Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 February 1943 — Page 17
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fl { % SHOE RATIONING would have been a pleasant sacrifice to “Shoeless Joe” Jackson, the old-time Cleve‘land and Chicago White Sox outfielder. . . . Probably would have earned him some extra gravy on his pay check, too. . . . He's down in history as baseballs No. 1 barefoot boy. I When major league scouts discovered ackson playing on south ern hillbilly sandlots, his “dogs” were nude ‘and ' shoes hampered his style in the early days of his ci Ser inthe majus, . « . The southern “treatment” made it easy for He “Shoeless Joe” to step on pebbles, sharp ¢ : Weeds, and cans and still play ball... . | - He wanted no truck with leather-bound" feet; said he could run faster in the outfield, sans shoes and spikes. | ; There was a hitter, old ‘“Shoeless + Joe,” and in the days before the lively ball, too. . . . Line drives against the fence were his specialty. . . . Just a natural batter, strong, keen-eyed and with * a. powerful swing, a®“follow-through.” But it was Jackson’s bad luck to become involved in the Black Sox scandal and he was ruled out of the game. , , . : Many baseball men believed “Shoeless “Shoeless Joe” Jackson Joe” was an innocent victim, probably ‘easily influenced and hoodwinked by the gamblers. : There was no little red schoolhouse in Jackson’s boyhood life, at least it was said he never attended school and naturally was at a disadvantage in later life except when on the ball field. . . . Yeh, shoe rationing would have been a genuine pleasure to “Shoeless Joe.”
Derby Eve and Mint Juleps A “STREET car derby” will be all right with the horse fans. ...
They'll get up with the chickens and make it to the track down
Louisville way. . . . Tough on the cab drivers, though, who used to get @ buck a passenger out of a cab load from downtown Louisville to Churchill Downs. With out-of-town attendance cut to a minimum, the sipping " of mint juleps on Derby eve will be short circuited. . . . And in the event the Derby isn’t held what will the countless Kentucky colonels® do to pass the time? ss = = i sn 8 "* THE DERBY will be held at Churchill Downs or not at all, according to Matt J. Winn, 81 -year-pld head of the Louisville track, home of horse racing’s biggest event. . . . Winn frowned on a suggestion that the classic be transferred to Chicago.
Looking Ahead to 1943-44 Hockey
IT IS REPORTED that Washington and Hershey of the American Hockey league are operating at such a heavy financial deficit that players representing those cities are planning to go into the service or into work rated as essential to the war effort in the spring. . . . The ban on pleasure driving dropped New Haven from the league and just about wrecked) attendance at Washington. and Hershey. | If league hockey is played | in 1943-44 it probably will be limited to week-end games only, Saturday and Sunday nights, and in cities out of the no pleasure-driving ares. 8 % = | Ce. . * BILL McKENZIE, Cleveland Baron defense man, plans to return to action this week after having been shelved since Jan. 16 with a skate cut in his lower jaw. , . . He is slated fo play against the Indianapolis Caps at the fairgrounds coliseum Thursday night. « « « The Barons hold a 5-2 edge over the Hoosiers in their season series. . . . The Barons won the last three in a row.
Walter Kilrea Regains Scoring Lead : WALTER KILREA of the leading Hershey Bears is back on top in the American Hockey league’s ifidividual scoring.'. . . He has 71 points, 5 more than Les Cunningham of Cleveland. , . , Cunningham wrested the lead from Kilrea a week ago. . . . DeMarco, Providence, is third with 61 points and Frost of Hershey and Mann of Pittsburgh are tied for fourth, with 56 apiece. Frost and Summerhill of Buffalo share the- lead in goals with 27 apiece. . . « Hershey's Kilrea is leader in assists with 48. 8s = s = » DOMINIC DIMAGGIO; Red Sox outfielder who is in the navy, is within swimming distance of home. . . . Assigned to inshore patrol (San Francisco harbor defense), he’s right where he was reared. . . « San Francisco is Dom’s home town. , , That's what you call getting a real break in service.
lized quintet. ably for 15 minutes and trailing only| §
Mills-Louis Bout Seen When Last Shot Is Fired in War
By HARRY GRAYSON Times Special Writer
NEW YORK, Feb. 9—All wars come to an end and when ie last
shot is fired in this one, Freddie Mills of the Royal Air Force will board the first boat or plane to America with an open challenge to Sergt.
