Cardinals in Spring Plumage

Seeing was the only way to believe what was going on in the National League last week. Who would have figured that the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants, the two teams most experts figure to fight it out for the pennant, would rank No. 7 and No. 10? That Pittsburgh's Matty Alou, who led the National League in batting last year with a .342 average, would be hitting .217? That San Francisco Pitcher Juan Marichal, winner of 93 games over the past four seasons, would be sporting an 0-3 record and an earned-run average of 6.38? Or that it would rain in Los Angeles?

Not since they left Brooklyn nine years ago had the Los Angeles Dodgers been rained out of a home game. When it finally happened after 737 games last week, it was a stroke of pure luck. Mired in ninth place after losing five out of their first seven games, the Dodgers were thereby spared the unpleasant task of entertaining the St. Louis Cardinals--whose own performance this spring is the biggest surprise of the young season.

"Timely hitting" was the way laconic Manager Red Schoendienst explained his team's 6-1 record and its lofty position atop the National League. The adjective was too mild. In seven games, the Cards had bettered opposing pitchers for 85 hits and 52 runs; the whole team was batting a fantastic .322. Most sensational of the St. Louis sluggers was Outfielder Lou Brock, who switched to a heavier bat this spring to cut down on his tendency to overswing, last week ranked No. 2 in the National League in hitting (at .417), No. 1 in home runs (with six) and No. 1 in RBIs (with 13). "I can bunt too," said Brock, "but nobody knows it yet."

No less startling was the comeback staged by Roger Maris. The New York Yankees had given up on Maris after two injury-plagued seasons in which he batted .239 and .233--and Maris had almost given up on himself. Traded to the Cards during the winter, he debated retiring. General Manager Stan Musial, whose own lifetime batting average of .331 qualifies him as a fair judge of hitting talent, finally persuaded Roger to sign (for $75,000)--and neither has any cause for regret. Against the San Francisco Giants last week, Maris collected two hits and scored the winning run in a 2-1 St. Louis victory. "I feel great," said Roger. "A new place, that's been the biggest difference so far." That was difference enough to make his batting average .400 on the nose.

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