United League Baseball

Shakeup in Flatbush
Thomas Out, Reed In,
Minoso Hurt, 5 Drafted
BROOKLYN (July 15) -- There was change and more change in Flatbush in early July, as founding UL manager Frank Thomas stepped down from the Superbas and veteran manager Glen Reed took over. The changing of the guard came on July 1, and Reed becomes the United League's first new manager (see League News, sidebar).
Just four days into the job, Reed suffered a blow as his best hitter, Minnie Minoso (.343, .465 OBP) suffered a broken finger (5 weeks) when he was hit by a Steve Gromek pitch. Then on July 12, Reed learned that Brooklyn will be disproportionately represented in drab green next season, as five Superbas (out of a total of 17) were drafted into military service, including middle infielders Billy Hitchcock and Phil Rizzuto.
Reed inherits a good foundation on which to build. In addition to Minoso, Brooklyn's league-best offense features Gil Hodges, Gene Woodling, and Junior Stephens. Ebbets Field is a tough park for pitchers, which puts the Superbas' fifth-best ERA in its proper context. Reed will also have to address the club's financial problems; for the second year running, Brooklyn ranks next to last in attendance.

"Burrhead" Joins 6-Hit Club, Again
DETROIT (July 8) -- Sound first baseman Ferris "Burrhead" Fain was a perfect 6-for-6 in today's 14-8 drubbing of Chicago at Wrigley. Fain (.326-6-46) becomes the first player to have two six-hit games. He first accomplished the feat on April 15 (also against Chicago).
Fain, a former Philadelphia Athletic, was a fourth round selection in the UL Initial Draft, hit .296 in 1951, and leads the team in batting this season, and is second in hits and RBIs.
Detroit held second place and sits just 3.5 games behind Washington. The stars of the week were Robin Roberts and Ted Gray -- who threw back-to-back shutouts July 9-10 -- and rookie OF Dusty Rhodes, who hit a game-winning grand slam in just his fifth UL game July 13.

Talkin' Wartime
Teddy, Scooter, and the Duke
PENTAGON (July 12) - Shortly after the happy news that all 22 UL players presently serving the U.N. police action in Korea would come home in 1953 (see below), the Defense Department drew random numbers for 17 slots for the coming year. Unlike last year, when Louisville's Richie Ashburn was the only big name conscript, several UL teams will be without the services of key players in 1953.
Top of the list is New York Gothams outfielder Ted Williams, one of the league's top performers and turnstile-turners. Williams, who missed the 1943-45 seasons while serving as a naval aviation flight instructor, is a $7.5 million-a-year slugger, was the 7th overall pick in the Initial Draft. Teddy Ballgame hit .322 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs in his first UL season. The Washington Monuments will lose Duke Snider, a third round pick ($5.0m) next season. Snider is presently the embryonic league's all-time home run leader, with 53, and recently became just the third player to hit three home runs in a game. Boston will miss right-hander Bob Lemon, their fifth round pick a year ago. The loss of Lemon leaves a bitter taste in GM Charlie Qualls' mouth. The recent trade of Mike Garcia and Vinegar Bend Mizell to Louisville for prospect Eddie Mathews, plus the loss of Lemon for a year, will but a squeeze on Qualls' once-deep pitching. Also heading to the Far East is former Beacon Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who is having a bit of a resurgence with Brooklyn this season (.311, .387 OBP in 57 games). Rizzuto will be pushing 35 when the war ends next July, and will be counted among the "maybe come back" crowd of players who may opt to retire from baseball rather than coming back after military service. Others in this category include Brooklyn 2B Billy Hitchcock, 33, and Chicago reliever Monk Dubiel.

"We're All Coming Home!"
22 Ballplayers Avoid Reenlistment
PENTAGON (July 12) - All 22 United League players doing military service avoided reenlistment and will return to their baseball jobs in 1953. "They really defied the odds," Defense Secretary Robert A. Lovett commented, as dice roll after dice roll resulted in the decommissioning of all ballplayers. Each player had a 1 in 4 chance of being re-upped for another year, but the only players who renewed were Blix Donnelly and Jack Kramer, a pair of Gotham pitchers who retired from baseball last winter.

