Atlanta Daily World

Big League Baseball's Year Of Revision Gets Sendoff Monday

By HOWARD SIGMOND

NEW YORK -(INS) Baseball's historic year of revision gets a Presidential sendoff on Monday with the Milwaukee Braves and the New York Yankees favored to repeat as champions.

The heaven-and-earth champion Braves are 5-to-2 favorites to make Milwaukee the baseball capital of the National League for another year and the seemingly inevitable Yankees are 3-to-5 choices to win their ninth American League pennant in ten years.

Coast-to-Coast major league ball makes its first appearance ever when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants play at San Francisco's Seals Stadium Tuesday and all 16 clubs are in action.

Nearly 300,000 fans and a mammoth television and radio audience will be on hand.

The wheel of fortune gets its traditional initial spin Monday in the nation's capital where President Eisenhower tosses out the first ball and the Washington Senators play host to the Boston Red Sox before more than 30,000 fans.

This colorful spectacular will be matched the next day when California opens its golden gates to the big leagues and some 25,000 fans jam the San Francisco ballyard to welcome the arch-rival Giants and "dem Bums" from the East Coast.

The migration of the Giants and Dodgers to the Pacific Coast caused the biggest alteration in the baseball map in modern times and a realignment in the National League -- which now lists Milwaukee as an Eastern Division entry.

The Magnificent Braves, believed by many to have the ingredients for a pennant dynasty, expect their biggest challenge from the Cardinals, Dodgers and Redlegs.

The Yankees anticipate their most trouble to come from the White Sox, Red Sox and Tigers.

But all the way down the line changes have been made and dramatically, strange things have been known to happen in this anything-can-happen sport and business.

The only "new" manager is Brash Bobby Bragan with the Cleveland Indians. Bragan was let out last season by the Pittsburgh Pirates and he replaces Kerby Farrell, who was dismissed by the Tribe after finishing in sixth place.

The Braves, blessed with the talented likes of Hank Aaron, Ed Mathews, Lew Burdette, Warren Spahn and Red Schoendienst, figure to have enough of the essentials to outlast their battling rivals.

The versatile Yankees, powered by Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Gil McDougald and Moose Skowron and a pitching staff headed by Whitey Ford, appear prepared to offset the challenge of their most impassioned tormentors.

Ted Williams, going on 40, is back to defend his A. L. batting title won last season with a .388 average and 37-year-old Stan Musial, the king of the Cardinals, is gunning for his eighth batting title. The man won the crown with a .351 average last season.

Ready and willing to challenge Williams are Mantle, Al Kaline, Harvey Kuenn, and Skowron.

Musial will have to contend with the likes of Willie Mays, Aaron, Frank Robinson, Richie Ashburn and Duke Snider, among others.

As usual, there is a huge crop of rookie talent on hand and among the more highly-publicized freshmen are first baseman Orlando Cepeda and outfielder Willie Kirkland of the Giants, centerfielder Albie Pearson of the Senators, outfielder Vada Pinson of Redlegs, catcher Haywood Sullivan of the Red Sox and pitchers Carlton Willey of the Braves and Walt Craddock of the Athletics.