Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-05
EASTERN BASEBALL VIEW
GIVEN BY HAL SHERIDAN

Written for the United Press
NEW YORK. June 3.--lf all the wild
Happenings of May-durin% which the
Giants went rolling and tumblln% INTO
the second division. Brooklyn fairly sci
the league on fire and hung tight ia
the flying Phillies only to slow down
later. ana the PittSbur% Pirates graced
tie second set-if these and nthe" sur
priSeS We're rolled into one big COB Of
fireworks. they shouldn't amount 10
as much as penny tirecracker if June
runs true to the seasons series Of sur
prises in the National League.
Taken as a whole. the league seems
TO be too evenly balanced to permit a
blaze through The circuit that would
carry any one of the favored far enough
in the next few weeks to clinch the
flag. The Phillies. long jinX ridden.
this season have shown as much claim
to pennant consideration as the next
one and cOntenderS cannot lOter until
they turn into The stretch and then
expect to get away with it. If the
Giants and Pirates set under full steam
and the Phillies continue to hold up,
look ont for the packing Of four teams
in The first division like sardines in a
box
1t is long weary journey from June
until October, and as some sage re
marked without fear of successful
contradiction" that Rome was not built
in day, 50 it may he said with
equal safety that pennantS are not won
IN day or week. or 4 month for
that matter. Philadelphia. New York
and Pittsburg appear to be the best
bets for the ultimate National League
leaders. Philadelphia has been going
great guns, the Pirates have been try
ing hard and with the exception of
| several unfortunate accidents TO mem
bers have shown class that is danger
Gus to the aspirations of other teams.
With the Giants there has been some
thing lacking that it isn't too late yet
to get-the ferocious fighting fervor
that returned McGraw a winner twice
in succession. They have occasionally
it has been wild slashing and tearing,
not the systematic, calculating attack
Of two and three years ago.
Outside of MathewSon, the pitching
department of the Giants during May
fell way below all expectations. Mar
guard has been q complete flzzle and
TeSreau an in-and- d-outer. Also the
batting of the team slumped. All of
which, MaWruSS, is enough already.
Taking it throughout. however, it has
not been 50 much that last years
ituc w tlttIDlOIlS dlc WcdhtE Us IL has
been that the clubs they are PLAYING
this year are better ones than those
they played during the same period OF
last year. The Cardinals and Brooklyn
especially are stronger. PittSburg is
not as much stronger as it was cracked
up to be, but the Pirates certainly have
played better ball so far in 1913 than
they played up TO the same time in
1912. The question finally resolves
itself into how big lead either the
Giants or the Pirates are going to let
the Phillies grab off before they come
to their senses and get together
Unless the prophesied braces and
breaks come soon, however, it will be
up to the federal department Of Justice
at Washington to keep an eye on the
City of BrOtherly Love. To owners
and managers of 4 I major league clubs,
if not to the authorities at Washington.
1t is as plain as noses on faces that
an individual named Cornelius McGiI-
licuddy, alias Connie Mack. and a Ger