RECORD BREAKERS
Mackay Fraser, American racing driver, pressed heavy foot to throttle of Coventry Climax-engined British Lotus, zoomed over Monza circuit in futile quest of world three-hour record for cars up to 1100 cc, but bettered three marks along way: 50 kilometers in 13:49.3 at 135.14 mph; 50 miles in 22:10.9 at 135.20 mph; 100 kilometers in 27:31.5 at 135.44 mph (Sept. 29).
East and West Germany, together for first time, fielded team of Erika Fisch, Christa Stubnick, Gisela Koehler and Baerbel Meyer, who sprinted 400-meter relay in :45.1 for world mark at Berlin (Sept. 30).
Flaming Arrow, with Eddie Cobb in sulky, sidewheeled first heat in 1:58 2/5, came back with same clocking in second to set four world records (for best heat race and best time trial by 3-year-old pacing filly; fastest two-heat totals by 3-year-old pacing filly and by pacing mares of any age) while winning $15,228 Hanover Filly Stake at Lexington, Ky. (Sept. 29).
BASEBALL
Brooklyn's old pros, taking heart from amazing Sal Maglie's 5-0 no-hitter over Philadelphia, swept three straight from Pittsburgh while Milwaukee folded in St. Louis, to win National League pennant on final day, prepared to meet Yankees, whose Mickey Mantle won triple crown (.353 BA, 130 RBI, 52 HR) in World Series.
Bucky Harris of fifth-place Detroit and Al Lopez of second-place Cleveland were first managerial casualties in American League. Harris, unable to be "fiery, aggressive" skipper ("I prefer to try and get winning results by exercising my best judgment, percentagewise") demanded by new Tiger management, resigned. Lopez, after winning one pennant and finishing second five times in six years, also threw in sponge: "The tension has been a devil of a thing."
FOOTBALL
Oklahoma, bursting at seams with usual power, put 61 players to work, easily overwhelmed North Carolina 36-0 for 31st consecutive victory to set pace for college football's second week. In East, Pitt shackled Jimmy Brown to beat Syracuse 14-7, while Army, contender for sectional honors, sputtered to victory over VMI 32-12. In South, Tennessee had easy time with Auburn 35-7, and Georgia Tech edged SMU 9-7. Big Ten teams sneaked up on embattled Pacific Coast Conference foes to sweep four inter-sectional games. Michigan used UCLA fumbles to win 42-13; Michigan State, with Clarence Peaks grinding out huge chunks of yardage, beat Stanford 21-7; Illinois, trailing 20-0 at half, scored four times in 6½ minutes of third quarter to overhaul California 32-20; Minnesota's versatile attack proved too much for favored Washington as Gophers won 34-14. In other games: Wisconsin trounced Marquette 41-0; Ohio State used ground game to defeat Nebraska 34-7; Purdue squeaked past Missouri 16-7; Northwestern held off rallying Iowa State 14-13; Iowa moved into conference lead by defeating Indiana 27-0.
NFL got opening-day jolt when Chicago Cardinals used three field goals by Pat Summerall to upset Cleveland 9-7; and Baltimore downed touted Chicago Bears 28-21. In other games: New York overpowered San Francisco 38-21; Detroit beat Green Bay 20-16; Los Angeles outscored Philadelphia 27-7; Pittsburgh whipped Washington 30-13.
OLYMPIC TRIALS
Milton (Dubby) Holt of Idaho State, who has developed eight NCAA individual champions, was named coach-manager of U.S. Olympic boxing team, which will be picked at San Francisco, October 17-19.
BOXING
Tommy (Hurricane) Jackson, energetically flailing away like mixed-up windmill, flicked stingless left, used his double upper-cut and roundhouse bolo-type right, two-stepped and war-danced through 12 rounds to take decision over plodding and lethargic Bob Baker before 12,641 at Pittsburgh. Jackson, who puzzled training camp with request for "skull-reducer" because skin on his head was "too tight," found it loose enough to nod agreement when Manager Lippy Breidbart bravely intoned: "We want a shot at Archie Moore now."
Joey Giardello, reformed toughie who ranked No. 1 among middleweight challengers until proclivity for extracurricular slugging earned him jail term, caught second-ranked and 2-to-l favorite Bobby Boyd, pride and joy of IBC while winning nine straight (six in hometown Chicago), with jaw-breaking right cross for fifth-round KO at Cleveland.
Boxing also made news of another sort last week. In Los Angeles, paunchy Babe McCoy threw punch at Golden Boy Art Aragon in fuss over $125 loan, missed and clunked Promoter Cal Eaton, next day decided "ill health" was reason enough to resign as matchmaker of Eaton's Olympic Auditorium. Real reason: California Athletic Commission has been pondering revocation of McCoy's license. In Philadelphia, Commissioner Alfred Klein "reluctantly" dismissed assorted charges, including "coercion and threat" in assuming management of Welterweight George Johnson, against Promoter Herman (Muggsy) Taylor when case fell apart because of refusal of key witness Donald Rettman to testify.
HORSE RACING
Mister Jive, bought for song ($2,000) at Keeneland by Toronto Stockbroker John L. Appelbaum, picked up rhythm for Jockey Hedley Woodhouse, surging to front on outside to win $35,225 Cowdin Stakes for 2-year-olds at Belmont.
Morpheus, beaten by nearly nine lengths last time out, awoke with burst of speed in stretch under prodding of young John Knowles, galloped to victory in $17,850 Brook Steeplechase Handicap at Belmont.
Willie Shoemaker, out in front (292 to 287) in saddle-to-saddle battle with Willie Hartack for national riding honors, added another feather to cap, booting home three winners on same day at Atlantic City to set record for money earned by jockey's mounts in one year. His total: $1,883,370.
MILEPOSTS
Honored, with sportsmanship awards of New York's Banshees: Former Olympic Boxer and New York Boxing Commissioner Edward P. Eagan; Tennis Star Althea Gibson; Oldtime Marathon Champion Johnny Hayes; Herman Hickman, onetime All-America, ex-coach (Army, Yale), trencherman extraordinary, raconteur, sportscaster, author and lecturer; Brooklyn Dodger President Walter O'Malley; New York Yankee Co-Owner Dan Topping.
HONORED—Walter (Red) Smith, word-twirling New York Herald Tribune columnist; selected for Grantland Rice Memorial Award "for outstanding sports writing in the Rice tradition," by The Sportsmanship Brotherhood, in New York.
MARRIED—Gordon Pirie, caustic-tongued British distance runner, holder of two world records (3,000 meters, 5,000 meters); and Shirley Hampton, attractive Olympic sprinter; at London.
DIED—Mildred Ella (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias, 42, top-ranking golfer, two-time basketball All-America, Olympic champion in 1932 when she broke world records for javelin throw and hurdles, named woman athlete of half century in 1950; of cancer, at Galveston, Texas (see page 66).
