Evening star., 1942-07-01
Fear Cooper, Passeau
And Wyatt in Next
Mondays 'sC|ash
Diekey, Gordon, Williams
At Best Under Pressure,
Junior Loop BuIworks
By GRANTLAND RICE,

The American League understands
the increased power of Nationa
League hitting in next Monday
all-star game, but that isn't the
A. LIS main worry. The A. L,'s
main worry happens to be three
young men by the names Of Mort
Cooper, Whit Wyatt and Claude
Passeau, a trio who have been wear
ing bat silencers on their pitching
arms this season.
Going back to the peak days OF
Carl Hubbell. here are three of the
best arms and heads the young
league ever has faced. Even such
natural hitters as Williams, Cor
don, Doerr, Dickey and Di Maggie
will step into more trouble than
they have known so far. And pitch
ing usually is big factor in any
single game, any short series OF
anything else connected with base
ball.
You might ask Mr.. Cornelius Nc
Gillicuddy who has been around
ball fields for some go years.
Cooper Is Ace of Trio.
There is nothing soft about the
pitching of Whit Wyatt and Claude
Passeau of the Dodgers and Cubs
But the main thorn likely will be
Morton Cecil Cooper, born % years
ago in Independence, Mo.
For the last four years Cooper
has been just another good Cardinal
pitcher-not great one. In those
four years he won 38 games and lost
% for an average mark of .576. But
it has been entirely different this
spring and summer.
Mort has been the fireball of the
game. At the age of % he sud-
denly turns from good pitcher into
one of the best either league has
known in years. The addition OF a
screwban, or a slide ball, has been
given as one OF the main reasons
for his sudden supremacy over all
bats.
AS a minor league worker with
Des Moines, Elmira and Columbus
the Cardinal was nothing to rave
about with Al victories and As de-
feats. But 1912 has been an en-
trely different story.
We've been talking to few Ma
tional League strategists about the
order of work. Will 1t be Cooper
Wyatt and Passeau-or Wyatt, Pas
seau and Cooper-or will Cooper be
thrown in the middle?
You may think this is unimpor-
tant. But when you reach out and
pick the best ball players, or most
Of the best ball players, from two
major leagues and throw them into
a nine-inning scramble, details
might mean more than trifle.
Would Have Cooper Finish.
For example, Larry MacPhail,
who admits he will have no word
In the final selection, would like to
see Passeau, Wyatt and Cooper
work in order. He would like to
have Cooper on hand for the last
three innings.
There are others who would
rather have Mort Cooper open up
roll back American League hitters
and get the jump.
At which point American League
hackers move in with something
approaching leer or a sneer.
wyatt, Passeau and Cooper
one of them said to me.
But what about smart old
timer named Red Ruffing-or a
fellow named Ernie Bonham? No
we haven't a Bob Feller this time
but we have several others in addi-
ton to the pair I've mentioned"
Don't forget" I suggested, that
the National League has more
power than it ever had before
Reiser, Mize, Medwick, to mention
three. And a kid named Ott."
Presents Great Threesome.
THE American League he said
'has the winning habit. And 1t has
q catcher by the name of Bill Dickey
and a second baseman by the name
OIL SOl dOll. 11CAS "a
the two most dangerous clutch mer
in baseball And they have another
fellow by the name of Ted William.
who eats these big spots alive.
Gordon and Williams are of the
type that likes all the pressure yol
can throw their way. Nothing car
make them tighten up. The grea
white spotlight of fame just IRON
out their kinks. In a game lik'
this ,all-star scramble they are a
their best"
These are the arguments that giv'
the coming contest its color. You'll
find these same arguments in ever,
Army and Navy ard Marine Corp
reservation. They take in the sum,
summer hamlets as we'll as the main
centers. And the main idea is tina
all the action is crowded into tw,
hours of play.
Reieased by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)