Evening Star Newspaper, May 14, 1940, Page 37

Sports News Win, Lose or Draw By FRANCIS E. STAN. Long Time No Harmony It has been a long time since harmony reigned in Washington's own little boxing family. It was a long, lean winter and now, with the outdoor season ready to burst into bloom, things are getting worse. We mention this after having come from Riverside Stadium, where Jorge Brescia, an ageless Argentine, outfumbled one Roy Lazer in 10 rounds. There were just enough fans present to muster a robust boo. And while this was going on our own little family was busy pointing accusing fingers at the next guy. It develops the promoters are peeved at the press. This practically makes it unanimous. Mr. Harvey L. Miller, president of the National Boxing Association and secretary of the District commission, has been a little piqued at the writing boys for some time. So have the commis- sioners. Now with the promoters beefing it's—well, it's quite a beef. Which apparently is all right with the newspapermen, whose latest sin seems to have been mention that both Brescia and Lazer were laid out by Joe Louis, that in New York they wouldn't allow Lazer to fight recently because his sight was impaired, etc. It may be the boxing writers are getting a little tired of being awakened once a week—it will be twice this week—and hustled off to see a bad boxing show. Anyway, they are a little defiant. Heinie Could Make More by Selling Pencils It was a pretty dismal evening at that. One of the smallest crowds in the history of legalized boxing—671 people—paid a round-numbered $600 to see the sport. Coming as it did two days before the ghost walks for Uncle Sam’s children, the absence of customers was not surprising, but still it must have worried the rival faction, which we shall call the Turner column. These folks, headed by Joe Turner, are putting on a show to- morrow night in the ball park between Petey Scalzo and Frankie Covelli. The N. B. A. featherweight title, a little ragged at the edges, will be at stake. “I don't know what's wrong,” admitted Mr. Miller from his ringside perch. “I could make more money selling pencils on a street corner than I make in boxing. I don't have to take this beating but I do it because I love the game. But I'm tired of getting blamed for everything.” y_Mr. Miller did not seem to take kindly to a remark that, while the N. B. A. was suffering, Uncle Mike Jacobs, the individualist, was having fun. Into Uncle Mike’s lap, out of a clear sky, dropped Lew Jenkins the other night. “A lot of fuss has been made over Jenkins,” said Miller, “but we've got our own champion, Sammy Angott, and our man can lick him. But he won't get the chance,” added Heinie, bmerly. “Angott isn't in Jacobs’ stable.” % Barbs Getting Sharper and Skins Thinner ‘The two principals last night, Brescia and Lazer, climed into the ring and started to box. In the first round a cut was opened over Lazer's eye. Somebody yelled, “Stop it. The man’s blind, anyway!"” Lazer, of course, isn’t blind. Or, if he is, he can see better than any blind man we've contacted. He made a reasonably close and interesting fight of it. “See,” sighed Mr. Miller, resignedly, “that’s a sample. Some guy vells this boy is blind. We put the commission doctor on him all afternoon. He poked around and couldn't find anything wrong. His eyes aren't 20-20 but I never saw a fighter yet whose eyes were perfect.” 4 Whether this hymn of hatred is just part of a cycle or whether it is going to be chanted for quite a spell is conjectural but there is no under- estimating it. Nobody is pleasing everybody and as the barbs are being filed sharper the skins into which they are sinking are wearing thinner. Scalzo-Covelli Lone Hope at the Moment : The trouble probably started last summer when Joey Archibald and Harry Jeffra fought for the N. B. A. featherweight title. Even before that singularly rank decision was handed down, favoring Archibald,.| there was a squawk. It seems that Benny Leonard, an outsider, was specified by both managers as the man they wanted to referee. The local referees, righteously indignant, screamed bloody murder. They felt that one of their number was entitled to referee a title bout, and receive the compensation which goes with the honor. And they were right. 