Evening Star Newspaper, July 19, 1937, Page 12

MONDAY, JULY 1937. Weaver 1937 "Hard Luck’ Champ : Family’s Chins Up With Feller’s L0SS OF 2HITTER | MONTE'S SADDEST Beating in Detroit Fifth for | Hurler, Eighth in Row for Griffs. BY FRANCIS E. STAN, Staft Correspondent of The Star ETROIT, July 19.—Prof. Monte Weaver is the last guy in the world to go around eating babies and stealing the | erutches of cripples, so it must be a case of mistaken identity the way | kind providence is not looking out for | him Strictly on merit, the mild- mannered, courageous Washington right-hander ought to be sitting on the top in the American League. But he isn't. Take that game yesterday. The ‘Tigers really took it, 3 to 1, but there | Wwas no justice for Monte. He held | the hard-hitting Detroit club to two | hits for his best pitching performance | of the year, and yet was charged with | his fifth defeat of the season. The loss was the Nationals' eighth fn a row, tying their longest losing | etreak in recent years, but that is not what hurt the Griffith A. C, so much a3 the fact that it representfd another heart-breaking setback for Weaver. | Verily, Monte is the American League's | hard-luck champion of 1937. That | he also is staging the best comeback of the year adds to the credit he de- serves. Nats “Choke” in Clutch. \VI'I'H any kind of luck, wm\er t to have at least nine vic- tories as au&_mL three defeats. With glightly better-than-average fnnunP. he might have displayed at this da’el e record of 10 wins and 2 defea Only once this year has he failed ln outpitch his mound rival. That was on | June 11, when he was beaten by the | White Sox, 14 to 8. Of the Tigers' runs yesterday only one was earned Weaver (with Ed Linke pitching the last inning) gave up only two hits. Two errors threw the game away in the first inning, when the Tigers scored all their runs. Washington got six hits and six bases on balls off Jake Wade and Roxie Lawson, but the Nats left 12 runners | etranded on the bases. They have this left-on-base championship for 1937 sewed up already. Twice they had the Tigers on the run. In the fifth inning they filled | the bases with one out, but could not | score. In the sixth it was the same &tory. Johnny Stone struck out in the Aifth, with the pressure on, and Travis grounded out. In the sixth Bluefle‘ struck out in the clutch and Kuhel | grounded out. All Wins Come Hard. Gm'INO back to Weaver, this was | his second straight defeat. In | his atart prior to yesterday he was beaten by the Yanks, 4 to 3. The Nats left six runners stranded that day On July 3, again facing New York (no spots are picked for Monte), he worked aix innings and left the game with the score tied at 4-4. Again his mates left six.runners stranded. A relief pitcher was charged with a subsequent loss. On Jjune 29 he faced Boston and gave up only four hits in seven innings. Yet when he retired from the premises the Red 8ox were in front by 2-0. The game ended in & tie. Monte's victories all have come the hard way. On June 19 he defeated Bt. Louis, 2 to 1. On June 6 he won over Cleveland, 8-7. On May 27 he won over the White Sox, 2 to 1, givinz only six hits. On April 20, his first start, he eked out & 3-to-2 win over Lefty Gomez of the Yanks. On May | 27 he picked up a victory as a relief pitcher against the Browns. He pitched five innings in a 12-inning game, giving up only a single hit. The Nats left nine on base for him before the winning run was shoved across in a B-4 game, “Weaver Best,” Says Harris. ONTE really has enjoyed only two easy games this year. On June 24 he whipped Cleveland, 8 to 2. These eight runs represented by far tho greatest amount totaled for him. On May 21 he held the Athletics to three hits and won, 6 to 1. And, if you really want to become pro-Weaver to the limit, that one bad @ame he pitched—Chicago, 14; Wash- Ington, 8, on June 11—he should have eurvived that. In the first four in- nings the White Sox scored 10 runs and 8 of them were unearned With two out in the first inning Johnny Stone dropped a fly ball and this touched off a four-run rally. In the fourth Weaver himself made an error with two out and before the side was retired the Sox had four more runs. This observer cannot but wonder what kind of record Weaver would be able to show today if he were pitch- tng for the Yankees. The chances are that he would not have a defeat to show today. And if this is con- sidered overstatement, listen to Man- ager Bucky Harris: “Weaver is the best pitcher on the Washington club by