Evening star., 1948-10-05
Tribe Heavy Favorite
After Title Victory;
Boudreau Big Hero
By Burton Howkins
Sior Stuff Correspondent

Stor Stuff Correspondent
BOSTON, Oct. Cleveland's s
Indians, leaping from one dramatic
episode to, another during the last
10 days, plunge into the purpose OF
1t all tomorrow.
The Indians have little time to
consider series of telescopine
exciting situations which led to
their first American League pennant
since 1920. They suddenly have a
World Series on their hands and
are too concerned to pause for back
slapping.
With their 8-3 conquest of the
Boston Red Sox here yesterday be-
fore throng of 33,957, the Indians
move into the World Series with the
Boston Braves. They'll make q
swift transition from underdogs
against the Red Sox to 1875 favorites
over the National League entry.
Against the Braves, pennant pos
SCISSORS for the first time in "a
years, Manager Lou Boudreau will
fire Bob Feller in the opener
Johnny Sain, right-hand ace. who
steered the Braves home on top
with his "a victories, is Manager
Billy Southworth's choice to oppose
Cleveland.
Record Series Crowd Likely.
There is little likelihood of di-
minishing drama with the Indians.
Their vast Municipal Stadium
scene of the third. fourth and fifth
if necessary games of the series
probably will provide the site of the
largest crowds ever to witness
World Series games.
Even by keeping the center field
bleachers empty to- provide back
ground for the hitters, President
Bill Veeck OF the Indians antici-
pates handling chowds of 5000 for
games at Cleveland by selling
standing room behind the tempo
rary outfield fence.
Cleveland drenched the final
weeks of the American League cam
paign with drama. Four games
back less than three weeks ago, the
Indians surged to the top. became
involved in triple tie, drew away
to a two-game lead, and then blew
that margin in the final three days
of the season to bring on the first
lead tie playoff in the history of
the junior circuit.
The Indians strenuous struggle
has shown no signs Of sapping their
strength, however, for yesterday
they combined timely, powerful hit
ting with the five-hit pitching of
Left-H Handed Gene Bearden to con-
quer the Red Sox and q hostile
crowd.
Boudreau Great Competitor.
Bearden was carried from the field
on the shoulders Of his teammates.
Pitching for the second time in
three days, he unleashed a sparkling
performance. He allowed only two
hits in the final seven innings after
shaky start to post his goth
triumph.
Bearden was a 24-karat hero, but
the fellow who outsparkled him
was Boudreau, a great competitor
who rose to the occasion with four
hits and a walk for a perfect day.
Two of LOUIS blows were home runs,
both delivered with two out and
none on.
Il Boudreau boosted the Indians into
a 10 lead in the first inning when
he lofted a Denny Galehouse pitch
over the left-field fence. The Red
Sox surged back with q run in their
portion of the inning when Johnny
Pesky doubled, took third on Ted
Williams grounder and scored on
Vernon Stephens single to left.
That was the situation when
Boudreau touched of another
Cleveland rally in the fourth with
single to left. Joe Gordon fol-
lowed with a single to the same
spot and Ken Keltner then hoisteo
his 31st homer of the year into the
,left-field net to hike the Indians
advantage to Al.
Two Bosox Runs Unearned.
Keltner's homer blasted Gale
house from the premises. and Larry
Dolby greeted Ellis Kinder with q
double high of, the left-field wall
Dolby shifted to third on Bob Ken
nedy's sacrifice and scored when
Jim Hogan grounded to Stephens
With two out in the nth, Bou-
dreau agin poked one over the wall
and the Indians were in COM
mand, 6-1.
Meanwhile Bearden was having
little difficulty. He was the victim
of a miserable muff by Gordon or
Williams pop fly In the sixth, TO,
with two out Bobby Doerr smashed
his 9th homer of the year over the
left-field fence, scoring williams
ahead of him.
That ended the Red Sox offense
for in the last three innings Bear
den permitted only one hit-Wil-
liams' eighth-inning single.
Cleveland increased its advantage
to 7-3 in the eighth. Dolby opened
with Q double and Kennedy sacri-
feed. Hogan was passed inten-
tionally and when Bearden gunimed
(See HAWKINS, Page A-16)