_ Joe Louis. -
"The castanets that are Mike Jacobs’ store teeth click “Happy Days Are Here Again” when the old Broadway ticket scalper contemplates the
arrival of the most magnetic ate traction in British boxing history. Promoter Jacobs visions the return of the million-dollar gate with this newest dash of international ~ flavor. The boom will be on. A Mills-Louis match would be the counterpart of the Jack DempseyGeorges Carpentier engagement
which followed world war I, and brought out the first million-dollar
Lindstrom May Be Postmaster
baseman of ‘the New York Giants, has been recommended to the posi office department for appointment 8 acting postmaster in Evanston, Senator Scott W. Lucas ©. 1) made the recommendation yesierday that Lindstrom be chosen to succeed the former postmaster, who has entered 'the armed services.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (U. P.)—|hio Freddie Lindstrom, former third Mic
Wontinie On
Undefeated
By TOMMY DEVINE United Press Staff Correspondent CHICAGO, Feb. 9.—There can be no “ceiling” on Big Ten basketball scores as long as the University of Chicago remains a member of the conference. That fact became established today after the woefully weak Chicago quintet had served as the “guinea pig” of another point- experiment, this time by Wisconsin. The : Badgers temporarily overshadowed the bitter battle of Indiana and Illinois for the Big Ten lead by establishing a new all-time scoring record last night as they trounced Chicago, 74-30, at Madison. The Badgers’ point-making orgy broke a mark which Indiana set only two weeks ago when it rolled up 71 points at the expense of Iowa. While Wisconsin was handing Chicago its 36th consecutive conference defeat, Indiana and Illinois prolonged their winning streaks. The Hoosiers made it eight in a row by trimming Michigan, 48-33, and Illinois chalked up its seventh straight by besting Ohio State, 50-44. In a non-league game, Great Lakes won from Northwestern, 57-36.
Perpetual Tail-Enders
Chicago is the perpetual tailender in the Big Ten, but its name is hinged to most of the high scoring games on record. The Maroons, however, always2 are the “other” team. Sixteen times in Big Ten history a team has scored 64 or more points and on -eight of the occasions Chicago was the victimAfter playing credit-
28-21 at that stage of the contest,
minutes of the opening period and
{the first 13 minutes of the second
half, the Maroons failed to score. Over the same 18-minute stretch Wisconsin dropped in 37 points to push its advantage to 65-21 and turh the game into a rout. Johnny Kotz, burly Wisconsin forward who established an individual conference scoring record a season ago, led the ‘Badgers with 25 points.
Divide Scoring Honors
Sophomore Ward Williams and the veteran Irv Swanson combined to pace Indiana to another decisive triumph. Williams and- Swanson divided scoring honors with 12 points each. Ralph Hamilton, the Hoosiers’ ace point-maker in early games, found himself shackled again by the great defensive play of Sophomore Dave Strack. Hamilton scored three field goals in the first period and then
. {was limited to a pair of free
throws in the final half. Indiana was in front all the way, holding a 26-12 margin at halftime. The loss was Michigan's fifth in six conference starts. Following the pattern it set in the first game of the series Saturday night, Ohio State went out in front of Illinois midway through the initial period, but couldn’t hold the margin. After 10 minutes of play the Bucks led, 12-10, but then Illinois began to click and forged in front, 26-19, at half-time.
