The daily independent., 1936-09-30
E1}LD SERIES STARTS TODAY AT POLO GROUNDS
IN THIS CORNER
By JACK CUDDY
Copyright, 1886, BY United
PrcSS)

Frisco Kid uhQueStionabiy is the
problem child of this five-cent,
million dollar world series that
opens at 1:30 P. NJ. EST tomor-
row on the banks of the Harlem
river.
There's almost as much uncer-
tainty as to how slender Joe Di
Maggie will conduct himself dur
ing the classic as there is in the
outcome of the series or what the
Yanks will do to mighty Carl Hub
bell, and vice-veraSa.
You'll meet a flock of fans who
insist that the Yanks' widely pub
Iicized rookie center-fie will
prove that he has what it takes
this time when the chips arc down
and that he will come through
brilliantly-theS series hero.
And you'll meet just as many
who smile sardonically and claim
that the son of the retired Frisco
fisherman will prove the all-Amcr-
lea out-the series goat-juSt as
he was q complete floperoo in the
inter-league all-star game on July
7.
That was SID day indeed for
Marse Joe McCarthy's brilliant
young fly hawk. With the eyes of
the baseball world concentrated on
the Hub City, the young Caiiforn-
ian went hitleSS in five times at
bat. Worse than that he lined in
to Billy Herman's glove in the
seventh with the bases loaded for
the third out and the score 4-3 in
favor CT the National Leagucrs.
And he missed Hartnett'S drive in
the second session and it went for
a triple, with Demaree scoring.
And in the fourth, he fumblcd
Herman's single long enough to
let Herman take an extra base.
Then Herman scored on MedWick'S
single to left
I mean poor Joe had a terrible
day up there at Boston when the
pressure was en-. A lot Of people
said he lost the game for the
American Leaguers, their first loss
to the National League in the all
star contests four-year history.
Hubbell, Dizzy Dean, Curt Davis
and Warneke were pitching that
day for the Senior circuit.
Strangely enough the 2l-year-
old picket man had played bril-
liantly before that stellar contest,
and he has performed just as bril-
liantly since. A lot of experts be-
lieve that jolting Joe, with MS rifle
arm and his antelope gallop and
his deadly arm snap of that bat
was the real spark plug behind
the Yanks laundering march to
the pennant this year-that he
was murder with capital M on
murderers' row and suicide with a
capital IS" on the suicide Squal.
He turned in batting average Of
1923 for the season, which is
mighty fine hitting even for
rookie who came UP from the Pa
cific Coast League with $4,000
price tag and great fanfare.
Manager Bill Terry of the
Giants popped off recently TO the
effect that you can tell the cock
eyed world that Di Maggie made
the YankS this season." And
other members of the Giants squad
have stated that las Di Maggie
goes, SO go the Yanks." If this is
true, you can bet your last saw
buck that Memphis W:llyum and
his Polo GrounderS will concen-
trate on making the north beach
bambino wish that he were out
with the macherel fleet instead Of
playing in his first world series.
Mr.. Terry and any number of
baseball people believe that Signor
D. Maggie is the guy who sets the
pace for Larruping Lou Gchrig,
the cleanup man-and that when
Joe sloughs off at bat, SO does the
Iron Horse" first Sacker. You sec,
Di Maggie is third man up, just
before Lou.
Some tacticisnS insist that Di
Maggie can be pitched to. If I
recall correctly, it was Rajah
Horney of the Browns who gave
off an opinion recently about how
curved breaking low and to the
outside of the young right-handcd
batSman would send him to the
dugout conversing with himself
everytime. Others say he is easy
for able SouthpaW FINGERS.
I do not know if any of these
things are true. For me the big
question is-Does jolting Joe get
buck ague in a big gamc-Does
he freeze up under unusual pres
sure-Will he play the same bril-
liant brand of ball in the series
as during the regular season? Will
he flop again as he did in the all
star encounter?
1t is my hunch that Di Maggie
will do very well. I think he and
Bill Dickey, because of their arm
snap style of batting, will do more
damage to Carl Hubbell than any
of the other Yankees stickmen.
And I know he's one of the most
dependable outer gardeners in the
majors. I hope the Frisco Kid