The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-09-24

to weigh in with
their five pennies worth, no mat
ter how diligently they are pretty
pleased.
So it seems that I'll have to be
the sucker again and get a man.
gled neck out on another limb far
ahead of time.
During those early months when
their hearts were light and gay and
they had not yet been driven into
the precarious business of defending
161a-game lead with only 81
games left to play, the Yankees did
CAB a bit about October. Then it
was their impression that the Cards,
being two-fisted citizens built along
their own sturdy lines, would be the
toughest opposition.
The Cubs, they gossiped wistfully,
would be the easiest of the National
contenders to knock over. That was
because they felt the Chicago ath-
letes lacked the power and the pitch
er capable of performing such mag
ic feats as an aroused Dizzy Dean.
AS for the Giants-Well all this
chattering took place in the dim Ju-
ly days when Bill Terry's chin was
being battered by numerous fourth
place I-tOld-yOu-s0s, but even then
the Yanks must have had a pre-
monitiOn. They asked questions,
compared carefully obtained notes
concerning their Polo Grounds
neighbors, were reluctant to be
pressed into any statement.
When they did crack, though, the
Gehrigs, the Dickeys, the Crosettis
and the others left little to the
imagination. They said Carl Hub
bell was one of the games all-time
great pitchers, that the Giants had
other breaking stuff hurlers who
might be hard to handle in a short
series, that, all in all, they could
think of far more pleasant ways to
spend autumn afternoons. Then
they announced quite specifically
that they'd knock those luggs off,
just as they'd been slapping over
other hardy hopefuls all season.
With all hands-as well as backs,
legs and other ailing portions
ready for action the present Yanks
are athletes who hit for distance.
When Ruffing is pitching, you have
nine men who are likely to hit home
runs. Playing in such a circum-
scribed spot as the Polo Grounds,
there is more than a chance that pull
hitters would even be connecting
with outside balls for such pleasing
results.
That would mean even such
skilled, smart and game pitcher as
Hubbell would have to toss each
ball to the exact spot of nine mems
weaknesses. If he faltered for one
pitch-and Vernon Kennedy who did
just that after long scoreless in
nings one Sunday can testify how
easy it is to slip-that one mishap
might mean curtains.
The Giants - even though
strange things can happen in sew
en-game limit affair such as the
October claSsic-are not such a big
inning club. OFT, Leiber and several
others might match distances with
their opponents, but Terry's real
team success has come from
waiting game. The club quite plain
ly is one that squeezes through the
smallest opening in the enemy
guard, capitalizes as fully as posi-
BILE upon such stinted opportunities
and then settles back to hold a
hard-earned lead.
This-becauSe on paper the Polo
Grounds twirlers seem likely to be
far superior to their neighbors-
might be enough. Yet, since there
always is the possibility that Pear
son, Gomez, Broaca, Hadley or one
of the others might be at top form
for week along with the old re-
liable Ruffing, it is not the sort of
straw to be clutched TOO determin-
eddy.
In fact, when you consider the
vast reserve power of those Stadium
standouts and-But enough of such
things. Even Bradley who ordi-
narily rushes in where the ex-
perts fear to tread has a right to
look out for his own neck occasion
ally.
Probably the old guess has got to
be laid on the line eventually, but,
until the proper moment arrives,
I'll be darned if I'm going to give
those Giants chance to treat me
like they have been treating the
National league recently. Maybe
both me and the Yankees know
something