Evening Star Newspaper, April 18, 1940, Page 39

Sports News I]B anfing %i&f Comics and Classified C WITE SUNDAY MORNING EDITION WASHINGTON, D. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1940. * o—1 ollingsworth Among Nat Lefthanders Harris Plans to Pitch Against Yanks Win, Lose or Draw By FRANCIS E. STAN, Big Train No. 2 Arrives on Time More than ever before, Bob Feller is reviving memories of Walter Johnson. When the boy bumpkin from Iowa first exhibited his fireball in 1936 he was hailed as another Big Train, although not everybody who hailed him was 100 per cent positive about the comparison. Some merely meant that he had hayseeds on his coat and could throw a baseball very hard. But now Robin has fulfilled practically every prophecy. Like Johnson, he needed a couple of years to get the hang of things. To find out a little something about the hitters . . . to get over the newness of big league life . . . to learn how to hold runners on the bases . . . to feel free and easy and at home with the older players, some of whom he read about when he was a youngster. Feller put in those two years. Last year he blossomed when he won 24 games and lost 9. Indeed, the year before he had won 17 and lost 11, but this mark was not hailed. For most pitchers this would be a fine record, but not for Feller. The ballplayers and the managers knew that Bob wouldn’t stop at 17 games. Not when he learned how to keep the enemy from stealing games from him by bunting and waiting him out and stealing bases. So last year was when he blos- somed. Practically All the Hurlers Were Hot Now Feller moves into another season. He started it with a no-hit, no-run game. A no-hitter is a rare feat, of course, but Robin’s per- formance caused no great surprise. Especially when it came so early in the season, when all of the pitchers are ahead of the hitters. At the same time, there is no minimizing Feller's game. In April or September, a no-hitter is a no-hitter. The impulse is there . . . the Impulse to say, “Well, it's early and the hitters haven't got their eyes on the ball and . . .” The box scores to date strongly suggest this to be true, too, because on the day that Feller hurled his no-hitter practically every pitcher was hot. Here in Washington Robert Moses Grove, in his forty-first year, pitched a two-hitter after retiring the first 22 hitters to face him. He | won for the Red Sox, 1-0. His opponent, Dutch Leonard, wasn't so bad, either. The Boston run was unearned. In Detroit, a Tiger cast-off, young Slicker Coffman, beat his old mates, 6-1 Against Feller, who won, 1-0, two White Sox pitchers delivered the kind of hurling which normally would win. Kirby Higbie of the Phillies held the Giants to three hits, Paul Derringer of the Reds nosed out Bill Lee of the Cubs, 2-1, and Whitlow Wyatt of the Dodgers turned back the Bees 1-0. The Day When Leon Pettit Debutted These opening games, and the only one played yesterday—the | ‘Yankees' 4-to-1 victory over the A’s, with Pearson and Potter hurling— seemed to indicate that pitchers look better than they really are. This may be true . .. undoubtedly is true. As a rule pitchers are far ahead of the hitters in April and the first half of May. A few years ago the Washington club came up from the South, and in the second or third game of the season, playing the A's, the starting pitcher was yanked and Manager Bucky Harris motioned to the bullpen. A little left-hander, no youngster but a rookie, walked to the box. He was unknown to local fans. He was in a tight spot, Leon Pettit was, but he struck out Rog Cramer, Bob Johnson and Jimmy Foxx in order, and | the next day he was hailed as a great pitcher. He wasn't a great pitcher. Not even a good one. Leon simply had a curve ball, like most left-handers, and the hitters hadn't seen a curve that spring that danced so well as Leon’s. A couple of weeks later Pettit was just another pitcher and a couple of seasons after he drifted back to the minors. . Y A Good Sleep on Every Third Night But with Feller, say baseball people, it is different. He won't pitch & no-hitter every time he works. wild, although his control is getting better every week. But, day in and day out, he will be practically unbeatable. Grove was, and is, a great pitcher. In his heyday there were few who were or had been better. He looked as good as ever the other after- noon but the day was comparatively cool and dark. Grove isn’t a 31-game