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St Louis Facing Almost Hopeless Task to Wrest Championship From Cincinnati * ---♦ - --— Win, Lose or Draw By FRANCIS E. STAN. A Few Reports at the Football Writers' Meeting Ray Flaherty, the Redskin coach, was the first to be called upon at the gathering of the football writing and coaching clan at Ma Harvey s and Ray, of course, talked about the New York Oints Philadelphia Eagles game. It seems that Ray and President George Marshall of the Redskins scouted the Giants, who come into town this week to play the Washingtons in the first home pro game. “We’ll beat ’em,” Flaherty said, "if they play against us the way they played against the Eagles. But you can bet they won’t play the same way. I know those Giants. They simply weren’t fired up for the Eagles.” One of the newspapermen wanted to know if the Giants were as good as they were last year and Flaherty nodded. "They’ve got about the same team,” he said, “and a couple of their new fellows looked very good. A little back by the name of Miller, from New Mexico State, looked fine. He even outpassed Ed Danowski in the game and he got away for a couple of good runs. But the best men on the field were Tuffy Leemans for the Giants and Mortell for the Eagles.” The chairman called upon Mr. Marshall for a few words and G. Presto, assisted to his feet by no less than nobody at all, sprang to the call. Mr. Hagerty Becomes a Little Nervous “The best news from a Washington angle,” Mr. Marshall hissed In exultation, “was about Mr. Bill Hewitt, the Philadelphia end. Good ness, I never saw a man get a worse going-over than the Giants gave him. It got so bad that Hewitt actually missed a touchdown pass.” To Mr. Maighall this fellow, Hewitt, has been a combination of smallpox and pay roll day for the Redskins. In short, he never has failed to •orrow G. Presto. “In addition,” Mr. Marshall said, summing up, “the officiating was about as bad as I've ever seen. I'm going to be very frank about this matter of officiating in football. The fact remains that our football referees, umpires and head linesmen are far less capable than baseball umpires. They reason, as I’ve said since last year, is because our football officials are lawyers, bondsmen, laundrymen, auto salesmen and everything except on Saturdays and Sundays, when they turn officials.” Mr. Marshall is very emphatic on this subject. Jack Hagerty, the Georgetown coach, followed the Redskin chieftains and Jack, strangely enough, got to talking about the Hilltoppers’ first game this Friday night against Temple in Philadelphia. “I hope," Mr. Hagerty said, fervently, “that things take a turn for the better in Philly before Friday. Last year we played Temple and had an awful time. When the Temples had the ball and threw passes the big clock took time out after the incompleted passes as pretty as you please but when Georgetown threw passes the clock kept going just the same. In other words, I've seen better officialing.” Cassell Lacks Line, Backs, but Has a Bride "Getting back to the Temple game on Friday,” asked one of the news papermen, "how is Georgetown going to make out? You've lost Mellen deck .. :■ “And Frank Kercher, our best end,” added Hagerty. "Mellendeck definitely is out with that bad knee. It's going to be operated on Thanks giving Day, which won't do us any good. He should have been operated on last spring. As for Kercher, he has a dislocated elbow. “Temple,” he concluded, “is about the same as last year. They had a couple of good boys coming up but one of them, a fullback, is out of the game and for the season, too. It seems he broke a leg last year and now he has appendicitis. Anyway, it will be a doggone tough battle and if we win I'll be grateful. Georgetown's got a good line but our backfield is weak. We can't lose a fellow like Mellendeck and not feel it.” Hagerty sat down and Staff Cassell of American University was called upon. There was no answer. Mr. Cassell had been present but had vanished. “He had to leave early,” said the chairman. “He had to teach a 1 o’clock class. It’s too bad because if