The Wilmington morning star., 1945-10-01
Greenberg's Mighty Home Run In Last
Inning Gives Detroit TIGERS Pennant
Powerful Blow Buries
Senators Last Hopes
Newhouser Relieves Trucks
In Sixth Inning To
Gain His 25th Win

nome run Dy HANK Green'
berg with the bases loaded in the
ninth inning proved the champion.
ship punch for the Detroit Tigers
today as they beat the st. Louis
Browns to 3 in the first game Of
a doubleheader at Sportsman's
Park and sewed up the American
League flag.
Never was title won in more
dramatic fashion. Premature dark
ness was settling over the field and
light mist was falling as Big
Hank stepped up with his team a
run behind and gave one of Mel
son Potter's screwballs a trem.
endous ride into the bleachers just
inside the left field foul line.
The Tigers, the long strain Of the
flag race suddenly ended by Hanks
big whack, raced out of their dug.
out in a body to meet the tall
fellow as he trotted across the
plate. One after another they wrung
his hand and pounded his broad
back as they escorted him joyous
ly to the bench. 1t was Hanks 18th
circuit blow since he rejoined the
club in July and probably was the
most important one he ever has hit.
1t came just in time, too, as the
clubs barely had begun the second
game a few minutes later when the
rain, which had delayed the open
er nearly an hour, started coming
down in sheets and washed out any'
further play for the day. 1t rained
off and on throughout the decisive
contest and the field was so muddy
at times the players had difficulty
wading around.
Greenberg's sock buried the
Washington Senator'S last hope OF
finishing in tie and squared the
Tigers away for the opening game
of the World Series against the
Chicago Cubs Wednesday In De-
troit. After having backed" close
to the title in recent weeks, the
Bengals finally won It like true
champions, coming from behind
to assert their leadership.
Hal Newhouser was credited with
the triumph, his 25th of the season
against nine defeats. He relieved
Virgil Trucks in the sixth inning
after the recent Navy dischargee
got into trouble, and, though the
Browns scored both In the seventh
and eighth rounds, Greenbergs
wallop saved his bacon.
. AL Benton hurled the last inning
for the champions and, with the aid
of slick double play, easily pro-
tected the clubs fat lead. The game
ended on a beautiful one-handed
catch by Skeeter Webb at Short
stop on Len Schulte's looper into
short left field.
It was a tense battle all the way
until Hank hit the jackpot. first
one club and then the other forged
ahead. The Browns jumped into the
lead in the first inning when Don
Gutteridge and Lou Finney, first
two batters to face Trucks, ganged
on him for a double and a single
before he could get his bearings,
The Tigers clawed back to score
one off Potter in the fifth on walk
to Trucks and successive singles by
Webb and Eddie Mayo and they
pulled ahead 81 in the sixth on a
pair of walks and Catcher Paul
Richards clean single to left.
When Trucks weakened IN the
last of the sixth, giving up a double
to Potter and walk to Gutteridge
Newhouser was rushed in from the
bullpen. Hal escaped damage as
he struck out Milt Byrnes and caus-
ed George McQuinn to fly out to
center, but the Browns got t. him
for the tying run in the seventh on
Gene Moore's double off the right
field wall and Vernon Stephens
single.
After the Tigers had failed to
score off Potter in the eighth, even
though their first two batters singh
ed, the Browns pushed over another
run in their half on Finney's single
and McQuinns tWo-base blast 81
the screen in deep right center.
Things looked extremely gloomy
for Manager Steve O'Neill's cham
pions when they came up TO the
last time. Hub Walker batted for
and plunked a single
into center field. Webb laid down
a bunt toward first, and both rum
ners were safe when the throw to
second was not in time to get Walk
er, though the Browns kicked hard
On the decision. Red Boron went
in to run for Walker. r
Mayo sacrificed, moving both
along, and then, after a
mid diamond conference, the
Browns decided to pass Roger
-ramer purposely to get to Green
berg. It was a fatal mistake. The
zig man rubbed his bat vigorously
With hunk of bone he had carried
,ut to the plate for the purpose,
ooked at ball and then got the
,ne he wanted.
There was never a doubt the
vallop was going into the stands,
,ut it was so close to the foul line
hat the crowd of 5,582 paid admis.
ions gave the umpires a rousing
'aspberry for calling it a fair ball.