j on the bench
i
with Bob Hoffman
I
WILLIAMS WALLOPED — Gold-lined spittons???
This was the price Ted Williams had to pay for his spit
ing exhibition last Tuesday.
The $5,000 fine Ted was tagged with would buy a
carload of cuspidors, even deluxe models. Williams could
have come out cheaper spitting in the face of an umpire.
The five thousand fish represented one of the stif
fest fines ever thrown at an organized baseball player.
Babe Ruth was once fined $5,000 for a run-in with Man
ager Miller Huggins, but the Babe got his money back
the next season when the Yanks changed managers.
Williams had been of the greatest ball players to hit
the major leagues, but has been the target of sports fans
in Boston for several years. As one writer put it—his per
sonality batting average is about .120.
Always a man to speak his piece—and in no uncer
tain tones—Williams spent a stretch in Korea that pro
bably didn’t help his disposition. This coupled with his
alimony troubles seems to have really made a “lone
wolf” out of The Thumper.
When Ralph Kiner was with Pittsburg, writers said
10,000 people would pay to get in the park to watch Kiner
shoot a pinball machine at home plate. The Boston fans
will do likewise to boo Williams. Popularity or lack of
popularity makes no difference to club owners, just as
long as the tickets are sold every day.
It has never been a requirement in baseball that a
player had to win a popularity contest to play major
yeague ball. Take for example Jackie Robinson. Robin
son is a “pop-off” type player—and is very unpopular
with fans and players alike.
williams is uuiii aiuug me same lines—aiuiuu^ii
some of his recent “pop-offs” have made good sense.
Take for example his “gutless draft board statement.”
Not many men in the majors would have come out and
lambasted sports writers, politicans, and draftboards all
in the same breath.
The 1956 season will be remembered by baseball fans
as the year of rhubarbs, spitting contests, and the year
the Pirates and Red Legs surprised everyone. This is bad
for baseball???
In my opinion, the nation’s number one pasttime
could stand a little more color—if for no other reason
than to distract from the three and four hour contests
that are being played.
GASTONS BOW—The Post 23 Legion boys bowed
out of further Legion baseball competition last week
with an 8-3 loss to Wilmington. The Port City boys final
ly broke out of the “always a bridesmaid, never a bride”
rut by winning their first state championship.
Wilmington had been in the state finals for three
previous years, and each time bowed to the Western
North Carolina representative—including Cherryville,
Gastonia, and Salisbury.
Many local fans were on hand at Sims Legion Park
to watch the final game of the seven-game series. It
seemed to be the opinion of most of them that the Post
23 lads tightened up under the pressure.
They certainly didn’t play the type of game they had
played against Shelby and Albemarle earlier in the sea
son. Bone-head baserynning was a big factor in their
loss—as was defensive and mental errors of many varie
ties.
Keith Layton got tagged with the loss—but shouldn’t
have. He pitched a good game, but errors were his down
fall. Keith captured a pair of Gastonia’s three wins, and
showed the Spindle City fans that he could pitch.
Most of Gastonia’s team will be back for another sea
son—some two seasons—of Legion ball, and they will
probably be tough to handle again next year.
The Sectional tournament will be held in Gastonia
next week, and Legion fans will have an opportunity to
see the best teams from a 12-state area play. The Region
al play-offs will be held in Wilmington this week.
GRIDIRON GABS — doubt Kings Mountain foot
ball fans will now begin to turn their attention to City
Stadium, where Coaches Carlton and Gamble will be
conducting daily football drills for Central High hope
fuls.
Carlton will have some 50 boys on the field for the
preliminary work-outs, and local fans will be watch
ing with interest the progress of the team.
Last year’s team, which romped to the conference
championship, was pretty hard hit by graduation with
six first stringers receiving diplomas. However, a dozen
lettermen will be back from the neculeus for the 1957
squad.
A good number of freshmen and sophomores are ex
pected to be out for the team this seeason, and will pro
bably mean that the talent for the next wo or hree yars
will be more abundant.
Gardenr-Webb Grid Card Listed,
Practice Sessions Start August 29
BOILING SPRINGS — Gard‘<
ner -Webb College will begin foot
ball practice August 29 in prepa
ration for a lOgame schedule.
