Evening Star Newspaper, January 29, 1942, Page 39

Sports News The WASHINGTON, D. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1942 WITE SUNDAY MO&NING EDITION ?fi zning %taf Comics and Classified C C-1 Service Teams Overlooked as Southern Colleges Go Without Football Dates ¢ Win, Lose or Draw By FRANCIS E. STAN. Over the Hurdles in Short Jumps FORT MYER, Va., Jan. 29 (Delayed).—The main delayers were Cowboy Gene Autry and half a hundred jumping horses whose flesh was strong, but whose spirits were weak. The oat-burners took up time balking and rebalking at the jumps and Mr. Autry, who forgot to bring his horse, remembered his voice. But don’t get us wrong—The President’s Birthday Horse Show was a great spectacle, anyway. Last night’s program was good and this morning’s was even better. ‘The show lasted so long that when Battery C, 55th Field Artillery, thundered into the riding hall for the finale and shot off a cannon the barracks began to empty of soldiers who thought it was reveille, Some things can be both long and good, especially when you're thirsty in the summer. This was the case, too, with the opening night of the big hoss show. The President is having a birthday and so it was one of those parties where people came early and stayed late. There were reports that tickets had sold for $50 apiece. A person who spent that much jack certainly was entitled to a soup-to-nuts course. No Heckler Was Absent William S. Hart Between the halves, so to speak, two rare old coaches with mounted escorts were drawn into the hall and the celebrities were herded into the seats to be driven around so that the customers might have a good look. It was a swell idea but somebody forgot to turn on the lights. With his 10-gallon white hat, -however, Autry was distinguishable and the re- nowned baritone must have sent up fervent prayers of thanks that William S. Hart wasn't on hand to see him. With both Claude W. Owen and Thomas P. Morgan, jr. listed on the program as being on the Trophy Committee some of the Arnica Hall, Uline and Griffith Stadium subscribers were expecting Phil Furr and Wild Bill McDowell to spring into the arena at any moment and start where they last left off in the squared circle. Speaking of boxing, Promoter Mike Jacobs never puts the feature event last on the program, but that's what was done when the Horse Show Committee reserved the big duel between the four lady riders and the four males who accepted their challenge. It was early this morning when the gals and guys began hopping the 12 bars aboard their undoubtedly sleepy critters. At the time these were the only bars hereabout without brass railings. The gals had a big early lead, thanks to Mrs. William Haggin Perry riding a brute named Thunder Boy, but they blew it when Miss Sara Bosley’s Prince Tex decided the hour was late and the course too tough, and when Margie Cotter's Rocksie, of all animals, decided it wasn't his night—er, morning—to play Pegasus. There’s No Form to Jumping Horses, Either There is no more form to these jumping critters than there is to the flat-racing kind. The aces of the two teams were Miss Cotter and Lt. Fred Hughes, jr., riding national champion Rocksie and the fabulous Black Caddy, respectively. Miss Cotter was charged with 81; points and Lt. Hughes with 11, which is tantamount to Joe Louis being outpunched by Bob Pastor. The horse that wowed the customers was Thunder Boy. Mrs. Perry never had ridden the beast in a show until last night and this morning. Indeed, she wasn't even sure Thunder Boy could get into the joint unless the commanding officer at Myer ordered a side of the wall removed. The men now lead, going into the final round, 13 to 1213, but Coach Larry Lawrence of the Sweet Young Things refuses to concede gefeat or heed cries of “Fire the coach!” Coach Lawrence used his ‘body- English to lift his team over the hurdles, but in defeat he remained philo- sophical. *Was Rockne always ahead at the half?” he demanded, in- #ignantly. One of the questions before the house had to do with woman riders wyersus the men. The gals did all right. Mrs. Perry stole the show by winning two of the six events and getting three second prizes. Mrs. Hughes grabbed a blue ribbon. Going into tonight's final round against the men, Coach Lawrence’s team is trailing only 13 to 1215. “It can be done,” insists the coach, “Remember George Stallings!” And Again Shakespeare Emerges Triumphant A silence fell over the place between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 12:10 am., but then it came time for Miss Cotter (weight, 108 pounds) to lift Rocksie (weight, 1,300-odd pounds) over 12 jumps, of which four come in a row, but twice. Miss Cotter, as you must know, “yells” her pet nag over the jumps. The first time Rocksie began hitting those four hurdles in a row, according to unconfirmed reports, air-raid wardens of Arlington and Buckingham Villages routed themselves out of bed, strapped on their arm | bands