WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1945,
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Gridders Don Regular Uniforms in Second
Drill
SPORTS
NEWS +VIEWS+ COMMENT,
By BILL MULLENDORE, Daily Sports Editor
DETROIT TIGER FANS are certain that the return of big Hank Green-
berg to the lineup will provide the necessary punch to insure a pennant
for the Bengals come fall, and, after watching Greenberg's debut at Briggs
Stadium last Sunday, we are rather inclined to agree.
We watched the Tigers stumble through three games prior to
Greenberg's first appearance in Detroit uniform since 1941 and con-
cluded that only a miracle could keep them out in front in the Ameri-
can League race. But apparently all that is needed is the big bat of
the junior circuit's former home run king and runs-batted-in leader,
together with his inspirational qualities.
At any rate, Detroit looked like a different ball club as soon as Green-
berg stepped into his familiar left field spot and took over the cleanup
position in the batting order. "Homer Hank" himself lived up to his
name by hitting for the circuit in the eighth inning for his first safe blow
of the season. Greenberg's last hit before entering the Army back in
1941 was, incidentally, also a four-ply swat.
fUT IT WASN'T so much Greenberg's hitting or his play in the field,
which was also brilliant, that enabled the Tigers to overcome three-
run deficits in both games of the doubleheader with Philadelphia and win
both contests after long, uphill pulls. He was out of the lineup in the
second contest, and the Tigers continued to play the same sort of spirited
ball that Detroit fans have been hoping for, but not getting, all season.
Perhaps it is going' too far to attribute to Greenberg the entire
responsibility for the Tigers' sudden about-face from a dispirited, lifeless
aggregation of players to a hustling, determined outfit. And perhaps
the change was only temporary. But the fact remains that there was
all the difference in the world between the Tigers of early last week and
the Tigers of Sunday. They were fielding better, hitting oftener and
harder, and, more important, had that confident, spirited, never-say-
die attitude that wins ball games.
Frankly, we believe that the change will be permanent and that the
major part of the responsibility for it rests on Mr. Greenberg's ample
shoulders. The Bronx Bomber, aside from the tr'emendous power in his
big bat, has always been the type of inspirational ball player who pushes his
teammates to peak performance. A tireless worker and a perfectionist,
Greenberg has long been noted for his unfaltering team spirit and fine
competitive attitude. Such a spirit is more than likely to become infec-
tious.
HERE ARE OTHER CAUSES for rejoicing in the Tiger camp. One
is the return to front-line pitching duty of big Al Benton, another
dischargee from the Armed Forces, who had gotten away to a fine start
before stopping, a line drive off the bat of Bobby Estalella with his right
leg several weeks ago. The mishap cost Benton a broken ankle and the
Prigers the services of the most effective hurler in baseball at that time.
With Benton back to relieve some of the pressure from Hal Newhouser and
Dizzy Trout, who are already showing signs of overwork, the'Tiger pitching
situation will have a much rosier hue.
The other bit of good news is the possibility that Virgil (Fire)
Trucks, sensational rookie hurler of three years ago, may receive a
Navy discharge and rejoin the Tigers. Trucks' blazing fire-ball was
being compared favorably with Bobby Feller's fast one when he left
to join the Navy, but the young right-hander never had a chance to
establish himself in the big time. While in service, Trucks did plenty
of hurling for Great Lakes and other naval outfits and hung up a
convincing string of triumphs. The added experience should serve
him in good stead.
With Benton back, and Trucks' return more than a mere hope, the
Tigers may, before the end of the season, confront the rest of the league
with a starting mound quartet composed of Newhouser, Trout, Benton,
and Trucks. This formidable array would go a long way toward insuring
a pennant for Detroit. Add to that the punch Greenberg is supplying,
and will continue to supply, and you have a team entirely capable of walk-
ing away from the field as the pennant chase moves along.
Major League Standings
AMERICAN LEAGUE NATIONAL LEAGUE
TEAMS W L Pet. GB Brooklyn .........41 25 .261 . .
Detroit ..........39 25 .609 .. St. Louis ........36 29 .554 42
New York ........36 28 .563 3 New York ........37 31 .544 5
Chicago .......... 35 31 .530 5 Chicago .. ........34 28 .548 5
Boston . ..........34 30 .531 5 Pittsburgh ........35 31 .530 6
Washington ......32 30 .516 6 Boston ...........32 32 .500 8
St. Louis ........29 32 .475 82 Cincinnati .......28 33 .459 10
Cleveland ........27 34 .443 102 Philadelphia......19 53 .264 25
Philadelphia......20 42.323 18 YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Chicago 24, Boston 2.
BostonC4,cDetroit 0.lton32.
Boston 4, Detroit 0 Pittsburgh 10, Philadelphia 3.
New York at Cleveland, night. Cincinnati at Brooklyn, night.
Washington at Chicago, night St. Louis at New York, night.
Philadelphia at St. Louis, night
TODAY'S GAMES TODAY'S GAMES
Boston at Detroit (2). Chicago at Boston (2).