Head Coach Norman Harris
and Assistant Coach James Gar
rison expect around -10 boys to
answer their call, including a do
zen veterans of last year’s cham
pionship eleven.
Among the returning stalwarts
are quarterback James Johnson
of Marshall, center Benny Sher
rill of Hickory, halfback Bobby
Crew of Morganton, quarterback
Robert Webb of Hickory, and a
number of others.
The season opens Sept. 15 at
Ferrum Junior College in Vir
ginia. The first home game will
be Sept. 22 in Shelby against the
Western Carolina Jayvees. Home
coming is set for October 27 with
the Lees McRae Bobcats. Added
to the schedule this year is Win
gate College which is fielding a
football team for the first time.
SEPTEMBER
15 Ferrum Junior Col Away
22 Western Carolina “B” Home
29 Lees McRae Away
OCTOBER
6 Hargraves Away
13 Mars Hill Home
20 Wingate Away
27 Lees McRae homecoming
NOVEMBER
3 Mars Hill Away
10 Wingate Home
17 Georgia Military Home
Rebels-Moose Team
Gets Play-oif Wins
The Rebel-Moose Yanks com
bination team took the Recre
ation Baseball play-off series
with two straight wins last
week,.
The top rated Mauney Mill
'Margrace team bowed in the
first contest by a 12-1 score, and
were edged in the second tilt
Wednesday night 'by a 5-4 mar
gin.
Mauney Mills was the regular
season champs in the loop, while
the Rebels placed second in the
standings.
The play-offs consisted of
teams composed of the first and
third teams, playing the second
and fourth place squads.
These play-off games were
played at City Stadium Tuesday
and Wednesday nights. The
series was set-up as the, best two
of-three games.
Grape production in North
| Carolina is estimated at 1,400,000
tons as of July 1.
Navy tractors in th Antarctic
weigh 34 tons but are almost as
j light on the Show as a man on
skies. Their treads are 54” wide.
Football Drills Began Wednesday
As 45 Hopefuls Report For Duty
Some 45 boys answered the calle
Wednesday as Central High
School’s coaches started football
drills.
Coaches Shu Carlton, John
Gamble, and Don Parker started
putting the prosptects through
their paces at 9:30 a. m. Wednes
day, and two practice sessions a
day are planned until school
opens.
Approximately 17 of the hope,
fuls are back from last year’s
conference championship squad.
These include John McGinnis
Curtis George, Ken Baity, Keith
Layton, Charlies Bridges, David
Marlowe, Steve Wells, Spook Ste
wart, Ervin Houser, Tommy Gil
bert, Tony Goins, Hoylfe Burton,
Gene Bowers Frank Hinson, Bill
Davis, Gerald Thomasson, and
Charles Clary.
A multitude of frteshmen and
sophomores are included in the
1956 football hopefuls. Several
of the boys were “B” team play
ers last Year. These include Don
Gladden, Doug Rathbone, and
Norman Bumgardner.
Coach Carlton is running three
boys at quarterback in an effort
to comie up with a replacement
for George Harris, all-Southern
quarterback of last year’s stel
lar squad.
Would-be quarterbacks include
John McGinnis, star half-back of
last year’s team; Doug Rathbone,
and a newcomer, Don Fisher, who
is a ninth gradter.
Central High School opens its
10 game grid schedule on Sep
tember 7, meeting Bessemer
City’s Yellow jackets on the Bes
semer fiteld. The following week
the locals will play host to a
rough West Mecklenburg squad
in City Stadium.
Center will be another impor
tant starting position that will
be up for grabs this year. Er
| vin Houser, second-string center
I last yfear, will have the inside
: track, but is expected to get a lot
of competition for this slot.
It is hard to judge a group of
ballplayers on thfeir first day
of practice, but indications are
that the Central line will be a
mong thle roughest, more expri
enced forward walls in the con
ference.
The backfield may not have the
sparkle it had last year with Har
ris, Valentinle, McCarter and
Houser, along with Baity shar
ing the ball carrying. However,
if McGinnis comes through at
quarterback, as most Kings
Mountain fans feel he will, it may
be an entirely different story.
In any event, Coach Carlton
should have a much better bench
than during last season. There
will be more experience on the
squad, and this in itself could be
the clue to a successful year.
