The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-22
DODGERS PACE
 MUST BYPASS
 MANY PITFALLS
Figuring Brooklyn Defi- nitely in Right Now Is
 Taking Lots for Granted
BY BILL BRANDT

Figuring the National League pennant in the bag for Brooklyn because the Dodgers won 55 of their first 77 decision IS taking lot for grantedy. The National Games most venerated adage says, Taking nothing for granted in Baseball"
 That's only half of the season, " decisions That 55-22 is nice going. Durocher's dashing Dodgers doubt favorites for the flag, but lookit! The New York Giants of 1895 won 53 and lost 24 in the first half, only 2 games of the 1942 Dodger pace.
 Did those Giants Shoo-in for the pennant? Gain-raniumed baseball bugs, desirous of steering the sane sober middle course halfway be- tween wishful thinking and craven defeatism, would do well to ponder on how the 1895 halfway story paid off in October.
 The September picture that year starred the Chicago Cubs in 8 21- straight winning streak which brought the Windy City the cham pionship. And whom did the Cubs nose out in the stretch drive? Answer-the St. Louis Cardinalsl
 Where were the, Giants, runaway pacemakers at the halfway mark2 They finished third, 81-2 games back of the Bruins. In other words. the National League is where you win your pennant in September.
 This piece is not prediction that the Dodgers are about to explode in all directions and dive for the bust bin. They show no signs of anything like that. On the contrary, they're leading the league in batting and fielding, stolen bases, runs, hits, homers. doubles. Two of their boys. Pete Reiser and Muscular Medwick, have the batting championship race all to themselves.
 Their phenomenal second-child- hood southpaw freshman, Larry had at the halfway mark, only needing to step up his pace slightly through the second half to wait into all-time fame alongside of the slant-necked Rube of olden times.
 No signs of cracking in the Dodgers aS July turns on its full ste m. It's true, too, that you have to go back 30 years to Marquards great spluge to find a National League club with as good or better a first-half record. That sizzling summer of 1912 saw the Giants with 68 against 19 at the midway marker.
 Fourth of July the Giants were IA 1-2 games above End place, as compared to Brooklyn's 9 1-2 this year. By August's final week their lead had Whittled to games, with the hot breath of the Cubs and Pirates on ruffling their ears. They won the pennant, but then, as ever, in the National League, 1t was not without one of those good old Sep tember struggles.
 No National League club since 12 has won as many in the sea sons first half as the Dodgers did this year. Since the last war, in only 9 of the g years has a pace maker beaten the 5O-mark in vic- tories over Its first 77 decisions. The vote Is in favor of 60-win pace Hlhkcr WulLlluB tilC pCAAlhiAb'
 But the vote Is no crushing mar gin. Just 5 to 4. In the past ? years the midway pacemakers-C Cincinnati Reds in 194O, Dodgers last year each had 52 wins against 25 set- backs halfway home. In each case they won the flag. The 1883 Giants had the same score halfway to their pennant. The Giants in 1923 and again in 1924 had 51 wins in their first " decisions. They won. Both years.
 But the 1885 Giants had . mid way mark of 5S, better than any of tho above, s championship ball clubs, yet didn't win the pennant. The 1919 Giants had 63. too, which Is better than Sl or 62, second only Brooklyn's current 56, and in 1919, the Cincy Reds became champs. The Pittsburgh Pirates of 1921 had 52 against 2S halfway along and in 20 that years Buccaneers stood 5l to 26. Tn neither year did the skuil- and-crossbone mingle with the league championship pennant.