Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-26
MAJOR LEAGUES ARE IN
MIDST OF GREAT RACES
Seven Teams in National Are Closely
Bunched for First
HOnors.
ROBINS STILL IN LNIELIGHT
Brooklyn Has Great Chance to Finish
on Top of Heap-Red Sox, in
Great Squirt, Soon to BE Home.
White Sox Forced to Lay Of

Both the major league races continue
| to develop new points of interest, but
the struggle in the National Is claim
ing the maximum OF attention on the
part of baseball fans.
Seldom has the fight for the PEN
nant been so close at this stage of the
game in any organization as in the
| Tener circuit this year. The Boston
Braves just two rounds above the
bottom Of the ladder, for example, are
right now only So points behind Phil
adelphia. In first place. In the inter-
mediate positions. Brooklyn, Chicago
Pittsburgh and New York are on
fairly even terms.
! The prospects of the Cubs seem at
this juncture to be about the poor
est of any of the lot mentioned, for
they have been on the down grade for
some time and appear unable to strike
winning gait Six straight losses
during the week dropped them TO third
position. The Phillies played their
usual steady game and maintained
their advantage. The Brooklyns also
gave no signs of wnvcring and pulled
| up into second place by capturing five
out Of seven games.
The record OF Philadelphia so far
this season is one Pat Moran may be
proud of. The leader of the Quakers
had little to start with, but the PROM
ise of steady work on the part of
| Grover Alexander and the virtual GER
tainty that "Gavvy" Cravath would
contribute frequent hits. Both men
have fulfilled expectations. but in adj
i lac l,,,1
infeld. while the outer works have
proven strong and the box work gem
orally better than could have been ex-
pected. Mayors. Chalmers, Rixey and
Demaree all have performed excellent
ly. while the catching department.
headed by the efficient Killifer. has
been more than up to the mark
The work CT Brooklyn continues to
excite enthusiasm among the patrons
OF Ebbets field. for, although the Rob
ms lost two games during the week
they won five and have dropped ONLY
five out of their last twenty seven, one
game ending in n tie. Robinson's new
men now are strong second and
making the Phillies hustle to keen
ahead OF them
Pittsburgh and New York are run
ming neck-and-neck with the Pirates
poets of the twd Fred Clarke seems
optimistic over the Pirates chances
for his infield, still steadied as it is
by the veteran Wagner. is improving
| in efficiency right along. and his box
men are holding their end up we'll. He
has n wonder In Mamux, and such vet
Grams on the staff as Adams, Harmon
and McQuillan are valuable assets
st. Louis dropped rapidly during the
week. losing five out of seven games,
and Cincinnati continues in the ruck,
seeming unable to do better than win
one game in a series
American Lengue Fight.
The American League battle still lies
between the only three clubs in the
circuit that have shown real class this
season-Boston. Chicago and Detroit.
The White Sox have not been doing
well of late, and President Comiskey
has seemed very much upset about 1t.
Obviously. he had cause for regret that
Manager Rowland was suspended a n
critical stage of the game, for the
White SoX leader had been guiding the
club along a road that appeared to be
leading 10 pennant honors and worlds
series money. The loss OF the lead
the club had held so long was regret
table from a Chicago standpoint. but
the ardent supporters of the team are
convinced that the slump was such ms
any team. however capable. may ex-
perience at some stage of the race,
and that the recession is only tempo
rary. The river disaster Of Saturday
in Chicago caused both the games of
that day and to-day to be postponed
and deprived the White Sox of the
chance of further improving their
standing by Beating New York.
There has been no denying Boston
in recent weeks, however, and the Red
Sox. now fairly we'll entrenched in
first position, arc due at home within
n few days for n long stay. They lost
only one game of the eight played
during the week. and started in we'll
on the new playing period against ST.
Louis to-day
Detroit remains in third place, al
though ut one time during the week
1t was ahead of the White Sox The
Tigers had the pleasure OF beating
Walter Johnson in the first game of
Saturdays double header but lost a
chance to regain second place by drop
ping the second game to Washington,
while Chicago was idle. To-day an
other opportunity to gain percentage
points slipped by Jennings's men. the
Griffith contingent, with Walter John
son playing relief role. taking another
game from the Tigers.
Washington has pushed New York
out Of first division berth, the Yam
KEGS, after making fairly good record
in the other three cities of the West
ern circuit, falling down hard in Chi
cago, and possibly being saved further
humiliation by the postponements of
Saturday and to-day
Better play by Cleveland, which
took five in row from Philadelphia
and set record of six straight vic
tories. put them ahead Of the Athletics,
who appear to be going from bad to
worse as the season progresses. St
Louis continues to play Indifferent ball.
The record in each league of games
played won and lost, with runs, hits,
follows:
National League.
P. w. Il. r. IT. f. LIB.
PHILADELPHIA s S 9 AZ rs G as