MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MED FORD. . OREGON, SUNDAY. AUGUST 4. 1940.
Hershberger's Suicide, Laid to Worry, Saddens Cincinnati Squad
PAW? -TWO
POPULAR SECOND
STRING CATCHER
SLASHES THROAT
Teammates Upset by Act
Worry Over Loss of
' Games He Caught, Mana-
ger Says.
Br Frank E. Carey
' Boston, Aug. S. (JP) The
."Big Slug" made believe he wai
reading the newspaper. But he
wasn't kidding anyone. The boyi
all knew that he wai thinking
aa were they of the "Little
Slug."
' The Cincinnati Reds baseball
players. were sitting In the ho
tel room of Bill McKechnie,
their manager. That Is, they
were all there but one, Willard
Hershberger, their second string
catcher.
He had committed suicide a
few hours before. Slashed his
throat with a razor blade, the
coroner said.
"Hershey" wai the "Little
Slug." He got that monicker out
in Cincy, the boys said, where
the town loved him as a scrappy
pinch-hitter. They called him
that to distinguish him from
Ernie Lombard!, the first-string
catcher. Ernie's the "Big Slug".
Sad Conference
Yeah, the "Big Slug" made
believe he was reading a news
paper. He must have known the
weather report by heart because
his eyes were on It about ten
minutes. But then, the "Big
Slug had something to do with
his hands. The other boys
didn't ...
Big, bronzed "Hank" Gowdy,
.the Reds' coach, Just fiddled
with his finger nails, and shook
his head. A couple of the other
boys seemed to be memorizing
the numbers on their hotel keys.
They tapped the keys on the
aides of their chairs during
pauses in the talk. And the
pauses were long ones . . .
, Remember whens? Sure
, Someone mumbled something
about the time Hershy " was
all excited about getting that
new antenna. "Gee ha was bug
on radio.
"Great guy for collecting
' guns, too," said another.
The keys tapped. "Big Slug"
rustled his paper to make It
look good. Bill McKechnie
moved to another chair and
threw his leg over it. He had
tried all the empty chairs in the
place.
Because Bill knew all of the
story and he had had to tell It
to everyone, the players, the
boys from the newspapers and
all the rest.
The Story
Yes. said Bill, he had an Idea
something was wrong yesterday
when Hershy was catching the
nightcap of the doubleheader.
"There was a swinging bunt
that Hershy could have folded
himself," he said, "but he let
It roll and the pitcher had to
field it."
"Afterwards. I put my hands
on his shoulders, and his eyes
were Just popping out of his
head.
"I said to him, Hershy. d'ya
see that tuft of grass. That's
where Moore had to field that
ball. Anything wrong?" And he
said to me 'yes, Bill there's
plenty. I ll tell you tonight'."
And Bill could remember, he
said, how he took "Hershy" in
to the grand stand after the
game when the fans had gone
home and tried to get the story.
But no dice.
"He didn't tell me until last
night Just before dinner." said
Bill. "He cried like a kid. Seems
he cried an hour. And then he
told me he was worried about
the club losing the games that
he had caught.
"The poor kid. He was
worked up particularly about
that game we lost S to 4 to
New York Wednesday night in
the ninth Inning. He said he
thought he had called for the
wrong pitches. I told him every
thing was okay, and he seemed
all right.
. "Then he went downstairs and
ate a helluva dinner. Roast beef
and everything."
Bill said all the boys knew
that "Hershy" kind of worried
about colds and things. Carried
lot of medicine around with
him.
"But shucks," he said, "out-
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16TH GAME, HIKES
FLAG
RACE LEAD
Boston, Aug. 3. (JP) Big
Paul Derringer registered his
18th victory of the campaign
today as the Cincinnati Reds
won the first game of a double
header with the Boston Bees, 3
to 1, but the National league
leaders fell apart In the night
cap and lost, 8 to 2.
The split gave the last place
Bees three-out-of-four thus far
in the six-game series. The Reds
increased their hold on the
league lead by a half game, put
ting them six and a half games,
ahead of the threatening Dodg
ers. Manager Bill McKechnie of
Cincinnati left the park in the
third inning of the second game
on learning of the suicide of
Willard Hershberger, second
string catcher. The news shock
ed the players.
Sibby Sisti was Boston's hero
in the second game, blasting
out a homer in the second inn
ing with two men aboard to
advance the Bees' four-run
rally.
First game: R. H. E.
Cincinnati 3 0 0
Boston . 1 11 2
Derringer and Lombard!:
Posedel and Berres, Masi.
Second game: R. H. E.
