Evening Star Newspaper, July 7, 1936, Page 14

WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1936. Vengeful Spirit Fires All-Stars : “Dream Game” Here Next Year DIGNITY DROPPED AS MASTERS TILT National League Irked by Continued Success of Younger Rival. BY FRANCIS E. STAN, Staff Correspondent of The Star. OSTON, July 7.—With a prom- ise of fair skies and a capacity crowd of 43,000 spectators, base ball's bluebloods in Amer- fcan and National League flannels | ‘were to square off today in the fourth annual all-star game at the home park of the Boston Bees. All indications, as the clans of the rival major leagues melted into a single stream flowing toward the Bees’ hive, were that further evidence would be thrown, pro or con, on the time- honored diamond question of whether the curve is mightier than the bat. In one corner were the American Leaguers, triumphant in three previ- ous all-star classics, 11-to-10 favorites, today, and generally acknowledged to hold an edge in offensive power. In the other corner was the cream of the National League crop, grim, deter- mined, and with the words of a biting pep talk from President Ford Frick still ringing in their ears. They, the the senior loopers, enjoyed a widely- conceded edge in pitching. American Sluggers Average .334. EVEN hundred and eighty-thousand votes from fans all over the coun- try. plus the personal ballot of Man- ager Joe McCarthy, combined 10| arm the American League team with almost unbelievable batting strength. ©Of the 15 American League player: excluding pitchers, only four were be- low the 300 mark in batting and one of these, Rollic Hemsley, was only two points shy. The averages ranged from Lou Gehrig's .399 clip to Rick Ferrell's 280 mark. In full the American League squad, with latest official averages was as fol- lows: Outfielders—Radcliff. .375: Di| Maggio, .358; Averill, 348: Goslin, 321; | Selkirk, .318, and Chapman, .285; in- | fielders—Gehrig, .399: Appling, .370; | Gehringer, .356: Foxx, .331: Crosetti, | .319, and Higgins, .285; catchers— Dickey, .362; Hemsley, .298, and R. Ferrell, .280. | Stage and Some of the Talent in Base Ball’s All-Star Classic Today The squad batting average of the | American League’s pitchers’ nightmare was a fantastic .334 and the National League's 16-player squad, even with only five men short of a .300 batting pace, fell far short of matching (hal power, at least on paper. The cream | of the senior circuit’s crop showed the comparatively timid team average of | #307. PRECEDENT UPSET INAWARD T0 . . \Griffith Grabs Big Battle | National Leagues, From West—Will Boost Sport in Capital. BY FRANCIS E. STAN, Staff Correspondent of The Star. OSTON, July 7.— Grifith Stadium, home of the Na- tionals, will be the scene of the fifth annual all-star base ball game next July between picked teams of the American and National Leagues. President Clark Griffith of the Washington club, striking before other American League owners, made a bid for the 1937 classic on behalf of the Capital yesterday at a joint meeting of the major leagues and was rewarded last night when the all-star game Advisory Committee officially presented Washington with the game. Griffith virtually snatched the con- test from Detroit, where it seemed slated to go if the present alternating system had been carried out. When the “dream game” was invented by a Chicago sports editor in 1933, it was to alternate between Eastern and Western major league clubs each year. Continuation of this system, however, would have meant that Washington weuld be left out in the cold. Second Straight in East. HE 1933 game was played in Comiskey Park, home of the Chicago American League club. The following year it was awarded to the Polo Ground, bailiwick of the New York National League. Last year it was held in the Municipal Stadium in Cleveland and today it was to be staged in the park of the Boston Bees. Griffith’s formal bid during the meeting yesterday afternoon was acted upon almost immediately by the Ad- visory Committee composed of Judge Kenesaw M. Landis, commissioner of base ball, and Will Harridge and Ford Frick, presidents of the American and respectively. They