The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-04
PIRATES MAKE HARD
SHEDDING FOR GIANTS
Getting Full Benefit Of Their
Strength and Breaks
From Weather.
AMERICAN LEAGUE SHIFTS
Climb Of Athletics Last Weeks
Feature-DOc Crandall
TO the Front.
LEAGUE SHIFTS

With such intermittent playing as the
weather permitted the Giants improved
both their position and their percentage
las: week. winning three games and losing
one. They advanced from seventh place
TO the first division and from percentage
OF 1913 to 800. The Brooklyns lost ground,
the Pirates and Phillies more than held
their own, the Cincinnatls gained a trihe,
and the Cardinals. Cubs and Bostons
finished the week with smaller per-
centages than when they began 1t.
The New York Americans Just broke
even on games won and lost during the
week. but there was bigger shifting among
the clubs in this league than in the Ma
tional. The Detroits. who have shown I'M
expected strength but whose strength
won't be proved until the Eastern teams
are met, had no trouble holding first
place. The 81. Louis Browns actually
moved forward from sixth place to third
the reputed strong Boston Red Sox made
sorry showing and the Clevelands
showed no inclination to get out OF last
place. The Washingtons gained one game
during the week. and the big feature Of
the period was the ascent Of the Athletics
from seventh to second place and the big
drop OF the White Sox from second to
sixth place.
The quality Of baseball played so far
has been conspicuously variable, with
much of poor quality. such as might h. ex-
pected in wet and chilly weather and on
heavy fields. The same conditions that
have affected the attendance have affected
the playing, the attendances in several
cities having been affected by the unrest
Of the winter and spring due to baseball
war and split up patronage. Settled
"a har N, m haln
The Giants are In for harder time
working their way to the front than they
have been accustomed to In recent seasons.
In so far as positions held at this time are
a criterion of strength. they have had
harder opposition than the Pirates, since
they have been against two teams which
are in the first division. whereas the
Pirates have been against none. Missing
frequent games from the schedule also
10 a handicap and more so for strong
team. Nevertheless the Pirates have done
all that could be asked OF them. The
number OF games they have won evinces
intrinsic strength. whatever the ability OF
opponents. and strength which can bring
In victories from all opponents met Is the
sort to be respected.
The Pirates. with their strength. have
been able TO get in more games than the
Giants. and have had the advantage OF
OF their playing skill. Still. they have
made the most of 1t. and the task Of over
hauling them is none the easier for the
Giants simply because the weather inter-
ference with the latters schedule has been
a handicap. AS the Pirates have long
stretch of home games before they come
east they are likely to stick up there for
another month. opposed to the proba-
bility of their not being overhaued at
all Is the fact that the Giants are a strong
road team can hit more consistently than
they are doing now and have IA pitching
stan which when all hands are in form
viii be hard to equal.
The Brooklyns are doing well. and tho
fine Italian hand of Robbie Is seen in their
increased base running enterprise a fly
in the ointment is that they haven't been
able to take a game from the Philles.
These two teams will come together again
this week. when the Dodgers hope TO make
up for opportunities lost ut home last
week. So far they have outplayed both
the Giants and Bostons and owe their
position mainly to what they have done
against the Bostons. whom everybody is
outplaying. The poor work ot the Cubs
is development Of note to date. Better
work may he looked Tor from this team
II the individual playing strength It has
is to count FOR anything.