[Tiger Fan]

PENNANT RACES HEATING UP
INDIANS LEAD IS 3 GAMES WITH LESS THAN A MONTH TO PLAY
After a dissappointing 5th place finish a year ago the Cleveland Indians are now just 3 weeks away from making their 3rd World Series appearance of the decade. The Tribe hold a 3 game lead on Boston atop the American League standings. The Washington Senators, who led the league a month ago, now find themselves 6 and half games back and fading fast.

One thing against the Indians is that after playing 4 home games this week, they are on the road for their final 15 contests which include stops in both Boston and Washington. The Red Sox will also need to be road warriors as 16 of their remaining 21 games will be away from Fenway Park. The Senators have the friendliest schedule with their final 13 games at home including a 4-game series to end the season against last place Chicago. The problem for Washington is they are likely too far back for it to matter. Washington has lost 9 of it's last 13 games.

Last week Cleveland went 5-2 while the Red Sox won 5 of their 6 games. Included in that was a short two game series between the two clubs in Boston. They split the series with the Tribe winning 11-5 on Tuesday thanks to 4 rbi's from Charlie English and 3 from Lou Boudreau. On Wednesday, Boston won a blowout 13-0, as Babe Young had 3 hits and drove in 4 runs.

Speaking of Young, for the second week in a row he was named the American League player of the week. Young hit .500 with 3 homers and 12 rbi's in 6 games this week. Other notable performances from the week including a 6 hit game from A's catcher Tommy Heath against the Browns on September 7th. Heath homered, doubled and scored 4 runs in the A's 12-11 win. Don Gutteridge of the Indians tied the AL single game mark for doubles with 4 in the Tribe's 17-1 taming of the Tigers on Friday. It was a career high 5 hit day for the backup infielder.

PIRATES HANGING ON TO NATIONAL LEAGUE LEAD
The Cincinnati Reds crept another half game closer but the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to lead the National League pennant race. The Pirates and Reds split a 4 game series to start the week with Pittsburgh winning the first two 8-1 and 3-1. The second game was Cliff Melton's major league leading 25th victory of the season for the Bucs. The Reds got back in the race when Ewel Blackwell and Johnny Hetki combined on a 5-hit 3-2 victory Wednesday and on Thursday Alex Kampouris hit 2 homers to lead the Reds to a 10-1 win.

The split kept Cincinnati 2 and a half games behind the Bucs but that difference shrank to 2 games the following day when the Pirates lost 6-2 in Philadelphia while the Reds were travelling to Brooklyn. Both clubs won easily on Saturday: Cliff Melton got win number 26 in the Pirates 11-4 victory in Philadelphia while Arnold Carter 2-hit the Dodgers in a 10-0 Reds win. Both
the Reds and Pirates lost yesterday to keep the spread at 2 games.

Here are the remaining games for each club. Pittsburgh does have a couple of more home games left but for the most part the schedule is pretty even for each club. If either team can sweep the 2-game set they play against each other later this week it could mean the difference.

PITTSBURGH - Home (4 ) Cin Sep 14,15, Phi Sep 16,17
Road( 15) Phi Sep 11, Bkn Sep 12,13 StL Sep 19-22, Bsn Sep 23,24 ChC Spe 25-27 NYG Sep28-Oct 1

CINCINNATI - Home (2) Bkn Sep 16,17
Road(16) Bkn Sep 11, Pit Sep 14,15, ChC Sep 18-21, NYG Sep 23,24 StL Sep 25-27 Bsn Sep28-Oct1


If the Reds are going to overtake the Pirates and win their first pennant since 1926 they will have to do so without Joe Dimaggio. Dimaggio is eligible to come off the Disabled List next Sunday but word is his groin injury will keep him sidelined for the rest of the month. The Pirates, who last won a pennant in 1937 but have 3 second place finishes since then, have an injury of their own to contend with although to a far less important player. Catcher Tom Padden is done for the year with a broken foot. The 37 year old played 85 games this season and hit .226. Backup Bill Salkeld and Mickey Owen will platoon in Padden's absence.

COOPER HITS FOR CYCLE
St. Louis' catcher Walker Cooper accomplished a difficult feat in a game against the Cubs, hitting for the cycle to improve his career batting average to .281! In the 2nd inning he belted a double off Ken Raffensberger. A single in the 4th off Raffensberger accounted for his 2nd hit. His 3rd hit, a two-run homerun offRaffensberger in the 6th inning, landed an estimated 395 feet from home plate. A triple off Raffensberger in the 8th inning, accounted for his 4th hit. That drive completed the cycle, causing a smile on his face! Walker did drive in 2 while scoring 2 runs on his own. He now has a total of 134 hits this season, accounting for a .297 batting average. He's now the 63rd player in league history to hit for the cycle! Mel Ott was the last player to hit for the cycle, doing it 5/6/1946.

Meanwhile, Braves pitcher Ken Holcombe was named NL player of the week. Holcombe was 2-0 with a 1.59 era and threw a shutout. For the season, the second year pro is 9-11 with a 4.00 era.


ROOKIE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES
With the season winding down here is a look at the candidates for rookie of the year in each league:

NATIONAL LEAGUE - Some decent pitchers making a real contribution and a couple of good young outfielders. At this stage the race for top rookie in the National League appears to still be wide open.

Warren Spahn Boston Braves - The 25 year old is the most consistant starter on the last place Braves. Presently Spahn is 14-14 with a 3.69 era

Dave Koslo New York Giants - Only pitcher on the hapless Giants to be in double digit victories, Koslo also has far and away the best era on the staff. He was rewarded for a quick start with a spot on the midseason allstar team. Presently he is 14-15 with a 3.48 era

Joe Hatten Philadelphia - At 29 a little old for a rookie but Hatten has improved greatly as the season wore on. He was pitcher of the month in July after going 5-1 with a 1.64 era. Began the season in Brooklyn but was traded to the Phillies. 11-5 with a 3.41 era so far.

Johnny Hetki Cinncinnati The 24 year old made the allstar team and has been the Reds closer. He is 3-2 with 11 saves and a 2.76 era. Saved two very big games against Pittsburgh in the last two weeks to keep the Reds in the pennant chase.

Del Ennis Philadelphia - Just 21, Ennis has had no problem adapting to the major leagues. He was player of the week in early August and is hitting .279 with 10 homers and 66 rbi's as an everyday outfielder for the Phillies.

Ralph Kiner Pittsburgh The 23 year old outfielder became an everyday player in late June and has not looked back. In 96 games is hitting .280 with 9 homers and 55 rbi's for the first place Pirates.


AMERICAN LEAGUE - A slim crop in the Junior Circuit with just 4 rookies seeing any large amount of playing time. Fleming appears to be the overwhelming favourite for the rookie of the year award.

Les Fleming Washington - The Senators have gone into a slump but you can't blame the 31 year old career minor leaguer who is making the most of his first real opportunity in the majors. Fleming is leading the league in batting by hitting .333 in 117 games. Prior to this season he played just 34 major league games and spent 8 seasons in the minors with 3 organizations.

Fred Hutchinson Detroit - 27 year old rookie is 14-14 with a 3.69 era for the Tigers this season. He has not missed a start and has 156 strikeouts compared to just 97 walks.

Eddie Morgan Philadephia 31 year old Eddie Morgan spent 11 seasons in the minors before getting a shot with the A's this year. He is hitting .260 with 4 homers and 38 rbi's in 118 games at centerfield. He was released by Cleveland at the start of the season before being picked up by the Athletics. The Cardinals, Pirates and Reds have also cut him lose over the years. He had 21 major league games under his belt prior to this season.

Roy Partee Boston - Before a broken wrist ended the Red Sox catcher's season he was hitting .285 with 6 homers and 55 rbi's in 77 games. Parteee spent 3 seasons in the minors before finally getting his shot this year with the big club.



NFL ROUND UP - WEEK TWO
GIANTS AND EAGLES KEEP ON WINNING
The New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles were two of only 3 teams that went 4-0 in the preseason (Minnesota was the third) and now are two of just 7 teams that sit at 2-0 in the regular season. Few are surprised to see the Eagles on such a roll, especially now that RB Harley Mitchell is healthy again, but this is in a rare spot to find the Giants - a franchise that has never played a postseason game. The Eagles topped division rival Washington (1-1) 34-16 while the Giants won their second straight road game 27-20 over Indianapolis (1-1) .

