AMERICAN LEAGUE
The Chicago White Sox, leaders more by default than through their own prowess, got tight pitching from Billy Pierce, Ray Moore and Bob Shaw, yet lost three low-run games when hitters failed. Sox have been unable to find competent No. 3 batter this season to drive home Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox, who are invariably on base. Eight men have been tried with no success. Most guilty are Sox outfielders, who have combined batting average of .221. The Baltimore Orioles, hampered by an outbreak of eight errors, nevertheless won often enough to stay close. Hoyt Wilhelm survived an attack of Chicago gnats to win his eighth game, then shut out Kansas City for his ninth. Protesting against what he described as "bush umpiring," Manager Paul Richards and five of his players were evicted in Kansas City. "Go fishing," Manager Joe Gordon of the slumping Cleveland Indians told his players. "Play golf, take your family on a picnic. Forget about baseball." This attractive cure failed, however, as the Indians scored just 11 runs in seven straight losing games. Slugger Rocky Colavito had six hits in 53 at bats, only two home runs in almost a month. The Kansas City Athletics continued their surprisingly good play, winning with short hits (just one home run all week) and fine pitching. Knuckle-balling Bud Daley pitched two complete winning games, yielding one run in each. Ex-Yanks Johnny Kucks and Tom Sturdivant won a game apiece. The Detroit Tigers kept on rolling and moved up into the first division for the first time this year. Pitcher Paul Foytack contributed two victories, and Left-hander Don Mossi shut out the Yankees for his third victory over them this year. But that was a rare losing game for the revived New York Yankees (see page 20), who of late were scoring twice as many runs as they were yielding. In one three-game stretch, seven different Yankees hit home runs. And on one occasion when the Yankees scored only two runs themselves, Bob Turley, back in his 1958 form, allowed but one run. The Washington Senators got in on the Indian massacre, beating Cleveland twice, then lost a couple despite Rookie Bob Allison's 5 for 5 effort, including two home runs. As the Senators sank closer to last, Manager Cookie Lavagetto defended his boys. "We are not the patsies of the league this year. We're helping make this race interesting." The Boston Red Sox continued their uninspired play. "We're lousy," screamed Jackie Jensen after a losing game. "There is no panic about being in last place," said Owner Tom Yawkey. "We may trade at the last moment. Wouldn't that Skowron look good in a Red Sox uniform?"
Standings: Chi 29-23, Balt 28-24, Clev 26-23, Det 25-25, KC 24-24, NY 24-25, Wash 23-29, Bost 22-28.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
The Milwaukee Braves got scuffed up pretty good as Lew Burdette, Warren Spahn and Bob Rush were belted on successive days. In addition, Braves lost Catcher Del Rice, with a broken left leg, and Shortstop Johnny Logan, who pulled a hamstring muscle in his right leg. Hank Aaron made his 1,000th hit at age 25, and Eddie Mathews hit three home runs to raise his league-leading total to 19. The San Francisco Giants went into Milwaukee with orders to "hit the first ball if it's in the strike zone." Orlando Cepeda hit first pitches for two home runs and a double, driving in seven runs in one game. One of the homers was the first ball ever hit over the left-field bleachers at County Stadium. Said Cepeda, "Felt easy." Sad Sam Jones, who was happy to be traded to San Francisco, "a team that will get me some runs," received 11 in one game, 13 in his next. The Pittsburgh Pirates were two teams, winning one series with tight pitching and the necessary hitting, then losing another on loose pitching and not enough hitting. Hero Harvey Haddix attracted 29,000 fans as he shut out the Cardinals 3-0. The Los Angeles Dodgers (see page 64) stayed afloat on good pitching from Johnny Podres, Stan Williams and Sandy Koufax. Gil Hodges began to hit, lifting his average from .272 to .293, and John Roseboro, playing minus two teeth which were knocked out in a bullpen accident, hit three home runs in two games, his first homers of the year. The Chicago Cubs had struck out 73 times in eight games. Manager Bob Scheffing ordered extra batting practice. The Cubs rolled off five wins in a row, scoring 26 runs. The Cincinnati Reds are happy because Don Newcombe has his fast ball back. Newk threw a 3-hitter against the hard-hitting Giants, his fourth straight win. Said his catcher, Dutch Dotterer: "He's starting to look like Newcombe's kind of Newcombe." In an effort to shake up the Philadelphia Phils, General Manager John Quinn traded Willie Jones to Cleveland, leaving only three of old Whiz Kids left (Roberts-Ashburn-Simmons). "There will probably be more trades," said Quinn ominously, whereupon Roberts won twice and Ashburn got four hits in one game. St. Louis Cardinals made losing look easy as they fell back into last place again. Stan Musial, mired at the .250 level and hinting that this might well be his last year, was given a few days' "rest." Rookie Gene Oliver, up from Rochester, spelled Stan and hit his first major league home run.
Standings: Mil 31-20, SF 30-23, Chi 28-25, LA 28-26, Pitt 27-26, Cin 25-28, Phil 20-30, StL 20-31.
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Boxed statistics through Saturday, June 6
TWO PHOTOS
INSTANT RELIEF by Don Elston (left) and .340 hitting by Ed Bouchee made the Cubs and Phillies tough teams to beat.
