TUFSDAYA OCTOBER 5; 1948
T 1tT 6 iCs- T d 1 u v 6"i A tdT tiA T r . .
'1'tlh lVt.iCH14-:A.N DAILY
PA R !l;tTIU'f
Bearden Surprised-Andllappyln Cruciai
l Victory
TALKING SHOP
with Bud Weidenthal
Associate Sports Editor
When yours truly kissed five hard-earned greenbacks good-bye
this afternoon following Gene Bearden's magnificent five hitter over
the Red Stockings of Beantown we happily sat back and admitted
that for once we had been wrong.
You see, your surprised columnist was one of the few Clevelanders
who was not carried away by the general hysteria that swept Ohio's
largest town during the summer, and taking advantage of calm, delib-
erate reasoning ventured a wager of five dollars with a local "sucker,"
he taking the Tribe, we the Rex Sox.
* * *
WELL, A SPORTS writer doesn't ordinarily accept a bet without
good reason-and good reason we thought we had.
The Tribe, paced by a few old men and a couple of flashy
rookies would wilt on the home stretch under the onslaught of
Williams, DiMaggio, Pesky, Stephens and Company, we thought.
The hometown heroes might squeeze past the Yanks, but never
the sluggers of Joe McCarthy. And for a while it looked as if we were
right....
* * *
BUT WHEN THE chips were down and the battling trio that led
the junior circuit started playing for keeps we found out that we were
wrong, very, very wrong.
The three old men, Gordon, Keltner and Boudreau, instead of
weakening as the grueling season wore on seemed to get their
second wind and come through magnificently in the clutch when
they were most needed.
Too much can and will never be written about this wonderful
threesome who carried to Cleveland a pennant that had evaded the
big town for 28 years.
AND IF ONE of the three had to be singled out as the hero of the
pennant drive it must be Boudreau whose tremendous courage and
superb ability as player and manager provided the leadership that
brought home the coveted standard.
With his peculiar crouching stance and his keen eye, he had
carried on a personal duel with Ted Williams for the American
League batting championship, had struck out only nine times in
545 trips to the plate, and when men were on base would time
and again come through with those run-producing base hits that
win ball games.
But Gordon and Keltner did their share. Between the two they
batted in 240 runs and collected the amazing total of 63 home runs,
surpassing the total of several entire teams in the majors.
* * *
THE DUO PLAYED faultlessly at their infield positions and down
to the end in today's game were slugging in the all important fourth
and fifth spots in the Indians' batting order.
The "old pros," as Mel Allen so aptly put it, just seemed to
get better, the time-worn legs didn't give out.
But let's not overlook the flashy rookies . . . . Dale Mitchell and
Larry Doby by name, who instead of proving to be a couple of flash in
the pans, as many thought they'd be, developed into two of the finest
outfield prospects the old major leagues,have seen in many a moon.
* * *
BOTH FINISHED the season yesterday batting over the .300
mark, Doby at .305, Mitchell at .336. Mitchell, like Boudreau became
a watch dog at the plate and as leadoff man was a good bet to get on
base a good bit of the time.
Doby, with the speed of a dashman and the finesse of a sea-
soned player, became a real ball hawk around the pastures of
center field and came up with many a game-saving catch.
These, as I have said were the surprises-but to our way of
thinking, and we think the experience of the Red Sox proves it con-
clusively, you've just got to have the pitching, and in Cleveland's case
this wasn't lacking either.
AT MID-SEASON the Tribe was riding high atop the junior cir-
cuit despite the apparent collapse of the one-time great, Bob Feller.
But Boudreau realizing, as we did, that it was going to be
tough sledding in the stretch made the statement that he'd "sink
or swim with Feller."
We thought the water was going to be awfully wet . . . he was
a great pitcher, sure, but he was through for this year at least. Maybe
he'd find himself next season-we hoped so.
* * *
WE WERE WRONG AGAIN . . . Rapid Robert came through
magnificently just when Bob Lemon was beginning to lose his stuff
and Boudreau was afraid to use Bearden against the leaders.