winner any longer. Not even a 20-game winner. He can't pitch often enough, for one thing. Again, Lefty may be bothered by hot weather. ‘When it's 106 in the shade in St. Louis, or when that copyrighted Wash- ington humidity starts, it may be tougher for Grove to pitch two-hitters. Leonard is a good pitcher. Another season like 1939 and he will be marked as a great one. But Dutch isn't a Feller. Nor is Coffman nor Higbie nor Lee nor Derringer, even. Feller still is a youngster. He won't be 22 until next November and by that time Robin. barring accident, ought to be sitting back in the lving room at Van Meter, Jowa, and pondering his price for the 1941 season on the strength of, perhaps, 30 or 32 pitching victories. With his fast ball, his curve, his youth and his temperament Feller today is the most valuable ballplayer in the world. He is worth more than ‘Williams, Di Maggio, Keller or any other star. Bucky Harris said it all one day in Orlando, Fla., after Oscar Vitt, manager of the Indians, had Just finished telling a sad, sad story based on the chipped ankle bone sustained by his new shortstop, Lou Boudreau. . “There's a guy who hasn’t got the greatest ball club in the world,” Harris said as Vitt walked away, “but every third night he can go to bed and get a good night's rest, because the next day Feller is going to pitch.” That's the way the Washington managers slept, too, when Johnson ‘was ir his prime. 5 Lawsuit Bars Bées’ Scarsella From Playing in Cincinnati By the Associated Press. BOSTON, April 18.—Les Scarsella, the Boston Bees’ ill-fated spare first baseman, will be unable to accom- pany his teammates to Cincinnati, his home town, this season, it was | learned today. ' Scarsella is being sued by his father-in-law, who also resides 1ni player’s wife was killed as they were traveling to the Bradenton, Fla. training camp in February. Manager Casey Stengel has given Scarcella permission to remain in Boston when the Bees play in Cin- cinnati. The situation is similar to the one that kept Pitcher Paul Der- ringer of the Reds out of New York last season until a suit brought against him for assault and battery was settled. Cincinnati, as a result of an auto- mobile accident in which the ball Sometimes he’ll get licked. He's still | Dodger Casfoff Clever Hurler, Pilot Feels Charlotte Farm Gets Dean; Club Faces Six-Day Jaunt By FRANCIS E. STAN. Their inaugural series at home curtailed by inclement weather and drawing to a close, the Nationals are looking forward to their first adventure on the road. This starts tomorrow when the Nationals help the world champion Yankees open their season in New York. From a Washington angle this 3-game series may be highly significant. Suffering from the loss of Joe Di Maggio and Utility Out- fielder Jake Powell, the champions are shy of right-handed batting power. As a result the Nats are going to follow the example set by the Athletics and deluge the Yanks with left-handed pitchers. Manager Bucky Harris today made the series possibly significant by announcing that Al Hollings- worth, the big southpaw procured recently from the Brooklyn Dodgers, probably will face the Bronx Bomb- ers in the third game on Sunday. Everything that Hollingsworth has done so far has pleased Bucky and he is willing to gamble on the fellow who was sent here by Larry Mac- Phail on 30-days trial. Al's Arm Okay, Griff Says. Harris’ plan was to pitch either Sid Hudson or Joe Haynes in the Red Sox.finale today, if weather permitted the game, and open with Ken Chase in New York tomorrow. On Saturday Joe Krakauskas will get his first test and then, if either wins, Bucky will pitch Hollings- worth. The idea has the enthusiastic ap- proval of President Clark Griffith, who also has been watching Hol- lingsworth closely since he was ob- tained last week. “I don't know why he couldn’t pitch for the Dodgers,” said Griffith, “but I know one thing—his arm is all right. He's had plenty of stuff every time he's worked here.” Griffith still has three weeks to keep Hollingsworth and yet retain the privilege of returning him to Brooklyn and keeping the $7500 which MacPhail paid for Catcher Tony Giuliani. But Al's chances of sticking with the Nationals seemingly are far better than when he first got off the train and reported at the ball park. For one thing, both Harris and Griffith like him off what they've seen. If Hollingsworth is a hopeless case, which MacPhail's dismissal