Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 December 1940 — Page 16

PAGE 16

} SPORTS... By Eddie Ash

~~ PRESS BUREAU of the American Association points out that although St. Paul has won two more league championships than any other club in the circuit, - the composite champion for the 39 years the loop has

been in operation is Minneapolis. : This rating of the Millers is based on the awarding of eight points for every time they finished first, seven points for a second place finish, six points for a third place berth and so on down the e .

The Millers alone of the eight league clubs have never experienced the ignominy of an eighth-place finish. . . . Every other club: has been last three or more times. . . . Also every club has finished once or more in every position with the exception of the Millers never being last. Git : ie There are only two other instances of a club finishing but once in any given position. . . . Toledo has captured only one leagye championship, taking the title in 1927, while Columbus has been fifth but once, and that, strangely enough in the league's first year of operation, 1902. St. Paul, as sta’ -d, has won the most championships, eight, as against six each for Louisville, Minneapolis and Columbus. .. . Kansas City has taken five titles, Indianapolis four, Milwaukee three _ and Toledo one.

Indians Rule as Fourth-Place Finishers :

THE MOST FREQUENT occupant of the second spot has been Minneapolis, the Millers finishing in the runner-up berth seven times. . . . By virtue of their third place finish in 1940, they also - broke the tie with Milwaukee, and have finished most often in third place, eight times. : Indianapolis: has been the chief custodian of fourth place, finishing eight times in the final first division spot. . . . Kansas City - has finished fifth nine times, Milwaukee has wound up sixth eignt times, Toledo has finished seventh on eight occasions and last 10 years. . . . The all-time rating of the league is as follows: 2d 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Minneapolis . 7 8 4 : St. Paul seinreit 2. Indianapolis Louisville .......cc000.. Kansas City .c.ceoeee.. Milwaukee ......ci0000. Columbus .........cc00. Toledo

Pts. 206 195 184 181 176 171 170 J128

esc ss0000s 000000

2 2 -» 3 ® 8 8 DIVIDING THE LEAGUE into first and second divisions and figuring percentages on the number of times that each club has finished in the top four, the standings would change a little, but Minneapolis would still be at the top. Instead of the first division order being Minneapolis, St. Paul, Indianapolis and Louisville as in the composite standing, it would be Minneapolis, Indianapolis, St. Paul and a tie between Louisville and Columbus for the final first division rating.

| A. A. Chief Good Judge of Umpires

IN THE FIVE YEARS George M. Trautman has presided over the American Association six of his umpires have been promoted’ to the major leagues. . . . Nice pieking, George. Detroit’s Tigers, 1940 American League pennant winners, put a crimp in the theory that baseball success cannot be attained without a swift fielding combination around the keystone sack. The Bengals completed only 116 double plays, poorest total in the cireuit. . . . The Red Sox made 156 double killings and the White Sox 125. . . . They finished in a fourth-place deadlock. . . . The Browns completed 179 double plays an® wound up sunk in the second division. ao - However, this department still places heavy emphasis on the double killings in spite of the American League averages 4

# ” » #" ® 2

REDS AND TIGERS, this year’s World Series opponents, will meet five times in exhibitions next spring, twice in Florida, once in Dayton, O., twice in Cincinnat.. Cincinnati’s pitchers and catchers will report at Tampa Feb. 24, infielders and outfielders on March 1. . . . Feature of the champs’ spring training will be a three-game series with the Red Sox at Havana, Cuba, March 28, 29 and 30. Reds and Dodgers, the 1941 National League pennant favorites, are not overlooking that important slant and will clash twice during the spring training, March 23 at Tampa, a Sunday date, and March 24 at Clearwater.

