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Musial Tops Majors Hit Parade Cardinal Slugger 1 Sports .483 Mark ; Senior Circuits Andy Pafko Among the Select .400 Set; DropoLoneAmericanLeaguer By EARL WRIGHT By United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y.. May 12 UP . — Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals, who has the highest lifetime batting average of any active National League player, is bidding for his fourth circuit batting championship by making the fastest start of his career. Musial began the 1950 campaign with a ] .346 average for eight previous big league , seasons. He made a slow start last year but finished with a .338 mark, only live points j behind Jackie Robinson of Brooklyn, the 1949 champion. The Cardinal star outfielder has turned the tables this spring. He has a .483 average for 16 games. Robinson is eighth with a .329 mark. In of f cial averages, which included Thursdays day games, Musial had 29 hits in 60 times at bat and his total included two. home runs, one triple and seven two-base hits. Walt Dropo, who got another chance with the Boston Red Sox when Billy Goodman broke a bone in his angle two weeks ago, topped all American League batters with a .400 average. The big first baseman collected 14 hits in 35 tries since he was recalled from Louisville of the American Association. Pafko Second, in Senior Circuit Outfielder Andy Pafko of the Chicago Cubs was runner-up to Musial in the National with a .423 mark. Outfielder Dick Sisler of the Philadelphia Phillies was next with a .397 average. Third baseman Tom Glaviano of the Cards was fourth at .379 and Sam Jethroe, the Boston Braves rookie outfielder, completed the older leagues "big five" with a .352 average. Dropos veteran teammate, outfielder Dom Di Maggio, was second in the American with a .378. Di Maggio had appeared 1 in 20 games to Dropos 10. Three players were deadlocked for third. Vic Wertz, Detroit ■ Tiger outfielder, outfielder Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians and Paul 1 Lehner, Philadelphia Athletics outfielder, • all had .375 averages. Catcher.Jim Hegan of Cleveland was next with .373, followed 1 by Al Zarilla of the Red Sox with .370. Ted Williams of the Red Sox led the : major league home run race with eight in 16 games. Williams and his teammate, • shortstop Vern Stephens, also topped the majors in runs batted in. Each had 26 in 1 that department. Ralph Kiner of Pitts-j burgh and Sid Gordon of the Braves were s tied for the National homer lead with seven 1 apiece. Jethroe led the majors in hits with 32, i while Di Maggio of the Red Sox was runner-up " with 31. Bill Werle of the Pirates led the National I League pitchers with a 3-0 record. Chuck Stobbs of the Red Sox had a 2-0 0 record in the American but Art Houtteman • of Detroit led the junior circuit in total II victories with a 4-1 mark.