plenty. I hope I #till am manager in 1938. If so, I #hall build my pitching staff around Monte.” Errors Cost 3-1 Defeat. “rrm Pete Appleton receiving his ) first starting chance since June 13, when he faced and lost to the White Sox, the Griffs were to end the Detroit series here today. Orig- inally Bucky had intended to start Ken Chase, but he decided that such right-handed hitters as Hank Green- berg, Gerald Walker, Rudy York and others presented an unfair hazard at $his stage of Chase's career. Ken will ‘get his chance later on this trip. ‘The second game of the Tiger se- ries was lost in the first inning, when with two out Weaver walked Gehr- fnger and Greenberg. Here Gerald Walker inserted a single to center, scoring Gehringer, but Bluege let Al- mada's throw to third get through him and Greenberg scored. When Weaver recovered and threw wildly past Rick Ferrell at the plate Walker also scored. Errors were charged to Almads and Weaver, but Bluege ehould have stopped Almada’s throw. Top Tiger Gets Warm Welcome on Return to Diamond Lair 1938 PANAM, EET WANTED BY BRAZIL Move to Hold Games Yearly Started—Marathon Race Is Won by Dengis. By the Associated Press. ALLAS, Tex, July 19.—In- bor"” spirit of the Pan-Amer- ican Games, the Ambassador spired by the “good neigh- from Brazl moved today to perpetu- {ate the event by bringing it to his country in 1938 | An active drive will be started in his country, Ambassador Oswaldo Aranha told officials of the Texas and | Pan-American Exposition, to bring crack performers and soccer teams to Rio de Janeiro next Summer. | Officials of the exposition, spon- | sors of this year's games, said con- tacts will be established with the National A. A. U. with a view to| placing the games on an annual basis, with one-year intermissions during Olympic games. Crowds See Games, UNSCHOOLED in big-time track | and fleld and soccer, the South- west turned out for the games in crowds, topped by the 23,000 Satur- day night who saw John Woodruff, University of Pittsburgh Negro, race the 800 meters in world-record break- ing time of 1:47.8—two seconds faster than a five-year-old mark. An , estimated 55,000 persons at- tended during the four days the meet lasted. Track experts, amazed at Woodruff's race, predicted the mark would never | be touched. The Argentina soccer team, com-‘ posed of youngsters less than 20 years | « old and hand-picked off the msnv‘ soccer flelds of their nation, bagged | the Pan-American tourney by wal- loping Canada, 8-1, in the final game. Angel Laferrara, center forward, scored four goals to run his tourney total to nine. Dengis Takes Marathon. N THE final event of the four-day sports festival, Pat Dengis, Balti- more tool and die maker, celebrated his 37th birthday anniversary by win- ning the 26-mile marathon in 2 hours 42 minutes and 43 seconds. In second place was Argentina’s Jose Ribas, holder of the world 20-mile title. Mel Porter, 33-year-old New York civil engineer and American champion, trotted in third. Athletes from 10 nations started home today, some of them with a| 6.000-mile trip ahead. Most of the Americans prepared to leave for for- eign shores on A. A. U.-sponsored trips. Homer Stan(lings B the Associated Press. Yesterdar's homers—Galan. Subs, 24 Maggio. Yankees. Sox. ¥ Chapman: ‘Red ‘Sox. 1 Jon son. Athletics 11 Paters, Aihietios 1: Davis Brownt. 1i Simmons Senafors. ‘Dea. Cubs,'1: Lombardi. Reds, i Ot Giants. 1: Chiozza. Giants, 1: Schumnrhrr Sjanta. 1: Lestte, Gian ning; Glants! 1: Padgel dina rubaker. Pirates. i ley, Pirates \ewders—Di Mageio edwick, Cardinals. 20: “nias- Yankees. Gree It was not more than two feet to his right. The only other score, which was on Washington's side, came in the sixth. Al Simmons led this frame off with & terrific home run over the left-fleld fence. Notes: Mickey Cochrane sat in a lower box in company with Owner Walter O. Briggs of the Tigers ... It was Mickey's first game since he was beaned by a pitch by Bump Hadley on May 25 . . . Linke, pitching one inning, made Hayworth fly out and fanned both Lawson and Fox . .. He looked to be a million-dollar pitcher, but the question, “Why doesn't he do that as a starter or as s rellef pitcher in an important game?” wag raised . . . The impression is that Olark Grifith has more junk and deadwood on his club than any team in the league ... And people are want- ing to know what he is waiting for TNiness kept Buddy Lewis from Dllm yesterday. P 1 | a baker. DETROIT, July 19. When Mickey Cochrane, catcher- manager of the Bengals, visited the