The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-02
BROWNIES WON LEAGUE FLAG
 FOR FIRST TIME
Ny LEO N. PETERSEN Limited press Shorts EdltOrl

hard way, nosing out the Detroit Tigers by Q one game margin on the last day of the season, They will go Into the series opening Wednesday with their intra-clty rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, under-dogs, but no ono who saw them whip the New York Yankees in four straight games was selling them short and with fans the country over, they will be the sentimental faVorltes.
 The fight that won them the Browns first world series gold since the American League began operat- Ing in 1901 was magnificent, They went down to the last day to win, and, as they had been showing all season long, they had what it takes in the clutch. No one, including their manager Luke Sewell, could class them great club, but they have fight and courage,
 LaRhs Top Hero
 Everyone Of them was hero to oil the others and outstanding of these heroes was Chet Laabs, whose home run provided the power to down the Yankees yesterday in Sportsmans Park in the game that meant gold and glory. The score was to 2,
 It was % years ago that the Browns made their first serious bid for on American League pennant, They lost then to the Yankees by one game, So lt was satisfying that the Yankees were the victims this year, At Detroit, the last place Washington Senators gave the Browns the assist they needed by defeating the Tigers-with whom the Browns were tied when the last games started.
 When the odds are against them, the Browns are at their best, And they had one other advantage yes. terday. When they took the field the scoreboard showed that the Senators were leading Detroit 3 to 0. But they were Jittery for the first three in. ningS, throwing the ball away and practically handing the Yankees two rtlns, It wasn't until the fourth that they showed the stuff Of which champions arc made By that time the Senators were leading Co 0 With the Tigers at bat in the last Of the ninth. To the cheers of more than 37,000 SnnS-tho largest crowd ever to watch the Browns play at sportgmGn's Park, Mike Kreevich, opened with single to left. Up stepped Laabs a ,230 hitter and p0ft.tlme ball player and war plant worker, He caught hold Of one of Mel Queens hard, high fast ones and dumped it among the spectators In the left field pavilion to tic the score,
 After that Sig Jakueki, c five and ten cent store pitcher until the war drained Major League ball clubs Of many of their plnyerf, closed the scoring door on the Yankees,
 With two down in the fifth queen once again faced KreeYlch And again KFeeVieh singled, LanbS again stepped 10 the plate, And again he put the ball Into the pa. yilion, scoring two more runs, That would have been enough, but just to make things comfortable, Vernon Stephens hit home run in the eighth off Hank Borowy, the Yank. eeB leading pitcher whom Mecar. thy had sent in 10 relieve Queen after LaabS' second homer.
 IL was Jakueki's 18th victory against nine defeats, while for Queen it was his third defeat against six victories Both clubs got six hits.
 sewell, Rs happy 0s R school boy, wRs too excited to think about tho series-but it was dollars to dough- nuts that it would Do Nelson Pot. ter pitching the first game for him against Morton Cooper, the strong man ef the Cardinal Rtaff, when they square off day after tomor. row,
 After First Baseman George Mc- Quinn had Bnafed Oscar dPimes laBt.out foul ball, the 37000 fans spilled, snake.d dancing, onto the field, When Jakueli came out of the dressing room in shirt sleeves after BhoWerlng, the autograph fans took over.
 In the dressing room the Brown. les held their own celebration, Class distinctions didn't exist, Batbey Bobby scanlon, who also handleb the resign bags, bats Gnd runs out for cokes for the Cardinals, walked Up 10 Don Barnes, club president, and planted Q wet kiss on his cheek, Don retaliated in kind by smacking Laabs behind the car.
 Sawed The Bail
 KreeVich came in for his share of hugs and Bmackeroos too, Mc' quinn held onto the ball which ended the game aB though 1t were q million dollar war bond, Jakucs ki put c grim arm across his shoulders, wiped Q quart Of sweat off his brow and said;
 Look Pal, that ball nleanB R lot to me, How about giving 1t to me?"
 McQuInn's face. fell to his knees,
 well" no said "letg Dc neigh. borly about this thing, I'll give you half Of it,'
 Barnes heard tho argument and summoned Bobby, saying; Fetch 6 saw, son."
 Bobby fetched one and McQuinn and Jakucki spent 10 minutes trys ing to hack the bail in two, ft was no good, Even Ersatz baBebaiiS are tough. Bobby dragged out the quarter Laabs had tipped him for fetching a soda. The coin fell heads; McQuinn won.