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SCOREBOARD
RECORD BREAKERS
Dumpty Humpty, sleek Irish-bred 4-year-old, hardly looked his name as he drew out neatly in stretch under able guidance of Jockey Pete Moreno, hothoofed six furlongs in 1:08 for new world record (old mark: 1:08 1/5, by Bolero in 1950 over same strip) in $11,000 Richmond Handicap at Golden Gale Fields, Albany, Calif. (Nov. 2). "What a trip!" exclaimed Moreno breathlessly. "The runningest dude I ever saw."
FOOTBALL
Oklahoma had another rough Saturday but not so rough as Notre Dame, Duke, Iowa and Dartmouth, which found themselves on outside looking in when unbeaten and untied teams were counted. Sooners had to fight for their lives to hold off Kansas State 13-0 while Navy got up full head of steam to upset Notre Dame 20-6; Georgia Tech outdefensed Duke 13-0; Iowa was forced to come from 14 points behind to tie Michigan 21-21; Dartmouth needed touchdown in final seconds to earn 14-14 deadlock with Yale. On calmer side, Auburn kept slate clean by beating Florida 13-0; Ohio State trounced Northwestern 47-6 to move step closer to Rose Bowl and date with Oregon, which all but clinched West Coast bid in 27-26 thriller with Stanford; Army treated President Eisenhower to awesome display of power to roll over Colgate 53-7; Texas A&M squeezed past Arkansas 7-6.
San Francisco 49ers. with Quarterback Yelberton Abraham Tittle climaxing one of his greatest pro days by passing 41 yards to End R. C. Owens in final seconds to beat Detroit 35-31, moved two games ahead of pack in NFL Western Division when Baltimore bowed to Pittsburgh 19-13 for its third straight loss. In Eastern Division, Cleveland Browns used Jimmy Brown's running and Tom O'Connell's passing to turn back Washington 21-17 and stay ahead of runner-up New York Giants, who beat Green Bay 31-17, and Steelers. In other games, Chicago Bears outscored Los Angeles 16-10; Philadelphia scored early and late to beat Chicago Cards 38-21.
HOCKEY
New York Rangers, suddenly catching fire after 4-0 loss to Detroit, shut out Boston twice 3-0 (see below) and 5-0, beat Chicago 3-2, began breathing hotly down necks of first-place Montreal Canadiens, who split, two with Toronto, beat Red Wings but saw lead cut to one point. Bruins, after losing six straight, had ex-teammate Terry Sawchuk jumping around in goal like uninhibited jitterbug, plastered him and his Detroit club 4-0 to share third with Chicago. Red Wings, rapidly going nowhere, were only point ahead of cellar-roosting Toronto.
BASKETBALL
Boston Celtics, even with only part-time service from swift-handed Bob Cousy (ailing with flu) and none at all from free-wheeling Jungle Jim Loscutoff (nursing leg injury), made it look easy as they overwhelmed Syracuse 107-83, 113-95 for fourth and fifth straight victories in NBA Eastern Division. New York Knicks basket-handled Philadelphia easily enough 123-105 to take over second. In West, Cincinnati had things tougher, splitting pair with St. Louis and losing to Detroit Pistons, who moved into first place lie with Royals. Minneapolis dropped three more, was still without win at end of second week.
BASEBALL
Hot stove league began to sizzle earlier than usual and, oddly enough, it was coaching shifts which heated up fire. Milwaukee Manager Fred Haney, who complained, "I have nobody who could take charge in my absence, and nobody who will make a decision on his own," started general house cleaning which swept out Connie Ryan, Charley Root and Johnny Riddle, added Los Angeles Dodgers' Billy Herman (who, along with Jake Pitler, had been demoted from coach to scout) to staff, set pace for other significant changes.
Dodgers, who only week earlier had signed Manager Walter Alston to new contract, decided he needed help, acquired ex-manager Charley Dressen as third-base coach just four years after Dodger President Walter O'Malley, irked by letter written by Mrs. Dressen, gave whistling Charley his walking papers because cocky but successful skipper had temerity to ask for three-year contract. Despite denial by Vice-President Buzzie Bavasi ("Dressen absolutely has no ambitions to manage club"), announcement implied win-or-else ultimatum to Alston.
Cleveland Indians, with lame-duck General Manager Hank Greenberg still pulling strings, were talking about rehiring their onetime leader, Lou Boudreau (sacked by Kansas City last September), to lend hand to new Manager Bobby Bragan.
Tommy Henrich, oldtime Yankee outfielder, parted company with San Francisco Giants, moved on to Detroit, where his main job will be to try to help Tigers beef up their hitting. Meanwhile, Giants were reported wooing Pitching Coach Bucky Walters with $25,000 offer to follow team to San Francisco.
AUTO RACING
England's Peter Collins and America's Phil Hill teamed up to roar their Ferrari 4100 around sharp curves and over twisting highways, found themselves all alone when they completed 600-mile run in 6:31:55 to win accident-marred Grand Prix of Venezuela at Caracas and give Ferrari team, which swept first four places, 1957 sports car championship over Maserati. Hap Dressel of Arlington, Va. was carted off to hospital with reported brain concussion, fractured pelvis, bad cuts on face and legs when his AC Bristol was hit by Stirling Moss's Maserati, flew into air and cracked up on highway post.