Billy Conn to Get Next Shot At Louis as McCoy Folds

By JACK CUDDY United Press Staff Correspondent BOSTON, Dec. 17 (U. P.).—Billy Conn’s stock as a heavyweight

|Coach Schmidt

miSsed McCoy by two feet, and most|of Schmidt's of Louis’ later punches missed too {here. Schmidt earned the name of McCoy might have lasted 10, or|“Close-the-Gates-of-Mercy” even 15 rounds had he not made the lowing his teams to pile up huge

challenger was up 100 points today by virtue of Champion Joe Louis’ somewhat futile showing last night against that animated punching bag of a challenger, Al McCoyCome Friday, Conn will give his light heavy- : weight title and si to fight Louis in June, if Louis still wears the crown then. This abdication a n d signing will be done in New York City and

mistake of blowing his nose after being hit. in the left eye. Blowing the nose puffs out an injured eye.

Goes Down Once

McCoy, patently frightened at being in the ring with Louis, had

€ given a much better performance

than expected after being driven down to one knee in the first round b." an overhand right smash to the kidney. That was the lone knockdown, and the challenger barely took the "count of one, although he had been staggered a few seconds before by one of Louis’ “Sunday” right hooks to the chin,

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES _— —

DiMaggio Batting Ki

_ TUESDAY, DEC. 17, 1040

[Gates of Mercy Bang Shut on

Quits at Ohio State and 5 Others Walk Plank

By JIM MAHER

United kress Staff Correspondent

(U. P.).—The rabid fans who follow Ohio State football today took in stride the startling blanket resignation of Francis A. Schmidt, head football coach, and his five assistants and began to spec-

ulate on his successor. Under fire since the close of Ohio State’s poorest season in 13 years, Schmidt and his assistants turned in their resignations yesterday. They were unanimously accepted by the university athletic board in a lengthy. special session last night. The leather-skinned mentor who brought .“razzle-dazzle” football to the Buckeye State, was bitter.

Speaks His Piece

“This is a new experience for me,” said “Close-the-Gates-of - Mercy” Schmidt. “Always before I have been promoted. Now I don’t know what to do. But I'll get along. “Why didn’t they let me.out a year ago after I won a championship?” he asked. “There were plenty of good jobs for me then. I could

cific Coast.”

lowers Schmidt's successor was the paramount issue today. Attention centered about the names of the following: Dr. George Hauser, Minnesota line coach and former O. S. U. line coach under Sam Williaman, whom Schmidt replaced; Tuss McLaughry of Brown; Tiny Thornhill, who was replaced a year ago at Stanford by Clark Shaughnessy; Earl Blaik of Dartmouth, seriously considered for the Ohio State post before Schmidt's appointment; Buck Shaw of Santa

stars. Ex-Buckeyes Considered The former Buck gridders who have entered the speculation are Marty Karow of Texas A. & M.; Allan Holman of Franklin & Marshall, and Wesley Fessler, former All-America end who recently signed as head coach at Connecticut Wesleyan. A “dark horse” in the wide open race was Paul Brown, coach at Massillon, O., high school, where a team of super-schoolboy gridders have commanded national attention with 33 straight victories.

1 candidate. However, he is listed among the coaches in the top salary bracket. This may eliminate him. It was not believed that Ohio State would pay more than $8000, the salary Schmidt received after his first two years. ~The news was no surprise. lowed the Buckeye’s most disastrous season in 13 years, and the worst seven-year regime

by al(Continued on Page 1%)

I. U. Takes 13 On Coast Trip

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Dec. 17 (U. P.).—A traveling squad of 13 Indiana University basketball players was named today by Coach Branch McCracken to make the trip to

COLUMBUS, O., Dec. 17|:

have had a good place on the Pa- i ;

But among the highly volatile fol-| & of Ohio State foothall,|&

Clara and three former Ohio State

Hoosiers on Wildcat Five Here Tomorr ow Night |

The bumper crop of basketballers this state pro‘duces annually is enough to fill the wants of Hoosier colleges, with players to spare. This season eight of Northwestern's squad of 18 are Indiana-bred. Here are three of 'em who will be helping the Wildcat cause tomorrow evening against Butler at the Fieldhouse. Clarence Hasse

(left) is a &-foot-2 center from Hammond. Clason (center), 200-puond guard, comes from Goshen,

Henry

while George Benson (right) is an experienced guard from

- Hammond.

