UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
FRIDAY, SEPT. 28. 1951
PAGE FIVE
Giant Fans Pray For Philly Win
New York—(U.P.)-The Yankees were about to clinch another pennant today and the big town was slightly bored by it all--but just watch the bedlam that will break loose if those madcap Giants come through.
Manager Leo Durocher, now thoroughly convinced that his Giants are going to win their first flag since 1937, almost exploded with excitement when the Braves won a bitterly-wagged, 4 to 3 victory from the Dodgers in Boston yesterday, putting the embattled New Yorkers only half a game from the top.
"We're jumping straight up and down we're so happy," he shouted. "We're so happy that sometimes when we jump up, we don't even some down."
If the madness develops into a tie, the Giants and Dodgers will have to go through a three-game playoff, the first to be in Brooklyn Monday, the next two in the polio grounds.
The Yankees can make themselves the champs for the third straight time and for the 18th time since 1921 if they sweep their double header with the Red Sox today. But nobody is much excited about that. They figure the Yankees will win so why worry? If they don't do it today, they have another double header tomorrow and a single finale game on Sunday. They'd have to lose all five to blow the pennant, even if collapsible Cleveland should win its remaining two games with Detroit tomorrow and Sunday. That just isn't in the books.
We're going to violate a cardinal rule of the coaching game and look past the Iowa game tomorrow in Memorial stadium. Peering one week into the future we can see the form of a Buffalo. A Colorado Buffalo sporting the colors of that university, silver and gold.
Our excuse for running against the grain in today's chatter, besides the obvious one, (not being in the coaching game), is simple. We're transplanted Coloradoans. We know the Buffs have been pointing for this year a long time.
Like us, they're underdogs tomorrow. But they're playing a Big Ten team, and the hometown boys play best when they're on the short end of the betting odds. At any rate, their game with Northwestern tomorrow will be a good rule for future measurements of their potential.
In the meantime we must prepare you for a surprise. Don Pierce, sports publicity director at K.U., started us to thinking yesterday when we asked him for a prediction on the game here Saturday.
"If we're still celebrating our victory over T.C.U. at the kickoff, we'll lose the game," that worthy gentleman said, very matter of factly. "Iowa has a better club than they had last year," he went on, "and we had to play well to win that one." He left the impression that our boys aren't up to par for this one—mentally.
We couldn't pin him down to a score, so we slipped around the corner and tried Dutch Lonborg, athletic director on the Hill. Dutch further surprised us with still another answer to our prediction request.
"No prediction from me. We're cooperating with the N.C.A.A. in trying to eliminate pre-game predictions entirely, especially from athletic departments of universities."
At first we thought he was kidding. How could pre-game predictions, ranging from 6-0 to 40-0 hurt anything? But the athletic director was firm, and explained only that it promotes gambling on games.
Headache-Filled Office Assumed By Ford Frick
New York—(U.P.)-Ford Frick is in as baseball commissioner Nov. 1—but until then the American League is strictly on its own.
The tall, steel-framed man with the graying hair has been president of the National League for 17 years. Through that time he has suffered greatly with his muscular heroes, and not always silently.
Sixteen times he has seen his weary warriors plod to the post in the World Series. Only four times did they come home with the baseball bacon. Sixteen times his National Leaguers jousted with the burly American Leaguers in the All-Star game. Only six times during his tenure did his league have enough glitter.
It got so that not too long ago Frick warned his bruised ball busters that it was time they won—or else.
The National Leaguers took the hint and won the last two All-Star tussles, with Frick doing a highland fling on the sidelines.
Not that Frick is a crybaby, understand, or even a guy who will "sing" in the police-beat parlance,
when the heat is on. As a former Indiana plow jockey he would have perfect precedent to warble "On the Banks of the Wabash." He won't, though. His predecessor, once-happy Chandler, ruined the player piano with too many renditions of "My Old Kentucky Home."
Only twice in his 17 years at the National League helm was he able to see his lads score a grand slam over the American League. And he was ready to bank a couple of guys into the side pocket if something wasn't done about it.
The first time was in 1940, when the National All-Stars cracked through and the Cincinnati Reds picked up the World Series marbles. The second time was in 1944, when the St. Louis Cardinals made it a perfect season in inter-league competition by taking the series.
He'll now take over an office filled with trouble enough to remove "Once-happy" Chandler.
Come out to the Midget Auto Races SUNDAY AFTERNOON, SEPTEMBER 30. Time trials start at 2:00 at Sink's Speedway . . . East 23rd. The last race of the season when the Champion will be run.
SIXTY LAP RACE.
SINK'S SPEEDWAY
East 23rd