THE SPORTING SCENE

It was October 8, 1946. Enos "Country" Slaughter of the St. Louis Cardinals led off first base, while Harry "The Hat" Walker waited out a 2 and 1 count and then belted a deep single to left center. The Sox' Ted Williams fielded the ball and tossed it in to Johnny Pesky at short. Pesky, hesitant, bobbled it for a moment and then relayed a wide and in-the-dirt peg to Hal Wagner at the plate. But Slaughter had already scored from first.

His run, giving the Cards a world championship, ended one of the most memorable series in baseball history and closed the most colorful major league rivalry of the last ten years. Today, on the tenth anniversary of the season which gave these two teams their last pennants, it appears almost certain that cyclical history will repeat itself.

Admittedly, most of the '46 heroes are gone now. Of the three remaining, Al "Red" Schoendienst has had his driving license stamped "Restricted to Glasses," and Stan Musial has trouble loping in from the outfield. And poor Ted Williams, though still the most popular slugger since Babe Ruth, doesn't like to play on cold days.

The Cards appear to have three potential twenty-game winners, enough for any winning club, and Hutchinson should be the one to insure their development. In order, Harvey Haddix, recently married, should regain his old form (he won 20 in '53) and lead the squad with over twenty games.

Bolstering the staff, Luis Arroyo with his tricky greaseball could straighten out to be one of the toughest hurlers in the Senior circuit. And, too, in the St. Louis training camp last month at St. Petersburg, the watchword was "watch Vinegar Bend Mizell." The phrase referred to southpaw Wilmer Mizell.

For the Sox, it should be easy going all the way. Williams will lead the power attack, squeezing his doubles off the wall into singles, and Mickey Vernon should be able to help out at least until the end of June.

There is no end to Boston's pitching strength. Bob Porterfield seems slated for his best year ever; Willard Nixon can take twenty--and so can long Frank Sullivan--while the younger hurlers like Delock, Suce and Brewer should provide depth in the bullpen.

As for those old bullies, the Dodgers and the Yankees, you can forget about them. Midway through the season the whole Bomber infield will be drafted and the Brooklyn boys will resent the bus ride to Jersey City to play their games.

As for the rest, they will fall in this order: (National League) 2. Milwaukee, 3. Brooklyn, 4. Cincinnati, 5. New York, 6. Cubs, 7. Philadelphia, 8. Pittsburgh; (American League): 2. New York, 3. Cleveland, 4. Detroit, 5. Chicago, 6. Kansas City, 7. Baltimore, and 8. (according to tradition) Washington.