in- dicated, he would not be getting consideration from Harris as a fellow to throw against the Yankees. Secondly, there is the release to Charlotte of Rookie James Henry | Dean, the big right-hander, who won 21 games and lost only four in the Florida State League last year. Dean, of course, isn't ready for the majors, but this much was known weeks ago in Florida. Weather Has Harris Bothered. Yet Jim was retained, just as Hudson, Walter Masterson, Gilberto Torres and others are being kept, because Harris was short of pitchers. Yésterday, however, Griffith an- nounced that Jim was being shipped to the Piedmont League farm team for further seasoning. The an- nouncement seemed to suggest that Hollingsworth’s presence was re- sponsible. Meanwhile, the brain trust of the Washington club is hopeful for better weather. Even that single postponment yesterday messed up Harris’ slab plans a little. It has been a long time since Hudson, Haynes and Krakauskas have gone to the pitching post. They can't afford to idle many more days. If they do, they may lose some of that edge created by nearly eight weeks of training in the South. The club will hit the road to- night and will be gone six days— six crucial days. The first three will be spent battling the Yankees and the next three playing the Red Sox in Boston. Michigan Elects Beebe ANN ARBOR, Mich,, April 18 (). —William Beebe, backstroke star from Wilmette, I1l., has been elected captain of the 1940-1 Michigan swimming team. A JOINT LETTER TO JUPITER 15,000 Fans Expected At Opening Games 0f Infernational Half Holidays Declared By Jersey City and - Baltimore Mayors By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, April 18.—Now if only the weatherman will be as co- operative as Mayors Frank Hague of Jersey City and Howard W. Jack- son of Baltimore, the International League will open its- 57th baseball season today on all fronts, before an expected attendance of 75,000. Their honors have declared half holidays in their respective cities, but the weatherman must “play ball,” too. Officials expect 45,000 or more at the Jersey City opener against Mon- treal in answer to Hague's procla- mation urging citizens “to assist in setting a record attendance.” Last year Jersey City established a new minor league mark of 45,112. Mayor Jackson issued a similar proclamation in Baltimore, where the Orioles open against Buffalo, but if the expected 9,000 fans do turn out he will have to give an as- sist to Gov. Herbert R. O’Conor, who instructed department heads to give time off to State employes. Newark, playing host to Toronto, | StLI_ 0L anticipates 12,000 customers and Syracuse expects 10,000 to see the Chiefs battle the Rochester Red ‘Wings. SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION. Atlanta. 7: Chattanooga, 1. Knoxville, '7: Nashville. 7 (tie), Little Rock. 8; New Orieans. 4. Birmingham at Memphis, rain. Beartracks Greer Pitching Marvel of Minors at 39 Knock Knees, Satchel Feet, Love of West Keep Fort Worth Star From Majors By FELIX R. McKNIGHT, Associated Press Sports Writer. FORT WORTH, Tex., April 18. =Only five things kept Ed (Bear- tracks) Greer out of major league box scores—two knock knees, two satchel feet and one love for the West. . Old Beartracks is a great base-' ball pitcher—with reservations. Frankly, baseball wise men say # still isn’t too late. Some big league club with a venturesome spirit would be making a low- odds gamble to try him just one season. Eighteen years of base- ball have only served to develop Beartracks’ control. Only last season this hulking man won 26, lost 12 for Fort ‘Worth of the Texas League. No youngster came within hailing distance of the 39-year-old fel- low's 229 earned run average. Nor did he suffer in the Shaugh- nessy playoff and Dixie series. The E. R. average in those five games was 193. Now he’s at it again. Two weeks before the Texas League opening, Manager Bob Linton advised Beartracks he would hurl the opening game; advised him to get his failing legs ready. Beartracks did a little private training. Beartracks, be it ex- plained, moves with the approxi- mate grace of a charging rhinoc- eros. His five ererors topped pitch- ers last season. But Beartracks hurled that opening game and choked for- midable Shreveport, 6-0. Four days later he came back and whipped Beaumont, 2-1, on five hif ts. Old Beartracks got one major league shot when Frankie Frisch * was managing the Cardinals. But, the story goes, they didn’t under- stand Beartracks. . Some one tried to.make an ath- Baseball. Georgetown. 