The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-27
Reds Likely Favorites
To Take World Series
Pitchers ,Sharpened To Razor
Edge; Termed Best Balanced
Club In Baseball
This is the last in a series
anaIyzing the prospective riv-
ais in the World, series.)
BY JUDSON 1 L

NEW YORK, Sept. .26.|R-It's
been a long time since a National
league team went into the World
series with a certified chance to
win, but this year the Cincinnati
Reds not only have a,chance, they
are likely to be rated favorites.
The exhausting finish Of the
American league campaign has
served to enhance the prospects
of the Reds, who already were a
good bet on their own merits.
There is little question that Gin
cinnatie's foe eventually will be
the Detroit Tigers, but the race
isn't over yet and they're being
forced to go "all out" in order
to win.
At one time this season Detroit
had one of the best pitching staffs
in the American league, but the
boys don't look it now. Buck New
som had to work in two games
yesterday. Tommy Bridges hasn't
been able to finish his last three
starts. Young Hal Newhouser, one
of the best rockies to come up this
year, has had a ore arm. School
boy Rowe will have to pitch his
heart out to beat Bob Feler to-
morrow and if he fails. Newsom
may have to go back to the hill
on Saturday or Sunday.
On the other hand the Reds are
coas+ing to their goal with Bill
McKechnie sharpening his pitchers
to a razor edge. You could see it
the way Junior Thompson pitched
that two-hitter against the st. Louis
Cardinals yesterday.
The Tigers have power, the kind
that might explode in any inning
and blow a game clear out OF
Cincinnati's control. But after
you've said that you've said every
thing and dynamite won't hurt any.
body as long as it doesn't 60 off.
The Reds have a technique for
snuffing out fuses; they simply
souse the foes batting averages.
Besides excellent pitching, Gin.
cinnati has a slick defense and
the best balanced club in baseball.
1t might get bowled over in a
single inning of any game. bu,
in the long run of the series this
balance" should have a telling
effect.
The Reds make such habit Of
alright defensive play and winning
games by one u in the ninth
inning that the fact they can score
at all sometimes is overlooked.
Cincinnati can't pump balls over
the fences as can the Tigers, but
it can needle a lot of hits between
Detroit's veteran i%nfielders and
once on base the Reds are poison.
A few days ago they pulled off a
triple steal. In another recent
game in Brooklyn somebody sin
gled, was sacrificed to second and
another batter walked. They work
ed a double steal and a run scored
on a fly ball.
Not since Pepper Martin ran
wild against the Philadelphia ath-
letics in 1881 has a b~ase-running
team of the Reds calibre come
up to the series-and not since the
Gas House gang gave it's last glor.
ious gasp to beat the Tigers In
1884 has a National league club
had as good chance as this year.
The Reds can keep their shen.
anigans going indefinitely and they
usually manage to worry their op-
ponent to death along about the
eighth or ninth inning. Detroit may
have an easier. way of getting a
run-by having Hank Greenberg
or Rudy York or some other slug.
ger step up and pound the ball
into the stands. But Cincinnati can
usually score anytime it's worth
the work and they are a cinch to
end the %freezeout the National Lea.
que has been handed the last two