The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 20

BO-HfM, HOLES-W-ONE Jimmy Roche, Baltimore pro, hai made tlx holrs-ln one In the last nine years He did It three timet on hU home course, Elk Ridge; onre at Hershey, once at th Congressional Club In Washington and once at Baltl. more'i Rodgeri Force Club. 5) EaHUGHES' Brooklyn Eagle Sports COLUMN 20 BROOKLYN, N. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1939 Papa Patrick Sees Son, Lynn, Rallying Rangers Al Davit and Par Comiskey Al Davis' tilt with Tippy Larkin takes top billing In what looms as an evening dedicated to soporific socking in the Garden tonight. Many are beginning to see in Davis a left hooker who may some day compare to Charley White, whose crushing left hook raised havoc Garden Tonight has tasted a lusty swipe on the chin, even been forced to extend himself for a few brief moments.

But as a rule his foes have been mere pushovers. Capsizing these canvas-kissers has made a name for Comiskey, but the experience he has gained Is probably of a dubious A ArCr v' rA I Oa. JV I I II wva rs A Ax In the lightweight realm In Benny Leonard day. I said may, for the Brownsville Belter Is a youngster on the way up and he still has a lot to learn. Davis' boxing leaves something to be desired, and there's a areenish tinge in his maneuvers.

However, the power of his punch is of a pronounced purple hue. Davis has the knockout knack, the mysterious poison in his punch that so many youngsters strive vainly to develop. The meaty Brownsville youngster was a natural hitter, began upending his foes from the first bell of his ring career. Davis figures to provide plenty of trouble, even if he never snares a title. A puncher Is always dangerous, may at any moment convert a losing fight into a victorious occasion.

A killing punch covers a multitude of pugilistic shortcomings In every division. And that brings us to another young thumper on tonight's card, who Is being pointed for the title now ornamenting Joe Louis' dome. The name is Pat Comiskey. This square-jawed young Irishman is scarcely more than a tyro yet he is already one of the most publicized gladiators In the ring today. Open Question Pat has an astonishing knockout record, but whether or not the young man is really a coming world-beater is an open question.

Some say he Is the goods, while others shake their heads. The latter are Inclined to believe he is being "built up" as they say, that he is not coming up the hard way. One way or another, most people seem to agree that Pat has a wallop, no matter how you catalogue him. Comlskey's record tends to bear that out. He has won 22 out of his 24 fights with knockout raps.

Also he has yet to lose a decision. Yet somehow, despite this sensational record, one doesn't gape at Pat with the awe you'd expect. Perhaps this Is because his opponents have been carefully selected. Also Pat, betimes, has looked pretty clumsy In disposing of his prey. No one expects a youngster, no matter how terrific his punch, to cope with seasoned foes in his fledgling assignments.

And that would Include Pat. Yet it does seem that Comiskey, for the most part, has been fed opponents Incapable of giving him decent competition. The result has been a long string of lightning knockouts. Here and there young Pat character. Thrown against willing and mettlesome tyro like himself, Pat might have been licked.

And that licking might easily have proved more beneficial to him than a dozen quick knockouts of the pushover variety. Comiskey seems to be rapidly arriving on the big time without ever having sampled a piece of adversity. I doubt that it is the best background for a fighter ambitious to tackle the first string fighting men of the land. Jack Dempsey didn't come up that way. and neither for that matterdid Joe Louis.

Dempsey'i Beginnings Dempsey, in his Orub Street days, had terrific turnups with wlid swinging greenhorns like himself. A youngster by the name of Johnny Sudenberg gave the then unknown Dempsey a most turbulent evening. They fought ten rounds, and both were on the floor a flock of times. Another early foeman, Andy Malloy, went 20 rounds with Jack in a free, trading bee. Both of these resulted In a draw.

Another, Jack Downey, won a decision over Jack in four rounds. Also, in his second year In the ring. Dempsey came to New York and battled John Lester Johnson, a Negro. Jack was given the decision in ten rounds, but he received two broken ribs. His showing was so disappointing that Dempsey hustled out of town on the next rattler.