5 When it was over there was a fine how-do-you-do. Promoter Joe Turner got mad because the public was bilked, which meant he was, too. The Boxing Commission met, sat around for an hour or so, and went home. The newspaper boys sat down, froth still on their mouths, and batted out some pretty bitter pieces. Now Washington, for some reason, is a featherweight town. By that we mean featherweights, and welterweights, seem to be the most popular weights. Or, at least, these are the fighters used most often. After the Archibald-Jeffra fiasco, and when it became apparent that no rematch was possible so that justice could be done, there wasn't much sense in showing other featherweights here. So the promoters suffered. “I wish,” Mr. Miller concluded last night, “that people would forget the one or two mistakes that were made. Everybody makes a mistake now and then. Why do people keep harping on it? Why can’t everybody get together and push this game?” 3 Offhand, we’d say some pushing is being done, but not in the marnner to please the colonel. Boxing in our town is being pushed right down the sewer and the only hope at the moment seems to be this Scalzo-Covelli fight tomorrow If that’s a good one—and it figures to be acceptable—and if Turner or somebody else can get the Archibald- Jeffra winner to meet the Scalzo-Covelli winner things may be all right again. = But (and excuse us, Mr. Miller), the short cut to happy harmony would have been the rematching of Archibald and Jeffra. Major League Statistics TUESDAY, MAY 14, NATIONAL AMERICAN Results Yesterday. R ek ey New York. 11: Boston, 5. i B & (called end ? s, No games acheduled. 14th. darkness) 0 o STANDING OF THE CLUBS On 1940, 1y games scheduled. STANDING OF THE CLUBS g | k(10018 uojsod —~ pusiersio| i -8 uUadIIg TeauPEd @nend| = - R0X MIN GAMES TOMORROW. Wash,_ at Det.. 3:15, New York at St. L. Boston at Chicago. Phils. at Cleveland. GAMES TODAY. Wash_ at Det.. 3:15. New York at 8t. L. Boston at Chicago. Phils. at Cieveland. " GAMES TODAY. GAMES TOMORROW, Cincl. at Brookiyn, Cinci. at Brookiyn, Pittsburgh at N. Y. Pittsbursh at N. Y. 8t. Louis at Phiia. 8t. Louis at Phiia. " Chicago at Boston. Chicago at Boston. he Beflér_a—flense Goal as Harris Alfers Line-up Layoff Daesn’t Mean End for Costly Rook, Pilot Emphasizes By BURTON HAWKINS, 8tar Stafl Correspondent. DETROIT, May 14.— The Nats were to employ their invasion of the ‘West as an experiment starting here today, with the job of Rookie Jimmy Pofahl, benched in a wholesale shakeup of the Washington base- ball team, hinging on the outcome. If Manager Bucky Harris' revised lineup clicks, the youthful shortstop obtained from Minneapolis for a reported $40,000 in players and cash is calculated to see slight service. Harris, by the same token, has emphasized he hasn’t given up on Pofahl, who again will be inserted in the lineup should the attempt to bolster the Nats collapse. Pofahl, however, is hitting a modest 234 and has demonstrated a weakness on ground balls hit to his right, In his effort to cneck the down- ward plunge of the Nats, who were in seventh place prior to colliding with Detroit today in the first of a two-game series, Harris is shifting Third Baseman Cecil Travis to shortstop, Outfielder Buddy Lewis to third base, Johnny Welaj to cen- ter field and Center Fielder George Case to right field. Harris has angounced a revised batting order which will place four of the league’s fastest men atop the Nats’ hitting list. Case will retain his leadoff spot, with Lewis continu- ing to swing behind him. The fleet Welaj will hit No. 3, with Walker, second in the league in swatting runs across, nudged into the so- called cleanup position. Zeke Bonura thus is moved back to No. 5, with Travis hitting sixth, Bloodworth seventh and the catcher eighth, Welaj Key Man in Move. Figuring in the swap is Harris’ desire to explore into the potentiali- ties of Welaj, conceded to be one of the finest outfielders in the industry and a base runner regarded by many