The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-08
Barten, Gehringer
 Worst Double Play Combine In Years
BY JOE WILLIAMS

Cincinnati, Oct. 8They are say- ing Detroit is the lamest excuse for a ball club which has represented the American League in the world series in a generation. Perhaps that's true but why try to take anything away from the Reds? Very definitely they've got two things the Tigers haven't: (a) pitching, (b) defensive play.
 When this series started 1t was apparent even to a person who had never heard of Col. Abner Triple play, the old Orioles or Babe Ruth, that it was to be standoh between pitching and punching. The Tigers had the punch. They were the best hitting club in their league. Thus 1t became a question of whether the Cincinnati pitching, best in their league, could stop the Detroit hit ting.
 The better Cincinnati pitching has done that. Bucky Walters, for ex- ample, must wonder what kind of league the American is. You could pardon the normally modest reticent young man if he said to himself, ;, "hell, I'd win forty games in that league" Considering the way he has been going this would be an under statement; he would win fifty and bank the last.
 And yet, even with the pitching edge riding with the Reds it could all be very different. We question if anyone realized how actually pa- thetic the Tigers are around the vital second base sector, how diffi- cult it is for Bartell and GehringerI to make any but the most simple plays.
 Just casually to watch them pick ing up the ball and throwing it they look all right. They are sure handed and strong armed: they get everything that is hit at them but it must be hit at them. If they have to go ten feet either way for ball they are lost. The old spring has de- parted from their legs and they no| longer can get the jump on the ball, that instinctive quick start in the right direction which means the difference between a base hit and an out or even a double play.
 A critics job can be hard because there are times when he hates tol write unkind things about old fa- vorites but the run of the series has forced us to the conclusion that Bartell and Gehringer form the worst double play combination we have ever seen in any series. They simply aren't able to make the plays any more. They make you feel sorry for them, especially when you look bcak and remember them at their dazzling best.
 Great Defense
 One of the reasons the Reds have refused to stay down is that they can make the dolble play. They have made nine, the Tigers only two. This tells only part of the story. It doesn't tell of the eight or ten balls that have been hit through the combination that should have been outs.
 We don't think even the most rabid or ribald National League fan will accuse us of trying to take any- thing away from, the Reds when we point to this glafing weakness. You just don't expect to see anything sol bush-like In . world series and it| makes you wonder how the Tigers ever won the pennant. Not that it| would have made my great diifer- eIlce yesterday even if the Tigers had he'd Tlnkers. nvefs and Chance out there for them. Walters was the boas fnan, We thought he pitched Au even more brilliant game than the| other one he won, th cone in which he gave uD only three hts. yor oEis thing, his control vas better, hls stun sharper.
 Whether hs needed help CT not he Bot it, Tihe lnfl1ld packed him lll, eplendldly. The boys turned ln three snapps double plays loF him which stopped infinloII rallies and ended NII MI.k4|4IA MMNIUWa .I I|a .Ia Ms