Evening star., 1947-07-11
Cure Of Alcoholism
Credited by Black
For His No-Hiher
By Jaek Hond
Asseeiofsd Press Sports Wtissy


Don Black, q reformed character
who was all washed up" q year ago,
has eclipsed his famous Cleveland
teammate, Bobby Feller, by pitch
ing the first no-hitter Of the Ameri-
can League season.
The Indians Highlander, whose
elbow bending cost him one big
league job and sent him shufling
OF to the minors two seasons, is
the No. l man Of the Cleveland
stad-at least for one brief 24-hour
period. He gives all the credit to
Alcoholics Anonymous which he
joined last winter.
Blacks effort was q little spotty
In the early stages. He walked the
first two men he faced and leaned
heavily on his mates fielding en-
route to his dazzling success against
his old Philadelphia mates. ~
Rain halted the scheduled twi-
light game in the second inning for
As minutes and the management
turned on the lights for the final six
innings In q weird setting, typical
Of Blacks background.
Gordon's Catch Saves No-Hitter.
Joe Gordon's overhead running
catch Of Elmer Vale's pop fly in
right field in the third inning was
the fielding gem that saved the day.
Black, who had thrown two no.
hitters for Petersburg, Va, in the
class D Virginia League in 1912,
helped set up his 80 margin, push
ing home one run with a squeeze
bunt.
Feller, whose aching back forced
him to miss the All-Star game,
racked up his 18th victory in the
81 second game, but required help
from Ed Klieman in the ninth to
save the edge given him by Hank
Edwards two-run homer.
Lefty Joe Page, the New York
Yankees relief ace, added a new
turn to his speciality and batted a
inth-inning home run that sank
the st. Louis Browns, 4-3. Spud
Chandler, whose sore elbow forced
him to pass up the starting assign
ment in the All-Star game Tuesday,
was knocked out in the seventh, the
first time he had failed to finish
since opening day against the AS,
swapping a streak Of 13 complete
games.
: Pages homer stretched the
Yanks' win streak to nine and
boosted their lead to 81 games
over Detroit and Boston, who played
% tie game called at the end
of the eighth when the twilight be-
came darkness Hal Newhouser and
Dave Ferriss were hooked up in
tight duel when umpires called the
game.
Branca Wins Two.
Brooklyn's Ralph Branca Joined
the parade of pitching headliners by
coping both games for Brooklyn
against Chicago, the first 5-3, with
the aid of relief help from Hank
Hehrman and Hugh Casey. and the
second, 4-3, as reliefer for Starter
Harry Taylor. Jackie Robinson and
Carl Fu1illo hammered homers as
the Brooks upped their first-place
margin to two full games over
Boston. 'Fs" mann "a"
The Braves frolicked for l6 hits
in winning a Ga day game from
Cincinnati for Reliefer Clyde
Shoun as Tommy Holmes hit two
homers. But the night game was a
different story, with the Reds Bud
Lively besting Bill Voiselle with a
three-hitter, 81, on the strength of
Babe Young's two-run homer.
st. Louis served notice that its
Cardinals mean business on this
swing around the East as they sub
dEed the New York Giants, 11-4.
Red Munger, coasting along with
an 11-hitter, racked up his seventh
straight, boosting his season record
to 81.
Philadelphia clubbed the hapless
Pittsburghs twice. 7-2 and 81, bury
ing the Pirates deeper in the Ma
tional cellar. Dutch Leonard reg
istered win No. 8 in the first over
Jim Bagby, and Tom Hughes,
nonwinner until mid-June, made 1t
No. over Kirby Higbe.