The Washington times., 1922-08-13
SLIGHT BREAK
/ MAY CHANGE
LEAGUE RACE
Yankees and Browns So Close
Together That Any Mishap
Might Mar American Contest
By BABE RUTH.

BY BABE RUTH.
His first 50 games this year,
21 home runs. 'N~ y
His first So games last year,
25 home runs. Z !.
This date last year l113 games), !,
43 home runs. :. ~
ATEw YORK, Aua l2.--With
IN the Yankees and the Browns
only game or. so apart, and
the former settling down at the
Polo Grounds for their last home
stand of the season, the American
League pennant NursuIt is get
ting on toward the point where
every game counts and the slight
est break or mishap may entail
disastrous results. ANY slump
now might easily cost the slump
ing club the pennant, and the
strain Of running neck and neck
In the hottest pehnart race in
years is bound, sooner or later, 70
tell on one or the other of the
two contending clubs. ". y.
To my way of thinking, the
break" In the American League
pennant pursuit Ia almost at hand.
Both the Yankees and the Browns
have been setting terrific pace
during the past two weeks and they
cannot keep II up forever. One or
the other IL bound to crack and I
believe that when the crack de-
velops II VIII prove decisive.
Thus Ear this season the Browns
nave been one OF the most consist.
ent clubs In either major league and
the Yankees one of the most incon.
sistent. The Browns have been play
Ing the same steady game almost
continuously ever since the start of
the season, especially against the
second division clubs, to which they
seldom lose a game. They have had
the usual number of mishaps 10
their star players but haven't suf.
fered to any appreciable degree
Yet Browns Won. ri,
= At one stage Of the race Urban
shocker was hors de combat for the
better part Of month, yet the club
went on, winning without him. More
recently. George SisIer and Hank
SEVERED were out Of the game stimuli.
taneously with injuries, vet the
Browns went right along about their
business and, apparently, never miss
ed these stars. T. - .B5l =
The Yankees, on the other hand.
have spent the greater. part Of the
season alternately rising out of
slumps and plunging into them
again. They look like a million dol
lars for q couple OF weeks and then
spread consternation and dismay
among their adherents by falling
away to nothing for a spell, only 10
rise again and resume, their old dltinte
winning ways. -. ~ -, E
They have had half a dozen
slunps this season, including one
which cost them twelve out OF four
teen games at st. Louis, Detroit,
Cleveland and Boston In June. They
came out of II. however, and the
next time they toured the West they
cleaned up eleven out OF fifteen
games. ten OF theirvictories between
scored In twelve starts at ST. Louis,
Cleveland and Detroit. -. j 81
Have Survived slump. ",
The Yankees, then, have proved
their ability TO survive, a long slump.
The Browns have vet TO show a. like
ability for they haven't experienced
a real slump all season--and sooner
or later every club must have at
least one slump. The Yanks have
had theirs and have come out Of
them intact; the Browns still have
theirs to face and Il remains to be
seen whether they can grapple with
a long run OF reverses and fight
their way clear. ggf 4 a
II may be that the Browns viii
meet their slump during their i'm.
pending tour OF the East. They
found the Red Sox, the Athletics
and the Senators pretty easy pick
ing when the latter were In ST,
Louis but may find the going siight.
ly rougher when the Boston, Phila-
deiphia and Washington clubs are
battling on their own home grounds
The Browns always have been
more successful at home than abroad
and may very easily meet their
Waterloo somewhere along the trail
through the Eastern centers OF the
American League culture.
We. OF the Yankees. feel that they
win and that we win have the pen-
nant pretty wen In hand before we
take to the road for our last long
trip on the night OF September 10.