The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-09
AMERICAN LINEUP
HAS five YANKEES
Ruffing To Start On Mound
Against Either Derringer
Or Walters For Nationals
BY JUDSON I L

the New York Yankees represent
ing the American league again to-
morrow against the pick of the
National league talent in the eighth
annual All-Star spectacle.
Fans congregating here tonight
for the big midsummer baseball
show we're Jared off balance by
Manager Joe Cronin's selection OF
Pitcher Red Ruffing and four 9TH
ers of the fourth-place Yankees to
start the game at 1870 PM. (cen-
trail standard time) in Sportsman's
park.
Neither the Detroit Tigers mol
the Cleveland Indians, first and
second place clubs in the junior
circuit, were accorded a single
starting assignment by Cronin, al
though he said the expected 49,
600 fans would see Lefty AL Mil
mar of the Indians and Buck New
som of the Tigers in three-inning
mound appearances.
Deacon Bill McKechnie, manag-
err of the National league forces,
countered with stars from six OF
the eight teams in his league,
headed by a battery from his own
Cincinnati Reds.
McKechnie still refused tonight
to say whether big Paul Derringer
or slender Bucky Waters would
be his opening pitcher but named
Ernie lombard to catch.
The decision of Cronin to use a
righthanded pitcher was response
BILE for McKechnie including three
lefthanded batters in his lineup
Arky Vaughan of the Pittsburgh
Pirates at shortstop, Johnny Mize
of the st. Louis Cardinals at first
base and the Veteran Mel OFT OF
the New York Giants in igh t.
Use of Mize, the National league
batting champion, ahead of h S
own Frank Mccormick was the
most difficult choice for McKechnie
to make. Mccormick, a %righthand-
err, has been batting about 20 points
better than Mize and had never
missed an inning of All-Star COM
petition since breaking into tn e
majors.
The selections of Chicago's Bill
Herman at second, Brooklyn's Har-
ry Lavagetto at third, and Joe
Medwick of Brooklyn and Gerry
Moore of st. Louis in the outfield
were fairly obvious, although he
might have gained additional left
handed hitting strength in his out
field by naming Joe Moore Of the
Giants.
Besides refusing steadfastly to
announce a definite starting pitch
er, McKechnie also said he did
not know which hurlers he would
choose to finish out the game and
would be governed by the tide OF
battle"
Cronin's choices were nothing
short of radical, although he en-
phasized his lineup was Subject
to change"
For his leadoff batter and third
baseman the scrappy pilot Of the
Red Sox named Cecil Travis OF
the Washington Senators, who was
not even chosen on the original
squad of Is American league stars.
Travis got into the game W e n
Red Rolfe of the Yanks withdrew
because of injuries. However, the
Senator is smuggling a potent .346,
Ken Keltner of the Indians, the
other possible choice, is batting
.229.
But if this effort to get batting
power looked entirely reasonable,
the naming of New York's J OF
Gordon, batting .245 is a bit sur
prising when second baseman Ray
Mack of Cleveland is hitting .31S.
Likewise Bill Dickey, who
will catch Ruffing, is batting .22l
compared to 1881 for Frank Hayes
of philadelphia and .295 for Rollie
Hemsley of Cleveland.
Cronin, in selecting his outfield,
also ignored the best batter on his
squad, his W Low Finney who is
hitting .359, and passed over the
powerful Hank Greenberg OF De-
troit, a fixture in recent All-Star
lineups.
The only conclusion that could
be drawn from the starting select
ions was that both managers in
tended to substitute freely a d
McKechnie stated frankly that he
intended to use every player on
his squad if possible.
The American league was estab-
lished as a heavy favorite to win.
James Carroll, st. Louis commits
sioner, quoted 1 to 2 against the
Junior leaguers and 8 to S against
the Nationals. Considerable Ameri-
can league money was in evidence,
but little backing was found for
the Nationals in spite of their sue
cess in beating the Americans 2 to
/ in an exhibition All-Star tussle
at Tampa, Fla, last spring.
In the regular midsummer SER
les the Americans have won five
out of seven.