Evening star., 1940-06-05
Winner, 4-3, Suggests
Two Divisions With
3-Game P|ayoff
Says Team Really Wins
Honors Twice Under
Present System

High school baseball fans today
still were discussing the pros and
cons OF the extra inning battle
staged at AnacoStia Stadium yeSter-
day in which Central barely man.
aged to defend its championship by
beating Eastern, to 3, and accord
ing to Coach Jack Ray of the VIC
torious Vikings something should be
done about the present playoff plan.
Looking at the situation whereby
a team practically must win the title
twice, so to speak, before it can be
called champion, Ray believes that
much better system could be used
which would more clearly show
which team is the best. AS the game
was played yesterday Eastern, al
most unanimously regarded as in
ferior to Central, nearly won. A vic
tory, of course. would have meant
that the Lincoln Parkers were
champions, but very few would have
considered them the better nine.
Season Nearly Ruined.
II see it this way" Ray said while
commenting on the thinning tilt
that had some 1000 fans wild. 1--WE
came very close to running great
season on one play, the play that
gave Eastern its three runs in the
eighth inning. AS it turned out, we
won, but it was too close for COM
fort. We had beaten Eastern few
weeks ago with ease and despite the
closeness OF yesterdays game I
think we have a much better team.
"A team that goes through the
regular series undefeated deserves
more than once chance to win the
championship. Eastern had two
chances, once in the first game with
us and again yesterday. Suppose on
the day of the final game a coach's
best pitcher is out for one reason or
another. That leaves the coach in
a bad spot, although he knows he
has the better team. The way the
plan works now fourth-place team
could catch the first ranking team
on bad day, and win the whole
business. In my opinion there
should be two divisions. and the
winners Of each should play two
out-of-three for the title. That way
both teams would have chance to
display their best"
Lower Clubs Benefited.
Last year the two division WIN
rers met in one final game for the
title. Central won that game from
Eastern, 6 to 2. In former years
the team finishing with the best
record was declared the winner
There was no playoff unless two or
more teams had identical records
The present plan benefits greatly
the team that finishes second, third
and fourth. The first ranking team
must beat them in the regular series
and then repeat in the playoff.
Yesterdays game had thrills
aplenty. Each side had chances to
win, although errors and poor play
contributed to each of these
chances. None of the runs were
earned and while Billy Fisher of
Central had an edge over Kenny
Curles and Warren Erhardt it was
Fishers misplay in the eighth that
almost cost him victory. A wild
throw to first and miscue near the
plate OF return toss gave Eastern
It's tallies. Fisher gave but one hit
until the eighth inning and was
tight in the pinches when players
he had walked threatened to score.
Steiner Plays Fine Game.
Benny Steiner. who with Fisher
has been the backbone of Centrals
great season. helped his side with
numerous brilliant feats. He was
involved in two or the Vikings
three double plays that cut off
Eastern threats. Benny, who. like
Fisher, was playing his last game
for Central, also led his team at
bat with two hits.
Steiner scored the winning run
when Jimmy Nutwell threw wild to
first trying to nip Sam Di Blasi.
Chief Guyons strategy of start
Ing the left-handed Curles almost
worked. Curles pitched good
game against the highly touted
Viking sluggers and except for ner-
vousness in the first frame when his
error gave Central a 2-run lead
might have won.
Erhardt, who had been driven
out by Central in the game several
weeks ago. finished the job and de-
served a better fate. 1t was Err
hard't double that started the 3-run
Eastern rally in the eighth.