The White Falcon - 12.09.1942, Page 7

7
Barter Helps
Army Teams
By Gene Graff
Uncle Sam’s football fighters have adopted
the late Knute Rockne’s shock-troop system,
added a wrinkle or two of their own, and
the result is a barter and exchange program
that would delight any gridiron coach in the
country. Of course, Major Wallace Wade, pilot
of the Western Army Stars, and Col. Bob Ney-
land. Eastern mentor, are elated at the policy,
and although scorecard promoters are left in
a daze, War Relief charities reap the proceeds,
and that’s the important thing.
More than 1,500 candidates were considered
before Coaches Wade and Neyland finally gath-
ered their stalwarts in O.D.’s for the honor-
ed elevens. And it’s ironical — but indicative
of America’s democratic pattern — that the
two leaders, who feuded so fiercely when
coaching at Duke and Tennessee, respectively,
now are working hand in hand with a single
goal, that-of enriching relief coffers with thous-
ands of dollars.
It wasn’t an easy task for Wade and Ney-
land to select the finest players, nor was it
simple to have the chosen stars relieved from
Army assignments. Soldiers couldn’t pack up
their barracks bags, etc., on receipt of a wire
from Wade or Neyland and join the squad.
Transfers had to be sanctioned “through chan-
nels,” and men were released from military
duties only if they had been graduated from
recruit training, and were not occupying vital
positions.
That the cream of available halfbacks, tackl-
es, etc., were “drafted” by Wade and Neyland
COTTER Change Your
Clothes, -Standle£,The
WestTeam Needs a
_______Full&ack;_______
Fever Hits -Brooklyn
ers Entertain Cards
is evidenced by thumbing through the rosters.
Such stars as Vic Spadaccini, Cleveland Ram’s
burly blocking hack; Norman Standlee, late of
Stanford’s National champions and later of the
Chicago Bears; Johnny Kimbrough of Texas
A&M; Don Scott, Ohio State star; George Caf-
ego, who played under Neyland at Tennessee,
and Johnny Morhardt, Notre Dame lineman,
merely to mention a few, are npw wearing
Uncle Sam’s colors on the football field.
The teams have separate schedules. But prov-
ing that the project is definitely All-Army, play-
ers may be used interchangeably, and that may
provide plenty of interesting conversation and
bartering before the season ends. The coaches
need never spend restless nights because a star
is injured, or a passer’s aim suddenly goes
awry. No, the Army’s private lease-lend ar-
rangement eliminates those worries.
If Wade’s eleven is confronted with an im-
portant game, and the team’s star halfback
.In a premature World Series
setting, the red-hot St. Louis
Cards invade the Brooklyn Dodg-
ers’ stronghold this a'fternoon for
a game which might- very well
decide the 1942 National League
pennant race. Today’s contest is
the finale of a two-game series
which concludes season play be-
tween the teams.
Mort Cooper, winner of 19 de-
cisions during the- campaign, was
Mgr. Billy Southworth’s nominee
to thwart the Dodgers’ bid for
their second consecutive title. Leo
Durocher, Brooklyn pilot, indicat-
ed he would give the starting as-
signment to either Larry French
or Kirby Higbe.
The Cards chopped another full
game from Brooklyn’s advantage
Thursday, and can move into a
deadlock for the head by sweeping
the current two-game series. The
Cards trounced New York, 5-1,
Thursday, while Lon Warneke,
recently dropped by the Cards,
hurled his Chicago Cubs to a 10-2
victory over the Dodgers.
The Cards trail by two games,
with each team still having 15
starts, including today’s sellout.
On the surface, that is a com-
fortable margin for the cham-
pions, but Southworth’s nine is
riding the crest of a remarkable
stretch drive, and enters the im-
portant series with a sizzling re-
cord of 27 victories in its last
32 tries.
If Durocher is in a gambling
mood this afternoon he might
very well give the hurling chores
to Buck Newsom, recently rescu-
ed from lowly Washington of the
rival circuit. Garralous Buck was
impressive in his debut when he
limited the Reds of Cincinnati to
four scattered hits while win-
ning, 2-0, and he always has been
a fair country pitcher when the
chips are down.
Meanwhile, the New York
Yanks virtually clinched the A.L.
flag by dropping the second place
Boston Red Sox to ten games be-
hind. With only 15 more games
on their schedule only a complete
collapse of the Yanks, plus a
clean sweep of future games by
the Red Sox, can halt their march
to the championship once again.
Ted Williams pasted homerun
No. 30 during the week to move
farther ahead of other long range
sluggers. Mel Ott slapped his 26th
circuit clout during the week to
lead the N.L. in that department.
