Evening star. [volume], July 17, 1940, Page A-14, Image 14

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
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Reds Seem Soundest Pennant Prospect in Majors as Contenders Have Bad Day
Win, Lose or Draw
By FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star Staff Correspondent.
A Few Pre-Fight Possibilities Loom
NEW YORK, July 17.—One of the reasons why fight people are
reasonably certain that something interesting will happen tonight in the
Polo Grounds is that neither Henry Armstrong nor Lew Jenkins ever has
encountered such an opponent as the other fellow.
Here is a fight which, to coin a phrase, is a natural. On paper, that
is. The popular conception of Armstrong is that he is terrific and Jen
kins is nothing short of spectacular. Although the Negro is the welter
weight champion of the world and Jenkins is the lightweight and neither
crown is at stake, here is a fight which will outdraw any of the year.
But Jenkins never has fought a man like Armstrong and it seems
fairly safe to say that Hammering Henry never has met a fellow quite
like this Texas upstart, Larruping Lew. What will happen tonight in the
park where polo never is played is only speculative. But at this writing,
a few hours before the battle is scheduled to begin, a couple of possibilities
loom.
Armstrong Never Has Stopped Coming
V1 all of his years of fighting—and even Armstrong, admits that he
doesn't know how many fights he has waged since the days he was a
ham-and-egg preliminary boy named Melody Jackson—the Negro who
two years ago held three world titles never has met a puncher quite like
Jenkins. This fellow Jenkins can hit. When he lands a right-hand punch
a man of similar weight is going to (1) be visibly shaken or (2) go down
on the seat of his silk panties.
Armstrong has met some good punchers. Billy Beauhuld was one.
Billy never was a first-flighter, but he could and did hit Armstrong, and
even Hammering Henry admits that he felt it. Another was Ceferino
Garcia, the Filipino who formerly held the middleweight championship.
This Garcia was a hard hitter, but it is doubtful if his best punch carried
the authority of Jenkins’ grade A wallop, even if the Filipino was larger
than Jenkins.
Armstrong has been hit in the past. Indeed, practically every man
he has faced hit Henry. All of the good ones . .. Ambers, Barney Ross,
Petey Sarron, Garcia . . . and many of the bad ones hit him. But none
of them ever stopped Henry. He kept coming and he never failed to
eventually chase the enemy into a corner and rest his head against the
opposing chest and flail away until the victim, already discouraged over
the dismal failure of his Sunday punch to check the tan, barrel-chested
man, sank to the floor.
Ambers Only Ace Jenkins Has Whipped
Jenkins has made a remarkable climb from an unknown club fighter
to a world champion but about all anybody knows is that he can hit.
It may develop that he is one of the great lightweight hitters of all times.
It may be that Lew will hit Armstrong and that time will have robbed
Henry of some of the stoutness of bone and muscle and nerves and that
It will be over in short order. It isn’t something to bet on, but it has
happened. It happened when Jenkins met Ambers last .spring.
Meanwhile, what of Jenkins? About the only good fighter the Texan
ever met was Ambers, who was a tired, dried-out old warrior at the time.
Ambers never could punch. His forte was slipping the punches of his
enemies and outsmarting them. Thus, when he couldn’t slip punches
and outsmart Jenkins, because time had caught up with him, Ambers
took a bad beating.
How will Jenkins go with a man who takes his best punches and
keeps coming? With a fellow such as Armstrong has been and may be
yet? Will Larruping Lew have the style and the stamina to go along a
hard 12 or 15 round route and win a decision? This is something which
may be answered tonight.
Katie Jenkins Supplants Mrs. Dizzy
For the salaried drum-beaters this has been an easy fight to sell.
But for all of the legitimate angles they have not been able to with
stand the temptation of thumping up something sensational. As we go
to press we are supposed to assume the Jenkins camp is torn asunder
by dissension. The feud is between Katie Jenkins, the better half, and
Manager Hymie Caplin, long a successful character in boxing.
Mr. Caplin ostensibly objects to a woman around a training camp and
Mrs. Jenkins, a cute enough dish but capable—she used to drive midget
race cars, which gives you an idea—reportedly has no use for Mr. Caplin.
This is something which sounds as if it's an exaggeration. At the
same time, we don't put in with the cynics who insi|t it's completely
hokum. Wives in training camps never have been popular and Mr. Cap
lin is not believed to be quite the most broad-minded Johnny in the world.
