Evening star., 1946-07-23
Contests in New York
Brooklyn Big Factors
In n. |. Flag Chase
BY Jock Hond
Associuted Press SPORTS Writer


World Series money will be dang.
ling in front of the Cardinals
Dodgers and Cubs today as the.
open important engagements in tn,
National League pennant race.
The Boston Red Sox are abou
i'm if they can play 500 ball tn,
rest of the way in the American
League, but the senior circuit still
is wide open. ST Louis and Brook.
lyn come East in an exact tie fol
first place with identical 1884 rec.
ords, and the defending champs
from Chicago are only five game.
back and coming strong
Inability to beat the lowly New
York Giants consistently has beer
as embarrassing to the Cards al
failure to top st. Louis has beer
to Brooklyn. Mel Otis gang has
trimmed the Redbirds 8 out of /:
and the Brooks have copped only
3 of II from Eddie Dyer's crew,
st. Louis, fresh from a successful
home stand in which it beat the
Eastern visitors in 10 of l3 starts
to pick up five fun games on the
faltering Dodgers. opens its next
to-last long road tour in the Pole
Grounds. Three dates there, fol-
lowed by another trio with the
Braves in Boston leads directly tc
July 30-3f-August l set at Ebbets
Field
Cards Look Fit for Fight.
With Howie Pollett, Murry Dick
son and Harry Brecheen in top form
and Stan Musial and Enos Slaugh-
ter blistering the fences, the Birds
appear to have attained the form
that prompted the experts to tab
them as "shoo-in" last March
After Brooklyn. ST. Louis swings to
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
and Chicago on a compelte tour OF
the circuit before returning home
August Is.
Despite the disastrous jaunt, on
which they dropped 8 to l3, the
Brooks came home with game
victory string Durocher has jug
SiCo iilo iiliC-up liito oOlilc SciIlDldIlCt
of stability. with Rookie Bob Ram
azotti installed as the regular third
baseman. The EXCL is hitting 1925
for 10 games.
Chicago, like the Dodgers. has
been plagued by failure to down St
Louis, but has managed to stay in
the race by picking on the Giants
in IL or IA meetings. They're all
even with the Dodgers in IA games
and can't afford to drop the series
opening in Brooklyn tonight.
Memory of the early season bouts
that pitted Lenny Merullo against
Eddie Stanky and Dixie Walker on
successive days points up the Chi
cago-Brooklyn series as one of the
hot spots of the campaign.
A year ago today the Cards and
Dodgers were tied-but not for the
lead. They were deadlocked for sec
ond Al games behind the Cubs.
Shoo-in for B0sOx Seen.
It's like old times in the American
League with one club way out in
front and the others scrambling fol-
a piece of change. Only this time
it's Boston. not New York. on the
front end by l112 games and threat
ening to make it more.
The Red Sox sluggers open theil
Western invasion in Chicago. one oil
six night games scheduled. after YES
terday's open date in both leagues
The runnerup New York Yankees
play at st. Louis with the injured
Joe DiMaggio still back in the bis
town.
Detroit. crippled all season by g
series of injuries, counts on a sue
cessful home stand. opening TO-DAY
against Washington, to catch ur
with New York and take the run
nerup post. The New York Detroit
series July 30-August / will be the
most important team event in the
league during the next two weeks
AS usual, Ted Williams assault or
the hitting marks will be the mair
event from an individual standpoint