Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 December 1941 — Page 19
This
was again the typical 1941 Louis scene.
N. L. Best on Defense
The All-Star 1941 defensive club:
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
FRIDAY, DEC. 2%,
0 ’ od
-
Fight Flash of '41—Louis Bombs Conn
{ cents
By JACK CUDDY
(This is another in a series of year-end sports reviews.) NEW YORK, Dec. 26.—By virtue of his record-break-ing title defenses—seven of them—Joe Louis again inated boxing during 1941—a year that provided four
other noteworthy features: (1) Clarification of disputes in
dieweight and lightweight divisions; (2) blossoming of lively competition in the welter class; (3) pugilism’s haste to help Uncle Sam, and (4) bonanza crowds attracted
by Mike Jacobs’ far-flung
promotions Legendary Louis belted out six of his seven challengers, and the other, Buddy Baer, was disqualified when his seconds failed to leave the helpless giant in his corner when the bell rang for the seventh round. Jolting Joe's march through the “Bum-of-the-Month” Club brought his record total of defenses to 19; boosted his knockout total to 47 and his ring earnings to approx-
imately $2,180,000.
Despite the Detroit Negros dominance, his near defeat by Billy Conn at the Polo Grounds, June 18, provided the moments during 1941. Conn, out-
ring’s most
a kayo brought about his own undoing in'the 13th. He left a fatal opening; Louis landed with a smashing right and
then battered him to the canvas
dom-
the light-heavy, mid- ‘tional
for the 10-count.
BOMBER JOE'S Burman 5); Musto (9); Buddy Baer (7), and Lou Nova (6). Buddy brought thrills to the fight world by knocking Louis through the ropes to the ring apron in the first round, much to Buddy's later regret. Election of canny Abe Green as president of the NaAssociation gave that organization at last a chief who had confidence in N. B. A. champions and a man who desired that title disputes be cleared up. Hence, he co-operated readily with Mike Jacobs, the New York commissions fair-haired promotor, in clarifying three divisional crowns. After Billy Conn gave up the light heavy diadem for a shot at Louis’ golden throne, a dispute developed that resulted ultimately in Gus Lesnevich, the N. B. A. claimant, becoming undisputed king of the 1975-pounders by trouncing the New York claimant, young Tami Mauriello. Similarly N. B. A. champs became sole rulers in the middleweight and lightweight divisions, when Tony Zale walloped Georgie Abrams, and Sammy Angott trounced “Looney Lew” Jenkins. Ny, wh & Biggest upset of the year came on , when Freddie “Red” Cochrane, virtually unknown welter from Elizabeth, N. J, wrested the 147-pound crown from Fritzie Zivic at Newark. Moving into 1942, this division is blessed with more talent than any other class. It has Cochrane, sensational young Ray Robinson, Young Kid McCoy, Marto Servo, Bob Montgomery and the still dangerous Zivie,
Gus Dorazio (2);
Abe Simon (13); Tony
were Red Big
Philippines;
Many boxers joined
THE FEATHERWEIGHT title still is in dispute, with Chalky Wright of Los Angeles recognized as champion by the New York Commission, and Pittsburgh Jackie Wilsont hailed by the N.B. A, by virtue of two victories over Richie Lemos. Lou Salica of New York still holds the bantam title, after three successful defenses. In the flye weight division, the N.B. A. champ is Little Dado of the the New York Commission recognizes no 112-pound king, and the British Boxing Union upholds Jackie Patterson of England.
the colors, most going into the Gene
Navy as athletic instructors under Lieut. Comm. Tunney. These included Champion Cochrane, Conn, Fred Apostoli and Marty Servo, Meanwhile, Champion Louis, reclassified into 1-A in the draft, expected to be called momentarily after his return defense against Buddy Baer at the Garden on Jan. Navy relief. Even if drafted, he probably will be permitted furloughs for Army benefit fights against Conn,
9—a bout for the benefit of the
and two prominent contenders, Melio Bettina and Lem
Franklin.
