The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-12-18
TODAY'S
SPORT
PARADE
by HENRY McLEM0RE
UNITED Press Stan Correspondent

(VulteO ETSSS StAm COEetSponuenS
Shreveport La, Dec. 3 - (U,p.)
In case YOU have no appreciation
for the classical In literature and
didn't read my story the other day,
you missed an analytical review Of
the big failures In sports during the
year OF 1899,
The orderly way In which my
mind Yves brought up requires that
I follow that gem with O mono
graph on the outstanding surprises
IN sport during this now dying
year, So at this point We will OBJ
serve one moment of silence for the
man for whom We all expected to
observe many moments OF silence
Tony Galento.
There was no single minute
throughout this dying year to COM
pare with those few seconds when
Joe Louis, the killer, was on the
floor looking up at the freakish
little fat man from New Jersey.
Even those close to the ringside
could scarcely believe their eyes,
Nothing In sport can match the
time when the prey becomes the
hunter and the hunter starts to
pray, Galento may be the No. !
serewball, but for 1899 he also was
the No. l surprise.
The slightly moth-eaten grass
courts Of Forest Hills provided the
scene for the second ranking sur
prise OF the year, In my book, at
least, skinny, scrawny, babyish
Welby Van Horn, with his devastat-
ing tennis strokes, was the No. 2
sensation Of 1899. Unranked and
unSeeded, this l8-year-old drove to
the final round OF the national
championships, licking Jack Brom-
wieh Of Australia, and Wayne Sa-
bin and Elwood Cooke on his way.
1t was his playa combination Of
Bulge, Vines and Tilden ut their
most severe, that gave the tourna-
ment its sparkle and excitement.
Surprised
Iowa and Cornell were the two
top surprises In football. The Hawk
eyes, with practically the same
small team they suffered with In
1888, electrified the country with
major victory after mayor victory,
Including ones over Notre Dame
and Minnesota, Cornell, thought to
be just another group Of Ivy
leaguers with more manners than
class, swept through undefeated
and one Of It's victories was O ssnasl,
ing win over Ohio State. mighty
Big-Tenner. The walloping Of Ohio
state did more for the prestige Of
eastern football than anything In
many q year.
Big Craig Wood, the man wht
never gives up, was the standout
surprise In golf, A complete bust ir
1888 and 1887, years which saw him
fail even 10 qualify for the National
Open and the p, q, A. champion.
ship, Wood regained his mastery
over Wood and Iron and went to 80
holes In the Anal Of the open be.
fore yielding the title TO the super.
hot play OF Byron Nelson.
Broo&lyn'S Daffy Dodgers shocked
the baseball world by finishing thirt
which was three or four notches
higher than any Of the critic.
dreamed they would reach wher
the season opened. Junior Thomp'
son, Reds pitcher, and Ted vii
liams, Red Sox fence buster, wer,
tops among the baseballers. Junio
, hoped from the Sally League ;,
the world series In one season, an,
Williams handled q bat In q name
which brought dreams Of anothe
Babe Ruth to owner Tom Yawkey.
In horse racing III have 10 TAX,
fighting Fox's win In the Massa
ehuSetts handicap, when he lieke,
the likes of Challedon, Pompon, an,
Nedayr for the $4,000, The Fox wa
q rouSing failure In 1898 and h
i. paid OF at a little better than II h