Evening star., 1939-09-30
Team Spirit, Loyalty
Is High in Senior
Loop Champs
No Personal JeuIousies,
Animosities Appear
On Cincinnati Club {
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 30.-Perhaps
the most important weapon the Gin
cinnati Reds will carry into the
World Series against the powerful
Yankees next week is an exception
ally strong team spirit.
This isn't the old salad dressing.
This club really is harmonious
unit. The players are fond Of each
other end of their quiet but strict
manager, Bill McKechnie. don't
recall having seen a ball team that
appeared to be so totally devoid of
personal animosities and jealousies.
The other night, after Paul Der
ringer had pitched the clinching
victory over st. Louis, Bucky Wal
tiers grabbed him around the neck
and said sincerely:
boy, all I hope is that I'm as good
a pitcher as you are some day"
Nuts" Derringer replied. stop
that stuff. You're a greater pitcher
right now than I ever was"
Personal Loyalty Strong.
So help me. they argued about 1t
for 10 minutes-Walters, who had
pitched 27 victories and Derringer,
who had just notched his 25th. They
didn't reach a decision, except to
agree that Junior Thompson was
going to be better pitcher than
either of them.
It's this team spirit and feeling Of
personal loyalty that is likely to
make the Reds a tougher outfit to
beat than the odds of 3 to l against
them would indicate 1t doesn't show
in the records, but it's there.
In a fairly close acquaintance with
the National League champs, I've
never heard one of them say any
thing really detrimental of another.
They get along, and that is more un-
usual than the average student Of
baseball might think. Though this
also is not in the records, McKech-
ME traded away one player because
the fellow had a sour disposition.
Team First With Goodman.
Ival Goodman, the clubs crack
right fielder, who blasted 80 home
runs last year and who led the
National League in triples both in
1885 and 1896, confesses that he
quit trying to hit for distance this
season because he thought he could
help the club more by punching the
ball straightaway.
II had nice home run record last
year." he explains, but we finished
fourth. All right, we won the pen
nant this time, and maybe l helped
little in spots"
Harry Craft, the teams second
year center fielder, gives Goodman
most of the credit for the reputation
he's gained as one of the best fly
hawks in the business. Their team
work can be pretty to watch.
For instance: In the deciding game
Thursday, when Joe Medwick hit
that terrific double against the top
of the centerfield wall, some 800 feet
from the plate. 1t was the seventh
inning and the Reds were leading
by only one run. But Craft didn't
play it safe. He went right against
the fence and tried to spear that
agate.
Craft Depends on Pal.
1t changed against the boards
and came rocketing back as Medwick
turned second How Goodman got
there I don't know, but he took that
ball on first bounce and pegged
Ducky out at third. That play
probably saved the game and won
the flag, as the next three Cards hit
safely. Asked why he took such a
hair-raising chance, Craft said:
why, 1 knew Goody would be there
to get it if I didn't
Some of Wally Berger's teammates
were burned up today because a
sports writer had written disparag-
ingly of the 34-year-old left fielder.
They're that way about their own.