Evening star., 1945-10-02
Former Sailor Is Sure
To Start One Game,
|0'NeiII Asserts
BY JOHN b. KELLER.
Star Staff Correspondsnt.

star stan CORRESPONDENT.
DETROIT, Oct. 2.-Despite hi.
failure to last against the Brown,
in st. Louis in the decisive struggle
that clinched the American League
pennant on the final day, Virgil
Trucks, who was stationed on dis.
tant Guam when the Detroit Tigers
moved into first place last June
loomed today as the. pitcher who
possibly will mean the difference
between victory and defeat in the
tussle with Chicago's Cubs.
The young Navy discharge, wear
ing a cleaning new gold discharge
pin in his lapel, definitely is listed
by Manager Steve O,Neill as one OF
the four Tiger starters in the World
Series, beginning tomorrow. Either
the second or third game, O'Neill
anticipated, will be turned over to
the fast-balling right-hander.
Hal Newhouser's nomination to
open the series comes as no surprise
He is the nominal leader of the
Tigers staff.
Newhouser is ready, having
pitched only long enough against
the Browns Sunday to keep tuned.
Then it will be either Trucks or
"Stubby" Overmire, depending upon
whether Newhouser wins or loses.
May Be Up to Lefties.
Overmire, like Newhouser, is a
left-hander and O'Neill figures that
If one of his lefties can stop the
Cubs. 1t would be good judgment to
shoot second southpaw at the Ma
tional League champions as quickly
as possible.
O'Neill promised to 60 down the
line with the pitching lineup he
concocted on the victory train" en-
route from st. Louis to Detroit. 1t
will be Newhouser, Trucks and Tor
Overmire in Detroit,s end of the
series. The opener in Chicago, ac-
cording to O'Neill's plans, will find
Dizzy Trout hurting as No. 4 In the
Bengal brigade.
While hazy cloud of fog and rain
bathed Detroit last night, the Tigers
awaited the late arrival of the Cubs,
who will be hosts after the first
three games here. Still missing at
dusk, the Cubs were held certain to
start either Hank Borowy or Hank
Wyse. in the opener and neither
pitcher, to all outward appearances,
had the Tigers scared.
Borowy is respected by the Ben
gals. They know him. He has a
curve ball and a good fast pitch, but
he was, only 1915 winner in the
American League and the Tigers are
claiming they are ready for him.
Wyse, rotund sort of individual
with a curve and screwball appar-
emily seemed to warrant equal bill
ing as threat.
Newhouser VS.. Borowy,
The way things shaped UP today.
1t will be Newhouser versus Borowv
Wednesday. Then it will be Trucks
or Overmire versus Wyse on Thurs
day, with either Truks or Overmire
facing Claude Passeau, the veteran,
In the third game.
ALI things equal, the Tigers have
the edge as far as a third starting
pitcher is concerned. The Detroiters
have Paul Dizzy Trout and the
Cubs No. 4 guy is Ray Prim, q left
handler who was up with Washing
ton in 1884 and who failed to make
good because he lacked control and
a fast ball. But these are different
days and Prim, pressing 40 years of
age, could be effective against war
time hitters.
1t still looks as if. Trucks, one of
those Cinderella guys, can mean the
difference. AS late as yesterday.
Rogers Hornsby, one of the great
hitters of all time, said that Trucks
potentially was the best pitcher in
the majors today. Rogers knows his
pitchers and from far-off Guam and
other Pacific bases the word has
come that Trucks is one of the great
pitchers of present-day ball.
He easily could be the man to
swing the balance in the Tigers
favor