Evening star. [volume], August 02, 1955, Page A-20, Image 20

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

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TONY'S ON WRONG END OF TH/S KNOCKOUT
NEW YORK.—Tony Anthony, New York middleweight, who either knocks out
his opponent or is knocked out himself, was on the wrong end at St. Nicholas
Arena last night. Referee Mark Conn signal’s it’s all over after Tony was
dumped by Bobby Boyd of Chicago in 1:32 of the third round of their televised
bout. Boyd will get'a September 12 date with either Willie Troy or Holly Mims
of Washington or Don Savage.—AP Wirephoto.
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS STANN
Topic: Dressen on Relief
CHUCK DRESSEN AND SOME of the boys were shoot'ng
the breeze at Griffith Stadium and somebody brought up
Joe Page's name in connection with his admission, similar
to Preacher Roe’s in a magazine, that he threw spltballs.
“When Page had it,” Dressen commented, "he didn't need
a spitter. Just his fast ball and good behavior.”
“Well,” another said, “now that Ed Lopat’s been traded
to the Orioles it means all those big pitchers you and Bucky
Harris had at New York are gone—Reynolds, Raschi, Lopat
and Page.”
“Page didn’t last long,” Dressen said, “but he was a
great relief pitcher for a while. I remember the first time I
talked to him. It was in Puerto Rico early in the winter of
1947, when I was coaching for the Yankees.
“I saw this big guy and said: ‘Look, I don’t know you.
But Bucky wants me to work with you. All I know about
you is you don’t take care of yourself, that six innings is as
far as you can go, and just watching you move I can tell
you can’t field a bunt.’
“We drew some circles between home plate and the
pitchers’ box and made Page learn to field bunts. But he
still wasn’t any account.”
** * *
DRESSEN RAISED HIS VOICE to reach more of his
Senators, including several pitchers. “Page—l understand
he runs a tavem now—twice was within one pitch of the
minor leagues. For keeps, I mean. If he’d gone back he’d
never have come up again.”
“That was 1947?”
“In May,” Chuck said. “The Yankees were playing the
Red Sox and we’re losing, 3-1. They got two men on base, too,
nobody out and Ted Williams coming up.
“Bucky calls for Page, who’s in the doghouse like he was
most of the time Joe McCarthy managed him. Joe makes
Williams hit to George McQuinn, who almost never messed
up that kind of a ground ball but did this time.
“Now the bases are loaded and Rudy York is up—a big,
•trong. right-hand hitter against this goofy left-hander, who
throws three straight balls. Bucky comes up the dugout
steps and looks to the bullpen. But then Page strikes out
York on three more pitches and Bucky sits down again.
“It was exactly the same when Bobby Doerr came up.
Three straight balls, then three strikes. Page got us out of
the inning my making the next guy—Pellagrini, I think
hit a soft fly. We came back to win, 9-3.”
** * *
I THINK I REMEMBER Bucky talking about it later,”
a listener said. “He said, ‘lf Page had thrown one more ball
to York he was back at Newark.' ”
"No,” Dressen said. “Bucky said, ‘lf he’d thrown one
more ball to York OR to Doerr he’d get his ticket.’ ”
Well, ’ said the other, “it all worked out for the good.”
“It meant the pennant. Page got to be the best reliever
in the business. Won 15 for himself (14 against 8 losses—Ed.)
and saved maybe 18 or 20, I dunno. Anyways, he was about
a 30-game winner, in a manner of speaking.”
Now Dressen was giving full attention to his players
within earshot. “You know what he got to be, Joe Page?
A $30,000-a-year relief pitcher! He got more money than all
except a few starters, a year or so later.”
It was given out as $20,000,” suggested a bystander.
“It was $30,000,” Chuck retorted. “And he rated it. A
good relief pitcher is worth more than a good starting pitcher
any day. You guys (eyeing his own men) ought to think
of it that way instead of grumbling about being in the
bullpen. Page—as a starter—never would have made more
than SB,OOO. If he stayed up, that is.”
** * *
CLINT COURTNEY, the catcher who is built like a
cinder block, drawled with a chaw of tobacco, or perhaps
tongue, in his cheek:
“Skip, you honest mean that about a relief guy?” ■
"A lot of guys can start games,” Dressen blandly con
tinued, “but how many finish games these days? Not a
hell of a lot. A good relief pitcher today can make more
money than any starter except the real big boys.