Ted Esser and Henry Clason, forwards; Don Clawson, center, and Capt. Al Butherus and George Benson, guards, average 193 pounds and six feet two inches. Clawson, a junior and running mate of Bill DéCorrevont in the grid backfield this year, weighs 220 and stands six feet three inches. His goal shooting saved the Wabash game. Benson was another fullback this season while Butherus, a senior, played end. di, ;

NORTHWESTERN University’s basketball team, a . reasonable facsimile of its 1940 gridiron machine, will lumber into the Field= house tomorrow night at 8:15 o'clock as the. third consecutive Big Ten foe to meet the Butler Bulldogs. Meanwhile: Coach Tony Hinkle has given the Bulldogs a few sleight-of-hand tricks to balance the height and weight advantage of Northwestern. : . The Wildcats, who edged Wabash 35 to 32 in tHeir opener two weeks ago, have a first team that looks -more like a weight-lifting class than a basketball squad.

” 2 2 BUTLER, WHICH lost its opener to Indiana by three points —then won over Ohio State, 51

reserve strength increased by the showing of several “juniors and two sophomores, Bob Fletcher, New Castle, and Fred Hunckler, Jeffersonville.

But. Hinkle will rely upon his first seven men at the most

against Northwestern. Bill Ham= ilton, center, and Wilbur Schumacher, junior, both from Louisville, have 21 and 18 points respectively, for the two contests. already played. Capt. Bob Dietz follows with 16. Lyle Nest and James McCray, guards, will complete the Bulldog lineup tomorrow night. Neat received a minor back injury against Ohio State

to 49, last Saturday—has had its

Hauser is established as the No.|.

Tt fol-|

® STRIKES TO SPARE

By FREDDIE FISCHER World All-Events Champion

ANYONE CAN LEARN to bowl, although it usually takes years of experience to develop a bowler of championship caliber. I started at the age of 12, when I was setting up pins in an alley near my home, and started match bowling when I was 14. Anyone starting that young, however, should consult an instructor or alley : starting that young, however, should consult an instructor or alley proprietor, for it is easy for a young kegler to pick up bad bowling habits which he will have trouble correcting, A few instructions from a competent tutor may mean years in a bowler’s development. Many young men develop into fine bowlers, but "I believe that most men reach their peak form at about 30 or thereafter, and then begin to lose some of their control. 4 Bowling is a sport which can be enjoyed throughout life. Phil Wolfe won the American Bowling Congress all-events championship at the

age of 60, and I won it at 51, although most titlists

have been somewhat younger. One of the most important things in bowling is mental attitude. Perhaps more than in any other Mr. Fischer . gport, tension is fatal. You can’t “put on the pressure.” Remember that bowling is primarily a form of amusement, not a matter of life and death. With that attitude, you'll mot only get more pleasure out of bowling—you’ll probably roll better scores as well. NEXT-Selecting the ball.

Kautskys Battle N. Y. Rens

Purdue Seeks Fourth in Row

By UNITED PRESS Purdue University goes after its fourth straight cage conquest tonight, entertaining Wabash at Lafayette in the feature,game of a sparse card of college basketball. The lone conference battle sees Franklin at DePauw, while Hanover travels to Miami and Rose Poly plays host to Joliet. In games last night Indiana State lost its ‘first game in three starts, falling to Iowa, 39 to 37, in the last two minutes of play. The Teachers trailed at the half, 27 to 15, but a one-man scoring spree by George Pearcy, forward, put State back in the game when he dropped in 14 points. Powerful Indiana Central suffered its first defeat in eight games in losing to Illinois State~Normal, 32 to 22.

