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Show 1 iff i.d-: V MCE Ji , nARL HUBBELL brought out a neat point the other day. It wus Carl's idea that too many good ballplayers ball-players were left in the minors too Ions, and often were i (facing baseball's middle age before they were given a j big league chance. I We'll give you a leading example along this line. The name is Roaring Rip Sewell of the Pirates, Pi-rates, now the leading lead-ing pitcher in both lea cues. Carl Hubbell RiP Sewe11 was born in Decatur, Ala., 35 years ago. For the first eight years of his wanderings Sewell pitched for Nash-ville, Nash-ville, Raleigh, Toronto, Beaumont, Detroit, Seattle, Toledo, Louisville and Buffalo. Rip was 30 years old before he reported to Pittsburgh, at on age of baseball servitude when most pitchers are supposed to be over the hill. Or at least facing in that general direction. In spite of this late start Alabama Rip turned in 57 victories in four years for Pittsburgh up through 1942. A year ago at the age of 34, Sewell won 17 games for the Pirates. Winning Win-ning 17 games for the Pirates last season wag no kindergarten work. Late last winter in company with Frank Graham and Lou Little, we listened to Frank Frlsch give out his sobbing notes. The Fordham Flash that winter afternoon was In a low and melancholy melan-choly state. He was especially shy on pitchers. He admitted that Rip Sewell was smart and game, but at the age of 35, after so many pitching years, he wasn't to be compared to such men as Mort Cooper, Pollet, Van-der Van-der Meer, Passeau, Riddle and many others. But the snows of winter have given giv-en away to the blazing heat of late August. And who is in front of the parade? A fellow by the name of Rip Sewell, the first pitcher In either league to win his 14th game, the first pitcher . in either league to make it eight in a row. As Mort Cooper of the Cardinals told me "Rip is one of the smartest smart-est pitchers I ever saw. He can drive a nail with his control." The Mystery What we can't understand is why pitchers such as Carl Hubbell and Rip Sewell were allowed to drift around year after year before they were finally given a big league chance. Carl Hubbell was a first class pitcher and a promising prospect in 1923 and It was 1928 before the Giants finally decided he might have something packed away in that left arm. w The same is true of Rip SeweU. There are any number of ballplay. ers today in minor leagues who are much better than any number of big leaguers. One answer Is that after the war there should be a new distribution of big league cities. To this list you can add such places as Los Angeles, Baltimore, San Francisco and Buf-falo, Buf-falo, all major sporting centers. The major league situation was act up many years ago before centers cen-ters of population and sporting interest in-terest took a big switch. If the present setup Is continued, there is almost certain to be a third major league. There can be a large number of changes in the general sporting situation situ-ation after this war is over. Left Handed Golfers In this mid-summer season lt is easy enough to start an argument Especially camp arguments. The latest one that has broken out, or rather has been renewed, is whether the right hander or the left hander has a better average in sport There are more right handers than left handers, so the former get the Jump when it comes to quantity. I he quality side can stand a brief debate. Different games have different answers. an-swers. For example, no left bander that I can recall has ever won a National Open or a National Amateur Ama-teur golf championship. There are and have been good left handed golfers. But no Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Gene Saraien, Byron Nelson or Ben Hogan. No one has been able to explain this peculiar side of golf. It just happens that way. 'ou would think that once in a while, at least, a left handed golfer would slip in and nip j off a big title. It hasn't happened yet Baseball is entirely different. Here the proud southpaw can hold his own in either hitting or pitching. Championship tennis has known a few fine left handers. Heading the list is Norman Brookes of Australia. Then there was Murray. Left handers In tennis nevertheless, neverthe-less, have had a much better average aver-age than left handers in golf. In the course of the last 20 years or so. we have probably heard a thousand different reasons why left handers can't win major championships. champion-ships. Few of them make any sense. |