New York at Cleveland (2). Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (2).
Washington at Chicago (2). Cincinnati at Brooklyn (2).
Philadelphia at St. Louis (2). St. Louis at New York (2).
~IIe WSHINGTON
ERRY-GO- ROUND
'g The leaders and the peoples of
the entire world today are watch.
ing Washington. For what hap.
pens there affects what happens
everywhere. The unprecedented
importance of Washington news
and its bewildering mass make
it of special value now to have, besides running
Newhoueser s
Victory String
Ends at Sevenr
Loses 4-0 as Tigers
Fall Before Red Sox
By FRANK KENESSON
Associated Press Correspondent
DETROIT, July 3 -UP)- Rookie
Jim Wilson blanked the Detroit Tig-
ers on five hits before a twilight
crowd of 22,528 fans today as the
Boston Red Sox hung a 4-0 defeat on
Hal Newhouser, breaking his seven-
game victory string.
Wilson walked six Tiger batsmen
and Detroit had the bases loaded
twice but couldn't get the runners
around. Altogether, 23 men were
stranded by both clubs, Detroit leav-
ing 13 on the base paths and Boston
10.
Did you know?I
By Herbert Ruskin
. . . That in 1886, the Michigan
baseball team defeated a team called
Hiawatha by the terrific score of
75-10. In 1867, the Wclverine nine
scored 70 runs to overpower a Uni-
ver-ity of Detroit team that scored
only 17 markers.
. . That Michigan baseball teams
have never gone through an unde-
feated season. This year, however,
the nine came the closest to that
mark. If it had not been for a
heartbreaking loss to Western Mich-
igan in the opening game of the
season, the team would have achieved
the long-sought goal.
. . . That the 1901 football sea-
son was the best in the history of
Gridders Meet
Veteran Middie
Squad Nov. 10
Hard Workouts Ordered
In Pre-Season Training
1945
Bentz,
Squad
Watts,
Elevens
Rivalry
Will Renew
at Baltimore
The Red Sox had eight hits in footllIatichigan. Tne team
eight innings off Newhouser, scoring won all 11 of its games and was
once in the first on Eddie Lake's unscored on throughout the entire
walk, Skeeter Newsome's sacrifice year.
and George Metkovich's single and . . . That the 1931-32 and the 1939-
again in the eighth on successive 40 seasons were among the best years
singles by Metkovich and Bob John- for the Michigan swimming squad.
son and Tom McBride's force-out. In each of those years, the mermen
Newhouser Out in Eighth won three championships. In 1931-
Newhouser, who hadn't lost since 32 the tankers took the N.I.C.A.A.,
the Yankees beat hii 3-2 in New the Western Conference, and the
York May 30, retired for a pinch- National A.A.U. diving titles. In 1939-
hitter in the Tiger eighth and the 40, the squad walked away with first
Red Sox counted twice on three honors at the Conference, the Na-
walks and two hits off Walter Wil- tional Intercollegiate, and the Na-
son. tional A.A.U. meets.
Every Boston player but Newsome . . . That beginning with the
hit safely at least once and Metko. 1932 season and continuing through
vich had three singles and a double the 1936 competitive year, Wolver-
f or five trips. ine golf squads placed first in Con.-
Hank Greenberg went hitless bt ference standings. This represents
drew two passes in five times at bat a string of five straight champion-
Seventh Shutout ships.
The shutout was the seventh suf- - . . That the record for major
fered this season by the Tigers, who letters in one sport in Michigan ath-
have blanked the opposition nine letics is held by an Ann Arbor resi-
times. dent. The late h-orace Prettyman of
Doe Cramer's single to left in the this city won seven letters in football
fourth inning was thetTigers' first in the period from 1882 until 1890,
hit off J. Wilson, who loaded the missing the years 1884 and 1887.
bases in the fifth by walking New- Walter Booth of Grand Rapids comes
houser and Eddie Mayo after Bob closest to equalling this mark. In the
Swift had singled. Leon Culberson stretch from 1886 to 1891, he won six
saved the game for Wilson at that letters in baseball.
point by making a sparkling running . . . That the first competitive
catch of Roy Cullenbine's liner to sport at the University was baseball.
right center to retire the side. The first game in that sport took
With men on first and second in place in 1886 when the Wolverines
the sixth, Swift bounced to Newsome met and defeated Ann Arbor by the
at second for the final out. In the score of 33-11.
eighth, Greenberg walked, McBride . . . That in the six-year period
dragged down Cramer's fly against ranging from 1926 to 1932 when
the right field wall, Rudy York sin- Michigan competed in intercolle-
gled to left and after Bob Maier giate Conference. gymnastic meets
flied to center, Swift walked to fill the best the Wolverines could do
the bases again. Jim Outlaw batted was to finish fourth in the last two
for Newhouser and forced Swift to years. This seems to be the only
kill the threat. field in which a Michigan squad
Al Benton, making his first start has not won a Big Ten title.
since breaking a bone in his ankle . . . That in the 1930's the Wolver-
May 24, was slated to hurl one of the ine baseball squad played 14 games!
games in tomorrow's twin bill against with Japanese teams. winning 13 of
Boston, with Paul (Dizzy) Trout go- those tilts. The only loss occurred in
ing for Detroit in the other. a game with Waseda.