you want to hear some real moaning Staff is just the fellow to give it He's got exactly seven line men at A. U. and a total of three backs. Besides, he's getting married Saturday.” Murphy Would Palm Off Chesapeake Trophy Frank Dobson, the Maryland coach, was next to get on his feet and while Frankie was rising Mr. H. Gabriel Murphy, graduate manager of athletics at Georgetown, leaned over and whispered: j “A year ago, if you will recall, the football writers presented me j with a spittoon, suitably engraved, for winning the Chesapeake Con ference. We beat Randolph-Macon, Roanoke and Hampden-Sydney and everybody kidded the life out of us and I had to stand up and accept this gaudy spittoon. Among the kidders was Dobson. I recall every word he said at this meeting a year ago. He said that Georgetown couldn't possibly hope to benefit by playing teams like Hampden Sydney, Roanoke and Randolph-Macon. So, just for the heck of it, ask Frank why he is playing Hampden-Sydney in Maryland's opening game tills year.” The message was relayed and Dobson laughed. “We can't be eligible for the Chesapeake Conference Trophy,” he kidded, "because Maryland's only playing Hampden-Sydney and you Georgetowners played Randolph Maeon and Roanoke as well. Turning to the serious side, though, I think Maryland ought to win Saturday. I think Hampden-Sydney is a good representative of the small college group and I wouldn’t exactly fall for Virginia's 26-to-0 win over Hampden-Sydney. "After all,” Dobson continued, “Virginia has a good team and it will remain a good team unless some of their key men are hurt. As for Hamp den-Sydney, they are better than they lpoked. In the Virginia game the best back on the Hampden-Sydney squad took the kickoff and fumbled on his 7-yard line, Virginia recovering and crossing for a touchdown. This was a terrific mental blow to a team that hoped to give Virginia a battle. And It was a misleading blow because, in my opinion, Virginia isn’t 26 points better than Hampden.” It Wound Up in a Blackboard Talk Somebody laughed and said, "That’s great, Dobbie, but the fact remains that if you beat Hampden-Sydney you’re going to get Gabe Murphy's trophy for a year.” Dobson shrugged. "If I must, I must,” he said, "but if Maryland doesn’t beat Hampden-Sydney here's something you can put down—we have no business playing the schedule we’ve arranged. I think and hope we can beat Hampden-Sydney.” One of the newspapermen got up at this point and aired a view of his own. "Listen,” he said, “I've covered football since the day of the Carlisle Indians and up to now I thought I knew something about the game. But I went over to the Naval Academy a few days ago and the coaches there talked about crisscross blocking and angle tackling and things I never heard of and when I left Annapolis I felt as if I were in a strange world. There's a blackboard on the wall. I invite fellows like Coaches Dobson, Flaherty and Hagerty to stand up and point out these plays. Me, I don't see what they’re talking about.” Somebody motioned immediately that the meeting be adjourned and the blackboard be used, and it was passed, with the result that some stray minutes were thusly spent. The last we heard Mr. Dobson was pooh poohing things like Pop Warner’s single wingback. "Warner didn’t invent it,” Mr. Dobson said. “Back in 1909, as a high •ehool player, I was taught the single wingback. The only difference was that a certain blocker was moved to . . .” Twin Win Today Means Pennant For Redlegs Walters, Thompson Face Davis, Cooper In Crucial Clashes By BILL WHITE. Associated Press Sports Writer. The road that is paved with good intentions is no more heavily trafficked today than the road that leads to Cincinnati's Crosley Field. For at the end of that concrete rainbow is the handsomest pot of gold any baseball fan could ask. And on the result of today's double header may depend the hopes for a National League championship of the radiant Reds or the courageous Cardinals of St. Louis. A split in the 4-game series— which would parallel the season’s record to date of the first and second place clubs—will not be good enough for the Cardinals. They must win all four, and even then the Reds can slip into the World Series. A pair of victories now would give Cincin nati its first pennant in 20 years. Here's How They Stand. The standings as they go into their four-game series: Games Games Won. Lost. Behind, to Play. Cincinnati_!