Evening star., 1945-08-08
Mats Rated Likely to West Lead From Tigers on Current Tour
Cocky, Speedy chisox
Threat 10 Griffmen as
Lengthy Trip Opens
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star Staff Correspondent.

BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star Staff Correspondent.
CHICAGO, Aug. 8.--Manager OsI
Bluege tentatively has selected his
four pitchers for the series with the
White Sox that opens the final
Western swing in which the Mats
hope to get substantial grasp on
first place.
Marino Pieretti, unless Os changes
his plans at the last moment, will
open fire against the sizzling Sox
tonight. In line for the three re-
naming games will be Johnny Mig
Ceiling, Dutch Leonard and Roger
Wolff.
Pieretti gets the call for the initial
encounter because it is his turn to
pitch and not for any exceptional
performance against the rough
riding Chicago club. Neither he nor
Niggeling has done much to Jimmy
Dykes crew, but Leonard and
Wolff have done plenty. Leonard
has downed the Sox four times and
Wolff twice.
Looking Ahead to Browns.
Bluege, in arranging his pitching
program for the series, had to give
cautious consideration to the tus-
sling with the Browns to follow in
st. Louis. Five games are to be
played with the league champions
in three days, so AL Carrasquel, who
has been particularly effective
against them, and Mickey Haefner
are being reserved for that tough
set. Wally Holborow also may 60
to the slab again when the Browns
are encountered.
The White Sox, somewhat cocky
after brushing off the leading De-
troit Tigers in five of six games
may gamble on 40-year-old Earl
Caldwell tonight. Their younger
hurlers likely are well worn by the
grind against the Tigers. In his
only start against the Mats this
year, the elderly Caldwell went but
two innings to take his beating.
With such a trying schedule ahead,
it is just as we'll that the Mats en-
counter at the outset what has been
their least formidable opposition
among the Western outfits. The
Mats have beaten the White Sox in
of 13 games this year.
However, this tour promises to be
no picnic for the ambitious Wash
ington club. So far the Mats have
played only .5l1 baseball against
Western rivals and would have been
we'll under those figures but for
their mastery Of the White Sox.
The two long series on this trip are
with clubs who have given the Mats
sound wallopings.
The Browns have beaten them in
7 of II engagements and the In
dians, who are to be met in Cleve-
land in seven games, have downed
the Mats seven times in dozen
tussles.
The series here should steam |
The White Sox, most amazing of
the entries in the wild l945 Ameri-
can League race, refuse to be shaken
of. Consigned to berth far down
in the second division by baseball
forecasters, the aggregation piloted
by the dynamic Dykes has been at
the top or not far from it much of
the way, and the White Sox appear
to be at their hottest for the fitting
with the Mats.
Sox Challenge Mats Speed.
The Sox again have the best bat
ter in the league, for Tony Cucci-
nello, their peppery third baseman,
has hit 1923 again to leave Wash
ington's George Case. erstwhile
leader, far behind. Surprisingly,
the Sox also have picked up speed
recently. Oris Hockett and Mike
fresh have been running the bases
with abandon and may give Case
and George Myatt. Washington
league-leading base stealers, a
scorching scrap for series pilfering
laurels.
The Sox have no chance to over
haul the Mats in the four-game set
for they are trailing the loops
runnerup club by four and a half
games, but the Mats will have to
put out plenty here to protect them
selves. The White Sox are that
dangerous.
Arriving here yesterday, the Mats
discovered they have room for an
other player on their squad. Sec
retary Ed Eynon, who preceded the
club to Chicago, revealed that Joe
Cleary, the pitcher who had a brief
and inauspicious trial against Bos-
toms Red Sox in Washington last
Saturday, has been sent to Buffalo.
But Enyon had no news Of another
pitcher to fill the gap in the roster