bench because, under the rule, he couldn’t be farmed out and he was too green to pitch, especially when the Braves were shooting fora pennant they eventually won. But even the Antonelli of today, matured by a stint in the Army, hasn’t accomplished enough to be rated an out-and-out bargain as yet.

Stanky Believes White Answers Mound Problem Yanks Gain Ground On Indians Despite Blowup by Defense By the Associated Press It finally got hot enough In St. Louis for the Cardinals to catch fire and the rest of the National League is looking for an extinguisher The Cards, last senior circuit club to win a World Series, have taken' seven out of eight games since coming home eight days ago to be greeted by 100-degree temperatures.

Kiner and the like—that neither may make the team. ALVIN DARK, of all people, wound up in leftfield this week as Giant Manager Leo Durocher resumed his juggling act. Dark is associated with shortstop, a position he has been playing so well and for so long that he often has been rated the best in the National League. Now Durocher has this rookie, Daryl Spencer, at short stop, and even the sure-handed, strong-armed phenom has sort of backed into the job. Leo had him on third base and at second, too, before he moved Dark to the outfield to make room for Spencer at short. George Kell of the Red Sox is another nomad. Normally, the former batting champion is a third baseman, probably the best in the American League. But, what with kinks in his back, Kell has been playing leftfield lately. How does one vote him? Or, for that matter, Whitey Lockman of the Giants?

In the National League, where it’s been close all the way, the lead may well change hands. The Indians, trailing by nine games, renew their one-sided rivalry with the league-leading but suddenly slumping Yankees in a three-game series opening tonight in New York. In Milwaukee, the deflated Braves, who like the Yanks have dropped four straight, collide with second-place Brooklyn. The Dodgers trail by only two games. Have Won All Seven.

No Joy in Milwaukee. Over in the National League, the pace-setting Milwaukee Braves continued to have their troubles, too. They put up a much stiffer fight than the Yankees, but they bowed to their second place rivals, the Brooklyn Dodg ers, 4-3, on a pair of two-run homers by Duke Snider and Gil Hodges and now lead the Dodg ers by only one game. The St. Louis Cardinals, like wise, are edging up on the Braves. They took over third place from Philadelphia by beating the Phillies, 7-0, and are 2% games behind. Cincinnati won a twil ig h t-night double-header from Pittsburgh, 8-4 and 4-1, and the New York Giants de feated Chicago, 9-6.

BASEBALL Z *By PETE FRITCH IE WASHINGTON The American League has had its race. Unless the Yankees fold, the National League is the main attraction from here out. There the Braves, Dodgers, Phillies and Car dinals will apparently fight it out While the New York Giants are traditionally late coiners, they arc up against more than one good club this year, and the odds are against any first-place finish for them, against four other pennant con tenders. Steve O’Neill is disappointed with his Phillies or was a few days ago. The Phillies have pep ped up some since Steve read the riot act to his squad but they have sagged from the fast getaway they pulled off in April and early May.

I won only 11 games that year and if I’d had my usual season Washington might have won the pennant. But don’t forget, I was just getting over the only sore arm I ever had.” So Dutch won 17 games for the Phillies that first season away from the Nats and then he was traded to the Cubs after the 1948 season. And with the Cubs he became strictly a relief pitcher. Now, at the age of 44, he’s still relieving and probably doing it as well as anybody in the National League. Dutch wasn’t kidding when he boasted that he could throw his knuckler with approximately the same ease as a man flipping away a cigarette butt. Robb Quits as Umpire To Direct His Business By thn Associated Prm PHILADELPHIA, June 29. Umpire Douglas (Scotty) Robb I quit the American League staff following the second game between the Athletics and the Browns yesterday.

George MarshaU had a speaking engagement yesterday in Richmond. The one-hour time difference between the District and Virginia Capital gave the Redskins’ boss a big advantage. "Mr. MarshaU can speak on any subject at any length,” loyally declared General Manager Dick McCann. He undoubtedly did. Real Veteran of League Danny Holden, outfielder for the Lincoln (Nebr.). Chiefs, is the only Western League player who has been in the circuit ever since it was revived in 1947.