dressing room here before yesterda; received by his mates. s 3-1 victory over the Senators he was enthusiastically Crowded about Cochrane. whose skull was fractured by a pitched ball May 26 are Goose Goslin (left), Gerald Walker, Pete Fox and Charley Gehringer. —Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto. "POPPING OFF Ut \\ Pofiy Makes a Name for Himself. Special Dispatch to The Star. ETROIT, July 19—Cletus Elwood (Boots) Poffenberger, which sounds like a comic strip character, s hero. able; early season sensation. washed-up, but Tiger fans Elden Auker, the name of Detroit's newest pitching He has replaced such as Tommy Bridges, the little depend- the oftentimes brilliant, And Schoolboy Rowe? and Roxie Lawson, the think that Rowe just doesn’t want to pitch. To be blunt about it, they think the School- boy is a bum But Poffenberger! How Detroit has taken to the guy! was pitching in the Mid-Atlantic League, | the most rabid Detroit fans than, perhaps, a vague suggestion that it might be This Spring found him with Beaumont of the Texas League and A year ago he “Poffenberger” meant no more to still unknown to Detroit. But a few weeks later he was brought up to bolster 8 sagging slab staff He came up. at the age of 21 and with two years of pitching experience. | He walked into the box at Navin Field, a weird, cocky figure He has the build of a weight lifter, with a long. thick body and short, muscular arms and legs. up with a funny, jerky wind-up and now has won five of his first seven games It is Mr. Harry Heilman, one of the greatest right-handed hitters ever in the American League, who speaks one of the more enthusiastic pieces for Pofty. “I would not trade him for Bob Feller,” Heilman was saying today, “and mind you, I am not underrating Feller. I saw Feller pitch against the Tigers a week ago, when he held them to two hits.” No Spots Picked for Him. OFFENBERGER'S whole back- ground is the direct opposite of Feller's,” Heilman went on. ‘Steve O'Neill picks spots for Feller; Detroit gives Poffenberger the toughest of as- signments. Take Feller's game here a week ago. Thirty thousand people turned out to see Feller pitch. The Tigers selected Poffenberger to face him. Nobody gave a hoot about Pofly at the start. But at the finish Poffy beat Feller, shut out the In- dians and won the cheers. “Who won the only game De- troit took from the Yanks the last series? Poffenberger! I tell you, he has the makings. Gehrig and Di Maggio at bat mean no more to him than Mi- halic or Bluege.” Heilman was asked about that jerky pitching motion. It had reminded Bucky Harris of Myles Thomas, who used to pitch for the Yanks and Nats years ago. “It may be,” added Harris, “that after the hitters see him a few times they'll do better.” Hellman smiled. “Poffy may look like Thomas, but the resemblance ends there. Thomas did not have the stuff this fellow’s got. He's fast and he's got a good curve, that Poffy. As for Thomas, half the time we hit- ters (Heilman was playing in Myles’ day) were swinging at Tommy's ‘tur- key wing’ Myles only had a tiny curve and control.” Cicotte Built Like Poffy. POF’P‘Y‘S build, admits Heilman, is unlike most good pitchers. ‘“He has tremendous muscular development and his torso is thick. As a general rule pitchers have long, stringy mus- cles. But Eddie Cicotte was built something like Poffenberger and he was quite a pitcher.” He has & sense of humor, this start- ling newcomer with the distinctive base ball tag. Against the Yanks he had the ancient hidden-ball trick pulled on him by Frankie Crosetti as he roamed off second base. Coming back to the bench, he remarked to the coaches: “It's your fault. You have to watch me awful olosely be- cause I'm dumb as hell.” As for Rowe, he is sour milk with Detroiters. They are fod up with his A He stuck out a long jaw. cranked 4~ frequent “miseries” and are all for advising the guy to get out and pitch or just get out. Last week, facing the Yanks, Rowe threw just nine pitches. The Rupperts teed off for a five-run lead in the first inning and as Rowe, | was removed from the box he was | loudly booed. Rowe Gets Little Sympathy. OST of the ball players in the | American League smirk a little cruelly at Rowe's newly-acquired un- popularity with the fans. The big fellow never has been popular with even his own teammates and for years opposing players have bombarded him with gags and insults while he was working in the box. It develops that the Schoolboy was something of a second-guesser when he was riding the high road to