The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-31
RED SOx BEATEN TWICE BEFORE RECORD CROWD
Grove ShOwered; Giants Shutout Twice; Cronin-
 Powell Fight
By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
 New York, May 31-(UP)-Base- ball history was made yesterday at the box office.
 A total of 331,340 persons paid their way through the turnstiles to see the Decoration day games. The largest crowd in baseball lannals, 83,533, damned Yankee stadium to see the worlds baseball champions put on Barnum & Bailey show.
 Throwing in a fist fight for good measure, the New York Yankees Walloped the Boston Red Six twice, 10 to 0, and 5 to A. Irritated by a bad pitch which hit him on the leg, Jake Pokell, Yankee outfelder, walked out to challenge Archie Me- Kain, Red Sox pitcher. Before any blows were struck Manager Joe Cronin came in to stop the fight
 The result developed into one of the bltterest battles ever staged in Yankee stadium. Cronin and Powell exchanged blows before a bigger crowd than will see Barney Ross and Henry Armstrong fight tonight and Max Schmeling and Joe Louis fight June 22nd. Separated, they went under the stands and continued their fight until the Yankee players tore Cronin loose from the battle.
 Slam Balg
 The battle between Cronin and Powell was one of the high spots of the biggest baseball day in history. The Yankees knocked Lefty Grove out of the box and beat him for the first time this season after the ven- erable southpaw had won eight straight games. Then with Lefty Gomez, the "divorcee," on the hill, they came from behind to win the second game and slam their way into second place.
 Meanwhile, the Cleveland Indians held to their brisk pace by knocking off the Chicago White Sox twice, 5-2 and 8-1, to hold their Ameri- can league lead. Bob Teller pitched a five-hit game to win the opener and Johnny Allen came back to win the second game with a four-hitter.
 Before surprising crowd of 35, ,724 (whoever heard of this many peo- pie rushing into Shibepark to see a seventh-place club in action?) Washington broke even with the Athletics. The Senators won the opener, 9-4, and the As copped the second, 9-1.
 Out in Detroit, before 49,5OO fans, the Tigers split with the Saint Louis Browns. Rudy York hit home run with the bases loaded as the feature of the first game won by the Tiger; 10-9. Then Les Tietje hurled 2 masterpiece as the Browns tri. umphed 80 in the nightcap. The amazing Boston Bees knocked off the league leading New York Giants twice before Al ,O36 fans. Jin Turner blanked the Giants in the first game, GO, and Danny Mac Fayden shut them out 10 in the second game.
 Game Apiece
 Two tense struggles occurred in Chicago before 41,216 fans as Gin cinnati and Chicago divided the double header. Paul Derringel scored a seventh triumph by pitch ing the Reds to a 7-3 victory over the Cubs in the first game. The Cubs won the second game 30 be- hind thesuperb pitching of big Bill Lee.
 In the longest game of the season the Pittsburgh Pirates triumphed over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 in F innings. The winning run came in when Stu Martin threw wildly. The Cardinals triumphed in the sec ond game, 9-6, to get an even break.
 The lowly Phillies put on two late rallies to wrest the double header from Brooklyn, 9-5, and "A. This left last place in the National league so muddled it takes a mathe- matician to figure out whether the Phillies or the Dodgers are carrying the red lantern.
 What did you do on Decoration day?
 ESTERDA AVS HERO: Joe Cronin, an Irish boy from San Fran cisco. who walked into flying fists Yankee stadium and won his battle-and it's only too bad that the 83,533 fans up above couldn't have seen his courage.
 Man O War has gained more than