In short, Katie is hanging around without Hymie’s blessing, even if the
6tories of their feud sound like something off a press agent’s typewriter.
What's likely to„happen, if this Jenkins stays around the top for a
While, is that Katie Jenkins will become something of a character herself.
The sports pages only recently and relievedly shook off a lady named Mrs.
Dizzy Dean, who vaguely annoyed many readers of public prints, and
Katie threatens to take up where the buxom, blatant Mrs. D. left off.
Katie Jenkins isn't hard to look at, and seems to know it, and is the
last one to object to a photographer or to shun a chance to make a state
ment. Her tactics may or may not help Larruping Lew win popularity.
After all, there is something psychological about it. When Dean was the
best pitcher in baseball the world knew that the missus was giving orders.
Now here is Jenkins, the lightweight champion in boxing, and here is a
6lip of a girl telling him what corner to run toward. Unless Armstrong
does a good job on Lew tonight it sounds as if the real boss will be a lady.
Major League Statistics
WEDNESDAY. JULY 17, 1910.
AMERICAN
Results Yesterday.
Washington, 11; Cleveland. 8.
Philadelphia. 3; Detroit. 1.
Chicago. 5: New York. 1.
Only games scheduled.
bet'—l~5i~4l 71 6lT0l.5'lQ!47l3Tim3l_
*Clel 61—1 51 71 7JJ7I 81 7l48i32'.600l_
BosjJ>!_5l—I_4!_ 9l_8l'7! 7I45I33I.677I_2 _
NY]_3]_4l_5l—I_5I_8I_6U0I411361.5321 5'/a
Chl!_4l_3l 5l_7l-—I_6l_5l 61361391.4801 8>A
Wnl_4l_6l_4l_2l_4l—I J]IJ5!34I48I.415I15_
Ph i l 71 51 41 61 31 31—1 41321471.40511514
BtLI 21 41 61 31 5I_6! 71—133150'.388116^
L.. 131132I.331361391481471501—I—I I
GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW
Chi. at Wash.. 3:15. Chi. at Wash.. 3:15.
dev. at N. Y. Cleveland at N. Y.
Det. at Boston f2!. Detroit at Boston.
Bt.L. at Phil, might!. St. L. at Phila.
EASTERN SHORE LEAGUE.
Easton. 2: Milford. 1.
Dover, 5: Pocomoke. 2.
Centrevllle, 13; Federalsburg. 7.
Only games.
NATIONAL
Results Yesterday.
Pittsburgh, 5: Brooklyn. 3.
Chicago. 2: New York. 0.
St. Louis. 4: Boston. 3.
Cincinnati-Philadelphia. rain.
STANDING OF THE CLUBS
o its a: Q ® |2 SP13 3 C 3 0
5 5 S - 5 » = I S I! _S
S 8 * 2 r S » ° 2 ‘
a E K S | lg § | , ,, S |8
3 o o 5 s; ft c s?
=rs. 11 if
Clnl—l_8l_7l 91 61915171511241.6801_
Bkll 7!—-t el HI ~6I 61 81 91481281.6321 3tfr
NYI 31 31—I 61 81 71 81 71421331.8601 9_
Chll 31 41 61—1 61 Sill I 81431401.518112
StLl 31_41_41_ 61—I 3 61 71331411.446117^
Pit I _11 51 41 _6l 71—1 *1 61331421.440118_
Bosl_3l_31_21_41 _4l_6l—I 5l27l45l.375l22Mi
'Phil 41 11 41 31 41 61 31—I2B149I.338I25M.
L. 1241281331401411421451491—1—I I
GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW.
B'klyn at Chicago. Brooklyn at Chicago.
N. Y. at Pittsburgh. N. Y. at Pitts.(nlght).
Bos. at Cine, (night). Only games scheduled.
Phil. atBt.L. (night).
EASTERN LEAGUE. I
Williamsport. 3—6: Hartford, 2—17.
Binghamton. 5: Wilkes-Barre, 1.
Scranton. 10: Albany. 0.
Elmira. 6: Springfield. 5.
Play of Ferrell
And Myer Puts
Zip in Griffs
Club Captures Three
In Row From Tribe
As VetsSplurg*
By BURTON HAWKINS.