and demanded a blackout, ostensibly under the impression the ©. C. D. had changed the air-raid siren signal. All kidding aside, though, it was fun. The confirmed hoss lovers Joved it. The laymen didn't know what was going on but they loved if, too. The birth certificate proved particularly intriguing, for instance. In the fifth race—er, fifth event—there was an entry by Haphazard out of Unknown. In the previous event Reckless and High Time ran or jumped out, and Enterprise only got a third-place ribbon. It seemed to prove that Shakespeare was right when he asked, “What’s in a name?” The show goes on again in a few hours. It winds up tonight, the horse-jumping people having promised to cut many minutes off their flying time. But it really doesn’t make much difference. It's a terrific show and it's for a great cause. The proceeds, as everybody knows, will help | many a kid afflicted with infantile paralysis to soar over a barrier that’s ] high . .. but not too high. ' 20 Years Ago | In The Stae Catholic U. officials refused to confirm or deny reports that Phil Robb would be ousted as foot- ball coach at the Brookland school. Gar Wood, holder of a string of speedboat records including the world mark of 80.567 miles per hour, announced his re- tirement from speed racing. Georgetown staged a late rally to top Lebanon Valley, 41-36, in a basket ball game at Ryan gym. Fine Rmerica;l League Season Is Seen by Prexy Harridge B the Associated Press. CHICAGO, Jan. 20—Day, night or twilight games, the American League will have a good baseball year in 1942 in the opinion of Presi- dent Will Harridge. “I am inclined to believe that if the race is at all close, plus the * Soulh_ar—olina, Xavier Would Sign Them Tulane Seeks Bigtime Opponent for Game Dropped by N. Y. U. By ROMNEY WHEELER, Associated Press Sports Writer. ATLANTA, Jan. 29—It looks like light fare for football teams of Army and Navy posts next fall un- less they organize their own leagues. Most Southern gridiron powers are sticking to collegiate foes. Although smaller universities like Mercer University at Macon Ga.; Howard College at Birmingham and the University of the South at Se- | wanes, Tenn., have abandoned foot- ball, members of the Southern and Southeastern Conferences show lit- tle inclination to fill open dates with service games. ‘Withdrawal of Mercer left Geor- gia’s Orange Bowl champions with- out an opening game, but Dr. W. O. Payne, faculty director of ath- letics, said: “I think we will try to find col- legiate competition. Of course, if we cannot do so we might consider | & service game later on.” ‘Bama’s Schedule Is Full. Coach Frank Thomas of Alabama, 1942's Cotton Bowl champion, sched- uled Mississippi Southern College after Howard College withdrew. He | said this gave Alabama nine games, | but if anyv other opponents discon- tinued football service teams would be considered. | South Carolina in the Southernm | Conference and independent Xavier of Cincinnati were the only schools reported actively seeking games. | Coach Rex Enright said South Car- | olina hoped to book an opening | game with Fort Jackson September }19 and another game with Camp Croft October 10. Both Army posts are in South Carolina. Xavier’s | athletic director, Clem F. Crowe, sald he had open dates October 10 and 31 and hoped to fill one with a serv- ice game. |~ Florida, Clemson and William and | Mary were considering the possibil- ity of service teams as opponents, but none had reached definite com- | mitment. Davidson Negotiating. Davidson College in North Caro- lina, seeking te fill & date left open by Sewanee, was reported nego- tiating with Georgia Tech. Tulane University, with & vacancy on the date previously assigned to New York University, was believed hunt~ ing s major collegiate opponent. Vanderbilt said it might let its Sewanee date remain open if a suit~ able opponent could not be found, but added Vandy would welcome service games for freshmen and members of the second team. Furman’s Coach Dizzy McLeod said he would schedule games with service teams in any sport, but ex- plained the Furman football sched- ule already was full. Auburn ex- pressed willingness to play, but said its schedule lacked openings Most of the other schools in both con- ferences reported their slates com- plete, and no withdrawals antici- pated. Last year two Southern Confer- ence teams played regular games with service teams. Wake Forest in North Carolina opened against Camp Davis with a 65-0 victory, and William and Mary defeated the naval apprentice team in a warmup encounter, 53-0. Big League Notables To Attend Banquet 0f Umps Tonight Members of the District of Co- lumbia Umpires’ Association will| “rully 'round the festive board to- [ night at the Continental Hotel, | scene of their annual banquet. Arch McDonald, master of cere- monies for the evening, will rap the | assemblage to order at 7 o'clock and instead of calling ’em the umps will sit back and let Arch do it. He’ll have