as the superior of Case, who stole 51 bases last year to lead both leagues in that department. “Welaj will receive a fair trial,” informs Harris. “He’s going to con- vince me he can hit good pitching or that he can’t. If he hits we'll stick to the revised lineup, but if he doesn’t we'll put Pofahl back at shortstop, Travis at third, Lewis in right flelyd and Case in center. “I'm nog_giving up on Pofahl and I'm 15t blaming him a bit foy our failure to win. Our pitching, or lack of it, has been the reason we've floundered. I hope the pitching will improve, but in the meantime I'm making this move in an attempt to inject some power into the lineup. Welaj will be used against right and left handed pitchers.” To Welaj, who will be 25 years old later this month, the shift repre- sents a platinum-bordered opportu- nity. Johnny, who has many sup- porters feeling he belongs among the Nats as a regular, hit .274 in 63 ' games with Washington last year | but has made only five official trips to the plate this season. _Travis, who has performed bril- liantly at third base thus far this season, will remain that way at shortstop, feels Harris, who points to the fact Cecil probably was the league’s outstanding shortstop for the last month of the 1939 season after recovering from sieges of in- fluenza and grippe. Lewis No Failure as Outfielder. Harris is inclined to regard Lewis, Who has played in the outfield only this season since joining the Nats in 1935, as a more likely third base- man, although refusing to stamp the experiment which sent Lewis to the outfield a failure. Bucky feels Buddy was progressing nicely in right fleld and he’ll be returned to that position, providing Welaj doesn’t make the grade. Bucky conceived the plan while resting after lunch here yesterday, mulled over it until midafternoon and then suddenly ordered Lewis, Travis and Bloodworth to Briggs Stadium for a workout. Others involved couldn’t be located, so Harris drafted Charley Gelbert to play first base and Coach Benny Bengough to catch in the drill. Benny, who hasn't caught in a major league game for a decade, was flattered by a confused re- porter, who asked Harris, in all seriousness, if Bengough was going behind the plate in the shake-up. “Sure.” laughed Bucky, “and I'm G base.” gonna play second Pofahl, stamped by Harris as “the best Washington shortstop since Peckinpaugh” while in spring train- ing, is the second Nat who started the season as a regular to be benched. Jimmy Wasdell suffered that fate when the Nats obtained the burly Bonura from the New York Giants to play first base. t L3 N-NOSIR! 1 DON'T FEEL SO THATGUY UP 4 AT TH' PLATE! N JUST A FEW WEEKS THE NEW NAT HAS PUT SEVERAL GAMES ON ICE WITHA AT LEAST A GUY DOESNT HAFTA RUN HIMSELF T DEATH SCORIN' ONONE O'GEE'S Blows !.. PUNCH IN THE PINCH EVEN A SINGLE OF GERRY'S 15 WELL -TAGGED - - =-AND FANS LIKE THAT SHARP CRACK OF 3 \ N APPEA| HiS BAT. MAY 14, 1940. as Hitter After gfiflh&]}jfig %iaf ~ Comics and Classified C WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, Welaj to Get Thorough Tes C—1 Nat Shake-up Benches Pofahl —By JIM BERRYMAN THE PAST-STEPPING OUTFIELDE! MAKES A GREAT RUNNING MATE FOR GEO."MERCURY * CASE ... BETWEEN THEM WASHINGTON WiLL HAVE A NEAT TOTAL OF THEFTS FOR 1CAN RUNS RS To BE ONE OF GRIFF'S 2% BETTER DEALS OF RECENT YEARS! >3 THE NAT FLYHAWK IS THE CLUB'S . weF MOST POTENT BATSMAN WHEN THE BLUE CHIPS ARE ON THE TABLE.... (Pro Grid Club Owner 'Held Tougher Than 0ld Graduafes Henderson Glad to Quit Lions to Take Job at Occidental College PHOENIX, Ariz., May 14—Take | it from the veteran football coach, Elmer C. (Gloomy Gus) Henderson, | the _howls of despairing college alumni are sweet music compared with the “win or else” philosophy of . the average professional club owner, Henderson, here for a few days’ vacation, is glad that next fall he will be in charge of the gridiron destinies of Occidental College, near Los Angeles, instead of directing the Detroit Lions of the National Pro Football League as in 1939. “Gloomy Gus,” as Henderson was known while coaching football for Southern California, Tulsa Univer- | sity, the Los Angeles Bulldogs of the American Professional League and the Lions, has a deep affection, nevertheless, for the pro game and the men who play it. “The pressure under which & coach finds himself in the profes- sional game—and it's a different type of pressure from that in the collegiate ranks — doesn’t permit much. peace of mind,” Henderson said. “The boys at Occidental won't be as ponderous as those in the pro- football ranks, but neither will the headaches.” 