3; Navy. 2 (10 innings). Juniata, 16: American University, 4. t)wru'_|| Washington at Maryland, cold Pennsylvanis, 1. 1. [ l lete of Beartracks, and Bear- tracks definitely is not an athlete. He is strictly a strong-armed thrower. He's a clean living, solid, witty swell fellow. Getting old? Well, Beartracks managed to pitch 288 innings last season to lead the league over the regular season. He pitched 30 full games and added five more in the playoffs and Dixie cham- pionship. Beartracks, to get at it gently, 1s light on grace. gnrtmn stands’ 6 feet 2 inches and weighs close to 200 pounds. He has tremendous strength. Originally a Virginia boy, Bear- tracks showed up out in Denver Results of College Contests Track. &:hollc U.. 103; Gallaudet, 33: Amer- cat Sou th Carolina, 85%: the Citadel, 45%. Lacresse. Maryland, 6; Army, 2. ‘Tennis. : Temple. 1. Oeflrleawn: 2 glfl. 7 3 siph-Macon, 0. 'mnl I“"llm Willism end in 1922 and applied for a pitching job. He got it; stayed there 11 years winning ball games. After Denver dropped baseball, Greer bobbed up in the Cardinal system. First he went to Hous- ton, where he set things afire. But Beartracks got homesick for the West—almost jumped the club in ’33. Then he went to Columbus, where he worked in 39 games in '34, winning 15% losing 11. Next came the Cardinal experiment that failed. Beartracks was ship- ped to Memphis where, in 1935, he won 13, lost 13. But Beartracks disliked the deep South; wanted to go West again. The Fort Worth Cats stole Beartracks for $1,500. He came to Fort Worth, liked the town im- mensely and settled down. For the past five years Bear- tracks Greer has been the idol of Fort Worth. He is & winner; & workhorse. TODAY BASEB 3115 PM. Washington vs. Boston AMERICAN LEAGUE : PARK Next Thurs—Phile.—3:15 P.M. | Maijor Statistics THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1940, AMERICAN. Results Yesterday. Boston at Washington. wet grounds. York. 4: Philadelphia, 1. 8t Louis at Detroit. rain. Cleveland at Chicago, rain and cold. the 19}, XI0X M3 wjudepeIud | PUREAID sinoT el 110/ 1] 0/1.000° _ n_o[uj;: jias i 5 t Fhile. at Bos." () Det. at Cleve. Chi. at 8t. L. NATIONAL. Results Yesterday, Philadelphia at New York, threatening weather. Brooklyn at Boston, cold and wet grounds. Pittsburgh at St.’ Louis. rain. Chicago at Cincinnati, rain, 3 sh. N. Y. at Phila. Cleve. at Chi. 8t. L. at Det. puiuea | Donen! I 01 0101 0/ | ol 1111 1 Games Today. ila. at N. Y. at St. L. Stars Yesterday By the Associated Press. Monte Pearson and Charley Keller, Yankees—Former’s four- hit pitching, coupled with Keller’s home run and one-run single, steered champions to victory over Athletics. , 4; As, 1 &l -] H 5l ommcosow? > g2 ag 5 eI Hayes.c Ru'ling.3b K| Bl 2l ormorums! 3ok 3l oBoomms | orsorsmucammnsl »| cocoomoomommit | soorcnonmswnmnd ) Bl nonoomsrossss® Totals 2 *Batted for Lillard in eighth. tBatted for Potter in eizhth. New York & Philadelohis -~ 000 001 000—1 Runs—Rolfe, Keller (2). Dahlgren, Mc- Ooy. Runs batted n—Ogmdnn Keller (2‘\. Moses, Rolfe. Two-base hit—McCoy. H run—Keller, Sacrifice—Pearson. plays—Dahi| ossettl to ing 3 S i n, 2. . 4: by Pearson. 5. tter. 7 in 8 innings: off Beck- man. none in 1’ fnni Losing pitcher— Potter. Umpires—Mi Quinn, Pipgras e WINDSOR !!. YORKER Individual Two-Tens Uphelsterin ) ly 338, PAUL BROS. yime, —By JIM BERRYMAN Boxing Has Struck New Low, Declares Pastor, Forced To ‘Stump’ for Bouts By BOB McCORMICK, Associated Press Sports Writer. ALBANY, N. Y, April 18.—Bob Pastor, who went 21 rounds with Joei Louis, aimed a few verbal blows at | Johnston, Pastor's manager) will get the fight business and came up with | the idea that you have to be a poli- tician to get a bout nowadays. “Boxing has hit a new low,” Pas- tor told an Albany service club yes- terday, “when a ranking fighter has to go out on a stump and make speeches like a politician to get him- self a fight.” After he'd returned to his Saratoga Springs home, Bob amplified his statement. Boasts of Louis Bouts. Pastor, it seems, figures he's a ranking fighter, as good as any heavyweight around save, maybe, Champion Joe. Didn't he go 10 rounds with Louis before the latter had won his title? And didn't he clip the champ a few good ones be- fore finally going down in the 1ith round of their championship fight