New Britain herald., 1916-04-24
BIG LEAGUE TEAMS SHOWING STRENGTH First Fortnight of Play Brings Out
 Several Surprises

The end of the second week Of the 1916 baseball season finds the teams of the National and American leagues fighting hard for positions in the race. In the American league the pennant chase is tightening. Tn tho ? National league Philadelphia has moved into a commanding position in first place.
 The National league champions, with the heavy hitting of Luderus, Cravath and Niehoff and steary pitch ing, went undefeated during the week. Alexander and Demarree showed good form in the box against Boston and New York respectively.
 Cincinnati played good baseball . both at bat and in the field. The Reds won two games and lost three. Hal Chase seems to have added great strength to Herzogs club. On Tuesday he beat Pittsburgh with a home run in the tenth inning. Boston played rather listlessly and it's pitchers did not appear to be in good form.
 Chicago gave the best exhibition in 4, the Western contingent of the Na- tional league and by heavy hitting maintained a winning streak. The Cubs fielding also improved. The l pitching was better, Mcconnell hold | ing Pittsburgh to one hit yesterday. Pittsburgh showered little improve l ment over the first week, though | Harmon held St. Louis to two hits on Friday.
 The Cardinals displayed improved l form and moved to a good position i in the first division by beating the Reds yesterday.
 l Brooklyn, which pressed the lead CTS hard in 1915, has been unable to get started. The pitching has been er- ratio and Robinson has had trouble | with his infield.
 The Giants were not able to win a game during the week and are now in last place. Manager McGraw's team apparently has not yet struck its stride.
 In the American League. The American league was not af- fected by postponements, as was the National; consequently there was q greater shake-up in the league l standing.
 New York assumed Boston's placQ,- at the head of the league. The Yam kees won four games and lost one through good batting by Baker and Gedeon and mid-season pitching. It took them eleven innings. however, to defeat Washington on Saturday. The Tanks meet the Red Sox during the coming week, and a stiff fight for the lead is expected.
 St. Louis continued it's good work. It's fifteen-inning battle on Saturday with Cleveland to a one-one tie was the longest game played so far this season.
 Boston, after losing two games or1io in ho fo UTa Gh iyp lost two more to Philadelphia, on Fri day and Saturday. Carrigan's men played well afield. but at the bat and in the box there appeared to be something lacking. Detroit, through effective hitting and steady work in the box, spurted during the week, winning four games to one lost.
 White Sox Erratic.
 The White Sox played erraticallyr Their batting was much weaker than is to be expected from a team having Collins Jackson Fournier and other stars in its lineup. However, they found a place in the first division by defeating Detroit yesterday.
 Batting hard one day and weakly the next, Washington Slumped slightx ly. Walter Johnson met his first deT feat on Monday last at the hands of the Red Sox
 , Cleveland showed less winning abiI-
 ty than during the first week, losing a twelve-inning battle on Monday and tieing with St. Louis on Satur- day.
 Connie Macks Philadelphia aggre- gation got into the games-won col umn on Friday by defeating the Red SoX, and continued the good work by another victory on Saturday.
 At this stage the races in both leagues look to be of a character which will furnish many surprises before they are finally decided.