The suddenly surprising Nationals
today owned an infantile but spiffy
3-game winning streak achieved at
the expense of the Cleveland In
dians and were bent upon stretch
ing it.
Figuring prominently in Washing
ton’s brief brilliancy have been
Catcher Rick Ferrell and Second
Baseman Buddy Myer, a brace of
baseball relics.
Shattering the shackles of senility,
at least for a short span, Buddy and
Rick were major factors in Wash
ington’s sweep of the 3-game series
with the Indians and Manager
Bucky Harris had occasion to regard
them in more glowing terms as the
Nats stacked up against Chicago in
the first of another 3-game series.
Washington has been wallowing
in the muck of the American
League sporadically this season and
its moments of misery have been
many, but against the White Sox
the Nats now hope to whittle the
5tj-game margin separating them
from fifth place. As Myer and Fer
rell go so likely will the club.
Myer has been pictured as a thor
oughly laundered player for several
seasons, but the guy doesn’t believe
what he sees in the papers. Em
ployed sparingly last season, Buddy
batted over 300 and thus far in the
1940 campaign local fans are en
thused over his labor. He’s hitting
a comfortable .322 and lately his
blows have been timely.
Buddy Toughest in Tight Spot.
Nobody ever has accused Buddy
of lacking courage. His lengthy
baseball career is jammed with vivid
illustrations of how he delivers when
the going is hottest. Buddy thrives
when the chips are down and lately
he’s been insulting the calendar
regularly. At 36 he still is a scrappy
specimen.
Ferrell, nearly 35, has passed
his most productive years as a
player, but he still can sparkle on
occasions. Against the Indians he
was Washington’s most prolific hit
ter. obtaining six hits in a dozen
trips to the plate and swatting
across seven runs.
Those splurges by Myer and Fer
rell have been a tremendous aid to
the Nats, who have lacked punch in
the lower end of their batting order
until recently. With them wallop
ing consistently Washington’s hope
of vaulting into fifth place in the
immediate future may not be far
fetched.
Dutch Leonard, spanked in his
last three starts, was to be en
trusted with Washington’s short
string of triumphs today, with Bill
Dietrich nominated to toil for Chi
cago. Leonard was to se£k an
elusive 10th triumph.
Meanwhile the Nats are content
to review yesterday's hectic 11-8
win in which Washington, trailing,
2-7, produced seven runs in a weird
sixth inning to grasp a 9-7 lead and
the decision.
Three Walks Hurt Indians.
Cleveland had hammered Joe
Ifcrakauskas and Alejandro Carras
quel for an overwhelming lead, but
when Joe Dobson, second of five In
dian pitchers, walked Buddy Lewis,
Gerald Walker and Zeke Bonura
to launch the sixth, Washington
suddenly sensed interesting develop
ments.
Dobson shoved a third strike past
Jimmy Bloodworth, but Myer
whacked a single to right, scoring
Lewis and Walker and sending Dob
son to a soothing shower. Johnny
Allen replaced him and his first act
was to issue a walk to Jimmy Pofahl,
again filling the bases.
Ferrell rammed a single off Ken
Keltner’s glove, scoring Bonura and
leaving the bases crammed and
Pinch-hitter Sammy West thumped
a single to right, scoring Myer and
Pofahl. George Case grounded to
Keltner, whose wild throw to Catch
er Rollie Hemsley allowed Ferrell to
score. West scored on Lewis’ in
field out.
Cleveland bounced back with a
run in the seventh off Rene Mon
teagudo, but the Nats pounced on
Allen and Johnny Humphries for
two more runs in their portion of
the inning.
Walker started the inning by belt
ing his seventh home run of the
season into the left-field stands,
causing the frantic Manager Ossie
Vitt to wave Humphries to the
mound and Allen out of the game.
Bonura greeted Humphries with a
terrific triple off the center-field
barrier and scored after Myer flied
out to Left Fielder Ben Chapman.
Monteagudo protected that lead
by retiring in order the last six In
dians
Tulsa Is Bidding for National Amateur Golf Tourney
Four Yankee Farm Teams in Lead, Another Second; Reds' Attendance Far Below 1939
By EDDIE BRIETZ,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
NEW YORK, July 17.—Plght
•xtra: The Broadway boys, al
ways uneasy before a big fight,
have a case of jitters over the
last - minute switch in smart
“sentiment” to Lew Jenkins, the
sweetheart from Sweetwater,
Tex. We re hanging onto Hen
nery Armstrong as previously
Itemed. Tip from the Coast says
that 10-way split in the Rose
Bowl swag was voted as another
lure to the “Big Ten.” What’s
this we hear about one of his
own teammates flfth-columning
Joe Cronin up in the Boston
bailiwick? Tulsa is campaign
ing with real dough for the Na-'
tional Amateur in 1942 or ’43.
