St Louis Sporting News Newspaper Archives December 04, 1957 Page 14

St Louis Sporting News (Newspaper) - December 04, 1957, St Louis, Missouri Fans fume Over teds snub Choice called outrageous a prejudiced and a insulting letters received by the sporting news from fans after Ted Williams was edged by. Mickey Mantle for the american league most valuable player award were unanimous in their criticism of the outcome of the baseball writers association of America poll. They were particularly incensed Over the fact that Williams the league s batting Leader received ninth and tenth place votes. It is regretted that space does not permit Tise of All the Many letters sent by readers but they Are being published in the order in which they were received. The comments follow a s. Burns Hartford my first reaction of Shock then anger and finally disgust with the whole thing i believe i have come up with two Concrete ideas on the subject of the Muf award. First Mickey Mantle should refuse to accept tile award. Not Only would this Correct a terrible injustice but it certainly would be Good for baseball and the Yankees to say nothing of the popularity of Mantle himself. Second the Only Way in my opinion to get a fair and Tine Winner is to compute the players season accomplishments in an electric computer. I am sure the brain would Auve at a More popular accurate unbiased and unprejudiced verdict a Robert l. Haas. Forest Hills n. Y. A there is something absolutely wrong with baseball if a thing can happen As the undeserved selection of Mickey Mantle in preference to Ted Williams who is in my mind the Only possible Choice. Baseball has degraded itself. I suggest a revote and that those who can to be fair to Williams take themselves off the a a a Vincent Kelly Wilkes Barre think the worst example of prejudiced voting showed up in the balloting of the baseball writers on the Muf award for the american league. The writers who let their personal feelings run away with their better judgment should be barred forever. A How they can truthfully explain their snub of Ted Williams is beyond me and thousands of fair minded fans All Over the country a in the Middle a it Peter Wilter Dinar Denver Colo a a the fans no longer can have any respect for the a Baa after the stupidity and poor sportsmanship they showed in the recent voting for the Muf of the american league. It not Only is a direct insult to one of the greatest Guys in baseball today Ted Williams but also a hollow and tainted award to another great Guy Mickey Mantle. I favor taking away this authority from the writers association and placing it in the hands of some competent and sincere organization such As the Spontino a a Ai Minnino St. Louis. biggest Dis gig Ace in baseball has just been committed. They picked Mickey Mantle Over Ted Williams As the most valuable player. Who dominates baseball tile new York writers a a a Richard e. Krill san Jose a i was shocked to hear Liat Mickey Mantic was named the Muf of the american league Over Ted Williams. I believe that this illustrates better than Ever the need of making Public the ballots of the writers who pick the most valuable player. I feel sure they would be More conscientious and less the sporting news choices oii5y just ones a sin Pexton a this is a note of apology for not giving belter play to the sporting news selections of Ted Williams and stall Musial As the players of the year a writes sturdy Pexton sign Orts editor of the Colorado Springs Colo Gazette Telegraph. A after the joke of. The baseball writers association in naming Mickey Mantle Over Williams and the questionable pick of Henry Aaron Over Musial your selections Are the Only just ones a if the a Baa continues its injustices next year its happened before to Williams then Only the sporting news selections will be recognized by me As appropriate player of the year Mickey Mantle. Innocent victim of Muf controversy a a Meh asks Muf selectors to reveal Hom they voted Kansas City. editor Ernie Mehl of the Kansas City Star has called for members of the american league most valuable player committee to publicly disclose How they voted. Comprising the committee whose ballots Are secret Are various members of the baseball writers association in a. L. Cities. They picked Mickey Mantle of the Yankees for the award with Ted Williams of the red sox coming in second. There has been considerable criticism of two of the ballots one naming Williams to Kintli place and the other to tenth. It said Mehl a no matter what anyone thinks of the tall slugger William the fact remains he is far and away better than the tenth most valuable player in the league. A a number of those who voted Are prepared to make known their selections and it might be Well if All did Mehl said he voted for Nellie Fox of the White sox As map with Williams second. Others in his first five were Mantle Roy Sievers of the senators and Gil. Mcdougald of the yanks. Prejudiced if this were the Case. I am just thankful that the sporting news gave Williams the Honor and distinction he deserved in selecting him your outstanding player of the year in the american Ellen Mclaughlin Roxbury a something must be done about the method of voting for the most valuable player by the a Baa. There a certainly something wrong with the current system when Ted Williams was marked Down to ninth and tenth place. These writers voted against Williams Only because he wont lick their Bools. The writers Are cheapening the Muf award in the eyes of the fans. Why not leave the voting to the players or a committee of players they Are the people who really know just How valuable a Man # a Charles Mansbach Brookline a when they Start to hand out Muf