a sizable list of guests from which to choose the speakers, including Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris, Bill Werber and Ossie Bluege of big league fame and a host of well-known sandlotters. Two Quints Seek Games Priendship House unlimited basket ball team and the Comet team of the 14-16 age group are after games. Call Joe at Lincoln 6202. INTERESTED SPECTATORS—Lord Halifax, British Ambassador, with Col. W. W. Gordon, com- manding officer at Fort Myer. Night Tilts Again For School Fives The public high school basket ball series is going back to its original night schedule for the remainder of the series, accord- ing to an announcement today by Hardy Pearce, head of the Department of Health and Phy- sical Education. Friday and Saturday night double-headers originally were moved to daylight hours and sev- eral shifts made in the schedule earlier this month shortly after beginning of the war, There has been a marked falling off in interest and attendance since this change. ; “It was a quesfia& morale,” Pearce said in announcing the shift back to the original sched- ule. “We want to give the stu- dent and public what they want, and they want night games.” —Star Staff Photos. Terry Doesn’t Know All Job Calls For, but He Is Boss By JUDSON BAILEY, Associated Press Sports Writer. NEW YORK, Jan. 29.—For some reason there continues to exist a semi-secret about who is running the New York Giants. To cléar up the confusion, therefore, it may be well to state that the top man is a certain William (the Terrible) Terry, even | though he himself says he doesn’t know what his job is. Early in December Terry moved out of the managership and into the front office of the Giants. At first it was announced that he would be general manager & and then his title was modified to general manager of the farm sys-, tem. But Terry is much more than | quiet drawl. that. Some one asked if signing the He arrived in town yesterday for | Giants’ players were a part of Ter- conferences with President Horace ! ry’s task and he answered: Stoneham and Manager Mel Oftt “Use your own judgment.” and held a huddle with his old friends, the New York baseball writ-| This led right smack into the ers. In the course of the conversa- | question of what were Terry’s duties tion some one asked the sauve Mem- | and the inevitable signoff: phis farmer how long he expected| *“I don’t know what I'm going to to stay at the Giants’ training |have to do. I'm just a man of all work around the office.” camp. “Well, till after all the players| He disclosed, however, that it was e PIBYET® | he who negotiated the deal for First extra night games and possibly with Sunday double headers, we'll have a pretty good year,” Harridge declared today. Nor does he believe the degrease in automobile tires will injure at- tendance. “In other years,” he said, *people left the city for week ends, but this year they will be looking for entertainment in the city. On the other hand, I believe the out- of-town fan will continue coming in on bus or train to watch big league baseball.” ‘The major leagues will hold a Joint meeting in New York Tues- day to discuss expanding their night game. schedule. Twilight games, being considered by Cleve- land and Detroit, may also be dis- cussed. Vitt Expects Hollywood Help From Cleveland BS the Associated Press. HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 29.—Oscar Vitt, deposed manager of the Cleve- land Indians, expects help for his Hollywood club from the Tribe. Vitt, newly ngmed manager, says Chief Lou Boudreau at‘Cleveland gr‘::‘.tlcauy has promised to send & pitcher or two this spring. By HUGH FULLERTON, Jr, Wide World Sports Columnist. NEW YORK, Jan. 29.—Jackie Conn, Billy’s kid brother, is about to start a ring comeback at the ripe old age of 19. He has been working on a farm and reports he is packing 198 pounds of mus- cle—which makes us wonder whether it would be better for Billy to become a farm hand or to teach Jackie to fight. Couple of Oregon colleges are going to try putting the basket ball officials in crows’ nests be- hind the backboards and giving them loud speakers to explain their whistle tooting. Linesmen, who won't be on the court, will call out-of-bounds. Joe Guyon, jr., former Catholic U. gridder and son of the old Carlisle star, is about to become the first American Indian to fly for the United States Navy. Today’s guest star — John Mooney, Salt Lake Telegram: “Since athletics are falling in line magnificently with the De- fense bond and stamp buying program, why wouldn't it be the patriotic attitude for some of those well-known proselyting in- stitutions to pay off their athletes in bonds and stamps instead of scholarships and tuitions?” Service dept.