Evening star., 1938-07-07
BY GAYLE TALBOT.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

CINCINNATI, July THE Ma
tion's several million National League
addicts, who have taken an awful lot
Of lip from the opposition in recent
years, were bouncing around on their
toes today and telling anybody they
could back into a corner about the
merits Of inside, scientific baseball.
They were pointing out, with ges-
lures, how their all-stars whipped the
pants of the best the American
League could produce, to l, in the
big charity bout here yesterday, and
were predicting confidently that . few
more such demonstration would have
the slow, sluggish, unsainly American
League crying uncle.
Having lost four Of the first five,
the Nationals were about ready to toss
in the towel. There was a last-ditch
air about them as they went into yes
terday's game. From President Ford
Frick on down, they were jumpy and
serious and determined. Another
drubbing would have broken their
little hearts.
4l6ht AoCCU0A1 LACCtltCs
They came out of it looking like
men who have received a reprieve from
the Governor. Frick was iouncing
around asking hostile sports writer's
How do you like the minor leaguers
now?" And even Col. william Terry,
who engineered the triumph, didn't
hide his elation.
At that, there is nothing much more
impressive in sports than a demonstra-
ton Of the National Leagues type Of
tight. play-for-a-run baseball-when
1t works. And it worked yester-
day. It was Bill Terry baseball, the
kind that has been winning National
League pennants, and for an after
noon, at least, 1t was better than all
the sMggers the American League
could muster.
Terry sacrificed potential batting
strength to put an air-tight defense
behind his pitching. The Nationals
made esight hits, only one more than
their adversaries. But they fielded
perfectly, even brilliantly. while their
opponents of the fat batting averages
made four glaring errors and literally
threw the game away.
Americans Defense Cracks.
Johnny Wander Nicer, Cincinnati's
sensational young southpaw, held the
Americans to a single hit for the first
three innings. Bill Lee of the Chicago
Cubs shut them out with one bingle,
a fiuke double by Bill Dickey, for the
second three. Mace Brown Of the
Pirates repeatedly pulled himself out
of danger and gave up only one run to
the vaunted American Leaguers in the
final three.
Still, II the Americans had fielded
like the winners, they would have
finished the regulation nine innings
in q IL deadlock and might have
been playing yet. It was spectacular
National League fielding, then, that
won.
The high light of the game, in fact
was q fielding gem by Joe Medwick o1
the st. Louis Cardinals in the ninth
Joe Di Maggie Of the Yanks led of
with q single and the National League
adherents among the $1,000 spectators
shuddered as Dickey drove one at the
scoreboard in deepest center. Car
Hubbell and Jim Turner were warming
up furiously in the Nationals bull
pen.
Medwick's Great Catch Helps.
Medwick took one quick look and
tore back at full speed. At the las
instant he jumped up and speared the
ball. and it stuck in his glove as hi
somersaulted. It was heroic catch
Joe Cronin, the next man up, dou.
bled deep to center, his second hit o.
the day, to give the Americans theil
only run and avert what would have
been the first shutout since the All.
Star games began. But that was all
Lou Gehrig lined out to Ival Goodman
In right and Brown closed the books
by striking out Pinch-hitter Bob John.
son.
| The Americans only. other seriou.
threat came In the seventh. when they
collected two hits and walk ofl
Brown to I'LL the sacks with two away
This time Rudy York, Detroit's home.
run expert, was given his chance K
break up the game, and he went dowr
swinging at Browns sharp-breakine
curves.
Vernon "Lsfty" Comes Of ths yam.