notified Griffith of the acceptance of his application a few hours after the meeting broke up. | Among the diamond aces who were scheduled to display their prowess this afternoon at Boston’s National League Park, pictured above, were (1) Sec- Infielders Gus Suhr and Stu Martin | ond Baseman Charley Gehringer, Detroit Tigers; (2) Pitcher Mel Harder, Cleveland Indians; (3) Catcher Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati Reds; (4) Pitcher topped the National Leaguers with .349 | averages, with the other infielders as | follows: Collins, .329; Herman, .316; Durocher, 301; Vaughan, .292; Whit- ney, .277, and Riggs, .251. The out- fielders were: Medwick, .329; Demaree, .328; Oftt, .321; Moore, .307; Galsn. .284, and Berger, .260. The Natiol Leaguers’ catchers were Hartnett, 316 and Lombardi, .314. Grove, Dean Top Twirlers. 'HE brilliant Dizzy Dean, ably backed up by Carl Hubbell, Lon | Warneke. Curt Davis and Van Lingle Mungo, headed a pitching staff rated above the American League corps of Monte Pearson, Lefty Grove. Vernon Gomez, Vernon Kennedy, Me! Harder and Schoolboy Rowe. Dean went into the all-star game with a record of 15 victories as against 4 defeats this season. This record, plus to 10-5 record of Hubbell, the 8-4 mark of Warneke, the 7-7 showing of Davis and the | 8-10 pace of Mungo, gave the Na- tional League pitching staff an ag- gregate of 48 victories as against 20 defeats. Lefty Grove, with 11 wins as against 8 defeats, came closest of the Ameri- can Leaguers to matching Dean's record. Monte Pearson, with 11-4; Gomez, 8-3; Kennedy, 8-4; Harder, 10-6, and Rowe, 7-4. totaled to 55 victories against 24 set-backs. Spirit of Vendetia Grows. AS THE time of the “play ball” cry grew near the tom-tom beaters of the rival leagues dropped the dignified build-up, whose foundation merely was base ball's greatest show for al worthy cause and breathed fire. The National Leaguers, hurled back | thrice running, took the lead in drop- ping the strange shyness of the past. They swore vengeance and it was reflected in virtually every pre-game preparation, ranging from the pep talk given last night by President Ford Frick to this morning's lecture | by Manager Charlie Grimm. There was no shyness about Grimm | as he awaited the gong. Charley had | a personal score he would like to settle, at least in part. with Manager Joe McCarthy, whose Yankee team | hurled bitter insults at Grimm and his Cubs in the 1932 world series and swept to a lop-sided victory. In plastering up on McCarthy the stigma of being the first American League manager to lose the all-star | game, Grimm would reap a measure of revenge. McCarthy, though, possibly in a lesser degree, also had reason to look upon today’s opportunity with venge- ance. Few managers took a release harder than McCarthy when the Cubs gave him the go-by. Landing with the Yanks took away some of the sting, but Marse Joe vowed vendetta and with Grimm and six other Cubs in the National League line-up there was, for him, extra incentive for striking down the banner of the senior circuit. NO REST FOR NATS Blated for Exhibition Contest in Trenton Today. TH!: idling Washington ball club, not scheduled to resume American League campaigning until Thursday when the Tigers invade Griffith Sta- dium for a three-game series, were in ‘Trenton, N. J., today to oppose the New York-Pennsylvania club from that city in an exhibition game. Syd Cohen, rookie southpaw up from Chattanooga, and Bill Dietrich, re- cently obtained from the Athletics on waivers, were to oppose the minor leaguers. “ EYSTON T0 DRIVE . FOR MORE MARKS Ready for Full-Day Grind | After Setting a World \ Record for Hour. | Ey the Assoclated Press. ONNEVILLE SALT FLATS, | Utah, July 7.