New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-10-03
DOPE CARDINALS
AS EASY Winners
Logical Outcome Is Victory for
St. Louis in Five Games

= New York, Oct 3 UP)-The
logical outcome of the 1928 world
series is a victory for the st. Louis
Cardinals in five or six games.
American league baseball men,
gathering in New York today for the
opening of the series, shake their
heads obviously over the prospects
OF the New York Yankees, and pin
their hopes upon the fact that Miller
Higgins club fights with its back to
the proverbial wall.
The National league champions
should win, and win more easily
than they did in 1926, when the
same clubs met to decide the cham
pionship of the world.
Pitching has ever been the decid-
ing factor in world series baseball,
the exceptions have not been numer-
Gus enough to do more than to prove
the rule. The prepondcrance of
pitching strength favoring the Card
mails is sufficient to warrant the ex-
pectations of st. Louis supporters
that they will win in short order.
The New York Yankees have
Waite Hoyt, George Pipgras and old
Tom Zachary. The Cardinals have
Tin order of importancc) Grove,
Cleveland Alexander, Bill sherde)
Jess Haines, Flint Rhem and Clar
ence Mitchell.
After these pitchers have been
named, the story has been told. Both
clubs have pitchers named John
son. The Yankees johnson is a
youngster named Henry, who is er.
ratio. to say the least: st. Louis
johnson answers to the name OF Syl-
! vester and is about as reliable.
This means that whereas Bill Nc
kechnie can afford to gamble with
his pitchers and toss them in and
out without any fixed plan of bat
tie. Che plans to start Sherdel in
stead OF his real ace, Alexander)
Miller Higgins must have a practi-
cally perfect pitching performance
time the hat drops and the fight
starts.
In the series upon which the at
tention OF the baseball world will
focus tomorrow, much may depend
upon the accomplishment Of Tom
Zachary. Tom never let a world
series game. having won two for the
Washington Senators in 1924, but
there 10 always first time. In his
last three starts before the Yankees
clinched the pennant, the veteran
southpaw turned In splendidly pitch
ed victories. When the race had
been decided, the Detroit Tigers
knocked him out of the box in the
first inning, scoring six runs with
only one out.
Hoyt and Pipgras. backed up by
a little substantial hitting, might
beat the Cardinals once. but hardly
twice, apiece. This leaves the
American league champions still q
little short of adequate pitching.
Bill Mckechnie, who shifted to St
Louis to replace Bob O'Farrell as
manager of the Cards just in time to
ease into his second world series as
a manager within four seasons. is
far better off when it comes to pitch
ers.
Alexander is good for at least one
victory. SO is Sherdel. so is Haines,
who beat the Yankees twice in 1926
Any one Of the three may repeat
in which case the series viii be over.
Flint Rhem and Clarence Mitchell
the latter the only southpaw spit
baller in captivity, are formidable
relief pitchers such as the Yankees
do not posses. Neither could start
game with good chance Of win
ming from the American league con-
tenders in their present crippled
condition.
The situation on the eve of the
series justifies the better odds which
continue to favor the Cardinals.
A rumor which has Herb Pennock
! about ready to pitch is, unfortunate
ly for New York hopes. entirely
without foundation. With the left
handed farmer in first class condi-
ton. the odds on the Contenders
would be even money. Without
Pennock. the Yankees have two
strikes on them before the series
starts.
The others Yankee cripples will be
launching hopefully along the dug
out bench. Earl Combs may see ac-
ton as a pinch hitter for some lice
wagon" who gets to first base: his
loss at the last minute was just
about the final straw to break the
back of New York's hopes. Babe
Ruth. Tony Lazzeri and Mark koe-
mig (he latter the fielding goat OF
the 1926 world series with nearly a
dozen official and unofficial mis-
plays) will not be at their best. They
will be in there trying.
The ACT of the matter is that the
New York Yankees have their backs
so closely TO the well-known wall in
the coming series that they are like
~ TO stick there while the St Louis
Cardinals walk away with the
worlds championship.
VARSITY DEFEATS SECONDS
Worcester. Mass. Oct. 3 tP)-
Holy Cross varsity defeated the sec