Evening star., 1942-09-30
Fading Red Near
Series Record
For Victories
Skin Diamond Fovors
Redbirds, Declares
Shortstop Martin
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star Staff Corresoondent

81. LOUIS, Sept. 30.-If Manager
Joe Mccarthy of the world champion
New York Yankees isn't going to
sink or swim with his "old folks
meaning the long tried but slowing
veterans of many pennant cam
paigns and World Series-the chubby
skipper at least seemed prepared
today to risk slow start in the
battle against the st. Louis Car
dinals.
Against the Cards big slab ace,
Mort Cooper, the pilot of the cham
pions decided to use Red Ruffing
who is 38 and who's pitching his 18th
season. The nomination of Rufflng
came as something of surprise,
because the big redhead, as far as
wins and losses are concerned, hadn t
been the Yankees No. pitching boy
this year.
Cooper, a 22-game winner, was
facing Ruf1ng, a 14-game winner
who's lost much of his speed and
some Of the sharpness of his curve.
and the odds-layers, who placed the
Yanks as 8-to-5 favorites to take
todays opener, were hedging bit.
When Hub Won in '36.
But there was some justification
for McCarthy's choice, which he an
nounced "as definite" yesterday aft
ernoon. Ruffing always has been a
great Series pitcher. His record as
OF this morning was six victories as
against single defeat sustained in
1886, when Carl Hubbell beat him.
II he pitched and won against the
Cards today he would have tri-
umphed more times in World Series
competition than any pitcher in
history.
There are hotter" hurlers on the
Yankee staff than Rufhng. There
are Ernie Bonham, Spud Chandler
and Hank Borowy, for instance. but
Ruffing is the guy with the expe-
rlence and apparently he was NC
Carthy's gamble.
II Ruffing was to find that he
didn't have it, and in the event the
Cards captured the opener, it would
be tremendous lift to the Ma
tlonal Leaguers. On the other hand
the Yankees are the sort of a team
that can take licking, or maybe.
two, and bounce back.
Cards Speed Is Minimized.
AS the first wartime series since
1913 opened the Yankees, seeking
their ninth victory in as many clas-
sizes, were quoted as 2-to-1 favorites.
The pitching, timely hitting and su-
perb defense of the champions was
considered too much for the Cards.
On the other hand, the Redbirds
had plenty of supporters, both from
tans and critics. They're held to
be club that can come from be-
hlnd and an early setback wasn't
considered likely to discourage them.
1t was proved in the National
League pennant race, when they
oVercame a 10-game lead, that the
Cards can and will fight.
The Cards have speed to spare
they have pitching, too, and youth
and fire. Up to now the Yankees
and their supporters have been in
cllned to minimize the fast, dar-
ing base-running and the threats of
the Cards fast-balling hurlers. But
it is recalled that back in 1881,
when the Cards we're the under
dogs to the Philadelphia Athletics
an upset was registered because
the National Leaguers took the play
away from the AS. That was the
series in which Pepper Martin and
the rest of the Gas House Gang
nearly stole Mickey Cochranes gold
filings.
Yanks Knew Sportsman's Park.
A big factor we'll may be that
early jump, despite talk on both
sides that an initial setback or two
won't hurt too much. This seems
particularly true in the case of the
Cardinals. When they move into
Yankee Stadium after tomorrow S
game and a day off for travelling,
nearly all of them will be playing
in a strange stadium, a gigantic,
three-decker affair that has been
known to affect young players.
On the other hand, the Yankees
are old hands at winning games at
Sportsman's Park in st. Louis. The
park is used by both the Browns and
the Cards and none of the Bombers
is a stranger here.
The Cards think they'll do all
right, however, especially in their
home park. AS Shortstop Marion
Martin put it, We've got practically
skin diamond. There's very little
grass. AS result the infleld balls
are slower and this means that the
fast team has an edge. We're that
last team. The Yankees haven't
played a team as fast as we are
since last spring, when We won six
out OF nine games against them in
exhibitions"