Roanoke Rapids daily herald. (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1948-1949, 1948-10-04
First PIoyoff
In History Of
Junior Circuit
BY RALPH RODEN
ASSOCIATED PRPESS SPORT
WRITER

Sudden Death" confronts the
Cleveland Indians and the Bos-
ton Red Sox today.
The Indians and Red Sox are
scheduled to clash in Boston in
a one game do-or-die playoff for
the championship of the Ameri-
can League.
This unprecedented American
League event came about yes
terday when the Indians and Red
SoX finished the regular season
in tie for the pennant.
The Indians began the days
activities a game ahead of the
Sox but dropped II decision
to the Detroit Tigers while the
Red Sox mauled the defending
World Champion New York Yank
ees, 1915.
Both Manager Lou Boudreau
of Cleveland and Joe Mccarthy
of Boston declined to name their
starting pitchers for today's de-
Gliding game, slated to begin at
l:30 pm. est.
Said Mccarthy after the Red
Sox win: Il had everybody work
ing in the bullpen this afternoon
and l haven't the ghost of an
idea who III start tomorrow"
Best guess is that either Kinder
GOD, a highlander. or Lefty
Mel Parnell Q5-8) will work for
the Red Sox with Denny Gale
house go a darkhorse.
Boudreau said: MY starter
will be Bob Teller, Gene Bear
den or Bob Lemon. There will
be no announcement of my start
ing pitcher until he steps on the
rubber" There's an outside |
chance Bob Muncrief will get the |
nod. Muncrief was pretty tough |
on the Sox while pitching for the
St. Louis Browns.
This is the first time in its
history that the American /
League has had to stage a play /
off to decide a pennant, TIL e
National League established the
major league precedent in 1916 .
when the St. Louis Cardinals and .
the Brooklyn Dodgers finished .
the campaign tied for the lead
The Cards won the best-two-out-
of-three playoff by winning two
straight games.
No matter which team wins to-
day the World Series will open in
Boston Wednesday with the Ma
tional Leagues Champion
Braves entertaining the Am
erican League winner.
Bob Teller was entrusted with |
the Job yesterday of mailing down
Cleveland's first pennant since
1920 but the big Highlander Just
don't have it.
Teller, striving for his Goth win
and seventh straight, was pound |
ed from the hill in the third inn
ing when the Tigers scored |
four runs to sew it up.
A big third inning rally also |
highighted the Red Sox victory
before 81 ,304 at Boston.
The Yanks nicked Starter Joe
Dobson for single runs in each |
of the first two innings but Rock
lie Bob Porterfield couldn't hold
the lead
In the Other American League
games the Washington Senators
downed the Philadelphia Athle-
tics, TO, and the Chicago White
Sox beat the St. Louis Browns,
l0-5, in the first game of a double
header. The second game was
called at the end of eight innings
because of darkness, with the
score tied, %.
The Braves tuned up for the
World Series by trouncing the
New York Giants, Ill. Johnny
Mlze socked his 40th homer for
the giants to tie Ralph Kiner of
Pittsburgh for the circuit home
for the second straight year.
klner and Mize whacked ST.
homers apiece last year.
Although beaten 4-3 by the Chi
cago Cubs, the St. Louis
Cardinals clinched second place
as the Brooklyn Dodgers also
lost, AZ, to the Philadelphia Phil
hes. The Dodgers, defending Ma
tlonal League Champions, finish
ed a game behind the Red Birds.