The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1939-07-08
MACpHAIL IS.
There; STUFF.
WORKING OUT.
Man Who Fired Reds Puts
Scare Into National
League
BY DILLON GRAHAM

ZAP Feature Service Sports Writer)
NEW YORK, July 8.-The mayor
of Tampa really had something
when. at a banquet to the Cincin-
nat iReds last spring. he wrinkled
his face in his very best mayoral
smile and beamed: I'VE are proud
of Larry MacPhail's boys"
That brought down the house.
Later speakers handed His Honor
a rubbing that would have been up
to part even in the Bronx. where
the fine art for rubbing reaches its
apex
The mayor had committed what is
known on Park Avenoo, between
50th and 51st Streets, where the at
mosphere is veddy, veddy snooty, as
a faux pas. The official scorer at
the grubfest might have raised his
right hand high, with the thumb
and index finger joined to make a
perfect o, to indicate what was a
palpable error.
For, at the precise moment, Larry
MacPhail had been gone from the
Reds for approximately two years,
three days, seven hours, forty-two
minutes and 6 seconds. AS the track
timekeepers would score it: 2" g
u 42;6.
Mayor Was On Right Track
While the mayor had been doing
Rip Van Wrinkle, one Warren
Giles had assumed MacPhail's port
folio. MacPhail left the Cincinnati
precincts in car, mighty huff
or high dudgeon.
But while the mayor was tech
nically wrong, and good for guf-
flaws, he was theoretically correct.
For these Cincinnati cutups who
are setting fast pace in the Ma
tional LIE ague are largely Mac
Phai1's boys.
True, MacPhail is sort of foster
father, for he has another family of
ball players now. Those surge-and-
slump Brooklyn Dodgers are driving
him mad.
MacPhail took charge of the Reds
some years ago when If Cincinnati
finished even within hailing dis
lance of the seventh-place club it
was considered moral victory in
Rhineland. He bought player here,
snapped for another there and las
seed a bunch of youngsters for
training down on the farms.
His connections with the Reds
were severed just about the time
his boys were ready to pay divi-
dends.
Thirteen of the Is players on the
Cincinnati squad were obtained
while Larry bossed the Reds. Mac
Phail picked up five members of
Cincinnati's strong pitching staff.
including last years double no-hit
kid, Johnny Wander Nicer. The 9TH
ers were Lee Grissom, Whitley Moore,
Ray Davis and Gene Thompson.
Bill Terry had sneered at Frank
McCormick's ball playing efforts.
but Larry saw a conner in him. He
got more hits than any National
Lacquer in his freshman year of 1888
and seems a sure choice for the
All-Star game next week.
A Chair For MacPhail
The Reds have moulded a pretty
fair outfield from Larry's talent
fleet Harry Craft, hard-hitting wal
Goodman and young Lee Gamble.
And Cincinnati could meander
along moderately we'll with an in
field consisting of Mccormick, Billy
Myers, Lew Riggs, Eddie Joost and
Les Scarsella.
Pitcher Paul Derringer and Catch
er Ernie lombard were on deck
when MacPhail arrived. Others on
the league-leading squad have been
added since Larry left.
Sure. Larry's with Brooklyn now.
But when they arrange that pen
nant-victory dinner out in Cincy
come September there should be a
seat Of honor reserved for Lippy
Larry.