—Capt. George | Eyston, the London speed and | endurance driver, wheeled his | shark-nosed racer out on the saline | flats today for a 24-hour assault on a score of world land speed records— | most of them his own. | | The steel-nerved pilot of the low- | slung “Speed of the Winds” announced | | his eagerness to begin the day-and- | nignt grind over the 10-mile circular | track after yesterday's run in which | he set up a new world mark of 162.529 miles for one hour of driving. | | Records which he hoped to break }loday range from 167.099 miles an | hour for 10 miles and 140.544 miles | | an hour for 24 hours of driving. | Will Have to Travel. A PREVIOUS 24-hour grind carried‘ Capt. Eyston 3.372.52 miles—equal | to crossing the continent in a day and a night | He set the starting hour for 10:30 | am. (1:30 pm, Eastern Standard | Time). In the background of the captain's current assault on the records was Ab | Jenkins, Salt Lake City driver, who| | used the lake beds to establish dozens | | of world marks only to have Eyston | | 2nd John Cobb, also of London, break them in wholesale lots. Jenkins is expected here soon to | | take his turn on the track with a new | racer. Sports Mirror Py the Assocliated Press. Today a year ago—Walter Hagen named captain United States Ryder Cup Team: Max Schmeling outpointed Paulino Uzcudun in Berlin. Three years ago—Craig Wood and Denny Shute tied for British open golf title with 292 each. Five years ago—Athletics de- feated Washington to increase American League lead to 52 games. Minor Leagues International. Buffalo, 8; Baltimore, 7 (11 innings). Rochester, 4; Albany, 3. Toronto, 1; Newark, 0 (11 innings). Southern Association. Chatitanooga, 6; New Orleans, 6 (called end eighth to allow New Or- leans to catch train). Texas. Beaumont, 3-0; San Antonio, 2-5, Houston, 5; Galveston, 2. Fort Worth, 15; Tulsa, 7. Dallas, 8; Oklahoma City, 7. Piedmont. Rocky Mount, 9; Portsmouth, 3, South Atlantic, Macon, 9; Savannah, 8. Pacific Coast. No games, teams traveling. Calling All Stars. OSTON, July 7.—The stage | was set today for another concentrated congress of base ball's most illustrious figures, but even as the drums began to roll and the curtain started to rise there lingered the echo of a general protest of the ali-star game platform. When the standard bearers of the American and National Leagues op. posed today in the home park of th Boston Bees it marked the fourth meeting between the hammering horde from Will Harridge's circuit and the hosts of victory-less syndicate headed | by Ford Frick. Four various ways have all-star | teams been selected now and still the | cry of “unfair” is heard. Bostonians were carrying the torch for the well-snubbed Buck Jordan, | first baseman of the Bees, leading hit- | ter of the National League, and fore- | most exponent this season in starting | | double plays from his position. He ; didn't receive enough votes from the fans to come close to being among the first 10 infielders. The St. Louis contingent wanted to | know why Pepper Martin was passed up. The Washington delegates would | have liked somebody to answer the | question of why Jimmy De Shong was | given the cold shoulder and why | something can't be done about it. New Synlem Needed. JT IS obvious. even before the final score is posted, that a new system of selecting all-star players is needed. | But, even if the idea of having fans plck 16 players and the managers the | remaining five was adjudged perfect, there still seemed to some, observers reason to squawk in the case of De Shong. Joe McCarthy, manager of the Yankees and the American League team, is taking a lot of beating. The | fans picked pitchers Monte Pearson, Schoolboy Rowe and Lefty Gomez for | McCarthy's team, and Joe later se- lected, personally, Tommy Bridges and | Mel Harder. With the exceptions of Grove and Pearson none can match the record of De Shong, who has won 11 games | and dropped 4. Yet Jimmy, who was cast off by McCarthy only to blossom into a star with Washington, was overlooked. Yesterday McCarthy had another chance to pick De Shong when Bridges reported ill. He considered two men—Vernon Kennedy of Chicago and Buck Newsom of Washington. Finally, after deliberation, he picked Kennedy. Jimmy Gets No Credit. IN THE fact that De Shong pitched Sunday—and beat, incidentally, McCarthy's Yankees—Joe has a de- fense. But it is far from & rock- ribbed fortification. In the first place, if McCarthy had chosen De Shong when he first was given the opportunity you can bet that Bucky Harris would have delivered Jimmy rested and ready. In the second place it long 2go Was almost certain that fully 50 per cent of the American League’s six-man ;llb staff would see the game from the bench. That. in itself, is honor—a distine- tion well earned by De Shong. But Jimmy, it is reported by author- itative sources, never was considered. | Newsom or Kennedy was the choice created by McCarthy, and while both are among the better pitchers they | hardly have earned all-star recogni- | tion any more than De Shong. Voting Not Representative. 