‘Let me give you an example. The year after Bucky
wins the pennant and the World Series in ’47 his big pitchers
. e sT°i d . S ’ and Lopat—suddenly can’t go nine innings
and that is the year that Page, too, loses his touch. Wins 7
loses 8-something like that. So Bucky loses the pennant
by a game or so, plus his job and mine.
in '.7 Th w? eXt i'P, ar * age s , tralghtens «P and has a year like
_ 4 i nS 13 f .° r h mse f ’ 15 or 80 *°T other guys. Casey
tengel is managing and what Joe done was get Case off to
that start for five world championships in a row.”
Hornsby to Supervise
Boys' Sports Program
CHICAGO, Aug. 2 i/P). —Rogers
Hornsby, who had a long career
as player and manager in the
major leagues, has been hired,
at $15,000 per year, to set up and
supervise a city-wide athletic'
training program for boys be
tween the ages of 8 and 18.
The program is expected to
reach 150,000 or more young- 1
sters and it will be conducted in
co-operation with the pane sys
tem. the Board of Education
and the city.
j » »
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Br the Anoeltted Prtat
AMERICAN LEAGUE
<iW.. ' n, - or " m ' k
<iS3rtrws.?3>. rort ,n, - w ’ nn
<n>—Johnjon (S-n
v« arewer (8*8),
f.snc vu? ( B o‘2 i ! mor * fn) -« h “ i *
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PhlliduphlA «t Cincinnati rtwl-n)
(8-2) And Roiovln (2-0) r«.
Nuxhtll (10-9) And Kllppit«ln (2-9).
Brooklyn At MilwAukee (nt—CrAl*
i (3-0) vs. Buhl (8-7).
Pjttiburirh At ChlcAto—Law (7-S) «.
New Vnrk At St. Loul« (n)—An
-1 tone 111 (8-13) »». Schmidt (2-1).
Many Concede
Hambletonian
To Scott Frost
California-Owned
Trotter Expected
To Emulate Swaps
GOSHEN, N. Y., Aug. 2
Harness horse fans who look in
on the 30th Hambletonian Stakes
! tomorrow may be seeing the
greatest 3-year-old trotter since
Greyhound won the sulky classic
20 years ago.
That was the general impres
sion today as Scott Frost stood
out like a lighthouse in a field
of 11 of the Nation's fastest
trotters.
Scott Frost is owned by Sol
Camp, Shatter. Calif., potato and
cotton farmer, and he bids fajr
to take racing’s second big prize
back West this season. Califor
nia's Swaps won the Kentucky!
Derby, and Scott Frost is thei
early 3-to-5 favorite for thisj
trotting counterpart of the Der-!
by at Bill Cane's Good Time
Park.
"I haven't seen a trotter like
him since Greyhound,” Sanders
Russell, Grand Circuit veteran.;
said today.
Hoot Mon holds Hhe Hamble
tonian record of 2 minutes flat
for the mile, and Scott Frost
is a son of that 1947 winner.
“I think this Scott Frost is a
greater colt than Hoot Mon,”
Russell said. “I was a great ad
mirer of Hoot Mon, but I think
his son is even better. This
colt has a long stride like Grey
hound ”
“Yes, if you look at him com
ing head on, you wouldn't think
he could be a good horse.” Billy
Haughton said. “He looks like
a "spider with his legs sprawled
out all over the track.”
Scott Frost is only one of three
horses entered by Camp, and his
stablemate. Butch Hanover, has
a good chance to grab second
money. The other Camp nomi
nee is Home Free.
The main opposition to the
West Coast triumvirate is Oalo
phone, owned by William T.
Maybury Dexter, Me., machine
tool maker, and Childs Hanover,
property of the Texas oilman,
K. D. Owen of Houston. Galo
phone is 4 to 1 and Childs Han
over 6 to 1.