Cincinnati 2 8 2
Boston . 8 8
Hutchlngs, Rldle and Baker;
Piechota, Sullivan and Berres.
Brooklyn, Aug. 3. (JP)
Southpaw Ken Raffensberger
set the Dodgers down with five
hits today in hurling the Chi
cago Cubs to a 2 to 1 victory
over Brooklyn.
Raffensberger didn't allow a
man to get by first base until
the ninth. Then Pee-Wee Reese
sent a long fly Into left field
and a spectator leaned over the
grandstand railing and caught
the ball. It was ruled a homer,
despite the Cubs' protest.
Score: R. H. E.
Chicago 2 10 1
Brooklyn .... 18 0
Raffensberger and Todd;
Davis and Mancuso.
Philadelphia. Aug. 3. (JP)
A combination of Mace Brown's
three-hit pitching and Walter
Klrby Hlgbe'a "Jinx" gave the
Pittsburgh Pirates an 8 to 0
victory over the Phillies today.
Brown was In top form, fac
ing only 30 batters.
Score: R. H. E.
Pittsburgh 8 14 2
Philadelphia 0 3 0
M. Brown and Davis, Fer-
nandes; Hlgbe, Beck and War
ren. New York, Aug. 3. (JP)
The St. Louis Cardinals climbed
all over the fading Giants to
day for an 8 to 3 victory to
give long Lon Warneke his
fourth straight win.
The Cards clubbed Carl Hub
bell, Daffy Dean and Roy
Joiner for 17 hits, including
homers by Ernie Koy, Pepper
Martin and Johnny Mize.
Score: R. H. E.
St. Louis 8 17 2
New York 3 9 2
Warneke, Joiner a?ul Owen;
Hubbell, Dean and Danning,
O'Dea.
E
HERE WEDNESDAY
There will be no bhsoba.il
games In Medford today. The
Craters are In Albany for a
two-bame Oregon State league
series, makeups of postponed
first half contests, and the
Rogues will travel to Koseburg
for a Southern Oregon league
battle.
Next ball game here will be
the Craters versus the Kansas
City Monarchs and Satchel
Paige, under the lights at the
tairgrounas park Wednesday
night.
side of that you'd think he
wouldn't have a car in the
world. He'd hav been first
string on many another ball
club. He Just bought swell
horn for his mother out in
Thre Rivers, Calif., wher he
lived. He was unmarried and
had plenty of money. Just one
of those things, I guess. . ."
S p.m.. except Sunday
Medford
TIGERS IN TWIN
NM OVER BQSQX
Detroit, Aug. 3. (JP) Crack
pitching by two youngsters and
the old wallop at the bat car
ried the pennant-minded Tigers
to a sweep of a doubleheader
with the Boston Red Sox today,
8 to 4 and 14 to 2, before an
exultant crowd of 38,150 fans.
Raising to game and a half
their margin over the Cleve
land Indians, who beat the
Yanks In a single game today,
the Tigers capitalized on staunch
twirling by Freddie Hutchinson
in the opener and a gilt-edged
five-hit Job by Johnny Corsica
in the nightcap.
The Tigers, after wasting
earlier chances. Jumped on Jim
Bagby for four runs in the
seventh to give Hutchinson his
second triumph of the season
against three defeats. The her
alded $70,000 beauty from Se
attle who was a bust last year
allowed seven hits in 8 1-3 inn
ings, relief man Al Benton help-
Ing him in the ninth.
First game: R. H. E.
Boston 4 7 1
Detroit 8 11 3
Bagby, Galehouse and Foxx:
Hutchinson,. Benton and Sulli
van. ,
Second game: R. H. E.
Boston 2 8 1
Detroit 14 14 2
Hash, Terry, Mustaikls and
Peacock; Gorsica and Tebbetts.
Cleveland, Aug. 3. (JP) Al
Smith and his southpaw pitch
ing stopped the New York Yan
kees with six hits today to
give the Indians a S to 1 vic
tory over the world champions.
The tribe climbed aboard
Lefty Gomez for four runs In
the first frame and from there
on it was Just a breeze for
southpaw Smith.
Score: R. H. E.
New York . . 18 2
Cleveland 8 12 0
Gomez, Hadley, Sundra and
Rosar; Smith and Hemslcy.
Chicago, Aug. 3. (JP) The
red-hot Chicago White Sox
reeled off their 13th victory in
10 games today by defeating
Washington, 7 to 8, after taking
an early lead on Rene Montea
gudo, Cuban right-hander.
Score: R. H. E.
Washington . 8 10 1
Chicago 7 7 0
Monteagudo, Master.ion, Kra-
kauskas and Ferrell: Knott.
Brown and Tresh.
St. Louis, Aug. 3. (JP) Im
potent pitching undid some
good hitting by the Browns to
day and the Philadelphia Ath
letics pounced on them hard
in three Innings to walk off
with an 11 to 7 decision.
Bob Johnson and Dick Siebert
hit home runs for Philadelphia
and Don Heffner got one for
the Brownies.
Score: R. H. E.
Philadelphia 11 16 0
St. Louis 7 12 2
Vaughan. Heusser. C a s t e r. I
and Hayes: Niiigeling. Coffman.
Lawson, Trotter and Susce
Swift, Whitehead.
WON BY KAYAK
Los Angeles. Aug. 3. (JP) I
K.v.V It ,. n nnn o..
set handicap at Hollywood park
tooay, nrieaung specify in a
stretch duel, with Big Flash
third.
Kayak II. redeeming himself
for a poor showing a week ago.
collared Specify as the field
turned Into the stretch and won
by a head
ine lime tor the mile and
one-half closing feature at Hoi-1
lywood park was two mlnutrs,
30 1-8 seconds.
Etolia II. another Argentine
importation, was fifth, and
Beautiful II, her countryman,
ran seventh In the field of eight.
Kayak II, owned by C. S.
Howard, was the betting favor
!.V:. in!
GUN CLUB SHOTS
TO
GEARHART EVENT
Leaving Medford Wednesday
a representative delegation of
local gun club trapshooters will
Journey to Gearhart, Ore., to
attend the 33rd annual shoot of
the Pacific Indians on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday of this
week. The organization was
founded in Medford in 1908,
then composed largely of pro
fessional shooters reprr-se o'.inf?
the ammunition companies and
a few Medford, Eugene, Port
land and other Oregon shooters.
The tribe shoots once each year.
usually at some summer resort,
and is an invitational affair.
For the past five years the
shoots have been held at Har
rison Hot Springs, Brit'sh Co
lumbia. Owing to the neces
sary requirements to permit
firearms to be brought into
Canada, on account of the war.
the organization decided to hold
the shoot in Oregon this year.
It is considered the d luxe
shooting event of the year on
the Pacific coast, with every
shooter being assured of a fine
trophy.
Local shooters desiring to at
tend the Indian shoot are ad
vised to contact any Medford
Gun club officer, who will ar
range for the Invitation.
Practice shooting at the Med
ford Gun club will start at 11
o'clock this morning. Visitors
are always invited to enjoy the
facilities of the club at the same
prices as the regular members.
New all-black targets have
been purchased to make visi
bility against the brown grass
background better and scores
should be as good as at any
time of the year.
Portland, Aug. 3. JP) Port
land's Pacific Coast league team
docilely absorbed it twelfth
consecutive defeat this after
noon at the hands of Los An
geles, 8-1.
Bonetti, on the mound for the
Angels, held the cellarites to
one hit for the first five innings
and squeezed through the sixth
without allowing a run despite
three Portland hits.
Meanwhile, led by the big
bats of Lou Novikoff and Moore,
Los Angeles ran up a four-run
lead In the first seven innings
and clinched matters by scoring
four more in the ninth.
Score: R. H. E.
Los Angeles 8 10 1
Portland 16 0
Bonetti and Hernandez; Or
rell and Deniston, Belbcr.
Oakland, Calif., Aug. 3. (Jp)
d.ram.ntV. T- r-
m. 7i. fXA.. L wo"
, " '"U.B oaseoau
i aaiiip i rnm lav ann
game irom Oakland in two
years today. 3 to 2, and dropped
Oakland into third place, with
Los Angeles in second bracket.
Scr: R. H. E.
Sacramento 3 8 1
Oakland 2 12 2
Freitas and Ogrodowski; Sal
veson and W. Raimondl.
T. R.'s Widow Indisoosed.
Oyster Bay. N. Y., Aug. 3.
,"V Mr' ThexJre Roosevelt
Wl" be Unable to follow her
"?uaI cu,,om f observing her
birthday here because of poor
health, her daughter says. She
has suffered from the heat
wave.
ite with the crowd of 3S.00O.
The Argentine paid $4 80, $4
and S3. 40. Snrcifv nai.l 1 an
and $3.40. and Big Flash $5.
- - -
FOR GREEN PINE
SLABS
Dial 2123
TimberPro d u
End Ner::i
WOODEN BOX WINSiCAIf BELL KEEPSilF WAGNER LOSES
SOFTBALL TITLE
BEATS MEDCO, 11-9
Wooden Box attained the 1940
Medford Softball championship
Friday night at the stadium by
trimming Medco, 11 to 9, in the
third and deciding game of their
best two-out-of-three series. Med
co, last year's champs, won the
first tilt. 11 to 1, with the Box
men squaring the playoffs with
a 3 to 2 conquest Thursday
evening.
Along with the victory went
the right to represent Medford
in the district tournament at
Klamath Falls, Thursday and
Friday nights, the winner of
which earns entrance in the
state tournament at Salem.
The score was tied at 3-all
starting the second frame, but
from then on the Boxmen took
command of the contest and
were never headed. They tal
lied two in the second, three in
the third and three in the
fourth, and although Medco
staged a five-run uprising in
the seventh and final inning,
the Wooden Box lead was too
great to overcome. Medco'
other run was scored in the
third.
Joe Peccia, Wooden Box fire
baller, went the route for his
club and yielded nine hits, fan
ned two and walked five. Mor
rie Steiner of Medco hurled
five innings, during which he
walked five and fanned none,
and McLean worked the last
two Innings for the losers.
Medco committed eight er
rors, all of which aided the
Boxmen in hanging up their vic
tory. The victors erred three
times.
D'Arcy hit a triple and Piche
and Campbell smashed out dou
bles for the winners, while Cal
vert and White tripled and
White doubled for the losers.
Bear Creek Orchards, behind
the one-hit flinging of Russ
Bean, blanked Copco, 3 to 0,
to win the National league pen
nant. The score was 0 to 0
until the sixth Inning, when
Bohl's triple started a three
run rally that brought victory.
Bean whiffed 10 Copco bat
ters and Issued two bases on
balls, while Ray Singler gave up
five blows and struck out eight.
Singler didn't allow a single
free ticket.
Two handsome trophies were
awarded, the championship cup
to Wooden Box and the trophy
for the best-uniformed and best
conducted team to Fluhrer's
Breadeaters.
Scores: R. h. E.
Medco 9 S 8
Wooden Box 11 9 3
Steiner, McLean and Wilson;
Peccia and D'Arcy.
R. H. E.
Copco 0 14
Bear Creek . 3 3 1
R. Singler and P. Sakraida;
Bean and Wooten.
VALLEY GOLFERS
GO TO MUD
A dozen members of the
Rogue Valley Golf club left
here this morning for McCloud,
Cal., where they will engage a
UKe number of host-club shot-
makers in a team match under
the Nassau point system.
Those making the triD were
Ivan Harrington. Bob Hammond.
Jr., and Bob Hammond Sr., F.
u. Bunch, Leland Clark. R. J.
Donelson, Tod Porter. Lc Wat
son, Hubert Bentley, Stan Sher
wood, Roy Pruitt and Don Bag
ley.
Closing tima (or Too Late to Clu
tfy Am u 1 30 p. m.
300 CUBIC
TOOT LOAD
cts Co m pan y
Crntral
NORTHWEST TOGA;
LOSES, 6-5
Tacoma, Aug. .JP) Play
ing superlative golf, Albert
(Scotty) Campbell of Seattle
was Scotch with hit strokes to
day as he shot seven-under-par
golf for 31 holes to retain his
Washington Stat amateur
championship by defeating a
promising youngster, Dick Han
en of Marshfield, Ore., 6 and 9.
Campbell, a former Walker
cup player, was at his best in
mastering the 19-year-old Uni
versity of Oregon freshman.
The king could do no wrong
at h shot a two-under-par 69
on the morning 18 to hold a
two up advantage at the half
way mark. At the end of the
27th he had a four hole advant
age. When the match ended on
the 31st as Campbell dropped
a three foot putt for a birdie
two, he was five under for the
13 afternoon holes.
The husky Seattle golfer was
hitting every shot. Hanen, the
tournament medalist who had
a 71 on the morning round, was
good; but not good enough to
challenge the veteran seriously
despite the fact he won the
first three holes of the morn
ing 18.
Howard Anderson, Seattle,
shot hlmsef to victory for the
first flight championship, win
ning 1 up on the 37th after be
ing two down at the end of the
31st.
Seattle, Aug. 3. JP) N o w
the 9,000 fans who saw the
second game of Friday night's
San Francisco Seattle double
header know why Hub Kittle,
the San Francisco pitcher, was
working so fast on the hill,
despite the fact the second game
didn't end until midnight.
Kittle had a date to marrv
Cleo Capisthan, 21-year-old Yak
ima girl whom he met while
pitching for Yakima of the
Western International league
last year.
Kittle, 23. Whose full name
is Hubert Milton Kittle. rrlieveH
Rookie Bob Jensen in the sec
ond inning and pitched scoreless
oau until the sixth when he
was nicked for three runs. Spat.
tie won the game, 6-1.
After the eame Kittle nnH hi.
bride-to-be wound un at th
home of the girls' aunt, Mrs
Paul Donaldson, wife of the
Sunday editor of the Post-Intelligencer,
and were married.
Kittle, whose home is Los
Angeles, was sold to the Seals
recently by Yakima for $3,000.
He won 20 and lost 10 last year. .
His first two appearances for
San Francisco were anything
but gaudy, but he showed lots
of stuff last night. I
THE
SUPER-COLD CORP.
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BAKERY, DAIRY, & BEER EQUIP
808 S. RIVERSIDE PHONF
MEDFORD, ORE. 3625
COMPLETE REFRIGERATION ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL- SERVICE AT ALL TIMES
ARMENIAN FACES
Mike Nazarian will have con
siderable Incentive to win when
he clashes with George Wagner
in the middle event of Monday
night's armory grappling card,
for Promoter Mack L 11 lard has
practically p r 0 m 1 1 e d him a
main event spot on the next
week's program if he gets over
the Wagner hurdle.
The rough Armenian, making
his initial appearance here last
week, bullied and fou'.ed his
way to a conquest of Otis Cling
man, and will undoubtedly fol
low the same style of matwork
against Wagner. Nazarian isn't
as dirty as many gladiators, but
he isn't a gentleman bv anv
meant.
Lillard tentatively plans to!
match Nazarian, if he beats'
Waener. with th win.w fi
the McShane-Piluso main event
Monday eve. The Armenian,
not used to wrestling in pre
liminary bouts, has been bother
ing Lillard for a main event
shot, and Monday's match will
decide the issue.
Sonnenbergs and other spec
tacular legitimate maneuvers
versus olentv nf dirt mil iio
driver holds will be seen when
trnle Piluso squares off against
Jitterbug Danny McShane in
the one-hour main event. Mc
Shane, with two straight wins
In as many Medford starts, is
figured to run un ...im 1.1.
toughest opponent thus far, and
many persons are of the opin
ion that Piluso will emerge
with the laurels, due to his
blazing speed and all-around
ability.
Bob Cummin 0 will .-nr. . -
face Otis Clingman in the open-
"ik mm. tummlngs, a clean
wrestler, hasn't been here for
several months. 1
Tomorrow nitrhl will
the last ladies' night croeram
for several weeks.
Gels Bonneville Job.
Portland. Ant 9. jd,. Tt
, - --a v. n 1 aiic
Bonneville administration nam
ed Wallace L. Ka.nnpt. vam.
natchee. Wash., alumnus of the
University of Oregon law school,
to its legal staff today.
i
WRESTLING!
MEDFORD ARMORY
ERNIE PILUSO
vs.
DANNY McSHANE
GEO. WAGNER
vs.
MIKE NAZARIAN
OTIS CLINGMAN
TS.
BOB CUMMINGS
Ladies' Night!
SQUAD
Portland, Aug. 3. JP) All
but two of the 18 players named
on the state semi-pro baseball
team today are members of th
State league club, attesting to
the domination of the circuit
over the state semi-pros.
The team was selected fol
lowing completion of the stat
semi-pro tournament.
It follows: Pitchers Elliott,
Albany; Carstent, Portland
Babes; Jack Richards and Clow,
Jack-Jill Tavern; Wiltshire, Sil-
verton.
Catchers: Wittcke, Jack-Jill;
Warren Wanner, Gaston-Dairy
Creek.
First base, Clifford, Albany;
second, Koch, Babes; third,
Sliinn, Albany: short, Schroer,
Jack-Jill; outfield. Brown,
Babes; Whitman, Silverton;
Leiningcr, Jack-Jill; utility out
field, Amato. B. & O. Transfer;
utility infield, Kirsch, Silver,
ton.
Grant Extradition.
Salem, Aug. 3. (JP) Gov.
Charles A. Sprague today ap
proved the extradition nf Elmer
Miller of Eugene, wanted in
Holt county, Mo., on a charge of
issuing a no-account $4 check.
Cat Has Quintuplets.
McClellandtown, Pa., Aug. 3.
(JP) Five Siamese kittens born
to a cat at the home of a Negro
family in Palmer, a nearby coal
mining hamlet, were reported
"doing all right" today.
s vj 1 r.i
IN-
DRINKING
WATER . .
The water in this pool la
changing constantly and
is chlorinated to meet
state requirements.
MERRICK'S
1 P. M. to 9:45 P. M.
MONDAY NIGHT, 8:30
Seats on sale at Brown's
Telephone 2735
P. M
4Si