The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-02
NEWS0M GETS NOD
AS TIGERS HURLER
Derringer Is Probable Starter
For Reds In Opener; Detroit
Remains FavOrite
BY JUDSON BAILEY

World series, with equally big Paul
Derringer probably doing the rifle
work for the Cincinnati Reds.
Fans already were camping outside
the bleacher entrance to Crosley
field tonight to make sure of seeing
the spectacle that starts at 1880 p.
IN. (EST) tomorrow, but the prox-
unity of the first battle did not dis
turb Manager Will McKechnie. The
secretive Scot kept his starting line
up locked up in his mind.
But the hopes of the crippled Ma
tional league champions for giving
the American league its first squelch-
ing since 1885 were bound up in Der
ringer, and no one had any doubt
that he would get the call, if indeed
McKechnie had not already told him.
Aside from the starting time,
which is fixed by Commissioner
Kenesaw M. Lands, and the size of
the crowd, $4,000, which is con
trolled by the structural capacity of
the park, almost every aspect OF
baseball's great autumn classic was
surrounded by minor mysteries.
Odds Favor Tigers
The Tigers were rated as betting
favorites with bookmakers reported
quoting 7 to 10 against their winning
and even money on the Reds. But
Tiger Manager Del Baker, while def
nitely naming Newsom for the i'm
portant opening assignment, would
not decide definitely on a right
fielder.
McKechnie didn't know whether
the injured catcher, Ernie lombard
and Second Baseman Lonnie Frey
would be able to go and the best
guess was that they could not.
The weather forecast was fair and
cool, but the clouds came scuttling
over the city today.
The series shaped up as a test of
pitching against power and the same
experts who usually trod a limb
without hesitation were hemming
and having in unprecedented fash
ion.
Five 300 Hitters
The Tigers will take the field with
no less than five 800 hitters in their
lineup-Hank Greenberg, Rudy York,
Barney McCosky, Charley Gehringer
and Billy Sullivan.
r. no+oo;x,c ryOrlyo1,f fndou Groom.
berg belted four balls over the cen
ter and left field fences of Crosley
field and made it look so easy that
National league supporters quaked
at the sight. Their only consolation
was that tomorrow the Bengals will
be batting against Derringer instead
of the fat flinging of Clay Smith,
John Corsica and their like.
Derringer, who finished the season
with a record of 20 won and IL lost,
had been groomed carefully for the
opening assignment with Bucky Wal
tiers, Gene Thompson and Jim Turner
following in that order.
The big Kentuckian's curves al
ways have baffled the American
league batters, accustomed to look
ing at fast-ball pitching, and in this
bulwark the Reds braced all their
hopes.
But no one could explain how Gin
cinnati would get any runs. New
som, a 21-5 standout in the American
league this season, has a puzzling
motion and more speed than the
Reds have been looking at most of
the year..
Behind him, Baker has Schoolboy
Rowe, Tommy Bridges and probably
Gorsica in micd. Rowe particularly
has made AN impressive comeback
this year, winning 16 and losing only
8. Baker huddled with both Rowe
and Newsom for a long time today
before finally announcing Big Bobo
as his starter.
The Reds, a great defensive club
with scant punch, unquestionably
were weakened by the injuries that
befell them in the closing days of
the season. lombard, who sprained
an ankle recently, worked out today
and looked better than he did Sun
day, but afterward he admitted glum-
ly: IT can't run. It'll be a miracle
If I a play"
Frey, in uniform for the first time
since an iron water-cooler lid fell on
his foot last Friday, stried courageous
ly to look like a fit player, but
Trainer Doc Rhode said he didn't
see how Frey would be able to get
into action.
Wilson To Catch
Because the Reds are pretty well
fixed for reserve strength, McKech-
ME was expected to choose able sub
stitutes ahead of injured regulars.
This meant that 40-year.old Jimmy
Wilson, former manager of the Phil
lies, might catch every game n
that slim Eddie Joost might go the
whole way at the keystone.
Lombardi, batting .319, was M OF
the two power hitters the Reds could
boast of, leaving only Frank NC
Cormick to do the run-produclng.
Wilson, in the 16 games he has play
ed since returning to active list, has
batted .243. Joost is a PIG hitter In
contrast to Frey's 1865.
This also will leave the Reds with
only two portside hitters, Jim Rip
pie and Ival Goodman, to face a
string Of right-handed pitchers.
Buck Mccormick, although he bat
ted in 1877 runs, wound up the sea-