rAGE SIXTEEI T THE MICHIGAN DAILY THURSDAY, SEPTUNMER, 24, 19 6 PAGE SIXTEEN THE MICHIGAN DAILY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1956 Aussie Netters Continue To Dominate Tourneys By STEVE HEILPERN Associate Sports Edtior Even the most optimistic of U.S. Bennis fans are conceding that Australia should have little diffi- culty in retaining the Davis Cup this year. The Aussies, led by Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall, have almost completely dominated the major tournaments this summer; for the United States there has been little to cheer about - it's been a case of veterans becoming too old, of youngsters not being ready. Hoad, Rosewall in Finals Hoad and Rosewall put a ter- rific damper on our hopes last weekend when both entered the final round of the USLTA tourney. It was only the second time in his- tory that the Americans didn't have at least one representative in the final round at Forest Hills. Hoad, considered by most to be tops in the amateur field, failed in his bid to become tennis's second "Grand Slam" winner when he was upst by his fellow countryman in a brilliantly played four-set match. Both men have consistent- ly outplayed the best America has to offer, and maze up one of the best one-two punches in years. Tennis experts see no immediate end to this dominance from the Land Down Under; Hroad and Rosewall are still in their early+ 20's and not likely to turn profes- sional for a whlie. And other Aus- sies are being groomed for star- dom - Neal Fraser, Ashley Coop- er and Mal Anderson - are rising fast. Seixas Aging 33-yr.-old Vic Seixas has been the big gun for the United States but it is evident that the aging Philadelphian is beginning to find the grind of long tournaments a little too taxing. Still, Seixas is expected to carry a major share of the load when the U. S. plays its final Davis Cup matches. Hamilton Richardson has re- placed Tony Trabert as Sexias' doubles partner, and is a solid no. two man on the American team, but he has not been able to whip the Aussies with any degree of regularity. 1i BARRY MACKAY . . Wolverine in limelight Cup Captain Billy Talbert has experimented with many young- sters, including Barry MacKay of Michigan, Mike Green and Sam Giammalva. Although this trio, backed by 18-yr.-old Ron Holm- berg, has shown promise, Talbert's youth system won't pay off in dividends for a while. MacKay Competes MacKay, for example, competed twice in preliminary cup matches this summer, winning a doubles match, losing a doubles and a singles match. It is ironic that Talbert, in need of top-line players, cannot use one the country's best players in the ensuing Cup trials. Veteran Dick Savitt returned briefly to the tournament wars over the sum- mer, and, on the basis of his fine form, could become our best if he wanted to be. Savitt, however, is now a suc- cessful businessman, and has de- clined an invitation to join the squad which will take on Italy at the end of the month. Perhaps one of the greatest lia- bilities of amateur tennis in this country is the lure of professional tennis. Many great amateurs have left the ranks to the lucrative pro- fessional field. Australia, except in rare cases, does not lose its amateur talent to the pros unless it can afford to do so. One of the reasons for this is that the Australians make the benefits derived from the amateur sport more attractive than the Americans do. t~wcne from the SCDELINES by Dick Cramer Help For Baseball ORGANIZED baseball must soon eliminate its vicious circle of mu- tually related problms if it is to flourish as the leading sport of our nation. Hit hard by decreasing attendance in both the major and minor leagues, baseball has failed to take decisive steps to save itself. Many minor leagues have actually had to disband and several major league clubs find themselves perennially in the red. Along with this decline in fans' support has come a slowdown in the overall development of professional ball players. Good talent has become increasingly concentrated in the possession of a few of the most successful major league clubs. The inequality of talent in a minor league, if not shifted after a year or so, causes financial failure for the less fortunate and even- tually the entire league may fold. ThaVs our vicious circle - poor clubs can't afford to take the steps necessary to improve their station; their position deteriorates and their weakened condition makes them even poorer. Add to this the scourge of over-broadcasted major league games (keeping fans at home) and you have a dilemma of major proportions facing base- ball. The sport must regain lost attendance or fall into secondary prominence in the American scene. A partial solution can be seen from a look at the National League this year. There are no "poor" clubs - financially or athletically -- in the Senior Circuit. Even the lowliest clubs have a wealth of talent both in the majors and coming up through their farms in the minors. This is in direct contrast to the American League where the same four clubs at best - and only one at worst - continually con- trol the league. Four also-rans - Detroit, Baltimore, Washington and Kansas City - have occupied the second division since 1950. To rely on wealthy individuals (Philip Wrigley, Bob Carpenter, etc.) or foresighted general managers (Gabe Paul, Branch Rickey, etc.), as the National League has done, is risky, however. The bottom American Loop clubs are just at too great a disadvantage to pick themselves up by their own bootstraps. Enter A Plan .. . ENTER a plan which has received increasing attention through- out the baseball world. It is a plan that would attack not only the basic problem of disappearing profits inthe majors and minors, but would also curb such evils as the signing of ungraduated collegians by big league scouts and the fantastic bonus payments given to promising, but unproven youngsters. Borrowed from the National Football League's college draft idea, this plan would allow each major league club to claim a certain nurn- ber of players to be signed to non-bonus contracts after their college class had graduated. These players could be assigned to the minor leagues until they could make the grade in the majors. So that persons not going to college would not have to wait four years to be signed, there could be provision for drafting such men one year after graduating from high school. Thus, no one would be encouraged to stay out of or to quit col- lege as they are now. (Michigan has lost several of its diamondmen to pro baseball in recent years - outfielder-pitcher Bill Thurston was the latest to leave before graduation.) After the major league clubs had drafted their quota, minor league teams (in the order of descending classification - Open, AAA, AA, A, B, C, D) would have their chances to sign up all the rest of the available talent. The present draft within organized baseball would continue. Baseball needs such a shot in the arm. The very unpredictability of professional football in the past 'few years has elevated that sport to new heights of popularity. At the same time, baseball has dwindled alarmingly in interest from its postwar peak in 1946-47-48. Just as the draft has been credited with helping to preserve this country, so may it someday be acclaimed the savior of this coun- try's national pastime - baseball. A i A 11 where you get at reasonable prices. 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