Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 March 1939 — Page 6

WERBER TO HELP CINCY'S REDS IF HE PLAYS UP TO RECORD

‘

BELLAIR,

Fla., March 18(U.P.)—George :

~ F. McLaughlin of Chicago, scored a 5 and

PAGE 6

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 1939.

4 victory over Edwin H. Vare Jr., of Phila.

delphia to win the Belleview amateur golf - title yostorday,

BILL WERBER, third sacker acquired by Cincinnati

from the Athletics, is a colorful ball player and should bolster the Redlegs’ innerworks. . . . He paced the American League three times in base stealing and is - regarded highly as a fielder. . . . His lifetime batting mark is .279 and he 4 walloped 11 home runs for the Mackmen last season. . ... Lew Riggs has held down the hot corner for four years at Crosley Field and now has a battle on his hands. Bill scored 92 runs in 1938 against 53 for Lew, batted in 69 runs from a

leadoff position as |

against Riggs’ 55 in seventh place, collected 11 homers to Lew's two, stole 19 bases against three, and drew 93 walks while Riggs strolled gratis 40 times. American League scribes | say Werber’s shortcoming is a ten ency to create dissefition on a team and he is known as a “clubhouse lawyer” by managers in the junior major loop. Werber is a Duke University graduate and first hit the big time in 1930 for a short tryout with the Yankees. . . . He was shipped to the minors and Joined the i . Yankees again in 1933. Bill Werber : He was, sold to the Boston Red Sox and in 1937 was traded to the Athletics for Pinky Higgins. With Werber in the Reds’ fold, Don Lang, young third sacker, probably will be turned over to the Indianapolis club, it was reported around the Florida Grape Fruit League yesterday. ... And if waivers are obtained on Riggs he might also slip back to the minors. . . , He was developed by the Columbus American Association team. Werber is 30 years old, stands 5 feet 11 inches, weighs 170 pounds and bats righthanded. . . . Riggs is a lefthanded sticker and Lang swings from the right side. .

| Settles ‘Ownership’ Question

HE long debated question as to “ownership” of a batter to whom a retiring pitcher has delivered a few balls, and who then faces relief man, is settled by this year’s big league scoring rules, thus: “With the count two or three balls and one or no strikes; if the batter reaches first base, charge to first pitcher; if he strikes out or is otherwise retired, credit relieving pitcher.

“Count three and two—same as above.

“Count two and two—charge to relieving pitcher, whether batter is retired or gets on base.”

1939 Ruling Cited

it SQoME years ago the majors passed a rule which prevented scoring a stolen base if the steal were accompanied by a balk, wild pitch or passed ball. The 1939 reading follows: “The paragraph forbidding the crediting of a stolen base to a runner who had started to steal, and the pitcher was guilty of a balk, has been eliminated. “Likewise the paragraph forbidding the crediting of a stolen base when a wild pitch or a passed ball occured after said runner has started to steal, has been eliminated. “In both instances the Baseball Writers’ Association committee figured the runner’s action in starting the steal probably caused the balk, wild pitch or passed ball.”

: the

Joe Williams—

AMPA, Fla., March 18.—It may not be so easy for the Cincinnati Reds to win the pennant this year. For one thing, they go to the post with the press box jinx on them. Which is to say the experts are picking them to win. For another thing, they won't have Lee Theodore Grissom running the bases for them. It seems that Mr. Grissom, or Winged Foot Mercury, as he is known in the camp, has reluctantly abandoned his ambitions to restore base running, especially base thievery, to the awesome pinnacle it occupied in the days of Ty Cobb, Hans Lobert-and Max Carey.