Comiskey is being fed something of a "name fighter" tonight. He Is engaging Steve Dudas who, a few years ago, was a reasonably tough proposition of the give-and-take type. Dudas was slapped over by Max Schmellng In five rounds last year. The folks say he will test Pat tonight, but that remains to be seen. Oddly enough, nobody figures Steve has much chance.

The talk Is all about the opponents next In line for Pat Buddy Baer, Abe Simon, etc. Well, Pat's got to get used to tough fights some day, and maybe he'll look Just as good then as he does now. But I'd fancy his chances better if he had emulated Dempsey taken the rough ones from the start. a i- i a 1 I 11 INI I II I I II I ill I I I I bAAS LARttd AMO vTfeMKit boCiAS Davis Tangles With Larkin On Card of Future Champs By HAROLD CONRAD The pessimists say there are two future champions on tonight's all-star show of sophomores at the Garden. The optimists say there are at least three future champs on the card.

For all we know there might not be any, but on paper this show looks like the busiest couple of hours since the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Lightning in Bissonette Del Believed to Have Inside Trark on Farm Club Berth By TOMMY HOLMES A large and distinguished set of ex-diamond athletes, headed by the Illustrious Rogers Hornsby, guns for the Job of managing the Montreal Royals, who operate as a farm of the Dodgers under working agreement. But advices from the Canadian city indicate that the fellow who has the inside track is Del Bissonette, both a former Dodger and a former Royal. Since his playing days ended a few years ago, Del has been managing a Class club in the little Cape Breton-Colliery League In northeastern Canada and has piloted his club to two pennants.

POPULAR AS PLAYER Bissonette, a dead earnest type of ball player and a great competitor, was a popular figure wherever he played but his background makes him more or less a natural for Montreal, where more than half the population is French-Canadian. Del was born and raised In Winthrop, of French-Canadian extraction, and the French followers of the Royals regard him as one of their own. Those who traveled with the Dodgers in the last years of Wil-bert Robinson's long reign would be glad to see Bissonette get a real break In the baseball profession. Heaven knows, he had enough tough ones. About three Winters hand-running, he spent practically all of his time on hospital cots having the ravages of the preceding season patched up.

Del's hard luck began even before the major leagues, in general, had ever heard of him. When he played first base and whacked the bali for the Dodgers, few remembered that Del had started his athletic life as a left-handed pitcher of exceptional promise. Hurling at Georgetown University, he was just about the standout collegian of the Born 20 Years The gnarled old figure of Gro-ver Cleveland Alexander was conspicuous In the lobby of the Netherland-Plaza at the Cincinnati baseball meetings last week. Now 52 years old and Just doing the best he can In a financial way, one of the truly great pitchers of all time sought in vain for a job. He was there that afternoon when the Reds announced they had signed Bucky Walters and Paul Derringer, their two star pitchers, to 1940 contracts.

The story was that both men would receive something between 20,000 and $25,000 for their work next year. And, judged by modern standards, they are worth It. Somebody asked old Alex the Great what he thought of it all. Alexander grinned sardonically, and answered: "I musta heen born 20 years loo loon. The first contract I signed I I I IH 5P0PJOPIC5 Ef Jim my Wood Sports Cdltbr Better Declares Les Blueshirts Face Test Over Weekend With 3 Tilts in 4 Days By HAROLD PARROTT The Rangers, riding neither high, wide nor handsome today as is their wont at this time of year-seemed ready for a shot In the arm.

Boss Patrick admitted he knew where this restorative was coming I from. He should. His son Lynn is the boy with the needle! "The kid's been playing better hockey the last few games, and I think he's about ready to whirl now," said Pa Patrick today. "That third line he's on hasn't been much help to us, in fact It's been only extra baggage so far. But Lynn, remember, has had to be a sort of policeman in there, playing defensively, because of the rookies Pike and MacDonald we've been using, and because Smitty's foot has been so bad.

