The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-23
INJURIES MAY YET AWARD THE BANNER
 OF BANS LEAGUE
BY MONTY

New York July 22.-When all the Amer ican league teams get their cripples back into the lineup the race is likely to be much hotter and closer than it Is today. Seldom has every team been hit by in iuries and sickness as has been the case this season.
 Detroit has been running along well to date but has felt the absence of its hard hitting first baseman, Gainor. This stellar player was one of the leading swatters of the Tigers, and his absence has been felt even though Delehanty has been playing a first-class game at the initial sack The team will gain greatly in of- fensive work when Gainor is back on the job for good Cobb is now out of the game and his absence will be felt.
 Cleveland has been without the serv- ices of it's grand good Larry Lajoie. With out him the Maps are not the same. His fielding is equal to that of any other in- fielder in the business. His batting needs no comment. When he is back at the job Cleveland will be a much more formid- able aggregation than 1t has been in the past few weeks.
 They had hard luck down at Phladel- phia when the world champions had both Barry and Collins out of the lineup at the same time. In fact they were so crippled that the White Sox cleaned up the whole series on them when they in vaded the Windy City. Now Collins has returned to the game, but a oad shoulder still gives him trouble.
 Chicago has also had it's tough going. At present the Sox are without the aid of the new star in the shortstop field. Corhan. When Ford beaned this recruit here he broke up the already shattered inheld, which has worn the Chicago colors this season, for Mcconnell early in the season suffered sprained ankle. Even out of it several times this season from injuries. If anything happened to the Sox infield one shudders to think whore Chicago would land.
 Then the Yankees! With Hal Chase, sterling hitter, first baseman and leader. out Of the game for considerable period this had an ill effect on the team, in fact the Yankees have scarcely recovered from the disaster to date. They are, how ever going along better now.
 Washington lost heavily in the sickness which overlook Walter Johnson. it's best pitcher and one of the best who ever broke into baseball. He is not up to snuff even today, and the season is well ad- yanced. too. The Senators have banked on Walter-had hoped to work him at least every fourth day and sometimes every third game. But they were without his performances a long time, and he IS not winning as consistently now as last season.
 Purtell has been the i'll member of the Boston Red Sox. and Wagner, the cork ing shortstop, also was out of 1t good long time Bill Purtell had been expected to cut up all sorts of capers around thiro base. but the Red Sox- have had to be content with using another man there Tn fact they are so hard pressed John l. Taylor is scurrying around for another third sacker. In the swap last season Chicago seems to have gotten the better of it. as the Sox are playing Lord at third regularly, while Pitcher Smith, who went to Boston in the deal, is no longer with the team, and Purtell Is practically out of it.
 So it seems that of all the eight clubs, St. Louis is the only one which has been free from sickness and injuries-but the Browns are hopelessly last This is the one squad which does not seem to be up to snuff this season, despite frantic ef- forts by Manager Bobby Wallace and ths owners.