Not since the hey day of Tex Rickard has any promoter attracted the number of fans in one year as did Mike Jacobs in 1941 a—total of 580,480 for 23 Garden bouts, three in New York ballparks and 11 out of the city. Howe ever, Jacobs set no gate records since ticket prices did not approach the fabulous amounts of the Rickard era.
Tennis Stars Accent ‘Cash’ Not the ‘Carry’
NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (U. P).—A professional tennis tour which acthe cash instead of the ‘carry” will be introduced tonight when the world’s four best male players begin a barnstorming junket through 85 towns and whistle-stops, rewarding the participants with just as much money as they are able to win—and no more. The barnstormers are three former world amateur king—Fred Perry, Don Budge and Bobby Riggs
Irish Tangle
G PC A. E TC. Pei « 154 14884 8 15684 . 145 340 79% 194 333 336 850 4 284 32 300 293 312 356 22 bf
casas rranan
McCormick, Reds, 1b
Berets
By PAUL SCHEFFELS United Press Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Dec. 26.—Before Frank McComick landed with the Cincinnati Reds for keeps in 1938 his chief claim to baseball fame lay in the classic brushoff he received from Bill Terry when working out at the Polo Grounds daily. His daily stint stopped short when he received a letter from Terry who had just taken over John McGraw's job as manager of the Giants. It said in part, “If you have a good = job, keep it and forget about baseball.” But McCormick ignored Terry's advice so well that he was chosen the league's most valuable player in 1940 and last year turmed in a percentage of 995 for 154 games, He made 1454 putouts and accepted 1564 chances while committing only eight errors. He led in 40 with 995 and in 39 with 996. Johnny Mize of St. Louis finished second, one point lower,
Frey Is Best
It was a tough battle among the second basemen with Lonnie Frey of the Reds nosing out Burgess Whitehead of New York for top honors. Frey registered 9638 in 145 games and Whitehead, 9695 in 104 games. Merrill May of Philadelphia won third-basing honors, finishing at the top with an average of 972 in 140 coniests. Jimmy Brown of St. Louis § bagged second place with 965 in $= 123 games. " For the second consecutive year
Frank McCormick . . . now the youthful Eddie Miller of Boston set best. the shortstopping pace in 154 games, ‘with an average of 966. Billy Jurges,'
With Big Boys
Cathedral will meet with three strong teams tomorrow in a blind draw basketball tournament with double-headers starting at 2 p. m. and 7:30 p. m. at the Cathedral
gym. Pairings will be made by lot tonight. The two teams defeated in the afternoon contests will play a preliminary to the championship game at night. Cathedral's visitors are Leo of Chicago, last year’s national Cath-
olic champion and winner of eight straight contests during the current campaign; Memorial of Evansville, the Hoosier Catholic champion, and Xavier of Louisville, Kentucky conference king. During the intermission between the evening games, members of the Cathedral football squad will be given their athletic awards. Major letters will be warded to: John Sage. co-captain; Jim Dilger, co-captain; Joe Gatto, Bob Zinkan, Emmert Behr, Fred Jonas, Bob Wigmore, Jack Devine, Bob Theis, Tom Devine and Warren Freeman, student manager, all seniors; Bob Kasper, Joe Curran, Joe Viehman and Jerry Blackwell, all juniors; John Grande, Ray Hurrle, Harold Sullivan, Joe Kavanaugh, Joe Tuchy and Ray Ursiny, all sophomores. The following will receive minor letters: Carl Fitzgerald, James Lashbrook, Joe Noone, seniors: John McShane, Bob Glassmeyer, John Sprage and Lawrence Connor, juniors: Charles! Grothe, Tom Jcrdan, Mike » Joe Shea, Vincent Helmer, LeRoy Hagner and John Dillon, sophomores, Freshmen squad members receiving numerals are: *
cent, third man 2
—and six feet, two inches of comic relief in gangling Frank Kovacs, the zany Californian who is better known for his slap-stick than his back-hand. For once the players won't be just going through the motions, because the top man will take top money. Under an agreement drawn up by Alexis Thompson, the Pittsburgh playboy who owns the Philadelphia football team, each player must meet each other in a roundrobin schedule and the man who finishes first will win 36 per cent of the net profits. Since Thompson has guaranteed a jack-pot of $100,000, this cut will amount to at least $36,000.
