Table of Contents

THE AMERICAN LEAGUE? PHOOEY! 11
A disenchanted fan, SI's JAMES MURRAY, gives the back of his hand to the junior circuit

SPECTACLE: WHITE WATER'S WRATH 14
The exciting sport of swirling down the rapids of the Arkansas IN COLOR by MARGARET DURRANCE, with a story on the slickest river racer of them all by ROBERT AJEMIAN

PREVIEW: THE U.S. GOLF OPEN 28
HERBERT WARREN WIND tells the sad and glorious story of Sam Snead

THE INDIANAPOLIS "500" SAW SOME AWFUL TANGLES 32
An Irishman named Pat Flaherty won the race after a day of blowouts and spins.
A report by ALFRED WRIGHT

THE DEPARTMENTS

•EVENTS & DISCOVERIES 19
•THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORT 23
•SCOREBOARD 37
•COMING EVENTS 39
•THE OUTDOOR WEEK 56
•THE 19TH HOLE 75
•PAT ON THE BACK 80

•Hotbox: JIMMY JEMAIL asks: As a college athletic director, what is your biggest headache? 4

•Tennis: WILLIAM F. TALBERT surveys America's women players and likes what he sees 42

•Horse Racing: WHITNEY TOWER discusses the Handicap division and some ideas on weight 44

•Baseball: ROBERT CREAMER insists that rhubarbs have a proper place in baseball 48

•Tip from the Top: CHARLES MCKENNA, home pro at this year's Open, discusses the chip shot 51

•Nature: JOHN O'REILLY tells of the first hatching of whooping crane chicks seen by man 52

•Boxing: BUDD SCHULBERG sends a few words toward Hollywood about the movie made from his book, The Harder They Fall 60

•Horses: ALICE HIGGINS explains the Equestrian Games; color photographs by RICHARD MEEK 62

Acknowledgments on page 73

COVER: SAM SNEAD

Photograph by Hy Peskin

The swing of Slammin' Sammy Snead, familiar to golfing fans for 20 years, will be followed with particular interest this year at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., as this veteran makes his 16th bid for a U.S. Open title. In a career which has seen him win more money and more titles than any other golfer, this is the only major tournament he has never won. For more about him, and this year's Open, see page 28.

THREE PHOTOS

IN NEXT WEEK'S ISSUE

THE YEAR OF THE SLUGGER
The shades of Ruth are rising fast, and here is the story behind the season's booming bats and a look at that golden hitter, Mickey Mantle

FINISTERRE: A SAILOR'S DREAM
A stem-to-stern look in diagrams and color pictures at the epitome of a racing-cruising yacht as she starts in the Bermuda race