The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-08
BY JACK GUENTHER United Press Staff Correspondent

Cleveland July s. - CUP) - TWO brief statements tell the story.
 Lieutenant Gordon (Mickey) Cochrane, the black haired former Detroit manager who combed the rank and file of the Army and Navy for the 20 soldiers and sailors who comprised the All Service team, leaned against wall in the steamy dressing room and put it this way:
 That first inning was the crusher. We get the bases filled and we can't score. I'm not so con- cerned about what the American League squad did. We knew they were tough babies and that they would score. But we thought we could score more times than they. Well, we didn't. And when we lost our chance in taht first inning, well, guess we lost the game"
 Joe Mccarthy, the pudgy veteran who climbed out of a sick bed last Saturday and then led the American League All-Star squad to two vic- tories on successive nights, sat in the midst of his unusually quiet players and took a slightly differ ent tack on the subject. As he saw 1t:
 Some Difference
 We won because we have had the opportunity to play regularly It wasn't quite so much the difference in ability or managing as 1t was the difference in the immediate background of the men concerned. our boys have done nothing but play ball for three months. The service boys were playing ball-but they also were learning to fight war"
 And between them, the two man. agers accurately summed up the game that only war could pro- duce.
 It was a dream" game, but 1t wasn't a great game. The crowd knew that as the innings rolled on Little incidents served as tips to the boredom that many people in the big crowd felt but tried to hide. For instance, there was the big re- ception given Umpire Al Barlick when he went behind the plate be- tween halves of the fifth.
 Barlick is an ump of the old school. When he called strike, he yelled "Steee -riike" in a voice that carried to every corner of the vast horseshoe stadium. The crowd loved that. The folks shouted, "steeee- riike" right back at him for the rest of the game. He was what might be called the comic relief of the contest.
 Then there was the blackout be- tween halves of the sixth. This drew another roaring cheer and with 1t hoots, whistle and the weird noises only baseball crowd can produce. But the players well, after the first inning the players didn't inspire much comment. Joe DiMaggio was booed, without fail. but the crowd sensed that the game had been won. And 1t had.
 Not So Bad
 But if 1t wasn't a great game - and few SO contests can be 1t was good game. Ernie Andres, a former Louisville player who was the only minor leaguer in the con- test, did excellent work. Johnny Rigney, until two months ago regular with the Chicago White Sox pitched as well as ever in holding the Americans to three hits in five innings.
 As for the others well, they all tried and they tried hard. But the indefinable something which only continued practice can supply was missing somehow A short extra step that meant the difference be- tween an easy fielding play and an opposition single just wasn't there. And at the plate, the service play CTS were just bit rusty.
 Mccarthy was right in his andy sis. The Service team suffered bit from lack of work. But Coch- rane also was correct. Had the Sailors and Soldiers punched out run or two once they filled the bases on that thrilling first half of the first inning. then maybe 1t would have been a different game and maybe this would be a different story.
 Be that as 1t may. What the game may have lacked as a spec tacle was more than balanced by the splendid manner in which 1t served a splendid cause. It was game deserving of praise - from the very last fan who paid $1.85 for a ticket to the players themselves.
 Baseball did a good job with this second all-star game. And Cleve- land did an excellent job a much better job than was done in New York on Monday
 There were G2.O94 people in the stands and at least $l00, 900 went into the tllls Of ,the Army and Navy relief organizations. Maybe $l25 900. Whatever the final figure. the sum will help tide many sol- dier and many' sailor through and when all is said and done, that Is, what counts today.
 sixth inning. which prompted one anonymous member of the service