The White Falcon - 25.12.1942, Side 8

8
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An Open Letter
To Santa
By Gene Graff

Bears Seek Revenge
In ‘Cash Bowl’ Game
Dear Santa,
When you come thundering around the
world, please drop in to say “hello” to those
folks of the sporting fronts who are boosting
home morale while we’re handling the fighting
chores. If you think some requests may puzzle
you when you come to the stockings hanging
above fireplaces, you might consult the follow-
ing list:
JOE LOUIS: Gift the Brown Bomber with
an arithmetic primer, Santa, so he'll be able
to understand the income tax intricacies. It
seems he donated about $92,000 to Uncle Sam
in two fights, but still owes the Government
everything but his OD shirt. Doesn’t one and
one make two any more, Santa?
LARRY MacPHAIL: Perhaps you can arrange
for the Army to send Brooklyn’s ex-boss, now
a Lt. Colonel in the Army, to a quiet place like
Guadalcanal where he won’t hear echoes of
the St. Louis Cardinals’ booming hats. Also,
a revised schedule, ending the National league
baseball race in August, surely will be wel-
comed with open arms.
TED WILLIAMS: Here’s a boy who’s deserv-
ing of special recognition. How about a certi-
ficate naming him “The World’s Most Valuable
Player of 1942,” to atone for the unkindliness
of baseball writers who ignored him when they
selected the American league’s most-valuable?
HENRY ARMSTRONG: The ol’ boy is game
and willing, but his pins probably are too
spent to perform miracles. Give the sepia pun-
cher some new life in his legs and lie’ll be
hack in the “big time” once again.
WHIRLAWAY: The champion thoroughbred
of 1942 would like a report of Alsab’s racing
itinerary so Whirly can avoid any future meet-
ings._ The champ is classy, but dropping two
of three starts to youthful Alsab didn’t help
Whirly’s record. There’s plenty of room for
Alsab in Florida when Whirly hits the north-
ern circuit, isn’t there, Santa?
SPORTS WRITERS: Just deposit a few of those
clippings which eulogized the Yankees—before
they bumped into St. Louis — in their musty,
moth-eaten hose — and then run like hell!
If you want to further aggravate the boys,
however, you might mention Ted Williams,
and also ask them if they think Holy Cross
has a chance to beat the great footballers of
Boston College.
THIS WRITER: GI stockings are too scanty,
so we’ve arranged for a few burlap sacks
(not to be mistaken for our clothes as issued
by the Supply Sgt.) to shelter your contribu-
tion. You can start with Ann Sheridan, then
follow with Jinx Falkenburg, Hedy Lamarr,
Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake,
Paulette Goddard, and a host of others. Get
the i,dea, Santa? And if they won’t all fit in
the bag, you may place them in a neat pile'
on the floor. They won’t be neglected!
If the champion Redskins of Washington thought they could rest on their laurels and forget about
the humiliated, revenge-seeking Chicago Bears until ’43, they’ll be sadly dismayed Sunday when they
toss their newly acquired crown on the gridiron at Shibe Park, Philadelphia, in the annual charity
‘‘Cash Bowl” affair against, a hand-picked array of stars from other National Football league elevens.
No less than four Bears
have drawn starting assign-
ments against Sammy Baugh
& Co., while five others will fid-
get anxiously on the all-Stars
bench until they draw the nod
from 'Coaches Hunk Anderson
and Luke Johnsos. And since the
dual-pilots are also head men at
the Halas College of Football
Knowledge, each of the defunct
Bears is certain to enjoy plenty
of contact with the Redskins.
The coaching twins indicated
their faith in football as oper-
ated from the T-formation, albeit
fans still are pondering over the
ill fate their favorites experienc-
ed last week when they failed
to cement their third consecu-
tive title, by naming four Bruin
linemen among the starting
team. Those who’ll be on the
field for the opening kickoff are
George Wilson, end; Lee Artoe,
tackle; Danny Fortmann, guard,
and Clyde (Bulldog) Turner,
center.
