Evening star., 1943-05-05
0bstinafeboss
Seems Bound
ToCapitu|ate
Yonks Keep Half Step
Ahead as Cleveland
Also Is Winner
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press SPORTS Writer

The most interested non -partic-
ipating observer of the goings-on in
the major leagues these days must
be Louis Novikoff, fuming on the
front porch of his hacienda at South
Gate, Calf.
The Mad Russian is holdout and
he's mad. More precisely, he is
angry, not crazy-at least not to the
extent of overlooking the Chicago
Cubs scraping bottom in the stand
ines of the National League today.
The Cubs introduced last years
ball to Chicago for the first time
yesterday and 3,908 fans, the biggest
crowd of the day, saw a game in
which there were Is hits for total
OF SO bases and IA runs. But, un-
fortunately from the Chicago stand
point, Is of the hits, including a
home run by Whitley Kurowski, were
made by the st. Louis Cardinals.
who won, 11-3.
Gardeners Go Hitless.
OF the 10 Chicago hits not single
one was made by an outfielder and
| 1t was small solace, as the Bruins
stumbled into the cellar alongside
the New York Giants, that Chicago
flnally broke string of % successive
scoreless innings.
The Mad Russian probably rushed
madly to answer the telephone
every time it rang last night expect
ing the operator to say Long dis
tance-Chicago calling"
The call seems bound to come
soon. Novikoff was one of eight
hitters who averaged 300 or better
IN the National League last year. He
was reported to have been paid IS 500
and to have been offered boost of
S5OO this season. He asked for $4,000
and so far General Manager Jim
Gallagher has refused to COM
promise, insisting that the Cubs
could get along without the colorful
clouter.
Chicago's other major league club,
the White Sox, also is in the cellar
OF the American League, but this is
causing no disturbance because it
was picked to finish about seventh,
While the sports writer's before the
season started rated the Cubs third
in the senior circuit.
The vacancy filled by the Cubs
and the Giants in the National
League basement was left by the
Philadelphia PhilIes. who vaulted
pretentiously into sixth place by
beating the Brooklyn Dodgers, 81,
in twilight game.
Kraus Pours it on Dodgers.
Jack Kraus. the rookie southpaw
whom the. Dodgers sent to the
Phillies a few weeks ago, pitched
dVe-hit ball for his second success
against Brooklyn. In rebuttal, Rube
Melton, the former Philly ace,
pitched a no-hit ten for six stanzas,
but Earl Naylor spoiled it with a
home run, his second of the season,
to open the seventh.
The Giants were whipped, 5-3, by
the Boston Braves as Jim Tobin
pitched six-hit ball and batted in
three runs with pair of singles.
Rookie Charley Workman helped out
with a two-run homer.
Pittsburgh was outhit by Cincin-
natl, 1879, but nevertheless beat the
Reds, 8-5, as Rookie Xavier Rescigno
worked his way out of continual
jams. Vince Di Maggie contributed
home run with one on.
In the American League the New
York Yankees kept half step ahead
of Cleveland by beating the Boston
Red Sox, 4-3. Spud Chandler al
lowed only six hits and one earned
run for his second win
The Indians squeezed out a 81
decision over the White Sox in
tight game, for Jim Bagby's third
triumph. He allowed just five hits
and no scoring after the first frame.
Virgil Trucks of Detroit also
achieved his third victory without
defeat as the Tigers stopped the St.
Louis Browns, 4-3, but he had to
have hitless rescue work for one and
two-thirds innings by Dizzy Trout
to weather a belated offensive by
| the Browns,