Evening star., 1932-10-01
Root Hope of Chicago Club.

L tastic hope was the veteran side
arm fast-ball pitcher Charlie Root
TIE nominee of Manager Charlie
Grimm for the task of holding in check
the bats of Lou Gehrig Babe Ruth, Bill
Dickey and all the rest of the maraud-
ing Yankees, who battered down Guy
Bush, Burleigh Grimes and Bob Smith
II to In the opening game; dubbed
young Lon Warneke into a 5-to-2 de-
feat in the second, and left the entire
Bruin array with mild case of shell
shock
1t was Root who might have been
the hero of the opening game of the
1929 world series between the Cubs and
the Philadelphia Athletics but for the
fact that he happened to oppose pitch
ing wizard for day. ancient Howard
Ehmke. on the historical occasion that
the old slow w-baller. in his last great
effort, struck out 13 men, still a world
series record.
There was little possibility of such
happening today. although Joe Nc
Carthy had named the veteran George
Pipgras as his choice TO carry On the
masterful pitching performances of
Charley Rufing and Lefty Gomez in
the two New York engagements. Back
In the glamorous days of the Yankee
1928 PipgraS won two post-season bat
ties and never has met defeat in world
championship play. But he has ranked
all season long behind Ruffng. Gomez
and even young Johnny Allen in effec-
tiveneSS
Cubs Find Fans Loyal
ID ENEFITED by an enforced days
- rest as the two clubs sped west
oy.l oh vi aia1 =.
rive amid cheering crowds early in
the afternoon, the Cubs were obviously
heartened by the demonstration of
loyalty and affection that waited them
here.
Dependency at their double defeat.
although they outclouted the famed
betting Yankees, 10 hits to 49, in two
games. faded before the encouraging
clamor of 5000 fans who milled about
the La Sale Street Station. all trying
at once to reach the warriors, pat them
on the back, assure them everything
was all right and that the tide would
certainly turn today.
From Root, tight-lipped and deter
mined. came assurance of relief from
a problem that vexed the Cubs in
both games and led directly to most
of the Yankees critical scoring
You can just bet" said Charlie,
measuring each word that thereIl be
none of that 'too-careful' pitching for
our side in there tomorrow. They'll
get no unnecessary bases on balls from
me"
While the Yankees. already possessors
of world series record for straight
victories. now totaling 10 by the addi-
ton of the first two games to the four
straight triumphs over the Pirates of
1927 and the Cardinals of 1928. could
see nothing ahead but another clean
sweep. there were physical problems
to take into consideration
Wrigley Field, with short-sleeved
crowds in the left-center field bleachers
on warm day, always has been the
bane of left-handed hitters swinging
against a right-handed, side-arm pit
cher such as Root.
Affects Left-hand Swingers.
COUTHPAW clouters claim that they
~ cannot follow the flight of the ball
against that background. Over the
National League season. the five best
hitters in the circuit. all left-handers.
never did hit within 60 points of their
normal averages in the Cub park. This
situation has always been advanced
as one of the reasons why Chicago
llne-upS nave D2en cTOWOeQ WIN rlgnt-
hand hitters, rather than southpaw
batters.
The effect of the Yankees, of course.
would be little short of disastrous if
things worked out as the Cubs pre-
dicted. Five of the first six men in the
Yankee batting order swing from the
left side of the plate.
The first two, Earle Combs and Joe
Sewell. between them have picked up
five hits and scored five runs in the
two games. While the third man. Babe
Ruth, has done nothing startling as
yet, the fourth southpaw. Lou Gehrig,
has been something of ball of fire
Lou busted the Cubs morale with a
home run off Bush, scoring Ruth ahead
OF him in the first game, and he hit
safely three times and scored two runs
in the second game
What Gehrig hasn't done Bill Dickey,
the fifth man, has accomplished with
his timely betting
The prospect of warm day, although
there was a threat of cloudiness, as
sured the theory being put to decisive
test. From an impartial viewpoint it
seemed that something, anyway. had to
come to the aid of the Cubs if the issue
were to be prolonged beyond the week
end.