The boy from Iowa had his fast ball hopping again and it
was winning the close ones. Put this with the great comeback of
"the rookie of the year" in the last couple weeks of the season and
you have the pennant inning formula.
Champions
Of Billiards
Exhibit Here
By BILL CONNOLLY
Local billiards enthusiasts will
get a chance to challenge a world
champion player to attempt their
favorite "impossible shot" this af-
ternoon and tonight.
Appearing at the Union in two
exhibitions, one at 3:00 p.m. and
the other at 8:00, will be two
champion billiards players. Charles
C. Peterson, fancy shot artist and
world champion, will headline this
special feature. He will defy any-
one present to call a shot he can't
make. With him on the second
floor of the Union will be the
world's pockets billiards cham-
pion, Willie Mosconi.
* * *
A FAST, BRILLIANT player,
Mosconi, whose most spectacular
feat was scoring a high run of 309
to tie the world's record, is certain
to please his audience with both
his play and his rapid-fire com-
ments as he goes about his work.
In the event you don't realize'
Rookie Southpaw
Didn't Know
That
Game Was Over
Gene Concerned Over Ragged Shirt;
Was One of Baseball's War Heroes
BOSTON, Oct. 4 - (P) - Gene
Bearden, sensational 20 - game
winner in his first season in the
big leagues, even today is finding
it hard to believe he pitched the
Cleveland Indians to the American
League pennant.
"I'll bet I was the most sur-
prised person in the ball park,"
Bearden said as he undressed to
take his shower. "I didn't even
know what inning it was. I thought
it was the eighth inning until the
fellows-what a bunch-carried
me off the field on their shoul-
ders."
"DID YOU KNOW you allowed
only two hits in the last seven in-
nings?" he was asked.
"No, I didn't. I didn't even
know what inning it was."
Bearden, who handcuffed the
Boston Red Sox in the playoff
game after only one day of rest,
was congratulatedson all sides.
The 28-year -old southpaw from
Los Angeles, once the property of
the New York Yankees, is one of
baseball's war heroes. He wears a
platinum plate in his head and
right knee as the result of wounds
received in the sinking of the USS
i1elena in the Pacific.
BILL BEECK, popular Cleveland
club president and himself a ma-
rine war hero, was in and out of
the dressing room like a kid in a
revolving ,door.
Gene Bearden, the lean left-
handed pitcher, posed and,
clowned willingly for photog-
raphers but seemed more con-
cerneddabout the state of his
tattered sweat shirt.
"I only won ten straight with
it. Don't let anything happen
now," Bearden shouted as exultant
teammates hoisted him to their
NEW YORK, Oct. 4-(A) -
Stanley (Bucky) Harris' con-
tract as manager of the New
York Yankees was not renewed
today.
The decision was reached at
a conference involving Dan
Topping, president of the club;
George M. Weiss, general man-
ager, and Harris.
shoulders again and again. He kept
clutching the torn place at the
shoulder and made sure that even
the "lucky" safety pins holding
it together weren't lost.
* * *
AS TO HIS PITCHING, Bear-
den explained that he kept throw-
ing his knuckle ball to Ted Wil-
liams, the Red Sox slugger who
got only one puny hit in four times
at bat.
"He threw his knuckler every
time he was in trouble," ex-
plained catcher Jim Hegan. "It's
his best pitch. No, I wouldn't
say it was Gene's best day. He
has pitched better games."
Boudreau, who withheld the.
news that Bearden would pitch
today until the teams actually
took the field, had this explana-
tion for his strategy:
*O I* d*
"I TOLD HIM yesterday after
SPORTS
MORT ELDRIDGE: Night Editor
Tribe Beats
Red Sox int
A.L.Playoff
(Continued from Page 1)
Explosive was the word for the
Tribe's attack. Boudreau's men ar-
rived in town only at mid-morn-
ing, tired-eyedmand thoroughly
angry with themselves for having
blown an apparently safe lead in
the closing days of the race.
