A worldwide roundup of the sports information of the week
RECORD BREAKERS—EDDIE SOUTHERN', mercurial Texas junior, and GAIL HODGSON, brilliant South African who now runs for Oklahoma, set bristling pace, led teams to records in Kansas Relays at Lawrence. Versatile Southern, who flew up from Dallas after beating Bobby Morrow in 220 in 20.6, spread his wings in 440, tore off 44.6 anchor leg to haul teammates Wally Wilson, Drew Dunlap and Jimmy Holt to new college mile relay record of 3:09.1, bettering 17-year-old mark held by California (April 19). Day earlier. Hodgson backed up fellow Sooners Gary Parr, John Pellow and Dee Givins with sizzling 1:48 half mile as quartet was clocked in 3:19.5 for U.S. and college sprint medley record in race which saw runners-up Houston. Oklahoma State, Nebraska also better existing standard.
Max Truex, stumpy USC two-miler, built up pressure with 1:07 first lap, picked up speed and lead as he went along to set college record of 8:54.8 as team beat California 91½-39½ at Berkeley (April 19).
St. Louis' Stan Musial, as reliable as an old shoe, hammered first 1958 home run and single against Chicago Cubs (April 17) to break National League record for total bases, added 3 homers. 1 double, 3 singles, before week's end to boost new mark to 5,063.
BASEBALL—MAJOR LEAGUE baseball came to West Coast amid record crowds, rhubarbs and heat prostrations as San Francisco Giants took two out of three from Dodgers at home, moved down to circusy Los Angeles, where record 78,672 packed sprawling Coliseum (see below) and Walter O'Malley's bulging pockets, to watch home team win 6-5 as homers sailed blithely over left-field screen. Attendance tailed off to 41,303 and 47.234 for next two games, which Giants won 11-4, 12-2 to rise to second place, push Dodgers down to seventh in National League, but rhubarbs began to blossom and 25 parboiled Angelenos passed out in Sunday's 95° temperature. It mattered little to Californians that Chicago, surprisingly enough, took four straight from St. Louis before Cards, with lift from old pro Stan Musial, halted Cubs 9-4, and that Milwaukee could do no better than win three out of five from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
American League took on familiar look as New York Yankees, with airtight pitching from vets Don Larsen, Johnny Kucks, Whitey Ford and Bob Turley, won five out of six from Boston and Baltimore, assumed expected perch at top of standings. Kansas City and Washington, of all teams, were tied for second, while more likely challengers Chicago, Detroit and Boston were having trouble getting untracked.
HORSE RACING—JEWEL'S REWARD, fiery Maine Chance bay colt with eye on Derby roses, responded with alacrity when stung by whip in stretch, pulled away from Noureddin to win $59,500 Wood Memorial at Jamaica (see below) by half length after surviving foul claim by runner-up. Reported Eddie Arcaro, up on Jewel's Reward for first time in ninth Wood victory: "This dude won't run until he gets a horse alongside him. He had plenty left at the finish."
Tim Tam, Calumet's No. 1 Derby boy, togged out in blinkers with Plexiglas half-cups to protect injured eye. stayed well on pace until called upon by Bill Hartack, raced to half-length victory over Nadir in track record 1:22[1/5] for seven furlongs at Keeneland, brought back hopeful memories of stablemate Iron Liege's triumph in same race year ago.
BOXING—JAMES D. NORRIS, millionaire monopulator of boxing's most powerful store, gave in to mounting pressures (ailing heart, antitrust decision, New York boxing investigation), tossed in towel, resigned as president of New York and Illinois IBCs. His designated successor: Truman K. Gibson Jr., Chicago attorney and longtime Norris lieutenant, who indicated IBC will carry on business as usual (see page 31).
Congressman F. Edward Hébert (D.—La.) stood up on floor of House, charged that New Orleans Lightweight Ralph Dupas and his manager, Whitey Esneault, had to submit to "shakedown demands from persons prominently identified with the IBC" in order to get May 7 title bout with Joe Brown, named Angelo Dundee as one who muscled in on Dupas' contract, called for Congressional probe to rid boxing of "monopolistic bloodsuckers." Charges brought ready denial from IBC's Gibson, Dupas, Miami Beach Promoter Chris Dundee (brother of Angelo), who snorted: "Ridiculous. Angelo handles only Dupas' out-of-town fights because Whitey wants him to."
Pascual Perez, doughty little world flyweight champion from Argentina, found himself unceremoniously dumped on his pants in second, climbed off floor to outslug Challenger Ramon Arias in 15-rounder before 14,000 who paid $135,000 at Caracas.
Vince Shomo, rough-and-ready 17-year-old New York student, belted Hawaii's Paul Fujii into first-round TKO to retain 139-pound title, was named outstanding performer in AAU championships at Boston.
TRACK & FIELD—BILL WOODHOUSE, spunky little Abilene Christian sprinter who has suddenly moved up to challenge nation's best, trailed Bobby Morrow in 9.5 hundred at Dallas, came back two days later in meet at Abilene to beat illustrious teammate by inches in wind-aided 9.3, stepped out to take Morrowless 220 in 20 flat with help of same too-brisk breeze.
SOCCER—FRENCH, who take their Le Football as seriously as most Americans do baseball, were shocked by spectacular and guileful "disappearance" of 12 of nation's most famous Algerian footballeurs, including four international stars, on eve of match with Switzerland (which ended in 0-0 draw). Departed players suddenly turned up in Tunis in obedient tow of FLN terrorists, prepared to form Free Algeria team. Grumped one internationalist, handsome square-jawed Mustapha Zitouni, dashing center for Monaco: "The problem is bigger than us. What would you do if your country was at war and you got called up?"
England's World Cup hopes, in dreary depths ever since Munich air crash took lives of eight Manchester United players, three of them All-England regulars, soared once again after 4-0 victory over Scotland before 127,857 at Glasgow.
HOCKEY—MONTREAL CANADIENS, sniffing Stanley Cup gold after bowing to Boston 3-1, turned to Maurice (Rocket) Richard (see below) in fifth game at Montreal and fiery veteran responded with overtime goal for 3-2 victory. Canadiens struck swiftly in sixth game at Boston, grabbing 2-0 lead in opening minutes on goals by Bernie Geoffrion and Rocket, added three more by Geoffrion, Jean Beliveau and Doug Harvey to beat Bruins 5-3, skated off with Cup for third straight year.
MOTOR SPORTS—WALT HANSGEN, West-field, N.J. throttle jockey, roared Briggs Cunningham's new Lister Jaguar up to 120 mph on straightaway, drove front-running race to win 80-mile President's Cup feature with 75-mph average at Upper Marlboro, Md. Runners-up: Bob Holbert of Warrington, Pa. and Don Sesslar of Lancaster, Ohio, both in Porsche Spyders.
TENNIS—BARRY MACKAY, willing Davis Cup hopeful, left Jack Kramer's teaching pros long enough to win River Oaks tournament at Houston, coming back from errorful first set to outstroke Chile's Luis Ayala 8-10, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in final.
GOLF—GARY PLAYER, precise little South African who came to U.S. to "learn from America's fine pros," showed he has absorbed his lessons well, stringing together birdie after birdie to win Kentucky Derby Open and $2,800 with 274 at Louisville.