Sailors Avenge Loss
Soon after ‘the start of the second half Illinois boosted its lead to 33-20 and Ohio State didn’t cut that advantage until late in the game, Andy Phillip, the conference's leading individual scorer, was held to eight points, his lowest total of the season. Art Mathisen ahd Ken Menke paced the victors with 17 and
. 13 points, respectively. Sophomore
Jack- Dugger was high for Ohio State with-14 points, Great Lakes’ victory over Northwestern , avenged one of the two losses the Sailors have suffered this season. The Wildcats trimmed them, 59-47, a month ago, but were no match for the Bluejackets in the return. The Big Ten standing:
W. L. Pts.
Indiana ,ic.ccosensres 8 Illinois
AUN WEhWROO
Sign for Bout
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (U, P)— Johnny Greco, Canadian lightweight, and Cleo Shans of Los Angeles were signed by Promoter Mike Jacobs today for a 10-round! bout at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 26. -
Chicago collapsed. In the final five
pionship games in the evening.
Bud Brown of Burris, Muncie, last year's Gimbel medal ‘winner, will provide one of Indiana's main threats as the Hoosiers compete in the four-way Big Ten freshman basketball tournament at Purdue Saturday. Indiana will meet Northwestern in the second afternoon game with Purdue meeting lllinois in the opening game at 1:30 o'clock. There will be both consolation and cham-
scheduled until later this season.
Minute Men Get 99 Points
HANOVER, Ind. Feb. 9 (U. P.).—Hanover college students: today were undecided whether to dub their basketball team the “minute men” or the “two-and-one-half-point-a-minute-men.” In a weird game last night, Hanover scored 99 points against } the Bowman Field Fliers of Louisville, Ky., who tallied 56. Highscorer Frank (Nicky) Jean ran up 51 points (that’s right—51), on 22 field goals and seven free throws. Like minute men of old, Hanover snapped into action after preparing to spend a quiet evening in fraternity meetings. Bowman Fliers showed up unexpectedly to play a game that wasn’t
“We'll have to play the game now or forfeit it, ” said the Fliers. So Coach John Van Liew called his boys out of fraternity meetings, they did a quick change, and the game got under way at 8:30. As Hanover neared the 100-point mark, Bowman’s cagers wondered why they hadn’t forfeited in the first place.
The
One-Act Philly
Be Rewritten by N. L. Today
By PAUL SCHEFFELS United Press Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, Feb. 9.—It'll be President Gerry Nugent against the field today when National league club owners, headed by league prexy Ford Frick, meet at the Hotel New Yorker to determine the future status
of the Philadelphia Phils,
Commissioner Kenesaw M. Landis will preside at the one-sided bout which will find Prick and the remaining team moguls determined to
Bowie Will Not Race This Year
BALTIMORE, Feb. 9 (U. P)— The Bowie race track, situated between Washington and Baltimore, will abandon racing this year, Joseph Farrell, spokesman for the Southern Maryland Agricultural association, announced yesterday. Farrell stated that “racing at Bowie is out of the question in view of the statement by Director Joseph B. Eastman of the office of defense transportation. Eastman has recommended sus-
Op. .| pension of the Kentucky Derby and
warned turf operators generally
252 | that travel restrictions would jeop-
ardize attendance. In consequence, it has been suggested that such Maryland tracks as Bowie, Marboro, Laurel and Havre De Grace hold their meetings at Pimlica, which -is within Baltimore. s TT
Bucky Agrees
NEW YORK, Feb. 9. (U.
P)— william (Bucky) Walters,
star
agreed to terms for 1943, Business Manager Wartn Giles said Joday.
Net Scramble — But Good!
.|the help of friendly monetary in-
Tragedy May
settle the financal future of the hapless Phils. A group of magnates is believed trying to wrest control of the club, now in dire financial straits, from Nugent and put it under direct authority of the league. Nugent, head of the current Philadelphia operators, is expected to provide some fireworks. He fis battling tooth and nail to retain directorship and has stated that he will take the matter to court, if necessary, before he Telinquishes control of his club.
