United League Baseball

Hodges Back to Brooklyn
Doby Joins Gothams in Big Apple Blockbuster
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Apr. 9) -- Superbas fans still reeling from last summer's trade of Brooklyn hero Roy Campanella are rejoicing the return of Gil Hodges to Ebbets Field. The former Dodger is moving across town in a deal that sends centerfielder Larry Doby and minor league first baseman Dale Long to the Bronx-based Gothams.
   Hodges, a two-time Player of the Week and May's Player of the Month, was New York's third round pick (23rd overall) in the UL's Initial Draft a year ago. Hodges (.263-32-115) was one of three Gothams to surpass 100 RBI, and addresses Brooklyn's lack of power (Doby and Gene Woodling tied for the team lead with just 15 homers each).
   Doby (.286-15-97), the Superbas' second round pick (10th overall), is one of the league's top outfielders, and brings speed and defense to a team that was seventh in stolen bases and sixth in fielding. Long, 26, spent all of last season with AAA Buffalo, where he batted .253 with 17 homers and 75 RBIs in 129 games.
   The deal adds $1 million to New York's payroll, giving them the third largest payroll in the league ($54.03 million), behind only St. Louis, while Brooklyn's payroll was cut $2 million by this and the Harry Chiti-Norm Zauchin trade with Louisville, to the league's lowest ($50.38 million). The trades culminate an off-season of major revamping in Flatbush, coming on the heels of the 1952 UL Draft, which saw Brooklyn sign top pitchers Curt Simmons and Hoyt Wilhelm (see below), both of whom are expected to play key roles as the Superbas try to rebound from a disappointing seventh place finish in 1951.

1952 United League Draft
Superbas Stock Up on Pitching
Simmons, Wilhelm Bolster Staff
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Feb. 2) -- The Brooklyn Superbas have the most improved pitching after landing a pair of potential stars in this week's Reentry and Rookie drafts. The Superbas, who finished seventh last season, took 22-year-old lefthander Curt Simmons with the first Reentry pick, then added 28-year old closer Hoyt Wilhelm in the Rookie draft. Both are expected to be star performers, and Simmons, in particular, could make an immediate impact on a staff with the third highest ERA in the league in 1951.

Louisville Powers Up
Elsewhere in the draft, the Louisville Colonels set aside their pitching concerns to immediately address their lack of power. Slugging third baseman Eddie Mathews was the first overall pick of the Rookie draft, and the Colonels took right fielder Hank Sauer with the second Reentry pick. Louisville's 75 home runs last year were nearly 50 less than the next lowest team (Detroit, 124). No Colonel reached 20 homers, and only Jackie Jensen (19) and Joe Collins (17), hit more than 10.
   Twenty year old Mathews, a Texarkana, Texas native, was the highest rated rookie. He hits with power from the left side of the plate, has a good eye, and plays a steady, if not spectacular, third base. Sauer hit .290 with 14 home runs in 119 games with Washington last year.
   The Colonels did take three starters and two relievers among their nine total draft picks. But it seems as though GM Mark Allen is counting on his young pitchers to develop into quality hurlers, as Art Houtteman, Harry Breechen, and Bobby Tiefenauer are unlikely to make a huge impact.

Boston Fills Gaps
Charlie Qualls made the most of his early picks to fill the two major gaps in his roster. The Beacons GM snatched catcher Clyde McCullough in the Reentry draft and shortstop Harvey Kuenn in the rookie draft to patch holes left by Walker Cooper's Army enlistment and Phil Rizzuto's advancing years.

Gothams, Maroons Get Arms,
Detroit Stockpiles Outfielders
New York went strong on pitching, taking starters Billy Loes and Mike Fornieles with their first picks, while champions St. Louis went the same route with reliever Steve Ridzik and starter Tom Gorman.
   Washington and Chicago had a more balanced draft. The Monuments took starter Stu Miller and closer Joe Black in the Rookie draft, but made CF Jimmy Piersall their first Reentry pick. The Colts used their first Reentry pick to resign LF Mike McCormick, but took pitcher Bill Henry in the Rookie draft.
   The most offensive draft crop went to Detroit, who selected six position players, including four outfielders, with their seven picks. The only pitcher was Gene Conley, a first round Rookie pick. The emphasis on outfielders was a bit puzzling, given that the Sound already have the league's best outfield, with league MVP Ralph Kiner in left, All-Star Joe DiMaggio in center, and Monte Irvin in right. Detroit now has 15 outfielders out of 47 players.