2 He feels that the professional leagues would be doing their players a favor if they prohibited more than five years of pro competition. “By the time a player has been through five years, he's from 25 to 28 years old and it is time that he is thinking about the future, for, after all, one can't make football s career,” he asserted. “If the player knew that his earning powers would be thus curtailed, the chances are he would give more attention to cd- ucating himself for some profession or business.” Sunday Clash Is Sought Bethesda Grays want a Sunday Kln‘:e wglth & junior unlimited team, preferably Gaithersburg. Call Bill Bort at Wisconsin 6376. Jenkins, Armstrong Signing Balked by Weight Debate Night Harness Racing Is Planned; Yankees Now Are 4 to 5 in Broadway Books By EDDIE BRIETZ, Associated Press Sports Writer. NEW YORK, May . 14.—Trot- ters and pacers all set to go un- der the lights at Mineola, L. .I. soon, now that the Governor has appointed a commission. If . George Preston Marshall was a baseball instead of & football baron, he'd go a long way to get Zeke Bonura and Buck Newsom. Estimates each as worth 175,000 paid admissions. Mail box: R. G. Lake Villa, Tll.: Last heard of Alabama Pitts he was playing Wwith & semi-pro nine in North And so it goes—Here’s Shirley Temple retiring at 11 with three million potatoes and Comrade ‘Whitney Martin quipping, “I reckon I'll be able to retire at three million with 11 bucks.” ® Rue de Sockerue: Jenkins vs. Armstrong has struck a snag. Jenkins won't sign at over 138 and Armstrong insists on 140. They’ll probably compromise at 139. Mike Jacobs, who let an option on the Boston Garden go by the boards, has been getting balder and balder ever since Carolina. Broadway books favor the Yanks, but at g n:&{l 3 shorter price—4-5 instead of the - 7-20 opening quotation. Pprof, Artie McGovern, who conditioned the Dodgers is back from a South American trip, Armstrong .and Paul Junior to fight Red Burman free gratis on the Louis-Godoy card: How sbout giving the guy another A u chance? Lou Ambers will take his first match as a welterweight soon after the stork visits his home in June. Today’s guest star—James 8. Kearns, Chicago Daily News: “One line forecast: The U, of Chicago case will scarcely be mentioned at the Big Ten meet- ing, May 24-25.” Gerard B. Swope, the retired industrialist, may be interested to learn from this week’s newsreels that he is chairman of the N. Y. State Racing Commission, a job most of us thought was held by his brother Herbert. Four regulars on the Michigan U. baseball team to run his National League string to 200. Glad to hear that move to oust Hank Crisp as director of athletics at Alabama has come a cropper and that he’ll be back on Werber Ties 2-Base Hit Mark, Mize Gets 3 Homers as Reds, Cards Play 14 Rounds Even By JUD BAILEY, Associated Press Sports Writar. The little game that wasn't there, a phantom baseball battle as far as the National League was concerned, probably was the lustiest 14-inning interlude that ever ended exactly where it started. It was an 8-8 tie between the league-leading Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, with darkness finally halting the show. It also was one of three games played in the majors yesterday, the others likewise being in the National League, with the New York Giants | beating Boston, 11-5, and Brooklyn downing the Phillies, 6-3. It’s a story begun on an historic occasion. A flood April 23 washed out a contest the Cards had sched- uled at Cincinnati. It was the first time a flood ever had caused post- ponement of a major league game. Umpires Were Missing. Later, some one thought of using the open date both