awards Ted Williams is the most ignored player in Hist by. How could anything but personality have influenced the picking of Mickey Mantle ahead of Williams somehow the writers must be convinced that it is the players ability and not his disposition that is the basis of making the award until this time comes there is no sense in voting for in in Patrick a m. Williams Wilmington think the Choice of Mickey Mantle Over Ted Williams for the american league Muf award was an outrageous act and a Dis i Ace to the game. All these years the writers have hated Williams and resented having to write about his explosive bal. The two writers who placed him ninth and tenth on their ballots Are so prejudiced that its pitiful. These ballots should have been disregarded and the two writers banned from the Muf voting forever. They seemed to think this was a popularity contest a a a Gordon w. Waddell East Ruti Werford n. the a Baa thinks that Muf Means most valuable personality instead of most valuable player. How can Ted Williams one of the All time greats of the game have Only two Muf awards when such average players As Roy Campanella and Yogi Berra have three each it just does no to make Frank t. Green London first thing that came to my mind when i saw that Mickey Mantle had been named for the map was what Ted Williams said last Spring about phony and gutless sports writers. He sure hit the Nail on the head american sports writers Are always preaching about sportsmanship but apparently some of them done to practice what they preach. The same writers will be after Williams for stories come next year. I Only Hope this me he spits in their a a a Mitch m. Astren Nashville a Why is baseball letting the sports writers ruin the game the latest piece of mayhem by two writers is sickening. How can anyone in his right mind vote Ted Williams ninth or tenth on his ballot a a a a. Gerald Duggan fall River �?oif the Muf award is to be honoured and respected by the fans the commissioner of baseball must show that he himself thinks enough of it to Reform this farce. We All know that Ted Williams ranks higher than ninth or tenth on anyone s ballot. If Liose two writers want to show their prejudice let them do it somewhere else a sp3 Dick Burnham u. S. Army Alaska communications system Seattle suggest that the Knucklehead writers who placed Ted in ninth and tenth place in the voting should forget their Petty jealousies or turn the Muf voting Over to another More impartial Agency. The two ought to be sent to cover sports in Barrow alaska.�?�. A a a John a Rolando Centralia a Ted Williams fans Are sizzling hot Beca be Mickey Mantle won the Muf award. My they Are naive Arentt they if the sports writers give. It to Ted in 1941, when he hit a blistering .406, by what stretching of the imagination could the fans expect Williams to win this year with a Mere .388?, my voter did no to list Hornsby who hit 424 in �?T24. Rogers Hornsby seven ume National league batting. Champion can sympathize with Ted Williams who lost the 1957. American league most valuable player award mostly because two members of the 24-Man a. L. Balloting committee placed Ted no higher than ninth and tenth respectively. In 1924, when Hornsby Cardinal second baseman hit .424, the highest average achieved by a major league batsman in this Century the late Jack Ryder Cincinnati voter of the eight Man National league committee did not even put Rogers on his ballot of ten names. The prize alien a $1,000 bag of Gold presented by the National league was won by dizzy Vance Brooklyn a crack fire Baller who had a 28-6 record that year. Tile writer chairman of the n. L. Committee sent Back Ryder a ballot asking whether he had overlooked Hornsby. Ryder replied that he did no to giving As his reason a Hornsby is a most valuable player to. Himself not to his unlike the procedure this year there was nothing secret about the 1924 balloting and the committee chairman gave Ryder a name and vote to the press associations. Jack was lambasted from Ocean to Ocean. Sam Breadon Cardinal president was the no. I critic just As Tom Yawkey red sox president was among the first to shout his disapproval of the recent a. A Vole. Ryder was not reappointed to the n. L. Committee in 1925, when Hornsby won the award. Rogers repeated in 1929 As a member of the cubs. Fred Lieb. Even Yankee fans 9 surprised by Muf repeat for Mantle Many believed Williams would get accolade for �?T57 Tiger Trade not viewed As threat to bomber reign by Dan Daniel new York n. Y. Local fans frankly were surprised that Mickey Mantle repeated in the american leagues most valuable player Competition. Not that thousands around Here did not regard the election of Mantle As his just dues. But it was Felt that with Ted Williams beating Mick a the batting championship race the Boston hero would get the grand accolade. New York is delighted with mantles Success and duly sympathetic toward Williams who contrary to belief in some quarters is not disliked in this area. But the stronger response from the fans Here appears to Stem from Gil Mcdougald s impressive showing in both place in the Muf Battle. Ii has so Many things working for him in his Impact on the fans and the reporters As Well. For one thing he is a great Ball player marvelous in the clutch and has made himself the Best shortstop in the majors. For another thing he is a clean living Young Man. Happily married with a Large family and of a a a spotless off the Field record. Then again go is an Ideal team Georg m. Wolli Man the fans player the managers player the front office Ideal. All in All he stands Ace High. There a one Yankee who will not have a salary hassle Vith George m. Weiss. There was