The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-06
Second Base Defensive
Chokes Off Cubs and Bat.
ting Barrage Is Not Need.
ed Wednesday :sssz;. .
By GEORGE KIRKSEY
United Press Staff Correspondents

BY GEORGE KIRKSEY
United Press Staff Correspondent,
WRIGLEY FIELD; CHICAGO,
Oct. 6. (UP)-If the "Damyan-
KEGS" don't beat you one way they
will another. They played Nation
al league baseball yesterday to
defeat the Chicago Cubs. 81 as
the opening salvo in their drive
to become the first team in base
ball history to win three straight
worlds championships. =,
Without the home runs and
mighty blasts with which they ter
rorized the American league, the
Yanks conquered the Cubs great
est pitcher, big Bill Lee. so. easily
the crowd of 1852 sat almost
dumbfounded. ~. s.. - -
Instead of watching team of
muderous hitters lay down a
thunderous barragc. the throng
saw the Yanks flash a whirlwind
defensive combination around sec
ond base which choked off almost
every Chicago threat and left
Charlie the Red Ruffing with the
easiest kind Of a pitching job.
With sim. dark-eyed Frank
Crosctti and red-faced rookie Joe
Gordon performing like a we'll
oiled machine around the Key
stone sack. the Yanks were able
to roll on to their opening triumph
behind Rulings workmanlike
pitching performance. Ruffing
gave up nine hits, good enough
pitching, but not great.
1t was the writhlike Crosetti,
who made three dazzling plays in
the clutches, and nmble Gordon,
cavorting in more sprightly fash
ion than his predecessor Tony
Iazzeri ever did in world series
play, who saved Ruffing from
what might have been several em-
barrassing situations.
With that rockribbed defensive
play round mid-diamond, the
Yanks needed no great shakes of
an attack to get their winning
runs. ..
Even though theySplucked Lees
best curves, and Jack Russells
relief pitches for ~ hits. they
scored in puny National league
style . ... .... -.
Hold your breath and look how
the Yanks scored - on a vital
infeld blunder by the. Cubs cap.
tain and second basemsn, Billy
Herman, a single just out of third
baseman Stanley Hacks reach,
and weak, -windblown fly which
went for a. single.
That's the way the Yanks made
their runs. They never did turn
on their power or take the wraps
off their big berthas. Even though
they kept nicking away at Lee,
they had to hustle to get their
runs in fashion great Yankee
teams Of the past were never ac-
customed to-. '. -.
Bill Dickey, the Yanks' great
catcher, led the American leagu-
ers' attack with four straight sim
giles to tie a world series record.
The only other Yanks to get more
than one hit were the two young
sters, Tommy Heinrich and Joe
Gordon, with a single and double
apiece. ...
1t just wasn't a day for the big
bombers. Joe DiMaggio went hit
less in four trips. and only once
got the ball out of the infield. Lou
Gehrig got one useless single, and
famed twice. The second time he
was struck out the third one was
called on him, and he put up such
a bitter protest to Umpire-in- Chief
Charley Moran that Manager Joe
Mccarthy and Coach Art Fetch
er had to push and coax him into
the dugout. -. ~.
On the other occasion when
Gehrig famed, swinging at a low
curve ball for the third strike,
Tony Lazzeri's .masterminding
from the Cubs dugout came into
open evidence. Iazzeri, former
Yankee. stopped the game and
called third baseman Hack to the
dugout, and gave him a message
which he delivered to Lee. Then
Hartnett conferred with Lee. The
next pitch was a low curve, and
Gehrig went for it, swinging and
missing Justify. "
But the Yanks didn't need any
long distance. Smelling from Di-
Maggie and 'Gehrig to beat Lee,