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► — 4 National League Has Renewed Confidence in All -Star Game i, f 1 J I j DiMaggio, Feller, Newhouser, Williams Wont Be Around To Plague Them This Year By FRED DOWN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 11.— The National League, which used to shudder as All-Star game time neared, looked forward today toward its 19th meeting with the American League with more confidence than at any time in the last decade. The key to the new confidence that the trend is swinging away from the younger circuit is the fact that the American League will take the field without its four superstars — Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Bob Feller and Hal Newhouser. At least one of the super-stars has appeared in every All-Star game since 1936 and, over the long haul, there is no ques- , tion that they have swung the balance in favor of the A.L. J One look at the record is enough to show ! how heavily they have weighted as the ! American Leaguers compiled their present 12-6 advantage. j I Feller, the great fireball king, faced the National Leaguers in five games. He j ! pitched 12 1-3 innings, struck out 13 and allowed one earned run for an E.R.A. of 0.73. Newhousers Successes Newhouser, the A.L.s lefthanded Feller, also appeared in five All-Star games and ; had almost as much success. The brilliant Detroit speedballer pitched a total of 10 2-3 j innings, struck out eight and allowed two earned runs for a 1.69 E. R. A. j Williams, of course, has been the most destructive hitter in the games history. I ] His famous home run off Claude Passeau j J won the 1941 game and in 1946 he staged j his famous one-man hitting exhibition in | the Americans 12-0 route. His All-Star ] career average is over .400. j : DiMaggio, oddly, has never been particu- i larly brilliantfin the game of the Stars. But , over the long haul this fourth super-star J has contributed his matchless defensive J qualities to the A.L. and also delivered ; destructive , blows at the plate. j But the "Big Four" will not be on hand j j at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, Pa., on July j , j 8. Williams, of course, is in the Marine Air Corps and DiMaggio has retired. Fellers i record is 5-4 but he has been unimpressive i and i manager Casey Stengel undoubtedly will pass him by when he makes his pitch- ; ] ing selections. Newhousers record is 1-2 s and has no claim to be picked. It would be stressing the obvious to point i out that the American League has not yet developed four players with even a chance to j match the "Big Fours" talents. J On the other hand, National Leaguers argue that they have the games greatest ; j player in Stan Musial and probably its ] second best in Jackie Robinson. With Fel- j J ler and Newhouser gone, they figure they j have a nine-inning crack at the A.L.s J pitchers. And they are quite willing to i match such pitchers as Sal Maglie, Robin J Roberts, Curt Simmons and Warren Spahn j against the Feller-Newhouser staff. Small wonder that the National League is almost a cinch to show up on July 8!