'HE chances are that after the smoke has cleared away on the | battlefield today, and the triumphant and trampled legions wend their homeward paths, the germs of new plans of selecting the all-stars will begin to breed. If such is not the | case it will be unnatural. It isn't difficult to punch holes in voting, for one thing, was disappoint- | ing and unfair. At least half of the 16 major league cities conducted no poll. In Chicago, birthplace of the all-star idea, the most energetic bal- loting was conducted. The result was that 65 per cent of the votes were polled in the Windy City. And the result of this was that four Gubs and four White Sox players were voted on the team. Two of the Sox, Jinmy Dykes and Mule Haas, dropped out, but another was added when McCarthy selected | Kennedy yesterday and Manager Charlie Grimm, not contented with Warneke, Hartnett, Demaree and Herman from his Cub team, added Galan and Curt Davis. This, then, is not representative Carl Hubbell, New York Giants; (5) Shortstop Arkie Vaughan, Pittsburgh Pirates. voting. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Wash- ington, New York, Brooklyn and Cleveland, to name some cities, con- ducted no polls. However, voting was encouraged and did flourish in such non-major league settlements as Bed- ford, Mass.; Baton Rouge, La, and Shenandoah, Pa. Higgins Post Disputed. HE natives of Bedford, Baton | Rouge and Shenandoah do not see ball games and big leaguers. They | follow the headline and vote acord- | ingly. Buck Jordan, to them, is just a person named Jordan and not a | magic base ball personality. It is possible, too, that in the future major league city represented. Be- | cause of this rule Pinky Higgins plays | third base for the American League solely to represent the Athletics and this year. voted on the National League team by the fans, but because no Cincinnati of the Reds. It's easy to find flaws and, by the same token, it's easy to sympathize with those who are entrusted with | the task of trying to find a criticism- proof system of selecting the all-stars. When it's all boiled down, however, it looks as though they must try again. Exhibition Games By the Associated Press. At Bristol, 15; Landreth, 4. 9; Penn A. C, 2. At Cleve]and, Louis (N.), 6. Cleveland, 7; 8t. Radio Wrangle Stirs Griffith; Fans’ Vote No Tribute to Diz Py a Btaff Correspondent ot rne Star OSTON, July 7.—On the dot in all-star circles...Radio and how to handle it promises to be one of the major leagues’ most momentous problems in years . ... With President Clark Griffith of Washington and Owner Jake Rup- | pert of the Yanks allied in opposition to any form of broadcasting, Amer- ican League moguls argued long and loudly yesterday and finally ad- journed to renew the debate in con- junction with the National League big-wigs. Griffith admits his present ar- rangement of permitting out-of-town broadcasts is good . . . But he would like to get his “cut” of the dough handed over to clubs that permit straight broadcasting when Washing- ton plays,in those towns and furnishes half of the show. THE expense been turned in by National League clubs which have played host at all-star games have made the American League hosts look bad, it's said . . . The senior circuit clubs somehow have managed to keep far under the figures of the entertaining American League clubs. There were 805,000 votes cast for National League players on the all- star squad, according to final figures, only 780,000 cast for American Leaguers , , , Disey \ (2 accounts that have | 41,900 votes, topped all plavers, though Charley Gehringer, with 41,753, and Gabby Hartnett, with 41,385, were a close second and third . . But