Others in the race are the
Trainer-Driver Del Miller entry
of Indian Raider, owned by Dave
Resnick, Washington, Pa., and
See HAMBLETONIAN, Page A-22 1
Shoemaker Gains on Hartack
At Chicago, Trails by One
CHICAGO, Aug. 2 (&).—Willie
Shoemaker, who came here to
ride Swaps in his match race
with Nashua August 31, got .off
to a flying start in his head-to
head riding duel with Willie
Hartack as the Washington
Park race meeting opened yes
terday.
Shoemaker, who has won the
riding championship or tied for
it in four of the last five years,
won the $22,850 Clang Handi
cap, the opening-day feature,
with Calumet Farm's Duke
Lea. The West Coast rider
then won the seventh race with
Lady of Chance, an 8-to-5 shot,
land the eighth with Prince-
Itonlan at SB.BO
Earlier, Hartack had won the
third race with All She Wrote
($14.20) and the fourth with
Brazen Step ($7.40). This gave
the popular Eastern rider, now a
resident of Charles Town. W.
Va„ a total of 225 winners in
1955 and put him four ahead of
his arch rival. However. Shoe
maker's victories in the last three
races narrowed Hartack's mar
gin to 225-224. Hartack has
finished second behind Snoe
maker in each of the last two
seasons.
Baseball Tonight
Griffith Stadium
Washington vs. Detroit
& 8:00 P.M.
Hecker Leaves
Canada, Will
Join Redskins
Former Ram Expected
To Relieve Pressure
At End and Halfback
By LEWIS F. ATCRISON
Star Staff CorrMpondant
LOB ANGELES, Aug. 2.—Norb
Hecker, rangy defensive half- ,
back and offensive end who went {
to Canada last year—and re
turned again this season—has
had a change of heart and la due ,
at the Redskins' training camp (
late today.
The news was Jubilantly an- ,
nounced by Redskins officials, ‘
who expect Hecker to relieve 1
much of the pressure at end, >
where Bones Taylor is missing,I
and in the backfleld, where the
pass defense still needs bolster- ,
lng. How much help the 28-
year-old newcomer will be re- 1
mains to be seen.
Head Coach Joe Kuharich. fcr
one, wants to be shown tyiat
Hecker can help the squad. He
expected the 8-foot-2, 191-pound
Baldwin-Wallace alumnus to Join
the Redskins earlier this year.
Kuharich made what he thought
was a fair offer, but Hecker again
went to Canada.
A member of the Toronto
club last season, Hecker moved
to Ottawa when the former team
dispensed with all American im
ports, but he wasn’t happy in his
new surroundings. A telephone
call to Kuharich followed.
Breaking in with the Loa
Angeles Rams in 1951, Hecker
was used on defense before being
moved up to replace injured
Tom Fears at end in his second
season. This change came late
in the season and he caught
only two passes for 25 yards.
He is best remembered as a de
fensive back, the one who pulled
down Taylor with a tackle in
the Rams-Redskins exhibition
game to prevent a pass comple
tion, and got away with it.
Hecker is the fifth member of
the Redskins with Canadian
. football experience. Center Harry
Ulinski returned two years ago
and Halfback Scooter Scudero
1 came from Toronto last year,
) while End Gene Brito and Quar
■ terback Eddie Le Baron rejoined
: the squad this season after a year
jwith Calgary. Ray Perkins Syra
cuse halfback drafted by the
I Redskins last January, also is
I headed for training camp after
; being released by the Edmonton
club.
[ The Redskins will have their
.final scrimmage before Sunday’s
. game today, with emphasis on
E the offense. They had some
' contact work yesterday aimed at
| polishing the plays they’ll use in
; San Francisco, but today's drill
’imay determine starting players
at several positions. Halfback
! ! Jim Monachino, still not in uni
form but gradually recovering
“from the cough that sidelined
' him last week, may be ready for
•jthe game.
A show staged by the players,
' feauring Chuck Drazenovlch on
1 the harmonica and Brito on the
: uke, was held last night. It was
the first in the squad’s history.
k
Rock Hill Team
Faces New Crisis
ROCK HILL, S. C.. Aug. 2 (JP).
-The Rock Hill Chiefs of the
Class B Tri-State League passed
; one financial crisis yesterday.
’ but clouds of another already
: were gathering.
The Chiefs, who have a work
, ing agreement with the Wash
. ing ton Senators, have been em
! broiled in one money problem
i after another most of the year.