Now Clint's foot Is coming along, and that line Is ready to go." Hope for the future was the only bright ray In the gloom of the Ranger dressing room last night, after the Blueshirts had wheezed and wabbled Into a S-all tie with the dormant Detrolts, after holding a two-goalfiead. The big test of this heretofore i limpid Patrick-Smith line will come i over the weekend. The Rangers, I who gained a point last night to climb out of their tie with the i Hawks, battle Canadiens in Mon-! treal tomorrow, Detroit at the Tin i City Sunday, and then come back to the Garden against the Canucks Tuesday their third game In four days. If Lynn Patrick can get going at the pace that made him one of the league's stars the season before last Conn Smythe of the Leafs rated the boy best of the Blueshirts then the Rangers will get a needed boost. Last year a bad knee almost ended the career of the boss" son, and this season, a bridegroom, he got off to a poor start because he was so much overweight.

The Colvllles-Shlb'lcky line has really been carrying the team. Last night the Hlller-Watson-Hextall line came through, Bryan Hextall being involved in both goals, although the first was extra-lucky, being a rebound off Butch McDonald's skate. Last night the Rangers let down in the third period after having apparently sewed the game up. But Boss Patrick, as always, had an exblanatlon. "We warned nur players between the second and third penoas mat inis would happen," he said, "but they thought they were secure in that lead, and we couldn't scare them.

It's hard to get a team steamed up, anyway, when there's nobody In the stands." Is hockey a "crowd" game, then? There were less than 7,000 in the pews last night, because Detroit had lost six straight. "I remember that reaction myself, as a player," said Patrick, insisting that crowds step up the tempo of play. "It's psychological. The roar of the crowd gets the boys going. You'll never see a poor game when there's a sellout.

But last night-" CRACKED ICE Cecil Dillon got a big hand from his old Garden pals Hextall got the first Ranger goal, Murray Patrick the second Muzz got only one goal all last season so he has already tied his own scoring mark Lynn Patrick, checked hard in the overtime period, started swinging with Jack Stewart, Detroit de-fenseman Stewie whipped off his gauntlets and swung in lusty fashion for a few moments (while the officials stood by, awed and gaping), and for a few momenta t. was a better fight, probably, than ou 11 see in me uaraen tonight Don Deacon scored the first Detroit goal, as Ebbie Ooodfellow sparred with Art Coulter in front of Kerr Then the Wings took life perceptibly, and Goodfellow got the equalizer The last five minutes of the game was fast and furious, and Detroit would have gone on to win but for a few grand saves by Davie Kerr the fourth halfback but Cardwrll received four rir.i votes to only one for Isbell and gained the nod. Widseth, Parker and Cardwell were first team choices a year ago who were placed en the second team in 1939. Musso. Kinnard and Drake repeated their second team poll for the second consecutive year.

Distribution of other voles: Mlllner Waahlneton), II: Carter II: Malane Washington), Moscrin Der.U), Jt W. Smith (C.rdlnalal, S.rtet ritlburgh, t. Taealea Edwarda Washington). U-John, (an (Detraltl, 1 1 Melhsa Yarkl. lit Kar (Green n.

B. bnrtske (Cardinals), Si Blasine (Cardinals), Adaaaa (Cleveland), r.r.rae IDetrall), l.ee (Green Ba). 3. Srh.lts (Green Bar), 1: Wilkin I. Gnarda T.enlrr (Plttahnrgh), 14, Lei-taw (Green Bar).

IS; Wiethe (Detreit), ll Galdenherg (Green Bar), n. Marcher (Washington), l. tenters Uamseh (Bears). 11. Brnek (Do- racrs istreVBim), S.

(Cleve- (Washlngtan). Si Lnekaaaa (Beara), Shevherd I Detreit J. Balfbaeka Isbell (Green Bar), tot Parker IBrash tmi. la, ru.s. Ingtan), IS; Drake (Clrreland).

Si Cff i Tark), Lncktnan (Beara), Si Nolting (Bears), O'Brien IPhlladel- phia a. I rollbacks Winkle (Green Bar). ISl 1 Brumbaugh (Pittsburgh). 10; Hall (Clerg. sand), S.

