Evening star., 1926-05-12

can tell how team VIII size up unit
the Horn is the picturesque way
puts it. Taking a trip around the +
OF the circuit
Connie Mack says the strength
concentrated in the East. He NEAR
tionalS. That's how my dope hguret
group ] OF the American League. L
parently has the stronger clubs. TT
has to offer, but good pitching ais
week OF intersectional warfare may
but eventually the clubs will settle in
Two of the early season surprises
are the two Chicago clubs, both of
which are playing well above their
expected form. This is true especial
y of the Cubs, last years tail-enders
in the National League. The Cubs
were one of the few teams that |
did not see in the training season.
but reports from Catalina were pretty
blue. One man who had seen them
sai0 he was sure OF only one thing,
and that was that the Cubs again
would be tail-enders. Having seen the
PhillieS, | wasn't so sure. The Phil
lies, in my opinion, were then and
still are the best bet for National
League tail-enders.
Cubs Get Higher Rating.
The Cubs originally were rated
pretty we'll down in my pennant
chances percentage. This week ]
have advanced them to $50. and have
jumped them ahead of Boston. 1t
always is q pleasure to see young,
ambitious manager show results. En-
tire credit for the restored morale
in the Cub camp belongs to Joe Nc
Carthy. the new pilot.
Then Hack Wilson, who broke in
with the Giants with n crash in 1924
and lost his hitting knack in 1925,
IS smacking them on the nose for
che ChiCagoanS. Mccarthy also is
getting splendid results from q rather
feeblelooking pitching staff, Il recent
shut-out by Kaufman against the
Giants being particularly bright
spot in last week s play.
Eddie Collins in 1926 worked the
same kind of a miracle with the
Sox as Mccarthy has this year with
the Cubs. He had the tail-end club
of 1924 in third place for the greater
part of 1925, Eddies own injury in
:he stretch dropping the club to fifth.
This Spring the Southside club
again is getting off TO a fine start,
and looms as the best bet of the
four Western American League teams.
II Collins holds up this year the
White SoN should round out the first
division.
Old Rivals In Squirt.
The last week has seen the two
strong American League contenders
of last year, the Nationals and Ath-
ieticS, step out. Both of these clubs
got going about the same time. Wash
ington went on a winning squirt the
moment Roger Peckinpaugh was re-
stored to the lineup. In his first
game he hit a triple, a double and
u single, and Roger has been a big
factor in his clubs spectacular climb.
With the warmer weather Johnson
and Coveleskie are showing better.
Goslin never played better ball in his
life. and McNeely is doing we'll in
center.
Phila 1elphia got started when the
Yanks made their first visit Of the
year to Shibe Park, the Athletics
sweeping the series. It was the first
real setback for the clubbing Yanks,
who up to that time had not suffered
a losing streak of more than one
game. The Mackmen are now show |
ing something like last years punch |
and fighting ability. Several recent |
games have been pulled out of the |
fire in the late innings. Lefty Grove |
now is proving his worth to Mack, |
while old Jack Quinn, the marvellous |
41-year-old veteran, continues to pile |
up victories.
For this week I have given the |
Yankees and Washington the same |
percentage in the pennant percentage |
table, $50. with the Athletics ~ |
points behind.
Yankee Youngsters Slump.
The Yankees fell into slump, but |
II was necessary to prove whether the |
club really is there, or whether its
early run Of success was just a |
Spring flash. koenig. Combs and |
Gehrig have fallen OF IN their hitting,
but the playing of the three veteran |
stars, Ruth. Meusel and Dugan, has
been magnificent. Ruth was slowed |
I'D somewhat following collision |
with Lazzeri, but it hasn't stopped |
his hitting. There no longer is any |
doubt about the Babes comeback.
in the National League, / still stick |
10 Pittsburgh, as the leader in the |
remnant percentage table. The Pirates |
stin lack their 1925 driving power, |
and Ydes failure 10 win has hurt. |
But il is a great bali club, make no |
mistake about it, and don't see how |
any club in the league viii beat 1t |
over the 154-game course.
The Cincinnati Reds continue to |
play Il rattling good game, and with |
their good pitching, they may prove |
League marathon. 1t already Is evi- !;
dent that q mistake was made in |
picking the Cardinals ahead of the |
Ohioans. |
one of the surprising things about |
the Cardinals is that they are not
hitting better. The club actually Is |
getting better early season pitching |
than any Cardinal team in years, but |
It isn't scoring. Hornsby has shaken
up his entire outtield in an effort to |
shake more hits out Of his aggrega- |
ton, but the new combination is /
working no better than the old.
I still find it difficult to figure the |
Brooklyns, though their pitching en-
titles them to first division considera- |
ton. Petty. the lefthander, continues
as the outstanding diamond figure Of
the year, but, on the other hand,
Dazzy Vance, former ace, is the big
1926 bust Outside of pitching, the
Dodgers, have a mediocre ball club.
Mara nvile is holding the infield to-
gether
After an illness Of 10 days, McGraw
is back on the Giant bench, but his
club still shows Inconsistency. His
pitching is not AS strong as many
critics believed. Lately Jack Wisner, !
"A second Stringer at the start of the
season, has been doing the best work. |
The Braves continue to disappoint
their well Wishers, and the Phillies
are gradually sinking to the Boston
level.
Cleveland has fallen off badly In the
American League since I said some
RADIATORS, TENDERS
BODIES MADE AND REPAIRED