Offensively for the Giants no one stands out. They are for the most part a group of castoffs from other clubs. Joey Martin was brought in from Cleveland along with ex-49er Eric Poppinga to compete for the starting job against incumbant Bill Sweeney. Between the 3 of them they have 26 career starts in 17 combined years of play. Poppinga got the nod when Martin went down with a broken foot in the preseason. In two starts he has been decent but not spectacular. For example yesterday he completed 17 of 36 passes for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns while getting picked off once.

Running back is the same for the Giants. Malcolm Lake gained over a 1000 yards each of his first 4 seasons in the league but was limited to just 554 yards a year ago and it appeared the ex-Georgia Tech star was wearing down. He has 175 yards in two starts this season so if he can stay healthy, and that is a big if, another 1000 yard season may be in the cards. However, he is nowhere near in the class of some of the marquee backs in the league.

You can say the same about the receiver position as the Giants do not have a star player at an offensive skill position. However, the line is solid and the players they do have seem to be playing within themselves, at least so far.

Where the Giants do stand out so far this season is on defense. The have been a ballhawking machine and are plus 7 in turnovers after two games. Yesterday, the defense which is being dubbed "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew" by some fans, picked off 3 Issac Burke passes. Cornerback Matt Moore who had 3 interceptions for the Giants in the season opener, did not get a pick this game but he is certainly making an early bid for defensive MVP after he forced 3 Colts fumbles, 2 of which were recovered by his teammates. The Giants were never in total control of the game but did just enough at exactly the right time. It is only week two but there is already a feeling in the Giant clubhouse that things are different this season for the perennial also-rans.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are used to winning and in fact expect to win every game. A proud franchise that has missed the playoffs just once in the past 5 years. The Redskins focused their attention on stud running back Harley Mitchell, who missed much of last season with an injury, but was a force in week 1. Mitchell was limited to just 69 yards rushing but he scored two touchdowns on the ground and caught a Ken Neal pass for a third one. Neal was outstanding, completing 30 of 37 for 318 yards as the Redskins dared him to beat them by stacking the line to stop Mitchell. The writing was on the wall for the Redskins when QB Sammy *Baugh was forced to leave the game with a leg injury in the second quarter. Backup Bart Thompson did connect with rookie Dante *Lavelli on a touchdown strike but was generally ineffective. Bob *Seymour was the offensive leader for Washington with 136 yards rushing.


BEARS TAME LIONS 41-17
After an opening week victory over Seattle the lowly Detroit Lions were feeling pretty good about themselves. Nothing can put an end to that feeling quicker than a visit from Sid *Luckman and the Chicago Bears. Luckman threw for 347 yards and 4 touchdowns while running back George *McAfee ran for 113 yards in the Bears 41-17 mauling of Detroit. Young Detroit QB Bob *Waterfield, who looked so poised a week ago, was confused all game by the Bears defense and completed just 15 of 35 passes for 137 yards.

MCDONNELL A MIRACLE WORKER? BRONCOS 2-0
The Coaches graveyard that is Denver may have finally met it's Ghostbuster. Ryan McDonnell, the 4th coach in 5 years, suddenly has people talking football in Denver where the Broncos are 2-0 for the first time in franchise history. 17 fourth quarter points including a big interception return for a touchdwon from Edgerrin Newberry gave Denver a 23-17 win over division rival Kansas City (1-1). A divisional win on the road is something almost unheard of in Denver. Ulish Groce passed for nearly 300 yards as the Chiefs controlled the game for the most part but Denver's bend but don't break defense repeatedly did just enough to hold the Chiefs until Groce made a mistake that Newberry made him pay for.

BUFFALO AND NEW ENGLAND BOTH GO TO 2-0 IN AFC EAST
The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills both improved to 2-0 with victories yesterday. Three interceptions helped the Pats top the New York Jets(1-1) 13-3 in a tight defensive struggle. Steve *Van Buren ran for over 100 yards for the Jets but his fumble on the New England 4 yard line in the second quarter cost New York a chance for it's only touchdown of the game.

