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Bobby Shantz

ducks first eash pitch

Bobby Shantz, the little moundman who was voted the bigg:
last season, has balked at accepting a 50 percent increase in sa
letics. “I’m in no particular hurry to sign a 1953 contract,” said
manager Arthur H. Ehlers recently.

story in Sportlight column.)

lary o

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est of them all in the American League
ffered him by the Phildelphia Ath-
Bobby when approached by the Macks’

“J think I’d rather arrange my contract by mail anyway.” (See

Will Yankees award Negro
top amateur athletic trophy ?

By STEVE MURDOCK

Kach year since 1930 the Am-
ateur Athletic Union of the United
States has awarded the James E.
Sullivan Memorial Trophy to the
“amateur athlete who, by per-
formance, example ‘and good in-
fluence, did most to advance the
Cause of good sportsmanship dur-
ing the year.”

The choice is made by a nation-
Wide poll of sports authorities con-
ducted by the AAU. Ballots have
to he in by December 31. The
award will be announced early in
January.

No Negro has ever won the Sul-
livan award.

This year, as on a number of
Previous occasions, a Negro has
been nominated.

His name is Harrison Dillard,
and at least one expert regards
him as “. . . with the exception of
Jesse Owens probably the
greatest American track and field
athlete of all time.” :

Dillard won the 100 metre dash.

at the Olympic Games in London
in 1948 and the Olympic 110 metre
hurdle championship at Helsinki
this summer. No other athlete in
history ever won this unique
double.

Asa result. and in consideration
of his: brilliant career and notable
sportsmanship, Dillard has’ been
nominated by the Northeastern
Ohio AAU for the 1952 Sullivan
award. It will be the third time,

Sugar Ray Robinson,

-—and undoubtedly the Jast—that
Dillard will be in major conten-
tion for the award.

Cordner Nelson, editor of Track

& Field News, declares of Dillard,

“T have never heard a bad word

about him. The annual Sullivan
trophy has never been given to a
better athlete; it has been given
to athletes who showed less sports-
manship. If Harrison Dillard does
not win the Sullivan trophy for
this year, I might believe those
ugly charges of a few years back
that a Negro is not eligible.” -

So the 1952 award becomes a
test.

the boxing master turns into a dancing master

— ant

SPORTLIGHT

By BERT WHYTE ———

EDMONTON ESKIMOS had no better luck than most west-
ern teams when they invaded Toronto last weekend to tangle with
Argonauts for the Grey Cup. Esk coach Frankie Filchok summed
up his squad’s 21-11 defeat in one sentence: ‘“‘We made a couple
of bad mistakes out there... .”

As the beaten western team returned home to a splendid
reception fit for champions (those Edmonton fans are real sports).
many prairie pigskin experts were arguing, as they studied yard-
stick figures of the game, that Eskimos were just as good as Argo-
nauts, but unlucky. We can’t buy that package, but the figures
are interesting:

: Edmonton Toronto
Furst: downs <2. .o.neee ee 18 15
Wangs: rushing. i 139 149
= YACGS@paSsOg 2. osg a 264 235
Yard lost 22 1
Passes 302853 eee 34 19
Completed)! 0: one oe 16 8
Interceptions by - : 0 1
Punts se ae BS 8. 11
Average™ punt 25 2 a 46 39
RUIN DACKS (7 92 103
Kicks blocked by -.........-2....------ 0 0
est sumbles: 22g 3 1

Pen losses 2 see ee 15 5

Figures, of course, do not tell the whole story. The mighty
Argonauts, never defeated in 10 tries for the Grey Cup, possess
that all-important attribute of all champions, the ability to take
advantage of every opening offered them.

Fans who saw the game agree that Eskimos lost the game
primarily because of inexplicable lapses in their defense depart-
ment, which allowed Argos to turn two long passes into touch-
downs.

Ah, well, there'll always. be another year.

THAT MIGHTY MOLECULE, Bobby Shantz of the Philadelphia
Athletics, is having contract trouble these days. The penny-pinching
general manager of the A’s, Arthur L. Ehlers, met Bobby recently and
offered him a 50 percent boost over last season’s $12,500 salary.

Now 50 percent sounds good, and most workers would grab such
a pay hike. But baseball is a bit different from working in the woods,
or in a mill or mine. A diamond star only lasts a few seasons, and
has to grab for the jackpot while he can.

In 1951 little Bobbie Shantz pitched 24 winning games as:against
seven losses. His mound work helped the Athletics finish in fourth
place, and his box-office drawing power meant extra profits for the
club owners. 4

Rumors that, he wanted $35,000 this coming season have been
denied by Shantz. But he probably won’t settle for less than double
his last year’s salary. And on the basis of his record, he deserves at
least $25,000. For without Bobby’s flipper, where would the A’s be?

Sugar Ray Robinson, world’s
middleweight champion, is show-
Ing little desire to return to the
Squared circle after his recent
“Unsuccessful attempt to add the
lightheavyweight crown to_ his
aurels, Beaten by Joey Maxim
and the heat on that thrilling night
of June 24 in Yankee Stadium,

ay first announced that he would

hang up his gloves for good, then
reconsidered and did some dicker-
ing for a third title bout with

Randy Turpin.
Negotiations for the Turpin
match dawdled along and got no-

where, but Robinson didn’t seem
too upset. He turned his atten-
tion to hoofing #»4 stated his in-

tention of making a living on the
stage.

For many years Sugar Ray had
entertained crowds at his various
training camps by his agile hoof-
ing between rounds. Now he. be-
gan to study dancing in earnest,
hiring a professional teacher and

‘spending hours each day perfect-

ing his technique.

The result: a month ago Robin-
son landed a $15,000 a week danc-
ing job (on a one-month contract
basis) at the French Casino in
New York. Asked by a reporter
backstage on opening night how
he liked it as compared to the

ring. Sugar Ray glanced around
at the bevy of beautiful showgirls

PACIFIC ‘(RIBUNE — DECEMBER 5, 1952 — PAGE 11

supporting his act and replied:
“There are lots worse ways of
making a living!”

If Rebinsen gets a good offer
to fight Turpin again, however, it
is likely that hell be unable to
resist the chance to pick up one

more fat purse befcre quitting the
ring.

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