on the bench
with Bob Hoffman
HOT STOVE SESSION—BurMil’s annual baseball
banquet in Gastonia is always the scene of the greatest
hot-stove diamond talks in this area. And Thursday
night’s was no exception.
Smoky Burgess, Ted Abernathy, Tom Wright, Bud
Hardin, Bill Barkley, Spec Padgett, Jack Falls, Johnny
Grice and several other professional ball players were
on hand to keep the talks at a high pitch. v
Bad weather kept Hoyt Wilhelm, Whitey Lockman
and others from making it, but Sonny Dixon of Char
lotte arrived safely.
A packed house of baseball fans enjoyed a delicious
barbecue dinner prepared as only Red Bridges can, and
then sat back for an enjoyable 45-minutes watching the
1955 World Series films.
Crash Davis, Gastonia High School’s baseball coach,
was supposed to have made a big announcement at the
rheeting, but he never did. Crash has resigned his GHS
post to take a job with Burlington Mills in the personnel
department of the organization.
There was and will be a lot of speculation as to who
will succeed Davis. Thus far, school officials are keeping
quiet and looking hard for another coach with Davis’
merits.
Bill Barkley, former Gardner-Webb and Lenoir
Rhyne pitcher, as well as a former Lincolnton star, will
get another shot at AA ball this year. He is scheduled to
report to Chattanooga.
Johnny Grice, Lowell veteran, says he is a free agent
and has been chatting with Phil Houser at Charlotte
hoping to latch on there. Grice was cut from the Char
lotte roster last year, and ended the season with a flou
rish at Savannah, Ga., in the same league. Grice was
very sharp in his criticism of Manager Jimmy Blood
worth at the banquet.
Spec Padgett is another Lowell lad, and I use the
word lad loosely, trying to gain a spot with Charlotte.
Spec was located from the West coast to the East coast
last season, and finally finished the year with Ports
mouth, Va.
Jack Falls reported Thursday night that he had not
received any word as to where he will play this year.
Jack is being converted to a catcher, and played his ball
in the Western League last year.
Ted Abernathy will of course don the Washington
Senator’s uniform again this season. Ted is Gaston
County’s only major leaguer at this time. Abernathy
said he couldn’t understand a lot of moves by major
league manager, such as, he pitched a shut-out on
Sunday, pitched relief on Monday and Tuesday and
didn’t pick up a ball for the next 11 days. Someone asked
Ted if he thought he would end up with the Yankees, and
he would not comment. It would be a good break for the
lean right-hander.
Tom Wright was asked what the Senators needed in
1956, and Tom promptly answered, “a new ball club.”
Everyone agreed with him.
Bud Hardin is slated to play with Birmingham in the
Southern Association this year.
Smoky Burgess reported he had no contract troubles
whatsoever this year. No wonder, he hit .301 last year
and in ’54 would have been the National circuit batting
leader if he had played enough games. Smoky fooled a
lot of experts by recovering from an arm injury suffered
in an accident to hit the big time.
Shu Carlton, Fred Withers and John Gamble attend
ed the event as guests of the Phenix Mill officials, as
did yours truly.
All in all, the get-to-gether was a big success, and
just what the doctor ordered for a baseball fan.
Fred Ratchford adjourned the meeting with the re
minder that it will be held again next year, same time,
same place.
SICK CALL—Coach Don Parker must have felt like a
med student last week when Cherryville invaded Cen
tral gyjm. George Harris had just recovered from German
measles, when John McGinnis became ill and was rush
ed to the hospital for an appendectomy. To top all this,
Mearl Valentine had been suffering from the flu and a
t slightly smashed finger; Jerry McCarter had contacted a
j slight case of food-poisoning, and Keith Layton had an
ingrowing toe nail.
This meant that all five of Kings Mountain’s starters
were ailing in one way or another. Wonder if any witch
doctors are operating in the Southwestern Conference
area????
Special Buses For Hockey Fans
Kings Mountain hockey fans
an now get transportation to the
'oliseum for games scheduled
ar February 13-14-16, according
a an announcement Monday
Edith Carrigan, local Trailway
gent, reports that busses will
an from Kings Mountain to the
harlotte bus depot, where anoth
r bus will shutle fans to the
Coliseum.
This means that hockey fans
can get transportation to and
from the games, without worry
ing about traffic and parking pro
blems.
Mrs. Carrigan said the bus
from Kings Mountain would leave
the station at 6:40 p. m. on the
three days mentioned above.
