New-York tribune., 1916-07-24
Three Clubs Hold Spot
light in the Coming Three
Weeks of Baseball.
GIANTS MUST GET
BUSY AT ONCE
Meanwhile, Yanks and Robins
Have Their Work Cut Out
to Hold Lead.
By GRAyTLAND RICE

have a three weeks diet ahead almost
as interesting as the outlined PROPOSE
tion Untitled: Eat and grow thin
Personally or impersonally, we see
very little in this eatandgrowthin
stuff. For whether we eat OF whether
ve don't eat we keep pretty thin in
daily grspple with dope, baseballs, golf
balls. tennis balls, high-but all this
has nothing TO do with the Original
proposition. a..
What we started out 70 say was that
New York fans face a most interesting
three weeks wherein three clubs hold
the spotlight
To begin with, there are the Ysnks,
who have started West with sixteen
point lead and strong odor OF arnics
and ether. Also bale of courage and
determination. Then there are the
Giants. They get back home to-mor-
row. This, for them, IS the final stand,
IN a way. For they either get away
at top speed on this home stay, dis
esrding their foolish theories Of jinxes
and Polo Ground shadows, or else they
carry their pennsnt dreams into 1877.
Great Rush Needed.
It is now or nothing doing for the
Giants. They are we'll back Of four
strong clubs, Brooklyn, Boston. Phils-
delphia and Chicago-but not so far
back that q great rush forward won't
give them another chance. But the day
of dallying Is over. Fifty-hfty stuff
. will no longer give them a show. Given
the proper pitching. with Buck Herzog
around to help McGraw in the big
drive. there is yet hope at the edge Of
the Barren Lands.
This home stay is TO tell the story.
If they are unable TO gain any ground
against the four leaders this trip
they will Re up against a tough propo-
sition to try and get back eight or nine
games between mid-August and Oc-
tober.
The Giants, with bundle Of double
headers against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
and St. Louis, have a great chance TO
leap forward at fine speed. But 10 do
this they must give their entire
thought 10 winning baseball rather than
dividing il with jinxes and too much
automobiling before or after the game
No man who drives a car Is going into
ball game with his batting eye or his
nervous system at the best for hand-to-
hand competition.
So the story Of the Giants, one way
20 h tnl
They have come TO the crossroads at
last.
And then there are the Robins. They
reach Brooklyn soil tomorrow with a
fair lead TO work on. They have been
charged here and there with not hav-
ing the stamina 10 stand a late sum
mer drive. This is mostly piffie. With
the pitching staff they have and with
a fair attack the Robins have as good
a chance 10 win the pennant as any
club in the league. No better chance,
perhaps, than Boston md Philadelphia,
but for all that a first class shot at the
giory-crowned crest where there awaits
the chaplet Of olive and the world series
kale.
Two Clubs in Lead.
So New York's situation is this: Two
clubs in the lead fighting TO hold the
peak and another contemplating last
rush in the general direction of the top.
II this isn't a succulent late summer
dish then watermelon isn't ht to be
eaten and the cantaloupe is a weed.
New York, lacking, perhaps, that in
nate modestv which characterizes no
CITY that we ever heard Of, would like
70 have the Giants and Yanks meet for
the big prize Failing this, New York
would like TO have the Yanks and Rob
ins futter together.
But if New York can't enter two clubs
in the next world series, she would a.
least esteem ID rare bliss 70 have at
least one entry in the big October
jamboree. And with two clubs leading
and a third still hustling for the top,
there is at least good, healthy chance
that New York will get her last de-
sire--if not her first one.
The Yanks are going West somewhat
battered. But they are going West
with at leas. four fine pitchers in trim
and q great defence 10 back these
pitchers up. This means good bit. II
Donovan can break even with the
White Sox, the hardest part of his job
will be over, for just az present the two
Soxes, White and Red are the people
he fears most Only Bill claims he
doesn't fear them. "Fear no one" is
the motto he instills into his club. Con-
siderable motto II you can get by with
It.
A Big Day.
Tomorrow will be one Of the big
days OF the year-one Of the biggest