Evening star., 1945-10-05
Sfickwork Of Tigers
Spotty; Newhouser
Sill Main Hope
BY JOHN B. KELLER,
Star Staff Correspondent.

BY JOHN B. KELLER,
Star Staff CORRESPONDENT.
DETROIT, Oct. 5.-The Army
and the Navy have done their
swinging-and Detroits Tigers are
back in the World Series.
Hank Greenberg, late of Uncle
Sans Army Air Forces, swung with
both hands grasping bat. and
Virgil Trucks, out of the sea service
so briefly that civvies still drape
strangely over his form, swung with
his right arm only. But the combi-
nation was enough to get the Amer
ican League champions Al victory
in the second game OF the baseball
classic and give them the measure
of confidence they needed to carry
on.
Chicago's Cubs still may look the
better of the two contenders for the |
diamonds most coveted title, but
the National League pennant win
ners must realize that all will not
be pleasant for them through the
remainder of the tussle for the
world pennant as it appeared after
their devastating first-game success.
The Tigers, of course, must re-
create a scoring punch and come
up with another capable pitcher toI
make semblance of fight for the
championship. In the third game
they were hoping to find such al
pitcher in Frank Overmire, whose
5-foot-7-inch stature has brought
him the moniker or "Stubby." But
"Stubby," like Trucks or any other
pitcher Manager Steve O'Neill may
nominate after the game ending the
World Series block in this town,
must have that batting support.
Greenberg Needs Help.
And that support probably will
have to come from others than
Greenberg, whose 370-foot home run
hit into the stand back Of left CEN
ter in Briggs Stadium when two run
ners were on the paths provided the
Tigers with the margin of victory
that put them on even terms with
the National League champs in the
series.
1t could come, perhaps, from Rudy
York, although Rudy throughout the
American League campaign was
anything but a helpful man at the
plate to the Tigers. In the early
going of the American League race,
Detroit fans were always booing
Rudy whenever he went to bat. And
they developed no great admiration
Of him as dependable batter the
remainder of the sason.
Yet, yesterday York hit the hardest
ball In the two games of the series.
1t was tremendous clout that sent
the ball soaring toward the stand
back of left center 400 feet from the
plate. However, 1t became only
beautiful out. Andy Pafko, an out
fielder whose play here has stamped
him as one far better than any
thing seen in the American League
this year, raced back to the barrier,
leaped high and shared the ball
with one hand. 1t was a fielding
gem.
| CulienD1ne M1ght-DO 1t.
The punch also might come from
Roy Culenbine, the switch-hitter
who broke up many game in the
i Tigers favor with his long wallops.
And old Doc Cramer also packs a
good punch on occasions. But with
what they have to offer on the
! pitching hill other than Trucks, the
Tigers are going to need that tell
| ing punch.
Strictly on record through the
season, the only ma nback of Trucks
In the Tigers pitching plans ap-
pears to be Hal Newhouser, leading
hurler of the American League, who
took such a decisive beating in the
World Series inaugural game on
Wednesday. Maybe Steve O'Neill
could go farther and nominate a
worse pitcher for the first game OF
the Chicago end of the series which
is scheduled for tomorrow.
i Newhouser undoubtedly Is far bet
ter than his showing Wednesday in
dicated. In that game he was the
Newhouser of the years before he
suddenly rushed into winning stride
in 1914. He was wild. Only in the
, second Of his nearly three innings
of service did he look the pitcher
! who drove into the 20-win class
through two successive seasons.
But reports from Tiger headquar-
ters are that the back trouble that
| bothered him during his league cam
paign this year is not so bothersome
any more. And If Newhouser is
right" the next time he faces the
J, Cubs, they could be in for a trouble
, some afternoon.
Newhouser, though, would have to
come up with superb performance
to match that put out by Trucks in
the second set-to. For a pitcher ir
only six games since July 1-he
pitched parts of four for the Navy
before getting his 51s innings tes'
against the Browns In st. Loui.
In which the Tigers clinched tn.
J, pennant he was extraordinary
This was only his second big league
test In more than a year, yet tn,
ex-sailor really moved 'em down.
Cubs Nearly Handcuffed.
The Cubs, with all their vauntet
batting power, got just seven hits of
him, and the three passes he issuet
did not come until the last thre.
9 innings, when he obviously was tir.
Q ing and reasonably could have beer
9 expected to fag. The hits wer.
3 spread over five innings, with tn,
9 Cubs twice clustering two hits in al
Q inning.
9 The second time they did so the,
Q got their solitary tally. Phil Caviar.
9 retta doubled after one was out II
= the fourth mainly because Cramel
0 was somewhat sluggish in fielding {
drive to center. Phil had stopped
after turning first definitely stnyncel