Word: kiner
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...another kind of emotional turmoil. They had nothing but scorn for the impotent Pirates (who were 28 games out of first place), but they kept paying their way into Forbes Field to gaze, with the dewy-eyed reverence of Babylonian idol worshipers, upon big, amiable, good-looking Ralph McPherram Kiner. There was no doubt in any Pittsburgher's mind that easy-going Ralph was the biggest man in big-league baseball...
...three consecutive years, Kiner has hit 40 or more home runs, thus set a mark never equaled by such sluggers as Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx and Joe DiMaggio. Furthermore, the 26-year-old pride of Pittsburgh seemed to be improving with age. One night last week, with 50 homers to his credit, he stepped to the plate with 11,881 fans howling for him to hit another. With the National League's home-run record of 56 (set by Hack Wilson back in 1930) so close and time so short, Kiner's big problem was to keep from...
...Babe Ruth? Against Boston's right-handed Bill Voiselle, Right-hander Kiner picked a fat curve and put his 195 Ibs. into an easy, carefully grooved swing. The ball cleared the left-field fence for home run No. 51. Three innings later, he put No. 52 in the same place. To Pittsburghers, who head for the exits the moment Kiner has taken his last turn at bat, even Babe Ruth's record mark of 60 (in 1927) still seemed within Kiner's reach...
...first home run, smacked from a wide-legged, right-handed stance, was a tremendous wallop that cleared Forbes Field's left-field fence by a good 75 feet. His second, landing on top of the scoreboard, brought a gasp of admiration from Teammate Ralph Kiner, the league's home-run leader and No. 2 batsman. Last week, after playing in only twelve games, Rookie Restelli had collected seven homers, driven in 14 runs, scored 13 himself, and filled the clubhouse with boxes of spaghetti (compliments of Pittsburgh fans...
This spring training, coasting along, Kiner is experimenting with a "standing swing": planting his feet a yard apart at the plate, and belting the ball without stepping into it. This unnatural stance (also used by Joe DiMaggio) takes maximum wrist-snap and timing. Kiner still hasn't got it down right. Against Feller, he struck out once, flied out once. But he expects to top his 51-homer mark this season, earn his 200% raise (to about...