Evening star., 1945-10-02
Cubs Record Refutes
Tigers Confidence
In Left-Handers
BY SID FEEDER,
Associated Press sports Editor

DETROIT, Oct. 2.-The Tigers
and the Cubs took their one and
only preseries look today at the
baseball patch on which they start
slugging tomorrow. leaving the
rooters by the thousands to finish
the hottest 1945 World Series argu-
ment-how come all the Detroit
optimism over what left-handedI
pitching can do to the Cubs.
The weatherman promised to keep
the rain faucets, which were run
ming like broken beer taps all day
yesterday, shut down today for the
lone preseries workout for the two
clubs. He promised, tco, to CO.
operate tomorrow. when the first
of three straight 5000 -sellout
crowds cram into Briggs Stadium
to see Lefty Hal NewhouSer and
Hank Borowy start the shooting.
However, the forecast is for more
rain Friday.
incidentally, a win for Hank as
a Cub in this one, on top of his
1943 performance as a Yankee in
triumphing over the Cards, would
make the likable 100000 Arm"
the first two-league series winner
since cid Jack Coombs bowled over
the Cubs three times In 1910 and
the Giants once in II, as men,
ber of the Philadelphia Athletics,
and belted the Boston Red Sox as
a Brooklyn Dodger five years later.
Since both teams have showed up.
thereby assuring the folks that the
series is on, the rival managers
weighed In with their predictions.
OF course they picked their own
outfits to win. Steve O'Neill tabled
the betting-favored Tigers in six
games, and jolly Cholly Grimm
went for the Cubs, "but with none
of this number of games stuff
wen play one game after the other
until we're home"
Tigers Get Warm Reception.
The Tigers took first crack at the
diamond today at II an, followed
by the Chicago champions, who got
in last night with their new suits.
It was noted that the crowd Of sew
eral hundred fans who whooped the
Tigers home yesterday after wait
ing around the station for four
hours for their train, which was de-
layed by wreck, was not on hand
to do ditto for the Cubs.
This was only natural, however,
since Detroit is an all-American
League ba1liwick, and you couldn't
expect them to hoist Jolly Cholly
Grimm to their shoulders in glee
like they did Manager Steve O'Neill.
As a matter of fact, it wasn't un-
til the series clans started gather
ing last night and today that enough
National Leaguers inflltrated to put
up loud enough argument to be
heard concerning O'Neill's pleasant
thoughts on how his southpaw serv-
ing is going to break the Cubs col
lective backs.
Lets get down to numbers" one
veteran of the senior circuit pointed
out. "We1l admit Newhouser's a
lot heavier. But he's only 6 to S
in the betting books to beat the
Cubs. Then O'Neill says he's going
to come in with Stubby Overmire,
and he says it like he's confident
about it. He must be kidding"
You had to admit this guy had
something, because the records
show that the Cubs this season
tangled with portside elbowers 40
times and knocked them of in Is
games, against IA losses. OF course,
a finger like Harry Brecheen of
the Cards found out they were his
cousins, but they even whipped him
in the big one that counted-the,
first game of last weeks all-impor-
tant National League series with
ST. Louis in Chicago. And even a
Detroit fan will admit Overmire S
no Brecheen.
Cubs Also Have Hitters.
1t is pointed out, too, that while
O'Neill is making speeches about
how his lefties will find big holes
in the bats of such left-handed hit
ters as Phil Cavarretta, Stan Hack
and Bill Nicholson, the Cub lineup
also sports few pretty fair coun-
try ball-belters who hit from the
knife side of the plate. Andy Pafko,
for instance, has clouted a dozen
homers and knocked In Ill runs;
Peanuts Lowrey has sent 81 tallies
home this year, and Don Johnson
wound up with .302 mark.
Detroit simmered down from its |
original citywide delirium to SIM
pie insanity as it waited today, while
the thousands pouring in hour by
hour still spent their time looking
for a place to hang their hats
the next few nights.
Some half dozen of the baseball
writers, whose reservations were
made at one hotel three weeks ago
found themselves suddenly and
summarily transferred to the twoI
lake steamers tied up along the
water front handling the overflow.
One writer made the round-tripl
trek late In the day, was asked how
It, was and rer,lied. ct don't knnu,.