considerable Tordo around town Over the big Trade which recently sent Bill Tuttle Jim Small Frank House Duke Maas to Lutiny Tsitouris and a couple of players to be named later from Detroit to Kansas City for Billy Martin Tom Morgan Mickey Mcdernott and Loa Skizas All former Yankees Tim Thompson and Gus Zer Nial. Local fans liked the shuffle but refused to regard it As something which might affect the Yankee Pennant Effort seriously. It will take much More than Detroit got in that Deal Over what it gave away to present a problem to the new York club. A never discuss others trades a i am very much interested in the outcropping of player values presented in the Trade a said Weis. I always study such things Doselyn was for offering any con nent on Tho Trade that a out. I never. Discuss other clubs trades when you make a big Deal like that any Deal in fact you want applause or since any shifting of faces a fuses fresh interest the Trade stands at too per cent for both this season of the year always is physical Click up Lime for the Yankees. Every Man on the roster must report to or. Sidney Gaynor and other specialists Here or go to the Mayo clinic in Rochester minn., or consult recognized Atli crities in his Home area. So far four bombers have consulted the specialists at Mayo. Moose Skovy Ron with his bad Back led the Way. Then Mantle Ali item Ford and Yogi Berra followed. Mantles shoulder and legs underwent intensive examinations and tests. Fords shoulder was examined and Ben a got a general going Over with stress on his nose which was broken last season when a mask collapsed. Yogi went to Rochester with Tho fear that he Yould have to undergo a nose operation but the Mayo people vetoed that and. Yogi is extremely Happy. Yogi May get salary hike Berra got $55,000 last season second on the salary list to Mantle with his $65,000. Yogi May come up for More As his record sizes up rather More impressively than it had at the close of the worlds series. What will one thing and an outlier Berra can Lihue to maintain top position among the catchers in the majors. His 24 Home runs for 1957 were tops for a receiver and now he has 262 for his career and that a a record for his position. His Fielding average of -.995 was tops last season for regular catchers and his 84 runs driven in made yet another High Mark. Yogi fell Down in die averages but his second half rally was Hig Lily compensating and Gratifying to his manager and local fans. In route to the Winter meetings at Colorado Springs Weiss stopped off briefly in Chicago. He had a luncheon engagement with Arnold Johnson owner of the athletics bul said the meeting had no Signi Alcance. Chuck Comiskey White sox Vic president had no appointment with Weiss. A Well All be together in Colorado Springs a Chuck said. At Colorado Springs Weiss is in Resl will cure Shin splints Mantle told at Mayo clinic new York n. A a Mickey Mantle of the Yankees after undergoing a physical examination at the Mayo clinic in Rochester minn., was advised that rest should Clear up the Shin splints that bothered my in the late stages of. The postseason. The doctor s also told him to take weight lifting exercises in an Effort of strengthen his rigid leg. Which has troubled him periodically during his career. Mantle was the fourth Yankee player to be checked at Mayo clinic following Bill Skowron Yogi Beira and Whitey Ford. A Whir a sconces at th6 Broad Snoor hotel ready to Turuc Trade and eager to carrying missionary work against passage of the Many amendments which would destroy major status quo and As he puts a it a play up to those who want something for nothing and Hurt baseball in measurably the Yankees 19vhome schedule which includes 20 night games bad nine double headers was released by Weiss last week. The 20 arc Light contests represent an increase of three Over the 17 played in each of the last several seasons. The increase in the Yankees after dark card was made to offset a part of the heavy National league schedule of 58 night games played in the area last Yea the american league champions will play every rival three a Home Hight games with the exception of Detroit which will be Al the stadium for two arc lighters. Quot two Holiday twin Bills the bombers will play two Home Holiday twin Bills with Washington on decoration Day May 30. And the red sox on labor Day september i. The seven other scheduled double header will come on sunday after modes two each with the White sox tigers and senators and one with Kansas City. The yanks Start their Home season on Friday april 18, against the orioles after having opened three Days earlier in Boston the orioles remain in new Yorac for the first week and of the Campaign playing single afternoon contests on Friday saturday and sunday april 18, 19 and 20. The red sox follow with a pair of afternoon games on monday and tuesday april 21 and 22 the first stadium invasion by Tho Western clubs starts on tuesday afternoon april 29, when Detroit shows Liere. The opening sunday twin Bill. Will be with the White sox on May 4, the first night game of the season at Home will be on Friday May 9, with Washington full season ticket and the combination ticket plans Are now being filled on a renewal basis. After completion of renewals new ticket purchasers under the combination plan will be accommodated according to ticket director Jack Wiite. Fans wishing to order tickets now for any single games May do so by mail order White explained and orders will be filled on a first come first served basis before the Start of the season. Individual ticket prices remain the same As in recent years $3.15 for a Box seat and $2.10 for a reserved seat. A the sporting news december 4, 1957 15 ;