Abdicate Amateur Ranks
The second man will get 28 per 1 per cent and the low man a mere 15 per cent. Riggs and Kovacs already have been
paid fat bonuses for abdicating their|
No. 1 and No. 2 rankings in the amateur division, and will be playing their first professional games. The opening matches will be
played at Madison Square Garden
and are expected to attract a full house of 16,000. Perry, current world professional champ, will meet Riggs, the 1941 amateur king, while Budge takes on Kovacs, If time permits, there will be a doubles match. The players have been practicing vigorously for several weeks and the tour press agent has been busily fostering feuds among them. Much capital is being made of Kovacs’ screw-ball reputation and the Oakland youth has been spewing forth insults at the United States Lawn Tennis Association for the mimeograph machines with much enthu-
siasm. Really Is Weak
Actually, Kovacs is expected to prove weak. Perry, one of the smartest players in modern history, is at the top of his game. Budge was stale earlier in the year but has freshened himself while Riggs has always been a tough cookie.
RT AW
A Couple Purdue Prides.
RN
SES
Two prize packages in the Purdue “hurry-up” offense are Al Menke, left, and Capt. Don Blanken. The men of Piggy Lambert, enjoying one of their good years, will meet the Butier Bulldogs tomorrow
night at the Field House,
-
Craig Wood Is the Mr. Golf Among 1941 Tee Smashers
NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (U.P).—To
diminutive Benny Hogan, the me-
chanical man from Hershey, Pa, went most of the cups and much of the money, but to a blond husky who waited almost 20 years for it,
went the title of Golfer of the Year.
His name is Craig Wood and he
Good News, Detroit Wins
By UNITED PRESS
The Boston Bruins clung to a one point lead in the National | League Hockey race last night while the New York Rangers moved the Chicago Black Hawks out of third
Capitals Hold Top Spot as Buffalo Falls
Times Special BUFFALO, N. Y., Dec. 26.—Ranking enemies No. 1 and No. 2 are next in line for the Indianapolis Capitals whose American Hockey League leadership is on the spot again. The Caps held on to their first place tie last night with a victory over Buffalo, 3 to 2. But it is Her« shey tomorrow night at the Bar's home and Cleveland Sunday night at Indianapolis. The B'ars are tied for first in the Western Division with the Caps while the big Barons are only one point behind. All three leaders won last night as Cleveland handed the Pittsburgh Hornets a 5-t0-2 setback and Hershey drubbed the Philae delphia Rockets, 6 to 2. It was the Baron's tenth victory at home without a defeat. Joe Fisher started the fireworks for the Caps by scoring on Adam Brown's rebound in front during the closing minutes of the initial period, The Indianapolis squad, which lost five straight in its last Eastern venture, scored twice more in the second period after the Bisons had knotted the count. With Joe Carveth, the Caps’ “Blue Boy,” and Les Douglas break« ing together the second goal was set up for Jack Keating, the third member of the Indianapolis team’s ranking trio. Joe Fisher was in on the final goal, too. Along with Connie Brown he speared a rebound and passed to Adam Brown who scored on Goalie Borque. Max Bennett fired home the first Bison score in the second and Art Simmons accounted for the second in the final frame. Simmons’ goal came from a long shot at the blue line and started a dispute which ended with Fisher on the ice. Linesman “Tiny” Teasdale looped Joe with a hard right. The official charged Fisher with abusive language. AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE Western Division L
Indianapolis ..... reeves 14 Hershey ........ etnnan Cleveland ....... revue BUAMO .....vovvoeceee 10 Pittsburgh 6
Eastern Division
9 6 5 10 1s
While Perry is generally favored to win the top position, he'll probably have plenty of trouble. Although gate receipts in the amateur game dropped off alarm-