South Bend Cage

but it was not serious enough to keep him from action.

TWO OF Northwestern’s five lettermen this year are from Ihdiana. Clawson hails from Goshen while Benson's home town is Hammond. Other Indiana boys on the squad ihclude Clarence Haase, Hammond; John Welsh, Anderson; Don 'McCarnes, Logansport; Sam Gershuny, Lafayette; Joe Oberlin, Butler, and Dick Piel, South Bend.

Northwestern, last year was one of six teams to defeaf Butler. The Wildcats won, 32 to 30, and went ahead to finish the season with 13 triumphs against seven defeats. A curtain-raiser game will be played tomorrow night, beginning at 7 o’clock.

League Title

y Others Were Cobb, Al Simmons and Lajoie

By GEORGr KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

' NEW YORK, Dec. 17.— The last lingering doubts whether Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees’ centerfielder, is a truly great hitter have been dispelled by the official American League batting averages released today.

By winning the batting title for the second straight year DiMaggio

| joins Larry Lajoie, Ty Cobb and Al | Simmons—three of baseball’s most

accomplished batsmen—as a ree

peater. DiMaggio captured the 1939 batting championship with an average of 381 and repeated the past season with a mark of .352. The feat of winning two batting titles in succession is more diffi cult than ‘is generally supposed, Such great hitters as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Harry Heilmann, Charlie Gehringer, Tris Speaker, George Sisler and Heinie Manush were never able to repeat .as batting champions.

: Lajoie Was First Lajoie was the first to do it in

titles in 4 row between 1907-15. Tris Speaker broke the string in 1916 and then Cobb came back to win in 1917-18-19. There were no more re-

| peaters until Al Simmons turned

the trick in 1930-31, DiMaggio had his work cut out for him in the September stretch drive, He had to overtake Rip Radcliff, St. Louis outfielder who set the pace most of the yea, and Luke Appling, Chicago shortstop who won the title in 1936. If all the other Yanks had played as did DiMaggio in the last month of the campaign, it's highly probably that the Bronx Eombers would have smashed through to their fifth straight pene nant, Tt The ten leading hitters who played in 100 or more games follow: AB. R "Pet. .35% 96 1 134 589 123 200 129 1 79

60 93

Radcliff, St. McCosky, Detroit Greenberg, Wright, C £0 Travis, Washington ... Finney, Boston Lewis, Washington .... 101 190 Hank. Greenberg of the Tigers, who made the difficult switch from first base to the outfield, had an crutstanding year at bat. He tied

(Continued on Page 17)

"| CHALLENGE THE WORLD ON

1903-04. Then Ty Cobb won nine .

FLAVOR! |

BECAUSE IT’S ALL-GRAIN BEER"

ng Second Straight Year + Yank Is Fourth | § To Repeat for

Tourney Arranged

SOUTH BEND, Ind, Dec. 17 (U. R.).—Athletic director John Wooden of South Bend Central High School announced today that Ft. Wayne

California for a series of games with Pacific Coast teams. The roster includes. McCreary, Armstrong, Francis, R. Menke,

at the headquarters of the State Boxing Commission

TERRE HAUTE, Dec. 17.—In-|their contests with the New York

dianpolis Katuskys had little diffi- hennslsanes Jungnt a oe Akculty in outscoring the local Com- The Ren game will be played in

~ Louis won the four remaining rounds, of course, but he added little to his prestige. He missed more power punches that he landed and

AT ITS BEST

just to make it official. Louis regis« tered a technic a 1 knockout over McCoy in the sixth round of a scheduled 15-round bout last night before 13,334 cash customers who contributed to a gate of about $51,678. ' Trainer Stops McCoy Louis achieved his “triumph” when McCoy's trainer, Ray Arcel, forbade McCoy to answer the bell for the sixth round because his left eye was closed completely and Arcel thought more punishment fo the eye might blind him permanently. McCoy had lasted five full rounds with he champion and ted to continue. Wlittle McCoy, who scaled 21% unds less than Champion Louis, * left the ring in far better condition

