9 DETROIT TIMES, MAY 1, 1941 PAGE 37 Tigers Problem Child Ends Their Shortstop Worries ¦» aMjaKkil ' QaCfUSI liu iio\f\acAanz\!i SPORTS EDITOR Bobby Doerr of Red Sox His Brilliant Play Stamps Gehringer's Personal Him Best 2d Baseman Choice as Successor in American League ¦Hr MBHk •? J .dj:: BOBBY LEADING IN RUNS BATTED IN jj/ - say 'r • \. Robert Pershing Doerr’s spectacular stab of Barney McCosky’s J j. *<dw| grass cutter in the fourth inning of yesterday’s game at Briggs Stadium between the Tigers and Red Sox stamped the Boston w wm player as a worthy successor to Charley Gehringer as the best second baseman in the American League, now that Joe Gordon has become a first baseman. For that matter, Doerr was the Tiger veteran’s personal choice as his successor for the honor even when Gordon was Vi-. Jw cavorting around the keystone sack. Doerr’s play, which nipped and astounded McCosky, was Gehringer in the days when l£f Charley was the real Gehringer, master of them all in scooping grounders around the middle of the diamond. Young Doerr he’s now only 23, though starting his fourth - year as a regular in the majors—like Gehringer, is a manager's ¦ .t i t-r dream, a hitter and a fielder. At the moment. Doerr is leading | FRANKIE CROI CHER IS A PEPPERPOT ON BENCH MAY SOLVE BAKER’S SHORTSTOP TROUBLE UK’S GETTING A LOT OF HITS WITH FAVORITE BAT the league in runs batted in and has totaled four homers, which puts him in a tie with such celebrities as Rudy York and Gordon. He Started as Pro at 16 Derby Opinions WORRY Tiger Bats Finally Boom Born in Los Angeles, Doerr still lives in the Southern Cali- fornia metropolis. He was barely 16 years of age when in 1934. after finishing high school, he reported to Oscar Vitt. then manager Range Far, Wide BOY And 80-Bo Beats Boston of the Hollywood club of the Pacific Coast League. Though he played third base in high school, Doerr was put at second by Vitt. 19, the Boston flash was playing second base regularly Win ith the Red Sox. He fielded sensationally from the start, but Louisville Reeks Gets His First Routine tAttook him a year to adjust his batting eye to big league pitching. With Dope, Good Over Red Sox When he got his eye, in 1938, he hit .289. He followed this up with .318 in 1929 and .291 in 1940. While h-is average dropped, and Otherwise in 2 Years Big Part his power was more impressive last season. With 69 extra base 105 runs. hits, 22 of them homers, Doerr batted in By CLYDE L. REECE By LEO MACDONEI.L Of Golf International .Nfiti Service Sporti Wrlt*r Buck Newsom today had hung LOUISVILLE. KyT, May 1 up his first victory over the Red Youngest Regular in Coast Loop Throwing care to the winds, the Sox in two years. The Tigers’ big usual bateh of forecasters clus- right-handed ace last season At 14. Robert Pershing played for Los Angeles American tered in the Blue Grass today got whipped every club but Boston. I-egion club, which won the state and regional championships. down to the serious business of He never finished against Joe Saturday's the youngest boy ever to play regularly in the Pacific "picking the winner" in Cronin’s clan. He was Kentucky Derby. So. Newsom, saddened by three Coast league. He was scouted personally by Eddie Collins of It has been done before—it's an defeats in as many starts in the the Boston club, which paid a fancy price for the young man. annual habit, in fact-—and there's new 1941 season, was light-hearted Doerr mostly of German stock with a little English on the no harm in setting down some of and gay once more as he viewed a is the opinions heard around lown. more interesting world to come. side of his Harold Doerr, an older brother, was catcher father. So here They are. The various ‘‘tow- He broke the jinx yesterday as downs" of the experts and other- the Tigers walloped the Red Sox, wise. a< broadcast in and about 12 to 8. That it was a free-hitting Louisville as the advance hand of game in which Buck did not finish, Derbygoers began marking time matters not to Newsom. Being a until Ihe big race team player, all that counts is that “WHIRLAWAY will win be- the Tigers won the game, accord- cause he Is the fastest horse tn ing to Buck. the raee If jockey Eddie Arcaro HIT FOR 80-BO can hold him In the pack around the turns to keep