The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-01
ANCIENT MOUND
ACE WINS BY 10
SHUTOUT ROUTE
Mort Cooper Blanks DOdg=
ers 20 in First Game;
Red SOx Take Two
BY PAUL SCHEFFELS
United Press staff CORRESPONDENT

United Press staff Correspondent
New York, June 1.-(UP)-They
called the Dodgers the mine old
men" when the season began and
predicted that age would finish
Brooklyn quicker than opposition.
But Leo Durocher's club had the
last laugh today as it held first
place in the National League,
propped up by the performance of
one of the oldest players in the
game-Freddie Fitzsimmons.
You won't find Fitzsimmons
name among the strikeout leaders
and he doesn't rank high In the won
and-lost column. However, there
hasn't been a grander exhibition OF
competitive courage than the one
given by the 4l-year-old pitching
veteran against the st. Louis Car
dinals yesterday.
The Cardinals are good darned
good-even Durocher will admit
that, 1t takes more than ordinary
mound work to stop the ST. Louis
speedboys, but Fitz had all the nee
essary attributes as he put the fin
ger on Billy SouthWorth's squad,
10, in the second game Of a Memo
rial Day doubleheader to keep his
mates at the head Of the pack.
Fitz gave up only four hits In
seven innings. Pinch-hitter Dee
Moore worked a perfect squeeze
play In the eighth to send across
the deciding run. Dixie Walker got
a double when his brother Harry
misjudged his liner and reached
third on wild pitch. Dixie then
beat Debs CAIRNS throw to the plate
on Moore's bunt with the run that
kept the Dodgers on top by 1-2
games.
Fitzsimmons flinging practically
pushed into the background the
one-hitter turned in by Mort Cooper
as the Cardinals won the first game,
TO. The only blow off Cooper, who
won his fifth decision, came In the
fifth when Billy Herman doubled
He was stranded on third when
Cooper cut down the next three
batterS, Lou Klein, st. Louis rookie,
had his hitting string broken at 81
games, but Stan Musial stretched
his to l6 with a triple.
The Pirates and Braves, fighting
for third place, split, Boston taking
the first game, 6-l, and Pittsburgh
the second, 40. Veteran Jim Tobin
fiuttered his knucklcr past the Pr
rates for only five hits IN the opener
as his mates battered five pitchers
for IA hits Bob Klinger allowed
eight hits in the nightcap. Pitts
burgh knocked Nanny Salvo out In
the first with two runs.
Cincinnati won one game Cd. but
had to be content with q scoreless
standoG in the nightcap, called by
weather with one out In the sixth.
The Phillies snapped a siX-game
losing spell by garncring II hits of
four pitchers for q 1914 victory over
the Cubs IN the first game, but Chi
cage came back with a 13-hit bar
rage to win the second, 80.
In the American League, the
YanE-2s split with the White Sox To-
remain on top by l-2 games as the
Senators divided with the Indians.
Chicago broke loose for five runs
In the 10th to win the opener, 1915
as Ed Smith ard OrVal Grove COM
bined to scatter 10 hits. Homers by
Charley Keller and Joe Gordon ac-
counted for seven runs as Bill Dickcy
collected five hits TO bring the
Yanks a 1914 win IN the finale.
Bill Zuber and Jim Turner held the
SoX 10 seven hits.
The Senators beat the Indians,
81. as Stan Spence singled home
the winning run In the eighth in
ming OF the opener, but Manager
Lou Boudrcau's grounder took an
unexpected bounce over Alex KAN
pouris' head IN the 18th Of the
nightcap and Ray Mack scuTied
home with the run that gave the
Tribe rs decision,
Woke Up
The Red SoX scored the days only
double win, beating the Browns in
two eXtra-inning struggles. Al
Simmons single with the bases fun
gave the SoX q 81 win In the 49,
inning opener, Boston had to come
from behind twice in the nightcap,
finally pushing over two runs IN the
10th for a 7-6 decision.
The Philadelphia Athletics and
Detroit Tigers split a doubleheader.
The Tigers captured the opener,
TO on the strength Of Hal New
houscr's two-hit pitching while Rog-
or VOLTS krucklc ball subdued the
Tigers, 4-3, in the nightcap. Ha!
White was charged with the loss.
YESTERDAYS STAR Freddy
Fitzsimmons, who pitched the Oodg-