About Blackbirds Your, agent has looked at plenty of basketball the old pro days In Brooklyn being particularly high in nostalgic content but one of the great things about the game is that it is perennially new. To the basketball bug. the next season is always going to be the best one. So your agent finds himself wondering exactly what kind of In the ten-round featurs, Al Davis, who has scored 21 knock outs, meets Tippy Larkin, who holds 29 kayos. A supporting eight pairs Billy Marquart, who has bowled over i 29 opponents, with Lew Jenkins, whose record shows 26 flattenings.

I The third eight brings back Pat Comiskey, who has belted out no than 22 out of 24 opponents against Steve Dudas. Davis and Larkin are welterweight title aspirants. The Brownsville boy is unbeaten since he launched his professional career a little more than two years ago. Larkin has lost three decisions In 68 starts. Davis has never been confronted with a tougher assignment than that which will be his tonight.

But by the same token, Larkin likewise will be faeed with as stern a test as he has ever encountered. With the elimination of Sammy Angott by Davey Day In Chicago the other night, Marquart, Canadian lightweight, and Jenkins, his opponent, stand out as the two leading contenders for the world's light, weight title. The winner probably will be paired with Day and the ultimate victor with Lew Ambers, who must defend his title In March. Probably the best known of all the punchers appearing on tonight's card is Comiskey. the Celtic clouter from Paterson.

Pat has never met a fighter with the experience and cunning that Dudas possesses and Montreal French-Canadian, He Would Be Natural Selection for Job delphla, a pitcher named Lester Sweetland skulled him with a fast ball. To all appearances, it was merely a common or garden variety of skulling. But a bad mastoid case developed and an operation became necessary. The operation, performed that Winter, led into complications. For a long while, they thought Del would shuffle off this mortal coil.

Jimmy Wood, sport editor of the Brooklyn Eagle, was elected chairman of the Brooklyn Chapter, Base ball Writers Association of America, at a meeting yesterday. Tommy Holmes, Brooklyn Eagle baseball writer, was elected secretary-treasurer. How to Beat Yanks: Go Into Extra Innings Forty-two extra inning games were played in the American League in 1939, Washington and Cleveland each taking part in 15. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Athletics participated in only six and won all but one of the half dozen. Boston won six out of nine, Chicago eight out of 14, and Cleveland eight out of 15.

New York, playing only seven overtime contests, lost one more than it won. The longest game of the season was played on Sept. 20, the St. Louis Browns defeating the Boston Red Sox, 11 to 8. The Browns also won a 14-inning affair from Washington while Detroit downed the Chicago White Sox In 14 rounds.

Only one of the 42 overtime battles ended In a tie. That was between St. Louis and Philadelphia. Clint Brown, Chicagos hard working relief pitcher, took part in the most extra-inning contests, win ning four and losing three. Bob Feller, the league's pace-setter in winning games, was unlucky in the battles that went beyond nine innings, losing three out of four.

The best overtime pitcher was Joe Heving of Boston, who won three and lost none. Those winning two and losing none were Mllnar of Cleveland, Lyons of Chicago, Eisen-itat of Detroit and Cleveland, Harris of Detroit and St. Louis, and Dean of the Athletics. Hackney to Come East, Discuss Pro Grid Offers Manhattan, Dec. 15 Elmer Hackney, Kansas State College's "one-man gang" will go East during the holidays to discuss pro football offers.

Hackney has received offers from the Brooklyn Dodgers. New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. He plans to play next season his Injured knee permits. May Pilot Flock Fourth in Poll The experts, 86 from 28 States, have voted the Dodgers' rise to third place as the fourth biggest upset of sports In 1939. The Dodgers, In an Associated Press poll, trailed Illinois' football victory over Michigan, Iowa's grid comeback and Tony Galento's knockout of Lou Nova In the order named.

The Yankees' series aweep and Reds' collapse, oddly enough, was voted fifth. year and as he grabbed a diploma with one hand, he signed a contract to pitch for the Philadelphia Athletics with the other. Even Bissonette didn't know what happened. "All I'm sure of." he said, "is that I went to bed one feeling okay. And when I woke up the next morning I couion throw a baseball the length of the room." That weak arm bothered him for the rest of his life.