He’s Not Appreciated :

FRUSTRATED individualist who has been forced to bow to the dreary dictates of conformity, Mr. Grissom confessed today it was no use. “They don’t appreciate me,” he said. On Aug. 24 last season, Mr. Grissom, who is a left-handed pitcher,

attempted to steal second base with two down in a game with the Philadelphia Phillies and was thrown out. In sliding into the bag with a graceful if somewhat violent flourish he twisted his ankle and was lost to the club for the rest of the season. “That cost us the pennant,” said Bill McKechnie, the manager. “We lost by only six games and the way Grissom was pitching he probably would have made the difference. It was a dumb play and I told him if I had had a gun in the dugout I would have shot him.” Genius is often misunderstood, and the reward of the pioneer is usually a contemptuous sneer. Once before in his life Mr. Grissom stole a base and on that occasion it won the ball game. “They don’t remember that when they criticize me now,” he says, bitterly. “And what was wrong about trying to steal second with two out, even if we were leading; wouldn’t I have been better off on second than first?” There is nothing that Mr. Grissom won’t do to broaden the scope and effect of his genius. One year he read in| the newspapers that Lefty Grove attributed his improved pitching form to the extraction of four ailing teeth. , “If that will help Grove, it can’t do me any harm,” Mr. Grissom reasoned. So in the hope of keing doubly benefited he had eight teeth derricked. Perfectly good ones tco. Only the true ambitious are willing to make such heroic sacrifices in the interest of success. Once the drama beckoned Mr. Grissom and he responded with characteristic fervor. Someone suggested that with his manly profile " he would be a glamorous addition to Hollywood, but it was pointed out he would have a better chance if his hair was curly.

There's No Stopping Him

NomuNe can stop Mr. Grissom once the urge to do big things stirs in his soul. He went out and got himself a permanent marcel. All the folks in Los Molinos, Cal, agreed it looked right pretty but Hollywood remained stupidly unresponsive. It was like the time he tried to steal second; they. didn’t appreciate him.

At present Mr. Grissom is concentrating on pitching. He isn't

- very happy laboring under stuffy restrictions which keep him shackled to the bases when the eagle in him callssout for flight. “But I'l give ’em all I've got anyway,” he promises, gravely. The other day he gave the Yankees all he had and it was too much for the world champions. He turned them back with one hit in five innings. His pitching opponent happened to be Mr. Lefty Gomez, another man of genius. Between the two exists, or did, a common bond of understanding, sympathy and fellowship. “Now when I come to bat,” said Mr. Gomez, “I don’t want you to

cut loose. You just lay that ball in there nice ‘and easy. And when

you come to bat I'll throw you nothing but fat ones, too.” -Mr. Gomez Is Double-Crossed y:!

R. GRISSOM said nothing could be fairer than that and shook hands warmly with brother intellectual. But when Mr. Gomez came up three men were on base and Mr. Grissom almost blew the Yankee pitcher out of the park with his fast ball. “So that’s the kind of a heel you are, eh?” sneered Mr. Gomez. gust wait until you get up there.” The wait wasn't long, and soon the t was three and two. Mr. Grissom, who bats lefthanded, decided his critical stage-if he batted righthanded he might achieve the = ired results, but unfortunately the best he could produce was a feeble infield out. | Walking off the hill the lefthanded Mr. Gomez scoffed: “If it ba ’t been three and two I'd pitched to you Tighthanded, you bum, I do mean you.” a shattered fragments of a beautiful friendship lay 22 god and morose on the fleld as & dying tropical sun "gipped behin the

‘| The

‘| that

| Four Teams Pick Up Cage Title Chase Here Indian Camp Is Busy Place These Days

derson Indians Given Slight Edge Over Foes In | Semifinal at Tech

Meet Greencastle in First Game; Franklin and Aurora Clash.

ur high school teams, alreacly established as the the “class” of this neighborhood as a result of their regional victories, were to take up the state basketball title chase this afternoon at the Tech gym in one one {of the four semifinals tournamen e schedule was to send Anderson’§ Indians against the Greencastle Tiger Cubs at 2 p. m, with Aurora’s Red Devils and the Grizzly Cubs of Franklin battling an hour later. Matinee winners will meet at 8 o'clock - tonight, with the conqueror there moving into the state finals next! Saturday at the Butler Fieldhouse, along with victors at Evansville, Hammond and Muncie. Dopesters who had shown outright! boldness earlier this week, today were not so confident of their local| choices. Coach Archie Chadd's Indians still were given a slight

edge, but their defeat by Green-| -

castle or the Aurora-Franklin winner hardly could go as an upset.