last September? “Yes, and I'll clip him a few good ones again if they ever let me in the ring with him,” he said, confidently. “I still think T can lick that Louis. I've fought him twice in two years and beaten every good heavyweight 1 | around, but I still can't get & fight.” Pastor might have something there. Since his last Louis battle he’s fought just once, winning a 10- round decision over Buddy Scott in Dallas, Tex., last December. Twice he claims to have been set to go, but each time something happened. Sure He'll Kayo Conn. “Lee Savold was supposed to fight me,” he explained, “but he went out and got himself licked by one of my former sparring mates, Johnny Withers. Then I was set to meet Billy Conn, but he got a case of boils and I was put off again.” Conn, Bob thinks, is a vastly over- rated fighter, and one he'd like to catch in the ring this June. That’s objective No. 1. After that—and $1.50 CASH BAL. MONTHLY Including your old tires FULLY GUARANTEED Fit all Fords, Chevrelets, Plymouths sad Dedges from 193¢ to 1940 LEETH BROS. 1220 13th St. NNW.- ME. 0764 Pastor is certain hell knock out Conn—he wants Louis in September. | “is another shot at Louis and that title, and I'm certain Pop (Jimmie it for me. “But if I have to stump the coun- try like a politician to get fights, ““What I really want,” he added, Rivals Lining Up Southpaws fo Foil Champs A’s Find Righthander Can’t Stop New York; Keller Sparkles By the Associated Press. Until Joe Di Maggio gets back into the line-up for the New York Yankees the world champions are sure to see & more or less constant stream of southpaw pitching. Connie Mack, who has to take chances with what material he has masquerading as pitchers, tried a right-hander yesterday in the only game of the day in the major leagues, and the McCarthymen went right to work for a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. But Mr. Mack knows the formula as well as he knows every other rule of the thumb in baseball. He gam- bled with Lefty Lovill (Chubby) Dean and won the opener the day before and he has announced that young Herman Besse, a rookie south= paw from Memphis, will be thrown into the Lions’ den today. Five Southpaws in Line-up. Although the scheme doesn't al- ways work, the American League managers have been feeding left- handers to the Yankees for years. Typical of the result was Washing- ton’s record last year. The Nationals won seven times from the Yanks and three of these victories were on southpaw pitching, the other four on the unique knuckleballing of Dutch Leonard. The rest of the staff didn't count. With Di Maggio in sick bay, the Yankees have five left-handed bat- ters in the line-up, four of them coming to the plate in succession. Besides Di Maggio, the only right- handed hitting outfielder on the Yankee squad is Jake Powell and he is in a hospital and may be lost for many weeks because of a brain concussion. Di Maggio hoped to get back into harness tomorrow when the Yanks make their first home stand against Washington, but the Yankees themselves were skeptical and some thought he might be out for several more days until his twisted knee strengthens. Di Mag’s Power Is Missed. There is no’ question that his power against both right and left- handed pitching is sorely missed. In the opener, which New York lost in 10 innings, the Yanks col- lected only six hits, none of them more than a single, and yesterday they won with a somewhat skimpy seven. The only one of these good for more than one base was a homer by Charley Keller. In fact, the Yanks might have been edged out again in spite of Monte Pearson’s 4-hit pitching if Keller hadn't expressed his au- thority. He walked to lead off the fourth inning and scored New York's first run, homered for the second and drove in the fourth with a single. okay, then I'll do it.” 14th&G Tth &K Unfavorable weather forced post- ponement of all the other games. =——HAHNHN *3212 14th *“Open evenings *4483 Conn. Ave. FLORSHEIM Open o TRIPLE-THRIFT Account .M.R“!”o J G%,kw « « with a new kind of lustrous glow that is -tartll.nlly smart, is our latest improvement on the highly popular “hand-staining” or “antiq- uing” of le,theu e+« & process that takes longer and imparts a deeper color, an added Character, to tan leathers. See our samples of hand-rubbed leathers . . . and tell the salesman to have your new tan Florsheims hand-rubbed « « « there is no extra charge! Most Styles 85 wi *10