1952 PREVIEW

	BOSTON · Frank Hiller (0-2, 5.13) will fight for a starting role, no other pitching changes of note... Walker Cooper and Hank Majeski are in Korea, so Clyde McCullough (.306-11-59) gets the catcher job, and 3B will be split between Bobby Brown (.297-6-52) and Bob Dillinger (.262-1-30). Rookie Harvey Kuenn relegates Phil Rizzuto to a bench role, 2B Bobby Morgan will lead off vs. lefties, and switch-hitting Dave Philley will platoon in right with Cal Abrams.
	BROOKLYN · Big changes at Ebbets. Only Hutchinson and Raffensberger return to the rotation, among pitchers with 30 starts a year ago. Curt Simmons will be the Opening Day starter against Chicago, while Jim Hearn (9-15, 5.18), and Lou Brissie (5-0, 3.41) round out the five-man rotation... The trade for Gil Hodges gives the Superbas a legit long-ball threat, but Larry Doby's speed and defense will be missed. The other change is at catcher, where rookie Toby Atwell will platoon with slugger Wes Westrum (.168-12-36), who hopes to bounce back from a dismal '51.
	CHICAGO · The rotation is unchanged from a year ago (Rogovin, Parnell, Newcombe, Roe), but Dizzy Trout takes on the closer role for Ted "Cork" Wilks, who is in Korea... Some infield changes as well: Nippy Jones (.299 with AAA Cincinnati) replaces Eddie Robinson (.260-5-40) as Whitey Lockman's platoon mate at 1B, while Avila's deployment to Pusan gives the starting 2B job to Connie Ryan (.252-7-36).
	DETROIT · Sound rotation still features the "three R's" (Roberts, Raschi, and Rush), but Bob Porterfield (16-16, 4.85) has been replaced by Ted Gray (1-2, 4.55)... Lineup is unchanged 1-6 with Kiner-DiMaggio still the league's toughest 4-5 combo. Newcombers are shortstop Marty Marion, 34, and catcher Joe Tipton, 30, who spent most of 1951 at AA Dallas.
	LOUISVILLE · Two new faces in the Colonels' rotation: veteran Harry Breechen, 36 (14-13, 5.04 with New York), and Art Houtteman, 24 (10th overall pick in Reentry Draft). Ralph Branca (3-8, 6.64 as a starter) will get a shot at the closer job... 3B Eddie Mathews is the ROY front-runner and will add some punch, along with LF Hank Sauer. Elmer Valo takes Richie Ashburn's place in CF.
	NEW YORK · Another team with a new-look rotation. Only Early Wynn (19-8, 4.30) and Ewell Blackwell (10-13, 5.46) keep their starting jobs, with the other three slots taken by youngsters Mike Fornieles, 20, Billy Loes, 22, and Bob Friend, 22, who was 9-2, 4.26 in 26 games as a spot starter/reliever last year... GM Greg Bish traded some of his surplus power (Gil Hodges, one of three 100 RBI men in '51) for the glove and footspeed of Larry Doby, who, with Ted Williams and Vic Wertz, gives the Goths a world-class outfield.
	ST. LOUIS · Very few changes for the champs. Bob Feller (7-7, 5.51) will compete for a spot in the rotation, and first-round rookie reliever Steve Ridzik will start the year with the big club... With two catchers in Korea, Red Wilson (.176 in 20 games with Boston) was added; he will compete with Jim Hegan for the backup catcher job... Starting 8 looks is completely unchanged. Gil Coan hopes to pick up where he left off (.294-5-60) after missing the last three weeks of '51 with a broken hand.
	WASHINGTON · Erv Palica earned a starting job after a 4-5 record and 4.21 ERA in 11 starts last year. He joins Gromek, Jansen, and Koslo in the rotation, while Harry Perkowski moves to a set-up role... No new faces offensively, though Willie Mays will try his hand as a leadoff hitter vs. lefties.
DAY-BY-DAY
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