Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 April 1943 — Page 26

RIDA yr A On

Judging From First 2 Games, id They Will Have a Tough Time *

“ards Still Have Speed But They Don't Put Men

By Mullin|

SPORTS. |

C'est la Guerre Hamre Times Sports

By Eddie Ash

AL BRIDWELL, who hit the single that brought on ~~ the Fred Merkle boner of 35 years ago, is chief of war plant police in Portsmouth, O, . , . He served two terms * as sheriff in his home county. : -Bridwell was a famous shortstop who played with Columbus, the Reds, Cubs and Giants. . . + It wes his single in the last scheduled game of the National league season in 1908 that really won the pen- ~~ nant for the Giants, but which base hit was nullified by Merkle, who failed to run down and touch second. Thus followed the famed forceout when Johnny Evers, Chicago , Second baseman, called for the ball and touched the sack. . , . When . Bridwell made his drive two men were out. . .. Merkle, who was . on first, cut across the diamond when he noticed the runner on third + touch the plate for what he thought was the deciding run. 3 . All Merkle would have had to do was to run down to second, : base, and the Giants and not the Cubs would have engaged in the ‘world, series to follow. ... The game was unfinished due to the © crowd storming the fleld and in the playoff the Cubs won and ‘snatched the flag and the right to compete in the world series against Detroit.

Torrid Races Staged in Both Loops

THE SEASON of 1908 furnished bristling races in both major .. loops. . .. It was a three-hoss race. . . . In the National the Cubs, - Giants and Pirates fought it out to the wire plus that extra game between Cubs and Giants. . . . And in the American circuit it was “until the very last day of the season before Detroit won out over Cleveland by half a game. . . . The White Sox, third, finished one game behind Cleveland. : ® = = ® 8 = : . WALTER RINGHOFER, the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen catcher, weighs 250 pounds. . . . Four more White Sox players probably will : wind up in service before many weeks go by. . . . Facing early calls * are Pitcher Orval Grove, Infielders Don Kolloway and Jimmy Webb and Outfielder Frank Kalin,

Whole Thing Is One for the Book

UTTER confusion department—Colonel Buster Mills, former American league outfielder, riow is due for more kidding and eyebrow lifting in the army . . . over his given name of Colonel, ~~ ‘When he joined up he was Pvt. Colonel Buster Mills. ... He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the army air forces recently and now is 2d Lt. Colonel Buster Mills, : ® 8 = ; ® #5 = MILTON GALATZER, former Indianapolis outfielder, has been commissioned a second lieutenant at the Camp Davis, N. C., artillery school. . .. Clyde (Rabbit) McDowell, Indianapolis’ 1942 second ~ sacker, was inducted into the armed forces this week. Zeke Bonura, former major league and ‘American association first baseman in the army, is somewhere in North Africa. . .. Bennie | Zientara, Indianapolis’ former second base ace, is a member of the _ baseball nine at Ft. Benning, Ga.... Capt. Hank Gowdy is the © manager. * . compete tomorrow as the only Boil-

: Two Boiler makers ermaker representatives in the Drake relays. : freshman high

In Drake Relays Wally Blum,

LAFAYETTE, Ind, April 23 (U.|jumper, and Fred Kinder,.a. senior P.)—Two members of the Purdue miler and half-miler, were chosen track team were en route today to|by Coach Hermon Phillips to make

- Des Moines, ‘Ia, where they will|the trip.

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Rich Returns To the Tribe

By EDDIE ASH The Indianapolis Indians have added another starting pitcher. He is Woody Rich, the big righthander who toiled for the Tribesters last season, winning 10 games and losing 10 with the sixth-place club. Drafted from the Indians by the St. Louis Browns last fall, Rich was purchased back by Presidents

| Manager Ownie Bush last night

and is expected to report immediately. His arm is, reported in good shape as he pitched batting practice for the Browns Wednesday before their opener with the

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Chicago White Sox. Tribe Secretary Al = Schlenkser said Rich’s selective service classification is such that he will be available on the diamond ull season. : The Indians now, have seven starting pitchers and one relief man. The mound staff now consists of Righthanders John Hutchings, Al Bronkhurst, Earl Reid and Rich, and Southpaws Bob Logan, Chief Hogsett and Jim Trexler. The relief workhorse is Walter Tauscher, veteran player-coach.