the singular thing about the voting is that if 805,000 votes were cast for the National Leaguers and Dean got anly 41,900, only about one fan in every 20 voted for Dizzy as deserving of a place on the all-star outfit . .. And with his record of 15 victories as against 4 defeats, too. al- DAY'S “dream game” was to be covered by 218 newspaper men, each of whom would average one tele- graph operator . . . The press section also was to provide for 20 radio broad- casters, including Washington's Arch McDonald, and 60 newsreel camera men. The Bees' ball park will seat only 43,000 but despite the probability that the demand for seats would ex- | ceed the capacity, no standing room was to be sold . . . President Bob Quinn of the Bees was looking out for the comfort of ticket holders, preferring to take no chances of spectators on the field obstructing the view of those in the stands. Buddy Lewis, the National's sensa- tional kid third baseman, polled only 13,169 votes when all returns were counted . . . while Jimmy Dykes, who is rated ' the .worst fielding third baseman in the American League, drew 24,200 to top the list of players st his position. M it will not be necessary to have every | not because he's the best in the circuit | Gus Mancuso of the Giants was | player polled sufficient votes, Man- | the present system. The country-wide | “550 S place was given o Lombardi Pa., Philadelphia (¥.), | At Philadelphia, Philadelphia (A.), | Ccpyflght A. P. Wirephoto. THE SPORTLIGHT All-Star Games Develop Impression N. L. Is Not Up to Rival’s Standard. BY GRANTLAND RICE. THE ALL-STAR PARADE There’s the dust of Cobb—with his shining There’s Johnson pegging his There's the old Gray Eagle spikes— smoke-ball strikes— who circles abeut, With the Speaker touch for the final out— | And the big Babe saunters up to the plate Where his war mace whistles the song of hate— And Shoeless Joe—I can see him still Murdering stars on the mounded hiil— ? And here’s old Hans of the | Ole Pete, Larry, Collins and Up to the National. | NE ball game doesn't prove a lot. But if one league keeps | on winning each all-star | | meeting, you get the feeling that constant repetition must have a reason to carry it through. So it was | about time the National bagged one | | of these all-star meetings, which had | been strictly American League prop- erty. The American League had won at Chicago, New York and Cleveland. They were set in Boston today for the | fourth show where it largely was a | matter of National League pitching | suppressing the thunder of American League bats. Any pitcher who had to face such cannoneers as Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Joe Di Maggio, Bill Dickey, Goose Goslin, ete., couldn’t find himself in the middle of any cream-puff epi- sode. The American League hasn't the pitching strength that the National can show, but it has the louder and the heavier punch. It was interest- ing to see how these wallopers used the old ash against the snipers the National League could call upon. Old Stars Unsupplanted. HOW many ball players working today could crowd in on the all- time team? There is no pitcher yet to shove out Mathewson, Johnson, Alexander, Cy Young and Rube Wad- dell. Mose Grove? Pretty close. Dizzy Dean? Not long enough in active service. There is no outfielder to check out Cobb, Speaker, Ruth and Joe Jack- son. Di Maggio? Maybe 10 years from now. It takes more than one or five campaigns to supplant a 20-year star. There is no Honus Wagner at short today—a great shortstop —leading his league at bat— stealing 50 bases. There is no third baseman above Jimmy Collins, Bill Bradley, Art Dev- lin or Buck Weaver. But you might open an argument \ Buccaneers With a pair of hands like elephant ears— Chase— Rube Waddell with his killing pace— And I hear the far-away welkins ring With “Matty and Bresnahan—Brown and Kling.” | Time writes its story with fading fingers— Time marches on—but memory lingers— When Jimmy Sheckard was on the way— When Walsh and Sullivan held their sway— When Addie Joss ruled the rifle pit Or Crawford hammered a three-base hit— McGraw and Jennings and big Frank Chance, Or Connie Mack and his