Giants Given Edge In Close N.L. Race

Centrifuge would be more appropriate than a crystal ball in trying to separate the National top five clubs; but why If you're fighting against the of averages, you might as well with your right: Glants, Dodgers, Pirates, Phillies, Reds, Ernie Banks. trio at the bottom should itself from contention it or convincingly. The Cubs look the logical doormat, with the only starter on opening certain to be in the lineup by The Reds have twice as many players. In Vada Pinson and Robinson they boast two of an outfield, but the rest the squad would have trouble a good AAA club. For the Tony Taylor, Pancho and Tony Gonzales are all capable of nudging .300, and with a little luck a deep array of mediocre rookies and sophomores might stand up well enough through the dog-days of August to cause the older pros some uneasiness.

The top five clubs all have good credentials, and broke camp with understandable confidence. The fans in St. Louis are looking for their first flag in fifteen years, but the Cardinals will be lucky to retain their spot in the first division. With Larry Jackson suffering a fractured jaw, the Card pitching staff looks thin. Behind Ernie Broglio and Lindy MacDaniel stand assorted hangers-on and voices from the past. Only former Globetrotter Bob Gibson stands a chance to bolster the staff.

The World Champion Pirates won by seven games last year, and return with exceptional balance. Their augmented bullpen (Shantz, Face, Labine, and Green) is apt to be the best in the majors. But the Pirates need maximum performance from everyone to pull through; at present they are great more in terms of publicity than performance. Mazeroski, for example, whose homer felled the Yankees, may be capable of hitting .300, but he is just as likely to bat .250. The same holds for Hoak, Stuart, Cimoli, and Hal Smith.

The odds are strongly against the Pirates realizing their full potential. Which is not to say that anyone played over his head in 1960, but that with the exception of Bob Skinner, Roberto Clemente, and Dick Groat, the Pirates are good only at their best. An injury in May, a slump in July, and Pittsburgh will find itself far off the pace.

Los Angeles is probably the most talented club in the majors, and could win by 20 games. But they literally have too much too soon. In the infield, for instance, the old Brooklyns have eight major league stars of past, future, and present, with the emphasis on the latter. Charley Neal and Maury Wills compose the best keystone combination in the majors. Norm Larker, Frank Howard, and Gil Hodges will all see action at first--and a rookie named Harkness, whom 17 other other clubs would like, won't.

Last year's rookie star Tom Davis holds down third, and behind him loom the reliable Jim Gilliam and the highly prized Charlie Smith. The same situation exists in the outfield where Wally Moon, Willie Davis, and Duke Snider will keep Ron Fairly, Don Demeter, and outstanding rookie Carl Warwick benched much of the time.

How will platooning affect youngsters like Howard and Fairly? How comfortably will Gilliam (who has played 150 games a year for ten years) sit on the bench with Moon, Hodges, and Demeter? How freely will Snider swing or Craig throw, worrying about next year's inevitable draft?

The overriding pressures on the older men, and the irregular development of the younger players bodes ill for LA this year. The Dodger farm system has been guilty of over-production, and the ensuing boom harbors a possible depression. Too much disorganization and surplus of talent will lose ball games.

While the Dodgers' realm is that of the future, the Braves' is that of the past. They will probably win their 91 ball games by force of habit if nothing else. The pitching staff is dilute behind Spahn, Burdette, and Buhl, while the relief core exists only in the capable imagination of Charlie Dresson. The Braves still have Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews, but Joe Adoock and Del Crandall have shown their age in Bradenton this spring, and the old sparkplug, shortstop Johnny Logan has been relegated to second string behind Roy McMillan. Frank Bolling and Billy Martin will solve the perennial second base problem between them, but the resultant absence of Bill Bruton (traded for Bolling), and the disability of Wes Covington have decimated an outfield that once was the best in the game.

The Giants boast this distinction: Dogged by disappointment and frustrated potential, they are even afraid of their own hopes now. But with Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda in center and right, the Giant outfield would rival the best even if nobody were in left. As it is, Felipe Alou figures to hit close to .300, and his defensive play should be invaluable beneath the tricky winds of Candlestick Park. Hitting in front of Mays will be third baseman Harvey Kuenn, acquired from Cleveland this winter. It would defy algebraic dictates if Mays, Kuenn, and Cepeda finish one-two-three among the N.L. batters, but their names will crowd the top of the standings throughout the season.

Across from Kuenn stands the question and the answer to the Giants' chances. If first baseman Willie McCovey hits like he hit as a rookie, as he hit last fall in Japan, and as he hit in Phoenix all spring (.422), then rookie Manager Alvin Dark can run for mayor of San Francisco in November. If not, the incumbent has no worries.

