A worldwide roundup of the sports information of the week
BASEBALL—MILWAUKEE slipped safely past last crucial hurdle, managed to save two out of five from hustling Pittsburgh to hold 7½-game lead over Pirates. San Francisco Giants, thanks to four victories in six games with Dodgers, ran neck-and-neck with Pirates until they hit Chicago, where they lost three straight, slipped 9½ games off pace and only two ahead of streaking Redlegs, who walloped Phillies six times, pushed them into cellar.
New York Yankees began week by beating Washington 7-6 for Bob Turley's 20th, won three out of four from Boston, but Senators went on binge, took three in row be-for Yanks won 7-0. But Yankee luck held up as Chicago went into tailspin against Cleveland, muddled along 12 games behind and only one half game ahead of Red Sox.
TENNIS—ASHLEY COOPER, phlegmatic Aussie, found himself down two sets to one, but recovered brilliantly to overtake Countryman Mai Anderson 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 10-8, 8-6 for U.S. Singles Championship at Forest Hills and complete rare triple (other titles: Wimbledon, Australian). Althea Gibson held firm under pressure, got her big game working in time to defeat Darlene Hard 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 for her second crown, then announced she would retire for "at least a year" to devote herself to developing career as a singer.
BOATING—"COLUMBIA" and "VIM," with Easterner and Weatherly eliminated, headed into final America's Cup trials at Newport. Columbia, showing superior speed, outsailed older rival twice in first three races to put gleam in eyes of selection committee. Next day, Vim won to remain alive, caused gleam to flicker (see page 16).
Germany swept three titles in European rowing championships at Poznan, but Italy's eight-oared strokers pulled off biggest shocker, showing open water to Philadelphia's Vesper Club and Russia's favored Trud crew to win 2,000-meter duel in 6:19.5.
Outboard jockeys, booming up and down Oklahoma's Lake McAlester, sent NOA records flying like leaves in a hurricane, hauled down eight in three days. The record breakers: Bill Tenney of Crystal Bay, Minn., 56.972 mph in Class A hydro; Charles Adams of Auburndale, Fla., 57.804 mph in Class B hydro; Mel Callaway of Phoenix, 51.933 mph in Class C hydro; O. B. Aylor of Tyler, Texas, 64.368 mph in Class F hydro; Deanie Montgomery of Corsicana, Texas, 48.283 mph in Class A runabout; Dub Parker of Gadsen, Ala., 52.340 mph in Class B runabout; Bill Holland of Houston, 58.202 mph in Class D runabout; Clay Tettefer of Lake Charles, La., 70.866 mph in Class F runabout.
FOOTBALL—CHICAGO BEARS took full advantage of End Harlon Hill's pass-snatching talents to beat Detroit 24-17 in pro exhibition at Dallas. Other results: Pittsburgh's Earl Morrall tossed two scoring passes to beat Baltimore 13-10 at Buffalo; Washington outscored Philadelphia 35-31 at Jacksonville, Fla.; Ollie Matson's running and Bobby Joe Conrad's kicking gave Chicago Cards 27-26 squeaker over Los Angeles at Seattle; Green Bay thumped New York 41-20 at Boston; San Francisco held off Cleveland 21-16 at San Francisco.
HORSE RACING—RALPH LOWE and FRED TURNER, pair of Midland, Texas oilmen, enjoyed profitable week. Lowe pocketed record $1,333,333 from sale of three-quarters' interest in tiny 4-year-old Gallant Man to syndicate of 18 headed by Kentucky Horse Trader Leslie Combs II, could afford to feel little pain two days later when Gallant Man looked like anything but million dollars in $28,700 Sysonby at Belmont. Lugging 134 pounds, English-bred started slowly, had trouble finding racing room, finished fifth to Greentree's Cohoes.
Turner plucked $50,980 from $90,090 Del Mar Futurity, richest 2-year-old race ever run on West Coast, with undefeated (6 for 6) bay Tomy Lee. Under gentle urging by Jockey Willie Shoemaker, who deserted old buddy Gallant Man for day, latest California Derby hope smothered seven rivals to win by three lengths. Bought in England for $6,672 in 1956, Tomy Lee's earnings have now reached tidy $138,380.
