Evening star., 1939-01-01
1888 Matched Any Previous Year Providing Modamac Sport Events
Nearly Every Pastime
Contributed Some
Ting|ing Exploit
Louis Speedy Knockout
Of SchmeIing Rates
As Most Startling
By DILLON GRAHAM.

Associated Press Feature Service Writer.
NEW YORK, Dec. 31.-For SPAR
king exploits, astonishing upsets
and frequent flashes of melodrama,
1888 produced a sports show that
compared favorably with any in his
tory.
j. Donald Bulge again authored
perhaps the greatest individual per-
formance, just as he did year ago.
Yet there was no drama or suspense
associated with his becoming the
first player ever. to win the four
major tennis singles crowns. 1t never
was a matter of whether he would
win. The only doubt lay in whether
any rival would take set from him.
Nat far behind was Johnny VAN
der Nicer, the Cincinnatis rookie
twirler, who pitched two consecu-
tive no-hit, no-run baseball games.
Then Floyd Roberts with his sur
prising, record-smashing 500-mile
Indianapolis Speedway triumph.
And Capt. George Eyston, the Brit
on who drove his Thunderbolt faster
than any man ever had travelled on
the ground.
Then there were Joe Louis quick
knockout of Max Schmeling; Henry
Armstrong; victories over Barney
Ross and Lou AmberS to become
boxing's first triple champion, and
Glenn Cunningham's 404.4 mile, the
fastest ever run. And Bill Lees
feat of hurting four successive shut
outs in the National League stretch.
Golfers in Limelight.
Golf offered Ralph Guldahls great
scoring performance to retain the
National Open championship; Patty
Berg's marvellous string OF trlumphS
capped by national championship;
Charles Yates British amateur trl-
umph in his first bid, and Sammy
Snead's victories that made him the
games biggest money winner.
Comebacks? Helen Wills Moody
and Jimmy Foxx authored the
greatest drives back to the heights.
Coming out of retirement, Mrs.
Moody banged her way to her eighth
Wimbledon tennis championship,
record in itself. She won over her
archrival, Helen Jacobs, in a match
clouded with tragic drama. FoXX,
who Topped as hitter last year,
won the American League batting
championship and the loops most
valuable player award.
Another surprising personal ac-
complishment was Gene Mako S
march through the national singles
ranks to a final round duel with
Budge. Then there were Hank
Greenbergs nearly successful as
sault on Babe Ruth's home run rec
ord and the fine flrst-year playing
of Joe Gordon, Frank Mccormick,
Geoffrey Heath and Ken keltner.
Some Outstanding Teams.
Perhaps the two outstanding teams
were the New York Yankees, who
won their third world champion
ship, and Dukes football eleven,
which went through major college
schedule unbeaten, united and un-
scored-on. Football also offered the
smashing, victorious drives OF Texas
Christian, Tennessee and Oklahoma,
and the New York Giants in the
professional division. Great Brit
aims Walker Cup team stands high
because it scored the first victory
John Bulls representatives ever won
in the international golfing COM
petition.
Upsets? There were Navy's tri-
,1rnnh over California and Washing
ton in the Poughkeepsie Regatta, the
fall of the Pittsburgh Pirates before
the rushing Chicago Cubs, Seabls-
cults defeat of War Admiral, Car
negie Techs win over Pittsburgh,
Southern Californias triumph over
Notre Dame and the elimination in
the national singles championships
of Helen Jacobs and Bobby Riggs,
the youngster whose string of sue
cesses brought him nomination to
the Davis Cup team.
What we're the dozen leading cpl
sodes or events of the sports year
taking into account the elements OF
drama, excitement. caliber of per-
formance and significance?
Here they are and why we pick
them:
Louis Feat Is Tops.
l. Joe Louis knockout of Max
Schmeling in the first round at
Yankee Stadium-because Louis
with all the savageness. speed and
cunning of a jungle beast, destroyed
the German in minutes a seconds
for the quickest heavyweight cham
pionship defense on record. 1t was
a smashing comeback for the Negro
who suffered a Knockout at Schmel-
ing's hands in 1886. Louis also
kayoed Nathan Mann and Harry
Thomas in other defenses of his
crown.
Seabiscuit Surprises.
2. Seabiscuit's victory over War
Admiral-because the one-time SELL
ing platter upset the favored son OF
Man O. War by 3 lengths in the
greatest match race of modern times
and established himself as the horse
of the year. Seabiscuit'S triumph lr
track-record time for the l 3-1e
miles at Pimlico brought him $4,000
and made him the second largest
money winner of all time, with