Everybody Knows Anderson

The Redskins, a familiar name in semifinal and final play, have a season record of 15 victories and seven defeats. In those seven defeats, however, is one by Greencastle in December. But the guessers tho like Anderson will tell you Chadd’s pupils always are at their best the eliminations. a Glynn Downey's Greencastle five was in the semifinals after an up-and-down season. But the Tiger! Cubs apparently were in shape, having overcome illness, injuries and bit of dissension in their camp. Their season record lists 10 victories and as many defeats. Their regional victims were Pine Village and Clinten. The second afternoon game was to bela match of conference champions; Aurora came to the Tech gym carrying the Southeastern Indiana; title, while Franklin boasted the South Central circuit championship.

First Time for Franklin

It was the first semifinal for the Grizzly Cubs but they had behind them their 22d sectional and eighth regional triumphs. The Franklin season record lists 17 victories, including one over Greencastle, and three losses, Ft. Wayne South Side claiming one of these.| If rh had to be a local “dark e,

horse,” that honor went to Aurora. Devils went through the regional the “hard way,” defeating Connersville and Rushville. It was in the Connersville game, incident. ally, that the Devils registered on 42 per cent of their shots. That was much for Connersville, which! at the same time was making good > per cent of its tosses.

{ Forward Probably Out

Aurora hopes were given a late setback with the announcement Norman Steele, regular forward, (was a victim of tonsilitis and probably would not see action. Coach! C. J. (Dutch) Schmidt indicated the would use Dewers, Cutter or Ohlmanseik in Steele’s spot. Although Indianapolis and Marion County was not represented in the . tournament, a crowd of 4500

Semifinal Schedules

Indianapolis 2 p. m.—Anderson vs. Greencastle. 3 p. m.—Franklin vs. Aurora. Evansville 2 p. m~—Vincennes vs. Salem. 3 p. m.—Garfield, Terre Haute, vs. Bosse, Evansville. Hammond 2 p. m.—~Frankfort vs. La Porte. 3 p. m.—Elkhart vs. Logansport. Muncie

2 p. m.—Auburn vs. Burris, Muncie. 3 p. m.—Ossian vs. Kokomo. Winners of afternoon games at each center will meet tonight at 8 o'clock for the right to compete. in

I U. Is Threat To Oklahoma

National Semifinals.

LANCASTER, Pa., March 18 (U. P.) —Indiana University, Big Ten Conference champions, had six men in today’s semifinal round of the National Collegiate Wrestling Championships and threatened to dethrone Oklahoma A. & M. as national titlists. The Aggies, seeking their third straight team crown, sent five grapplers into the semifinal bracket, while Illinois qualified four, Franklin and Marshall three, Lehigh three, Michigan two and Minnesota two. Tallying one point for each fall, PF. & M. led the scoring with six and Oklahoma A. & M. was secona with five. Other scorers were Lehigh four, Minnesota, - two, Cornell of

diana, C. C. N. Y., Illinois and Colorado Aggies, one each. There were no upsets. Double fall winners included Burgess, F. & M. 121 pounds; Hanson, Minnesota, 128; Masem, Lehigh, 145, and Raab, F. & M., 165. The Aggies from Oklahoma still were favored by the spectators, despite Indiana’s greater number of semis. The Cowboys’ big four in the penultimate round were Joe McDaniels, 121; Woodrow Dorex, 128; Stanley Henson, 155, and Johnny Harrell, heavyweight. No other team appeared a likely possibility to enter the title fight between the Hoosiers and Oklahoma.

Begins Organization Of Softball Loops

The Em-Roe Sporting Goods Co. will organize seven types of softball leagues to play this season. Leagues to be formed include industrial, church, independent, downtown merchants and state, all playing at night, and senior and junior twilight leagues. Night games will be played at Stout Stadium, and twilight coutests at city park diamonds. Teams interested are asked to contact Billi

was expected.

