The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-07-11
 Still Smart
 From 12-O Tilt

New York, July 11-(UP)-Truett Banks Sewell so-so pitcher with last place ball club, was a man with fancy price tag on his head today
 At least one major league club owner, aware of the showmanship value of man able to set 35 ,000 people laughing out loud at a game, came away from Tuesdays All-Star classic at Boston insisting that he would like to have the Pittsburgh hurler on his club-whatever it might cost.
 Wherever he pitches next, he'll pack the park with that crazy bloop- CT ball." the club owner said.
 Fans throughout the baseball realm still were buzzing over the odd twist which made man hero right after he had thrown a home run ball which produced three tal- lies and actually held his team up to ridicule. Under normal circum- stances, such action might have called for stiff fine instead of praise phrase" in virtually every account that was written about the 12 to drubbing the Americans handed out.
 Did We'll In Past
 Sewell in the past has capitalized on the pitch because it is delivered with an element of surprise. He had virtually abandoned it this year because it had gotten so much pub licity that batters expected it and whenever he used it.
 But in the 1943 and 1914 seasons when he won 21 games each year, he fooled many National League slugger by mixing the pitch in on rare occasions with his good fast ball and sharp breaking curve It caught batters off balance, left them completely baffled as to how to hit against a pitch that broke almost vertically toward the plate AS result, they popped up weakly fouled out, and sometimes missed it al- together looking foolish and cha grined at a toss that seemed like something out school girls soft ball game.
 Against Williams, however, the surprise factor was gone. SeWell had used it against other batters in the inning, Vernon Stephens hay ing -lofted a single on one of the losses. Williams himself was served two of them before he stepped into the third one for the homer.
 However, as major league teams squared off today In inter-sec- tional battles that may make or break tHe pennant chances of sev- eral outfits. there was a growing conviction that the one-Sided lick ing the Nationals took acually would wind up as fine thing for base ball.
 Nationals Want Talent, Too
 National League owners made no secret of their chagrin over the outcome. or of the fact that it rep resented a situation that required drastic steps to remedy.
 Just why the American League should have an admitted edge in the quality of playing talent is
 
 question that defieS a haSty answer. There are brilliant baseball minds in the National, there are big time executives willing to spend money to develop players and to scout them, but their efforts seem to fall short.
 Except for the wartime reign of the St. Louis Cardinals in a three year pennant dynasty. there have been few great National League teams developed in the last decade. Now, thoroughly aroused to action, there may be some changes made by executives who feel that Tues days exhibition was the las. straw"
 And it can't happen too soon for National League fandom, still loyal, but getting slightly impatient.