Evening star., 1939-08-30
Henson Whips nnng for Metropolitan Championship Star Ringer Tone,
From the
Press Box
FutoI to Remind Reds
That They Have Leod

TOtOi 10 NSt1IOO NcOS
That They Have Leod
BY JOHN LARDNER.
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
NEW YORK, Aug. 80 IN. A. N. A.
An easy way to commit suicide in
one lesson is to ask Bill McKechnie
what pitcher he plans to start
against the Yankees in the first
game of the World Series. If Nc
Kechnie himself does not cut your
jugular vein with single glance, the
chances are that his lieutenant, Mr.
Henry Gowdy, will come up behind
and cave in your skull with bat
Either way, it is just question
of your wife going down to the
insurance Office a couple of days
later and presenting the policy.
Though they still have a lead
the Cincinnati Reds do not care to
be reminded of it. Not until some
Western poppy field is strewn with
the graves of 20 Cardinals, begin
ming with John Mize and ending all
the way around the alphabet again
with Joe MedWick, will Mr. Nc
Kechnie concede that he has some
reasonable expectation of meeting
the Yanks in the series
They are building new seats in
Cincinnati's ball park to hold the
series crowd, and have been doing
so for some time, but Mr.. McKechnie
pretends not to notice, and Mr.
GoWdy explains. when pressed, that
the work is w. P. A. project call
Ing for a bird sanctuary to house
Ohio's feathered friends, southern
division, lodge 106.
Wonder Nicer mo Pitch"
Grissom No Help.
'Its a good race, hey?" said Mr.
McKechnie, when accosted this week
by your correspondent, shield in
hand. Don't be fooled by the
Cardinals losing a few games out
here. They had little slump COM
ing. They'll be tough all next month
Blades club has too much balance
to crack. Say. he's better fixed
for pitchers than I am"
In a manner of speaking, this is
true. Paul Derringer and Bucky
Walters will have to shoulder a
burden in no-trump all through the
final drive for the wire. Despairing
of getting results this year from his
twin southpaW problem children,
Lee Grissom and John "No-Hit" !"
Wander Nicer. whose name has been
changed to "No-Pitch" Wander Nicer,
McKechnie recently picked up a
couple of bargains that used to lie
on his own counter back in Boston,
Milt Shoffner and Johnny Nigel
ing.
Now, Shoffner and Niggeling are
cute, old-fashioned control pitchers
who can win ball games here and
there under McKechnie's magic
touch, when they have their eyes
on the plate, but they are not what
you would call strong" pitchers
and a manager likes to have strong,
durable, take-your-t and win
on-your-stuff pitchers handy to his
call in September, when the road
Is bumpy.
Still, McKechnie has the lead. He
will make no mistakes. The Cardi-
nails can pursue the Reds all down
the stretch, look them in the eve
near the finish, and still not be sure
of winning. The Reds won't COL
lapse as the Pirates collapsed in
1888 and the Giants in 1884.
Yankees Either Outhit
Or Outhurl Opposition.
McKechnie probably has done
some thinking about the Yankees
In fact, he will discuss them freely
enough If you don't mention world
series" in connection with his club.
Il don't see much of the Yankees. "
allowed William, but here's one
thing you have to say for Mccarthy S
team, and, if you've seen 'em play
more than once, you know it. If
they don't outhit you, they're liable
to outpitch you
Its silly for people to say that
Ruff1ng and Gomez and Pearson
have been winning all those games
for years just because they have
hitters behind them. Their shutout
record Is pretty good, isn't it? They
don't need runs. They'd be winning
pitcher on almost any kind of ball
club.
Some of the boys in our league
whove hit against them tell me that
Ruf1lng has as much stuff out there
as any pitcher they've ever seen.
And when the Giants talk about
Pearson-well, they claim he's got
a different pitch for every day in
the month. only he throws em all
at you in one afternoon. Must be a
tough boy"
World Series Problems
Now Worry Red Pilot.