Britton at the Em-Roe Stare,

renew | exhibition hostilities with their International League farm club, the Jersey City Giants, today. The Giants, having licked the i adelphia Athletics twice and Jersey City once, are seeking their fourth straight Grapefruit League victory.

f —— SARASOTA, Fla.,, March 18 (U. P.) —Playing their eighth exhibition me in as many days, the Cincinnati-Reds come here to meet the Boston Red Sox today. The Reds scored a 5-4 victory in 11 innings over the Detroit Tigers yes-

starts.| Manager Bill McKenchnie selected Ray (Peaches) Davis as his starting pitcher.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 18 (U. P.).—The St. Louis Cardinals and ew York Yankees resume their orida series today. They broke even in the two games they played|last week-end. The Cards nosed the Boston Red Sox, 5-4, yesterday when rookie shortstop Joe from Sacramento tripled

CLEARWATER, Fla, March 18 Ji—With three pitchers travLakeland for sore arm treatment the Brooklyn Dodgers be up a stump for a hurling tcher Jim Winford joined Van Mungo and Wayne La Master on ney excursion to Lakeland yesterday while most of the club was out deep sea: fishing,

NEW! BRAUNFELS, Tex., :March 18 (U. P.).—Manager James T. (Doc) otho of the Philadelphia Phillies) was confined to his hotel room day with an attack of grippe. | His physician said he might be lost|to the team for a day or two. feantime, President Gerry Nugent denied that he would make rissle changes in the club rose ter. Bb >

CHARLES, La, March

”" ax Py) ~Although the competition for the third base position

_ on the Philadelphia Athletics still

hot fight,

terday (for their fourth win in seven|

e winning run in the 12th.

Busy Week-End in Store For Grapefruit Circuit

san ROUGE, La., March 18 (U. P.).—The New York Giants will |

Lodigiani of San Francisco was in temporary possession of the hot corner today with Joe Gantenbein and William Nagel.

LOS ANGELES, March 18 (U. P.), —Manager Gabby Hartnett named Jack Russell and Charlie Root to pitch for his Chicago Cubs today in an exhibition game with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs yesterday

defeated their city rivals, the American League White hile Sos, 10 to 2.

ONTARIO, cal, | March 18 (U. P.).—Manager Jimmy Dykes brought his Chicago White Sox to Ontario today to meet Los Angeles in the. first game of an exbition tour up and down the coas

NEW ORLEANS, March 18 (U. P.).—The Cleveland Inidans’ pitching corps knuckled down to hard work for their game with the Philadelphia Athletics today after Manager Oscar Vitt's lecture yesterday. Keenly disappointed at their unimpressive showing, his headache was relieved slightly at word that former Yankee pitcher, Johnny Broaca, had Sinead and would report to the ribe

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 18 (U. P.).—The St. Louis Cardinals boasted another exhibition schedule victory today through the efforts of Rookie Shortstop Joe Orengo, who tripled in the 12th inning to give them a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox of the American League. Another conference of club officials with Joe Medwick, slugging holdout outfielder, produced nothing.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex., March 18 (U. P.).—The St. Louis Browns celebrated the signing of Buck Newsom, their pitching mainstay f last season, with a 3-0 victory er the Philadelphia Phillies. Newsom signed yesterday for a figure not revealed, but which was believed to be about midway between the $12,500 he was offered originally, and the $20,000 he was

the final tournament at Butler|}

Six Hoosier Wrestlers in|

Iowa two, and Penn State, Navy, In-|

Bill Terry

Believes He Has Winner But Right or Wrong He Has Rebuilt Giants Into New Machine.

