VX7HETHER it Is Eddie Dyer's ' * Cardinals or Leo Durocher's Dodgers who will be called on to meet Joe Cronin's Red Sox this tall, there is one basic idea you can keep in mind?neither National league team is going to surrender in ad vance. No other teams in baseball have been so well seasoned under fire A 11 l.t? at u ihii n^iu uivu UlC final September atretch. There has been no resting spot for either club ? no loafing time or any recess ia the day by-day battle for the top. Both Car dinals and Dodgers by now should have steel - shod nerves Stan Musial (aider the pressure that has kept both teams hustling to the limit in an all summer dog fight that has been one of the best in maay years. Both Cardinals and Dodgers are loaded with dtad-game ball players out to give all they have?such men as Pete Reiser, Peewee Reese, Ed Stankey, Dixie Walker, Stan Musial, Marty Marion, Country Slaughter, Whitey Kurowski, Terry Moore and others from both scrappy camps. Their batting records show no sack power as the Red Sox com mand Howie Pollet may be their only ?0-game winner. But there is more than enough class on either team to give anyone a battle over the sprint route that a world series calls for. While neither Mnsial nor Walker has been able to torn on Tad Williams' power, both have boon outhitting the Red Sox star through the greater part of the year. The averages tell you that. Reiser, in condition, is one of the most valuable ball players baseball can show when you consider his worth at bat, in a pinch, in the field and around the bases. The averages and the records of the field also prove that Musial is quite likely to out-hit Williams by a rather wide margin; not in the way of home runs, but in league leadership. Musial is one of the finest hitters we've seen in many years. His lifetime average ia close to Williams', who has slipped a trifle from ,3Sd to something around .333, which isn't too soggy for sev eral years. uaignc 01 musial ana walker, neither Cardinals nor Dodgers hat other run-making hitters to match Peaky, Doerr and York, slashing Ted's three aiding musketeers. Eddie Dyer on Pitching After all, the pitching can play a star part In any world series, as pitching usually does. 4 We were talking with Eddie Dyer, the Cardinal manager, about this section of the world series argu ment. "fa* the first place," Dyer said, "thp Cardinals haven't yet won the National league pennant this season. The Dodgers are a tough team to catch and shake loose. They don't seem to discourage easily. But if the Cardinals do manage to break in and get a shot at the Red Sox, I have a rather hazy idea our pitch ing staff can worry them a lot "We have some left-handers that Williams and a namber of others might not like too well. And if George Monger can work back to his old form In the next few weeks. well have our share of good right handers to match any staff ? and that Includes the Red Sox staff." No ooe can be sure yet Just how flood the Red Sox pitching is. There have been too many games where a Red Sox pitcher could dish out a flock of hits and runs, and yet breeze home. We were rather astonished to see that Dave Ferris and Tex Hughson, two Red Sox mainstays, had allowed more hostile hits than any two pitchers in their circuit. Both had been tapped safe ly well over 200 times, where Spud Chandler had allowed only 131 hita and -Ha) Newhouser only 173, far below the Ferris-Hughson totals. The Red Sox have wrecked the American league through a killing margin in runs, base hits and runs batted in. Their stampede has been based on raw power, on attack, not on defense. Hughson, undoubtedly one of the best pitchers now at work, has had a rather spotty year, being slightly over the .300 mark with a great run-making machine at his back. Ferris has been their star workman, but even the able Ferris has absorbed his share of manhandling more than once. Red Sox ISo Cinch Bet The Red Sox will be favored to win. but anyone who makes them lopsided favorites can be labelled a trifle curious in the cupola. As all around good as the Red Sox are, and they are good enough, up and down the line, they are no Invinci ble, overwhelming force against ei ther of the two fast, game outfits. The mala harden of proof is also on broad Red Sox backs who are uspoeird by too many oamp follow ers to win a foar or Its game romp. BOBBY SOX Br Marty Links "I Just can't keep up the pace anymore?like I used to in junior hi*h!" CROSS TOWN By Roland Coe "Here I am for my music lesson, professor?and as usual, too tired to take it!" NANCY By Ernie Bmhmiller I I I HAVE TO \ " PRACTICE My DANCING / LESSONS^? ^ WOW?IT SURE IS HOT }> -yJOD Ay i THIS HEAT * IS AWFUL MUTT AND JEFF By Bud Fisher i i /H?y/f NIX, HELP/) IsUPPEwj ? MUTT, I UETGOL OF My Ml ^LE6S.^T /will] [not!i |/yoo Bis i.us?l Ilet\v i legs or i'll % Sock YOU -ivwitrttrtis cane / , MAMA.POP]