success. The Tigers tell & story of how Gerald Walker was picked off second base in a8 game with the Browns. As he climbed to his feet and the cloud of dust cleared, Walker started the long tramp to the dugout, head down. All he said was: “Rowe, you ——, if you say one word I'll kill you.” Walker kept repeating this with every step and the Tigers in the dug- out, hearing him, prodded Rowe, who was sitting on the bench. “Go ahead,” said Al Simmons, then with Detroit, “tell him what you said on the bench.” “Nothing doing,” replied Rowe, but when Walker stomped into the dugout he looked at Schoolboy and repeated his line with a challenging hiss. Finally Rowe said, “Well, you ought to be more careful.” ‘Walker did not completely carry out his threat, but he picked up & full bucket of water and promptly placed it, upside down, on Rowe's head. The Schoolboy was not a lovely person to look at after this act. GOV. NICE AGREEABLE Accepts Honorary Chairmanship of Columbus Horse 8how. Gov. Harry W. Nice of Maryland has accepted an invitation to act as honorary chairman of the third an- nual Columbus horse show, sponsored by the Forest Glen Council of the Knights of Columbus, to be held on Bunday, September 12, at the Meadow- brook show grounds. Among those who have accepted in- vitations to serve as honorary com- mittee mémbers are Senator Millard E. Tydings, Commissioner George E. Allen, Arthur Godfrey and Arch Mc- Donald. RACES TODAY DELAWARE PARK STANTON, DEL. I EIGHT RACES DAILY | lmlnl ‘:rlln Umun lrltnl lll" 11:30 l A —direct to track. luurn stan nnnn lnvlu S d mfl' RACE AT 3:00 P.M, ES.T. The tip is out that Rowe fis | who once worshipped at his feet, ROSENINE RALLIES FORHALF LAURELS Confident of Driving to City | Loop Flag After Win Over Gordon’s. OSE LIQUOR diamonders, first | half champions of the Na- | tional City League, section A, today eagerly nnnc)paled‘ swinging into second half action, con- fident of repeating after their impres- sive 11-1 title victory over Gordon's| Cafeteria yesterday on the South El- | lipse. Fortified in a pitching way through | the work of Walter Murphy, who limited Gordon's to four hits, Rose Liquor tossers also are balanced on attack, with dangerous batters gener- | ously sprinkled through the line-up, | and are the choice of most sandlot | followers to duplicate their first half performance, | JOE PUSATERI was the individual batting hero against Gordon's, | connecting safely four times, although | Smitty Nau, Georgetown University | outfielder, and Freddie Nau also were | prominent in the triumph with three safeties each. No-Hitter by Poole, DEWEY POOLE, former Central High School basket ball star, re- corded nearly a flawless job in twirling & no-hit, no-run game to trim Stew- art’'s Pharmacy, 8-0, for Police Boys’ Club No. 4 in the junior division of the same league. Poole allowed only four passes and struck out eight. Herbie Devers, New Deal Clothiers righthander, chalked up his seventh consecutive victory in trouncing the Cardinals, 6-2, in an unlimited divi- sion, section B, tilt, while White Haven defeated Joe Tucci Plumbers, 7-6; Georgetown swamped H. B. Leary Co., 19-4, and Read's Pharmacy disposed of Star Radio, 5-3. DI MAG BRIGHTENS AS SEASON'S STAR | base ball business this year | second, Four-Run Homer Off Feller Boosts Stock in “Most Valuable” Race. BY SID FEDER, Associated Press Sports Writer. LD Blubber Malone is some- what sore in certain portions of his anatomy today—but | he figures it was worth it Just to keep the records straight it must be explained that Old Blubber is & portly pitcher for the New York Yankees. Those who aren't his pals say his waistline, if stretched end to end, would make a good start on a cross-country highway. That being | the case, violent exercise comes hard to Old Blubber. But when he looked in from the bull pen at Cleveland yesterday and saw that home-run shot of jolting Joe Di Maggio drop into the far-away left-field stands, bringing in the four runs that sent blazing Bobby Feller down to a 5-1 defeat, Old Blubber just had to up and turn handsprings. Joe Piles Up Prestige. BUT more than causing Old Blubber to toss his heft around with no caution for his wellbeing, the clout League Statistics JULY 19, 1937, AMERICAN. RESULTS YESTERDAY. Detroit 3; Wa New York' 5. Cleveland, 1. Boston. 5-0 Chic, ag0. 6-1 8t. Louis, 10- GAME New Chicago, 7 - Cincinnati. 