The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-27
WESTERN TEAMSTOI PLAY 4 BIG PART M MAJOR RACES
Ky JOHN E. FOSTER (Ccpyright, 1921, by The Age-Hernld.) )


 New York, April 26.-After a fort nights threshing back and forth, there arrives the west. chipper as you rlease, proudly perched on the top l'ranch in both leagues. Some said it couldn't be done this year, even by chance. It has been done. and not by chance, because the west has fought it's way to the top against the clubs of it's own section while the big guns oi the east have been knocked from their foundations for the moment by reputed weaker eastern teams.
 The Pittsburgs had to hold their own, even while Brooklyn was digging pit for the Giants, and Cleveland couldn't afford to lose a game to De- troit if it wanted to keep out of the way of the Yankee smashing Wash ington. Some old smashers, those W Washingtons.
 Pittsburg and Chicago tied in one league and Cleveland on top in the other. Perhaps that is full of signif- lcant prophecy. Suppose that it should be forYunner of the worlds series of 1921. AStranger things have hap pened, for Pittsburg and Cleveland are two ripping good teams brimmng over with energy, and another very essen- tial qualification good ball players, while the Cubs are fighting every game to it's finish.
 WASHINGTON STRONG
 Clark Griffith and his senatorial out fit are one team in the American league who nave no more fear of the ponderous Yankee machine than they might have of a jack rabbit They even go so far as to stake Babe Ruth a home run and then, not only beat the New Workers but give their cracK Pitcher, Carl Mays, his first licking Of the season after upsetting his equilibrium to such an extent that Mays couldn't tell which was his top side
 Stout-arm Walter Johnson seemed to have all the worse of it in the game that brought the Yankees second cownfal. They had him on the wrong side of the account book. but he aHept right on pitching and Mays wiIted. When the latter began to stew around Tn the hard-going, his mates found the way greased for them
 Good left-hand pitching has it's ter TOTS for the Giants. They never did like Reuther. He could blot them off the schedule when he pitched for Gin cinnati. They like him even less with Brooklyn. He tumbled the Giants into third place. Everything slipped from itS noorlnSS In New York.
 TRIS OUTGUESSES TY
 Out in Cleveland. new manager Cobb matched his wits, trying to get away from fox. Cleveland swallowed the chicken. It was an old gag in baseball that Ty tried, and is seldom likely to work when manager is equipped with left-hand batting outfit, as well as right-hand batting outfit. Cobb an nounced right-hand pitcher in order that Speaker would put in his left hand hitters on the field. After one batter had rapped the ball, Cobb switched his right-hand pitcher to n ieft-hander Immediately Speaker nut his rtSht- hand batting shift in the feld Cc>S was beaten at his own game Cleveland won
 Cotton Tierney is a big show for Pittsburg when he can start his team to tying run in the ninth inning and rap home the winning run in the tenth. Some grit to that boy. They've switched him over to third base. which IS new one for him, and he's playing it without a show of fear.
 Still the St. Louis Cardinals find the wall in front of them too high to be scaled, while the Phillies, despied once begin to be looked upon askance as fighters, even when not always win ners They, too, jolted the Bostons. who have dropped like lead pummel.
 Baltimore copfjpuaS to pucb ;tn r..,,L