As a first baseman, latter on, he was slick on ground balls." masterly at taking all kinds of throws from the scatter-armed inflelders the Dodgers of that era Invariably possessed. And he always could hit. But he couldn't throw as well as your little boy. Obviously, he had no future left as a pitcher and Connie Mack re leased him. He started all over again as a first baseman in the deep minors and after a couple of years the Dodpers brought him up from York of the New Yofk-Penn League Robby optioned him out twice, established him as regular first baseman in Brooklyn In 1928.

NORMAL .320 HITTER Bissonette stayed around for about five years. When he was sound, he was quite a guy. His batting average normally was around .320. He habitually averaged about 20 home runs a year. And he was a fine clutch hitter who consistently drove in more than 100 runs.

Along with Babe Herman and Glenn Wright and Wally Gilbert and Al Lopez, he helped scare the daylights out of the National League as the Dodgers threatened In 1930 and again in 1932. Finally, one afternoon In Phlla- Too Soon with the Phillies railed for $250 a month $1,500 a season and I won 28 games that year. I pitched one year with a bonus clause that gave me $1,000 If I won 25 games. Imagine nowadays a guy winning 25. Why, he wouldn't Ihink of signing for a dime less than A pitcher wins 10 or 15 games these days and starts asking $10,000, and getting it, too." It wasn't until the late innings of his long career that old Alex hit anything like the big money In baseball.

Unfortunately, he never was the type to think of the future. Came the end of his career and long years of barnstorming with the bewhiskerrd House of David team. He made money even then but he still couldn't keep a grubstake. Hi last job was as a hotel greeter In a small mid-Western city. TOMMY HOLMES.

Tonight's Odds Davis V'i to 1 over Larkin. Marquand 7 to 5 over Jenkins. Colniskey 4 to 1 over Dudas. he may have to knock out the veteran to w'n. Promoter Mike Jacobs has promised Comiskey a match with Buddy Baer if he takes Dudas' measure.

A date has already been set for this bout. In the four-rounders that complete the card, Lou (Peanuts) Bar-betta. Corona bantamweight, meets Wilce Rivera of Puerto Rico; Norman (Hi-ho) Silvers of Brownsville tackles Frankie Deris, Brooklyn featherweight, and Harry Davidson, brother of Al Davis, is paired with Eddie Palmero of the Bronx. Hockey Standings w. L.

T. 3 3 A Pl. 35 22 17 35 liS 17 38 2D 15 2S 20 14 2 40 13 Bo.ston 7 Toronto 7 Montreal 7 Rinsern 4 Chicago a Detroit 4 Americans 4 7 4S 1(1 10 1 28 48 Lat Night Reamta: Rangers. 2: 2. Montreal, Americana, J.

Boston. Toronto, 1, Saturday: Rangers Montreal. Americans at Toronto. Sunday: Toronto at Amerlrang. Ranaers at Detroit.

Boston at Chicago. second in the poll, while Heln and Stydahara were tied for third with 36 points each. The naming of O'Brien and Osmaliskl marked the first time that more than one rookie was named to the first team. Other first team nominations were Andy Farkas, leading scorer of the league, at halfback, and Jim Barber, at tackle. Both are Washington players.

Farkas, in scoring fi8 points, set a league record of 11 touchdowns, and also caught a pass from Frank Fil-rhnck for a 99-yard touchdown gain, also a new record. Two rookies made the second tram. Ki Aldrich, Cardinals, was chosen at renter, ahead of Frank Bausch, Bears, who had held the post for many years. Parker Halt, Cleveland's league leading and record-breaking forward passer, was nominated at halfback. Other second team choices were Perry Schwartz, Brooklyn, and Jim Benton, Cleveland, ends; Bruiser Kinnard, Brooklyn, and Ed Wid-arth.

New York, tackles; George Musso. Bears, and Orville Tut-tle. New York- guards; Are Parker, Brooklyn, quarterback; I.loyd Cardwrll, Detroit, half-bark, and Drake. Cleveland, fullback. Cantwell was tied with Cecil Isbell, Green Bay, for O'llrion.