Valentine Paces Win Over R-S;
Girls Lose 11th By Only 9 Points
Kings Mountain’s Mountaineers
took an easy Southwestern Confe
rence basketball game from Ruth
erfordton-Spindale Tuesday night
by a 62-28 score.
Mearl Valentine led the locals
with 25 points, 24 of which came
on shots from the floor. George
Harris hit for 16 points and sec
ond place scoring honors.
The Mountaineers played their
best game of the year from the
free-throw line hitting on 16 of 28
chances. Harris hit on 10 of 13
tries to lead in that department.
Coach Don Parker’s boys threw
up a defense that R-S found im
possible to penetrate. Playing on
their home floor, the Central
team could manage only a few
shots from the floor, and ended
up by hitting 10 field goals.
Kings Mountain held a 17-6 lead
at the end of the first period, and
were never In danger of being
caught.
Parker put his second team in
with about five minutes to go,
and the subs managed to score
six points against four for R-S
during the last minutes.
White led the home team with
12 points, most of which came on
out-side set shots. McDonald had
six for second place honors.
Kings Mountain’s girls lost
their 11th straight game, but gave
R-S a scare before bowing 61-52.
The local lassies began to hit in
the last half and cut a 15 point
deficit to the final nine points.
Butchie Houser led Kings
Mountain’s scoring with 19 points.
Linda Morris was second with 15
points.
Wray led Rutherfordton-Spin
dale with 22 points, while Walker
trailed slightly with 20 markers.
Walker hit most of her points in
the first period, but could not
seem to find the range in the later
stages of the contest.
Central raced ahead by a 22-9
margin at the end of the first
period, and increased the lead to
39-24 at halftime. Kings Moun
tain cut the lead by two points- in
the third stanza, and whacked
another four points off in the fi
nal period.
BOYS
KINGS MOUNTAIN
FG
Valentine
Layton
Harris
McCarter
Baity
Bridges
Ormand
Cole
George
TOTALS
R-S (28)
Chatham
Frady
McDonald
Merchant
White
Ensley
Rucker
Daniels
Arrowood
Huffstetler
TOTALS
12
2
3
1
2
1
0
2
2
23
(62)
FT TP PF
1-2 25 2
0- 0 4
10-13 16
1- 2 3
2-7
2-4
0-0
0-0
0-0
6
4
0 0
4 1
4 1
16-28 62 12
FG FT TP PF
1
0
3
1
5
0
0
2 2
0 2
6 2
4 1
2-2 12 0
2-5 2 3
0-0
0-1
0-1
2-4
0-0
0 2-5
0 0-0
0 0-0
0
2
0
0
10 8-18 28 15
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
KM
RS
17 11 18 16—62
6 8 8 6—28
GIRLS
KINGS MOUNTAIN (52)
McCarter 2 8 12
Arthur 0 0 0
Houser 7 5 19
Spake 000
Amette 0 0 0
Lawrence 0 0 0
Morris 6 3 15
Weir 0 0 0
Smith 3 0 6
TOTALS 18 16 52
R-S (61)
Wray 10 2 22
Walker 7 6 20
Hodge 7 1 15
Sparks 000
Snyder 000
McDaniel 0 0 0
Buchanan 000
Blakenship 10 2
James 0 0 0
Bland 10 2
Kendricks 0 0 0
Dycus 000
TOTALS 26 9 61
SCORE BL QUARTERS:
KM 9 15 11 17—52
RS 22 17 9 13—61
Harris. Valentine Pace Cagers
In 66-61 Win; Girls Lose Again
BOYS
KINGS MOUNTAIN (66)
FG FT TP PF
Valentine
Layton
Harris
McCarter
Baity
Cole
Bridges
George
TOTALS
10 1-2 21
0 0-0 0
11 3-7 25
0-1 6
5
5
4
5
2
2
2 0
0 0-0 0 0
29 8-16 66 23
3
3
1
1
4-6 10
0-0 2
0-0
FOREST CITY (61)
Callison 9
Greenlee 1
Haynes 4
Hall 4
Nanney 1
Reep
TOTALS
5- 9 23
6- 10 8
4-8 12
6-6 14
0-0 2
0 0-0 0 0
20 21-38 61 10
11
4 |
1
1
3
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
KM
FC
16 12 22 16—66
10 14 18 19—61
GIRLS
Smith
McCarter
Arthur
Arnette
Spake
Lawrence
Weir
Morris
TOTALS
14 1 29
6 0 12
10 2
0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0
10 2
6 1 13
28 2 58
FOREST CITY (79)
Alexander
Throckmorton
Melton
McAfee
Cook
McGinnis
Harrill
Hoyle
Rhymer
Earles
TOTALS
17 0 34
Oil
8 2 18
0 0 0
0 0.0
0 0 0
3 0 6
4 19
5 1 11
0 0 0
37 5 79
SCORE BY QUARTERS :
KM
FC
11 16 14 17—85
22 19 ±?. 20—79
Stamp collectors will get a lift
from post office announcement
that it will issue a stamp mark
ing the 50th anniversary of the
Pure Food and Drug Act.
