A worldwide roundup of the sports information of the week
RECORD BREAKERS—SWIM RECORDS, most vulnerable of all these days, fell like April showers as flipper-footed young men staged full-blown assault on listed U.S. marks in AAU championships at New Haven. Australian Freestyler Murray Rose, who has lend-leased his substantial talents to USC freshmen, churned 440 yards in 4:21.6 to complete triple after winning 1,500-meter and 220-yard titles, was one of 11 who blew up record-breaking storm. Others: Cuba's Manuel Sanguily, 100-yard breast-stroke in 1:04.2; New York Porpoise Club's Fred Munsch, 220-yard breaststroke in 2:38.5; Indiana's Frank McKinney Jr., 220-yard backstroke in 2:16.9; Olympic Champion Bill Yorsyk, 220-yard butterfly in 2:18; Stanford's George Harrison, 440-yard individual medley in 4:41.3; New Haven Swim Club's Jerry Dolbey, Joe Koletsky, Tim Jecko and Roger Anderson, 400-yard medley relay in 3:46.6 (April 4-5).
BASKETBALL—BOSTON CELTICS, beaten by St. Louis 111-108 in rowdy third game of NBA playoffs, turned cute to even series at 2-2 at St. Louis. With Big Bill Russell sidelined by sprained ankle, crafty Coach Red Auerbach sent magic-handed Bob Cousy into pivot, shifted players like Casey Stengel, at times slowed down game to gentle trot. Result: puzzled Hawks found canny Cousy and his hungry teammates hard to handle, were disorganized enough to bow 109-98 on home court.
Vince Boryla, hulking, quick-tempered New York Knickerbocker coach whose loud beefs and frequent attacks of screaming-meemies have massaged delicate ears of NBA referees for past two years while his team finished last in East, announced in home town Denver he was resigning because his business interests (real estate) "are going to require more of my time and attention" but agreed to serve as head scout and adviser to Knick Director Ned Irish.
HOCKEY—BOSTON BRUINS settled down to business after losing fourth game of semifinal series to New York Rangers 5-2, poured it on to win 6-1 as Defenseman Fern Flaman, scoreless in last 93 games, bashed home two goals, and 8-2, with help of hat trick by fleet-skating Jerry Toppazzini (see page 6) amid weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth by ebullient Ranger Coach Phil Watson. Triumph put Bruins into Stanley Cup final with powerful and well-rested Montreal Canadiens, who polished off Detroit 4-3 (see below) as 36-year-old Maurice (Rocket) Richard, skating as freely and as swiftly as any teenager, flicked in three goals, gave Habs four-game sweep over bewildered Red Wings.
BASEBALL—NEW YORK YANKEES' MOOSE SKOWRON was busy making biggest power splash as major leaguers broke camp, began long trek northward. Skowron unloaded five homers (including two grand slammers), two triples and one double, had American Leaguers wondering if he was ever going to taper off.
Cleveland's frank lane dipped into barter mart for sixth time since he moved into front office, emerged with Baltimore's Larry Doby, onetime Indian outfielder, and Pitcher Don Ferrarese in exchange for Outfielders Gene Woodling and Dick Williams, Pitcher Bud Daley. San Francisco Giants sent two old heroes packing, trading Bobby Thomson to Chicago Cubs for Outfielder Bob Speake and optioning Dusty Rhodes to Phoenix.
GOLF—ARNOLD PALMER, young Latrobe, Pa. pro who was national amateur champion in 1954, saved two strokes by his knowledge of local ground rules (see page 16), shot pressure-packed 73 on last round for 284 to capture his first Masters title at Augusta.
TENNIS—BARRY MACKAY, talented young bomber who emerged from last December's Davis Cup play as brightest U.S. hopeful but hasn't been doing so well in Europe, has been hauled home from abroad by USLTA for several weeks of concentrated boning up with Jack Kramer's touring pros. Kramer, given assignment of tutoring promising young amateurs, called decision "one of finest USLTA has ever made," plans to contribute to Mackay's tennis education by using him as "cannon fodder" for Pancho Gonzales, Lew Hoad and Co. in practice sessions. Move marks radical departure for new-look USLTA, which once would have frowned upon any amateur who even so much as fraternized with pros—but this is another day and another regime. Others who will get comparable treatment: Gil Shea, Mike Franks, Mike Green, Jack Douglas, Ronnie Holmberg, Whitney Reed.
TRACK & FIELD—DUKE'S DAVE SIME, bolting off mark like runaway colt, bristled through 20-mph crosswind with hurtling speed to lead Abilene Christian's Bill Wood-house and Bobby Morrow to tape in 100 in 9.6 at breeze-whipped American Business Club Relays in Big Spring, Texas (see page 16), hand Morrow his first defeat on Texas soil in five years. Explained Sime, once troubled by slow starts: "I kept my drive longer on the start today and that's what won me the race."
WRESTLING—RUSSIAN wrestling team, eight strong and silent members who look more like trade delegation than seasoned grapplers, arrived in New York on way to Norman, Okla., where they will meet U.S. freestyle squad (picked after AAU championships at San Francisco) in first of four matches April 11. American team includes six newly crowned champions—Bill Kerslake of Cleveland (heavyweight), Frank Rosenmayr of San Francisco (191 pounds), Wenzel Hubel of Los Angeles (174 pounds), Larry Ten Pas of Army (160½ pounds). Newt Copple of Lincoln, Neb. (147½ pounds), Terry McCann of Tulsa (125½ pounds)—and two runners-up—Jerry Hoke of Marines (136½ pounds), Dick Delgado of Tulsa (114½ pounds). Other freestyle champions crowned at San Francisco: Japan's Tsukukisa Torikura, speedy little 114½-pounder who also was named tournament's outstanding wrestler; Japan's Noboru Ikeda, in 136½-pound class.
BOXING—HOGAN (Kid) BASSEY, gnome-like little featherweight champion from Nigeria, took wild-swinging Ricardo (Pajarito) Moreno's best belts without flinching, did some feather-ruffling of his own before he turned Little Bird into pressed duck with jolting right to jaw to score kayo in third before whooping 20,034, who paid $220,000 at Los Angeles (see page 17).
Rory Calhoun, heavy-fisted young middleweight hopeful, lustily hammered away at Light Heavyweight Yolande Pompey for five rounds, won by TKO when neck injury forced rival to retire at start of sixth at Louisville.
Nino Valdes, awkward Cuban heavyweight mauler, waltzed 10 dreary rounds with seventh-ranked Wayne Bethea at Denver to win booed decision, but got little praise from annoyed Bethea, who reflected: "That big bum can't fight."
BOATING—CAMBRIDGE, relying upon traditional English-style long stroke and lay-back, spurted into early lead, held firm in face of several sputtering challenges by Oxford, which used fast, choppy American style, to slip home first by 3½ lengths on becalmed, befogged Thames, as skimpy, rain-soaked crowd watched world's oldest crew race. Complained former Yaleman Reed Rubin, at No. 6 for Oxford: "No two men were rowing the same way."
BADMINTON—JIM POOLE, onetime San Diego State basketball star who has been banging shuttlecock around for only four years, scored his greatest triumph in U.S. championships at Boston, deftly outmaneuvering and outstroking defending champion Finn Kobbero of Denmark 15-8, 6-15, 15-8 for men's title, shared honors with Baltimore's Judy Devlin, who successfully defended women's crown with 11-2, 11-2 victory over Dorothy O'Neil, teamed up with Sister Susan to win women's doubles and with Kobbero to take mixed doubles.
