The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-22
COOPER HAD TOO
 MUCH RESPECT. FOR N. Y. TANKS
Beasley Had Stuff to Back His Boosting in World
 Series of l042
BY JOE WILLIAMS

pTopapky que VO hu OVerSlBnC, Inefe nave been citations for everything else.
 We do not participate in these various polls ourself, for the simple reason we lack the time. In this connection we have nothing but envy those who do participate. We don't see how they do 1t and get any other work done. It must be they are gifted with . particular kind of genius because scarcely a working hour goes by that someone doesn't thrust Q ballot in your hand soliciting an expression as to who did the nostest or the hestest.
 The amount of time and thought that goes into these operations must be tremendous. We understand the situation has been called to the ate tention of manpower McNutt and that he plans to take steps. It is to be hoped this Is something more substantial than idle rumor.
 We note that Corporal Barney Ross of the Marines has been desig- mated as the prizefighter who con- tributed the most to the lusty tradi- tions of the ring during the year. This is Q particularly fitting choice. Ross established himself as a genu. inc fighting man by his bravery under fire at Guadalcanal. It's the first real hero o tine ring the war has developed: we can't recall the other war produced a more magni- ficent one either.
 Ten Blanks
 The other citations are mostly on the athletic side. Mort Cooper rated the most valuable designation in the National. The youngster was Q mighty factor in the pennant drive of the St. Louis Cardinals. Those ten shutouts alone stamped his class.
 What happened to him against the Yankees in the World Series Is Q guess. He started twice and failed twice. Hes better pitcher than that. Our guess is that he outsmarted himself. His best pitch is his high hard one; he used 1t sparingly against the Yankees. Fig. ure diversity was better than sheer power pitching.
 If you give 'em too much fast stuff they murder you" he re. marked to us out in St. Louis be- fore the series opened. Dizzy Dean happened to be along at the time. The great man was startled.
 You throw 'em that fast ball." MT. Dean demanded. You can throw 1t right past them"
 It was plain MT. Dean didn't like Cooper's attitude. It indicated too much respect for the Yankees.
 He shouldn't be feeling like that" MT. Dean confided to us la. ter. That ain't the right frame of mind"
 As things turned out Cooper wasn't much help to the Cardinals In the series, so 1t could be that ne had too much respect for the AL champions. Rookie Johnny Seazley, on the toher hand, was openly scornful of the Yankees They're crackers in my soup," he boasted. "Iu beat them every time I start"
 This smacked of bravado at the time, but the youngster made his words stand up. Whats more, he worked against the New York stars as if they were just an- other ball club. No veteran ever carried more poise, assurance and confidence into the big games. He even pitched as if he were having a | good time ... and the detials of | the two games he won would seem to suggest he was having a very good time, indeed.
 There has been such a torrent of citations in recent days we don't recall whether the manager of the | year has been named yet or not. If | 1t happened to be anybody but Billy l Southworth we wouldn't be inter- ested, anyway. By every standard | he measured up; he not only handled the routine demands of the 1 job capably but got the maximum out of the intangibles.
 On the Box
 They say Mir. Southworth was first to sense that large part of | the friskineSS had been extracted from the ball. We wouldn't know about that. All anyone had to do 70 get line on the ball was to read the wording of the box. It was plainly stated a substitute yarn was in use, and the quality of the yarn, rather than the core, is what gives the ball bounce.
 In any event, Mir. Southworth put on running game the like of | which has not been seen in the big | leagues for a generation. Almost | literally he ran away with the pen- nant. It may be said in this con- nection he had the men who could | do 1t: even so he had no monopoly | on speed. There were fast men | n other clubs. The plain fact is he l settled early on a running game and | played it to the hilt.
 The flashing speed of the swift ties stands out all over the NIL hit ting records. This speed makes their batting punch look more i'm. pressive than 1t actually was. They | led in every department except home runs where they wer esixth. | They led in total bases with 2O54. m item which vividly accents their 'peed. They were always going for hat extra base. This being so, | t was no surprise to note they led | n doubles and triples. the type of aits a team of speedsters can stretch. They trailed Brooklyn in 'tolen bases but that was because hey didn't stop at first.
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