Word: rightfielders
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Even with Boxing Gloves. Oliva's haphazard style would have horrified Perfectionist Cobb. It terrifies opposing pitchers. "Where are you going to pitch the guy?" asks California's Dean Chance. "Earlier this year I jammed him and he hit the ball into the rightfield seats. So the next time I went outside with him and he hit the ball 350 ft. into the leftfield stands." Twins Manager Sam Mele says, "I think the kid could hit wearing boxing gloves," predicts that Oliva may yet become the first big-leaguer to bat .400 since Ted Williams...
Nothing can save the Yanks this year. But Mantle, 34, keeps trying. In Boston one night two weeks ago, he came to ihe plate in the first inning and slammed a fastball into the rightfield bleachers. In the eighth he sailed another into the leftfield screen, and Boston's home crowd of 14,922 gave him a standing ovation. Next night the old outpatient blasted two more, then traveled south to Washington, where he poled four more homers in three games against the Senators to make it eight in six days. Last week, with the Yanks locked...
...ticket-until Scott hit it 500 ft. into the upper deck at Yankee Stadium. Two weeks ago, Scott and the Red Sox invaded Minnesota for a four-game series. Twins Pitcher Dave Boswell tried to sneak in a waist-level fastball; Scott drove it 365 ft. into the rightfield stands. Then Al Worthington experimented with a wide, high curve; George hit that 365 ft. into the leftfield stands. Finally, in desperation, Jim Grant wound up and threw straight at Scott's knees-then turned around sadly to watch the ball sail 443 ft. into the centerfield bleachers...
...where it is practically impossible to reach pitches before they break), has a hitch in his swing, hits off his forward foot, regularly swings at the first pitch, is a notorious bad ball hitter. "I've seen Hank hit pitches right off his ear into the rightfield grandstand," says Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. Another opposition pitcher once complained: "The last two pitches I threw at Aaron's head, he hit out of the park...
Last week in St. Louis, Hank leaned clear across the plate to reach for a wide, soft curve thrown by the Cardinals' Curt Simmons. He belted it onto the rightfield pavilion roof−but Umpire Chris Pelekoudas called him out for stepping out of the batter's box. Groused Aaron: "He didn't say anything the time before, when I did the same thing and popped up." Some pitchers think that Aaron toys with them, making himself look bad on certain pitches so they will throw the same pitches again. But Hank himself insists that there...