The Bills, with backup QB Rod Bird at the helm, easily disposed of Minnesota (1-1) by a 24-3 count. Bills running back Michael Williams was a workhorse, gaining 131 yards on the ground and adding another 32 yards receiving. He also scored a pair of touchdowns. Buffalo's defense was all over Minnesota signal caller Stephen Pagel, sacking him 4 times and forcing 2 interceptions.

In other action

The Tennessee Titans improved to 2-0 with a 31-16 victory over visiting Jacksonville (0-2). Tennessee QB Manfred Gayle tossed 4 touchdown passes.

Tyson Pittman's 85 yard punt return in the fourth quarter lifted New Orleans (1-1) past Tampa 24-23. The hardluck Bucs have two losses by a combined total of 3 points. Running back Todd Berger had another strong game for the Saints, gaining 132 yards rushing and scoring the games first touchdown.

The Rams got their first win, beating hapless Seattle 27-10. It was another bad day for Seahawks first round pick Marion *Motley. The back gained just 19 yards on 12 carries before being benched.

Rookie Elmer *Angsman from Notre Dame gained 87 yards and scored the game's only touchdown as Pittsburgh (1-1) beat Cleveland (0-2) in a tight-defensive battle 10-6. The only touchdown came on the opening drive of the second half, a drive that was prolonged because of an unnecessary roughness penalty on Browns DB Bob Holt.


The Packers benched QB Cecil *Isbell after he threw 3 interceptions in the week one win over San Francisco. Instead rookie Jordan Montana, a 3rd round pick from Stanford, was named the starter for this weeks game in Miami. Montana completed 15-of -30 passes for 207 yards and 1 touchdown. He was also intercepted once in the game and that pick was returned for a touchdown that made the score 21-14 Dolphins. Miami would add a pair of field goals and win their first of the season 27-14. It will be interesting to see who is lined up at QB next week for the Packers?

The Dallas Cowboys (1-1) overcame a 10-0 first half deficiet and rebounded to win the battle of Texas 24-13 over hometown Houston.

Rick Streets kicked a 55 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Atlanta Falcons to a 10-7 victory over the winless Baltimore Ravens. The defending league champions had led 7-0 since early in the second quarter before the Falcons tied the game on a 2 yard pass from Arnie *Herber to TE Brian Harden with just under 6 minutes to play.

Mac Wiley and Johndale Rogers each returned an interception for a touchdown as Cincinnati (1-1) beat the 1-1 Carolina Panthers 24-6. Bengals starting QB Bud Rutledge was still nursing an injury but looked much sharper this week, completing 21 of 33 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown. Keith Meade ran for 120 yards in a losing cause for Carolina.

Arizona surprised Oakland 24-17 as both teams go to 1-1 on the season while San Francisco beat San Diego 21-17. They also each go to 1-1.




VILLANOVA SINKS MERCHANT MARINE AS COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON OPENS
Fourth year head coach Jordan Olivar had the Villanova Wildcats ready to go in the season opener. The Wildcats thumped Key's Point Merchant Marine Acadamy 37-3 in the first game of the 1946 college football season. Two other games were played out west with both involving schools from the Border Conference. New Mexico State beat Beaumont Hospital 26-6 while the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks were felled by Williams Field 14-6.

The games take on a little more meaning this week as 5 of the top 20 are in action. Number 1 ranked Army hosts Villanova, 9th ranked Texas entertains Missouri, number 10 Illinois visits the University of Pittsburgh, 17th ranked Tulsa travels to Wichita State in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup while number 20 Indiana is home to Cincinnati.


CANADIAN FOOTBALL ACTION
The Toronto Indians are a perfect 4-0 in Ontario Rugby Football Association action after a come from behind 14-13 win over the Sarnia Imperials at Norm Perry Park in Sarnia. The Hamilton Wildcats are 3-1 and in second place after blanking winless Windsor 17-0. In the other contest a late field goal gave the Ottawa Trojans their first victory of the season, 18-16 over the Toronto Balmy Beach squad.

In the Interprovincial league the Toronto Argos blanked Hamilton 24-0 while Ottawa upended Montreal 23-14. The lone game out west this week saw Calgary top Winniepg 21-14. The Stampeders and Blue Bombers are tied atop the Western standings with 2-1 records.

continued