Michigan will meet Navy on the
gridiron for the first time in 17
years, Nov. 10, at Baltimore in the
fifth renewal.of the series between
the two squads.
The Wolverines hold a two-to-one
advantage in the four games played
to date, with the remaining contest
resulting in a tie.
Word from the Naval Academy in-
dicates that the midshipmen will
start practice for the 1945 season
August 20. The event will mark the
beginning of Navy's 54th year of in-
tercollegiate football competition.
Cmdr. Oscar E. Hagberg, Navy's
head coach, expects exactly half of
the 50 squad members which made
up last year's second-ranking na-
tional eleven to return. Of the 25
players lost, 14 were lettermen.
Midshipman Richard Duden, cap-
tain of the '44 squad, heads the list
of seasoned players who will serve
as a nucleus around which the team
will be built. Other top returning
veterans include Bob Jenkins and
Clyde Scott, backs; Ed Deramee and
Jim Carrington, guards; and Leon
Bramlett, end.
Facing the coaching staff will be
the problem of installing the newly-
adopted "T" formatio'n. The problem
is complicated by the fact that the
Middies will have only 30 days to
change from their old style of play.
Coach Hagberg and his aides also
must replace tackles and ends lost
by graduation.
Solution of these problems rests
with the 120 varsity candidates ex-
pected to report for practice. This
squad will be augmented by plebe
players who prove outstanding dur-
ing workouts between Aug. 8 and
Aug. 20.
Detroit Race Track
To Reopen Saturday
DETROIT, July 3-(P)-The De-
troit Race Track, closed for two days,
will resume its 85-day summer meet-
ing Saturday under an agreement
reached today whereby the State
Racing Commission guarantees, in
effect, that henceforth there will be
ample entries to run the program.
For various reasons, owners of 800
horses stabled at the Fair Grounds
Track had held back entries since the
start of the meeting June 16. One
day's program was called off and
then last Saturday the Detroit Racing
Association cancelled the entire pro-
gram, scheduled to run until Sept.
22. Differences were patched up to-
day.
As Michigan's third wartime summer football practice session rolled
into its second day, the Wolverine grid tryouts donned full uniforms for the
first time this year.
After running through physical conditioning drills in trunks Monday,
the 96 charges were started on elementary signal practice and body-
contact line exercises as Head Coach Herbert O "Fritz" Crisler launched
into an "all-out" early season training program.
Preparing for one of the roughest schedules in Michigan's history,
including such top elevens as Army, Navy, Great Lakes and Ohio State, the
prospective gridders are scheduled to work out straight through to August
10. Following a short lay-off, prac-
tice will be resumed around August counted on to whip both the veter-
27, according to Line Coach Clarence ans and former high school stars into
"Biggie" Munn. a cohesive fighting unit for the open-
Ponsetto Returns ing clash September 15.
Asked to comment on the fresh-
Captain Joe Ponsetto, only re- man candidates, Munn said, "It will
turning member of 1944's starting not be possible to make any definite
crew, is expected to take over his statement on the merits of the try-
old quarterback berth. In addition, outs until we have a chance to ob-
the Maize and Blue coaching staff serve them in intra-squad scrim-
will be working with a nucleus of mages."
seven other award winners.
Navy trainees Howard Yerges, sec-
ond string quarterback on last year's
squad; Warren Bentz, halfback; and
Harry Watts and John Lintol, cen-
ters, have all turned up for the
pre-season drills. The Marines are
represented by John Weyers, who
earned a minor letter for his play at
the guard position.
Weisenburger Versatile
The roster of returning lettermen is
rounded off by civilians Cecil Frei-
hofer, end, and Jack Weisenberger.
Weisenberger, a first semester soph-
omore, distinguished himself at the
halfback slot in the closing games
of the '44 schedule. A versatile ath-
lete, he also started at short for the
Wolverines' championship baseball
team this spring.T -
Although pre-season dopesters de-
cline to comment on the prospectiveM GAZ I NE
merits of the 1945 Maize and Blue
squad, they agree that the Wolver-
ines' excellent coaching staff, recog-
nized as one of the best in the con
try, has never failed to produce s.p c
hard-hitting, well-coordinated ele-
ven. Student Rate
Veteran Staff
Led by Crisler, Michigan's nation-
ally-known athletic director, whose 2.7for 8 M nth
aides include Munn; Bennie Ooster- .,
baan, end coach; and Earl Martin-
eau, backfield mentor, the staff is
Oosterbaan To Represent
Michigan at GCage Meeting
Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan's
head basketball coach, will represent
the University coaching staff at a
meeting. of the Western Conference
basketball coaches Sunday morning
in Chicago.
L
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