Evening star., 1946-08-08
Major League Teams
Crippled by Injuries
For Stretch Drives
BY the Associossd Press

old man injury" is In his most
merciless mood in many a moon to-
day as, one by one, key players OF
major league baseball teams join
already overcrowded hospital lists.
Heading the list of currently all
ing noncombatants are such top
notch performers as Bob Feller, In
dians; Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky
and Mike Higgins, Red Sox; Johnny
Mize and Buddy Kerr, Giants;
Johnny Berardino. Browns; Pete
Reiser and Harry Lavagetto, Dodg-
ers; Stan Hack, Cubs, and School
boy Rowe of the Phillies.
The absence of Williams. Pesky
and Higgins is causing no great
alarm on the Hub front as the
American League leading Red Sox
have too commanding lead with
the season two-thirds gone. With
the Yankees 4-3 defeat by Wash
ington last night, the idle Sox in
creased their margin over their
nearest rivals to 13 full games.
Expected to Return Soon.
Besides, Williams, who sat out the
last two Red Sox contests with a
run-of-the mine fever, and Pesky
sidelined by a sprained ankle, are
both expected back in the lineup
within a day or two. Higgins, out
with a sprained ligament In his leg,
will not be ready for another week
at least
1t is an entirely different story
with the Dodgers, whose National
League lead was trimmed to a game
and a half last night when the
challenging Cardinals overpowered
the last-place Pirates, 81, at Pitts
burgh. Two of their regulars. Out
fielder Pete Reiser and Third Base
man Harry Lavagetto, are out OF
action with head and leg injuries
respectively, while Second Baseman
Eddie Stanky, bothered by a foot
ailment, is playing on nerve alone
The recalcitrant players are expected
back in action soon but it remains
to be seen whether their layoff has
diminished their batting eye.
Mixes Loss Is Heavy Blow.
The Giants were dealt a body
blow when Mize, their leading hitter
and the loops home-run pace setter
suffered a broken bone in his right
hand in Monday nights exhibition
contest with the Yankees. The slug
ging first baseman is expected tc
be out three weeks. Shortstop Kerr
idle since Sunday with a spraineo
neck, is expected to be back before
the end of the week.
What may prove to be the costliest
injury of them all is the one suf-
fered by Hack. The veteran third
sacker will be sorely missed by the
champion Cubs in their stretch drive
to overtake the Dodgers and Cards
Hack, who broke his right thumb
last Sunday, is expected to be out
for the rest of the season and his
place will be taken by Johnny
Ostrowski. Peanuts Lowrey Joined
Hack on the sidelines when he was
hit in the head by a pitched ball
Tuesday night.
Berardino Out Several Days.
Second Baseman Berardino, the
Browns leading hitter, suffered a
ruptured muscle in the calf of his
right leg in Saturday nights COL
lision with Outfielder AL Zarilla
and will be out for several days.
Zarilla sprained hip in the ac-
cident and also will miss several
games.
The Phillies' ace hurler, School,
boy Rowe. injured his hip fielding
a ground ball Sunday and will be
out at least a week.
Others on the ailing list include
Charlie Rufing, Yankees, broken
kneecap; Carl Furillo, Dodgers
twisted ankle; Murrell Jones, White
Sox, lame wrist; Thornton Lee
White Sox. recurrence of arm trou-
BILE; Eddie Mayo, Tigers, sprained
back. and Bob Carpenter, Giants
torn cartilage in his elbow.