Perennial Doormats Perennial doormats, of the National league, the Phils are in debt up .to their necks. Unless some sort of financial assistance ‘is obtained by Nugent from outside sources,
Bill Terry—former first baseman and executive of the New York Giants—may be put in charge. Terry has shown interest in the club and might take control with
terests with the prospect of eventual ownership. Denials, rumors and assorted assertions have clouded the entire
: Frick Leads Fight (1)—Frick has been leading the fight to gain control ‘of the Phils by the league and-has attempted to obtain a quorum of opinion for a vote on circuit control : (2)—The club is flooded with debts both to ‘the league and re-
Shibe park.
situation but now it shapes up like| pitcher of the Cincinnati Reds, has| this :
portedly several commercial sources,| | jincluding the rental department of
1 | (3)—The league has laid down a| mandate for Nugent to furnish the!
y He Was as Poor § in Wielding | Wagon-Tongue : as Lefty Gomez
By JACK CUDDY
United Press 8 NEW YORK, Feb. 9—The dea
‘the Bat,” baseball's best known poem—reminds us emphatically that {color and situations in the national pastime have had far more to do with the popularity of the sport than batting averages or won-and-
lost figures.
By UNITED PRESS Indiana State’s undefeated Sycamores eked out a thrilling twopoint victory over St. Joseph’s last night, 32-30, to remain at the. top of the state conference basketball standings with four loop triumphs. It was the 11th victory of the
[season for the teachers’ college. The
‘defeat was the third for St. ‘Joe
‘land kept the Pumas on the bottom
of the league stackup - along with
| Concordia.
‘Indiana State got off to a 12-2 lead, but with 10 minutes-remain-ing in the game, the Pumas tied the score. Bernie Hoffman, who tallied 14 points, kept St. Joe in the running until the late minutes, when the Sycamores gained their two-point margin. Manchester kept plugging for run-ner-up honors now held by Wabash by downing Ball Stafe in another nip-and-tuck contest, 56-54, as Alan Howenstine clicked for 23 points to lead the Spartans. Hanover swamped Bowman Field of Louisville. 99-56, in a non-con-ference game.
Ft. Wayne Will Face All-Stars
FT. WAYNE, Feb. 9.(U. P.).—The Oshkosh All-Stars, last season’s champs of the National Professional Basketball league, meet league-lead-ing Pt. Wayne Zollner Pistons here tonight in what is expected to be one of the most highly contesied tilts on this year’s schedule. The Pistons clinch their first place standing if they win over Oshkosh. However, the All-Stars have a mathematical chance to nose
honors. Oshkosh must win tonight's encounter and then repeat the performance again Saturday night when the Pistons travel into northern territory. Then they will need some help by Chicago and Sheyboygan during the Pistons’ remaining games. Oshkosh faces a shortage of time. They play three more games, including tonight's, while Ft. Wayne plays five. It was indicated Bob McDermott, top scorer in the league, would see some ‘action tonight.. He was injured last week ‘ while playing against Chicago.
Interstate Loop” Has 140 Games
TRENTON, N. J., Feb. 9 (U. P). —The Interstate baseball circuit, composed of six clubs, will play a 140-game schedule in 1943, President Arthur H. Ehlers announced today. : ‘The campaign will open May 11 and end Sepi. 14. The loop con=sists of Harrisburg, Hagerstown, Trenton, Allentown, Lancaster and Wilmington.
The poem about “Mighty Casey” was writen in jest in 1888 by
Sycamores Top Pumas, 32-30; Spartans Win
he was about as impotent in wielding the wagon-tongue as the cur-
‘flabbergasted hero of the poem,
Ft. Wayne out of championship,
Correspondent of Dan Casey—hero of “Casey at
Ernest L, Thayer. Thayer appar-
ently knew little about Casey when :
he penned his piece, for Casey, a ‘southpaw pitcher, never had been “mighty” at bat. In fact, old Dan often admitted in later years that
rent Lefty Gomez. Casey batted about .200. But Thayer, a Harvard graduate and son of a wealthy mill owner in Worcester, Mass., apparently got a big kick out of a tense baseball situation in which Casey struck out. The poem attracted considerable attention and in May, 1888, De Wolf Hopper, star of the musical comedy “Prince Methusalem” at Wallack’s theater in New York, launched it upon the path to immortality. On a special baseball night at Wallack’s young Hopper read it during the second act of ‘Methusalem.” His recitation was given a thundering ovation. After that, Hopper recited “Casey” hundreds of times.
