The Washington times., 1931-10-02
GROVE OFF
FORM, SAYS
COCHRANE
BY MICKEY COCHRANE
Catcher Philadelphia AmericanN
1891. international News

Catcher PhlIadelphia Americans)
Copyright, 1891. International News
Service) Is.
ST. LOUIS, oct. 2-OH to an
other world series championship!
That's the way the Philadelphia
Athletics feel today after taking
the first game Of the series from
the st. Louis Cardinals here at
SportSman'S Park yesterday after
noon. f
Lefty Grove wasn't right, yet
we tripled the run-scoring ability
of the National League cham
pionS. We were outhit, too. But
we came through with safeties
when hits meant runs and this
bears out my previous statements
that when great money ball clubs
are being considered don't over
look the present team Of Connie
Mack'S.
Grove was far off his usual
form in the first two innings.
Lefty Is what we term o spot
pitcher. BY. that I mean he has
such wonderful control that he
can place O ball exactly where he
wants to. Therefore, in an actual
game he pitches to certain defin-
ite SpotS-the places the batter Is
supposed to have the most trouble
hitting a curve, straight one or
slow ball.
When Lefty started he had his
fast BAN but not the customary
control Of il. Yet he managed
to fan High, the first man mp.
By using this fast one Grove
put two strikes over on the
first six men to face him in the
hectic opening round. But
when I called for q lOw-break-
ing curve, Lefty just couldn't
get it over.
I had to resort entirely to call
ing for the big fellows fast one.
And this was giving him trouble.
too. The Cards didn't hit good
balls. They were swinging-and
litting-outside pitches.
For two innings Lefty had only
a fast ball that wouldn't behave.
Then he got it under control and
became stronger with each sue
ceeding inning. He was hit
harder than we expected by Mar
tin and Roettger. but always came
through in the late innings when
the Cards had men in scoring
position.
Breaks Small Blister
In the fifth inning, Grove broke
q small blister on his pitching
hand. It annoyed but didn't
bother him. He just stood off
the pain and gripped the ball
as tightly as ever. This blister
won't handicap him in the rest
of the games. He'll be ready to-
day-if Connie Mack thinks 1t
imperative to call on him.
Derringer surely had plenty
of stuff. Particularly in those
first two innings when Grove
was i'm hot water. Derringer
has one of the best curve balls
I've Ever batted against.
1t doesn't break very much as
it darts downward. It fooled us.
Our nine strike outs in seven
innings proves this. But Der
ringer made the mistake Of put
ting too much. into the first two
innings. A veteran would have
conserved his strength for the
late innings.
When we did get to the Car
dinals' pitcher we punched our
hits. Mule Haas and Jimmy Foxx
came through in the third inning
and Simmons connected with a
floater in the seventh for q
homer with myself on first. That
was a terrific wallop by Al and
clouting a slow ball high into
the bleachers illustrated the ire
mendouS power in his shoulders
and arms. Dykes, too, played a
big part with two hits and his
sensational back-hand stop Of
Flowers crack in the seventh.
Only Simmons running catch OF
wilson's drive in the eighth sur
passed it as a fielding gem.