Evening star., 1926-04-28

1t is lineup which is no resp
AankS are just as likely to shoot u,
rookie. On their training trip with t
, IN one inning on the Brooklyn ace,
INTO Burleigh Grimes for six in til
American League games in Boston
Ehmke was knocked loose from his /
johnson was victim of their devas
on speed
However, | can't say much for the
Yankee pitching so far. 1t was be-
cause of the teams great early Spring
pitching, together with that impress
SiVe battle array, that | picked the
Yanks. OF the regular tWlrlers Hoyt
and PennOCk have been most consist
.ent. Jones has shown little, While
young Thomas, Toronto's big winner
of 1925, has been a distinct dlsappolnt-
ment. In Dixie this fellow held the
Braves, Phillies, Reds and Dodgers TO
one run in l9 innings, but starting his
first league game eight runs were IN
sufficient to win for him. Ten bases
on balls in that contest showed DIS
1ressing lberality in the way OF deal
ing out passes.
Still Likes Same Clubs.
1t still is my conviction that Wash
ington, the Athletics and the Yankees
will be the three outstanding Ameri-
can League contenderS. 1t VIII De re-
called that l placed these three clupS
tn my group l. and each was given
about the same chance.
The Athletics, made favorites by
many, still are having difficulty IN
getting under way. 1t is a good club,
though it has been OVerrated. For
one thing, l doubt if Mack again VIII
get the batting strength out or TINS
club which he did last year, When the
Athletics led the American League
with a team batting average OF .3O'.
So far Rommel has been the oniy
pitcher to show consistency. sam
Gray, who opened the 1929 season
with a sensational winning streak, Is
finding the going much harder TINS
season. Grove is as undependable as
he was in his freshman year, ana
Harriss is starting badly. Ability TO
beat Washington always has been one
of Harr.ss' greatest assets, but TINS
year he already has fallen twice De-
fore the National gunfire.
WASHINGTON has taken some bumps,
but it remains a fighting, hustnng'
well balanced club Johnson had olL-
ficulty in coming back after pitching
that great thinning 1-to-0 openings
ing nobly. Bush, too, looks as thouSi
he has a lot of good pitching left. L
see where my good friend, Hughle
Fullerton. again picks the Nationals
for a berth in the second DIVISION.
Hughie Just won't be convinced lhdl
those two Washington pennants were
won by powerful ball team with one
of the games foremost lnhelds, d haru-
hitting outris d, the leagues second
best catcher and a corps OF eXperl-
enced, veteran pitchers.
= Tygers Loom Stronger.
Detroit, now is rated as u fourth
rlace team over the Browns, and that
may be rating St. Louis too h1Sn Inc
Tigers have been playing good pali'
have hit well, and have given very
good account of themselves whenever
their nitching has been Of big league
caliber. Tiger fans put lot OF 1alth
In Lefty Johns, Fort Worth star, Wheli
he turned in three-hlt game against
Cleveland in his first start, out ne
took a bad lacing the next tline he
faced the Indians.
The Browns will show up better
later on. but rather fear Sister s
team will be the big disappointment
Of the wear. Sisler has changed ms
,,SnfieId. sending Mellilo to third and
I,amotte to short, but infielders can't
check that stream of base hits whlch
are being jolted out of the st. Louis
teams collection of pitchers.
The White Sox are showing more
hating strength than l expected Oh
them, but | can't see the CLUB as an
actual contender. Cleveland Is set-
ting off to the same good start Whlch
It did a year ago, and ngure rs PEI. e,aI
ara showing substantial improvement
S,,t the club eventually is bound 10
. hit bottom and stay there.
nnarently. the Pirates lntenu 10
,.,,,, their race as they did last season,
as the 1926 start Of the Plttspulselee ,
7anoains q carbon copy OF the sIait u
5oo5 The world champions hao pet
Tor not tarry on the road TOO lohs' do
they will find McGraWs preseHl leai1i
"a much tougher aggregation tiiaii w. 5.
crippled New York oulnt oA S"-
ago. ,,,o q month ago
.hat pittsburgh could not repeat WIN
sts nitching staff. AS matter OF Lact,
.tba pirate pitching has been quite
fa,r-good enough to have won a ma
4oritv of Pittsburgh's early contests
Sod the McKechnie band showed any
thing like it's former attack. Dlssectr
ing that early Pirate losing Streak'
yind they have lost by scores Oh W ",
2 to l.. 3 to 2, 4 to ana 10 Wv
innings). .+ eo,ace
so,. pirate fans and such writer's, IN
'crIding myself, who picked the Plrales
a. raneat The defensive strength Is
there, and once the Pirate pats se.
out of their early Spring letharsy
those kind of games will roll into
Uncle Barney DreyfusS' basket.
Giants Step Out.
The Giants. following their custom
of wears. have taken good holu on
6rst place at the expense or their
T,astern brethren of the Atlantic sea.
N,oard. did expect both Brooklyn anu
poston to show up better against NC
Craw's men. The Braves fought the
Giants close, but dropped an entlre
series at the Polo Grounds. In one
came Larry Benton held the Giants 10
one hit for eight innings, only 10
crash in the ninth. But the Giants
oiywavs were strong for those ninth.
inning finishes.
THE Cardinals also have been hold
ing up well. and it looks as though
their National League entry VIII give
Ct Louis it's base ball thrills. The
team is fighting and hustling, some
thing it didn't do under hickey, ano
has the conviction that it's chance =
as good as that of New York and
Pittsburgh. Pitcher Vic Keen, pro
cured from the Cubs for Shortstor
Cooney, has proved find. He already
has two victories over the Pirates
won by scores of . to 0 and to 3 in
10 innings.
Cincinnati IL playing at about the
mace | think the Reds will follow al
wear, somewhere around 80. Theii
pitching Is high grade. especiaily.witf
Iars hakss in his 1924 form, but the