The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-10-03
SeIIout Sure
 Todoy-HoteI Situation Bad
BY CARL LUNDQUIsT

New York, Oct. 3-(UP)-The Brooklyn Dodgers, down as they have been so often this season, mus tered their forces today for Hast stand" in the long and bitter battle with the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League pennant.
 This time they must win-or else.
 Characteristic of the way he has moulded into contenders this gang of fighting kids who didn't have a chance" Manager Leo Durocher is gambling with rookie left-hander, Joe Hatten, winner of two games while losing four to the Cardinals this season.
 ' California Joe will be facing a sea- Soned veteran, for Manager Eddie Dyer of the Cardinals nominated either right handler Murry Dickson or southpaw Harry Brecheen in an effort to make it two straight vic- tories and a pennant in the unpre- cedented National League playoff series.
 Dickson Has Cold
 Dyer said that Dickson, who has won three and lost one against the Dodgers would go If he recovers from bad cold. otherwise 1t will be the slick-fielding Brecheen, who is like an extra shortstop when he is on the mound.
 Brecheen hasn't had the best of luck against Brooklyn, winning two games while losing three and fail- ing to finish any of the games he started.
 Durocher left the door open for a last minute switch in pitchers when he said that Higbe might start if Hatten didn't warm up properly. Higbe, has 1-1 record against the Cards, but he was knocked out in two starting appearances in which he was not the losing pitcher.
 Never before has the Dodger situa- tion been so desperate.
 Cards Confident
 The confident Cardinals packed only enough clothes for one day stand here. They figure they will be on the way back to St. Louis tonight to start the World Series on Sunday with the Boston Red Sox.
 Baseball-loving Brooklyn took on a World Series atmosphere. Lines gathered around Ebbets Field hoprs before game time as hopeful fans vied for the 12,000 general admis- sion seats that went on sale at 10 A. M. Many came for the night and camped on the sidewalks.
 The weather, which has been crisp and more suited to football for two days, took turn for the better and a bright warm day was forecast.
 A sellout crowd of better than 31,- 900 was assured since the club long since had sold out all reserved and box seats and there were none to be had from speculators. Scalpers are almost extinct in Brooklyn any way.
 No Hotel Rooms
 .The hotel situation was so bad that a delegation of 182 fans from San Francisco including Jeremiah Cronin, the father of Boston Red Sox Manager Joe Cronin. had to put up at the half moon house on windswept Coney Island.
 Although many of the "wise men" of baseball think that Durocher Is placing too much faith in the rookie Hatten, Leo doesn't figure 1t is such a gamble.
 He realizes that If it were not for Hatten and IA other rockies on his squad of 30, there wouldn be any playoffs now and the Dodgers would be quietly on the sidelines for the World Series instead of fighting to get in 1t.
 If they should get off the floor and win the final two games-and the odds are to 1 against them doing it-they will be the first team in World Series history to appear with roster exactly half-filled with men playing their first full Major League seasons.
 Wrong Hunch
 Durocher lost in his opening day gamble when he sent young Ralph Branca against the Cardinals. His hunching has been mcannily sharp, but on that day he didn't reckon with the fighting heart of Howie Pollet, who pitched the Cards to a 4 to 2 victory despite strained back muscle.
 A factor weighing heavily for the Dodgers is their great success at | W \