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£g. nandVPmW*. ■ SPORTS CLOSE-UPS By Ira Seebacher NEW YORK. N. Y. May 13. -It is certainly conceivable that the Cincinnati contingent will make a gallant run of it again wind wind this year and yet up no better than its third place in 1956. but this time, there is a difference, as we see it. For one thing, the years of abject poverty have been cast aside. This year the Reds feel they arc of championship calibre. No longer is there that hang-dog feeling inbred over of ineffective j years «- •• • " — - j years «- •• • " — - battling for a flag. When was it Cincinnati won last— 1940? A second difference le that, as you will remember, neither the Braves nor Dodgers acted as though they wanted the flag at the close of last years race. If ever there were two teams punchily emulating a couple of out-of-condition pugs staggering through the last round of a preliminary, then those two teams were last years one-two finalists. The Reds know now that had they given it just a little bit more in 1956. they could have boarded that gravy train instead of Brooklyn. So. this year they are giving it that something extra right from the beginning. They are hustling and their • *w wp-of -th«-Brooklyn series to make it nine straight indicates they have straightened away after a rather shaky start. Theyll be tough as they indicated by thoroughly whacking the great Don Ncwcombe. • » • It begins to appear that big Newk, despite all the equipment he has as a pitcher, still lacks that one distinction that makes a genius on the mound instead of just a fine hurler. Granted that Newk has had some great years, that he is the star of the Brooklyn cast and about everything else you can heap on him in the way of accolades, he still is not one of the games greats and he never will be. Perhaps the difference is that he hasnt the competitive fire of a great pitcher. He wins often, it is true, certainly isnt lacking in guts, but he still hasnt that God given extra bit of fire called indomitable -ness. He can be had. The Yanks proved this, it was proven again in Japan and now the Reds proved that when it came to the big one, the game the star ought to have won if only to have provided the shot in morale Brooklyn so badly needs, even New k wasnt able to come through. Not that he didnt try. He was even in there hitting but he was unable to hit in as many runs as he pitched in for the opposition. So more and more, it begins to appear Continued on Page Forty-Nint I SPORTS CLOSE-UPS I j By IRA SEEBACIIER J Continued from Page Two that those who refused to concede Brooklyn another pennant without their first going out and winning it over the 154-game route, may be right. This isnt to say we are writing off the Brooks this early, but enough has already gone wrong for them to hearten the others who now have all the necessary confidence they need to make it a season-long chase. Even the Phils are not yet convinced that this couldnt be their year. In fact, only the Giants, Cubs and Pirates are at all aware they are playing this season for their paychecks only. The others still have visions of World Series rings and the like. Cold reality may come during the sweltering hot days to come, but at least now is the time for dreaming, while nights are cool and sleeping comes easy. We can hardly find it within the well of our compassion to shed additional moisture for the 13. C, yet tears, real or crocodile, would not be regarded as out of place when one broods upon the situation that faces the IJ3.C. now. Supposedly the king of the promotional heap, Mr. Norris, is having trouble promoting fights through a singular pursuit of singularly disinterested citizens. Norris cant even get Cus DAmato, Floyd Pattersons manager, on the telephone. Even if he does, it isnt likely it will be to successfully woo Patterson into making an appearance under the Norris banner. Similarly, Norris has been camping on Ray Robinsons doorstep, hoping against hope to get Ray to consent to fighting Carmen Basilio in July. The stated reasons for Mr. Robinsons punctiliously polite declinations is that Ray has a mental block concerning fights on hot summer nights, a rare mental aberration known professionally as Maximophobia. Also the IJ3.C. has gone gunning abroad for Cherif Hamia, featherweight champ, for a Syracuse fight with Hogan Bassey. Hamia is off to see his family in Algeria instead and while this means he wont be too far from ancient Syracuse, hell be a helluvva long way from Syracuse, N. Y. Oh, well, there is always a chance to make a living, Jim, by doing work. If things get tough, we know a guy who runs an employment agency. Take short-order cooks, for example. Those guys are never out of work. Nothing garish but instead of contending all the time with prima donnas, it gives a man a chance to fling in the iron himself once in a while.