teams had on Monday, May ‘13, when they would be heading East together after play- ing a series in St. Louis. The newspapers were notified. Fans were told. It was a special ladies’ day and 9370 women thronged Crosley Field. But the National League office in- New York didn't know anything about it. President Ford Prick didn't assign any umpires. Larry Goetz, one of the league's regular staff of arbiters, was located enjoying a day off at his home in Cincinnati and summoned to duty. Coach Jim Wilson of the Reds and Pitcher Lon Warneke of the Cards were pressed into service and the game got started half an hour late. Manager Bill McKeachie kept it unique by send; Johnny (Yeh, Double No.-hit) Vander Meer to the mound for the first time this season. Before he could get anybody out in the fourth he had given up five walks and five hits, including three home runs. This was only the overture. John- ny Mize hit three home runs and Joe Orengo one for the Cards. Bill Werber of the Reds tied a major league record by getting four dou- League Leaders By the Associated Press. AMERICAN. tting — Averill. Detroit, Wright, chm-m' .301. 3 Ruj . Washinston, liams_and Poxx. Boston, a Philadeiphia, 18 each. Runs batied in—Foxx, Boston. 27; Walker, Washington, 20. cplte—Cramer, Boston. 36; Wright, Doubles—Boudreau, Cleveland, 12; e Lows, ~ Washinston, and S hin e Frokt Bieveland. 7 bes B , 7 Kuhel. Chicago, and Foxx, Boston. 6 each. Btol 3 103 Walkor Washimrias g vhinkton, PiteliineBabich ' Philadelohs. 4-1: Boston, 3-1. s NATIONAL. ing, New York, .307; Batting—Dann k. 8t. Louls, 373. e e B Tadis, 21 Leiber, 488 5 Wile Mones, bles. Cincinnati used five pitchers and St. Louis four. With the score 17-7, Clyde Shoun of the Cards and | gp Milt Shoffner of the Reds, both southpaws, hurled six scoreless in- nings from the seventh through the 12th. In the first of the 13th Mize hit his third home run and the Reds rapped right back with a run on a pinch-double by Bill Hershberger. and a single by Werber. That was the way the game ended an inning later when Umpire Goetz called the game because of darkness. The tie kept the Reds half a game in front of the second-place Dodg- ers, who put down the Phils with a minimum of effort. All the Phila- delphia’s three runs were scored in | K the fifth, Hugh Casey holding the visitors scoreless before and Vito Tamulis shutting them out after. Manager Leo Durocher made four | Bag hits to lead the assault on Ike Pearson. < Giants Sixth in Row. ‘The third-place Giants snatched their sixth straight victory with an economical 10-hit attack on six Bos- ton pitchers. Frank Demaree homered with two on in the first, Bill Jurges tripled with two on in the third and Babe Young doubled two runners across in_the fourth. Five consecutive walks by Joe Cal- lahan gave them two of their other tallies. Winning Nine Challenges Winner of five straight games, the Fort Myer Q. M. C. nine want a game with some strong unlimited team tomorrow. Call Di Pasquali at Oxford 3219. Judd and Dettweiler | batt was the latest victim in a double- header, 12-10 and 10-9. Peewees Need Opposition Briggs Boys Club Peewee nine is seeking a Sunday game. Call Mich- igan 7780. Chicago. and Moore, New York. 17. Runs Dbatted natl, and . Louis, A 31;*Danning, S Boutics: Fadacit . Lo 8: four m—mma:m& %&mnml;n Fre. | Cincinnatt, 6: ymc. th and ining, New H v STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY e FOR'EM BUT I CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT RUNs* OUR PITCHERSY * GIVE AWAY' /1 Cronin's Slab Shifts Keep Sox on Top Boston’s Relief Trio Big Help; Joe Looks For Yank Advance By TOM SILER, Astociated Press Sports Writer. CHICAGO, May 14.