By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

- BATON ROUGE, La., March 18.-= Building a pennant winner in one ;

~~ |year is quite a task in any league,

but Bill Terry, with a cold gleam in his eyes looks out at the 1939 edition of the New York Giants and tells you he thinks he’s done the job. . And Terry may be right. But right or wrong he -has ripped the old Giants apart and come up with a rebuilt outfit that smacks of more

| |power and potentialities than even

John Wilson, former International League pitcher, is trying for a comeback with the Indianapolis Indians at their Bartow, Fla., training camp. He stands 6 feet 2 inches and is a native of Georgia. He opened up with Toronto last year but a siege of sickness put him out of action,

Villanova Foe Of Buck Five

Ohio State Bests Wake Forest in Eastern Tourney.

PHILADELPHIA, March 18 (U. P.).—Ohio State’s towering quintet, which shattered all-time scoring records at the University of Pennsylvania’s Palestra Wake Forest last night, meets Villanova tonight in the Eastern Division finals of the National Collegiate Basketball Tournament.

The Buckeyes, winner of the Western Conference title, blotted the Southerners from the tourney picture in a sensdtional game, 64 to 52. Villanova outclassed Brown, 42-30, in the opening tilt of the double-header before 3500. The winner of tonight’s’ final automatically will qualify to meet the Western Division victor in the playoff at Evanston, Ill, March 27.

Ohio broke the Palestra scoring

record of 53 points held by Army, and the Buckeyes scintillating forward, Dick Baker, netted 10 goals and five fouls for 25 points to topple the court’s high scoring mark

held jointly by Roy Menzel of Penn |’

and Lou Meyer of Dickinson.

San Diego State Gets

‘Surprise Package’

KANSAS CITY, Mo, March 18

(U. P.).—San Diego State received |;

a 135-pound “surprise package’

from home today—sharp shooting|’ Billy Patterson who was sent by| plane to point his crippled team in|.

the final of the National Inter-

collegiate Basketball Tournament against Southern College of Win- |; | field, Kas.

Patterson, captain and star forward during the regular season, was unable to accompany his teammates here because he could not gat leave from his job as Y. M. C. A. physical director. , Last night, however, when San Diego defeated Peru, Neb., Teachers, 49-29, and advanced to the final, students here and in California passed the hat and collected plane fare for Patterson. : . Southwestern, paced by Lloyd Tucker, the tournament’s highest scoring player, ended the 26-gamc winning streak of Glenville, W. Va., State, 46-37. Tucker made 19 points to bring his tournament total to 65 for four games.

BE

Pair of Missouri Valley

Fives to Play in Finals

DENVER, March 18 (U. P.).—The Missouri Valley goes on parade tonight when two of its top cage teams fight it out for the championship of the National A. A. U. Basketball Tournament here. The tournament had proceeded to its usual finale, a game between two teams of the Missouri Valley League for the championship. This time it was the Bartlesville, Okla., Oilers versus the Denver Nuggets, both ex-national champions and both eager to be the 1939 titleholders. For the past three years, the two finals entrants have been from the Missouri Valley circuit, In the semifinals last night Bartlesville defeated the Hollywood Metros, 53-30, while Denver eliminsled the San Francisco Olympics, 43-3 i

Casting Teams Tie

- The Indianapolis Casting Club and a team representing the Vonnegut Hardware Co. tied, 441-441, in’ ascasting match at the Tabernaclé Presbyterian Gym last night. High individual honors went to Alvis, who counted 98 points.

Win Shooting Match

- Hoosier Rifle and Pistol Club marksmen downed the International

: Harvester team, 940-881, in a match

in defeating |,

Manager Ray Schalk, an old catcher himself, dons the big mitt for a light workouts. The Cracker is recovering rapidly from the throat infection which forced him out or harness early this week.

