The Baseball Once-Upon-A Times.: ERA Kings Square Off in Game 1 Bums' Newcombe vs. Sox's Pierce

Notes on the Scorecard
Indians Late Fade Costs

Fan a Long, Hard Walk
CHICAGO For the first time since 1943,
the National and American League ERA lead-
ers will square off in Game 1 of the World Se-
ries.
But what seemed a natural fit
and was likely a quick decision
for Brooklyn manager Charlie
Dressen, may not have been such
an easy call for Chicagos Paul
Richards.
Dressen nominated Dodgers
ace Don Newcombe, who led all
major league pitchers in wins,
ERA, strikeouts and complete
games. If it took him longer than
the snap of a finger, he might
want to have his reflexes checked.
Richards, however, had considerations to
mull before announcing Billy Pierce as his
Game 1 candidate. For starters, the Dodgers are
a predominantly right-handed hitting ballclub,
and Pierce is a lefty. Against left-handed start-
CLEVELAND (AP) Harold Spieths faith
in the Cleveland Indians cost him a four-mile
hike on the hind end of a wheelbarrow.
Passenger in the wheelbarrow was Louis
Craddock, 39, a painter, who bet Spieth the
Indians wouldnt win the pennant.
The 23-year-old Spieth had to push
Craddock from Bennetts Corners to nearby
North Royalton. The trip, with the last eight-
tenths of a mile up a steep hill, took two hours.
The Indians gave skipper Al Lopez a new
two-year contract calling for $40,000 per sea-
son. Lopez earned $30,000 as a rookie manag-
er in 1951.
ers this season, Brooklyn went 25-14. Only the
Giants had a better winning percentage against
southpaws.
Too, starting Pierce in the opener
Richards had four right-handers
who won 10 or more games from
which to choose puts him on
track to start games 1, 4, and a deci-
sive Game 7.
Richards likely was swayed by
Pierces team-leading 17 wins, his
2.70 ERA and the fact he went 7-2
after Aug. 1 and by the fact that
he handled righties in 1951 (holding
them to a .246 average and seven
home runs) almost as well as he did
lefties (.234, five circuit clouts).
Experience wasnt a criteria. Whereas four
Brooklyn pitchers, including Newcombe, have
pitched in a World Series, only one White Sox
twirler, reliever Joe Dobson, has participated in a
Fall Classic.
All the News
That
Fits, We Print
FINAL EDITION
Including final
results of all ball
games
On Page 1: Gen. Drum, Pershings Chief of Staff in WWI, Dies at His Desk in Empire State Building at 72
THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 1951
The Baseball Once-Upon-A Times.
VOL. 1, No.172 FIVE CENTS
AMERICAN W L PCT. GB NATIONAL W L PCT. GB
Chicago 98 56 .636 --- Brooklyn 98 56 .636 ---
Boston 88 66 .571 10 New York 90 64 .584 8
Cleveland 85 69 .552 13 St. Louis 83 71 .539 15
New York 83 71 .539 15 Philadelphia 81 73 .526 17
Philadelphia 77 77 .500 21 Boston 72 82 .468 26
Detroit 72 82 .468 26 Chicago 69 85 .448 29
Washington 63 91 .409 35 Pittsburgh 67 87 .435 31
St. Louis 50 104 .325 48 Cincinnati 56 98 .364 42
Final 1951 Major League Standings
ERA Kings Square Off in Game 1;
Bums Newcombe vs. Soxs Pierce
The Weird and Wild From the 1951 Season
When you watch baseball for six months on
end, youre bound to see an odd bounce of the
ball. Here are a few curious facts, figures and
departures from form witnessed in 1951.
The Dodgers Duke Snider grounded into
an astounding 38 double plays, seven more than
the previous major league record held by Bobby
Doerr. Makes you wonder how the Duke found
time to drive in 126 runs.
Four triple plays were turned. Two came
at the expense of the Boston Braves.
The hit-and-walk play: Reds catcher John
Pramesa drove in the winning run in the bottom
of the 10th inning on May 16 by getting
plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded.
It is even less advisable than ever to invite
the Dodgers Jackie Robinson and the Giants
Sal Maglie to the same party. This year, Robin-
son hit four home runs against Maglie.
However, there were signs of cooling be-
tween the combatants in baseballs bitterest
rivalry. Giants pitchers hit just three Dodgers
this year, while Dodgers hurlers beaned just
four Giants an innings work in years past.
The Red Sox hit two grand slams in the
ninth inning of a game against the Browns, but
still lost 12-11. If only there was a fifth base.
The White Sox traded Gus Zernial to the
Athletics in April. Zernial showed his apprecia-
tion by hitting seven home runs against his for-
mer mates.
Finally, two players hit for the cycle
within 48 hours of each other: Dave Philley of
the As on June 24, and the Cubs Randy Jack-
son two days later.
Brooklyn (Newcombe 22-6) at Chicago (Pierce 17-6),
1 p.m.
Thursdays Game
Chicago White Sox Avg. Brooklyn Dodgers Avg. HR RBI RBI HR
1 Nelson Fox, 2B .339 1 Carl Furillo, RF .311 5 87 84 17
2 Al Zarilla, RF .320 2 Pee Wee Reese, SS .280 15 83 57 8
3 Orestes Minoso, 3B .326 3 Duke Snider, CF .326 12 93 126 37
4 Eddie Robinson, 1B .304 4 Jackie Robinson, 2B .283 30 128 107 24
5 Ray Coleman, CF .317 5 Roy Campanella, C .277 13 104 107 28
6 Don Lenhardt, LF .264 6 Andy Pafko, LF .273 19 59 102 26
7 Phil Masi, C .341 7 Gil Hodges, 1B .255 6 36 120 37
8 Chico Carrasquel, SS .268 8 Billy Cox, 3B .282 4 62 55 8
9 Billy Pierce, P .222 9 Don Newcombe, P .257 0 10 5 1
1951 World Series Game 1 Starting Lineups
World Series Facts
Game times: 1 p.m.
local for all games
Radio: Coast-to-coast
broadcast by MBS
Television: Coast-to-
coast by NBC (first World
Series to be televised by a
network)
TV-radio fees: $1 mil-
lion
Tickets: $6 reserved
seats, $8 box seats

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Notes on the Scorecard

Indians Late Fade Costs

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