The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-25
PILLS IN FIRST
 DIVISION BUT
 NOT FOR LONG
Edged Giants Cubs Take Lead Bridges
 Wins Again
By GEORGE KIRKsEY

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 New York, April 25-CUP)-Thcre may never be another chance to wave the flag for Thompson (Doc) Prothro, the Memphis dentist whose courage exceeded his good judgment when he signed a two- year contract to manage the futile Phillies, so let's give him a rousing cheer today.
 For one week anyway, he gets the palm for the outstanding man. agerial feat in the majors. He has the Phillies in fourth place today, and mister that is a miracle even if they only get cup of coffee and 8 doughnut before they tumble back into second division.
 It's more than idle baseball talk to say that anybody can win with good ball players, but it takes real genius to win without them. Up to now, Prothro is baseball wizard because it's the unanimous press box opinion that the Phils have the worst collection of miSfitS, has, beens and never-will- in the majors. Yet Prothro, in his whim- sical way, has them fighting as if they were entertaining ideas of go- ing some place instead of winding up in the cellar as they are certain to =. if anything in baseball is certain.
 Not So Bad
 The Phils have played six games, won three, tied one, and lost two, and they've been in every ball game. How, nobody knows, as they haven't had pitcher go the route. Prothro has paraded 16 pitchers, four times calling on three hurlers to get the Phils over the hump.
 They've been in three extra-inn- ing ball games, losing the 12-inning opener to the Bees, tying the Dodgers in Il, and beating them in 12. The Phils copped their three wins in succession. They scored three runs in the ninth to lick the Dodgers and the next day damned over two in the twelfth to win. Yes- terday they licked the Giants, 6-5, holding on for dear life after the Terrymen staged 8 5-run rally ill the eighth.
 That's winning them the hard way, and it's tribute to Prothro's hustling leadership. If there are any more leaders like Prothro in the Southern Association, the ma- jors would do well to seek them out.
 Hershel Martins double which drove in two runs was the winning hit for the PhilS, and Boom Boom" Beck, veteran southpaw, stopped the Giants rally in the eighth and shut them out in the ninth.
 The Chicago Cubs grabbed the undisputed National league lead by dumping the Pirates, 6-2. Earl Whitehill went seven innings and held the Pirates to six hits, with Jack Russell finishing for him. In the other National league game the Bees beat the Dodgers Al, as Lou Fette won his second game. Al Simmons was beaned by Van Mungo and spent the night in the hospital for observation.
 The Tanks nosed the Athletics, 2-1. on thre hits, one of them Red Rolfe's homer. An infield boot by Skeeter Newsom let in the winning run. Monte Pearson held the As to four hits.
 Nice Work
 Detroit moved into second place by winning from the Browns, Az, behind Tommy Bridges six-hit pitching. It was Bridges second victory. McCoskey's single, Gehr- fingers double, a walk to Greenberg, and Fox's single drove in the win ming runs.
 Capitalizing on IS bases on balls off Humphries and Drake, the White Sox beat the Indians, 9-3. Lefty Lee gave up nine hits. Gee Walker led the White Sox attack with four hits.
 Jimmy WaSdell's single in the 10th drove in the winning tally as Washington edged the Red Sox, 10-9. Ted Williams, Red Sox rookie, failed four times in the pinch with runners on third. Boston used five pitchers for the second straight day. Jimmy Bagby, pitching only one frame, lost the game.
 YESTERDAYS HERO = Tommy Bridges, Detroit veteran, troubled uyift, O core orro loSt ,uoor uyl,o