Evening star., 1938-07-05
AL. HITTING SEEN
AS SDEC|D|NG AGAIN
Clever National Slab Array
Faces an Old Waterloo
in AII.Star Tilt. i:
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

NEW YORK, July 5.-The all-star
game pops again the question that
rises every time the two big leagues
meet in conflict: Can the National
League pitching throttle the Amer
lean League power?
It's curious thing, but it always
has been that way Think of the
parades Of the great players down
the years in the two leagues. When
you think Of the National, you think
mostly Of pitchers like Rusie and
Matty and Mordecai Brown, of Rucker
and Marquard and Alexander, of Vance
and Hubbell and Dean. But when
you think of the American. the fig
ures that loom first in your mind
are Cobb and Speaker and jackson,
Crawford and Lajoie and Heilman,
and Ruth and Gehrig and Di Maggie.
The National League has had some
great hitters-Wagner and Hornsby
and Medwick-and the American
some great pitchers-Johnson and
Pennock and Grove-but the pitch
ers always have dominated the hit
ters in the National League, which
has had no dynamic combinations
such as Cobb, Crawford and Veach:
Ruth, Gehrig and Meusel, Cochrane
Simmons and Foxx.
Power Has Told in Past.
In the world series and in all the
all-star games played to date-from
the first, which Babe Ruth won with
homer, to the 1887 struggle, in
which the Yankees took command
power has been responsible for the
American Leagues victories. The
National League always is in the posi-
tlon OF boxer trying to outpoint
puncher. There always is the
danger that one smash will break
up the performance.
This year the National League comes
up well-armed with pitchers for the
Dig effort to hold the American League
maulers in check. Johnny Wander
Nicer, Paul Derringer, Carl Hubbeil,
Bill Lee, Jim Turner and Mace Brown
Will be at Bill Terry's disposal. He
must use three of them and he can
Use all of them.
Wander Nicer is the only rookie in
the group-but what a rookie He
not only hurled two no-hit games in
row, but he turned in lot of grand
pitching before those games and since
Inc old superstition about no-hit
game running pitchers season fol
MIN didn't disturb him in the least. He
came right back from the second no.
nit game to yield only one run and
1our hits in his next start. He has
plenty of speed, is just wild enough
to keep the hitters foot-loose around
the plate and has a rhythmic motion
that doesn't tire him as the innings
roll along.
Derringer Comes Into Own.
Derringer has had some woefu'
years in the matter of games won and
lost, but they didn't fool anybody who
knew anything about baseball. Der
ringer, up or down. has been first
| rate pitcher. Most of the time he
has had to drag team along behind
him. This year, with good team, he
Is going places Hubbell, grand ole
man of the Giant staff. recently hung
up his 200th victory and still is swing
ing along in great style. Lee ano
Brown are strong young men ane
Turner is a wise old campaigner anc
all are well equipped with stuff.
On these pitchers, young and old
the hope of the National League will
ride when the teams move into action
at Cincinnati tomorrow. On past
performances-which offer the only
guide to the future-the fate Of thei,
league is strictly up to them.
Copyright, 1888. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)