HORSE RACING
Idun, smooth-striding young lady who made all her starts winning ones to stand alone in running for 2-year-old filly crown, got happy ride by Willie Hartack to snug through $89,650 Frizette Stakes at Jamaica for her eighth straight, was sent packing off to Florida for much-deserved rest after earning record $220,955 for Owner Mrs. Charles Ulrick Bay.
Round Table, versatile 3-year-old with eye on bigger prize—this Saturday's $75,000 Trenton Handicap and possible Horse of Year clash with Gallant Man and Dedicate—warmed up with easy eight-length frolic in exhibition at Garden State, next day acquired still another potential rival in Bold Ruler, who drew steadily away with almost arrogant leisureliness despite 136-pound impost to romp home by 12 lengths in $25,575 Benjamin Franklin Handicap.
Decathlon, River Divide Farm's great 4-year-old sprint champion, made his last race before cantering off to stud at John Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm one of his very best, lugging 133 pounds to neck victory in Princeton Handicap at Garden State. Winning haul of $14,820 brought Decathlon's earnings to $269,688, gave Owner Robert J Dienst neat return on $15,500 investment. Decathlon won eight of nine starts this year, 25 of 42 in brilliant career.
Queen Elizabeth U, back home after whirlwind American visit, paid tribute to Washington hospitality, aptly registered one of her yearling geldings (by Supreme Court out of Snowberry) as White House.
SOCCER
Poland's determined booters outkicked Finland 4-0 at Warsaw, set up playoff with Russia (already beaten by Poles 2-1) to decide which country will go to World Cup finals next June.
HARNESS RACING
Lady's First, stepping smartly and resolutely to front early, stayed there all way, beating off last-furlong challenge by favored Jean Laird to win first leg of $75,000 American Trotting Classic, big apple of jug-head circuit, at Hollywood Park. Defending Champion Scott Frost pulled up lame before start, lost chance to overtake Pronto Don as alltime money winner.
BOXING
Virgil Akins, once in-and-outer who has suddenly bloomed in last year, traded bombs with good-hit good-catch Tony DeMarco, decked his man twice in 10th, once in 13th and thrice more in 14th, last time for good (see below) at Boston Garden to win Massachusetts version of vacant "world" welterweight title and throw NBA and practically everybody else who had ranked DeMarco as No. 1 contender into full-scale dither. Chuckled Akins: "I'm the champion and now all those guys who've ducked me can get in line." NBA Executive Secretary Fred Saddy queued up, threatened Massachusetts with expulsion for recognizing match as title fight, named now No 1-rated Isaac Logart, Akins, Vince Martinez and Gil Turner as eligible for elimination tournament. New York Boxing Commissioner Julius Helfand, in capacity as president of World Championship Committee, also called for elimination series, added Australia's George Barnes and Mexico's Gaspar Ortega to list.
Roy Harris, Cut and Shoot schoolteacher whose heavyweight triumphs have almost become part of Texas lore but are regarded somewhat more conservatively elsewhere, returned to action after four-month layoff, bumbled to 10-round victory over oft-beaten Willi Besmanoff before neighborly 5,000 at Houston.
Archie Moore, crafty old light heavyweight champion who has blubbered up to 193 pounds since last title defense, toyed with one Bobby Mitchell for five rounds until referee stopped mismatch, awarded him TKO at Vancouver.
Ellsworth (Spider) Webb, middleweight pride and joy of IBC's Chicago branch, had his hands full with crowding, bustling Willie Vaughn, but his sharper punches earned him 10-round decision in New York.
MILEPOSTS
HONORED—Garner W. (Sec) Taylor, veteran sports editor of Des Moines Register and Tribune: presented with Grantland Rice Memorial Award, for column in which he condemned unsportsmanlike conduct by partisan fans, by Sportsmanship Brotherhood, Inc., in New York (see page 37).
DIED—Charles William Caldwell Jr., 55, squareset, often outspoken but highly respected Princeton football coach since 1945, foremost exponent of single wing in day when T formation was predominant, Coach of Year in 1950: of cancer, at Princeton, N.J. (see page 44).
DIED—James Edward (Ted) Meredith, 64, alltime University of Pennsylvania middle distance great, World War I combat flyer, Olympian, onetime coach; after surgery for broken hip suffered in fall, at Camden, N.J. As floppy-haired 19-year-old Mercersburg Academy schoolboy, Meredith outran storied Mel Sheppard to win 800 meters in world record 1:51.9 in 1912 Olympics at Stockholm, four years later set world marks of 1:52.2 for 880, 47.4 for 440 within space of two weeks.
DIED—Robert Livingston Gerry Sr., 80, retired realtor and investment banker, once prominent polo player, patron of Thoroughbred racing and breeding, for 30 years as master of showplace Aknusti Stud, member of The Jockey Club, brother of former Senator Paul Goelet Gerry, conservative New Deal-fighting Rhode Island Democrat who died few hours earlier brother-in-law of New York's Governor Averell Harriman; after long illness, at Delhi, N Y. His most prominent horses: High Strung, winner of Pimlico and Belmont Futurities and 2-year-old champion in 1928; Peanuts, pint-sized colt who scampered home first in 18 races, set world record (1:48[3/5]) for 1‚⅛ miles.
