Evening star., 1942-09-12
Lanier, Macon
Both Broke in
As Redbirds
Pair of Makes Started
Same Year; MocPhoiI
Proves Foresiehted
Nv JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press sports writer,

BROOKLYN. Sept l2.--Tne va
qaries of fate appeared likely to-
day to throw the whole brunt OF the
National Leagues turbulent pen
nant struggle on two httle-known
southpaws named Max.
The pitchers groomed for the
final and most important clash OF
the year between the Brooklyn
Dodgers and st. Louis Cardinals
were Max Macon and Max Lanier,
furnishing baseball fans with real
life drama unsurpassed by anything
in fiction.
Here in Ebbets Field today's game
OF all the games played this season
might be the one that could be
pointed to later as deciding the
championship-just as one game
about this time last year, thrilling
10 affair which Whitlow Wyatt
won from Mort Cooper, was the
telling blow that brought Brooklyn
the 194l pennant.
Cooper and wyatt had their turn
again yesterday and they waged
another magnificent battle which
Cooper captured to o with shit
pitching and his timely hitting. 1t
was his 20th victory, his eighth
shutout and his fourth success In
five duels with Wyatt this year.
Real Crisis Comes Today.
It chopped the margin between
the Cardinals and Dodgers down
to one game, but 1t was not this
Furnishing, finishing thrust that
would break teams spirit and de-
eide pennant race. That comes
TODAY decision that would de-
moralize the Dodgers and lift st.
Louis into tie for first place. or
one that would halt the onrush Of
the Cardinals and boost Brooklyn
out in front again by two games.
For this most important Of all
assignments the rival managers
looked tentatively at two young
men who not only both bore the
same name and threw from the
port-side, but broke into the big
leagues together as Redbird rockies
| in 1898.
That Spring Lanier distinguished
himself as the worst tenor and
"geetarist" in Pepper Martins Mud
cat Band. Subsequently, the band
broke up, although no one ever
blamed it on Lanier.
However, he never won more
than 10 games or figured import
antly In the Cardinals campaign
ing till this season, when it sud-
denly was discovered he held hex
over the Dodgers. He beat them
four times and lost only once before
overworking the jinx recently by
facing Brooklyn twice In the same
series. Altogether, he has won IL
games and lost seven this term.
MacPhail Proves Correct.
Macon is a gangling guy brought
in from the Montreal farm In Au-
gust. At that time Larry French
had begun to fade and Manager
Leo Durocher was crying for help
but he didn't want Macon, who has
lots of control and an adequate as
sortment of curves, but low speed.
President Larry MacPhaiI insisted
on bringing in Macon and he joined
the club, causing a furore about
whether Brooklyn was over the
player limit.
According to MacPhail, Durocher
refused for days to turn loose any
player to make room for Macon,
even though he was travelling with
the club. Eventually MacPhail pre-
vailed, OF course. Macon was signed
to Dodger contract and in ap-
proximately month has bagged
four vital victories, one OF them
over the Cards.
Presence of southpaws on the
mound seemed likely to call for one
change in the batting order of each
team today. Johnny Rizzo replacing
Augie Galan in right field for the
Dodgers and Coaker Triplett taking
Stan Musial's left field spot for
the Cardinals.