Yesterday they received a gift of
SI,OOO from Bobby Hlpps of
, Asheville, the league president.
, in behalf of the other three
clubs. The gift, plus a S7OO bank
j loan, enabled the club to meet
its payroll.
However, the Internal Reve
nue Service filed a $1,500 lien
against the club for unpaid 1954
taxes. Directors decided to ask
> the Government to hold up ac
tion until August 26, when the
: team hopes to get enough money
l from optional player bids to pay
the taxes.
> Shoemaker had a fast ride on
i Duke’s Lea, who covered the
i Clang’s seven furlongs in 1:21%,
[ only two-fifths of a second over
■ the track record. Duke’s Lea
• beat his stablemate. Mlz Clem
i entine, by 2>/ a lengths and paid
. $8 60 Hartack finished third on
the favored Jet Action, a nose
> behind Mlz Clementine.
Washington Park is offering a
, prize of SI,OOO to the meeting’s
. winningest rider.
fowm-miMco
ROCKET FUELI
/ywaJupS i
(WJW/
'SINCLAIR
l\ MIMIUM OASOUNI
See Your Sinclair Dealer
A.L. Race Hits Fever Pitch
As 4 Rivals Meet Head-On
Majors Remove
March t Limil
On Training
CHICAGO, Aug. 2 UP).—The
major leagues yesterday knocked
out the rule that a player can
not report to spring training be
fore March 1 and scheduled
definite action on the controver
sial bonus rule at a Joint meet
ing here next December.
In dropping the curb on spring
training, the American and Na
tional Leagues, meeting sepa
rately, decided a player does not
have to report before March 1
but can if he so wishes. Last
year players were not allowed
to report before March 1.
On the bonus rule, which has
been unsatisfactory to every one
concerned, the two leagues will
meet jointly in an effort to elimi
nate it.
The present rule requires a
team to carry bonus players for
two years and include them
within the 25-player limit.
Other matters such as mini
mum pay increases and winter
baseball were discussed.
Commissioner Ford Frick, who
attended yesterday's meetings,
set August 12 for a meeting in
New York of baseball's Execu
tive Council and representatives
of the Carribean Confederation
for further study of winter base
ball. The players have asked
that all restrictions be lifted
from playing winter baseball.
A preliminary report was
made by a public relations firm
authorized by Frick to make a
study of the public’s reaction to
the game.
“Although the survey is yet
incomplete," the firm reported,
“a sufficient amount of material
has been gathered to give club
owners and the commissioner a
good deal of factual informa
tion which can be used in for
mulating policy decisions.”
A large percentage of people
agreed that baseball is Ameri
ca’s "national game.” Major
reasons given by persons not
attending games were car park
ing facilities, preference . for
watching games on television,
cost of attending and a dislike
for the length and slow pace of
games.
The survey is expected to be
complete after the World Series
with full statistics on public
: sentiment about baseball.
* ■ f
. iMtfofitSlwuolfe ,ie
Beefcs A&
IN WASHINGTON^/
Si Sfef
PORTS
THE EVENING STAR, Washington, D. C.
TUESDAY, AUGUST*. ISSS
A-20
SCHMITZ OPPOSES GROMEK
Tigers Bent pn Using
Senators as Ladder
By BURTON HAWKINS
The Tigers, thus far unable to
put together a winning string
which would project them
squarely into the spirited strug
gle for the American League
pennknt, hope to use the Sena
tors as stepping stones to the
first division when they open a
three-game series at Griffith
Stadium tonight.
Detroit has been hanging on
the fringe of the sizzling battle.
The Tigers can’t be classed as
noncombatants, since they’re
only TVt games off the pace, but
they haven’t been getting in the
consistent licks they’ve needed to
move into more solid conten
tion.
This hasn’t been due to the
Senators, who have dropped 12,
of 15 games to Bucky Harris’
outfit. Johnny Schmitz, whose
lone appearance Against the
Tigers this year consisted of a
one-inning relief job, has been
nominated to start by Chuck
Dressen. He’ll be opposed by
Steve Gromek, who has whipped
the Senators three times in as
many efforts.
