The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-31
RED SOX STAR SEEMS HEADED
 FOR NEW MARK
Greatest Individual Bat ting Achievement in
 Baseball a Probability
By PAUL SCHEFFELS Limited Press Stan COrrespondent)

Dy n AOb 0NAAk1R E A1A1O
 United Press Stan Correspondent
 New York, July 31-(UP)-His popularity may have waned and this may be his last season in or ganized baseball but Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox's problem prod igy, seemed headed today for one of the greatest individual batting achievements in baseball.
 Forget Iris Speaker and Babe Ruth because this hat-hipped, eag- er-eyed Slugger apparently has chosen this year to outShine the deeds of this famous tandem before even his fourth major league season is completed.
 Ruth's home run standard and Speakers general all-around excel lence, of course, are in little danger from Williams but the mantle that once covered Babe and This is being fitted to this tow-headed kid from San Diego, California.
 Williams hit .406 to win last year's s major league batting title and at the current stage leads the Ameri- can league with 1850, just 0O3 points behind Pete Reiser of Brooklyn, the National league leader.
 However, toothpick Ted also paces the majors home run department with 9 four-baggers, leads in runs batted In with 97 and runs scored with 84 and is just one hit away from the first five hitters with 118. Stan Spence of Washington heads this group with 138.
 Williams walloped his 22d homer yesterday with one on but the Red Sox dropped 12 1-2 games behind the Yankees with Cleveland when the Indians hung up 4-3 triumph. The Sox retained a .003 edge in the percentages. A three-run rally in the seventh off Oscar Judd account ed for the win. Ken Keltner singled and then Judd walked three to force in the tying run. Mel Harder sim gled in two more runs, clinching his ninth victory.
 Detroit divided with the Athletics, winning the first game, 11-5, but dropping the nightcap, 7-6. Each club made IA hits in the first game but the Tigers decided the issue with six-run splurge in the eighth, featured by Pinky Higgins grand slam homer. Four singles gave the As the victory in the eighth of the nightcap after homer by Dick Siebert had tied the score.
 Brooklyn blasted Vern Olsen from the mound with six-run assault in the fifth inning and coasted to 9-2 triumph over the Cubs. Johnny Allen was credited with his 10th win although Max Macon pitched from the sixth inning until the finish. The Cubs collected nine hits includ- ing home run by Lou Novikoff in the fifth. Brooklyn made IA.
 The Phils broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the sixth and defeated the Reds last night, Az. A single by Nick Etten, Bucky Walters poor throw of Ron Northey's grounder and Pingy Mays fly to center gave the Phils their first run in the sixth. Northey scored when Bobby Bragan tripled to center.
 Eric Tipton accounted for the Reds first run when he hit a home run in the second inning. Cincin- nati tied the score in the fourth but Ike Pearson relieved Earl Naylor and shut out the Reds with three hits the rest of the way.
 The defeat was Walters seventh against 12 wins; the victory, Pear sons first.
 Washington's 13 hits defeated St. Louis, 11-6. Buck Newsom, with ninth-inning relief from Walt Mas terson, held the Browns to eight hits for his eighth victory. Walt Judnich homered for St. Louis in the sixth with two on and Jimmy Vernon slammed another with one on for Washington in the third.
 The box score: