Evening star., 1938-05-21
REDS, LAST IN 81,
NOW AMONG
Giants Latest Victims OF
CeIIarites Revivified by
Managerial Wizard.
BY SID FEEDER.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Prof. Will McKechnie's magic mar
vels, the show that vowed 'em in Bos-
ton last year. is giving the boys and
girls IN Cincinnati lot of entertain
ment this season, and spreading no
end of anxious moments among the
seven other clubs in the National
League.
Prof. Will is about as slick an article
as the baseball business has seen
since John McGraw. He can pull more
rabbits out of fewer and littler hats
than the very best magicians of vaude-
yilles heyday.
Take last year, for instance. He had
a collection of hitleSS wonders at Bos-
ton-a bunch of Bees without stingers
and he had a couple of Rookie pitch
ers who were doddering old men at 81
So Prof Will and his magic brought
that outfit in only one game out of
first division. At the same time, Gin
Clnnatls Reds were collapsing all
over the place, and wound up a dis
NAL last, 40 games back of the cham
plonship Giants.
ftTSt DiNlSl0n Is uOOu.
Over the winter. Cincinnati, hay
ing disposed of Chuck Dresser, lured
MCKechnie over to see what he could
do about the Reds. And Prof Will is
showing them again in the best way
possible-Ithe official standings, which
have his lads in fourth place right now
and make them pretty good threat
for any loose first division berths
He was fortunate in the importation
of three rockies. Buck Mccormick
VIII Hershberger and Harry Craft and
one comebacker dusty Cooke) to pack
his lineup with punch. But, as al
ways, its with the pitchers that Willy
VIII is trotting out his magic. He has
Paul Derringer, most notorious bust
Of recent years, back up there again,
with five complete games in seven
starts and a record of five wins and
two setbacks. And he's done somewhat
the same with Peaches Davis and Al
EollIngsWorth.
But his prize product to date has
been Johnny Wander Nicer. Johnny,
up for trial last year. was so wild
the CatcllerS demanded peach baskets
and fishing nets to receive his stuff
Recalled this spring, he was given
the official McKechnie double-o and
promptly ordered to alter his dehv-
cry from Side-arm motion to an
overland. 1t worked wonders. He's
walked only II men in Al innings
and now is one of the regular starters
The McKechnie influence in his
Particular case stood cut all over
the place yesterday as Johnny blanked
the slipping Giants, 40, with a five
hit Job of elbOWing. Only one of
Bill TerryS Terriers got as far as
third base against him as he handed
the champions their second straight
shutout defeat and made it three wins
in four starts for the Reds against
the league leaders. The win boosted
the Reds into the 500 class, with
IA victories in % games.
Giants Lead Is Cut.
For the Giants, the setback cut their
league lead to 81 games over the
second-place Cubs, who almost tore
down the fences in the Phillies' "tele-f
phone booth ball park with a 22-hit
attack for a 1877 victory
In the only other National League
game the Dodgers topped the Pirates,
rs, although Van Mungo was belted
out Of the box
Cleveland's Indians maintained
their slim first-place margain in the
American League by trouncing Wash
ingtons slumping Senators. 6-3. The
second-place Boston Red Sox stayed
in the thick of the fight by betting
st. Louis, pitching for % hits and
a 1872 decision over the Brownies
Lefty Grove won his seventh straight
in this one. not only pitching an
eight-hitter, but driving in four runs
as we'll
Schoolboy Rowe lasted seven in
nings, just long enough to be charged
with the defeat as the Aathletics
trounced the Tigers, So. The Yam
kees-White Soy and Cardinals-Bees