The sun., 1919-07-13
5S HOME RUNS FOR
YANKS AND GIANTS
McGraw's Clan Lead by Slight
Margin With 20 Agains %
for Americans.
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Kauff, Doyle, Baker, Lewis and
Bodie Promise to Beat
Former Marks.
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
ny FREDERICK @. LIEB.

the present season Is the merry con-
test being waged between the Giants
and Yankees for the home run cham
pionship of Manhattan Island. How
ever. 1t might just as well be for tho
championship OF the major leagues. as
the New York teams lead both circuits
IN walloping out four baggers.
Despite the fact that the 1919 sea-
son will consist Of only l40 games, four
teen games less than in the seasons
before the war, both clubs stand
splendid chance to beat all their pre-
vious home run records
Including all games up to yester-
day, the Giants had slight lead in
whacking out merry-go-round slams
They had rammed out twenty-eight
home runs against twenty-five for their
American League rivals.
But for the unexpected batting slump
OF Wally Pipp, the Yankee first base
man. the Yankees might be in a posi-
tion to set a home run record this
season that would establish baseball
history. In former years Wally was
the leading home run hitter OF the
Yankee cast. In 1916 he led the Amer
lean League with twelve home runs,
and in 1917 he again topped the John
son maulers with nine. In both OF
those years. Pipp hit 75 per cent. OF
this year Wally will pick the latter
half of the season for his home run
ming
Up to date Pipp has hit only one
home run, and that was while he was
on the road. That right field stand
on the Polo Grounds which Pipp found
80 attractive in 1916 and 1917 has
been an insurmountable barrier to him
this season.
Ahead of Last Years Record.
=. The local clubs already are far ahead
I of their home run figures of last year
The Giants collected only thirteen home
' runs in 1874 games last year. while the
Yankees got twenty in 1876 games And
they were only two less than the Ath-
letics made. The lowly Philadelphians
were home run leaders in the American
a League last season.
D When one recalls that in 1919, the
first year the Tanks moved to the Polo
. Grounds, they hit only eight home runs
Gin a 154 game season, their improvement
IN the home run department stands out
II still more strongly. The next year the
Yanks hit only twelve. three going to
Peck who now Is one OF the leading
Q members of the Yankee home run chorus
The Giants always have taken pretty
good advantage of their fences and have
been prolific home run hitters ever since
the erection OF the Brush Stadium.
which made the right field stand II
favorite home run zone to shoot at. The
Giants had their best year In hitting
home runs in 1912, when they whacked
out forty-eight circuit smashes. Merkle,
Doyle and Myers contributed twenty
seven OF them between them.
Both Giants and Yanks have a chance
to better this performance this year de-
spite the fact that they have less time
20 do 1t. With the short season not
quite half over both clubs have averaged
better than twenty-four for a half
season
Not only have the Giants and Yankees
n chance to break their former home
run records, but most of the sluggers
on the two local teams have a strong
chance TO better their individual home
run records. Benny Kauff. Larry Doyle
and Heinie Zimmerman have been the
leading home runnists in the McGraw
doct, while the Yankee home run chorus
Bodie and Lewis.
Benny Kaun Leading.
At the time of writing Benny Kauft
leads the big town home runners with
eight Benny needs only one more homer
10 beat his National League record
OF nine. made in 1915. Four more will
de his performance Of twelve with the
Brooklyn Federals In 1919. II this may
be regarded as a part of Bennys major
league record.
Larry Doyle is second to Kauff with
heven home runs Despite the fact tina,
Larry was supposed to be all in and a
poor, decrepit athlete last winter. this
already is more home runs than the
popular inhelder has hit in any season
since 1912, when he was voted an auto
a. ~. aW Gl.sa lNt 4
player in the National League. Thai
year, the season OF New Yorks greatest
home run harvest Doyle bagged ten
homers.
His record, however. is thirteen. made
in 1911, and II Larry can get as many
circuit smashes in the second half OF
the season as he made in the first he
can beat this figure by one.
Zimmerman Is the third best home rur
swatter among the Giants. He has
whacked out four smashes for the round
trip. Zlmm. however. hasn't much
chance to establish a new home rur
record for himself. as he knocked Out
fourteen in 1912, the year he led the
National League in batting.
There was one homer in that col
lection that McGraw, Zimm and Otey
Crandall will never forget II was
the year in which the Giants led by
something like seventeen games on the
Fourth OF July. only to have the Cub
give them a terrible scare. The Chicago
Cubs did cut the lead down to three
games, but then they broke from theii
exertions.
1t happened in the period late ir
the season when the Giants were strain
ing every muscle to stay in front The
Cubs were putting up one OF theil
spirited fights on the Polo Grounds. but
in the eighth inning the Giants had 6
two run lead. Cub runners were or
second and third with two out anC
ZInm up. McGraw ran out on the gras,
in front of the New York dugout and
yelled to Crandall. New York's RELIEF
pitcher, to pass Zimmerman.
Zim Made Famous Homer.
Chief Meyers stepped aside and OteS
threw two wide ones. The next on,
noated a little nearer to the plate. Like
n flash Zimmerman raised his bat. AND
leaning over across the plate lifted tn,
pitchout into the right field stand fol
a home run. II won the game fol
the Cubs, 4 to 3. II Is doubtful II Nc
Graw ever was more angry at bal
game than after Zimm lifted that one
Baker and Peckinpaugh are tied fol
the Yankee home run leadership witt
six homers apiece. Peekinpaugh al
ready has beaten his best previous per
forrnance. hve homo runs in 1918
Frank Baker, who led the American
League In home runs from 1911 20 1871
, Inclusive. also has a chance 10 pass nj