New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-16
YANKEES HOPE TO
CLIMB AT Home
Chance Has Aspirations
for a Berth in First
Division.
TEAM IMPROVING
IN IT'S BATTING
Inability to Run the Bases Is
Greatest Weakness of
the Club.

The Yankees will return TO the Polo
Grounds tomorrow afternoon after a
long trip through the heart Of the enc
mics country. They will play on their
home heath until September II, with
break of three days, from September =
to ii inclusive, when the Senator'S Will
be met in three game series IN wash
ington. Although in the lowly sew
enth position, Frank L. Chance and ms
men have not abandoned hope OF hght-
ing their way into the first DIVISION,
at any rate to the top Of the second
division. Before this can be accom-
plished the St. Louis Browns, the Chi
cago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers
must be passed.
The hopes Of the Yankees are in
spired by their successful campaign
through the West. Between July 70
and August 10, with only one day OF
rest, the teams played twenty games.
OF these eleven were won and nine lost:
Chance believes that if his team could
do so well when playing away from
home and before hostile crowds he VIII
surely climb with the advantages that
come with a protracted stay at home.
Whatever the hopes Of the Yankees,
truth of history demands that 1t be
recorded that only one series was won,
while by dint of furious struggling
they earned an even break in an
other. A most profitable series against
the Cleveland Maps, those denizens OF
the lowly cellar position, made 1t pos
sible for them to show gain Tor the
trip.
They played seven games in the For
est CITY and won six Of them. lhey
divided n four game series with the
Browns. The White SoX downed them
in three games of a five game series
while the Tigers clawed them IN three
games out of four
Perhaps the most cheering feature OIL
the trip through the West was the way
in which the team nit Scotted at De,
cause of their weak batting, dubbed
the 9Hitless Wonders" the Yankees
suddenly. became able TO slug the ball.
In the twenty games played no fewer
than 179 hits were made, an average
of almost niHe TO the game. The Chl-
cago White Sox won the American
League pennant with an average Oh
fewer to the game. High water marx
in the batting was reached on August
: in the game against the Tigers, when
TWENTY-FIVE hits were made. Batting
strength ebbed on July %, when, con.
fronted by the mighty death Valley
Jim Scott, they made only three hits:
In fast, the Chicago pitching stan
bothered them more than any other
thew met on the trip. In the four
games they averaged five hits TO the
game. while the much Wanted Detroit
twirlers were tickled for forty-three
safeties.
The advent of Birdie Cree has
stirred the Yankees to greater activity
with the stick Since Cree has made
his sensational climb into the charmed
300 circle the other men have become
keener of visage and developed the
ability to time their swing to greater
advantage Charlie Mullen's hitting has
been particularly timely.
With the greater offensive power, the
fact that more victories are not won
or more runs scored is perhaps due TO
the inability to run the bases. Too
MANY hits are required to drive the
men around.
The pitchers are going along well.
Although Ray Caldwell showed signs
of faltering under the pace he has
maintained by losing the last two
games he pitched, Ray Fisher is sweep
ing into his own again. Brown is going
along nicely and Cole has shown signs
of settling down to serious business.
There is nothing serious the matter
with Caldwell, and he will undoubtedly
return to winning form in a few days.
with Heating pitching cleverly, War
hop ready to do relief work and Pieh
and McHale TO step in in emergency,
the Yankees have a fair chance to
climb