New-York tribune., 1916-07-17
Decisive Week
Now ConfrOntS
D0u0van Clan
Oldring Strengthens Team Sadly
Weakened by Injuries to
Star Players.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

Another decisive week confrents the
Yankees, where they face eight games
before starting West next Saturday
night.
They enter the second and more de-
cisive stage Of the home seige one
game to the good, with three games
against the Tigers and five games
against the Browns. Doublelheader5
to-day and Wednesday are on the bill,
which is not quite so badly packed as
last weeks card.
To show how merrily the cut-throat
process in the American League race
is working out, the Yanks have dropped
sevxen of their last ten games and yet
have been able 70 protect the narrow
lead they picked up fortnight ago.
Before Gillholley and Baker were
rendered hors du combat, and the
Yanks for the first time had their full
strength in the field, they were able to
win twenty out of .wenty-four games.
This long stretch furnished the best
baseball of the year, fair proof thai
Donovan with his full power intact
had the best ball club in the circuit.
But Gilhooleey's injury, Nunamaker's
suspension and Bakers injury took
away bale OF power from the Dono
van troop, who have recovered some
thing. however, in the addition OF Rube
Oldring.
Oldring is not only a good ball play
er, but a smart one. Saturday he
worked his head off 10 win. So, while
the Yanks are bound 10 miss two such
earnest athletes as Gilhooley and
Baker, they are not yet definitely de-
throned for good Lee Magee has
started batting again. Hughey High
is playing brilliantly both on offence
and defence With Oldring added, tn =
outfeld is still first class.
There will be no weakening Of the
infeld defence with Lutte Boone at
third. and there are still two sides
left in Paddy Bauman and Charley
Mullen. SO the esteemed Yanks are
not yet shot TO pieces. They have
suffered grievously from unkempt fate,
but they are still a game 10 the goo :,
a
class defence 70 back this pitching up
The Red Sox still have the Tigers
10 face this week for ABOUT five games,
and the White Sox still have Walter
Johnson and Harry Harper left, after
leaving the Mackian oasis on Tuesd& T..
SO no one club has any soft spot
ahead except Cleveland which faces
five games in Philadelphia with vast
pleasure.
Donovan's club would esteem il con-
siderable bliss 10 leave here Saturday
about three games TO the good Just
at present New York is one game be
yond Cleveland, one and one-half
games beyond Boston, three games
beyond Chicago, three and one-half
games in front of Detroit and four
games over Washington. In a highly
technical situation of this sort there
is no safe shift except to peel off
few victories. and the Yanks, after
dropping seven out of ten, believe they
are due to start another jamboree.
even with Baker and Gilhooley miss
ing.
When Nallin's decisions put Mog-
ridge in the air the tall southpaw
should have been removed long be-
fore that final blow arrived II was
easy enough TO see that ne was com
pletely adrift, as every man coming
up was either soaking the ball on the
beak or drawing a pass. But this is
all ancient history. Another week is
on. With the team rearranged and
with Oldring in there is still a good
healthy chance that the home guard
will bear up well enough and get go
ing again.
The Yanks suffered heavily last
week through the lack of timely hit
ting. as in almost every defeat the
bases were heavily clustered with
alert and earnest young men highly
desirous of crossing the plate, with
the tieing or the winning run.
Donovan has Bob Shawkey ready
for one section of to-day's double
bill, while Jennings will undoubtedly
toss IN Harry Covaleskie. These two
/ II hooked together, should put on a
tough battle, with the result a toss.
up. In the meanwhile. when six ball
clubs have played over eighty games
each, with a margin Of only fou,
games separating the six. sufficient
unto the day is the dope thereof
Looking ahead in this hectic scram. .
BILE is beyond the range of the human
orb
Ed Geers Improving.