Osiiiauslii Make Coaches Team basketball team Clair Bee is going to trot out on the Garden floor Saturday night to meet Oregon's giants. That Bee Is sponsoring it is a guarantee that It will be a good one, but how will it compare with what was unquestionably the greatest college team in the country a year go? No squad can lose such players as Irving Torgoff, Danny Kaplowitz and Johnny Brom-berg and be quite the same. Torgoff was Just about as good as any college player I ever saw. Big. rugged, fast, an everlasting hustler and a marvelous shot.

Basketball was definitely his game. Torgoff. incidentally, is playing pro ball this Winter out in Detroit. The season's preliminary games on the Pharmacy court seem to have followed the L. I.

U. pattern. To check the scores Is to be persuaded things haven't changed greatly. I notice they have scored some 350 points in five games, and that's heartening. It suggests that this new team, like all of Bee productions, appreciates that the secret of basketball is to roll the ball through the hoop.

The Blackbirds are always sharpshooters. Yet a chat with Bee himself reveals that he is viewing the new campaign with some misgivings. If not actual alarm. Last year's team lifted his playing standards so high he can't avoid making comparisons, which, he admits, are as yet without real basis. "That's the trouble with climbing to the top," he glooms.

"Too often it's only a Jumptng-off place With everybody trying to push you off. the peak is often harder to defend than reach. "Our schedule this year is truly murderous. Right off. the bat we're tied up with Oregon, a veteran team that last March won the National Collegiate A.

A. championship In Chicago. Naturally, I'm not complaining. Basketball is the major game with us. and we welcome the chance to play major opponents.

But I can't help -vorrying about how we'll come out." Big-Squod Come As Bee explains It. he is wholly satisfied with his first line players. As a group they played together last Fall and aw a great deal of major game service. Si Lobello Is a definitely Bee type fcasketball player, apt to be one of the season's sensations, and Ossie Schechtman is an exceptional competitor. "But basketball has become a big-squad game," Bee complains.

"We won last year because our reserves were almost as good as the game starters. If this year's team had the same substitutes as they themselves were last year I'd be much more hopeful. As it stands, our present reserve squad will have to develop fast if we re to handle the schedule." What adds interest to Saturday night's "world series" the New York tournament winner of last March against the N. C. A.

A. champions is the fact that the Blackbirds are working on a winning streak that has now stretched over 40 games. The best previous L. I. U.

record is 43 in a row. will still be a high mark to top. even should the Birds get by Oregon. The schedule is so arranged the 43d game will be that against Southern California In the Garden during Christmas week. It has been two years since the Blackbirds were last beaten, and the distinction belongs to La Salle College of Oddly enough, the Birds always have trouble with La Salle.

The game last year was again the toughest of the whole campaign. A late second-half fist fightr-actually it was a riot-turned the ball game upside down, and it took a couple of ln.it-second goals by Schechtman to salvage the decision for L. I. U. But L.

I. U. won, and at the moment that's a thought. A Bee-coached team is something to string along with. Against Oregon on Saturday and all the games ahead.

Coach Bo McMillin Provides the Answer Bloomi)ibon, Ind Coach Bo i McMillin advises Indiana supporters i to say 'we tied with Minnesota" when they're asked how Indiana In the Big Ten gridiron race this Fall. "(X course you dont have say whiN we tied for," adds, "but it; soiends pretty good to say we tied! wfh Minnesota." (Note The tie was for seventh place.) The Giants, Eastern division champions, placed four men on the 1939 All-League team selected vote of the 10 coaches of the National Football League, it was announced today. Only four players who made last year's team retained places this season, and for the first time In league history two first year men, Davey O'Brien, Philadelphia quarterback, and Bill Osmanski, Bears fullback, were cbosn. Members of the 1938 league championship Giants squad honored on the first eleven were apt. Mel Hein, chosen for the seventh consecutive year at renter; John Dell Isola, a converted center, who was named for the first time at guard; Tuffy Leemans, one of the league's most dangerous runners, at halfback, and Jim Foole, excellent defensive and offensive end.

Heln, Don Hutson, Green Bay end: Dan Fortmann, Bears guard, and Joe Btydahara, Bears tackle, were the four players who repeated their 1938 performances. Hutson, who holds or shares every pass-receiving record on the books, received 43 points, the highest individual vote in the balloting. Fortmann, with 17 points, was.