New-York tribune., 1908-07-13


his rigtts, has proved himself a good sports
---on end 2 strong supporter of racing under
conditions that would have led nine out OF ten
men TO throw UP their hands and retire as
gracefully as possible rather than face almost
sure loss in the conduct II a meeting foho"-
sns the adverse legislation at Albany, Mf. Butter
was among the first to announce that the stakes
offered by the Empire City Racing Association
would be run of as advertised, and following
This his representatives agreed last week 10
share part of his allotted dates with the sara
,ogs Rscing Association in order TO avoid
,o,Aic+ and TO conduct the meeting which was
scheduled for Yonkers at Brighton beach III
order 70 save horsemen the expense ana uou"ie
of shipping from their regular quarters "'
rzravesend Sheepshead and Brighton Beach
The Saratoga Racing Association deserves Iiluch
credit also for sacrificing seven days OF lhe
midsummer meeting and for maintaining some
>. ,te rich stakes and reopening others Under
.t ,,.,v arrangement of dates Saratoga VIII
-,,, eftsen davs and the outlook is remarkably
bright for a good meeting. even under the
changed conditions
r,. Yankees are now safely established in
,.S+ ,lace in the American League pennant race
ena II begins TO look if they would stay
.ta-a for the rest of the season. as the team
q, disorzanized TO all appearances and the men
sre discouraged Never perhaps, in the history OF
baseball has any team so strong lhulNloudhS
as the Yankees fallen so quickly from the Top
rung of the ladder to the lowest depths On
Hume L barely six weeks ago, the Yankees were
marching along in the lead, with hlgh hopes
and great expectations of winning the American
. League championship, and now, on July lS' they
sre trailing along in last place, and, IN the
words Of the poet there are none so poor 10
do them reverence. In that time the team has
r,aved forty-tNo games, of which thirty-two
sere bitter defeats the more bitter as the team
which appeared TO be cast in championship
mould continued 10 lose game after game, giving
an exhibition of baseball which would have done
discredit in some instances to schoolboy nine
The record of the Yankees last week was
6istressingly bad up 10 Saturday, when they
furnished a pleasureable surprise by winning a
double header. on the way back from Wash
ington they stopped off and lost a game to the
Philadelphia Athletics on Monday and then
came back TO American League Park where 1t
was hoped and thought that a change for the
better would come, TO lose five straight games
10 the Detroit Tigers. who won the league
championship last year Then the long looked
for break came, and when least expected the
team turned and, thanks largely TO the brilliant
pitching OF Hogg and Lake, won two games at
the expense of Cleveland 1t relief TO
the new manager, is losing flesh by the pound
fn worrying and struggling to put end to
the awful slump No doubt he is doing his best
but IN times like these nine out Of every ten
followers OF the team think they could do bet
ter and spend most # their time in critcising
and finding fault. They can't understand why
Chase, generally ranked the best first base
man in the country, should have been tried out
.n the field; why two or three pitchers should
them q chance settle down and get needed
rest; why this or that change is not made in
the batting order; why Stahl, one of the strong
est hitters. should be sold. These questions are
hard to answer. and for the time being Elber-
field must be let alone 20 do the best he can
Cleveland will be at American League Park for
three garres this week and St Louis for three,
and the Yankees have hard row TO hoe.
The Giants lost precious ground in the Ma
tionaI League race last week, winning only two
OF the six games played Three times they were
within a game OF second place but each time
stepped back instead or being able TO climb up
q notch The team broken even with Cincinnati,
thanks TO Mathewson, who won both his games.
but lost two the Pittsburg Pirates who are
fighting hard keep the Giants out of
ond place Philadelphia treated Pittsburg TO &
surprise early in the week so that the Chicago
Cubs worked back 20 the lead on Wednesday,
but they are far from secure unless the Giants
can hold the Pirates al bay to-day and to-mor-
row. Matty will probably pitch one game of a
coubae header this afternoon, In which case there
is hope for victory On Wednesday the Giants
VIII move on 10 Chicago for the first of four
game series, so that they wiz have their work
cut out 10 hold their ewn. John ] MeGraw the
manager Of the team under the direction of
President Brush, is sparng no pains IN
strengthen the team Mccormick the outrelder
purchased from Philadelphia, has made a good
impression. getting less than four hits against
Pittsburg on Friday. If he continues to find the
ball he may play regularly in Shannon's place
Brain, utility In4-~lder, needed, as Merkle
will be out Of the game for some time with his
injured foot while Herzog is still sulking at his
homs. Brain is good all around player. Nc