Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-29
PENNANT HUNGRY
YANKS ARE HERE
Great Array of SIuggers and
Pitchers Listed for
Five Games.
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.


The Yankees picked by many dis
corning critics as likely this year to
corral an American League pennant
Tor New York for the first time in
the sixteen years the big town has
been represented in Ban Johnsons
circuit, today are the guests of the
nationals for the first time this sea-
son. They are listed for morning and
afternoon games tomorrow and sim
gle contests Saturday and Sunday,
I'VE games in all.
II Is a notable band of sluggers that
miller Huggins is invading the capital
With-Pipp, Baker. Pratt, Lewis apd
Bodie-almost any one of whom
would fit in nicely as the cleanup hit
ter Tor a club of merely average
sucking strength. To date this
quintet has not been busting fences
with the consistency reasonable to
expect of them, but they are batsmen
or type that cannot long be de-
med, and getting off to slow start
does not mean they have lost the art
CT mauling that apple.
Yanks Strong in Box.
|. 1t is not merely on the strength Of
their swatting powers that the YAM
lees are expected by many TO forge
''Sh way W the iTOHl, however
In Shawkey, Mogridge, Shore. Quinn,
Russell. Thormahlen and three or
four lesser lights Higgins has a
hurling staff that just about tops
any in the league for all-round eff
cheney. Like the hitters, the mound
shape, Jack Quinn being the only
hurler to show what he is capable of
from the outset, but recently Shaw
key and Thormahlen, especially the
latter. have given signs of striking
their stride. and, with Mogridge, Shore
and Schneider rapidly rounding to
winning form, the Yanks should climb
,Sst. ~ ' S''' "
1t has been said the Yankees lack
sufficient speed to gain the coveted
honors: that they are SO slow on the
base lines that nothing but solid hit
ling will get them any runs. 1t is
true that Higgins boasts Of no ten
second men among his regulars, but
they have the clouters to drive the
runs in when they get their optics
adjusted, and with the power the
hurting brigade will show when it
becomes properly attuned it. should
not require many runs per game to
assure a steady winning pace for the
Yanks. Their position in the race at
present does not make them look
impressive. being fourth. with but
league-leading White Sox are only
six and one-half games ahead OF
them, and 1t is safe to predict this
margin will be materially reduced
before the Chicago team gets through
with it's coming tour Of the east.
Cleveland is another club not ex-
pected to maintain in the east the
fast pace it set on its home preserves,
while the Browns, who jumped from
last place to third in a little more
than two weeks are playing be-
yond their strength and are sure to
drop back in the race.
Peck Has Lame Back.
The Yankees prospect for coming to
the fore this season are contingent' OF
course, upon whether the old jinx OF in
juries and ailments that has knocked
tn club out Of flag chances on SO many
L. held in allegiance. Al pres
ent Roger, Peckinpaugh, the shortstop,
is complaining Of an injury 20 nus PACK,
is possible he will be out OF the lineup
for a day or two. In Wilson Fewster,
the Baltimorean. Higgins has a capable
substitute. He is a great fielder and
fast man on the paths.
II Is likely the Yank pilot will SHIFT his
batting order in the series here, to take
advantage Of the walloping Ping Bodie
has been doing. Neither Pipp nor Ba-
ker has -been hitting as they should.
while the outfielder from the coast has
been climbing rapidly until now he
stands fourth among tho sluggers OF
the league. Bodie may be moved up
from seventh place to the cleanup posi-
ton.
the hurting for the Nationals today.
while Higgins choice probably Will lie
between Shawkey, Thormahlen or Rus
sell. The series promises to be some
thing of q contest between beaten-py,
record IL someVhat similar to that OF
the Griffs in this respect. Four OF the
sig games the Yanks dropped out west
we're BY q margin Of one run and six OF
the eight they have lost on the ROAD 10
date also went by single taly
Washineton's recent road trip, al
though a dismal failure from an ar
tistic point of view. was quite a sue
cess in a financial sense. For the
eighteen games played on foreign
soil approximately los, 900 fans turned
out. an average Of nearly 5000 a
game. This was a great showing
considering the uniformly poor
k-Hather encountered. Rain and cold
Ykspt tie attendance at the first
American League Sunday game IN
have been five or six times that many
ANS out with bright. fair weather.
In no tity did the Nationals have
moro than one good day, in New YORK
md Bos&on. none. The largest crowd
was in Detroit. where 1892 fans at
tended IN a Sunday. Chicago was a
lose sScond with one turnout of
$500. Detroit also grabbed third
honors with one throng of 1880.
while Philadelphia was fourth with
e.I32 foi opening day there. The next
lareest scrowd was furnished by st.
Louis a fd numbered 7'25o''