A1 Kallne. the league’s leading
hitter who also shares home run
honors at 23 with the Yankees’
Mickey Mantle, is a doubtful
starter tonight. The speedy out
fielder was clipped on the left
elbow Sunday by Boston’s Frank
Sullivan.
“His arm Is puffed,” Harris
said, "and he might not be able
to play. We’ll see how he feels
before the game. He's a kid, and
youngsters shake off injuries
quickly.”
Detroit has the roughest road
ahead among clubs still nursing
pennant ambitions. The Tigers
have 35 games left with contend
ing teams, compared with 26 for
Chicago, 29 for Boston, 30 for
Cleveland and 31 for New York.
After leaving Washington, for
instance, the Tigers will be con
fronted with a slate which will
make or break their pennant
, aspirations. They’ll be meeting
: first division clubs in 23 straight
, games, starting with a four-game
. series at New York.
Tonight’s game will mark the
! 48th anniversary of Walter
, Johnson’s debut with the Sena
[ tors and Ty Cobb, who played
iin that 1907 game, will pay
tribute to the late, great pitcher
at home plate in pre-game cere
monies.
Johnson’s mother, his daugh
; ter Carol and two sons, Walter,
' Jr., and Eddie, will attend the
; game.
' At noon today Cobb, Harris
' and the Tigers were honored
' at a luncheon at the Touch
down Club.
! The Tigers will be here for a
V night game tomorrow and a day
’ game Thursday, with Cleveland
) invading for a four-game series
) starting Friday night.
FITZSIMMONS SAYS
[' NEWK ' IS LIKELY
1 TO TOP HIS MARK
: ST. LOUIS. Aug. 2 UP).—
i Freddy Fitzsimmons, coach
of the Giants, says Brook
-1 lyn’s Don Newcombe has a
"good chance” to break his
won-lost pitching record in
: the National League.
Fat Freddy posted the
i league mark of 16-2 in 1940
at the age of 39 when he was
with the Dodgers.
' Big Newk now stands at 18-1
1 with eight weeks of the sea
son remaining.
“Newcombe has a good
chance to break it,” Fitz
; simmons said before last
night's Giants - Cardinals
game, “especially with that
club behind him.”
Preacher Roe came close
in 1951 with a 22-3 mark,
also for Brooklyn.
White Sox Face
League's Hottest
Club in Boston
By the AuocUted Pre»«
Nursing a paper-thin one
game lead and deprived of the
services of their winningest
pitcher, the White Sox tackle
the rollicking Red Sox at Boston
tonight as the tight American
League race reaches a fever
pitch.
The White Sox are Just one
game and 12 percentage points
in front of the Yankees and
Indians and three games ahead
of the Red Sox, currently the
hottest team in the league.
While the White Sox and Red
Sox are battling, the Yanks and
Indians will be trying to knock
each other out of the race in
RACE AT A GLANCE
W. L. Pet. GB
Chicago 62 39 .614
Cleveland ... 62 41 .602 1
New York ... 62 41 .602 I
Boston 60 43 .583 3
Detroit 55 47 .539 7W
the first of a three-game set in
New York.
Marty Marion’s men not only
have the Red Sox to contend
with, but they also face a serious
psychological barrier. Dick Don
ovan, their No. 1 righthander, is
recuperating from an appendect
omy and will be out of action
for about four weeks.
It will be up to the "go-go”
Sox to fight off his loss. Just
where Marion is going to. find
some one to take Dono'van’s
(13-4) spot on the starting line,
no one knows. When Bob Kee
gan, who has been having arm
trouble, returns to the active
list August 15. the White Sox
may get over the hump.
Johnson Faces Brewer
Connie Johnson will get the
call tonight, mainly because he
whipped the Yanks last week in
New York. He owns a 3-1 record
and was Impressive at Toronto.
Tommy Brewer (8-8) will be on
the mound for the Red Sox.
To add to the White Sox’
troubles. Third Baseman George
Kell, third leading hitter in the
league, has been having back
trouble again and is strictly a
limited-service performer now.
His ailment caused the club to
buy Bobby Adams from Cin
cinnati.
The Indians, conversely, are
bolstered in the pitching depart
ment. They bought 38-year-old
Sal (The Barber) Maglie from
the Giants Sunday. He probably
won’t work the Yankee series,
Continued on Page A-23, Col. 3