Lifted to Immortality Meanwhile, Casey, the somewhat
found - himself lifted to baseball immortality on a strike-out, probably the only man in the game’s history to make such a flight. He became a target for much goodnatured bantering among his pals before the close of his playing career, which included mound work with Wilmington, Indianapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia and finally, Albany, N. Y. Tim Keefe of the Giants was pitching against Casey in the old Philadelphia ball park. It was the last of the ninth, New York was leading, 4-3, two men were out, runners were on second and third; it was Casey's turn at bat. The fans were: yelling for a homer as Pitcher Keefe wound up and threw, “Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped. “‘That ain't my style, said Casey. ; “« ‘Strike one,’ the umpire said.”
Fans Yelled “Fraud”
Casey always admitted that the umpire was correct in calling that first pitch and the second one “strikes.” He had misjudged them, thinking them balls, The poem says the fans did not agree with the umpire. They yelled “fraud.” “But & - scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.” This line in the poem always made Casey laugh heartily. He insisted that the audience wasn’ awed, but that he was scared to death. The poem then explains that Casey’s face grew stern and cold. The sneer was gone from his lips, but his teeth were clenched in hate. He pounded the plate with his bat. ‘ “And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go, “And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow. “Oh somewhere in this favored land, the sun is shining bright, “The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere ‘hearts are light; “And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout, “But there is no joy in Mudville— mighty Casey has struck out.” Yes, is Washington, D. C., mighty Casey struck out last night. But he left the nation a rich legacy in
Strongberg
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 (U. P= Outfielder Augie Galan of the
jected by the army, Club Presid Branch Rickey announced today. Galan wired Rickey and said that ‘he failed to measure up to mili= tary requirements because of & “flexion of the right elbow left knee” Galan is spending the winter at his Berkeley, home.
Ruffin Stops Richie Lemos
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 8 (U,P. Bobby Ruffin, New York conten for the lightweight crown vs : by Sammy Angott, was one nots closer te his goal today in the tour: nament sponsored by the Natic Boxing association for a new ch pion, Ruffin polished off Californ Richie Lemos via a technical kno out at the end of the eighth roun of their scheduled 15-round ba at the Victory arena last night. Lemos injured his arm during th eighth after a severe beating Ruffin and had knots on his when his handlers refused fo him go on. Boxing steadily, Ruffin easily ried at least five of the rounds. - Both fighters scaled 135. 8 bout was sanctioned by the Louisiar Boxing commission as part of N. B. A. elimination tournament,
Title Bout Is Slated Tonight
George (K. 0.) Koverly, the gressive Los Angeles grappler wh is listed among the top notchers the game; goes against Young E Managoff, heayyweight champion, | a promised action-producer on at the Armory. : Managofl, who is from Chicago, | to risk his title in the bout, whic calls for two falls out of three, 90 minutes. The powerful Koverly gets chance at Managoff as a result ¢ beating Dorve Roche here week. George is ‘a combination skill, power and rough tactics. Mi agoff was here six weeks ago an was extended in his victory Roland Kirchmeyer, Soldier Thomas of Detroit Rene La Belle of Montreal in semi-windup. They are
heavies and grip for one fall.
In other matches, Sailor Olson Chicago opposes Walter Roxey; Detroit ‘junior heavy, while of ' Milwaukee against Don Lee of San Diego,
“Casey at the Bat.”
are heavies.