PLAYERS IN MILITARY SERVICE, 1953
TEAM	UNITED LEAGUE	MINOR LEAGUE
BOSTON	Bob Lemon, 30, SP
BROOKLYN	Billy Hitchcock, 34, 2B Phil Rizzuto, 33, SS	AAA-P. Runnels, 24, 2B AA-N. Zauchin, 21, 1B A-R. McMillan, 21, SS
CHICAGO	Monk Dubiel, 34, RP Bobby Thomson, 27, CF
DETROIT	Rocky Bridges, 23, SS Hank Edwards, 33, RF	A-G. Stephens, 19, RF
LOUISVILLE	Pete Castiglione, 31, 3B
NEW YORK	Ted Williams, 32, LF	AAA-T. Lepcio, 21, 2B
ST. LOUIS		AA-W.Terwilliger, 26, 2B
WASHINGTON	Joe Black, 28, RP Duke Snider, 24, RF
1953 Breakdown	Major League-11, AAA-2, AA-2, A-2 17 total
1952 Breakdown	Major League-15, AAA-5, AA-3, A-2, none-9 34 total

AROUND THE HORN

52-34 - 6-6	WASHINGTON · League best 3.31 ERA, .237 OBA, 59 HRA, 39 CG, 13 SHO, home record (29-14), attendance (1.2 million)... 9-3 vs BOS, 5-7 vs DET...
48-37 3.5 6-5	DETROIT · League low 56 HR, .728 OPS, 14 SB... League best .982 fielding, fewest errors (61)... Best road record (25-18)... 11-4 in one-run games... 8-3 vs LOU, 5-7 vs NYG...
45-40 6.5 8-3	ST. LOUIS · 8-4 vs NYG, 4-7 vs WAS...
45-41 7 7-5	BOSTON · 0-4 in extra innings... 9-3 vs NYG, 3-9 vs WAS...
40-46 12 6-6	BROOKLYN · League best offense (5.6 runs/game), SLG (.429), and OPS (.780-tied)... League high 78 errors... Worst road record (16-26)... Biggest home/road disparity (8 more home wins)... 9-4 vs LOU, 4-8 vs DET...
39-47 13 5-7	NEW YORK · League high 365 batting walks, .356 OBP... League worst 5.7 RA/game... 4-14 in one-run games... 8-5 vs BRO, 3-9 vs BOS...
37-48 14.5 4-7	CHICAGO · League high 87 home runs, 85 home runs allowed... League high 96 double plays... Worst home record (16-29)... 4-8 vs LOU...
36-49 15.5 4-7	LOUISVILLE · League high 90 stolen bases, 423 pitching Ks... League worst 4.97 ERA, .294 OBA... 8-4 vs CHI, 3-8 vs DET... Lowest attendance (568,000 - 13,500 per game)...
DAY-BY-DAY
Monday, July 1 NO GAMES
Tuesday, July 2 NO GAMES
Wednesday, July 3 WAS 4, BRO 3 - Mays 2-5, 2 RBI, Slaughter 2-4; Woodling 3-4, HR STL 11, CHI 7 - B Young 3 RBI in 9th, Joost 3 RBI, Jethroe HR, 2 SB; Berra 4-5, HR LOU 7, NYG 5 - Dark 3-4, 2 RBI, Fox 2-4, 2 RBI, Hemus 2 RBI; Williams HR, 3 RBI DET 3, BOS 1 - Porterfield 8.2, 4 H, 1 R, inj, Kiner, Priddy 2-3; McCullough HR
Thursday, July 4 BRO 6, WAS 3 - Doerr 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, Hodges 2-4, 2 RBI; Adcock 3-4 STL 5, CHI 4 (10) - Coan 3-5, GWHR in 10th, Musial 3-5, Ennis 2-4, 2 RBI LOU 7, NYG 6 (11) - Dark HR, GWRBI in 11th, Valo 3-5, 3 R; Doby HR, 3 RBI BOS 6, DET 4 - Mantle 2-4, 3 RBI, Dillinger 3-4, Zernial 2-4, HR
Friday, July 5 BRO 8, WAS 0 - Hutchinson 3-hit SHO, Reiser 3-5, Atwell 3-4, Woodling 2-5, 2 RBI CHI 6, STL 4 - Thomson 3-3, HR, 2 RBI, McCormick 2 RBI, Newcombe inj NYG 17, LOU 7 - Robinson 4-5, 4 RBI, Williams GSHR in 7th, Batts, Noren 3 H DET 7, BOS 3 - Scheffing 3-4, 2 RBI, Irvin 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Fain 2 RBI; Mantle 3-4, HR
