The Gashouse Revisited

The only issue in the American League was when the New York Yankees would clinch their 28th pennant. Last week they made it official, and by virtue of a 14-game lead, the end came earlier than in any season since 1941. Hardly an eyelid flickered. But, ah, the National League. There it was, all balled up in that perennially fascinating last-minute scramble for the pennant.

As usual, the Los Angeles Dodgers were ahead and fighting for their lives. But this year there were few signs of the panic-stricken collapse that cost them the pennant in 1962. Since Labor Day, the Dodgers have been playing .715 baseball. The excitement came from the St. Louis Cardinals, who last won a pennant in 1946, and in recent years have been a pale shadow of the great Gashouse Gang of the '30s. The experts picked Manager Johnny Keane's Cards for fifth place. But now, ready for a fateful three-game series with the Dodgers this week, they were only a few steps behind and playing impossible baseball--winners of 17 of their last 18 games.

Veteran Curt Simmons, 34, suddenly found himself pitching three shutouts in three starts. Ernie Broglio, bothered by a recurring tendon inflammation, was strong enough to rack up his 16th victory. Shortstop Dick Groat, 32, fortified with Novocain for a painful ribcage injury, is baseball's best batter at .329.

The enduring miracle is Stan Musial, who at 42 is at last about to retire. His .257 batting average this year is well below his .333 lifetime mark. But last week in eleven trips to the plate, he belted a homer, a double and five singles, added a sacrifice fly and drove in five runs. Better still, the homer came after he sat up all night awaiting the birth of his first grandchild.

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