4 Phi that Deadpan Di Mag poled out with | M the bases loaded, to break up a honey of a ball game, significance for Joe himself. In the first place, it just piled on the already overwhelming evidence | that he is the top sophomore in the | In the | talking | g the ! it gave & brand-new point to those whe are carry | torch for Joe as the season’s most valuable player. Ever since he came back to action after an early season shoulder ail- ment he has been powdering that apple at a terrific rate. Right now he’s leading the big-time in homers— yesterday's was his twenty-fourth. and is giving his teammate, Lou Gehrig, a merry battle for the Amer can League batting lead. Defensivel his arm is being talked of in the same breath as the greatest the game has kenown. Yesterday, while most of the Yanks were fanning at thin air, jarring Joe | had a fleld day. He hit a triple and a double as well as his homer, drove in all five of the Yankee runs and | generally put the needle in FPeller's third straight futile “comeback” flort. Cubs, Giants Keep Pace. IS job of work on Feller's light- ning ball stole the show from | such other diamond doings as the hot National League fight between the Giants and the Cubs and the pitch- | ing perfection of the Cincinnati Reds’ youngsters. With Augie Galan hitting two homers, the Cubs clouted Brookliyn twice, 7-6 and 9-4. to retain their margin of 3 percentage points in the senjor circuit chase. The Giants stayed right in the running by find- | ing the Cardinals a double-header | pushover, 6-5 and 11-0, with King | Carl Hubbell and Prince Hal Schu- macher doing the pitching honors that dropped the Gas House gang into fourth place. Peaches Davis pitched a five-hitter | and Lefty Grissom produced a two-hit shutout as Boston Bees, 4-1 and 1-0. The Pirates managed only an even break with the Phillies, opener, 5-2, to Claude Passeau’s pitch- mng. Weaver and Ed Linke, topped the Senators, 3-1, on walks | | and errors. Chicago’s climbing White | three-hit pitching. The Browns beat the Athletics, 10-6, in their opener and then lost the nighteap, 7-6. WITH A HEADACHE LIKE MINE, | DONT CARE WHAT THE MARKETS DOI NG the Reds whipped the;“_m | _ Although held to two hits by Monte | had a lot of added | S GAME! STANDING OF THE CLUBS. gl E £ -=-- uoisog o~ oSeouo S TODAY. at D ‘puvioralD. shington, 1. Philadelphi; R 3 & Bl M 1 a. 6-7, wswmep “a8equR0Id -=-=" pupeg 511230 6RA0 A% GAMES Wash. T G001 6 TOMORROW. St 1 Detr Phila. at Cleve NATIONAL. RESULTS YESTERDAY. York ladeiphia S TODAY. 1 Brooklyn st Lo GAMES TOMORROW. | ALLACCEPT BLOW BYDIMAG CALMLY 'Ma Pays Tribute to Yankee Power, Dad Offers Bob Bit of Advice. By the Associated Press. LEVELAND, Towa Mother home run i the bases loaded ar wi the score tied, ) rifled the ball in Stadium’s leftfield seats, rew Fellers and daughter, Meter. Iowa, home to spacio 8t Louis at N. York. Cincinnat n in action ag Yanks, took the So did Bob. ('nncvrnod Over Son's Arm. bo u"l ‘m br Grlff s” Records BATTING Millies Bluege 00 PITCHING. H. BB 80 IP GS. Ry Pct 0 Official WASHINGTON | Aimada. cf | Bluege. 3b 1 Kuhel. 1b _ to Di Maggio t | beaten “He had missed the first fast one piece of him , eh?" observed was murder,” re- plied Bob. to have it low and o till a Hero to “M URDER in the thir marked Mr. Feller just forgot about a while, anyway. “There was speed on this curve, dad,” said “I know," d degree B | standi | the slow curve The husky youn determination “Once I get my control things wilt lighted sister was silent, E dotinz glances showed she Master Robert the greatest despite “Murderers’ The defeat was Feller's many sta Di Maggio livered with and no ba had jammed t rth in a3 clout was de- e count of two st obody was out 0| throw and a passed b *Batted for Weaver in eighth. Fox | Rogell Gehrt Green | York | Laabs DETROIT. T 85 nger bers. It 3b - ot ayworth Tot | H: winning the nightcap, | Wade. p - 6-5 in 11 innings, after dropping the | La%son. » - als | Washington 1 ‘-3‘.« Detroi Run the Tigers | Hnm;’ Fun ) Sox socked the Boston Red Sox. 6-5 ‘ Wi ldr I b. and 1-0, the latter on Monte Stratton’s | 'n‘.nu : & Quinn t ns Simj batted AR to Genringer on bases Baes on ¥y Law Hits ba off Wea Detroit of caver, son. 1 Off_Wade, pitch Wi McGowan Attendance in—Walker ) (01 000—1 ) 000 00x—3 Simmons Messrs MIN | Yankees’ Red R a single Hurls 101 Strikes, 68 Balls. LER allowed only seven hits, he Tribe r ed Ruffing Di Ma ; hits in five trips his oppon h “Iowa schoolboy” helped the cause w the The others had fore they In pitches. Sixty-eight 101 were strikes | ter category those wh | those which were fo. two stri ther hit the ball E WENT LIKE THAT — | STOPPED IT THE FASTER BROMO-SELTZER