—Joe Cronin still plays plenty of shortstop for the Red Sox, but he's almost as busy serving as traffic director be- tween the Boston bullpen and the pitcher's mound. His clever handling of a so-so pitching staff accounts to a great extent for Boston's front-running | position in the American League as | the first swing through the West begins. The Red Sox have won 16 of 22 games, but only five times has the starting pitcher been able to finish a game. No one pitcher has started and finished two games. Thus 17 times Shortstop-manager Cronin has had to wave in relief from the bullpen—usually the veteran Joe Heving, Rookie Herb Hash or Jack Wilson. Relief Trio Sturdy. This trio has scored seven vie- tories against one loss. Fine relief work and experiments with the mound employes have kept the of- fensively powerful Red Sox ahead of a hot Cleveland team Cronin has used 10 pitchers in 22 games, and all of them except Heving and Charlie Wagner have received at least one starting assign- ment. Hash, 25-year-old Minneap- olis recruit, has been the most ef- fective, winning three, losing one, and allowing 11 hits and 5 runs in 20 innings. But Cronin isn't discouraged over this heavy bullpen traffic. He hopes to come up with a couple of re= liable starters from among the seven under 30 years of age to go with ageing Bob Grove and Fritz Ostere mueller. Finds League Stronger. “The league looks stronger all around,” he asserted in comment- ing on the current race. “Teams like St. Louis and Philadelphia have improved and are really tough. Cleveland, with a sweet shortstop in Lou Boudreau, is in the race to stay. “The Yanks will be up there, all right, just give them time. Of course, how long it takes them to fourth frame when the winners | get in the race now depends a great scored 11 runs, four on Johnny | deal on how close the Red Sox and Pahlow’s home run .with the bases | the Indians stick to their- present loaded. Johnny Shumate and | Pace.” Catcher Toms also hit circuit clouts. e e s %o | Hoyas Seeking 10th Win On Princeton Diamond H 3 Georgetown University’'s nine © | sought its 10th victory of the season o |today at Princeton and was a fa= 0| vorite to whip the Tigers. Prince= | ton yesterday divided a twin bill | winning the first | game, 9-3, and losing the nightcap, 6-4, in seven innings. Vinnie Powers and Capt. Johnny 2d 3), Day, ). | Smith were ready for mound duty Tone'), sity Slsuor Daly’ Eofe- b | for Georgetown, and Coach Jos Tobklen. Pon'“ell,l «;z.)t.‘ ,3‘1’..’:_ P::L.ficd.mse:e- | Judge was expected to use the Iqr- BV Winiams. MacLoed (). ‘Eahlow’ (3. | former. The Hoyas meet West Vir- ate (4). Kinsman (7). Toms. Eaton |ginia Friday at the Hilltop and close out against George Wash- ington next Tuesday at Griffith Stadium. HUH 2 Now WAIT A MINNIT! ALL1 DO IS BLINK MY EVES ONCE ~- AN’ THERE YOU ARE-.SAFE GET All-Around Baseball By B.-C. C. Crushes Little Hoyas Pahlow’s Homer Clears Loaded Runway; Tech Noses Out W.-L. Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School's baseball team doesn't rely on pitching or batting to win game. | It counts on both. | Playing Georgetown Prep at Gar- : rett Park yesterday, Jack MacLoed | | yielded only five hits and struck out | 13, while his teammates bagged 16 hits, three homers. Result: Be- | thesda, 24; Prep, 6. The main damage was done in the | [ "o oon? LA [ Tobin.If Powell.2b 1 Decker.c.p Y Barrett.p Kunkelrf 8alb.3b Siater.1b_ Daly.cf__ s D] PITTT e Hre H22230mism EYETCETRErae: wssssmas Totals 28 & Bethesda-Chevy Chase __ 001 1 Georgetown Prep . . 100 Runs—Williams_(2), Loed (2), « 0 Tobin (3), . 1; off rrett. 3: 9 for Toms. ' Losing Umpire—Mr. Morrissey. Homers helped Tech stop Wash. ington-Lee at Ballston yesterday, 5 to 3. Marty Green and Third Base- man Rados homered in the first in- ning to get the Gray an early lead. Charley Green, Tech hurler, held the hosts until the sixth when the Little Generals pushed across two unearned runs. al a) Mahoney. pitcher—Barrett. THE MURIEL SENATOR SEZ: g 11 Rl sssumommas? 25 P s8%sa Aeva nhmisn sl L | ©l sssommm PEEH i o (ORISR 1 =57 R Suwnorans omoaomac? & § B, ETACETRRE N Totals 30 §27 13 - 200 200 001—5 ~ 000 002 010—3 Rados. Geronimo. Wil- ‘Shepherd (). Dol O ~—M. Green, Clomei Ci B s Itch—Havener. Sheoherd. " Uimpire—ar. Coben I know the big city has some mighty high buildin’s. But they ain’t half so high as the value men put on Muriel ««.their favorite nickel cigar that's increased 23% in popularity. A CAPITAL CIGAR FOR UTHERN ASSOCIATION. gr‘l'unsam 16: Atlanta, 10. MURIEL CiGARS WASHINGTON TOBACCO CO. WASHINGTON, D. C. - «