pennant dance— The days slip by and the years move on— A dream flares up—and a dream is gone— As we come again to the changing scene Of Gehrig, Di Maggio—Hubbell and Dean. at first and second with Lou Gehrig and Gehringer. Gehrig and Gehringer. GEHRIG‘S leading all-time rivals at first are Sisler and Chase. Bill Terry isn't far behind. Gehringer steps into fast company against Larry Lajoie, Eddie Collins. Frank Frisch and Johnny Evers. I should say that Gehrig. has been of greater value to his ball club for |a 12-year span than any other first baseman. He has outclassed all rivals as a rug-maker and a scorer on his own. And he has been a good work horse around the bag. Gehringer has been a 10-year star—one of the best inficlders of his time and a consistent .325 or better hitter. Like Lajole, Gehringer has had the knack of making hard plays around second look to be easy chances. He has his chance to move out in front. He has batted .377 in his two world series shots, and .377 isn't any pop- | gun firing. Pepper Martin Overiooked. TKE only weak spot in this big os- ton show was the absence of John Pepper Martin. If Pepper Martin doesn't belong in any modern all-star base ball society, no one does. Here is a ball player—whether it be at bat— on the bases—in the outfield—at third. ‘The Pepper is all spirit. He won a world series on his own and he has been traveling at top speed ever since. ‘When it comes to all-stars, don't overlook the fact that Boston has had her share—Tenney, Lowe, Long and Collins—Duffy and Hamilton— Kid Nicholls—Babe Ruth—Herb Pen- nock—Joe Wood—Bill Carrigan— Speaker, Lewis and Hooper—Evers and Maranville—Hank Gowdy—Rudolph, May Set New Crowd Mark. HE 1937 all-star game is certain to prove one of the greatest boosts base ball ever had in Washington. It is almost certain that a new all- time attendance record for the Capital will be set inasmuch as the “dream game” defipitely is established as one of the stand-out diamond spectacles and worthy of rank with the world series. Neither Griffith nor Secretary Ed- ward B. Eynon, jr., was in a position today to'ay what steps he planned to take to accommodate 2 crowd that is certain to fill the Washington park to overflowing. It is not expected, however, that spectators will be permitted on the playing field because such an arrangement, as proved on {July 4, is a handicap to both players | and spectators <eated in the stands. Ma Jor Leaders By the Associated Press American League. Batting—Gehrig. Yankees pling, White Sox, 377 Runs—Gehrig. Yankees, 92. Gehr- inger. Tigers. 82 Runs batted in—Foxx. Red Sox. 74; Goslin, Tigers, and Trosky. Indians, 70. Hits—Gehrig. Yankees, inger, Tigers, 112 Doubles—Di Maggio, Yankees. | Rolfe, Yankees, 27. ‘ Triples—Gehringer, Tigers, 9; Clift, | Browns, 8. Home runs—Foxx, Red Sox. 22; Gehrig, Yankees, and Trosky, Indians, 20 | Stolen bases—Powell Werber, Red Sox, 13 Pitching — Malone, Yankees. 8-2; Pearson, Yankees, and Grove, Red Sox, 11-3. 389: Ap- and Gehr- 28; Yankees, and National League. Batting-—Jordan, Bees, and Camilli, | Phillies, .348 ‘ Runs—J. Martin. Vaughan, Pirates, 58 | Runs batted in—Medwick, Cardinals, | 76; Ott. Giants, 66. Hits—Jordan, Bees, Pirates, 107 Doubles—Herman, Cubs. wick, Cardinals, 24. Triples—Camilli, Phillies, 10; Good- man, Reds, 9. Home runs—Ott, Giants, 15; Berger, Bees, 13. Stolen bases—S. Martin. Cardinals, 15: J. Martin, Cardinals, 13. Pitching—French, Cubs, and Lucas, Pirates, 7-1. Cardinals, 69; 109; Jensen, 31; Med- League Statistics TUESDAY. JULY 7, 1936. American RESULTS YESTERDAY, No games scheduled - X10K MON J s . % GAMES TODAY. All-star game at Bos. GAMES TOMORROW, None scheduled. National .RESULTS YESTERDAY. No games wheduled me== 101-03 wudppenud, - usxooig) Tyler and James—Barry—Bergen—Cy ‘Young—Grove and Ferrell—they know in Boston how stars ought to appear. They'll see a pair of teams that any manager in either league would like to trade for—unless it’s Joe McCar- thy of the Yankees. Joe is doing almost too well as it is. \ % 2 11 31 61 4 6 1271331533441 146 50 —i—| = —— GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW, All-star game at Bos. None scheduled. )