is famed as the most persistent runner-up the game ever knew. Until the past year he had finished second in almost every major tournament. Then he hit the jackpot twice in a single season: first he won the masters at Augusta and
Giants. t ned ir mark of 957 Heinie Sand of Philadelphia inj > NOE Contes Ba for | yane. Truett Sewell of Pittsburgh avn Baten, Reet a : [handled 11 assists and one putout yan, Jog c, Tom n, Joost Sets Record
position and Detroit strengthened its grip on the No. 5 slot at the expense of the hapless Brooklyn Americans,
HOCKEY SCORES
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Wood's victory in the Open was
.|Francis Grothe, Dicke Hennessey, to set a new chances-accepted rec {Charles rz, 1 ne The aging but agile veteran, ’ Johnny Cooney of Boston,
who finished second in the batting race, topped the outfielders with an average of 996 for 111 games. Dom Dallesandro of Chicago and Terry Moore of Sit. Louis came next with S87 and 984 respectively. Ray Berres of Boston led the catchers with 9952 to the 984% of Brooklyn's Mickey Owen. Twentyeight pitchers fielded 1.000 with the
leader's spot going to Max Butcher
of Pittsburgh with 65 chances. Catcher Al Lopez of Pittsburgh, did not have a passed ball in 114
games. Shortstop Eddie Joost of Cincinnati. by accepting 135 chances against New York on May 7, broke the modem record of 18 set by
ord and assist record for pitchers. | Cincinnati led in club fielding for the second straight year with a {mark of 975 while Brooklyn's champions left the most men on base with 1225 and for the third straight iyear had the most putouts, 4263. {Pittsburgh made the most errors,
‘Roche, Koverly on Armory Card
{| Dorve Roche of Decatur, Ill, will tangle with George Koverly of Los
Angeles in one of the Armory's
wrestling bouts Tuesday night. [khaki and blue in the stands—that's {the color scheme for the fourth
! This is Koverly's first appearance
Kistner, Frank Maley, Eugene Melchiors, Philip O'Connor, William Pappas, Kenneth Roberts, Dick he weed, Vincent Tucker and Bob elsh.
Blue and Gray To Meet Again
MONTGOMERY, Ala, Dec. 26 (U. P.).—Blue and gray on the field and
here in about 18 months. Andy Rassler has been added to the card.
STORE HOURS SATURDAY 9 TILL 7
STRAUSS SAYS:
Sa Is on
le On :
annual Blue-Gray football game to be played here tomorrow between stars of Northern and Southern teams. Senior players from 28 colleges will make what in many cases will be their last gridiron appearance, many of them scheduled soon to enter the nation’s armed forces. In the stands at Cramton Bowl will be hundreds of blue-uniformed | Royal Air Force cadets and khaki-| clad boys from Maxwell and Gunter Field. Here, where the Confederacy was born and Jefferson Davis was inaugurated President just 80 years ago, the new Confederacy of Amerca and Britain has been in the making for six months—since the first R. A F. cadets arrived for flight training. Even in the press box will the R. A. I be represented—by Geoffrey H. K. Burt, former London sports writer now at Maxwell Field. He will write his impressions for the Montgomery Advertiser. Co-captains for the South, favored to win, are Lloyd Cheatham, Auburn quarterback, and Bob Gude, Vanderbilt center. Northern
the
finest
Suits and Overcoats Sale Groups 39.75, 54.75, §9.75
antics which originated
ingly this season, the tour may prove successful. Never before have pros been given an incentive to punch out their triumphs without giving the spectators a show with in the wrestling racket. Hence, the standard of play should remain high. Additionally, Riggs and Kovacs have never tapped the back-country towns. As amateurs they played only the major cities and then had little outside competition. Thompson has included many a tank town in his long swing through the United States and into Canada and unless one of the players shows complete supremacy the gate should be
Back to Work Go Baer, Joe
