The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-25
Yanks Beat Mats 7wice To Boost Title Chance
Reds Hold Defense Edge
Over Rivals In Series
Infield Of National Loop
Champs Rated Better Than
Tigers Or Indians

This is the second in q Sc
ries analyzing the prospective
rivals in the World series.)
BY JUDSON BAILEY
NEW YORK, Sept. 24.-R-The
strength of the Cincinnati Reds is
in their defense, and the strongest
and most vital phase of their de-
tense is their infield.
If the Reds rate an edge any
where over their prospective World
series rivals, Detroit or Cleveland,
it is on this unspectacular but well
balanced inner Gordon.
Cincinnati's pitchers are no
strikeout specialists, or fast ball
ers whose offerings r expected
to be pulled down by: the outfield.
With one or two exceptions, the
Reds hurlers are 'downers" who
throw low balls that the batter is
expected to knock into the dirt.
The infield grass at Crosley field
is even especially groomed to aid
these tactics.
1t is not uncommon for the Gin
cinnati outfield to go through a
game with only five or six fielding
chances, and when Paul Derringer
or Bucky Walters is pitching, the
outer gardeners might as well take
the day off for they sometimes get
only one or two plays.
This shows the importance of the
infield in Bill McKechnie's scheme
of life. The fact that the Reds
have won two straight National
league pennants proves how sue
cessful it has been.
Except for first baseman Frank
McCormick, they aren't impressive
hitters and not only are batting
lower than their series rivals for
the most part, but also below their
own marks of last year. Yet, for
all their known deficiencies, the
quartet OF Mccormick, L o n e
Frey, Billy Myers and Bill Werber
has been the most consistent com.
bination in baseball this year.
McCormick's hitting is overshad-
owed by the booming blasts of De-
troit's Rudy York and Cleveland's
Hal Trosky, but the simple truth
is that he is batting at a .316 clip
while York is only .319 and Trosky
1902.
Mccormick has batted in 1923
runs, York 126 and Trosky. with
less chances at bat than the others,
SO. These figures show Mccormick
is no weak sister at the plate and
his fielding, in results more than
averages, is incomparably better
than the other two.
At the other corner Cincinnati
probably has the outstanding third
baseman of the season in Bill Wer-
Der, an American league veteran
picked up in 1899 from the Phila-
delphia Athletics. He made the
Reds jittery infield calm last year
and this campaign has made 1t
better.
His hitting, .276, is higher than
the .273 average of Pinky Higgins
of Detroit or the .255 of Cleveland's
Ken Keltner and similarly he is
fielding better than both. He is
the ideal leadoff man, getting on
base almost as often without a hit
as with one. He has scored 103
times, a third more often than his
rivals, and has batted in 40 tallies.
If Cincinnati was as well forti-
fled through the middle as on the
corners McKechnie's worries would
be less. Myers, Cincinnati's cap
tain and shortstop, is below his
par, batting .215 instead of last
years .281 and not covering as
much ground.
Lou Boudreau of the Indians is
infinitely superior and very close
to being the best rookie of the
year. He has been a 300 hitter
right along, although he slipped to
.299 just before today's game, and
has batted in SO runs. Dick Bartell
of Detroit has lost some of his fire,
most of his speed and none of his
smartness. Batting 1888 he too has
an edge over Myers.
Frey at second base for the Reds
will never be a Charley Gehringer
and he isn't batting as well as Ray
Mack of Cleveland, but he is hav-
ing one of his best years in the
field and compares well with his
rivals. Gehringer, Of. course, is
batting .315 now and has been
higher. Mack is 1886 and Frey
.260. There isn't enough difference
in the latter two to offset the
steadier fielding of Frey all sea
son.
Boudreau and Mack also have
quite a reputation for double plays,
but the cold figures show, Cincin-
natl has made 152, only two less
than the Indians.
There is n other advantage
Cincinnati has in the infield and
that is reserve strength: While
FIRST
Player, Club G A
F. Mccormick, Reds ---149 SO.
York, Tigers ------------15O Sc!
Trosky, Indians --------135 so.
SECONl
Frey, Reds -------------145 81: