Baseball of 1941

Last week, as the 1941 baseball season was about to begin, baseball experts were perversely all agog about its far-off end. Some of the best dope available came from an exciting dress rehearsal at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. There 48,000 jabbering fans turned out to watch the Dodgers and the New York Yankees, both returned from spring training in the South, play in a three-game exhibition series.

The Yankees, generally favored to win the American League pennant this year, have the infield help of Rookies Phil Rizzuto and Gerry Priddy, the flashy Keystone Kids brought up from Kansas City (TIME, April 14). On the dope sheets their job is to nose out the Cleveland Indians, a team built around Super-Pitcher Bob Feller and the best infield in baseball.

The Dodgers are generally rated as having an excellent chance to win the National League pennant. In four previous exhibition games this year the Yankees had been licked by the Dodgers. "The Yanks may be the best team in the American League," chorused Brooklynites last week, "but if they played in our league we'd moider 'em."

Rival fans, accustomed to Brooklyn's bragging, usually laugh it off. But this year there is no laughing off the Dodgers. Even Bill Terry, manager of the Brooklyn-hating New York Giants, admitted last week that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League. Bolstered by nearly $200,000 worth of new material this year's team is rated 50% better than the team that finished second to the pennant-winning Cincinnati Reds last year.

Since last fall the Dodgers have acquired: 1) Fireball Pitcher Kirby Higbe, who won 14 games for the tail-end Phillies' last year; 2) onetime Cardinal Mickey Owen, a Grade A catcher; 3) onetime Pirate Paul Waner, seasoned outfielder; 3) Second Baseman Alex Kampouris, who led the International League in home runs last year. Besides, they have mighty Joe Medwick, the slugger whom Boss Larry MacPhail bought for $132,500 last summer, only to have him beaned and made ball-shy for the rest of the season. This spring, comforted by a bean-proof plastic headguard which all Dodgers are compelled to wear inside their caps, Muscle Man Medwick seems to be back in the groove: in eleven exhibition games he batted .395, hit nine home runs.

But the angels of whom Brooklynites dream are no veterans but two 22-year-olds: Harold ("Peewee") Reese and Harold ("Pete") Reiser. Reese, purchased from the Louisville Colonels last year (but benched with a chipped heel bone a good part of the season), is considered one of the smartest shortstops in the game. Reiser (rhymes with geezer) Drought up from Brooklyn's Elmira farm last summer, can play infield or outfield, nor does his bat sleep in his hand.

Last week, this collection of oldtimers and newcomers had already won eleven consecutive games--a better spring showing than any other big-league team. But in their home park their winning streak ended. They lost all three games to the Yankees: 7-6, 3-2, 3-0. Undaunted, Dodger fans were convinced that they will turn the tables next October, when (as & if) the Dodgers meet the Yankees in the World Series.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, rarin'-to-go rooters were just as sure that it will be the Reds and not the Dodgers who will win the National League pennant. Practically the same team that beat the Detroit Tigers in last year's World Series, the Reds still have the best pitching staff in either league: Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer (expected to win 20 games apiece), Gene Thompson, Jim Turner Whitey Moore, Johnny Vander Meer, Monte Pearson (good for ten each).

Pennant-winning odds quoted by Bookmakers James J. Carroll of St. Louis and Jack Doyle of Manhattan:

NATIONAL LEAGUE Carroll Doyle Cincinnati Reds 7-5 6-5 Brooklyn Dodgers 5-2 9-5 St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 4-1 Chicago Cubs 6-1 8-1 Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 8-1 New York Giants 20-1 15-1 Boston Bees 50-1 40-1 Philadelphia Phillies 200-1 100-1

AMERICAN LEAGUE Carroll Doyle

Yew York Yankees 3-2 7-5 Cleveland Indians 8-5 3-2 Detroit Tigers 7-2 4-1 Boston Red Sox 6-1 7-1 Chicago White Sox 15-1 12-1 St. Louis Browns 15-1 30-1 Washington Senators 75-1 30-1 Philadelphia Athletics 100-1 60-1

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