The swanky Southern Hills lay
out would be the scene.
One - minute interview — Lew
i
Jenkins: "If Ah don’t lick Arm
strong Ah aim to retahr. Ah
got mahsef enough money to buy
a two-row plow."
Will Harridge, the American
League prez, has the baseball
scribes confused by his ruling
that pitching records stand in
that protested White Sox-Yan
kee game. John Rigney gets
credit for a shutout he didn't
win, and Marcellus Monte Pear
son is charged with a loss when
his team wasn’t beaten, at least
yet. The game has to be re
played. Is an Indiana-Columbia
football game being brewed?
Bo McMillin and Lou Little held
a huddle here. Printers are go
ing to get an awful shock if the
Detroit Tigers one of these days
bring up Pitcher Francis Dierickx.
Today’s guest star —Nlxson
Denton, Cincinnati Times-Star:
"Mr. Godoy has had his tonsils
cut out. If he had asked Joe
Louis, the heavyweight cham
pion probably would hava
knocked them out for him.”
The Yankees ought to take a
lesson from some of their minor
league cousins. Kansas City,
Akron, Binghamton and Butler
are leading their respective
leagues and Newark is second in
the International. Joe Marinelli,
Ohio featherweight, is undefeated
in 59 bouts and yelling for a
shot at Petey Scalzo or Harry
Jeffra. Latest enrollee for the
Eastern All-Star football frolic
is H. Iver Gustafson, the end
from Penn. Auto racing in the
Pacific Northwest has sent a
dozen drivers to hospitals already
this summer. The Cincinnati
Reds, who drew approximately a
million paid admissions last sum
mer, may fall as much as 100,000
under their 1030 figures even
though they ffepeat. in the Na
tional League.
Baseball is getting to be more
than ever of a family affair.
Jimmy Dykes has two of his sons
traveling with the White Sox.
And the boys of Cincinnati’s Jim
Wilson and Pittsburgh’s Virgil
Davis work out daily with these
two clubs. It was fitting that
Freddy Fitzsimmons should win
No. 200 in Pittsburgh. That’s
where he pitched his first big
league game 16 years ago. Some
body has figured out the average
race-goer in New York bets $51.02
every time he goes to the track.
Are you an average citizen?
Ouch!—If Jack Dempsey and
one of his old-time opponents
are matched It will really be an
EX—hiblUon.
1
JUST ABOUT SEVEN TO TWO 1
OF COURSE, IT WOULD
BE FRETTyAJICK FOR, LEW
IF HE COULD RTANDOFF
AMP SWING AT
WILL ...AT HENRY!....
m TO 4%,_AND WERE €pj
NOT TALKING ABOUT THE
/BETTING ODDS..BUT THE fM
NUMBER OF PUNCHES f
LEW JENKINS 4
WILL HAVE TO ABSORB IM
, PROPORTION To WHAT HE
f CAN THROW AT
HENRY ARMSTRONG
IN TONIGHT'S N.Y. BATTLE....
-■ - -- — ■ —^ <3
I
Vic Gauzza Reverses Umpires;
Orders Two National City
League Tilts Replayed
All Vic Gauzza needs is a volume
of Blackstone's Pleadings, a bailiff
and a gavel and he can hang out his
own justice of the peace shingle
behind the fishing tackle counter
in the sports emporium where he
is employed. The dapper little Na
tional City League prexy arrived
at this happy conclusion this morn
ing after handing down a couple
of opinions reversing umpires’ de
Official Score
CLEVELAND. AB. R. H. O. A. E.
