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4 : . Makers Deny Ball Is Livelier But Homer Production Soars CONNIE RYAN The Chicago White Sox purchased the second baseman from the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday. Both Major, Minor Leagues Show Substantial Increases In Circuit Swats Over 1952 By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., Aug. 25. Manufacturers still deny theres any jackrabbit. in the 1953 baseball, but home run production is way up nearly everywhere in the Minor leagues as well as the Majors. The National league is home run crazy with an increase of 31 per cent and the American league is up eight per cent. Eight of 11 Minor leagues sampled by one manufacturer showed marked increases up to 66 per cent and only three slight decreases. Already the top sluggers in both Major leagues h,ave surpassed the totals with which home run titles were carted off a year ago and in most cases the leaders are, hammering homers at the greatest paces of their entire careers. The Major exception is Ralph Kiner,of the Cubs. Kiner and Hank Sauer tied for the NL homer title last year with 37 and Larry Doby of the Indians made away with the AL championship with 32. But up to today, Eddie Matthews of the Braves had 39 already in the records and Ted Kluszewski of the Redlegs was two behind with 37 a total good enough to tie last year. Al Rosen of the Indians, with 33 up to today, would have won the American league championship a year ago and theres still one fifth of the season left to Play. Far Ahead of Best Seasons Both Mathevjs and Kluszewski are far ahead of their best seasons. The belting Braves hit 25 as arookie last year while "Big Klooss" biggest output in five previous seasons was 25 in 1950. Rosen led the American league with 37 in 1950 and hes slightly behind his pace of that year in which he bagged his 33rd homer on August 20 in his 117th game. He hit this years 33 on August 23 in his 122nd mark of 33 in 1951. Roy Campanella of the Dodgers, third in the NL homer derby with 32, has come up with an increase of 10 over all last year l and was one shy up to today of his all-time Dodger Duke Snider already has equalled his peak output of 31 in 1950 while Gus Zernial of the As also with 31, is two short of his 1951 peak. A Minor league home run survey, embracing the 11 leagues using a ball made by one manufacturer, shows the biggest gains in the Cotton States league with an increase of 66 per cent over last year. A pair of clouters named Hal Martin of Hot Springs, Ark., and Dolph Regelsky of Meridian, Miss., helped swell the total with an assault, on records set 12 years ago. Other notable increases are being made in the Three I League 59 per cent , Carolina league. 50 per cent, Sooner State league 38 per cent, South Atlantic 37 per cent; Longhorn 35 per cent, and the Georgia-Florida league 30 per cent. Decreases were revealed in. the Eastern, Big State and Western Association. Anyway, it looks like the year of the big clout in basebalt-a year in which tape measures are standard equipment in many press boxes.
