Sport: Scoreboard, Dec. 12, 1955

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¶ Running well in front of all opposition, Ohio State's shifty Halfback Howard ("Hopalong") Cassady won the Heisman Memorial Trophy, awarded annually by Manhattan's Downtown Athletic Club to the "outstanding college football player in the United States."

¶ Suspended from amateur competition for accepting expense money in excess of A.A.U.-approved limits. America's best miler, Wes Santee, copped a plea by admitting his guilt and arguing that dozens of other track stars do the same thing. The Missouri Valley Association of the A.A.U. revoked the suspension, and the National A.A.U. opened its annual convention by solemnly searching for means of cracking down on promoters whose pay-offs corrupt otherwise pure amateurs.

¶ Baseball writers began an early warm-up for next season's campaign by electing Yankee Catcher Yogi Berra the Most Valuable Player in the American League for the second year in a row and the third time in his career. Other three-time American League winners: Jimmy Foxx, of the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, and the Yankees' Joe DiMaggio.

¶ After missing in five races at Florida's Tropical Park, Jockey Willie Hartack (TIME, Nov. 28) climbed aboard the eighth-race favorite, Athena, and booted home his 400th winner of the year. Hartack moved up with Willie Shoemaker, the only other 400 winner, just in time. He will have precious few racing days left to mount more winners: for letting his horse bear out in an earlier race, he drew a ten-day suspension.