United League Baseball

Opening Day 1952
Newcomers Shine in Opening Week
Houtteman, Fornieles Throw Shutouts in Debuts
LOUISVILLE, Kent. (April 14) -- UL newcomers Art Houtteman of Louisville and Mike Fornieles of New York each threw a shutout in their first major league start, and Brooklyn's Curt Simmons allowed just two hits in an Opening Day complete game win, as United League newcomers made an immediate impact on their respective ballclubs.
Houtteman, 24, Louisville's second round Reentry pick, shut out Detroit on three hits the day after Opening Day, as Jensen and Collins homered for an 8-0 win. The same day, in New York, Cuban rookie Mike Fornieles, 20, blanked Boston on six hits, as the Gothams won 3-0.
Louisville seems to have overcome last season's power outage, hitting a league-high 10 home runs in its first six games, including three each by Joe Collins and Jackie Jensen, and a pair by reentry pickup Luke Easter. The Colonels split their first six, joining five other teams at 3-3 after the first week.

Hodges' Sweet Homecoming
Gil Homers Twice Opening Day
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Apr. 9) -- Five days after his 26th birthday, Gil Hodges got a belated birthday present. First a trade back to his adopted hometown of Brooklyn, and then a pair of homers in his Superbas debut at Ebbets Field. It was a glorious day in Brooklyn, which suffered through a dismal 1951 season with their seventh place Superbas, who were a poor substitute for the successful Dodger teams of the late 1940s. But Opening Day '52 opened a new chapter in Brooklyn baseball, or reopened an old chapter. So hopes Frank Thomas, who tweaked his club more in the off-season than any other UL owner.
Another of his key acquisitions paid immediate dividends on Opening Day, as youngster Curt Simmons shut down Chicago with a complete game two-hitter. Simmons, 22, was one of the NL's best pitchers with Philadelphia in 1950, teaming up with Robin Roberts to lead the "Whiz Kids" to the Phillies' first pennant in 35 years and only their second in their 68-year history. Simmons was 17-8 with a 3.40 ERA in 1950, after lackluster seasons in '48 and '49 when he was 11-23. Fred Hutchinson followed up Simmons' two-hitter with a four-hit gem of his own, before the Superbas lost three of their next four to finish the week 3-3.