Strong Wartime Staff’

That staff will be difficult to match by other American association clubs in this wartime year. The Indians are to play the Minneapolis Millers tomorrow and Sunday at Victory field. The exhibition tilts are to start at 2:30. The St. Paul Saints are to meet here Monday and Tuesday.’ Jim Trexler, seasoned southpaw up from Little Rock of the Southern association, probably will draw the Tribe's starting assignment against the Millers tomorrow. It will be his first test in game action as a member of the Indians. Tauscher probably will relieve him after four innings. On Sunday, Bush said he would start huge John Hutchings and

| probably finish with Bob Logan.

Seek Opener Assignment

Logan and Hutchings are the leading candidates for the opening day assignment at Toledo next Thursday night. The Redskins went through a long practice at Victory field yes-

terday and a second drill was planned today. The players. welcomed yesterday's balmy weather and didn't have to be ordered around. They took keen delight in hammering the ball all over the premises in batting practice. Outdoor batting was weather rationed in the training camp at Bloomington and the whole team relished yesterday’s long session in the cage. ; Probable Toledo Lineup

Toledo figures its batting order in its opening game against Indian.apolis at Toledo April 29 will look something like this: Dick Kimble, ss; Jimmy Bucher, 2b; Nick Gregory, If; Hal Epps, cf; Al Zarilla, rf; George Corona, 1b; Bob Boken, 3b; Lester Moss, ¢; Harry Kimberlin, p. Phil Weintraub, veteran first sacker, is in the Toledo camp but has had no hitting practice. Red Hayworth, the big Texan who caught 138 games for Dallas last year, is destined to be the Hens’

first-string catcher, but has had|

only two workouts and is overweight. - bool ape Since pitching their training camp

Athens, O,, the Mud Hens have| h

CHICAGO, April 23.—Baseball

appropriate ceremony they drew up the specifications designed to bring back the home run glories common in Babe Ruth’s heydey. However, between the manufacturer’s laboratory and the baseball “assembly line” something went wrong and big league hitters claim they are swinging at a sphere with ro more resiliency than a pumpkin. The matter was brought formal-

Admit Ball Is Inferior

NEW YORK, April 23 (U. P.).— Manufacturers of the major league baseball admitted today that those now in use are unsatisfactory and that a new supply which “measures up to standard” will be substituted within two weeks. :

“In the manufacture of baseballs a layer of rubber cement is applied between layers of wool,” Vice President Lou Coleman of the sporting goods firm said. “Under. war conditions this cement is made from reprocessed rubber. “The cement used on the baseballs turned out by the factory in recent shipments -has. proved of inferior quality. Instead of providing ' resilience the cement hardened to a point where the wool was affected. This deadened the ball. This has been cor-: rected with a new type cement and the new balls will be in use within two weeks.” ~~ A

Name Ships for Rockne, Gipp

the adjustment will have to be _| hospital list since the tilt.

Landis Will Heed Distress Call of Majors Over Ball

By TOMMY DEVINE United Press Staff Correspondent

Commissioner Kenesaw M. Landis

today promised to heed the distress call major league batsmen have directed his way in protest against a mysteriously “dead ball.” On March 13, Landis, President William Harridge of the American league and National League Representative Warren Giles of the Cincinnati Reds voted to restore the “rabbit ball” to the majors. With

ly to Judge Landis’ attention by Giles who wired a vigorous protest and claimed that the ball did not meet specifications submitted * for the standard ball. His conclusions were based on a series of privately conducted tests. The Cincinnati club official sought to have Landis call a special meeting of the selection committee to consider the problem, but the ‘commissioner hardly thought that necessary. “If, as Giles says, the ball isn’t up to specifications then it is a problem for the manufacturers and

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Heavies Back

On Mitt Bill

Light-heavyweights will tangle in the semi-windup of the professional boxing card to be staged at the armory next Friday night when two well-known Indianapolis maulers, Al Sheridan and Gene Simmons, will clash over the eight-round route. Matchmaker Lloyd Carter of the Hercules Athletic club has announced the battle as- the chief supporting ‘bout of a five-scrap show which will feature heavyweights in the main event. Johnny Denson will return to ring action in the bill topper when he faces Young Harry Wills, tough Cincinnati Negro belter, in a scheduled ten rounder. Denson mauled Bob Garner, of Louisville, early this month to win a lopsided decision after ten rounds of rapid fire action. The Kentuckian suffered three broken ribs from Denson’s heavy body pounding and has been on the

Wills, a Buckeye. state defense worker, has won 49 fights out of 60 as a professional scrapper and has met some of the best the heavyweight boxing division has to offer, including Eddie (Unknown) Winston, twice, Buddy Knox, Floyd Gibbons and Buddy Walker, The Sheridan-Simmons light heavy duel will be a rematch, Simmons having won a previous decision over Sheridan in a recent six-round scrap between the pair, No bout are planned for tonight at the armory.

