Evening star., 1950-09-15
9Chanpions
In Driver Seat;
TigersB|owLead
Hal Newhouser Routed
Eurly; Tommy Byrne
Opposes Houttemon
o..
By Francis Stonn
Star Staff Correspondent

DETROIT, Sept. 15.-Whatevel
else may be said of the Yankees
they have a happy faculty for
whipping their chief rivals, and
it is this ability that makes it
difficult to underestimate the 1949
champions chances of winning
the American League pennant.
Figures are dull but ofttimes
necessary to point up a fact. And
1t is fact that, when the Yanks
overcame a 40 lead held by the
Tigers Hal Newhouser yesterday J
in the opening game of a crucial,
three-day series, they showed a
neat .567 pace against FIRST
division clubs.
They Beat the Big Ones.
They may not win, but it won't
be because the Yanks weren't able
to handle the Tigers, Red Sox auo
Indians. With their "a wins and
26 losses against these contenders.
Casey Stengel's old money-players
1ldVc OOIlC dl1 IlSilb.
BY way of comparison, Detroit
has played .504 ball against other
flrst-division clubs with 80 wins,
26 defeats. Boston and Cleveland
have identical records-26 wins, 80
losses and percentages of .448.
In reclaiming the league lead
with Us victory behind Vic
Raschi, the Yanks' chances began
to look good once more. Even a
split with the Tigers in the re-
naming games today and tomor-
row would mean an important Sc
ries has been won and the worst
of tense Western swing has been
completed. Because after leaving
here, the Bombers visit the Browns
and White Sox and figure to lose
no ground, at the worst.
The Yankees prospects got a
further boost when the Red Sox
lost night game in st. Louis, 6-3
1t was the eighth straight victory
for the seventh-place Browns. The
loss put the Red Sox two full
games behind the Yanks.
Byrne VS.. Houtteman.
The Yankees today were start
ing Southpaw Tommy Byrne, a
long time Detroit jinx who has
won four times from the Tigers
this year. Byrne. whose lifetime
mark against Detroit is an i'm
posing 12-4, will oppose Art Hout-
-teman, who has won 18 games
this season, including four vic
tories over the Yankees.
That was a sweet win for the
Yanks yesterday. For two in
nings Raschi was bad pitcher.
But Stengel refused to take him
out despite a 40 deficit in the
first inning and the big guy, get
ting progressively faster and more
effective. justified Casey's faith.
He was pretty misery in the last
seven innings. giving up only two
hits.
To those who know Raschi best
it was doubly sweet. Big Victor
usually is guy who wins the
bulk of his games early in the
year and fades. Apparently he's
pulled a switch. That was his
sixth straight victory and his
ninth in his last 10 outings.
AS matter of fact, if anybody
is asking for details, it also was
Vic's 60th victory in the last three
years (19 in 1948, 81 in 1949 and
20 SO far in 1950) and he became
the first big leaguer to join Bob
Lemon Of Cleveland as a 20-game
winner.
No Aid to Tiger Morale.
AS for the Tigers, some press
box psychologists were of the
opinion that Red Rolfe's team
was hurt when Newhouser, of all
people, couldn't hold 40 lead
longer than three innings. How
ever, the first hitter in New
York's second frame, Joe Di Mag
gio homered. A walk and an
other homer by Johnny Mize cut
Halls lead to 4-3. A stray run in
the next inning tied it and even
tually Newhouser was excused in
favor of Hal White.
In the sixth, Cliff Mapes hon.
cred, which more or less verified
a suspicion that, to be a Yankee
hero, one must be well past 80
years OF age. A notable exception
is Southpaw Eddie Ford, who is
to face the Tigers tomorrow.
ASIDES: It's been almost a
month since Di Maggie returned
to the lineup after an involuntary
week OF rest Result: He's
boosted his average from .270 to
almost 300 by hitting something
like .402 since August II :. Gerry
Coleman. whose single in the third
ran his batting streak to seven
games, was 26 years old yesterday.
Despite horrible weather, 20,853
paid to see yesterdays game f.