Dead or Alive

When the rattle of base hits had subsided and the debating societies finally departed from the mound, the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics dragged wearily off to Shibe Park's dressing rooms. In the nine-inning game, nine pitchers had given up 21 walks, 34 hits had ripped across the field; 36 runners had crossed the plate--a new American League record.

By last week such scoring sprees were beginning to look like the rule rather than the exception. The Red Sox had already set a modern high-scoring mark (29 runs against St. Louis). The Cleveland Indians tied another record by scoring 14 runs in one inning. From owners, players, managers and coaches came an old, familiar cry: someone had been putting benzedrine in the baseball again.

Atomic Secrets. Braves Manager Billy Southworth was certain of it. "I'm afraid someone's going to get killed," he gloomed. Yankee Coach Bill Dickey was just as convinced: "It's making a joke of the game." Though both league presidents and the company which makes the balls denied any skulduggery, one player insisted: "The atom bomb secrets were sold to Spalding, not the Russians."

Those who blamed the rabbit ball for 1950's batting splurge could produce plenty of statistics to support their stand. In one game the Yankees and Tigers had banged out a record eleven homers. Homerun production, in fact, was up 27% over last year. Boston's Ted Williams had already hit 24, Cleveland's Al Rosen 25, and the Pirates' Ralph Kiner 20. But although most pitchers were beginning to seem lucky if they lasted through the seventh-inning stretch, there was more than a suspicion that the ball alone was not responsible.

There were still a few stalwarts who seemed to have no complaints. Detroit's Art Houtteman, Cleveland's Bob Lemon, and the Braves' Johnny Sain had already won ten games each. Rookie Bob Miller had won seven straight for the front-running Phillies. The Giants' Larry Jansen had pitched 30 consecutive scoreless innings before he finally allowed a run.

Six-Way Race. As the major leagues headed into the Fourth of July weekend, it was that kind of pitching, not the hitting, that made the difference. With only two reliable starters (Preacher Roe and Don Newcombe), the favored Dodgers were wallowing along in a tight six-way race. In the American League, the Detroit Tigers had jumped into a commanding lead over the favored Red Sox, whose hitting could not match the Tigers' pitching.

Wrapping up the major leagues at the midseason mark, and taking a hefty clout at the rabbit-ball fanciers, New York Herald Tribune Columnist Red Smith had a ready explanation for the 1950 rash of home runs and high-scoring ball games: ". . . The real fault is not the lively ball but the deadly pitching."

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