—Marshall Wayne, who won the Olympic diving championship in Berlin, is a lieu- tenant in the 3d Photographic Squadron. He says he hopes to dive on Berlin next time from something higher than a 33-foot tower. Appropriate names—In a re- cent boxing match between the 32d Division of Camp Livingston, La,, and the 3d Armored Divi- sion of Camp Polk, Heavyweight Bill Bomber of the 32d stopped Pvt. Rank in the first round. Five Texas Army establishments, Brooks, Randolph and Kelly Pields, Fort Bam Houston and » Guyon, Ex-C. U. Gridder, First Indian to Fly for Navy Bomber Stops Pvt. Rank in Army Fight; Jack Conn, Bill’s Brother, Returning to Ring Fort Duncan, will enter teams in a Southwest service roller derby tournament in March. Shear nonsense—Hitting hard for more colorful reporting, the Washington Post recently de- scribed a gal wrestler as “a bustle- bound blond” Tommy Fitz- gerald of the Louisville Courier- Journal claims the Eastern col- leges shouldn’t have trouble find- ing reserve football material next fali—not with all those subs off the coast . . . and Jack Troy of the Atlanta Constitution thinks the war maygcut so heayily into reserve material that theyll be calling them “curtail backs.” Hot stove warmup—Jedge Landis has asked Pacific Coast League officials for the files on the case of expectorating Eddie Mayo vs. Umpire Ray Snider, which was supposed to have been settled when Mayo was restored B Johnny Mize of the Car- dinals and that it was he who had talked to Mize recently by phone and ordered him to Hot Springs, Ark., to thaw off some weight. “Mizé told me his shoulder was all right,” said Terry, and then in an aside added, “but he’s probably as fat as a pig.” He also disclosed that he had an agreement with the Cardinals that he could return the big slugger if his shoulder kept him from playing. “When I ... when we made the deal Branch Rickey assured me that his shoulder would be okay and I told him I'd send him back if it wasn’t,” he explained. Ott was present during the. inter- view, sitting quietly on the fringe of the group of reporters, even though Terry tried several times to shift questions over to him with a “there’s the manager, he knows all about it” suggestion. he'll have a job with the Tigers but Piedmont League scribes won- der if Jack and Del Baker won't weaken when they see Dick try to field a ground ball. When Lou Boudreau was in Cleveland for the Jeff Heath din- ner; he ducked the brass hats and collected & bunch of the players for a barbering session in his T ‘oom. Ted Gullic writes Milwaukee club bosses that he had a “dis- appointing” hunting season. He bagged only 401 pheasants instead of the usual 500. Just like a ball player — complaining about his average. Looking ahead—While an in- jured elbow has kept him from taking an active part in the cur- rent pro tennis tour, Frank Ko- vacs has been riding the truck that hauls the troupe's equip- ment and occasionslly lending a hand at driving it. Wonder if he's in training for & steady job when the trip ends? Central Branch Scores Central Branch ringmen, led by Billy 4 SPICE SHOW—Movie celebri- ties took a tallyho ride around the ring at Fort Myer last night as Gene Autry en- tertained with a song. Back | of him in the coach (left to | right) are Michele Morgan, Eddie Arnold and Dorothy | Lamour. Man With Top Batting \Record of All Time | \ls Honored at 13 Hugh Duffy Among Stars To Receive Awards at Hub Scribes’ Dinner B the Associated Bress, BOSTON, Jan. 29.—The specter of the highest batting average of all| time hung today over the crowns of | baseball's two greatest hitters of 1941. Boston baseball writers at their annual dinner last night paid trib- ute to Joe Di Maggio of the New York Yankees, who hit safely in 56 consecutive games. and to Ted | Williams, the Boston Red Sox star, | who batted .406. | But the highlight of the evening | | was the writers’ presentation of a |gold wrist watch to littie Hugh Duffy, the 73-year-old wonder who back in 1894 set the never-threat- ened batting mark of .438. Hugh Mulcahy Honored. Another wrist watch went fo a second Hugh—Pvt. Hugh Mulcahy, erstwhile mound toiler for the Phil- adelphia Phillies, first of the mod- ern crop of players to enter the‘ | armed forces. Di Maggio received the Paul| Shannon Trophy as the performer | of baseball’s outstanding feat of the | | year. The Jake Morse Trophy, pre- | | sented to Boston's most valuable | player, was awarded, in absentia, to | until he was ruled out. Woman Riders Trail Men, but Show Spirit Half Point Back, They See Victory Tonight In Show at Myer By LARRY LAWRENCE. The Star’s team of famous eques= triennes, not one whit discouraged by losing the first round of the women-vs.