>3 54 - 7 8t. Louts_88 57 3'k 7 (X) (x) One tame with New York canceled. When Bucky Walters, he of the 27-game victory record, and Curt Davis. Iron Man of the Cardinal staff, lumber to the mound in today's first game, the series that will dwarf the World Series will be a reality and not a scheduled maker’s fantasy. The Reds, three and a half games to the good, playing at home and with Walter on the mound, are fa vored to win the first game. One betting commissioner has the odds 5 to 8 on Cincinnati and 7 to 5 against the Cardinals, although with any other pitcher working for the Reds the price is 5 to 6 and take your choice. So far this season each team has won seven games from the other, both boast current victory strings of seven games and the Reds have registered 16 victories out of their last 20 starts, while the Cards have captured 18 of 21. In today's second battle, Gene (Junior Thompson and Mort Cooper probably will oppose each other, but the first game, with a Walters-Davis mound duel in prospect, holds most of the heart throbs. While everybody else waited quiet ly for the battles of Burgherville to open, the New York Giants yester day made good use of the day by beating the Boston Bees. 6-5, and the Chicago White Sox claimed a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Browns in the only two games played. The Giants put on a three-run spurt in the last half of the ninth to regain a lead they lost in the first half of the inning when the Bees’ catcher. All Lopez, homered with two mates aboard. The Sox were favored with a nine-hit pitching perform ance by the veteran Ted Lyons, who chalked up his fourteenth victory of the season. Murray Is Petworth's Most Valuable Star Dick Murray, Petworth A. C. first baseman, has been voted the most valuable man on his team this sea son, and by way of showing thanks for his great playing the club will honor him with an award to be pre sented at a dance later this fall. Dick, who hails from Illinois, is a student at Georgetown University. About two weeks ago he was given a tryout at Griffith Stadium and showed his usual speed and pep. It would not surprise Robert J. Wheat on, Petworth manager, if the 20 year-old youth made good in the big leagues some day, for he considers the boy the best sandlot first base man around Washington. Nate Andrews to Browns ST. LOUIS. Sept. 26 UP).—Nate Andrews, right-handed pitcher who joined the Cardinals August 20, has been obtained by the Browns on waivers. Ralph Pittman, Baylor Ex-Star, New Head Of Touchdowners Ralph Pittman, a football star for Baylor in the early 20s and now a local attorney, is the new president of the Touchdown Club. He was elected at the first weekly meeting of the organization yesterday. Max Farrington, director of ath letics at George Washington Uni versity. is the vice president: James E. Magner. secretary, and Leonard P. Walsh, treasurer. The nine forming the Executive Committee are Admiral Emory S. Land. Col. John Thomas Taylor, Elmer P. Hardell. Joe Meglen, Finis Parrish, Jan Jankowski. O. D. Hol lenbeck, J. Leighton Cornwell and F. J. Gass. Luncheons will be held, as in the past, each Monday at 12:30 o’clock at the Hamilton Hotel, with the annual banquet tentatively sched uled for early January. Sports Mirror By the Associated Press. A year ago today—Chicago Cubs beat St. Louis. 