United League Baseball

Hot Hodges Can't Lift Superbas
BROOKLYN (June 1) -- First baseman Gil Hodges slugged out 12 homers in the month of June, driving in 24 runs with a .344 batting average, and league-best .651 slugging percentage, to earn his second Batter of the Month award (May '51). Hodges, Minnie Minoso (.340-4-15) and Randy Jackson (.326-3-15) powered the Brooklyn offense in May, but despite their productive months, the Superbas were 2-9 from May 17-28, before ending the month with a sweep of Chicago. Brooklyn has been bunching runs in blowout wins, while losing many one-run and two-run decisions. And they have suffered from Gene Woodling's power outage. The #3 hitter hit just .150 (3-20) with no RBIs in his last five games.
Ace Fred Hutchinson (5-6, 3.32) ended a streak of three starts without a win on May 31, with a complete game 10-1 drubbing of Chicago. Brooklyn (24-29) is 11.5 games behind Washington, and a full six games behind fourth place New York.

Ford, Pierce Swap Shutouts
CHICAGO (May 19) -- Chicago ace Whitey Ford and St. Louis top man Billy Pierce threw shutouts in back-to-back nights in a pair of 1-0 pitchers duels at Wrigley Field. After St. Louis won the series opener 10-9 on Monday, Ford battled recent call-up Vern Law Tuesday night. Law held the Colts to just three hits in a complete game effort, but one of those hits was a Gus Bell home run in the fifth inning, which was enough for Ford, who tossed a two-hit shutout for his sixth win. In the rubber game, Chicago's Don Newcombe was sharp, allowing just five hits and one walk in a complete game effort. But again, it fell short, as Maroons ace Billy Pierce blanked the Colts on three hits, striking out 10.
St. Louis and Chicago are again neck-and-neck in the standings, with the Maroons recently pulling three games ahead with a six-game winning streak.

Presko Out Eight Weeks
NEW YORK (May 29) -- New York's #3 starter "Baby Joe" Presko will miss two months after tearing a bicep muscle today in Boston. Presko, 24, is having his best season in the big leagues, with a 6-3 record and 4.17 ERA in 13 starts. He has already established career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts. Presko, a righthander from Kansas City, Mo., is part of the youthful Gothams rotation that has matured this season into a quality foursome. Aside from the veteran Early Wynn (author of the UL's fi1-st no-hitter last year), the other three starters in New York's rotation are all under 25. Mike Fornieles, Presko, and Frank Sullivan have combined for a 19-12 record. Presko's spot will probably be filled by Ewell Blackwell, who has excelled in a spot starter role (3-0, 1.88 in 3 starts).

AROUND THE HORN

WASHINGTON MONUMENTS 35-17 -- 10-4	10-1 run came to an end with three-game sweep in St. Louis . . . League best 10-5 home record . . . Duke Snider hit .391 (9-23) with 6 RBIs in his last 10 games . . . Willie Mays is ice cold, batting just .053 (1-19) in his last 5 games . . . Stu Miller is 6-0 in his last 7 starts, with a 1.47 ERA. He struck out 10 Beacons on May 23 . . . Owner Jay Kaplan has expressed interest in replacing 43-year-old Griffith Stadium, the league's second oldest stadium.
ST. LOUIS MAROONS 33-20 2.5 10-5	Sam Zoldak (8-2, 3.19) has regained his Cy Young form, going 5-0 in his last 6 starts, with a 2.42 ERA. He shut out Washington with a 5-hitter on May 31 . . . Vern Stephens led the league with 30 RBI in May, and with 12 more ribbies than any other player (53), is on pace to break Ralph Kiner's RBI record (127 in 1951) . . . Won 6 straight with sweeps of Louisville and Washington closing the margin to 2.5 games . . . Still #1 in both runs scored and fewest runs allowed.
CHICAGO COLTS 30-23 5.5 8-7	Don Newcombe was 5-1, 3.57 in May, his best month ever. He is 8-2, 3.96 on the year . . . Reese, Berra, and Thomson are all batting .262 or less, though Berra and Thomson have driven in 60 runs between them. . . Won 7 of 8 May 20-27, before being swept at Brooklyn May 29-31. . . Cold bats: In last 5 games, Gus Bell is hitting .077 (1-13), Jim Finigan .083 (1-12), Red Schoendienst .176 (3-17), and Ernie Banks .200 (3-15). . . Saul Rogovin was rocked in his last 3 starts (0-3, 8.34).
NEW YORK GOTHAMS 30-23 5.5 7-7	Presko injury opens the door to Ewell Blackwell's return to the rotation. "The Whip" was 12-16 in 32 starts last year, while posting a 4.51 ERA. . . Larry Doby (.314-12-41) is second in home runs and RBI, and is on pace to have a career year. . . Irv Noren is proving that last season wasn't a fluke, batting .312 with a .410 OBP and 35 RBI. . . Bob Hooper leads the league with 18 saves. He saved 10 games in May, with a 1.93 ERA.
BROOKLYN SUPERBAS 24-29 11.5 6-9	2-9 stretch from May 17-28 was broken by three-game sweep of Chicago. . . Gil Hodges hit four home runs in his last six games, and hit .550 (11-20) in those games. . . Tom Gorman is the most consistent starting pitcher. He won five straight starts Apr. 28-May 16 and leads the staff with an 8-3 record and 2.78 ERA. . . Fred Hutchinson has been terribly inconsistent, and has not won nor lost two straight starts since Apr. 17. . . No production in the #3 hole: Gene Woodling had a cool May, batting .245 with just 13 RBI in 27 games.
BOSTON BEACONS 22-31 13.5 8-7	The bats woke up: Eddie Mathews hit .348 (8-23) with 11 RBI in his last 6 games. Also hot in the last 5 games: Harvey Kuenn .500 (8-16), Dave Philley .438 (7-16), and Jim Gilliam .391 (9-23). . . The catching platoon is working great. Clyde McCullough is batting .328 and slugging .500 vs. righties, and Bruce Edwards is batting .474 (18-38) and slugging .789 vs lefties (and also batting .353 vs R). . . Mantle drove in only 9 runs in 87 May at-bats. . . Warren Spahn shut down Brooklyn 4-1 on four hits May 28, ending a six-start winless streak.
DETROIT SOUND 20-33 15.5 7-7	Jerry Priddy led the league in batting in May, with a .346 average. He is second in the league in batting. . . George Kell hit .400 (8-20) in his last 5 games. . . Ralph Kiner is ice cold, hitting just .091 (2-22) with 0 HR, 0 RBI in last 6 games. He has just one home run in the last 22 games. . . Robin Roberts was 0-7 in his first 10 starts, but has won 2 of his last 3, despite allowing 8+ hits in all three starts. . . Jim Wilson is 0-3 in four starts, despite three quality starts and a 2.81 ERA.
LOUISVILLE COLONELS 17-35 18 2-12	A 6-21 May found the Colonels back in the cellar. . . Held to 3 or fewer runs 16 times in 27 games. . . Ed Bailey (.207-0-3), Jackie Jensen (.210-2-9), Sid Gordon (.240-1-9), Nellie Fox (.242-0-2) all had dismal months. . . 10-game losing streak May 17-27, finally broken on 29th with 4-3, 12-inning win over Detroit (Luke Easter game-winning pinch hit). . . Pitching hasn't been all that bad: Antonelli 1-3, 4.30 in 4 starts, Ruben Gomez 3.46 in 10 games, Hal Brown 3.63 in 12 games.