* * *
THEY TOOK IT out on Mc-
Carthy's curvers. Every Indian
who played through the game ex-
cept coacher Jim Hegan and right-
fielder Bob Kennedy joined the
assault. Besides his homer, Kelt-
ner belted a double and a single
against the left barricade. Larry
Doby, Negro outfielder, bounced
a brace of doubles off the same
wall.
Boudreau, at least for today,
was the greatest manager in the
world. The youthful pilot, in
addition to his four base hits
and three runs, fielded flaw-
lessly and set a brilliant pattern
for his men.
Three slick double plays helped
Bearden wrap it up, but the wil-
lowy southpaw needed very little
assistance. His worst inning, as
it turned out, was the first, in
which a double to right by Johnny
Pesky and a slash down the left
field line by Vern Stephens gave
the Sox a run to match Boudreau's
first four-master.
FOR THE NEXT four innings,
only four Boston players reached
first against Bearden's "curve-
slider"
With perfect support, Bearden
would have got past the sixth
without damage, too. One was out
when Ted Williams popped one
high over second base. Gordon
staggered around under the ball,
partly blinded by the sun, and fi-
nally let it bounce from his glove.
BEARDEN THEN STRUCK out
Stephens, but Bobby Doerr caught
a fast ball squarely and looped it
high into th left field screen to
score Williams ahead of him.
* * *
By B. S. BROWN
If Jimmy Aiken's lads
aren't
trampling over a bed of roses at
Pasadena come the first afternoon
of 1949, then the class of grid
squads on the coast is very much
improved over last season's crop.
Oregon proved beyond a doubt
Saturday that it is very much the
leading contender for western rep-
resentation to the Tournament of
Roses in sunny California this
year. And no matter whom the.
Webfoots would tangle with, the
fight would be more interesting
than the recent swampings ad-
ministered by Michigan and Illi-
nois on New Year's Day.
THE SCORE Saturday doesn't
tell a thing. Don't let anyone say
that the game wasn't close. It
was. There was just 18 yards dif-
ference between the total yard-
age racked up by the two teams.
The big difference, oddly
enough, what with the pheno-
menal Norm Van Brocklin put-
ting the ball everywhere but in
his receivers' back pockets, was
in the aerial offense. Michigan
completed eight out of 16 flips
for 217 yards while Nimble Norm
hit 13 time in 24 attempts for
194.
Bennie Oosterbaan's stellar de-
fense was the deciding factor in
the game. A goal line stand, an
intercepted pass, and a hard
hitting line stopped the Ducks
short of pay dirt, but a team that
can run and pass for 331 yards
against a defense like Michigan
put up has something to quack
about.
THE CHUCKING accomplish-
ments of Van Brocklin stood out
Saturday, but there was nothing
wrong with the way he handled
himself on the "T." His deception
was beautiful. He may not have
gotten the pre-season nod from
the experts, but watch for his
name when theuAll-American se-
lections come out.
There was another chucker
on the field Saturday, a fellow
named Chuck Lentz. Playing in
his first varsity game, the To-
ledo junior took over the wing-
back duties when another Chuck,
this one surnamed Ortmann,
came up with a charley horse.
On the second play after he
trotted on the field, Lentz calmly
faded to his own 45 and flipped
accurately across the field to Pete
Elliott on the 20 to set up Mich-
igan's second score.
ON THE THIRD play afterdthe
home squad had been stymied on
the nine, Lentz tossed to Peterson
over the final marker and Mich-
igan had .13 points. What was es-
pecially significant about his per-
formance was Lentz's poise and
quick adaptability in a situation
that called for steadiness.
The twin killers of defense
were their usual selves. Dan
Dworsky and Dick Keinpthorn
were rough enough to make the
Ducks pack up their gear and
start west after the first half.
It was their crushing tackles
that highlighted the goal line
stand.
And don't forget Al "Brick"
Wahl. The 210 pound tackle
charged and hit with ferocity that
should gain him lineman of- the
If it hadn't been for a pair
of tight breeches, Chuck Lentz
might never have broken into
the Oregon game.
the unheralded halfback
from Toledo was sent in to re-
place "Chow" Ortmann, who
developed a cramp in his right
leg because his pants were too
snug and had to be slit.
week honors in the Associated
Press poll.
