Evening star., 1941-04-19
Key Man Loss
Would Shatter
Bengal Morale
Club Weak in Garden
Reserve; Reds Still
Look for Victory
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Write.

y Just as intended the Army draft
is striking both the mighty and the
meek of baseball.
A selective service board in De-
troit ended the confusion surround
ing the status of big Hank Green
berg yesterday, and knocked the
Tigers out of the American pennant
picture, by classifying him definitely
Ia and announcing he would be
inducted into the Army about
May T.
Another draft board disclosed yes
terday that Cecil Travis, star short
stop of the Washington Nationals,
had been classified IA and prob
ably would be called next month at
about the time Third Baseman
Buddy Lewis of the same team is to
be indicted. Earlier this week Out
fielder Joe Marty of the Phillies was
informed he would be summoned.
The same team already has given
up Hugh Mulcahy.
The importance of these blows to
the respective clubs cannot be over
estimated. The Nationals already
are in the American League cellar
and the loss of the only two really
big league infielders they have
means that the club never may get
of the bottom.
Drastic Change for Tigers.
The Phillies have lost three
straight games and they'll be in the
National League dungeon to stay
just as soon as the Cincinnati Reds
move out.
Both clubs probably would have
finished there anyway. But Green
berg's going means a drastic change
in position for Detroit-possibly a
drop into the second division.
The towering home run hitter was
the most valuable player in the
American League and no club can
lose that kind of a keystone and 90
ahead as though nothing had hap
pened. Besides, the Tigers are weak
in outfield reserves. Hank. highest
salaried player in baseball, is be-
lieved to earn about $4,000 a week.
In the meantime the races in the
two leagues are muddled in more
than the usual early season turmoil.
In the National League the unde-
feated New York Giants are on top
and the world champion Reds are
on the bottom without a single VIC
tory. The Boston Red Sox are un-
beaten leaders of the American
League while five clubs are tied for
second with an even split of their
games to date.
Reds Are Routed Again.
The Reds were routed Al by the
Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday in spite
of the fact that Bucky Walters went
swell for six innings. Then in the
seventh Maurice Van Roxays
opened with a homer and Vince
Dl Maggie smacked another with
two teammates on base. Max
Butcher held Cincinnati to five hits
and the only run he allowed was a
homer by Rookie Dick West.
The St. Louis Cardinals suffered
their first defeat when the Chicago
Cubs got rough with CLYDE Shoun
in the seventh inning on three extra
base blows, the last a homer by Bill
Nicholson, and won ga. Old Charley
Root went the route and after a
Shaky start finished with five score
less innings.
The Giants made peaSoup Of the
Phillies, To, starting with 5-run
third inning when Mel OFT homered
with the bases loaded.
Brooklyn's bashful Dodgers, who
hadn't won game previously had
one given to them at Boston, where
the Bees blew up with six errors and
handed over an 11-6 decision. Prin-
cipal among Brooklyn's IA hits was
a three-run homer by Rookie Pete
ReiSer.
AS Give Red SOx Fight.
The Red Sox stayed unbeaten with
nerve-tingling 80 victory over the
Philadelphia Athletics. Lefty Grove
held the AS to two hits for seven
innings, but one of these was two
run homer by Sam Chapman in the
fourth. In the seventh Bob Doerr
hit home run for the Sox to put
them in the running. and in the
ninth he smashed another with a
mate aboard to win the game.
Home runs decided Detroit's 4-2
triumph over the Cleveland Indians.
Each team got six hits. One of Cleve-
lands was a round-tripper by Ken
Keltner. Two of the Tigers were
homers by Charley Gehringer and
Birdie TebbettS. the latter with one
on. Al Benton relieved Tommy
Bridges on the mound for Detroit
with the bases loaded in the ninth
and saved the game.
Old Ted Lyons, usually a Sunday
specialist, proved he could be Just
as effective on a week day by Lead
ing the Chicago White Sox to So
verdict over the st. Louis Browns.
He spread nine hits and kept his foe
shut out till the seventh.