Remainder of the all-Stars who
will answer the initial whistle
include Don Hutson (Green Bay
Packers), end; Johnny Wonder-
berg (Pittsburgh Steelers),
ackle; Milt Simmington (Pitts-
burgh), guard, and Tommy
Thompson (PhiladelphiaEagles),
Bill Dudley (Pittsburgh), Cecil
Isbell (Green Bay) and Merlyn
Condit (Brooklyn Dodgers),
backs.
That doesn't mean that Sid
Luckman and Garry Famiglietti,
Bear ace backs, have been ig-
nored, however, and Luckman,
in particular, is assured of an-
other opportunity to test his
passing prowess against' the
Puzzle: How many horses are in the picture? Well, that’s wrong, there
are two! This hair-line finish was separated by the camera at Belmont Park.
N.Y., after running of the Sorteado Handicap, and Corydon (2, in full view)
was given the nod over hidden Bright Gallant by a nose.
slants of Slingin’ Sammy. The
Redskin forward wall tormented
“Mr. Brains” so frequently in
the championship affair it was
definitely Baugh’s party as he
sparked his eleven to a sterling
14-6 triumph, but Luckman hopes
to even the score come Sunday.
One casualty was reported
from the all-Stars training
grounds, “Mad Marshall” Gold-
berg of the Chicago Cardinals,
who turned up with a fractured
finger after a practice session,
(Continued on Page 9)
Priorities May Limit
Travel To Ball Camps
Transportation priorities may force major league
baseball clubs to conduct their 1943 spring condition-
ing programs elsewhere than under the beaming sun
of Florida and California, although several owners al-
ready have announced their intentions to return to their
usual pre-season headquarters.
But arrangements will remain
in the air until February when
the Office of Defense Transport-
ation renders a definite decision
on training travel. Many of the
baseball moguls contend that
President Roosevelt’s “green-
light-for-baseball” edict means
business as usual, but if trains
are needed for the w-ar effort,
the players-either will have to
walk, or move their spring camps
farther north.
The teams which normally head
for California may be unable to
make the cross-country jaunt next
year, and the Florida visitors may
also feel the war’s sting. The
Brooklyn Dodgers are contem-
plating a shift to Durham, N. Car.,
while the Yankees are preparing
to invade St. Petersburg, Fla.,
as usual.
Ed Barrow, Yankee president,
points out that his players’ homqg
are scattered nationwide, so
they’ll probably have to traVel
the same total distance regard-
less of where his club establishes
its training headquarters.
SHORT SHOTS
Whirlaway, the turf’s leading money winner
of all-time, was selected as "The Horse of The
Year” for the second consecutive time in the
Associated Press poll of sports writers.
A committee of 128 sports writers chose Whirly
over Alsab by a margin of 31 votes....Tim
Hoopes, captain-elect of the 1943 Yale eleven,
may never lead the team into action.... Hoopes
is slated for an early call to active duty by
the Marines.....John T. “Jack” Doyle, noted
New York City betting commissioner, died un-
expectedly of a heart attack... .Doyle, 56, was
a partner of John J. McGraw, late manager of
the N.Y. Giants, and Tod Sloan, famous jockey.
... .The partners established a billiard academy
in Gotham which became the city’s betting
headquarters as Doyle, “Wizard of Odds,” made
prices on every conceivable sports event, and
Max and Buddy Baer, dawning heavyweight
brothers, have enlisted in the Army... .After
their bask training, they will be assigned as
instructors in the physical training program.
... .Maxie, 33 years old and former world
heavyweight champion, said he’s through clow-
ning... .“Buddy and I are both fighters; this
is one fight we’re not going to lo§e.”... .William
Bingham, director of Harvard’s athletics, has
received a leave-of-absence to enter the Army
as a major... .Bobby Feller, now in the Navy,
is engaged to Virginia Winter of Waukegan, Ill.
Loyalty of Brooklyn Dodger baseball fans
reached a new peak when Dolph Camilli an-
nounced that he’d probably not play in ’43 be-
cause he was unable to get help to run his
California ranch and would have to work him-,
sejf••• -Dodger Prexy Branch Rickey disclosed
that half a dozen fans, including broncho bust-
ers and two cattlemen, wrote, offering to help
on the ranch so Camilli could return to his first-
basing chores.