Evening star., 1945-08-08
Cubs Due 10 Increase
Edge on Field With
Cards Chief Rivals
BY JACK HAND,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


Chicago should tighten its hold
on the National League lead and
washington should pass Detroit in
the American scrambles during the
intersectional series opening today,
according to the past performance
charts.
Although the Cubs will be on the
road and the Tigers will be home,
the results of the first four East VS..
West tests reveal the Bruins
strength and the Bengals' weakness
against their rivals from the At
lantic seaboard.
Charley Grimm's front-runners,
currently six games ahead of the
defending champion St. Louis Car
dinals, have trimmed the Eastern
clubs IS out of 81.
The Cubs come East for the last
time with a big four" pitching
staff made possible by the addition
of Hank Borowy. With Hank Wyse,
Paul Derringer and Claude Passeau
ready to take their turn, Grimm has
Paul Erickson and Hy Vandepberg
ready for spot" duty. The Cubs
open their Eastern campaign with
q double-header today at Boston.
Cripples Handicap Cards.
st. Louis hardly is in position to
make a strong bid but with time
running out on the champs, Billy
Southworth's gang can't afford to
wait for their cripples to return.
Both Third Baseman Whitley Ku-
rowski and Pitcher Ted Wilks are
back in st. Louis for arm treat
ments as the Cards prepare to open
a New York series with a night
game. .....
Addition of Chunky Art Rebel, a
stoutish left-handed batter from
the Cardinal farm system, and who
has been hitting at .429 clip since
moving up, has given the club added
power but the pitching has been
spotty although improving.
Brooklyn, also weak in the mound
department, has been unable to
overpower the Western clubs as it
has ridden over the East. Both
the Dodgers and New York Giants
are shutting players from their
farm clubs trying to hit on a win
combination but the general impress
sion is that the Cubs and Cards
will fight it out for the big money.
Pittsburgh could do no better than
play 500 ball during the past two
weeks and has dropped IA games
behind Chicago. Only another sem
sational stretch drive can make
them a factor.
Surprisingly enough the st. Louis
Browns have the best intersectional
record in the American League, de-
spite their seventh-place standing,
coping % of 40 from the East with
Cleveland right behind with % OF
so. Washington Is just over the SOC
circle at Is won and "a lost, but has
been hottest on the road, where it
will be playing for the next three
weeks. Detroit has been plagued
by its Eastern rivals, losing "a of
At to them.
Griffs' Pitching Formidable.
Ossie Bluege's surprising contend
ers ripped through the West, sweep
ing II of Is last time around, and
pulled to within a half game of the
pace during their home stand. With
six or seven starters ready to go in
rotation, Washington is well pre-
pared for the final Western tour.
Although the Tigers attack is i'm
proving, the pitching leans heavily
on Hal Newhouser and AL Benton
with occasional help from Stubby
Overmire. Dizzy Trout's aching
back" has seriously hampered his
effectiveness.
The Yankees face a golden oppor-
tunity, only three games out of first
place. but have played indifferently
away all year. President Larry Mac
Phail stopped off in Buffalo today to
persuade ailing Joe Mccarthy to
rejoin the club, a situation full of
newsworthy potentials.
All American clubs, except Phila-
delphia, still have a chance until
one of the leaders puts on a sus-
tanned drive