Lithium Captures
Softball Title
Lithium Corporation wrapped
up the City Recreation Slo-Pitch
Softball League championship
last week 'by downing the Pres
byterian Church team toy a 5-1
margin.
The Independents, who had
been making a two-team race
out of the league, were knocked
off by the National Guard team
by a 9-1 score, and this loss cou
pled with the Lithium win let the
joining tooys ease into the loop
championship.
Slo-pitch softball meet very
good response here during the
six-weeks it was played, Recre
ation Director Shu Carlton report
ed. This league will probably be
included in next summer’s recre
ation plans, and will no doubt
get under way much earlier next
season.
Micro-Midgets Run
In Shelby Saturday
The “Little Big Cars” will be
running again Saturday night at
Bridgtes’ Micro-midget race track
on the U. S. 74 bypass outside of
Shelby.
Ken Bridges, owner and ope
rator of the track, announced
this week that time trials will
start at 8 p. m. Saturday, with
the regular feaured racing begin
ning thirty minuttes later.
The track is located directly ac
ross the highway from Red Brid
ges Barbecue, Some 25 cars are
expected to be on hand for Satur- j
day’s races.
CAIKFLY
81)( Sporting Nn»*
Cleveland Outfielder Jib Busby
discovered after he went on a hot
hitting streak recently that hte
had been hitting batting practice
with a heavy bat and then switch
ing to a lighter one in the regular
game. Ty Cobb is among the old
timers who believe players today
don’t need heavy bats. It’s his
contention, says Bob Addie in
The Sporting News, that youngs
ters now have a livelier ball to
contend with and have to get the
bat around faster.
* * *
For whatever batting average
Duke Snider will rack up this
season, hte can thank the St. Louis
Cardinals. Up through the Dod.
gers’ early-August series with the
Cardinals, says The Sporting
Ntews, Snider had hit .350 against
Cardinal pitching. His mark aga
inst hurlers of the six other clubs
combined was .279.
* * *
When Carl Erskine of the Dod
gers bteat the Cardinals, 12 to 4,
August 4, it was his eleventh
straight victory over St. Louis at
Ebbets Field. The Sporting Ntews
says he hasn’t suffered a loss to
the Cardinals in his home park
since September 16, 1950
The New York Giants have
been patsies for shutouts this
year, says The Sporting News.
After Bob Rush of Chicago white
washed them, August 3, only the
Phillies had failed to shut out the
Giants this season. The Rush job
was the seventh shutout of the
year for the Giants.
* * *
Here’s a Bib Addie story in
The Sporting News that’s worth a
chuckle. Addie says it’s supposed
to be true. A Washington fan got
home late from a ball game one
night and had to explain to his
wife that the game went into ex
tra innings. “Well,” she said with
complete logic, “why don’t they
start these extra-inning games
an hour earlier?”
* * *
The one bright spot in the rath
er dreary picture in Pittsburg,
says Les Biederman in The Sport
ing News, is Bill Virdon. When
Virdon was obtained from the
Cardinals in May, he was hitting
.216. >Now he’s hitting .303 with
the Pirates. And he’s proving a
standout in center field.
In a recent radio appearance,
says The Sporting News, Dusty
Rhdes of the Giants was asked
what he thought Ty Cobb would
hit against present-day pitching.
Rhodes said, “Oh, about .200.”
When he was reminded that Cobb
retired with a lifetime average of
.367, Rhodes said, "I know, but by
now he must be 65 or 70 years
old.”
Blanton Rites
Held Monday
Funeral rites for Mrs. Lizzie
Blanton, 78, were conducted last
Monday afternoon at 4 p. m. from
Grassy Pond Baptist church in
Gaffney, S. C.
Mrs. Blanton, mother of Mrs.
Horace Scruggs of Kings Moun
tain, died last Sunday morning
at 2:05 a. m. after an illness of
three months. She was the widow
of Reuben Blanton and had lived
here with her daughter for seve
ral months.
Other survivors include a son,
Barth Blanton, Mooresville; and
two step-daughters, Mrs. Broadus
Brown, Gaffney, S. C., and Mrs.
Roy Dobbins, of Mooresville.
Final rites were conducted by
Rev. Gray E. Jones pastor of the
church, and Rev. Flay Payne, pas
tor of Faith Baptist church, Kings
Mountain, Interment was in the
church cemetery.