Mgr. Billy South-
worth (left)
sends his ace
pitcher, Mort
Cooper (right),
to mound today
in Brooklyn as
St. Louis Cards
face league-lead-
ing Dodgers.
Cards have clip-
ped ten full gam-
es from Brook-
lyn’s lead since
Aug. 1, and vic-
tory today will
move them to
within one game
of Dodgers.

It’s Cobras
vs. Lions
In Finals
The White Falcon champion-
ship trophy will be tossed up for
grabs Monday afternoon when
the Cobras encounter the Lions
in the Command Softball tourney
finale. The location of the con-
test will not be determined until
shortly before game-time.
' Major General Charles H. Bone-
steel will inaugurate proceedings
by pitching the first ball, and
an Army band will provide mu-
sic during the affair.
Both finalists are unbeaten in
tourney competition. Although
the Cobras advanced to the title
bracket without playing its semi-
final game—the Sharks forfeited
after failing to appear at the de-
signated time two nights in suc-
cession—they are an odds-on
favorite to annex the crown.
In the Lions, the Cobras are
confronted with a serious ob-
stacle. But the Lions lack hitting
power, as evidenced in their
recent starts, and if Pitcher Don
Harris, Cobra star, is in his usual
talented stride, the Infantry
team may experience a sad after-
noon.
Morris Masters, Lions hurler,
was effective in 'his team’s 3-2
semifinal triumph over the Vil-
(Continued on Page 8)
Major League Standings
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
is sidelined by injuries, a hasty wire or phone call to Neyland’s camp will send an All-Amer- Brooklyn . W. 94 L. Pet. 44 .682 G.B. New York .. W. 94 L. 44 Pet. .681 G.B.
ican replacement to fill the gap. Or should St. Louis .... 92 46 .668 2 Boston 84 54 .609 10
Neyland need a lineman his S.O.S. to Wade New York .. 76 61 .555 18 St. Louis ... 75 65 .536 20
turns the trick in nothing flat. So it’s possible Cincinnati .. 66 70 .485 27 Yi Cleveland ... 70 70 .500 25
for the gridders in khaki to do-or-die for chari- Pittsburgh .. 62 71 .466 30 Chicago .... 59 72 .450 31 Vi
ty one Saturday in Los Angeles, and be in the Chicago 63 77 .450 32 «/2 Detroit 66 73 .475 28 J*
starting lineup a week later in Yankee Stadi- Boston 55 81 .404 m Washington . 54 82 .397 39
um or the Polo Grounds. Philadelphia 36 94 .279 50 Vl Philadelphia 51 91 .359 45
SHORT SHOTS
In an All-Army championship bout—the first
time in history that two soldiers have traded
punches for the heavyweight title—Corp. Joe
Louis will defend his crown against Pvt. Billy
Conn on Oct. 12.
The War Department announced the match
has been authorized, proceeds will go to Army
Emergency Relief, and fabulous Mike Jacobs
will promote the show. A committee of sports
writers, headed by Grantland Rice, was named
to handle arrangements.
The bout, which is expected to lure 77,000
fans to Yankee Stadium, will be the first day-
time championship match since Dempsey faced
Gibbins in 1923.
•
Kansas City, N.Y. Yankee farm club, captured
the American Assn, pennant this week with a
brace of victories over second place Milwaukee.
In other minor league races, ■ Little Rock won
the Southern Assn, scramble, Beaumont carried
off the Texas League flag, and for the first time
in 13 years Albany emerged victoriously in the
Eastern League.
•
The West Army All-Stars atoned for last
week’s lacing at hands of the Washington Red-
skins by walloping two National Pro league
football squads this week. The Stars shaded
the Chicago Cardinals, 16 to 10, at Denver, then
blanked the Detroit Lions, 12 to 0, at Detroit.
In the latter affair, Pvt. Kay Eakin’s completed
pass to Lieut. Bonitzer, former Texas A&M
e.ce, produced the game-winning touchdown in
the second period, but the Stars added a field
goal and safety in closing minutes for good
measure.
•
Frank X. Shields, former tennis star, entered
the Air Corps Administration Officers’ School
at Miami Beach, Fla., this week, while Abe Si-
mon, burly heavyweight fighter, was sworn
into Uncle Sam’s Navy.
•
Ted Schroeder wqs headed for Uncle Sam’s
Navy today, but in his possession was the Na-
tional Amateur tennis championship trophy.
Schroeder won the title by outlasting Frankie
Parker of Davis Cup fame in the all-California
finale at Forest Hill Club, 8-6, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2.
•
Billy Werber, Brooklyn Dodger infielder, an-
nounced this week that he would retire from
baseball after the current season is ended.
Werber revealed that a leg injury failed to re-
spond to treatment, and he felt his active play-
ing days are over after the 1942 campaign.