United League Baseball

Musial Back on Triple Crown Hunt
Stan is "the Man" in April
Rebounding from a July 30 broken wrist that cut short his Triple Crown bid last year, Stan "The Man" Musial is back on the Triple Crown hunt, leading the United League in batting, home runs (tied), and RBIs. Musial had a red-hot April, particularly the last 10 games, in which he hit .500 with 4 HR and 11 RBI. For the month, Stan hit .422 (35-83), with a share of the UL homer lead (6), and league-best 23 RBI. He has homered in four of his last five games, including a pair of wins over first place Washington.
   Musial hit .333 with 23 HR and 80 RBI in 97 games last year, and ranked fourth in batting and second in HR and RBI when his wrist was shattered by a Murry Dickson fastball at Wrigley Field on July 30. The 1951 All-Star first basman has won three POWs, but this is his first POM award.

Colts Bolt Out of Gate
Pee Wee Streaks
Chicago shortstop Pee Wee Reese has a fire under his ass after the arrival of Ernie Banks heralded the beginning of the Ernie Banks Era. The rookie Texan has played in 11 games, but isn't exactly tearing it up (.250-0-0, 20 AB). But the veteran Reese can see the writing on the wall, and it says 'play your ass off or Ernie gets your job.' So Pee Wee -- whose $3.5 million contract expires this year -- has been playing his ass off. The former Dodger has hit safely in all 22 games he's played, and is batting .393, a full 100 points over his 1952 clip. He is second in UL batting and OPS, third in OBP and slugging, and leads the league with 11 stolen bases. He also leads all shortstops in total chances and double plays.
   Chicago also got a lift from Bobby Avila (.346-1-16), who spent last season in Korea, and Johnny Lindell (.346-3-11), the 36-year-old 'reentry rookie' and Colorado native. The Colts are 16-8, good enough for first place in any season but this.

Rogovin Rolls
   Other than Reese, the big story in Chi-Town is Saul Rogovin's turnaround. The Colts' fourth-ever pick was 18-15 with a 3.72 ERA in the Colts' inaugural season, helping his club to an 81-73 record and third place finish. But last year, Saul was one of the central figures in Chicago's collapse. Rogovin was 11-18, 5.55 as the Horsies lost 14 more games than the year before, finishing in the cellar with a 67-87 record. This year, Saul and the Colts are out of the gate quickly. Rogovin has won all five of his starts and has the fifth best ERA in the circuit (3.16).

New Draft Lottery Proposal Floated
ALTADENA, Calif. (May 1) -- Responding the the flap that arose over the sudden, later retracted, changes to the draft lottery rules, the league office formally floated a proposal for changes to go into effect next year. Initial feedback from UL owners was in favor of expanding the draft lottery to encompass every team, albeit with very slim odds for the top finishers. The new lottery still overwhelmingly favors the lowest finishers. The bottom three teams will have 79/100 chances in the lottery, while the top three teams will combine for only 6/100 chances. Still, the new system gets every team involved in the draft lottery, and introduces the remote possibility of a first- or second-place team getting the #1 pick. The lottery allocations are roughly based on the Fibonacci sequence, but rounded to make the sum equal 100.