-men match at the initial performance of the President's Birthday Horse Show at Fort Myer last night, today calmly are plan- ning to overcome the lead of a half point and chalk up a final victory over the quartet of male riders at tonight’s showing. A distinguished gathering of Gov= | ernment officials, beribboned diplo- ts, cinema notables, officers of the Army and Navy, socialites and every Washington horse fan who could obtain a ticket filled to over- flowing Fort Myer riding hall and cheered till the rafters rang the superb horsemanship and match- less riding of Margaret Cotter, Mrs. W. Haggin Perry, Sara Bosley and Mrs. Fred J. Hughes, jr., as they battled to a standstill the best male riders the Army and the civilian horse world could furnish. The particular star was Mrs. W. | Haggin Perry of Cobham, Va., who rode a great horse, Thunder Boy, to | the low score of the match. Yes- | terday was the first time Mrs. Perry ever had mounted the 18-hand gelding and it must have been love | at first sight, for the Virginia sports- voman not only rode Thunder Boy to the low score of the match, 112 | faults, but earlier in the evening scored a blue in the open jumping class with the big fencer. Hi Ho Thrills Crowd. Following Mrs. Perry’s round, Maj. C. B. McClelland put his big jumping Smacko over the tough course for a score of 4'; points. Then came Mrs. Hughes on her flery Hi Ho, the splendid little mare elec- trifying the crowd with a splendid 3-fault round. Sam Bogley took his ex-circus horse Ringmaster over the barricades with the low score for the men’s team of 2 faults. The Star team was leading by 2 points at this stage of the match, but their ext performer went bad. Sara Bosley’s Prince Tex suddenly took a dislike to the going and refused Then Black Caddy, one of the most consistent | of jumpers, also went haywire with an outsized score of 11 points. As only the total score of the best three counted, the final issue was up to the two last members of the respective teams, Margaret Cotter’s national champion Rocksie and the spectacular Easterner, Lew Dunbar, with Gordon Wright of Scarsdale, N. Y., up. For once in a crucial contest Rocksie let her adoring mistress down and registered a score of 814 points for an indiffer- ent round. The decision was in the power of the New York horse, As Lew Dunbar went so went the match. As the spectators moved to the edges of their seats the Manhattan favorite cleared one jump after an- other with but a few inconsequential faults until he came to the tough Toronto bank there he struck and struck hard and finished the round with six faults. The final reckoning was The Star team, 13 points; the men’s team, 12!, points. And this | scribe still is betting on the women. Mrs. Perry Has Big Night. It was a big night for the Perry Stable with Mrs, Perry doing the hard work. One of the top riders of the Old Dominion, the blond horsewoman not only starred in the men vs. women match but rode her latest acquisation, Thunder Boy, to a merited win of the featured open Jjumping class over a field of 33 out- standing fencers. Under Mrs. Perry's inspired riding the big gelding romped around the course taking every barricade faultlessly in his giant stride. Streamline, ably ridden by Lt. Cross of the 3d Cavalry, ; are signed, I guess,” he replied in his | | Williams. | also had a faultless ron 7 The Sox slugger, going into the |beaten in tho Sl Lo Toia Army, sent his regrets, leaving his| Boy. Mrs. Perry came right back in | 406 mark for the boys to shoot at| the next class, the open hunters, to before they can think of approach- | register a win with her reliable | ing Duffy’s mark. Hydrogyro and also rode the Perry | Newsome Outstanding Rookie. bay gelding Ragnarock to the second Heber (Dick) Newsome, Red Sox | Place. | pitcher who won 19 games last year, Shirley Payne stepped from his ;won a trophy as Boston's outstand- | daily vocation as a private in the | ing rookie of the year. 3d Cavalry to assume his former Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, Re- | role as trainer and top rider of the publican, of Massachusetts told the | SPringsbury Farms by piloting gathering he hoped sports would be | Looter, one of the best of the increased rather than curtailed. | SPringsbury string, to an impressive Other speakers included Ira Thomas, | Win of the green hunter class. An former Philadelphia Athletics catch- | €xtremely large field of 41 good- er; Johnny Evers, second baseman | looking youngsters, which had ex- of the 1914 pennant-winning Bos- | ceptional performances, made the | ton Braves; Jimmy Conzelman,| ~(See HORSE SHOW, Page C-2.) | coach of the Chicago Cardinals| ==———————————=—————— football team, and Mayor Maurice | J. Tobin. At the Sign of the Moon Writers in East ‘Swell’ to Menki By the Associated Press. PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 29.— New York sports writers are gentlemen—and swell guys. Nancy Menki, 15-year-old swimming star, home from an Eastern trip to aid the campaign against infantile paralysis—a disease from which she once suf- fered —said she “didn’t know sports writers could be so nice.” Nancy was their guest at a dinner in New York. The sports writers shared with President Roosevelt, Eddie Can- tor and Johnny Weissmuller her description as “swell.” Established 1893 Save 1 to 13 On Tailored to Order SUITS & OVERCOATS Priced as Low as $32:50 . Meriz & Meriz TAILORS 405 11th St. N.W. H. J. Proehlich, Successor 3