The sun., 1916-08-28
Yankees Will Undergo a
Severe Test This Week
Games With Tigers and Red Sox Will Determine
Chances Of Locals in Pennant Fight-Braves
and Robins in Merry Tilt for N. L. Lead.
nv FREDERICK q. LlEB.

has been the hitting. In only one game
last week the team failed to hit into
double figures. and then they made nine
blows. In the seven games on the Polo
Grounds last week the iarks whacked
out eighty hits. an average OF eleven
and IA half a game.
The Detroit club. now In second place.
also is coming strongly, for after having
an eusy time In Washington and Phila-
delphia they also won their series W
out of three In Boston. II Is up to New
York to stop the Tigers.
white Sox Slump Surprises.
The flop Of the White sox and the
Indians have been real startling TO the
fan Of Chicago and Cleveland. cspc-
cially the slump OF the White Sox. AZ
.er the White Sox took the lea carly
this month the admirers Of the Comis-
key team believed they would never
be headed. Yet Boston tool the lead
from the pallid hose Just before tho
~Rowlanders came East. The White
sox have had a miserable trip. They
did break even In Boston. but lost
three out Of four In New York and
two out OF three in Washington. They
Philadelphia, though the Athletics
are going n little better now than when
Chicago recently bea. them eight
straight In Com!skey Park.
Cleveland at last seems TO have
blown. The Indians lost all their
amc in New York and Boston. ami
even the battered Athletics took two
out CT a Ave game series. The Browni
no longer are breez!rS along as strongly
as they did out In the West. when they
threatened to sweep into the lead az
did Jones's White Sox OF 1906. For
one thing Plank has had a reaction
from the great pitching form he dis
played earlier In the month. when he
was tw.rling one and two hit games
In every start. Plank has lost all
his games in the East. having been
beaten by the Athletics. W%ashinstons
, and Yahks.
Braves Closisg Gap.
The Boston Braves are closing IN
rapidly on the Robins. The fine work Of
the Boston crew is causing ~uueas!ness
In Brooklyn. where pennant dreams are
beginning to fade. The loss OF the all
around star and captain OF the STU
perbas. Jake Daubert. was n stif blow
to the Robins. a blow from (which
Brooklyn may he unable to recover.
~Brook!yn's reserve strength was not
much 10 sneak OF. but you can: pick
IN n substitute for a man like paubert
The only thing that saved the Yankees
after their unprecedented list of In
.nria. wa "s strong rase-rc strength.
With a twenty-onc limit. the Yanks
would have been helpless.
Fred Merkle should help the Robbins
though Fred has had n poor year. lie
f. a splendid fellow and the New York
fans wish him we'll In his new sur.
~roundings. II was a severe shock "a
Manhattan fans to think that an a.!
around player like Merk,e brought nc
more on the oren market than 4 second
rate catcher ike McCarty. Brooklyr
gets all re better OF the deal.
Brooklyn also misses Jimmy John,
Hton. the coast roadster. who had de.
velo1rd into r splendid lead OF man. II,
scored many a run for the Natiora
League leaders. The team also has gone
on Il bad batting stun. Runs IN III,
past few days have been very scarce.
II vas mighty tough on a CRANE oil,
boy Ike Jack combs to lose that I To
game TO the Reds last Saturday ate
allowing only one run In his las
eighteen innings.
Phillies' Chances Grow slim.
Everything seems to be breaking I,
order for the Braves. as the Phillic.
are chuting the chutes for fair In tn
West. After losing four out OF Ave q
Ptttsburg. they also took a nice maui
'nz in 81. Louis.
The Braves continue To win with
handful OF hits and with an outfel,
that Is averaging around 200 at bal
They constitute abou: the weakest hit
ting team in either league. yet fin
pitching is helping the team win man.
games. and Dick Rudolph. who seeme'
TO be going badly early In the year
has hit his top form. Right now /
looks as though the Braves can't h
stopped. Dick has won his last TEL
games.
Giants Playing Like Bushers.
t The Giants are a deplorable lot. Sine
leaving home they have played -four
' teen games. Of which they won two
lest eleven and tied one. With the wa,
Brooklyn and Philadelphia are falter
Y ing the New Works still would have ha
' a chance for the pennant had the
played any kind of ball, on this trip. \
any rate. no one believed that the!
A.; first division berth WAS In danger. a
!. they had o lead Of 81. games over ~.
place when they left home. This ha
;. been cut down to eia games, At tn
p rate the Giants are sliding they ar
/ doomed TO flop among tine y. l.. rea
guard.
: One OF the biggest reversals of fori
y shown all season has been flashed h
0 the Western National League team
;, stree they returned home. In the Ia.
they were as putty before the etron
n Ia stern teams. but Just now they a,
: making 1t interesting for all caller
Especially the Cardinals seem to ha,
rome mad with the heat. They beat II
Y Bra ven twice then suuf out the l,Ian.