Tribe May Run Through First Game Tomorrow

Times Special BARTOW, Fla.,, March 18.—The Indianapolis Indians baseball team will hold its first practice game at Municipal Park here tomorrow if enough Tribesmen are in camp at that time, Leo Miller, club president, said today. Yesterday’s arrivals at Bartow swelled the total in camp to 21, but 12 of them are pitchers and catchers. Manager Ray Schalk has delayed the usual sifting out process

Favorites Meet Golf Long-Shots

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., March 18

(U. P.) —Two favored teams meet a pair of dark horse entries today in

the semifinal of the fifth annual National Amateur-Professional Best Ball Golf championship. National Open Champion Ralph Guldahl and Morton Bright, of Daytona Beach, the favorite tandem, engage the Michigan pair of Marvin Stahl, Lansing, and Chick Harbert, Battle Creek. Denny Shute of Coral Gables and Bill Stark of Jacksonville, second choice entry for the title, play Jack Grout of Hershey, Pa., and Maynard Ramsey, University of Florida golf champion.

Z ed 8 3

J

BLUE POINT

pending the arrival of more infielders. Newcomers yesterday were Doug Wheeler and Justin Stein, infielders, and Milton Galatzer and Glenn Chapman, outfielders. It was the affable Wheeler who won the support of many local fans during ‘the 1938 spring training season with his performance at first base. A strained back, however, shelved him after the squad returned to Indianapolis. Stein probably will be a candidate for shortstop. He took his first workout yesterday, along with Galatzer and Chapman. Robert Loane, Oakland, Cal., outfielder, is reported to be en route here. He will be the last of the listed players to check in. President

~| Miller indicated, however, that sev-

eral other promising candidates may be on hand by Monday or Tuesday.

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some of his pennant-winning combi-

| | nations.

There are still some question marks, but on the whole Terry has done well in rebuilding a disinte grating ball club. The old landmarks are still there —Mel Ott, Joe Moore, Carl Hubbell, Hal Schumacher and Harry Dane ning. Around them Terry has transplanted names strange to the Polo Grounds—Zeke Bonura, Billy Jurges, George Myatt, Manuel Salvo, Frank Demaree and others.

Right-Handed Slugger Most important addition of all is Bonura, the big first baseman Terry, maneuvered out of the American Bonura, no Fancy Dan around first base, is expected to give

the Giants a right-handed home-run hitter to keep pace with Ott’s left handed power. The Giant infield is all new from Bonura on around. Next to Zeke is the big question mark—Burgess Whitehead, who is trying a comeback after a year of idleness resulte ing from an appendectomy and a nervous breakdown. Whitehead’s future depends large« ly on whether he can regain his shattered confidence. If Whitehead can go, the Giants’ infield will reek with class. If he can’t, Terry has to produce a second baseman out of a hat. Alex Kampouris is next in line put he couldn’t fill the bill last year. Hafey in Reserve Jurges, from the Cubs and probab« ly the best defensive shortstop in the league, teams up with George Myatt, feet-footed lad from Jersey City, on the left side of the infield. Myatt is likely to be the league’s top base stealer. He's no Pie Traynor at third but his arm is so good he can knock down balls with his chest and still get his man. If Myatt fails, Tom Hafey, a longdistance hitter from Knoxville, will get the third base job. The outfield is set with Moore in left, Frank Demaree from the Cubs in center and Ott in right. Demaree, whose batting average slumped 51 points last year to .273, is expected

| by Terry to hit close to his lifetime

average of .307. Gumbert Moves Up For the first time since the Giants won the pennant in 1933 under Terry, Carl Hubbell won't be the No. 1 man. Harry Gumbert, who won 15 games last year, is likely to step into that role. Hubbell, however, is the best bet of the Giants’ “cripples” to stage a comeback. His arm is progressing nicely and he can be counted on to win just as many games as can bs

expected from a 35-year-old pitcher with a stitched-up elbow.

The other three flingers trying to

: make comebacks are Hal Schue

cessful, it would be “Katie bar the door” for the rest of |the National League contenders. Schumacher’s operation apparently was a success. Castleman’s back no longer troubles him |and Melton’s fast ball, which va shed in midseason last year, gives evidence of returning. Harry Danning, rated by many as the league's top catcher, will be aided behind the bat by Ken O'Dea, the pinchhitting ace from the Cubs.

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Tuesday, May 30, .1939

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