Evening star., 1949-09-07
Hub Must Sweep
Series 10 Offset
Break
AiIing Di Mag to Play.
But League Leaders
Fear He Won't Lost
By Burton Howkins
Stor Staff Correspondent

NEW YORK, Sept. THE
Boston Red Sox, thus far a me-
diocre team when removed from
the friendly atmosphere Of Fen
way Park and its inviting left
field wall, will get their chance
starting tonight to make a brawl
of the American League pennant
dispute.
Boston, with its 1896 road rec
ord, will advance on Yankee Sta
dium to battle the New York
Yankees in a three-game series
and it is imperative that the Red
Sox sweep the set. Now one and
a half games behind the crippled
league leaders. Boston is con-
fronted with the necessity of
grasping the lead in order to Off
set partially schedule operating
in the Yankees favor.
The Yankees enter the opener
Of the important series in critical
condition. Definitely out of &C
ton is the veteran Tommy Hen
rich, potent outfielder- first base
man. Doubtful participants are
First Baseman Johnny Mize and
Catcher Yogi Berra.
Di Mag Is Question Mark.
Further complications have de-
veloped. for Joe Di Maggie was
forced to leave the second game
Of a Monday double-header with
Philadelphia, his legs cramped.
He'll play. but how long he'll be
able to last is a question that's
haunting the Yankees.
Berra, out with a fractured left
thumb since August 7, participated
in pepper game" yesterday. He
reported the digit "felt swell and
I guess I'll play" The Yogi's big
bat would receive a royal well
come.
Yankee Stadium is likely to
bulge with 10000 fans tonight
when Boston's Jack Kramer takes
the mound against Allie Reynolds.
The New York front Office reports
the largest advance sale in base
ball history for tonight's tussle,
with 100000 applications for re-
served seats having been received.
Plagued by injuries all year but
never out of first place, the Yam
KEGS are ill-prepared for the sea-
sons stiffest challenge, but func-
tioning heavily in their favor is a
schedule that calls for them to
play 18 Of their last % games at
home after the current series with
Boston.
The Red Sox, who have won So
of SO games at Fenway Park, will
have II games remaining after
playing three games here. Eight
of those games will be on the
road, where Boston hasn't resem-
bled a team capable of disputing
the pennant. A sensational .765
club at home, the Red Sox have
been a ass outfit on the road.
Tigers Tangle With Tribe.
Detroit and Cleveland, other
clubs within striking distance of
the Yankees, may eliminate each
other. They must square off eight
times down the stretch and any,
thing less than an overwhelming
superiority shown by either team
would benefit the Yankees.
While the Yanks and Red Sox
60 at each other the third-place
Indians and fourth-place Tigers
will be battling. The Tigers enter
tain the Indians in a two-game
series. The Indians trail the
Yanks by AZ games and the
Tigers by 61a.
Boston, although loaded with
800 hitters has been beaten 10
times in Is games by the Yankees.
Ted Williams is leading the league
at .353, while Dom Di Maggie,
Johnny Pesky and Vernon Steph-
ems are above the 800 level and
Bobby Doerr is on the fringe at
200.
What sort of power the Red
Sox may generate is reflected by
the runs-batted-in totals of Ste
(See BASEBAIL, PAGE CD