NEW YORK, Dec. 26 (U. P).— It was back to serious work today for Champion Joe Louis and challenger Buddy Baer as the two heavyweight boxers began concen-
trating on their impending bout in
Madison Square Garden Jan. 9. Louis went to work on a 17pound turkey at Greenwood Lake
yesterday and fiddled around with 884 Christmas cards and a few
friends after brief roadwork in the morning. His handlers said he
would return to his regular train-
ing schedule today. Baer, who is camped at Lakewood, N. J, reported his slight injuries received In a recent auto
crash would not seriously in
terrupt his routine. He will not spar for a few days but will continue work
GREGORY & APPEL Capital $100,000 Fully Paid iat Ln BASKE
then, his back wrapped up in a special brace, he won the National Open. Probably no victories in recent years were so thoroughly enjoyed by the average duffer, and probably no titles were won in more enthusiastic surroundings. The Open, held at Ft. Worth, Tex, was witnessed by one of the largest galleries of all time although the week-long rains sluiced the fairways and changed the greens to quagmires. Scheduling of the Open in Texas was one of the wisest moves made by an association which had kept its big tournaments in too tight an area in the past. The Amateur, held in Omaha and won by Marvin Ward after several near riots, furthered the new U. S. G. A. policy of spreading the major tournaments about the nation instead of keeping them all in the East. Hogan, although he didn’t win any national triumphs, won the Harry Vardon memorial trophy with a remarkable show of consistency which earned him $17,333 and 524 points—slightly more in both departments than the totals run up by that hardy perennial, Slinging Sam Snead. However, Wood passed up a number of tournaments to concentrate on the high spots.
golf year of 1941 was the richest ever held. More tournaments were played and they were worth more money. Although the future of the game was in doubt when war clouded the fairways late this month, another even fuller program was scheduled for the winter of 1942 and most sponsors said their events would be held as planned.
Fuel Pumps 98° oa
BLUE POINT 2 wisisox
TBALL
INDIANAPOLIS KAUTSKYS vs. FT. WAYNE ZOLLNERS
INDIANAPOLIS m x a
P.M
. M.
From a national standpoint, the .
a surprise followed closely by that
of Vic Ghezzi in the P. G. A. championship. Long stamped as a faint-hearted stretch -runner, Ghezzi came through with all flags flying by defeating the defending champion, Byron Nelson, in the final match. Wood replaced Lawson Little as the winner of the Open. Hogan's major triumph was scored at Hershey although he also won the Miami Four-Ball, Land of the Sky, Inverness and Chicago competitions, and in many other events he finished close up. Snead again scored heavily, taking tournaments such as the Rochester, Henry Hurst, Bing Crosby, St. Petersburg, National Best-Ball, Canadian Open and the North and South Open. Ward won the National Amateur, a title he previously held in 1939, and also took the Western Amateur. The National Public Links crown was won by William Welch of Houston, Tex.; and the National Intercollegiate Championship was taken by Earl Stewart Jr. of Louisjana State University. Mrs. Betty Hicks Newell of Long Beach, Cal, only 20 years old and weighing only 105 pounds, won the Women’s National championship for | one of the year’s big surprises,
In Detroit the Red Wings were forced into an overtime period to dispose of Brooklyn, 3-2. Sid Abel broke the deadlock in the sixth minute of play with a goal after ing a pass from Jack Stewart and Eddie Wares. A crowd of 6314 attended.
Toronte, 2; Boston, 0. New York, 5; Chicago, Detroit, 3; Brooklyn, $
2 (overtime).
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Indianapolis, 3: Buffalo, 3. ershey, 6; Philadelphia, 3. Cleveland, 5; Pitts 3 Providence, 3; New Haven, 2 (overtime).
win
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