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4t , , 4 Good Shortstops No Problem For Big Leagues This Season Each Loop Has Half Dozen Top Flight Men Stationed At Important Infield Post By JACK CUDDY United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 19.— A feature : of the current season is the unusually large number of good shortstops performing in both leagues. But, at the same time, there seems a shortage of top. flight catchers. The shortstop usually is regarded as key man on a club. He should be excellent on defense and a fair hitter, although not necessarily as potent at bat as a catcher. Normally there are two or three standouts among Major league shortstops, and the rest are mediocre as far as combined fielding and hitting are concerned. This year there are a half-dozen good ones in each circuit. The best in the American league might be listed as follows: Phil Rizzuto, Yankees; Billy Hunter, Browns; rookie Harvey Ku-enn, Tigers; Chico Carrasquel, White Sox; Eddie Joost, Atheletics, and Pete Runnels, Senators. Outstanding in the National circuit are Pee Wee Reese, Dodgers; Alvin Dark, Giants; Solly Hemus, Cardinals! Granny Hamner, Phillies; Johnny Logan, Braves, and Roy Smalley, Cubs. None of Six Hitting Below .270 It is notable that none of those six National leaguers is hitting below .270, according to Wednesdays averages, and Reese is up around .290. In the junior circuit, the batting marks are generally lower. Runnels, who led Washington batters last season with .285, has dropped to .227, but meanwhile he improved his fielding considerably. Freshman Kuenn of Detroit is high for the American half-dozen with .286. Perfectionist Casey Stengel of ,the Yanks admitted an admirable display of short-stopping talent in the majors today, but he added with a smile, "some of them should improve their batting averages a lot, at least in our league." Stengels Rizzuto has been handicapped for two weeks by a pulled muscle in his right leg. Willie Miranda has been used as a replacement four times since the Yanks acquired him from the Browns on June 12. Miranda is a sensational fielder but a weak hitter. Catchers, the "brain guys" who are supposed to handle their own pitchers and also supply power at bat, are being manhandled by opposition flingers this season, the averages show. Thats particularly true among the so-called "better" half-dozen in the American league. Sherman Lollar, long-ball hitter of Jhe White Sox, tops the American backstops with .276. Sam White of the Red Sox has .270; Yogi Berra of the Yanks,244; Clint Courtney of the Browns, 22; Jim Hegan of the Indians, 218, and Mickey Grasso of the Senators, .196. Del Crandall of the Braves leads the National circuits "better" catchers with .321, and is followed by Roy Campanella of the Dodgers with .293. Del Rice of the Cardi- nals has .244; Joe Garagiola of the Cubs, .233; Andy Seminick of the Redlegs, .206, and Wes Westrum of the Giants, .197. 1 • ■ f ■•— • + • : ! ■ ; - . • ■ r I