NEW DRAFT LOTTERY PROPOSAL

AROUND THE HORN

	WASHINGTON MONUMENTS 19-5 -- 5-5	Perfect start ended at 14 wins with 8-4 loss at Louisville April 20. First series loss April 28-30 at St. Louis. Frank Smith 0.79, 7 SV... #1 defense (8 errors, .992 FA)... Stu Miller Pitcher of the Month (... Billy Goodman .452 (14-31) in last 9 games.
	CHICAGO COLTS 16-8 3 5-5	Swept Maroons at St. Louis April 25-27, Berra 2-run pinch single in ninth in 4-3 win in finale... #1 offense (133 runs, 5.5/gm), league-high 38 DPs... Rogovin 3-0, 3.16 in last 3 starts... Reese leads UL with 11 SB, 2nd in batting (.393), 3rd in OBP (.481), and runs (23).
	ST. LOUIS MAROONS 13-11 6 4-6	Swept DET Apr. 18-20, swept by CHI Apr. 25-27... Gil Coan .455 (15-33), 10 RBI in last 8 games (4-5 vs. WAS Apr. 28)... Wyrostek .467 (14-30) in last 7 games... Paul Minner (3-1, 3.41) will miss 3 weeks with strained PCL...Zoldak returns this week.
	DETROIT SOUND 12-12 7 6-4	Won 5 straight Apr. 25-29, including sweep at BOS... Last 5 games: Metkovich .429, Pafko .417, Irvin .375, Fain .368... Kiner leads team in HR (4) and RBI (16), 4-5 vs LOU Apr. 29... Roberts 3.47 (8th), 10.6 R/9 (6th)... Labine struggling (1-2, 9.72, .405 OBA, 19.4 R/9).
	NEW YORK GOTHAMS 11-13 8 9-3	Won 7 of last 8, swept BOS Apr. 28-30... League high .793 OPS... Ginsberg .650 (13-20), 2 HR, 10 RBI in last 5 games (5-5, 4 RBI vs BOS Apr. 29)... Noren .538 (7-13), 6 RBI in last 6 games... Wertz .474 (9-19), 6 RBI in last 5 games... Fornieles 2-1, 0.83 in last 3 starts.
	BROOKLYN SUPERBAS 10-14 9 6-4	Worst offense (115 runs, 4.8/gm), but league high 28 HR (Hodges 6, Minoso 4)... Minoso POW 4/27, .500 (10-20), 3 HR, 5 RBI... Slumping: Hodges .111 (2-18) in last 6 games, Doerr .077 (1-13) in last 5 games... Simmons 2-1, 1.82 in last 3 starts... Shantz is pants (English slang for 'no good'), 1-4, 8.08.
	BOSTON BEACONS 8-16 11 3-7	Most HR allowed (27: Spahn 7, Bickford 6, Lopat 6)... Hurtin' the cause: Spahn 1-4, 8.44, Bickford 0-4, 7.77... Bruce Edwards .538 (7-13), 2 HR, 6 RBI in last 5 games (3-4, 2 HR vs NYG Apr. 29)... Co-#1 in SB (25: Torgeson 10, Gilliam 4, Mantle 4).
	LOUISVILLE COLONELS 7-17 12 4-6	2-9 at home, including 0-6 in first 6 home games... League high 6.72 ERA, 161 strikeouts... Jensen co-leader in HR (6), runs (24), second in slugging (.618), third in OPS (1.008)... Help wanted: Wehmeier 0-4, 9.51, Garver 1-4, 8.42, Gomez 1-3, 7.64, Antonelli 2-2, 6.91.

