Clutch hitter –
McQuinn beats handicaps
St. Louis, Missouri (UP) –
Six weeks ago, Manager Luke Sewell, trying to win his first pennant – and incidentally the St. Louis Browns’ first American League title – was wondering whether he would have to finish out the season with Mike Chartak, a parttime outfielder, at first base.
Today, he was mighty happy that he didn’t have to. Not that he has anything against Chartak, but any manager would be glad to have George McQuinn’s flashy fielding and clutch hitting.
At that time there was doubt whether McQuinn would be able to finish out the season. He was troubled with sciatica and then came the news that his brother was missing in action. He has gone down in the Atlantic.
McQuinn rested
That news, together with sciatica, was too much for McQuinn. Sewell “rested” him for several days, using Chartak, like McQuinn a fugitive from the New York Yankee farm system, at first base.
But, as the season drew toward a close, Sewell called on McQuinn again. And he produced. In one of those four highly important games with the Yankees he hit his eleventh home run of the season and it won a game the Brownies had to win to stay in the running for the American League pennant.
They went on and won it – and today they were off to a winging start in the World Series – thanks to 33-year-old George McQuinn.
All year long McQuinn has been helping Luke’s pitchers out of touch spots with his fielding. He was his usual self in that department yesterday and for good measure, he added his bat.
Hits payoff blow
He struck the payoff blow – a home run in the rightfield pavilion. It came with Gene Moore, who had singled, on base and that made the difference between the final score of the Browns 2 and the Cards 1.
“It was a low fast one,” McQuinn said, “I didn’t hit it particularly hard, but I caught it just right.”
So did one of 33,000 fans sitting in the pavilion. The blow cost big Mort Cooper, the fastball hurler of the Redbirds will testify that McQuinn has the right idea. It cost him a two-hit ball game and the extra mileage on that second hit was the difference.