6-3, for seventh straight victory to climb within a game and a half of the league leading Pirates, who were idle. Five years ago—Tony Canzo neri outpointed Harry Dublinsky in 10 rounds at Ebbetts Field. Bredbenner, Central Star, on Sidelines With Sore Throat Coach Hardy Pearce of Central iu singing the blues and no wonder for today he's faced with the loss oi Johnny Bredbenner, one of his hard-charging backfleld aces. Johnny, who has improved greath from last year, was- being counted upon for heavy duty against Gon zaga Friday, but now he's on the sidelines with a throat infection and with slight chance of seeing Ac tion against the Orrel Mitchell trained lads. While Bredbenner, who made a brilliant showing on the track team last spring, will be missed plenty Pearce can console himself with the reminder that he has several other ball toters ready to take Johnny’s place. —-. Merchants' Team Meets Southeast Merchants’ gridmen will meet tomorrow night at 8 o'clock at Merrick Boys' Club, where they will be measured for new uni forms. All regular members of the squad and any candidates are urged to report promptly. League Statistics TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1B3B. AMERICAN ■nvili Yesterday. Chicago. 4: at Louis. 3. Other clubs not scheduled. STANDINGS. N Y i■— !_7118115 TaiTsil7119F*1*31,7081 ~ Bos. 10!—| 8111110114118,16187|00'.502I17_ Chi1 _41141—112112114111117184165 l 564 !21_ cle I TillI_8~l_8j14ll8l 161821661.554122Vb Pet I 9112IIOIIOI—1141111111771701524127' Wnl 71 6i 8! 81 8|—1111151631851.426141 Vi Phil 31 41111 4[11| 71—1131531951.358151Vi StLl 31 61 21 61 81 71 91—1411 H.277I63V4 L._ 143:60’65166! 701851961 tl—I—I I •won 1117. TLiOSt 107. GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW. Phil »t Wash.. 3:15. Phlla. at Wash.. 3:15. N. Y. at Boston (2). New York at. Boston. Detroit at St. L. (2). Detroit at St. Louis. Cleve. at Chicago. Cleve. at Chicago. NATIONAL Resulti Yesterday. New York. 6: Boston, 5. . Other clubs not scheduled. STANDINGS. f r 0 s S' s S 1 j s ► ° r s |g | I s 8 S f B S | ! R f ; ; r * ! g : ! 8 ! 1 1 < 1 1I > lit I Cinl—I 0112112111114116111*1931541.0331 BtLI 91—1131111121141131171891571.6101 314 BklllOl 9|—1111111131101141781661.5421 l.*ll4 ChlllOl 81111—1111121161121801691.537114 NYllll 91 91111—1111101121731721.503119 Pit I 51 81 91 81111—1121141671811.453126% Bos I 61 91 81 61 91 91—1131601841.41713m Phtl 31 Bi 41101 71 81 71—1441 <1.303148 L._ 154157166i691721811841 »|—PT~ I ' ~ •101. GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW. Bkjiui. at NlnJf (I)! Bklyn^at NewYork. sasffsfw ( Twin Bill With Bosox Thursday To End Nats' Home Season Either Early Wynn or Joe Haynes, who are rated as the most promising rookie Nat pitch ers, were to face the Philadelphia Athletics today as the Griffmen moved further into the final week of the American League cam paign. The A’s are due to play here today and tomorrow. According to the original schedule the Bos ton Red Sox are due for single games Thursday and Friday but President Clark Griffith of the Nats has arranged with the Bosox to play the final series as a double-header on Thursday, thus ending the 1939 local campaign on this date. Unless rain throws a wrench into the works the season will end Thursday, leaving Friday and Saturday free for workers to fill in the infield with sod and pre pare the way for Washington's first bona fide football field In the ball park. Ladies’ day, originally slated for Fridays, will be honored tomorrow. Barber Runs Dollar Into $80,000 Betting on Louis Stratton to Pitch Again; Hartnett Calls Cards' Brown Best Buy in Baseball By EDDIE BRIETZ, Associated Press Sports Writer. NEW YORK, Sept. 26.—The pigskin parade really starts mov ing this week. Look at some of those games; you’d think it was the first of November at the earliest. Some of the gossips now say Whitey Moore isn’t the dnly Red in Bill McKechnie's doghouse. They tell you in De troit a barber out there named Tom Hammond has run one frogskin into 80,000 just by bet ting on Joe Louis at prevailing odds. Boston Post says it knows for a fact Frankie Frisch is go ing to the Bucs at $27,500 per for three years. Larry McPhail sailed his own ft i i yot to Atlantic City to keep an appointment with Ted McGrew, Dodger scout. Gabby Hartnett rates Jimmy Brown, the Cardi nals' second baseman, third baser man and shortstop, the best buy in baseball today. The Denver U. football team goes strong for the local talent. Only two out-of-State guys are on the squad of 40. Monty Strat ton, who has been