I Draft ? Lack of Funds Puts Squeeze On Nation's Minor League Ball Clubs By Prank Eck New York.? (AP)? There will be less organized baseball this year than in any campaign since world war II. Baseball is feeling the pinch. The reason appears to be a com-, bination of such things as minor league money losses, draft calls of young prospects and the expansion of radio and television over the palt few years. In 1946, the first postwar year, 43 minor league teams operated. The figure climbed until it reached 59 leagues in 1949 and 1950. But last year the slackening off began. Fifty-two leagues were scheduled for action but 50 opened and 49 fin ished a full season. 40 May Function It now appears that no more than 40 leagues will function in 1952. The Class A Central league, Class C Canadian-American league and Class D Georgia-Florida. Far West and Ohio-Indiana leagues quit re cently. The Central embraced three states ? Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia ? with four of its teams in Michigan. Some major officials say "quali ty instead of quantity," but it is felt that pswald (Ossie) Bluege is closer to the right answer than any body. Says the director of the Washington Senators' minor league clubs: "Losses, losses, losses, all the way down. A number of clubs are begging the majors to take over outright ownership." The world champion New York Yankees, once with a 22-team sys tem, are down to a streamlined 10. Lee McPhail, Yankee farm system chief, says 119 Yankee farmhands are in the service. The Cincinnati Reds appear hard hit. They had a working agree ment with Buffalo but the Detroit Tigers purchased Buffalo as an AAA replacement for its Toledo team. The Reds also lost a Class A club (Charleston, W. Va.,) when the Central league folded. The Pittsburgh Pirates lost an AAA team (Indianapolis) but that was expected when Frank McKin ney, Democratic national chairman, Branch Rickey who owns Indianapolis. sold his Pittsburgh stock. The Chicago Cubs, who have 105 players in the service, including four from the parent club, lost a Class AA club in Nashville. The Southern association team now has a working agreement with the Giants. The Giants lost $70,000 in Otta wa last year and have sold that International league team to the Philadelphia Athletics. Ottawa drew, only 132,000 fans last sea son. The Giants believe 200,000 are needed to break even. The Pacific Coast league gained added independence when two of its teams severed major league ties. The Chicago White Sox no longer have a working agreement with Sacramento, while the Cleve land Indians are out at San Diego. However, the Indians now are tied up with Indianapolis. The Boston Red Sox have re placed Scranton in the Class A Eastern league with Albany, N. Y., in the same circuit. Scranton has been added to the St. Louis Browns' chain. Denver Made Money The Boston Braves lost a Class A team when Denver in the West ern league decided to go it alone. V / /" Ossie Bluege Denver, incidentally, is one of the few money makers in the minors due to fan interest. There happens to be no television in Denver. General Manager Branch Rickey of the Pirates, Uje man who built the farm system with the St. Louis Cardinals and expanded the Brook lyn Dodgers, is far from discour aged. "The past year has been an en couraging one for Pittsburgh," says Rickey. "We still have a long way to go and Pittsburgh deserves a winner. Calls to the military serv ice may tend to slow our plans but perseverance and the will to win car not be denied forever. I believe we are headed in the right direc tion. Our accent is on youth and youth has a way of asserting itself." The Dodgers, though they have whittled their system from 19 teams to 17, still have the largest chain. They have two clubs each in A, double A and triple A ball. Their big problem will be supply ing^ enough good AAA players for' j teams at Montreal and St. Paul and I AA athletes for their Fort Worth and Mobile clubs. Top-Notch Bowler Gives Tips By Joe Wilman (Recently elected to Boiling's Hall of Fame) A common mistake among all types of bowlers is the tendency to substitute force and speed for timing and coordination In deliv ering the ball. These bowlers mis takingly believe they can score better by increasing the speed of their ball than by an accurate, well timed delivery. In seeking proper timing, the bowler should experiment with his delivery. Naturally, a person using a 3 step delivery and a person using a 5-step delivery will not have the same type backswing delivery and follow through. The Push-Away In the 5-step delivery the ball should be pushed directly away from the front of the body as the first step is taken with the left foot. This is an almost impercep tible motion, as this first step is a very short one. As the right foot comes forward for the second step the ball be gins its descent and starts into the backswing. As you take the third i I I I I I T" IL ..\ W nJM Joe Wilman step, the ball passes the body on the backswing at a point about even with the knee. As the fourth step is taken the ball reaches the peak of the backswing. At this ? 1 1 1 1 1 1 1? point the ball should bo no higher than the bowler's shoulder. Any tendency to bring the ball back higher than the shoulder in the backswing generally has a disas trous effect upon the accuracy and effectiveness of the delivery. The fifth step is all-important. The left foot and the right hand should move forward almost in uni son. As the left foot begips its slide in this final step the ball has been brought forward by the right arm, passing the body land then is sent out over the foul line with a lifting motion. Over Foul Line Be careful here to avoid drop ping the ball or setting the ball down on the approach. ? Be sure the ball is sent out and over the foul line before it touches the al ley. As in other sports, the follow through is very important. The right arm should continue upward as the ball is released, and the bowler should retain his balance. The right hand should finish its follow-through about face high and directly in front of the body. ' r i 1 1 1 1 ? . u I ? I -L -L J L a. J 1 In order that all phases of the delivery may be atudied, the bowler's lew and arms are shown above. Making your back swing faster or slower, higher or lower than natural will automatically get the ball out of time with lega and body as you go into the last step. p *?/ AJ<^. O^A/SSAJ M4S y4 <&#?/> 7~ <4iG!A1 TO