Chapman. If _ 4 2 3 4 1 0
Weatherly, cf_ 5 2 3 3 o o
Boudreau, ss_ 5 1 2 3 4 0
Trosky. lb _5 0 18 10
Bell, rf _ 5 0 1 0 0 0
Mack. 2b _ 4 0 0 2 2 1
Keltner. 3b _4 110 5 1
Hemsley. c_ 5 1 0 4 0 0
Elsenstat. p_ 1 0 0 0 1 0
Dobson, p_ 2 0 1 0 0 0
Allen, p _ 1 1 0 0 0 0
Humphries, p_0 0 o o 0 o
Zuber, p _0 0 o o o 0
•Hale_ 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals . 42 ”8 *12 24 14 ~2
• Batted for Zuber In ninth.
WASHINGTON. AB. R. H. O. A. E.
Case, cf _ 5 0 1 4 0 0
Lewis, rf _ 3 2 2 3 0 0
Walker. If_ 4 2 2 1 0 0
Bonura, lb _ 3 2 1 7 0 2
Bloodworth. 3b_ 5 0 0 0 0 0
Myer. 2b _4 1 14 4 0
Pofahl, ss_ 3 2 2 2 3 1
Ferrell, c .. 4 1 2 0 0 1
Krakauskas. p_ 0 0 0 0 0 0
•Welai . _ 1 0 0 0 0 0
Carrasquel. p_1 0 0 0 0 0
twest _1110 0 0
Monteagudo. p_1 0 0 o 0 0
Totals 35 II 12 27 ~7 ~4
• Batted for Krakauskas in second.
t Batted for Carrasquel in sixth.
Cleveland _ 220 201 100— 8
Washington _ 110 007 20x—11
Runs batted in—Boudreau (3). Bell,
Walker. Elsenstat. Chapman. Case. Trosky.
Myer (3). Ferrell. West 42>, Weatherly.
Lewis. Two-base hit—Chapman. Three
base hits—Lewis. Weatherly, Bonura. Home
run — Walker. Double plays — Pofahl to
Myer to Bonura. Boudreau to Mack to
Trosky. Mack to Trosky to Boudreau. Left
on bases—Cleveland, 10; Washington, fl.
First base on balls—Off Elsenstat. 1: off
Dobson. 4; off Allen. 1; off Carresquel, 3.
8truck out—By Dobson. 2; by Zuber. 1: by
Krakauskas, 1; by Carrasquel. 1; by Mon
teagudo, 2. Hits—Off Krakauskas. 5 in 2
innings; off Carrasquel. 5 in 4 innings; off
Eisenstat, 4 in 2 innings: off Dobson. 1 in
3% innings; off Allen. 3 In 4a inning: off
Monteagudo. 2 in 3 innings; off Humphries.
3 in 4j inning: off Zuber. 1 in 1 Vs innings.
Winning pitcher — Carrasquel. Losing
pitcher—Allen. Umpires—Rolls. Grieve
and Summers. Time—2:20. Attendance—
2.000.
cisions in games played last Sun
day.
Both decisions hinged on ground
rules, which meant a painstak
ing search of the rules for what
ever section, paragraph and line
dealt with such knotty problems.
Signor Gauzza already has given
two teams the old heave-ho this
season for violating the player-limit
rule, but they were a simple setting
up ^ercises compared with brain
burning problems of rules and um
pires' decisions.
But he didn’t merely rule the
arbiters wrong. He had to look up
the rule- and show it to one dis
gruntled manager who argued ve
hemently against reversing the de
cision against his team. Both de
cisions hinged on ground rules.
Game Ordered Replayed.
Capital Cafe’s 7-1 victory over
Terminal Ice was voided and the
game ordered replayed when Gauzza
ruled against Umpire Marvin Gore’s
decision on one play. Bill Jeffries,
Capital player, was on first when
Bob Leach drove a scorching
grounder to the Terminal shortstop
who fumbled and then threw widely
to first. Under the rules a runner
is allowed the base to which he is
going when such an error occurs
and one additional base. But Gore
permitted Jeffries to score and held
Leach on second.
Teminal protested that Jeffries
should have been stopped at third
and Gauzza agreed with it. The
rule-book agreed with him.
In section A, Marvin’s Credit
Clothiers’ victory over Frank Small
Motors was thrown out on similar
grounds. In this incident a Small
man was on first when a teammate
blasted a single to left field and
the runner proceeded to third base.
The outfielder’s throw-in was wild
and the base-runner went home, but
Umpire Albert Hilleary called him
back to third. He based his de
cision on the rule allowing only one
extra base in the event of a wild
throw.
Gauzza, however, pointed out that
the runner took it on himself to
reach third on the single and when
the outfielder threw to that bag
he started a new or second play.
