The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-12
WEST BEATS EAST M OPENING DAY
 GAMES OF SERIES
Fly JOHN B. FOSTER
tcopyrisht 1921, by The Ase-Hera

Copyright 1921, by The Ase-Herald)
 New York, May 11.-IIad it not been for transplanted western pitcher, Reuther, and the healthy cooperation of his Brooklyn playmates, the west would have made a mouthful of the east in the open ing games of Tuesday in the National league The result at Boston might have been expected if the Pittsburgs lived anywhere to form The outcome of the game at Brooklyn was result that ran to form and for that matter so was the finish of the game between the Phiilies and the Cubs. The real upset was ln the victory of St. Louis over the Giants If there is one team more than another in the National that can give McGraw heart burning it's the Cardinal.
 IN THE WEST
 In the west, where the American league played, the outcome was very much of a surprise if the game between the Yankees and the Detroits is ex- cepted The White sox gave the Sox of Red a trimming which wasn't anticipated and in a first real test of Washingtons $ siugging ability against that of Cleveland, the Speakerites were decisively trampled upon Washington has been threatening things of that kind all of the season. 5 | team of old It wabbles now and then but it has, found the secret of coming back When the Washiagtonians played in other baseball years they didn't come back That was their weakness. Once they began to slide they kept on going. No one threw ashes out to stop them.
 Hornsby and his bat played wild tattoo on the pitchers Of the Glants, ana it was hard hitting that put quietus on New York, aided by some loose out fielding by Young, which is so uncom- mon that it is noteworthy.
 The big event was the return of Alex ander to the Cubs. It will mean a com plete turnover on their part so far as confidence is concerned. No one knew in the east that he had progressed so far as to be able to get back on the pitchers slab. and the success of his first effort was surprise and an eye-opener to eastern managers It will be big relief to Evers, who has braved his way along with weak pitchers
 RUTH'S HOMER WON
 Ruth's ninth home run won a game, for the Yankees made only solitary run ir addition to it and Detroit squeezed a lonesome one out of Mays. Making this home run against Middleton added the scalp of another pitcher to Ruth's belt, for it was the first homer he had batted against that young man. It also gave Ruth home run in every city i'll which he has played this spring. He is making his count early and playing no favorites. That Middleton could do so well against a hard hitting crowd like the Yankees indicates that he is in good form and should be able to help Detroit heap as the season goes on because he is bet ter warm weather pitcher
 TANKS MOVE UP
 The most vital change of position in the American was the moving up of New York to third place. If the Yankees and Washington between them should happen to crowd Cleveland out of first place on this trip it would raise havoc with the champions. It isn't an absolute impos- sibility either.
 Buffalo's continued good work in the International league put a kink in the merry go-round in that circuit. The buff falos horned Newark for the third time in succession, a happy combination of threes for them, as it put Buffalo in third place although it also boosted Baltimore to the top of the circuit for the time be- ing.
 ABOUT HOME RUNS
 Figuring on home run possibilities for the season of 1921 beats frenzied finance. The figures roll up such ponderous re-