Kings Mountain’s Mountain-'
eers squeaked by the Forest City
Tornados in the Forest City
“cracker-box” gym Friday night
by a 66-62 score to remain in the '
Southwestern Conference race
The Mountaineers, who now
have a 7-3 record, are tied for
third place with Cliffside.
With the action getting wild
and wooly in the last two-minutes
of play, three of Kings Moun
tain’s starters fouled out, and the
Tornados roared back from a 14
point deficit to pull within the
final five-point margin.
Forest City, who most coaches
feel are 20 points better on their
home floor, showed remarkable
skill from the free-throw line,
hitting on 21 of 38 chances. How
ever, their floor shooting was not
as sharp and they could manage
only 20 field-goals.
Kings Mountain hit on 29 shots
from the floor and connected for
8 of 16 foul shots.
George Harris found the range
for the Mountaineers and led the
scoring with 25 points, as Mearl
Valentine followed closely with
21. Ken Baity, filling in for John
McGinnis, also connected for 10
points.
Joe Callison led the Forest City
scoring with 23 points, while Hall
connected for 14 and second-place
honors
Kings Mountain’s girls went
down in defeat for the 10th time
this season bowing to the taller
Forest City team by a 79-58 mar
gin. The local lassies trailed 22-11
at the end of the first half, and
never came close to heading the
Forest City team.
Barbara Smith led Kings Moun
tain’s scoring with 29 points, and
Morris hit for 13 and second place
honors. Jerrie McCarter trailed
closely with 12.
Alexander connected for 3^
points to pace Forest City, and
Melton added another 18 to the
Tornado cause.
As usual, Kings Mountain’s
Mountain’s three guards played a
fine defensive game.
Mountaineers Gunning For Shelby
And Lincolntcn In Pair 01 Gaines
Kings Mountain’s boys’ cage
squad is tied for third place in
the Southwestern Conference as
the season starts into its last lap.
Cliffside and the Mountaineers
hold identical 8-3 records in the
conference, and are battling for
position behind Llncolnton and
Cherryville.
Next week will be an important
one, as far as the cage standings
go. Shelby invades Central gym
Friday night for their last meet
ing of the season with the local
team. The Lions will be trying to
avenge an earlier drubbing at the
honds of the Mountaineers.
Tuesday night, Kings Mountain^
journeys to Lincolnton to meet
the league leading and undefeated
Wolves in a very important con
test. In their previous meeting,
Lincolnton took a hard-fought
game from Kings Mountain be
hind the leadership of sharp
shooting Darrell Bost.
Kings Mountain must b«|at
Shelby to stay in the conference
race, and a win over Lincolnton
would add a feather to the Moun
taineer cap. However, the Lions
are improved over their first”
meeting with the Mountaineers,
and may provide plenty of trou
ble Friday. The Wolves, playing
on their home court, will proba
bly be top-heavy favorites to de
feat the local team.
The local lassies will get their
best chance qf the year to pick up
a victory when Shelby comes to
town. The last meeting of the two
teams resulted in the Lionettes
edging Kings Mountain 40-34 in
the last tew minutes of play.
Coach Lib Collette’s girls say it
will be a different story this time.
Either way, it will probably be a
thriller.
Lincolnton’s girls, who hold an
undefeated record for the year,
will certainly be heavy favorites
tto add another defeat to Kings
Mountain’s record. The distaff
side of the Wolves handle the
ball better than some of the boys
teams in the conference, and are
capable of hitting 100 points a
game. The last game here they
hit for 95, with the second team
playing a good portion of the
time.
The Army plans to go “all
out” in efforts to develop a “me.
dium range” millile capable of
traveling 1,500 miles, according
to Army Chief of Staff Maxwell
Ei. Taylor.
CLOTHING DISPLAY
TWO DAYS ONLY!
FRIDAY, SATURDAY
For Your Spring
Made-To-Measure Suits
See D. C. CLARK
Plonk’s
This Weekend!
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