God's Mile

Short, bespectacled Gilbert Dodds kneeled and softly prayed that God grant him speed. Then the 25-year-old divinity student lined up for the final indoor mile race of 1944 in Madison Square Garden. Four minutes, 7.3 seconds later his prayer was answered munificently. With an amazing burst of last-quarter speed, he hung up a new world's record, one-tenth second faster than the mark which had stood since 1938 (TIME, March 13).

Jays

The Blue Jays became the new, official nickname last week of the Phillies, Philadelphia's National League baseball team. Excitement was rare except for Mrs. John L. Crooks of Philadelphia, the editors of the Johns Hopkins University News-Letter, and the student council.

Mrs. Crooks won the $100 war-bond prize for rechristening the Phillies. Among the 5,698 other suggestions were Daisies and Stinkers. The editors and the student council were indignant. Athletic teams of Johns Hopkins have been known as the Blue Jays for 68 years.

The 400

Big-league baseball had just about as many players in the armed services last week as it will have in play this season--400. The American League had 203 service stars, the National 197. There had been only one death. Rookie Eugene Stack, slated for a tryout with Chicago's White Sox, was the first major leaguer drafted--Jan. 7, 1941. Two years ago he died of a heart attack after pitching a game for Fort Custer, Mich.

It's All Right, But It Ain't Florida

This year, for the second wartime season, major-league baseball has been forbidden by Czar Kenesaw Mountain Landis to spend money on southern training camps and fancy exhibition schedules. The result will be a training view of big leaguers for many parts of the U.S., as follows:

AMERICAN LEAGUE Philadelphia Frederick, Md.

New York Atlantic City, N.J.

Boston Medford, Mass.

Washington College Park, Md.

Chicago French Lick, Ind.

Cleveland Lafayette, Ind.

Detroit Evansville Ind.

St. Louis Cape Girardeau, Mo.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia Wilmington, Del.

New York Lakewood, N.J.

Boston Wallingford, Conn.

Brooklyn Bear Mountain, N.Y.

Chicago French Lick, Ind. Cincinnati Bloomington, Ind.

Pittsburgh Muncie, Ind.

St. Louis Cairo, III.

All teams will be in training by March 20.

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