Thus, the runner was legally en
titled to score under the rules.
Strenuous Arguing Required.
Vic had to do some strenuous
arguing before finally convincing
the Capital Cafe sponsor and man
ager of the justice of his verdict.
They insisted their man was practi
cally on second base when the pitch
er let go of the ball, and, therefore,
entitled to third—the base to which
he was going, and home—the extra
base. This would make the Capital
player one of the fastest in baseball.
He clearly was entitled to second
base if he reached it before the
pitcher could unravel himself and
make a throw to the plate. But
George Oertel, an umpire who hap
pened along at the ipoment, helped
settle the question.
“Suppose,” he asked, ‘‘the batter
had fouled the ball, to which base
would your man have returned, first
or second?”
The cafe board of strategy had to
admit its error.
Sunday’s schedule will be featured
Cup Regatta Program
To Be Carried Out,
Directors Decide
Events Listed for Three
September Week Ends;
Power Races Last
Fate of the President's Cup Re
gatta for 1940 was decided at the
Willard Hotel last night when the
Board of Directors of the associa
tion voted to stage the affair despite
national defense preparations which
reportedly threatened to cancel the
affair.
Officials voted to spread the re
gatta over three week-end periods,
instead of two as in the past.
The schedule is:
Sailing races, for which The Star
will present trophies, to be held
September 14 and 15.
Rowing, canoeing and swimming
events, September 21 and 22.
Outboard races, September 27, and
inboard races, including the feature
President's Cup heats, September
28 and 29.
This decision will place the power
events a week later than originally
scheduled, and will give the varied
aquatic events a full week end.
Formerly swimming and canoeing
have been an opener for the power
portion of the regatta.
At the same time officials an
nounced that a site for launching
racing craft as well as for the out
board pits had been selected, through
the co-operation of the Army
engineers, at Gravelly Point. Na
tional defense operations this year
will exclude entries from launching
at the Navy Yard.
An unsually large number of di
rectors and regatta officials attended
last night's meeting and discussed
at length the contingencies of stag
ing a regatta during which time
many former contestants will be
found serving the Government
Guests included Jack Rutherford,
former President’s Cup winner and
well known Gold Cup racer, now
assigned with the Civil Aeronautics
Authority, who announced he was
not going to compete this year.
by the Cardinals A. C.-Kneesi Cubs
game for the first half junior divi
sion championship. They extend the
regular schedule in a stalemate with
five victories, one defeat and a tie,
each. Friendship House was third,
one full game behind. Otner teams
in this division will begin their sec
ond half series.
Schedules for Sunday:
SECTION A (S P.M.)
Klein's Tavern vs. District Orocers. South
ifarvln's Credit vs. Miller Furniture, No.
3 Monument.
Orange Disc vs. Packard Washington.
Egst Ellipse.
J. C. Flood vs. Frank Small Motors,
North Ellipse.
JUNIOB DIVISION (t P.M.)
_Cardinal A. C. vs. Kneest Cubs, South
Ellipse.
__ Friendship vs. Southeast Boys Club. East
Ellipse.
No. 4 Police Boys Club vs. Naiman’s, No.
1 Monument.
Woodridge vs. mine. No. 3 Monument.
BASEBALL
Washington vs. Chicago
AMERICAN LEAGUE PARK
Tomorrow—Chicago . 3:15 P.M.
' A /
>-——
Runs-Batted-in Title,
Not Homers, Now
Fletcher's Goal
Buc Sees Circuit Effort
As Bunk; Has Hit in 58
Tallies, 2 Shy of Top
By the Associated Pres;
PITTSBURGH, July 17. —Ebie
Fletcher, able first-sacker of the
Pirates, no longer envisioning him
self as a home run champ, says that
instead he's trying for honors in
the runs-batted-in department.
L And with 78 games yet to play,
he's off to a good start. His 58
tallies knocked in are exceeded in
the National League only by the 60
apiece of Harry Danning of the
Giants and Johnny Mize of the
Cards.
"No, sir; this business of going up
there and thinking you can bang out
a home run every time you want to
is all the bunk.” said the 24-year-old
southpaw socker, whose advent to
the Pirates from the Bees last year
has been a big help in raising the
Pittsburgh club off its knees.
"When I was smacking them
pretty good for a while there, I
thought it was easy to hit for the
circuit, but I found out in a hurry
that it wasn't.
