.THE
W O.R L D
OF
SPORTS
Eight is the "magic number" for Wash
ington'1 s Roy Sivers. When he hits his
eighth home run of the 1958 season, he
will become the new all-time homer king
of the Nats; Goose Goslin’s 127 homers
is the present club record and Roy has
hit 120. . .Any challenges to Manhattans
stunning 89-34 defeat of West Virginia
in the opening round of NCAA play as the
No. 1 upset of the cage season?
Sad Tale of the Week — The sports
^editor of the El Toro MCAS, Calif., "Fl
ight Jacket," Ralph Rickerby, went on a
weekend fishing trip. The only thing
that got caught was Rickerby. He didn’t
have a license.
Winter Went, Spring Sprung as Base
jball's Season Begun,
m
Officially, major league baseball for
the year with the final putout of the
1957 World Series. Lew Burdette was a
national hero, the Milwaukee Braves were
the new world champions,and•the New York
Yankees had small consolation inthe fact
that it was only the sixth of the fall
pectacles in which they had emerged
econd best,
Hope seldom dies in the breast of man
or baseball's also-rans; as usual the
cry of "wait until next year" was fre
quently heard and trading was active in
the winter of 1957-58. What are the pro
spects for the 1958 versions' of major
league teams?
I Washington Senators
! Despite the presence of Roy Sievers,
;homer king of the AL last year', the Sen
iators suffered:a lack of power-speed and
!starting pitchers who could win. Only a
jchampion rooter for the underdog could.
I anticipate much change for the better1
jthis year.
Top prospects for improvement of the
jSenators are Bob Malkmus, a ,219 hitter
:drafted from Wichita to occupy second
L(cqn’t)..•.
Washington Senators
(Con’t)
base and Harmon Killebrew,bonus in-field
er-up to give veteran Eddie Yost a rush
for third base; Killebrew knocked 29
homers at Chattanooga last year.
Kansas City Athletics
Tab the A's as likely to iump at least
one notch: in the 1953 standings. The
Yankees traded a fine prospect. in Woody
Held and Woody, along ‘ with Bill ■ Tuttle
land Jim Small, will improve KC defense,
Mike Baxes, IL all-star shortstop
lifts t year, is the logical successor for
•Billy Martin; Vic Fower should revive to
a ,300 hitter,and the A’s landed a prom
ising pitcher in Duke Maas from the
Tigers, .«•
Chicago Cubs
Although the Cubs held their winter
trading to the swap of Bob Rush and Don
Kaiser to the Braves for Tailor Phillips
and Sam Taylor, they filled a critical
need for a starting southpaw in getting
Phillips. Better things can be expected
of righthanders Moe Drabowdky and Dick
Drott. The 22-year-old Drott, with a
losing club, had an amazing 15-11 record
least year,
Ernie Banks,at short, and first base
man Dale Long hit a combined 64 homers
last year and will again furnish the po
wer for the improved Bruin squad,
(First of a series on the 1958 pro
spects of major league teams.) . ■
THE'; SCOREBOARD .
By United Press
EXHIBITION BASEBALL:
St. Louis (N) 4 Kansas City (A) 2
Milwaukee (N) 11 Chicago (A) 2
Boston (A). 8 Cincinnati (N) 5
Pittsburgh (N) 8 Philadelphia (N) 7
Detroit (A) 12 Los Angeles (N) 11
Washington (A) 6 New York (A) 4
Baltimore (A) 11 "Chicago (N) 7
Cleveland (A) 9 San Francisco (N) 8