The Wilmington morning star., 1943-10-04
BASEBALL ENDS
BRIGHT SEASON
Dodger And Phil Revolts
Feature Thrill Packed
Season

Brooklyn Dodgers and the Phila-
delphia Phillies highlighted Amer
ica's second wartime baseball sea-
son that ended today, campaign
that some pessinistic persons be-
lieved would fold by July 4.
The Flatbush rebellion, which
the grapevine blamed on clubhouse
second-guessing by Manager Leo
Durocher, occurred in July and
transformed the Dodgers from a
penant contender into a club that
was lucky to finish third. The
rumpus caused President Branch
Hickey to trade pitcher Bobo Few
som and first baseman Dolph
Camilli and led to Durocher's be-
ing released from his player-con-
tract on the last day of the sea-
son. Whether he would be resign
ed as a bench manager was any
bodys guess.
The abrupt dismissal of Buck.
Harris as manager of the Phillies
by William D. Cox, new owner OF
the Pills, started the Philadel-
phia flareup. Harris asserted he
knew nothing of his dismissal I'M
til he received telephone calls
from newspapermen asking if he
had anything to say on Cox's an
nouncement.N
Aroused over what they termed
unfair treatment of Harris all OF
the Phillies players, an hour be-
fore a night game in St. Louis.
signed a statement saying they
would refuse to take the field I'M
less Cox apologized and reinstat
Harris in order to permit him to
resign. This Cox did, adding Har-
ris's dismissal was no reflection
en- his managerial ability. Freddy
Fitzsimmons, Brooklyn pitcher.
coach, succeeded Harris, but al
though the Phils drew more than
10000 paid admissions - a rec
ord - the club finished seventh
after topping the second division
for a time.
AS for the penant-winning St
Louis Cardinals and New York
Yankees, they repeated as mos1
persons expected, despite the loss
to the armed services of such
stars as Joe Dimaggio, Terry
Moore, Enos Slaughter, Johnny
Beazley and Charley Ruffing.
Spanked by Stan Musial's .35e
hitting and the pitching and catch
ing of the Cooper brothers =
Mort and Walker - the Cards hae
comparatively easy sailing after
July q, finishing with 105 win:
against 40 defeats. The Cincinna
ii Reds put on a strong finish tt
take second place while the Chica
60 Cubs, virtually left at the pos
in the spring, came on to top the
second division.
The Yankees, with the ex-Philly
Nick Etten at first base, and Roo
kie Bill Johnson at third, had theil
hands full with Cleveland, Wasls
ington, Chicago and Detroit unit
they won IL out of 10 games late
in July to pull away from tn
field. The one game they lost il
this stretch was the one-hit shut
out turned in by Rookie Orva
Grove of the White Sox.
This was the game that was the
closest to a no-hitter in the ma
!, ior leagues in two years. Joe Cor
don banged double with two ou
in the ninth for the Yanks' only
hit.
Grove and another rookie, jess
Flores of the Athletics, both start
ed the season with long winning
streaks only to falter. At the enc
the only 20-game winning pitchers
were Spud Chandler, of the Yam
KEGS; Mort Cooper, of the Cards
Elmer Riddle, of the Reds RiE
Sewell, of Pittsburgh, and Dizzy
Trout, of Detroit. One-hitters were
turned in by Chandler, Robo New.
som, Buck Ross, of the White Sox,
Don Black of the AS, Carl Hub
bell, of the Giants, Steve Sundra
of the Browns, Whit Wyatt. Of
Brooklyn, Riddle, and Al Javery
of the Braves, in addition tc
Grove.
The home run hitting of Rudy
York, OF Detroit, Charley Keller,
of the Yanks. and Bill Nicholson,
of the Cubs, led their respective
leagues. York walloped a total OF
"a, just missing a major league
record by seeking II in August.
Keller finished with 81 and Mich
olson with 49,
Washington feat in finishing
second to the Yanks was unexpect-
ed. So to was George Cases feat
OF stealing 81 bases, the Trenton,
N. j., flash swiping five in his last
two games with the Senators.
The White Sox put on terrific
finish, winning Is of 16 games, in
addition to playin a 13-inning tie,
but were nosed out for third place
by the Cleveland Indians. jim
Bagby, star Highlander, caused
an uplifting of eyebrows late in
the season by declaring he didn't
want to play any more for Man
ager Lou Boudreau. He may get
his wish if the Tribe can make a
suitable trade during the off sea-
son.
Rookie Dick Wakefield of the Ii
gers and Musial were the only
players to whack 200 or more hits
during the season, Wakefield
making the grade in the last game
against Washington.
Musial captured the National