Mr. And Mrs. Kiser
Move To Derita
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Kiser, for
mer members of the East school
faculty and their family moved
Tuesday to the new home they
recently compjeted building at
Derita.
Mr. Kiser will teach a seventh
grade in the Concord city schools
during 1956-57, Mrs. Kiser does
not texpect to teach this school
year.
MISS UNIVERSE" SPELLBOUND—Preston, the Hypnotist, is shown
hypnotizing “Miss Universe.” Miriam Stevenson, on his television
I ihsw recently. Preston will present his world-famous stage show
at the Dixie Theater, Monday. September 10 and 11 under the
auspices of the Kings Mountain Junior Chamber of Cemmerce. In
addition to his show of magic. Preston will actually hypnotize
volunteer subjects from the audience, causlngt hem to perform
many strange and unbelievable antics, while under his “spell__"
Swimming Lessons
Started For Adults
Free swimming lessons for
adults started at Deal street pool
Monday, August 13, with 17 wo
men and one man in attendance.
This program of water instruc
tion is being sponsored by the
City Recreation Department in
cooperation with the Kings
Mountain Chapter, American Red
Cross. Don Crawford, Red Cross
instructor, is in charge of the in
struction.
Thesfe lessons are being given
every day at 6 p. m. at the pool.
There is no charge for the les
sons, but each swimmer is ask-1
ed to pay the regular pool ad
mission •'price.
More motor vehicles are used
in the distribution of milk than
any other commodity.
Several Wrecks
Reported By Police
Kings Mountain Police depart
ment reported investigating seve
ral automobile accidents within
the city limits this week
Sunday, around 1:30 p. m.( a
1955 Dodge and a 1950 Ford col
lided at the intersection of Park
er and Gaston streets, police re
ported. Sonya E. Goforth was
listed as driving the Dodge, and
Tom Heavener of Lawndale was
listed as driving the Ford. Ac
cording to the accident report,
Heavner stated that the acci
dent occurred, when the brakes
of his car failed to hold. Property
damages were estimated at $500.
Police reported a 1950 Ford
and a 1950 Mercury collieded Sat
urday at the intersection of Lin
wood road and N. Piedmont ave.
Listed as driving the Ford was
Oscar E. Gladden, of 106 Waco
road, and Harold G. Davis driving
the Mercury. The accident occur,
red, according to the accident re
port, when the Mercury attempted
to make a right turn and struck
the Ford on the lfeft side. Proper
ty damages were estimatd at
$150.
Victory Baptist
Schedules Revival
Revival services will begin Sun
day tevening at Victory Baptist
church on Grover highway, it was
announced by thle pastor Rev. Ray
Wright.
Services will be held leach even,
ing at 7:30 and will continue
through August 26. Dan Huffstet
ler will be in chargte of singing
for the revival services.
Rev. Mr. Wright is a rectently
ordained Baptist minister.
Firemen Answered
Several Calls
Kings Mountain Fire Depart
ment answered several calls this
wfeek to extinguish blazes.
Fire Chief Pat Tignor reported.
Last Thursday, a grass fire was
extinguished in a vacant lot oft
Ramseur street.
An oil blaze was extinguished
Friday at the resident of Lucine
Kennedy, Negress of 118 S. Cans
ler street. A second call was ans
wered Friday to E. King street
to extinguish a blaze which had
ignited in a truck.
Monday, firemen were called
to the home of Mrs. Simon Saun
ders to extinguish an oil stove
blaze.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE. HERALD
LAYAWAY NOW
One of Our New
FALL '56 MEN’S
Suits
• 100% ALL-WOOL FLANNELS
• TWO PAIRS TROUSERS
Onle matches, one pair contrasts to make a
sport coat outfit
12 PANTS SUITS
^CO&C&>lo6&U/e&Ls
$ Charcoals, browns, dark blues,
light grays.
# Longs and Regulars
LAYAWAY NOW FOR FALL..
SMALL DEPOSIT HOLDS ANY
NEW SUIT
WITH
2PRS.
PANTS
$30.95
You'll Like This Selection
New Fall ’56
# Big Selection
# All-Wool
Sport Coats
$19.98
WE GIVE S.&R GREEN STAMPS
MYERS’ Dept. Store
Dress Shop # Second Floor