Evening star., 1955-08-16
y WIN, |! 4! LOSE or
AW !, ...pe,, SIAM
Somehow Zochory Was Forgotten
By FRANCIS sTANN

IT rs BEGINNING 10 look as il Don Newcombe can
forget about bettering matching Lefty Groves sl4
pitching record which the dour souhpaw from Lonaconing
Md, established back in 1884,
The big Brooklyn right-hander has 1873 now
which that in order to match Grove he win have to
win Is Of his next games II he pitches that often This
gives some idea to the enormty Of Lefty's effort
Indeed, Newcombe may have to hump bit to wind up
the National Leagues wnningest pitcher Robin Roberts
of the Phies up there usual only victory away
from rounding out his sixth straight season 20orbetter
winner Ironically, Roberts his 10th Sunday when he
met headtohead with Newcombe for the frs time this
year and prevailed, 80, in 10 innings
the better pitcher right now-Newcombe with his 1873
for superior runaway bali club Roberts with his 1919
for fringe hrstdivision team that 2oz games behind
the Dodgers
NOT ONLY Is NEwCoMBE unlikely to match Groves
big year, but, he were to do there would be
Leftys equal The rebaling lefhander strung together
three pretty abous wonandlost in 1922 1880 and
1891 when he fashioned records Of 20-6 ass and 31
respectively for the champion Philadelphia Athletics
Percentagewise basebals tte Red Book" lists Johnny
Allen then with Cleveland, the modern champ meaning
since Of ISL record he posted in 1887 This
out to s3S percentage, which wins Freddie
Ftzsimmons 1872 for $50, compiled in 1910 when Fat
Freddie was pitching for Brooklyn at the age Of 39
For some the Little Red Book" to skip
over Tom zacharys 1929 season with the Yankees. If
to be believed Zachary relieved and spotpched his way
to 12-0 mark And that year in which the Yankees
didn't win the pennant!
For that matter Brooklyn didn't win the nag in 1910
when Fitz thumbing up that knucker The Dodgers
won S8 games and second Another odty in connection
with Fz fabulous that he appeared in only
games To win IS and lose only two is nplausible.
WHEN THE TERRIBLE-TEMPERED Johnny Allen was
ISL in 1887 he was throwing ball from right arm
loosely encased in purposely atteed sweatshrt sleeve
The Indians only fourth place club but Allen had
luck as well as his swift one his temperament and his
bothersome sleeve going for him.
II John didn't like a hitter-and there is evidence
that he liked anyhe would Just dump him his
backside with fast ball order steak with trimmings
decreed the utering sleeve constituted hazard
batsmen
Cleveland tycoon in the department field finally
latched onto the shirt and prominently displayed
of his windows along with assortment Of lesser
Indian trophies
ALLEN, FTTzSnMONS, ZACHARY and a few others
including Washington casto Sandy Consuegra who was
1873 in "a for the White Sox being spot-pitched
When Grove turned his big trick he taking on all
comers just as Newcombe has been doing since he
got out of the Brooklyn doghouse in the spring after refusing
to pitch batting practice between assignments
Grove stretch in 1881 won IS in a row before
he finally beaten by far lesser pitcher named Dick
Cofman who won 10 duel.
Newc0mbe's heroics well established and nothing
TO be taken away from the fellow The big Negro from
Madison NJ j. just getting good17 wins in 40 followed
by 10 and 20 the next two seasons-when the military
beckoned h
Two years in the Army apparently took something
out OF him. pchngw although he did more ball playing
than q normal GI When he came back in a. Newcombe
was only s8 for good ball club and widely suspected
that he'd lost something OF his fast ball.
Whatever he lost must have come back but still he's not
going to match Groves S14 unless awfuy lucky and
just about good say Walter johnson in his salad days