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Kiner Worried Over Lack of Homers High Bat Average Could Cut Salary Pay of Cub Slugger Based Mainly on Circuit Clouts Rather Than Hitting Mark By MILTON RICHMAN United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 9 UP. Ralph Kiner appears headed for his greatest year at the plate but all it promises to earn him is a swift kick in the pocketbook. Kiner is clouting the ball at a .347 clip for the Cubs today and although .313 was his best previous mark, Ralph has reason to .be concerned. That concern stems from the fact that his estimated 2,500salary is based chiefly on how many home runs he hits rather than the size of his batting average. "I sure wish I could get myself a couple of more homers," Kiner, who has only 10 compared to teammate Hank Sauers 19, observes hopefully, even though he clouted a pair yesterday. Naturally, Kiner is happy over the fact that his .batting average ranks with some of the best in the National league but he also realizes that hes paid to deliver the long ball. "Ball games are won by home runs and runs-batted-in," Kiner claims. "Take a hitter who bats .320 but drives in only 50 or 60 runs. Do you think he helps a club as much as a hitter, say, who bats only .280 but drives in 100 runs with 40 homers? I dont think so. I think most clubs would want the man who drives in all the runs." Hit Only 35 Homers in 53 It is not only conceivable but quite probable that Kiner would be asked to accept a cut in salary if he batted .330 but managed to hit only in the neighborhood of 25 or 30 home runs. Last season, he hit only 35 homers his lowest output since he hit 23 as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 1946 and was cut almost 20 per cent for 1954. Kiner says he would like to hit "at least" 40 homers this year, but at the rate hes .. oing, hell have to get a move on to reach that goal. The fact that the 31-year-old Cub outfielder might hit "for average" this season would mean little or nothing to the Chicago front office when it came time to talk contract with Kiner next winter. Chicago officials probably would call Kiners attention to the fact that another of their outfielders, Frank Baumholtz, finished second to Stan Musial "with a mark of .325 two years ago, and hit an acceptable .306 last year, but still doesnt even draw one-third of a 2,500 salary. And even should Kiner hit .330 or .340, the Cubs could still furnish a precedent for cutting salaries at that level. " Al Simmons, the Hall of Famer, laughingly tells how the Athletics sliced his pay one winter after he had hit .351. "I couldnt very well argue, either," Simmons says, "because the year before that I had hit .392."