‘Count Fleet's Foot Is O. K.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 23 (U. P) ~The injury suffered by Count Fleet, Derby favorite, was not believed serious today after it had been treated by’ veterinarians, his handlers said. The Count suffered a nasty cut as he was coming out of the gate in the Wood Memorial, with a substantial portion of flesh and hoof cut deep into the coronary bone. . However, the wound has responded well to treatment and there is no sign of a swelling, his stable said.

‘BAR ON FEASTING Oliver Cromwell issued a

to bring their two-day record to no runs in 21 innings. They collected only two hits in the opening game and five yesterday. Possibly the lifeless “ersatz” ball— now much disputed and under study by High Commissioner K. M. Landis --has something to do with the inability of the Cards to collect base hits. Then too it may be that the loss of outfielders Enos Slaughter and Terry Moore has punched too many holes in the Cards’ offense, Haas Scores Frey Bert Haas drove a scorching liner through short to score Lonnie Frey in the last of the 10th with the winning rjn, giving Cincinnati the undispyted league lead. Ray Starr optpitched St. Louis’ Ernie White, who allowed six blows. Brooklyn opened the home sea-

their city rivals, the New York Giants, 5-2, before 16,775 spectators, smallest opening day crowd in years. The Giants collected only six hits, Manager Mel Ott accounting for four in four trips. The Dodgers made the most of eight hits. Chicago’s Cubs evened their series with the Pirates by scoring a 4-3 decision. Phil Cavarretta’s long fly to right prodded Bill Nicholson home with the winning tally in the seventh.

Small Yankee Crowd

West Coast Rookie Jess Flores doled out only two hits—one a twobagger by Petey Fox—accounting for the only run in the Boston Red Sox’ 1-0 triumph over the Philadelphiyp Athletics. Fox advanced on a sacrifice and scored on an infield out. Only 5860 paid admissions— smallest opening day crowd in the 21-year history of Yankee stadium —watched the Yankees rally for two runs in the ninth to eke out a 6-4 win over the Washington

son at Ebbets field by whacking|

Defending Their N. L. Crown:

By PAUL SCHEFFELS United Press Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, April 23.--Judging from the performance of the 8% Louis Cardinals in their first two games, they will have a difficult tin making a successful defense of the National league title this year. The Cardinals are still blessed with an abundance of speed base paths. But they don’t get enough men on the bags to put their ability to work. St. Louis bowed to the Reds, 1-0, in 10 innings yesterday

time the

Senators. Roy Weatherly, Yankee outfielder, belted a two-run double to decide the game. Detroit blanked Cleveland, 4-0, chiefly because of Doc Cramer's five singles in five trips. Virgil Trucks scattered four Cleveland hits while Mel Harder, opening his 16th straight season with the Tribe, al« lowed nine of Detroit's 11 hits. Philadelphia at Boston in the National and Chicago at St. Louls in the American were postponed.

Deadline Set On Pin Meet al

Midnight tonight is the deadline for entries in the Pennsylvania Alleys 1050 scratch handicap toure nament. The event, sponsored by the Indianapolis Bowling Proprie- | tors’ association, opens tomorrow at 3:15 and continues through Sunday night. With the entry near the 100 mark, a $250 prize is practically assured . the winners, while the runnerse up should collect $150. A $25 war bond will also be at stake, the ine dividual turning in the highest sine gle game, exclusive of handicap, to be the winner, Teams desiring to register tonight should call Johnny Mencin, tournas ment secretary, at RI-0078.

A’s Lose Another

PHILADELPHIA, April 28 (U. P.), —A service summons made another gap in the ranks of the Philadel phia Athletics today as reserve First Baseman Bruce Konopka was ordered to duty by the naval ree

serve on April 29.

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