“There was only one fellow in
baseball who could bang out home
runs regularly—Babe Ruth. A lot
of others think they can match him,
but they’ll find it not so easy.
“I’d rather drive in a lot of runs
than hit a homer. My heart’s set
on making it 100 batted in this sea
son.”
That's as much as saying he'll let
Mize have the league’s home run
crown. Big Johnny now has 24, with
Fletcher and Bill Nicholson of the
Cubs tied for second place at 12
each.
Fletcher is hitting .278.
Printers Take Another
Union Printers chalked up another
Government League victory, turning
back Washington Gas Co., 8-7. Six
runs in the fourth clinched the
honors as Webb and Mosedale
checked the Gasmen.
- ..I I ■
Only Those Idle
Help Standings;
Dodgers Fade
Flags May Be Settled
By 'Default'; Cards
Make It 6 in Row
By JUDSON BAILET.
Anociated Press Sports Writer.
It’s fast becoming apparent that
there isn’t a standout ball club in
either major league this year and
the pennants likely are to be
awarded by default.
The only contenders in either cir
cuit that did themselves any good
yesterday were the ones that were
idle and the great rush in reverse
must be mighty embarrassing to a
lot of people.
The soundest combination in the
big show seems to be the Cincin
nati Reds, who can repeat their
National League championship if
they don’t drop over dead. Even
the Reds aren’t irresistible and the
rain in Cincinnati yesterday didn’t
do them any harm.
The Brooklyn Dodgers folded up
in front of the Pittsburgh Pirates
5-3 and increased Cincinnati’s first
place margin to 3H games. Brook
lyn held a 3-0 lead up until the last
half of the sixth when three doubles
and a single by Bob Elliott chased
Tex Carleton and tied the score.
The Pirates fashioned two more
runs around a triple by Eliott in the
eighth.
Macks Beat Hutchinson.
In the American League the onlv
first division club that didn't bite
the dirt was Boston, whose Red Sox
had an idle day,
Cleveland lost its third straight
and the series to the weird Wash
ington Senators, who made four
errors and still couldn't give the
game back to the Indians.
The Detroit Tigers bowed to the
Philadelphia Athletics, 3-1, but con
tinued to hold a slim lead in the
league race.
Fred Hutchinson, the $75,000
pitching wonder of the Tigers, made
his first start since returning from
the minors and rendered a 6-hitter,
striking out six and walking none.
But three of the hits coupled with
one of two errors by Pinky Higgins
gave the As two runs in the third.
Sam Chapman added a homer in
the eighth. Iff addition George
Caster held the Tigers to six hits
with better spacing.
Johnny Rigney stopped the world
champion New York Yankees again
on six hits as the Chicago White Sox
plastered Marius Russo for an even
dozen and the ball game, 5-1. The
Sox got six of their hits and four
of their runs in the second and third
innings and finished off with Joe
Kuhel’s 15th home run and second
in two days in the fifth frame.
Cubs Blanked by Giants.
But the New York Giants, so
called contenders and third place
fixtures in the National League,
again showed up everybody in the
futility department by getting shut
out, 2-0, in Chicago.
Harry Gumbert allowed only four
hits, but in the seventh inning two
walks and an error filled the bases
and Phil Cavaretta singled home the
winning runs. On the other hand,
the Giants got six hits and five
walks from Vem Olsen, but hit into
four double plays and left eight
runners stranded, three in one in
ning.
It was the fifth loss in seven
Western games for the Giants. Be
fore the game Manager Bill Terry
had Burgess Whitehead and Tony
Cuccinello swap their infield posi
tions, explaining the strategy thus:
“It's my ball club and that's the way
I want it.”
The only bright spot on the base
ball map continued to be St. Louis,
where the Cardinals beat the Bos
ton Bees, 4-3, for their sixth con
secutive victory. Boston made 12
hits off Clyde Shoun to nine for the
Cards, but the latter sum included
two home runs by Enos (Country)
Slaughter and the 24th of the sea
son for Johnny Mize.
Two Games at Ballston
Two games are on tap tonight in
the semifinal round of the Middle
Atlantic softball tournament at
Ballston Stadium. Powers Builders
vs. Tru-Blue at 7:45 in the curtain
raiser and Standard Linen tangles
with International Business Machine
in the finale.
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