Joe Louis

than on the night of Oct. 18, when

received the worst beating of A career at the hands of Conn— a beating that lasted 10 rounds merely because Conn lacked the punch to put him away in the last four rounds when he had him reeling about the ring, helpless, Louis started after McCoy last night. in’ more murderous fashion than at any time since he established an all-time speed record for heavyweight title knockouts by stowing away Max Schmeling in two minutes and four seconds of the first round. | . Conn at Ringside Louis wanted to better that record last night, but two factors prevented it: (1) Jolting Joe’s own crudeness after a lay-off otf six months, and (2) McCoy's 7ig-zag-ging maneuvers which made him a bit too elusive. Handsome Billy Conn, who was at the ringside, said, “I'd like to have been in there with Louis. He \ so anxious that he lost his If I had been in there, you would have had a new heavyweight I am ” plop so Yesirous of belung cCoy in a hurry, tha e firs or hand he threw would have knocked McCoy’s head into the mezganine—if it had landed. But it

"CHRISTMAS PRESENTS far THE WHOLE FAMILY HOP OUR STORE & SAVE

when he had the little brownhaired ‘ challenger in corners—and apparently ready for the kill—he let McCoy jab his way out of danger. With Conn’s title vacated, Promoter Mike Jacobs will ask the New York Boxing Commission to recognize as 175-pound king the winner of a 15-round match at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28 between Jimmy Webb of St. Louis and Tommy Tucker of New York. Because Promoter Jacobs has given Conn this chance at a big outdoor fight with Louis in June, Conn has agreed not to fight anyone before then—in any division.

Villmer Comes Back for More

Ray Steele, king of the heavyweight wrestlers, tops tonight’s mat offering at the Armory where he risks his title against the rugged Ray Villmer, who has dropped but one match in 13 local appearances. Villmer’s lone defeat was at the hands of Steele several weeks ago. It was a match that saw Villmer force the champ all of the “way, Steele winning with only three minutes of time remaining. Tonight's tussle, carded for two falls out of three, promises lively action. Steele, scaling 218, is: from Glendale, Cal, and the 222-pound

Villmer is from St. Louis. Two other heavyweights bouts are

nor, 228, Boston, opening against Warren Bockwinkle, 224, New York, and Louis Thesz, 235, St. Louis, opposing Pat Fraley, 225, Lincoln, Neb., in the semi-windup.

4 WEST MA» KET ST.

|OPEN EVERY NIGHT , it,

on the program, Irish Dan O’Con-

Logan and Driver, forwards; W. Menke and Zimmer, centers; and Dro, Schaefer, Gridley, Swanson and Denton, guards. : The Crimson netmen, defending national champions, leave Indianapolis by train at 5 p. m. today and arrive in San Francisco Friday morning. They meet Stanford at San Francisco Dec. 21; California at Berkely Dec. 23; and U. C. L. A. Dec. 27 and Southérn California Dec. 28 at Los Angeles. \ The Hoosiers will fly from Los Angeles to. New Orleans to meet Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl Dec, 30. ‘McCracken indicated that two men to be selected. on the Coast would not go to New Orleans ‘but would return to Bloomington.

Aggies Hold Two Sessions a Day

17 (U. P.).—Coach Homer Norton will start his Aggie football team on a “two-a-day” practice schedule today in preparation for the Cotton Bowl game against Fordham. In the first session yesterday, Norton found his men in top shape and said he was surprised to find they had not tapered off since breaking training on Thanksgiving No. 2. He plans to put the team through a one-hour workout in the morning and a two-hour session in the afternoon daily.

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North Side, Valparaiso and Mishawaka basketball teams had been asked to compete in an invitational tourney Dec. 27.

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