Evening star., 1927-10-06

~
sr,i, hogan there was n deal Of
IL talk by supporters OF the Ma
| tinnnI League cause that the
| YarItrcs would bc stood on their re-
sncctiye heads by the curve ball pitch
| iuv of the senior circuit Fingers when
tho annual classiC got under way.
| ''Thare are no curve ball pitchers In
the American League comparable to
thoSa I'm the National" these ardent
hackers of the senior organization In
sisted. "and the Yanks Will not know
what It's all about when they get
against hurting OF this class"
Wei. the Yankees gave their an
swcr to this argument yesterday when
thcv took the measure of the Pirates
In the Sd opener of the 1927 base ball
classic. They faced the best OF curves
that Ray kremer, ace OF the Pirate
staff. could throw against them. and
he threw plenty, and all they did to
<rcmer's hooks was to slam triple.
two doubles and two singles before
tie pitcher departed from the scene
after the first man to face him in the
sixth session connected for an extra
base sock.
Not only that, but they never
seemed particularly. bothered by
on the hill. He made an extraordinary
number of pitches to Yankee batters
during his term in the first three in
nings, averaging more than 20 to the
inning. The Yanks simply were wait
ing for Kremer to send them some.
thing they liked, and when something
they liked came their way, curve or
fast one. and generally it was curve.
they socked it.
Curves Not Annoying.
Kremer could not have been in
doubt after the first frame that the
American League champions had no
| fear of his curves. Each Of the five
men who went to plate in the opening
| inning. not excepting Mark koenig
who famed, made the Pirate star
realize his curves were not particu'
larly annoying. Certainly Earl Combs
and Babe Ruth did. For each con.
nected with the first pitch. and Ruth
| managed to drive the ball to safety.
Then Lou Gehrig came along to triple
Ruth home with the first run of the
day.
That first inning did much to unbal-
ance kremer, and he was fortunate to
get through the second session with
no more damage to his record than A
pass to Pat Collins. In the third, his
pitching was of variety not expected
off the lower order of sandlots. He
faltered fearfully, once his support
failed him. and floundered helplessly
when the Yankees refused to be baited
by his wide curve. Two passes re-
suited in forcing over q run and the
other paving the way to a tally when
his battery mate, Earl Smith. proved
as vulnerable as paper screen before
machine gun as he attempted to take
a throw to check some base running
by the American Leaguers. All of this,
with single by the Bambino, was
good for three scores.
kremer was able to get away with
fairly good fourth frame, although
in that he encountered difficulty when
pitching to Waite Hoyt and Combs.
But he was quite spOtty in his hurting
in the fifth when the Yanks lost no
time in reaching him for a marker to
raise their total for the fray to five,
and 1t must be said that Manager
DOME Bush made wise move when
| he derricked his star after koenig
had hit for a two wo-bagger at the outset
of the sixth inning. Kremer's curve
hall held no terrors for the Yankees
and all of the vast throng in Forbes
Field had known it for some time.
Miljus' Work Better.
With John Miljus. the World War
veteran who relieved Kremer, it was
n different matter. His work resem.
bled that of the higher class pitchers
of the American League that have
| frequently checked the Yankees dur.
ing tn circuit championship campaign
and he proved a real puzzle. He was
much more formidable than his pre-
decessor and probably because he did
| not depend upon his curve alone, al
though his curve ball was especially
effective. But Miljus showed a mighty
sweet fast ball. one that any of the
hurlers the Yanks had been accus
| toned to face while winning their way
to five American League flags.
| He mixed his delivery in great style
and also flashed a remarkable change
Of pace that kept all but the incom
parable Ruth from a hit. The lone
safety the Bambino CLEANED off Miljus
| came with two out in the seventh
session. 1t was neat drive to center
but was wasted for Miljus pitching
motion so fooled Ruth that he was
shared off first in an effort to stea
and easily run down. Miljus looked
the real pitching goods, but kremeI
appeared to be anything else.
Nor did Waite Hoyt, who started
for the Yankees, do any pitching to
brag about. He was nicked for eight
safeties and gave up a worthless pass
| in addition to hitting a batter, who
llater scored the initial Pirate run, be
fore he faded from the picture with
one out in the eighth. In three in
nings while HOyt was on the hill he
forced the Pirates to surrender in or
der. But in the other rounds he was
in considerable difficulty.
Three times the Pirates punched
hits against the Yankee starter. They
clustered two in the third frame for