hint from After having done Newsom more bearing out.” or less dirt, involuntarily of course, the pitcher’s Tiger team-mates FROM FAMOUS STABLE vW went to bat for their buddy in a “PORTER’S CAP will w in. He big way, rapping out a grand total ¦ T has taken most everything In of 18 safeties in a grand attack on sight. Is from the stables which four Boston flingers. c h produced Seahiseuit, M 1 o 1 a n d • tv* Ssn?v <f I Among the hits were a home run ' 9 and Ka>ak fl. and burned up m* M mB and two two-baggers off Rudy the track working out with four York's wicked willow. The homer, |K>unds more than his Derby im- the big Cherokee’s fourth of the post.” season, was driven far into the “OCR BOOTS Is a quiet one. lower deck of the left-center but he's ready under the hand ~¦¦ v, stands, more than 400 feet from of the season's top Jockey. Conn home plate. BOBBY DOERR OF BOSTON RED SOX McCreary, to get rowdy and With York leading the pace, but the ’ w in.” every Tiger pitchers, got for clubs in the Texas and Coast leagues. He was P» ' '>y "LITTLE BEANS is the horse at least one hit. Besides York three mji* • idol and inspiration. Doerr owns a 1fiO-n< i«• rimbcr ranch with a misleading name, for he’s other Tigers totaled three hits Rogue River in Northern California, where he .'pends his big as all outdoors and, with *-w*" each—Frankie Croucher. Bruce Bt Don .Meade handling him. he'll Campbell and Birdie Tebbetts. Winters hunting and fishing. repay those who talk about him helped Dominic DiMaggio totaled as many hitting yesterday, a day of clubbing in which ‘plater’ pay handsomely Things got a lllfle 100 hot for catcher MoCOSKY’ on his homer that beat ' With his savage as a and for the Red Sox. ’ thoughts FRANK PYTLAK of the Red Sox, who's Boston yesterday. Frank had cause to saiga ' he hit a home run and two doubles. York dispelled that as victor.” BENTON TAKES “BLUE PAIR showed he was shown mopping his brow as RI'DY YORK worry. The Tiger bats boomed. HANK O\ER the big Indian was not himself with the willow. From now on at waiting When Newsom retired the Del Bakpr and other Tigers look for some brutal bludgeoning by (Continued on Page 40) scores behind Crouoher and BARNEY’ GREENBERG is his turn to bat. end of the eighth inning, he was the Cherokee, who, with the departure of Hank Greenberg, is the replaced by Floyd Giebell. who made his first appearance of outstanding contender for home run honors. the Detroit club's \o More Problem Rigney Won't Be season on the mound at Briggs Rolls Stadium. The 1941 Giebell debut Detroiter was not auspicious and after four Don't Forget Ol' Double X of the five batters who faced him Croue her'a Play and Hitting Point to His Success Called for Month hit safely. Fireman A 1 Benton, the packer's York's quartet of homers boosted the Tiger first total (After 2 Years on Bench) as Tiger Shortstop CHICAGO, May 1. (INS)— old reliable, was rushed to the one less than that of Joe DiMaggio. While Jimmy Foxx hasn t 683 in ABC rescue and put out the fire. to ! John D. Rigney, ace Chicago White Charley Wagner, who started for home run form, there isn't much doubt that the slug- swung into International New* Rmlrt Wlrr Sox pitcher who was expected to the Red Sox. lasted but one inning, whacking away with Rudy Bv EDGAR HAYES ging Bostonian will soon be in there ST. PAUL, Minn., May I—All- be drafted into the army early this the Tigers in that short period circle. month, accumulating five hits and five and Joe for top honors in the fence busting events honors in the American Several weeks before the 1941 fumbled a grounder. All his may not be called for at more than York. least another 30 days, it developed runs Tom Judd replaced Wagner Foxx banged out 36 homers last year, three Bowling Congress tournament yes- season opened. Frankie Croucher errors have been on bad throws. and hurled two innings. Among the suggested to Tiger manage- today. Although the hurler has DiMaggio trailed with 31. Greenberg was the leader with 41. terday went to William I-a Rue of the But Del Baker knows he can hits off Judd was York's four-base AL WATROUS ment he might be sent to Buffalo been classified as 1-A, subject to Greenberg totald 58, it is not considered throw quickly get over clout. Herb Hash and Tex Hugh- .