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

Cincinnati, Oct. 8-They are say- ing Detroit is the lamest excuse for ball club which has represented the American League in the world series in 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 it was apparent even to 8 person who had never heard of Col Abner Triple play, the old Orioles or Babe Ruth, that it was to be standoff between pitching and punching. The Tigers had the punch. They were the best hitting club in their league. Thus it 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 anG Gehringer 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 1t 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 instructive 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 to 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 double 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 glaring weakness. You just don't expect to see anything so bush-like in world series and 1t makes you wonder how the Tigers ever won the pennant. Not that 1t would have made any great differ ence yesterday even If the Tigers had had Thinkers, Evers and Chance out there for them. Walters was the boss man. We thought he pitched an even more brilliant game than the other one he won. th cone in which he gave up only three hits. For one thing. his control was better. hla stun sharper.
 Whether hc needed help or not hc got it, The inneld bnckod him up splendidly. The boys turned ln thrcf anappy double plays for him which stopped lnelplenl rallies and ended HIl possible dosInnn on l1e onR Nh