Tab Eight as Twenty-Game Winners: Lemon and Haddix Likely Repeaters, Daily Racing Form, 1954-06-09

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Tab Eight as Twenty-Game Winners Lemon and Haddix Likely Repeaters Porterfield, Spahn, Roberts, Keegan, Wynn, Lopat Also Appear to Have Good Chance By STEVE SNIDER United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 8. At least eight major league pitchers are in a good spot to win 20 or more games this season with Bob Lemon of the Indians and Harvey Haddix of the Cardinals heading the list as repeaters. Bob Porterfield of the Senators, Warren Spahn of the Braves and Robin Roberts of the Phillies, who also hit the magic 20 a year ago, are on the list again. Others with an excellent chance are Bob Keegan of the White Sox, Early Wynn of the Indians, and Eddie Lopat of the Yankees. All but Keegan have proved one or more times theyve got the endurance and the know-how to achieve the pitching goal they all seek but few attain each year. Keegan, however, is a strong-armed sophomore and currently the years leading winner after scoring in eight of his first nine decisions. While five of the eight who hit 20 last season figure to do it again, the other three have found the going tougher. In this group are Carl Erskine of the Dodgers, Virgil Trucks of the White Sox, and Mel Parnell of the Red Sox. Parnell, injured early in the season, has yet to score his first triumph. Lemon Off to Good Start Lemon, who has won 20 or more in five of his last six seasons, is off to a fine start and, like Wynn, is working for a pennant contender that should come up with plenty of support. Lemon was 7-2 up to today. Haddix blew his first two decisions but thereafter won eight of his next nine. The Cardinal sophomore has one big item going for him, too a slugging club thatll score plenty of runs. Roberts normally would be the National leagues best bet for a 20 game year he, has done it four straight seasons but the rubber-armed right hander had a 7-5 record up to today due in part to the fact the Phillies are trailing four other clubs in the matter of scoring runs. Other National leaguers with a fair chance are Johnny Antonelli of the Giants and Johnny Podres of the Dodgers, although neither ever has done it before. Porterfield, the erstwhile hard luck guy who wound up last season with a 22-10 recordj rolled up a 6-2 mark in a hurry this spring. Then he lost his next two by one run but even so he is slightly better off than last season at this stage. Of the eight potential 20 gamers, Lopat Is the shakiest choice since Steady Eddie isnt as active as he used to be and may not see enough action to achieve 20. Eddie won six of his first seven, though, and rates a place on the list. Steve Gromek of the Tigers started off as the years hottest candidate, racking up five in a row before he dropped his first one. Then he worked his mark to seven out of eight but since then he has dropped four in a row. Other possibilities include Trucks, Bob Trice of the Athletics, Allie Reynolds of the Yankees and Mike Garcia of the Indians. There still is a long way to go and actually only one thing is certain. Therell be plenty of heartbreak along the way for a lot of guys who believe they should win 20 but wont.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1954060901/drf1954060901_2_1
Local Identifier: drf1954060901_2_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800