AROUND THE HORN

4-2 --	ST. LOUIS · Opening Day: Coan RBI double and Schoendienst 2-run single in ninth inning beats Monuments 5-3 in D.C. Schoendienst was 3-4 and Cy Young winner Sam Zoldak got a no-decision... Willie Jones drove in 6 runs in Wednesday's 14-8 blowout, and hit the game-winning single in the ninth in Saturday's 4-3 win over Boston... Jethroe .407 (11-27), Musial .360 (9-25).
3-3 1	BOSTON · Opening Day: Warren Spahn goes the distance, fanning 6, and Earl Torgeson gets three hits in 6-2 win at Yankee Stadium... Reynolds injured in Friday's 5-3 win at St. Louis, out 6 weeks with pulled bicep... Garcia 0-2 in first two starts... Zernial .385 (10-26), 5-6 with 5 RBI in 17-2 win Thursday.
3-3 1	BROOKLYN · Opening Day: Curt Simmons 6-hit CG in UL debut, Hodges homers twice and Atwell homers in 9-2 win over Chicago... Hutchinson 4-hitter in Wednesday's 3-1 win... Reiser .444 (8-18), 4-4 in Saturday's 5-4 win at Louisville... R Jackson .429 (9-21), Hodges .375 (9-25).
3-3 1	CHICAGO · Opening Day: Saul Rogovin touched for 7 runs in 2.2 innings in 9-2 loss at Brooklyn; Gus Bell hit pinch homer in 7th to spoil shutout... Newcombe 6-hit Brooks in 4-1 win Thursday... 1-3 start, then 17-3 and 3-1 wins at Detroit: Lockman 5-7 in Saturday's blowout, Rogovin shut down Sound in Sunday's win.
3-3 1	DETROIT · Opening Day: Crushed Colonels 15-2 at Louisville: Kiner 4-4 with HR, Fain 4-6, 3 RBI, Roberts 6-hit CG... Raschi 0-2, 6.60 in first 2 starts... Labine 2 saves in back-to-back 4-3 wins Thursday and Friday... Fain .333 with 4 doubles in first six games... Kiner looks to repeat HR title, hits 3 HR in first 6 games.
3-3 1	LOUISVILLE · Opening Day: inauspicious start for last season's cellar-dwellars, 15-2 blowout loss to Detroit at home, Garver touched for 9 runs (only 3 earned) in 6.2 innings, Harris concedes 5 in 0.2 innings, three errors (two by Lowrey)... Next day Houtteman three-hit shutout, 2-0, 3.00 for week... Bauer .500 (10-20), Dark .429 (9-21), Collins .412 (7-17), 3 HR, 7 RBI, Jensen .346 (9-26), 3 HR, 9 RBI, 2 HR, 5 RBI in 13-6 win over Brooklyn Sunday.
3-3 1	WASHINGTON · Opening Day: Frank Smith blew 3-2 lead in ninth, in 5-3 home loss to St. Louis; Adcock, Gordon homered... Won 3 of last 4... Koslo 3-hit shutout of Maroons Thursday... Gromek 2.65 but winless in first two starts... Beat NYG 8-7 in ninth Friday on Garagiola double, Wertz error... Garagiola .467 (7-15), 6 RBI, 3-4 with 2 RBI in 7-6 win Sunday.
2-4 2	NEW YORK · Opening Day: Wynn touched for 6 runs in 5.2 innings in 6-2 loss to Boston... Fornieles 6-hit SHO in 3-0 win Wednesday... Lost 17-2 to Boston Thursday, two one-run losses at Washington Fri and Sun... Blackwell beat Gromek 3-1 Saturday, Robinson 3-5, HR... Hooper 0.93 in first 3 games... Boudreau .353 (6-17), Wiliams .350 (7-20), Robinson .346 (9-26).
DAY-BY-DAY
Tuesday, April 9 BRO 9, CHI 2 - Simmons CG, 2 H, 0 ER in debut; Hodges 3-4, 2 HR in BRO debut DET 15, LOU 2 - Roberts 6-hit CG, Kiner 4-4, HR, Fain 4-6, 3 RBI, Irvin, Priddy 3 RBI STL 5, WAS 3 - Zoldak 7.0, 2 R, Schoendienst 3-4, 3-run 9th BOS 6, NYG 2 - Spahn CG, 2 R, Torgeson 3-5, Mantle 2 RBI
Wednesday, April 10 BRO 3, CHI 1 - Hutchinson 4-hit CG, Hitchcock 3-4; Parnell 6-hit CG loss LOU 8, DET 0 - Houtteman 3-hit SHO in debut, Jensen HR, 4 RBI, Collins 3-4, HR STL 14, WAS 8 - 10 R in 8th/9th, W Jones GSHR in 8th, 6 RBI; Gordon HR, 3 RBI NYG 3, BOS 0 - Fornieles 6-hit SHO in debut, Thomas, Doby 2 H, RBI
Thursday, April 11 CHI 4, BRO 1 - Newcombe 6-hit CG, 7 K, Ryan 2-4, HR; R Jackson 2-4, Stephens 2-3 DET 4, LOU 3 - Gray 8.0, 4 H, 3 R, Kiner, Irvin 2-run HRs in 4th; Easter 2-run HR WAS 3, STL 0 - Koslo 3-hit SHO, Adcock 2-3, RBI, Snider, Mays 2-4 BOS 17, NYG 2 - Lopat CG, Zernial 5-6, HR, 5 RBI, Dom, McCullough HR, Brown 3 RBI
Friday, April 12 WAS 8, NYG 7 - Garagiola 2-4, 3 RBI, 2B in 9th, Snider, Adcock 2 RBI; Wertz E in 9th BOS 5, STL 3 - Reynolds inj, Zernial 2 RBI, Philly RBI 3B; Jethroe 2 RBI DET 4, CHI 3 - 4-run 1st, Marion 2-4; Berra inj, Bell 2-4 LOU 11, BRO 6 - Collins 2-5, HR, 4 RBI, Valo 3-4, 3 RBI, Bauer 3-5, Kluttz HR
Saturday, April 13 NYG 3, WAS 1 - Blackwell 7-hit CG, Robinson 3-5, HR, Yost 2-3; Michaels 3-4 STL 4, BOS 3 - Zoldak CG, Jethroe 4-5, W Jones 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; McCullough 2 RBI CHI 17, DET 3 - Lockman 5-7, 3 RBI, Seminick 3-6, Westlake 3 RBI, Roe 3 R BRO 5, LOU 4 - Reiser 4-4, 2 RBI, Minoso 2-3, Wilhelm SV in debut
Sunday, April 14 WAS 7, NYG 6 - Mays 3-run HR in 1st, Garagiola 3-4, 2 RBI, Goodman 3-4 STL 7, BOS 3 - Musial 3-5, GSHR, 5 RBI, Jethroe 2 R, SB; Boone, Zernial 3-4 CHI 5, DET 1 - Reese 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Thomson, Rosen HR; Kiner 3-4, HR LOU 13, BRO 6 - Jensen 3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI, Bauer 3-4, Collins, Easter, Fox HR