Evening star., 1941-07-07
Pride-Hurt Loop
Choice 10 Beat
Senior Circuit
Nationals S Hill Crew
Faces Fine Slugging
Band Tomorrow
BY GAYLE TALBOT.
Associated Press Sports Writer

DETROIT, July I-HdFlllS taken
a severe kicking around for more
than a year now, the American
LeaguerS are thoroughly tired of it
and will be in a determined frame
of mind when they tangle with their
National League rivals in the ninth
annual All Star game at Briggs
Stadium tomorrow.
1t is partly for this reason. no
doubt, that the Americans have
been established favorites in the
betting. They have become the hun
CRY "have-nots," injured of pride.
whereas the National Leaguers are
glutted with victories lately almost
to the point of complacency.
The senior leaguers began giving
President Will Harridges boys their
Jumps in the All-Star game played
at Tampa spring before last for
Finnish relief, and they never
stopped. They blanked the Ameri-
cans, to 0, in the dream" tussle
at St Louis year ago and then
detailed the Cincinnati Reds to trim
the Detroit Tigers in the world
series
A. L. Leads in Series, 5 to 3.
In fact, the thing has reached the
point where a National League
magnate needs no provocation to
start in explaining why his brand
of baseball-tight pitching, play-for-
one-run styles superior to the
Slugging tactics which he claims
are employed primarily by the
Americans. The law of averages.
he feels, finally has swung to the
side of justice.
Whether it will keep on swinging
remains to be seen when Joe Di
Maggie, Ted Williams, Rudy York
and the other mighty batSmen of
the aroused American Ieaeuers
start piling into the ball tomorrow.
The count now stands at to 3 for
the Americans: they beat he pants
off the Nationals in the first three
games played.
The chosen stars of both sides
began arriving last night. sngly
and in groups, and practically all
OF them were expected to be on
hand by noon today Manager Bill
McKechnie of the Nationals and
Manager Del Baker of the Ameri-
cans each planned strategy" ses-
sion with the great collection of
athletes, temporarily under his
wing.
Junior Loop Again Has Power.
Some of the National Leaguers
were seeing Briggs Stadium for the
first time. The American Leaguers.
incidentally, never have been beaten
in one of their home" parks.
AS usual. the American League
tomorrow can field club that has
it all over any possible National
League combination in hitting-at
least on paper The two circuits
seem not to change in that respect.
But past games have provided a
wealth of evidence that really good
pitching stops the dream" Sluggers
cold so the result of an All-Star
game hinges on which side has
three or four hurlers who happen
to be hot"
Last year the National Leaguers
had five of this variety-Paul Der
ringer, Bucky Walters, Carl Hubbell,
Whit Wyatt and Larry French.
They held the Americans to three
hits. And all except French are
available to pitch tomorrow.
The Americans also have some
fair country pitchers, including the
best in the game today, Bobby Feller.
Battle Up TO Pitchers.
1t is probable that Manager Del
Baker will throw Feller, Thornton
Lee of the White SoX and Red
Rufflng of the Yankees at the Ma
tional League batters tomorrow. Lee
is a SouthpaW. If all three are
right" then the Nationals are in
for tough afternoon.
That's what it comes down to
pitching. Both line-ups are packed
with hitters. to the extent, that if
any one of the moundsmen lacks
Just little of having his stuff" for
the Gay he is in for a terrible
blasting
Todays official business called for
separate meetings of the two leagues
and a session in the suite of Com
missioner K M. Lands, when de-
tails of the Au-Star game were to be
decided upon.
Manager Joe Cronin of the Boston
Red Sox likely will start at short
stop for the American Leaguers.
Luke Appling of the Chicago White
Sox, believed the original choice,
won't play because of an injured
knee.
Cronin's wife gave birth to son
Ill =