Giant pitching is good, and could be extremely good. Sam Jones, Mike McCormick, Jack Stanford, and Billy O'Dell should win 60 games between them. While weaknesses in the second line pitching and the middle of the infield will hurt, a line-up with Kuenn, Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda (in that order) can win day in and day out. With a handful of outstanding rookies and a tough nucleus of reliable stars, San Fransisco has the best combination of youth and experience in the league. Any one of four teams could beat them, but the Giants seem least likely to beat themselves this year.

The top five clubs all have good credentials, and broke camp with understandable confidence. The fans in St. Louis are looking for their first flag in fifteen years, but the Cardinals will be lucky to retain their spot in the first division. With Larry Jackson suffering a fractured jaw, the Card pitching staff looks thin. Behind Ernie Broglio and Lindy MacDaniel stand assorted hangers-on and voices from the past. Only former Globetrotter Bob Gibson stands a chance to bolster the staff.

The World Champion Pirates won by seven games last year, and return with exceptional balance. Their augmented bullpen (Shantz, Face, Labine, and Green) is apt to be the best in the majors. But the Pirates need maximum performance from everyone to pull through; at present they are great more in terms of publicity than performance. Mazeroski, for example, whose homer felled the Yankees, may be capable of hitting .300, but he is just as likely to bat .250. The same holds for Hoak, Stuart, Cimoli, and Hal Smith.

The odds are strongly against the Pirates realizing their full potential. Which is not to say that anyone played over his head in 1960, but that with the exception of Bob Skinner, Roberto Clemente, and Dick Groat, the Pirates are good only at their best. An injury in May, a slump in July, and Pittsburgh will find itself far off the pace.

Los Angeles is probably the most talented club in the majors, and could win by 20 games. But they literally have too much too soon. In the infield, for instance, the old Brooklyns have eight major league stars of past, future, and present, with the emphasis on the latter. Charley Neal and Maury Wills compose the best keystone combination in the majors. Norm Larker, Frank Howard, and Gil Hodges will all see action at first--and a rookie named Harkness, whom 17 other other clubs would like, won't.

Last year's rookie star Tom Davis holds down third, and behind him loom the reliable Jim Gilliam and the highly prized Charlie Smith. The same situation exists in the outfield where Wally Moon, Willie Davis, and Duke Snider will keep Ron Fairly, Don Demeter, and outstanding rookie Carl Warwick benched much of the time.

How will platooning affect youngsters like Howard and Fairly? How comfortably will Gilliam (who has played 150 games a year for ten years) sit on the bench with Moon, Hodges, and Demeter? How freely will Snider swing or Craig throw, worrying about next year's inevitable draft?

The overriding pressures on the older men, and the irregular development of the younger players bodes ill for LA this year. The Dodger farm system has been guilty of over-production, and the ensuing boom harbors a possible depression. Too much disorganization and surplus of talent will lose ball games.

While the Dodgers' realm is that of the future, the Braves' is that of the past. They will probably win their 91 ball games by force of habit if nothing else. The pitching staff is dilute behind Spahn, Burdette, and Buhl, while the relief core exists only in the capable imagination of Charlie Dresson. The Braves still have Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews, but Joe Adoock and Del Crandall have shown their age in Bradenton this spring, and the old sparkplug, shortstop Johnny Logan has been relegated to second string behind Roy McMillan. Frank Bolling and Billy Martin will solve the perennial second base problem between them, but the resultant absence of Bill Bruton (traded for Bolling), and the disability of Wes Covington have decimated an outfield that once was the best in the game.

The Giants boast this distinction: Dogged by disappointment and frustrated potential, they are even afraid of their own hopes now. But with Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda in center and right, the Giant outfield would rival the best even if nobody were in left. As it is, Felipe Alou figures to hit close to .300, and his defensive play should be invaluable beneath the tricky winds of Candlestick Park. Hitting in front of Mays will be third baseman Harvey Kuenn, acquired from Cleveland this winter. It would defy algebraic dictates if Mays, Kuenn, and Cepeda finish one-two-three among the N.L. batters, but their names will crowd the top of the standings throughout the season.

Across from Kuenn stands the question and the answer to the Giants' chances. If first baseman Willie McCovey hits like he hit as a rookie, as he hit last fall in Japan, and as he hit in Phoenix all spring (.422), then rookie Manager Alvin Dark can run for mayor of San Francisco in November. If not, the incumbent has no worries.

Giant pitching is good, and could be extremely good. Sam Jones, Mike McCormick, Jack Stanford, and Billy O'Dell should win 60 games between them. While weaknesses in the second line pitching and the middle of the infield will hurt, a line-up with Kuenn, Mays, McCovey, and Cepeda (in that order) can win day in and day out. With a handful of outstanding rookies and a tough nucleus of reliable stars, San Fransisco has the best combination of youth and experience in the league. Any one of four teams could beat them, but the Giants seem least likely to beat themselves this year.