pitching bat ting practice this season, has been told by Manager Jimmy Dykes to get ready to start a game this week. Got something there! In their playoff series with Jeanerette the Lafayette (La.) White Sox, champlona of the Kvengellne JL League, won three in a row but lost the fourth. This sort of dis gruntled some of the boys who were betting on a clean sweep. The local paper consoled ’em with this banner: “Only the Yanks Can Win Four Straight!” So you wonder why they play such smooth football down in the Southwest, hey? Well, look how they bring up their coaches. Mose Simms, fyead man at St. Mary’s (San Antonio) had 12 years’ actual playing experience. Starting from kindergarten, he had two years at San Marcos Academy, two at Washington State, one at Simmons (now Hardln-Simmons), then topped off his travels with a year on the >S Crack Olympic Club squad at San Francisco. (P. S.: There were two years sandwiched In some where which Mose forgets, but he admits to ’em.) And that ain’t all. Red Bost, one of the assistants at McMurry College, which helps feed the big time schools, confesses he not only played five years of high school football and one as an outlaw, but that he ha* seen experience at every line position (except center) and in all backfleld posts. Conflicting. Goodness, but the war news is confusing. The front pages have the Reds in Poland; the sports page have ’em back in the Rhineland. Write your own ticket. «• How Much Redskins, Giants Saved Themselves Against Eagles Is Puzzling Fans Bv BILL DISMER, Jr. I Because Ray Flaherty and Steve Owen are recognized as two of the cagiest coaches in professional foot- | ball and because their respective teams- margin of victory over the j Philadelphia Eagles were similar, j the logical question on every fan’s lips today was: “Who held back the most, the Redskins or the Giants?” It is doubtful If even the most' naive fan believes either team re vealed its full strength against Davey O’Brien St Co. Where, for instance, when the Redskins played at Philadelphia, were Dick-Todd and Jimmy Johnston—the rookie ball carriers for whom Flaherty has pre dicted brilliant futures? On the bench, except for four minutes played by Todd. Where, last Sunday, were such old Giant reliables as Johnny (Bull) Karcis, Hank Soar, Ed Danowski and Dale Burnett? They played, but Tuflv Leemans and a rookie named Eddie Miller grabbed the headlines. We wonder who Owen thought he was fooling when he kept that veteran quartet in the background? Redskins Conserved Strategy. Flaherty admits the Redskins didn't use more than a dozen plays against the Eagles, and the Giants probably didn’t use any more. Ac cording to Bert Bell, the Eagles’ owner, the Giants last Sunday “were I the best football team I’ve seen seen . . . far better than they were last year.” (If that’s the case, watch out Redskins. Remember 36-0?) Yet, a constant shuffling of the two New York teams, which Owens inserts as units nnri whieh be He ! dares are nearly equal, scored only 13 points against the Eagles, who are acknowledged to have 11 good foot ball players, and no more. And so we think there'll be quite a revelation, come Sunday, when the East's hottest professional grid rivals meet at Griffith Stadium for the first time this fall in the local curtain raiser. Few would be so foolish as to predict that this year’s Eastern championship depends on this game, but the victor will gain a big edge. Indeed, if the great showman, George Preston Marshall, himself had set the stage for Washington’s first National Football League game of 1939 he couldn’t have arranged it any better than the situation which will find the two undefeated rivals clashing for the sectional leadership in the most crucial game of the early season. It’s small wonder, then, that the demand for seats has been unprec edented and that Business Manager Harold Donovan is in danger of being engulfed by the mob which surges on the Redskin ticket office from early morning until late at night. And it’s highly probable that, because Griffith Stadium will be on a 100 per cent reserved-seat basis for all