Saturday, July 6 BRO 6, WAS 5 (10) - Doerr GW SF in 10th, Hodges, Westrum HR; Snider 2 HR, 4 RBI
Sunday, July 7 WAS 2, NYG 0 - Koslo 1-hit SHO, Snider 3-4, 3B, RBI, Big Klu RBI; Loes CG L, 9 K LOU 6, BRO 3 - Jensen 3-5, 2 SB, Valo RBI, SB; Woodling 3-4, Hodges 2 RBI CHI 6, DET 1 - Henry 7.0, 6 H, 1 R, E Robinson, Westlake 2-4, 2 RBI; Kiner HR STL 8, BOS 7 - W Jones GW PH SF in 9th, Schoendienst 3-5, 2 RBI; Torgeson 4-5
Monday, July 8 NYG 6, WAS 3 - Blackwell 7.2, 2 ER, Yost 3-4, 2 RBI, Doby 2 SB, 2 R BRO 6, LOU 5 - Souchock HR, 2 RBI, Doerr 2-3, 2B, RBI; Dark 13g HS DET 14, CHI 8 - Fain 6-6, HR, 5 RBI, Metkovich 3-6, 3 RBI, Irvin 3 RBI; Westlake 4 RBI STL 5, BOS 3 - Pierce 8.0, 2 R, Campanella GW 2-run HR in 9th, W Jones 2 RBI
Tuesday, July 9 WAS 5, NYG 2 - Gromek 8.2, 2 R, Snider HR, 2 RBI, Mays 2-4, 2 RBI BRO 6, LOU 3 - Simmons 8.2, 1 ER, Hodges 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, Atwell 3-4; Valo 3-4, HR DET 5, CHI 0 - Roberts 8-hit SHO, Irvin 3-3, 2 RBI, Priddy 3 RBI BOS 4, STL 1 - Hiller 7.0, 1 R, 2-3, Zernial HR, 2 RBI; Joost 3-4
Wednesday, July 10 WAS 15, LOU 4 - Gordon 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, Lollar, Adcock 3 H, 3 R; Collins 3-4, HR BRO 6, NYG 2 - Hutchinson CG, 2 R, R Jackson 3-5, Westrum, Hitchcock HR CHI 4, BOS 2 - Schmidt 7.0, 2 R, 7 K, Logan 2-4, RBI, 2 R, Miksis HR DET 8, STL 0 - Gray 4-hit SHO, 10 K, Kell 4-4, 2 RBI, Kiner HR, 3 RBI, Scheffing 3-4
Thursday, July 11 LOU 13, WAS 3 - Branca CG, 3 R, Valo 4-6, 3 R, Dark 4-5, 3 RBI, Collins 3-4, 3 RBI NYG 5, BRO 1 - Fornieles 5-hit CG, Williams 3-run HR in 1st; Souchock 3-4 BOS 2, CHI 0 - Lemon 4-hit SHO, McCullough 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Dom 2-3, Kuenn 2-4 STL 7, DET 1 - Minner 6-hit CG, 7 K, Jethroe 3-5, HR, Musial 3-5, 3 RBI, Red HR
Thursday, July 12 -- Military Draft WAS 5, LOU 4 - Lollar GWPHGSHR in 9th, Slaughter HR, Goodman 3-4 NYG 7, BRO 3 - Loes 7-hit CG, 2-3, 4 RBI, Wertz 2-4, RBI; Stephens 2 RBI BOS 7, CHI 3 - Lopat 9.0, 0 ER, McCullough 3-4, 2 RBI, Zernial HR; Reese 3-4 STL 6, DET 3 - Musial 2 HR, 5 RBI, Red 3-3, Jethroe, Coan 2 H; Irvin 3-3, HR
Friday, July 13 STL 6, BRO 3 - Pierce 8.0, 6 H, 3 R, Musial 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, Joost 2-4; Doerr 4-4 CHI 3, WAS 1 - Parnell 5-hit CG, Berra 2-4, 2 R, RBI, Reese 2-3; Lollar 2-4 BOS 9, LOU 6 - McCullough 3 RBI, Torgeson 3-5, Zernial HR; Jensen 3-5, 3 RBI DET 7, NYG 6 - Rhodes GWPHGSHR in 8th, Fain 3B, 2 R; Williams HR, 3 RBI
Saturday, July 14 STL 16, BRO 11 - Musial 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, Pesky 4-6, 3 R; Reiser, Simmons 3 RBI WAS 9, CHI 6 - Jansen 8.0, 0 ER, Big Klu 5 RBI, Slaughter 3-5, HR; Reese 3-5, SB BOS 10, LOU 9 - Zernial HR, 4 RBI, Dillinger 4-6, Mantle 3-5, 3 RBI; Kluttz 3-5, 3 R NYG 6, DET 3 - Yost 2-4, 2 RBI, Thomas 2-4, 2 R; Gray 3-3, Scheffing inj
Sunday, July 15 BOS 17, NYG 5 - Zernial 3-6, 4 RBI, 13g HS, Mantle 4 RBI, Torgy, Dillinger, Lemon 3 R