Clem, named for Race Caller Clem McCarthy, choked back acting millionaire Round Table's assault on Nashua's alltime earnings record, roared to early lead and 3-length romp in $139,650 Washington Park Handicap. Reasoned Round Table's Owner Travis Kerr: "After all, we still got a ham sandwich [$25,000] while the winner was getting a square meal [$94,175]."
BOXING—CARMEN BASILIO, his scraggy face showing little emotion as he methodically dismantled arrogant Art Aragon with deadly blows to body and head, was almost as relieved as his sliced-up opponent when referee stopped middleweight fight in eighth at Los Angeles (see page 58).
Tony Anthony, No. 2 light heavyweight contender, stuck timid toe into heavyweight ranks, was something less than ball of fire in 10-rounder with cagey Archie McBride at Syracuse, N.Y. Anthony, flustered and confounded by McBride's crowding, salvaged split decision by bouncing rival to canvas in fourth and sixth rounds.
INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPORTS—BRITAIN'S MIKE HAWTHORN, at wheel of Ferrari, trailed Tony Brooks' Vanwall to finish in 249-mile Grand Prix of Italy at Monza but moved step closer to world driving title when Stirling Moss was forced out by gear trouble. Hawthorn earned six points, now leads Moss 42-32 with only Grand Prix of Morocco left. Brooks' winning time: 2:03.47.8. His speed: 121.167 mph.
Hod-Rodders celebrated Labor Day weekend in bang-bang fashion. At Bonneville's Salt Flats, Mickey Thompson of El Monte, Calif., who got his twin-engine Chrysler Class E streamliner up to unofficial speeds of 286.852 and 294.117 mph, clocked 266.866 mph for two-way U.S. record. At Oklahoma City, Art Arfons roared his Green Monster at 156.25 mph for new drag mark.
USAC's first pro sports car race attracted assorted group of stock, big car, midget and sports car drivers and some 15,000 buffs to Lime Rock, proved that best cars usually win. George Constantine, 40, a Massachusetts Civil Defense director, kept tail pipe of his 3.9-liter Aston Martin snorting in faces of pursuers as he whipped around 1½-mile course at 78.83-mph average, was well in front of runner-up Bruce Kessler, in 3.5-liter Ferrari, when rain forced halt at end of 93rd lap.
TRACK & FIELD—AUSTRALIA'S amazing HERB ELLIOTT, at no time looking nearly as weary as he claimed to be, pranced mile in 3:55.4, second only to his 3:54.5 world record, at London, moved on to Oslo, where two days later he hustled 1,500 meters in 3:37.4, also second-fastest time ever. With 10 under-four-minute miles behind him this year, Elliott admitted, "I am beginning to tire," headed for home and six-month rest from competition.
GOLF—U.S. AMATEURS, warming up for national championship at San Francisco's Olympic Country Club, had easy time of it, piling up 30 points to 17 for Canada, seven for Mexico in defense of America's Cup. Biggest surprise: Gary Cowan, curly-topped 19-year-old Canadian, who upset Americans Harvie Ward and Hillman Robbins.
HARNESS RACING-ADIOS HARRY, J. Howard Lyons' ailing 7-year-old who is world's fastest pacer (1:55 for mile), returned to winning form at Yonkers Raceway, picked up $5,000 purse in free-for-all to boost earnings to $340,990 and regain title (from Lord Steward) as harness racing's biggest money winner.
BRIDGE—ITALY'S contract bridge world champions, subject of recent controversy which resulted in official censure of U.S. star Tobias Stone, started slowly, drove to third straight European championship by winning 13 successive matches at Oslo. Italy's Walter Avarelli, Giorgio Belladonna, Eugenio Chiaradia, Massimo D'Alelio, Guglielmo Siniscalco and Pierre Forquet will defend world title against U.S. team (to be selected in October playoff between Vanderbilt-winning Fishbein squad and Rothlein group) in U.S. next February.
SWIMMING—RUSSIANS thrashed off with men's title in European championships at Budapest, but there was plenty of glory for Netherlands' quick-kicking Lenie de Nijs, Ada Den Haan, Atie Voorbij and Cockie Gastelaats, who set world record of 4:52.9 in 400-meter medley to help Dutch capture women's team crown; 17-year-old Scotsman Ian Black, who scored triple in 200-meter butterfly, 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle; Hungary's free-wheeling swimmers, who outroughed Soviets 4-2 in water polo.