But outstanding about the whole-
game was the team work of both
offensive and defensive units.
The Wolverines are rounding
into shape it would seem, and
though the scores aren't as im-
pressive as last year's, don't sell
them short.
Oregon Good Bet
For '49 Bowl Bid
WILLIE MOSCONI
... world's champ
* *
what a score of 309 in billiards
means; just try to clear 15 elu-
sive balls off the felt covered table
22 consecutive times, and you've
done it.
Like Mosconi, Peterson is one of
the most amazing billiards players
of all time. He devotes his skill
to fancy shots that make the spec-
tator cry "impossible," even after
he has seen the play with his
own eyes. Pete encountered an
'impossible' attitude some 15 years
ago when he set out to encourage
billiard play among college stu-
dents.
PETERSON'S "Dollar Shot"
serves as an example of his cue
wizardry. Pete stands a silver
dollar on end between two pieces
of billiard chalk. The pieces of
chalk are about one-quarter of an
inch apart.
He then strokes the dollar to the
far cushion, rebounding in right
through the thinly separated
chalk. If you don't believe this can
be done, just trot over to the Un-
ion and see for yourself !
Peterson's fancy shots number
about 550, but are only incidental
to his purpose. What he wants to
do is to teach beginners that bil-
liards is a game that is easy to
learn and easy to play.
GENE BEARDEN
.. surprised
our meeting but I knew there
would be a lot of clamor on the
train and people would be bother-
ing him, so I didn't say anything.
I wasn't trying to fool anybody.
He pitched a great game and he
deserves a lot of credit."
Lou had very little to say
about his own part in the game
except that his two home runs
both were hit off curve balls. He
preferred to talk about Bearden.
Notre dame
Leads Initial
A.P. Grid Pall
NEW YORK - (P) - Notre
Dame, picking up where it left off
at the end of the regular 1947 sea-
son, captured the No. 1 position in
the first Association Press Poll to
select the nation's ten top teams in
the current campaign today by a
slim ten-point margin.
The total vote with points fig-
ured on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
basis (first place votes in paren-
theses):
1. Notre Dame (50) . . . .1,200
2. North Carolina (55) . .1,190
3. Northwestern (21) . .1,025
4. Southern Methodist (13)
.882
5. Army (7) ...........725
6. Georgia Tech .......598
7. Michigan (2) .........542
8 Minnesota ............407
9. California (3) ........399
10. Penn State (2) .......305
BOX SCORE:
CLEVELAND AB:
Mitchell LF .......5
Clark IB ..........2
Robinson 1B .... 2
Boudreau SS ......4
Gordon 2B ....... 4
Keltner 3B.......5
Doby CF......... 5
Kennedy RF ..... 2
Hegan C ......... 3
Bearden P ........3
Totals ........35
BOSTON AB
DiMaggio CF .... 4
Pesky 3B .........4
Williams LF....,.4
Stephens SS ..... 4
Doerr 2B......... 4
Spence RF ........1{
A-Hitchcock .... 0+
B-Wright.......0
Goodman .IB ..... 3
Tebbetts C ........4+
Galehouse P ..... 0
Kinder P......... 2+
Totals .........30
A-Hitchcock walkedf
in 9th
H
1
0
1
4
1
3
2
0
0
1
13
H
0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
5
'O
1
5
9
3
2
0
1
0
6
0
27
O
3
3
3
2
5
1
0
0
7
3
0
0
27
A
0
0
0
5
3
6
0
0
1
2
17
A
0
3
0
4
2
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
13
for Spence
B-Wright ran for Hitchcock in
9th
CLEVELAND ... 100 410 001-8
BOSTON........100 002 000-3
So 'to these American League
champs goes all the praise and ad-
miration we can possibly muster-
it was a thrill to see 'em come
through.
We were wrong, and never be-
fore have we been so glad to admit
it. Here's your five bucks, "suck-
er," it's going for a good cause.
]Relive Michigan's sports year
--Ensian.
.di
III
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