DAY BY DAY
Monday, April 20 LOU 8, WAS 4 - Antonelli 1st career win, Collins HR, 3 RBI, Fox 3-4; ends 14g WS BRO 7, NYG 4 - Reiser 3-4, 3 RBI, Ashburn 3-5, Woodling 3-4, Burgess HR STL 8, DET 3 - Raffensberger 7-hit CG, Coan 4-5, Musial 3-3, 3 RBI, Wilson 3-4 BOS 7, CHI 4 - Reynolds 6.0, 1 ER, Mathews 3-4, 3 RBI, Zernial, Kuenn HR
Tuesday, April 21 NO GAMES
Wednesday, April 22 CHI 5, WAS 4 (12) - Ryan GWRBI, HR, Westlake HR, 3 RBI; Adcock 2B, 3B, 3 RBI BRO 5, STL 1 - Simmons 7.0, 1 R, Minoso 4-4, 2 HR, Doerr 2-3, 2 RBI DET 7, NYG 6 - Bullpen 3.2, 0 R, Irvin 4-5, SB, 2 RBI, Fain 3-4, Kell, Marion 2 RBI BOS 9, LOU 6 - Mathews 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, Rivera 1st career HR, 2 RBI, Gilliam 2 RBI
Thursday, April 23 WAS 2, CHI 0 - Miller 8.1, 0 R, 6 K, Kluszewski, Furillo solo HR, Goodman 2-3 BRO 5, STL 3 - R Boone GWPH 2-run HR in 8th, Minoso 2-3, 2 RBI; W Jones 3-5, HR NYG 3, DET 1 - Fornieles 3-hit CG, 0 ER, 2-3, Robinson, Doby RBI BOS 6, LOU 3 - Hiller 8.1, 3 R, McCullough 3-5, Torgeson 2-4, 2 R; Fox 2-4, RBI
Friday, April 24 WAS 8, CHI 7 (10) - Piersall 2-2, GWRBI, Gordon 2-5, HR; Avila 2-3, 3 RBI STL 11, BRO 6 - Wyrostek 4-5, 3 RBI, Musial 2 RBI, 3 R, Dom 3-5; Woodling 3 RBI NYG 11, DET 6 - Mullin PH 2-run HR, Long PH 3-run HR, Noren 2-2, HR in 10th LOU 5, BOS 4 - Houtteman 7.0, 4 R, 10 K, Sauer 2-4, HR; Torgeson HR, 3 RBI
Saturday, April 25 WAS 6, BRO 0 - Jansen 2-hit SHO, 0 W, 5 K, HR, McDougald 3-4, Piersall 2 RBI CHI 6, STL 4 - Avila 3 RBI, E Robinson 2-4, HR, Lindell 2-4, Ryan 2-3 NYG 8, LOU 7 - Doby 4-5, 2 RBI, Boudreau 3-4, Long 2 RBI, Robinson HR; Easter HR DET 8, BOS 2 - Raschi 4-hit CG, 13 K, Rhodes, Priddy HR, 2 RBI, Atwell 2 RBI
Sunday, April 26 BRO 6, WAS 1 - Simmons 3-hit CG, Jackson 2-4, 2 RBI, Minoso 2-5, SB; Gordon HR CHI 8, STL 3 (11) - 7-run 11th, Dickson 9.0, 1 ER, 8 K, Berra 3-6, King PH, 2 RBI LOU 10, NYG 4 - Valo 3-4, HR, SB, Jensen HR, 3 RBI, Easter HR; Ginsberg 3-5, 3 RBI DET 8, BOS 7 - Metkovich 2-5, RBI, Pafko 2 RBI, Gray 2-4, RBI; Jethroe, Zernial 3 H
Monday, April 27 WAS 4, BRO 2 - Miller 8.0, 4 H, 2 R, Slaughter 3-4, 3B, RBI, Dillinger 2-4, RBI CHI 4, STL 3 - Berra 2-run GWPH in 9th, Lindell HR in 9th; Dom 4-5, SB, Musial HR NYG 9, LOU 3 - Mullin PHGSHR in 8th, Busby 3-5, HR, Ginsberg 2-3, HR, 3 R DET 10, BOS 9 - Elliott GWRBI, Irvin 2-4, 3 RBI, Atwell 2-5, 2 RBI; Mueller 3-4, 3 R
Tuesday, April 28 BRO 11, CHI 5 - Shantz CG win, Woodling 3-5, HR, 5 RBI, Jackson 3-5, 3 RBI DET 7, LOU 4 - Metkovich 3-3, 2 RBI, Marion 2-4, 2 R, Irvin 2-2, Fain HR NYG 2, BOS 1 - Fornieles 2-hit CG, 0 ER, 3 W, 3 K, Wertz 3-3, RBI, Cox 2-4, HR WAS 7, STL 6 - Gordon HR, 3 RBI, McDougald 3-5, Adcock, Mays HR; Coan 4-5, 2 RBI
Wednesday, April 29 BRO 5, CHI 0 - Gorman 4-hit SHO, 3 W, 2 K, Minoso 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, Hodges HR, 2 RBI DET 5, LOU 4 - Kiner 4-5, GWRBI, Fain 2-4, 2 RBI, Raschi 8.0, 4 H, 3 ER NYG 14, BOS 5 - Ginsberg 5-5, HR, 4 RBI, Noren 3-5, 3 RBI, Robinson 4-5, HR STL 5, WAS 4 - Maglie 8.0, 3 R, Musial 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, Coan 2-4, 2 RBI, SB
Thursday, April 30 CHI 4, BRO 1 - Rogovin 8.2, 7 H, 1 R, McCormick 3-5, Reese 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB LOU 5, DET 3 - Dark 4-5, 3 2B, 2 RBI, Jensen 2 SB, 2 R, Bauer 2-4; Irvin HR NYG 6, BOS 4 - Wertz 3-run HR in 4th, Doby 2-3, HR, 3 R; Gilliam 4-4 STL 6, WAS 3 - Keegan 8.0, 3 R, 2 RBI, Musial 3-4, HR, Ennis 2-3, 2 RBI