Redskin games this season, Sunday’s game will be a sellout days before the contest. Only Two Redskins Ont. As for the Redskins themselves, they won’t have much chance to forget the big business any time before the kickoff. Through Friday they will be command guests at a Fairlawn, not moving into Griffith Stadium until the day before the game. Ed Justice's infected ankle is im proving and it appears the Redskins will enter the game with only two men unavailable. Don Irwin’s sepa rated shoulder naturally will keep him inactive, while Red Morgan, the Southern California rookie, is not likely to play because of an injured leg. Chips Are Down In Four-Game Set Now On Even a Clean Sweep Would Not Assure Title for Cards By JOHN FRYE, Associated Press Sports Writer. CINCINNATI, Ohio, Sept. 26.— Down go the chips and you may know who’s the better man when darkness settles over the smoky unn Creek Valley tonight. Everything is set. The weather man has promised to hold off on rain despite the agrarian complaints. The field is perfect. The crowd, likely 32,000 men, women and chil dren with but a single thought, ia getting in line. All they have to do now is play the games. The first-place Cincin nati Reds, Bill McKechnie's 20-year wonders who have turned this 150 year-old town upside down, meet the second-place St. Louis Car dinals. just 3'i games behind, in a historic double-header that means morp to Pinrinnatl than anw Series. Two for Reds Would End It. And if those Reds, who just two years ago were on the bottom of the ladder, who were a band of castoffs, from McKechnie to the batboy, can pack away both of to day's games, it's the end—and bring on your Yankees. In view of the fact that the bur den of proof is on the Cards, whom the Reds ousted from first place ’way back in May with four straight vic tories, the views of certain princi pals and others are pertinent: Walters—No one else seemed able to beat the Cards. We've done it be fore and can do it again. Blades—I haven’t thought much about it. (Wanna bet. Ray?). It’a just another game. No, I won't make any predictions. I'd be a fool to do it. Reds Not “Counting Chickens* General Manager Warren C. Giles of the Reds—We won’t have any World Series tickets printed up un til after the 28th (last day of Card series). James J. Carroll, St. Louis betting commissioner—If Bucky Walters works the first game. 5 to 8 on the Reds and 7 to 5 against the Cards; anybody else, 5 to 6 and take your choice. THROWN FOR A LOSS! —By Jim Berryman f PIDVUH WRITE TO ) ( th‘ Doggies cereal V. > Co. TELLIN' 'EM VOU ) ( WAS TH'HIGH-POINT J > SCORER AN'ATE / ( THEIR STUFF ALU JL -THE DIXIE LEAGUE <S>—■ •BO'/s WORK JUST AS HARD FOR THEIR GLORV-.-BUT CAN'T CASH IN ON IT 1 f yEAH! AM’AllN > l GOT BACK WAS L / A POST CAQT> J ySAyiN'i’so WOT?7 /^YEAH —My\ / Lll CAMPUS \ KIDDIE", WE GOTTA KEEP THESE SMALL FELLERS FROM TRyiN' TA4USCLE IN ON X OUR territory! K /Tguess V / WE DIDN'T \ ( NAIL THIS (ally. \ l "DOUGH-Boy"!..) J/ AOM YOU-GtT 1 self tgether \ GIT IN THERE\ 7 c r D'yuH THINK / r* »AYIN' YUH y -*S JCfcS PER*. AyT i THE SALAPlES APE WAy BELOW THE NAriO/NAL LEAGUE'S AND THEy HAVE To BE EARNED! WASHINGTON “PRESIDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN RUN OUT OF TOWN....THEY HAVE GOOD GROUNDS UPON WHICH To SUE THE CITY’S FANS-EESERTiO* and non-support.... . id tmmnniu / WELL.YSEE ) / BOSS, I GOTTA \ V PRACTICE THIS / AFTERNOON,AH’" C WON'T HAVE ( Time T'CHANGE l 1 MOST OP THIS SMALL LEAGUES PLAVEBS HAVE JOBs — IF THEV WANT To EAT !. Brown • • • and Well-Bone / FLORSHEIM Hello-Brown Calfskin, If there’s anything smarter than brown shoes for Fall, it’s Hand-stained brown shots by Florsheim. The vogue of staining fine to a rich antique- shade was originated by Florsheim, and overnight set the most impor* tant shoe style since low oxfords made front page news in the nineties. Hand-Stained Styles, MO Mest Regular Styles, $Q75 New Fall TRI-WEARS 5.75 Open o Charge Account HAHN 14thAG 7th&K *3212 14th *4483 Conn. Ave. _ . *Op«n Evenings_ BASEBALL 3T?£& Washington vs. Philadelphia AMERICAN LEAGUE PARK Tomorro*—Philadelphia—3:15 u