New Britain herald., 1926-09-25
CARDINALS ARE SURE OF
 NATIONAL LEAGUE RACE
Hornsby's Crew Clnch Pennant By Whipping New York Giants While Cincinnati Reds Were Splitting Double Header With elphia-Teams to Meet in Last Game of Year On Sunday-Cleveand Loses to Athletics While Yankees Are Idle.

By the Associated Press.
 The long uphill fight of the St. Louis Cardinals 10 land a National league pennant in the Mound City is crowned with victory today and baseball multitudes that have watch ed the neck-and- neck struggle of the Cards and Cincinnati for su- prenacy can now turn their atten- ton to world series possibilities.
 The Cards clinched the flag be- vond chance of error yesterday by whipping the New York Giants to f while the Reds were dropping the first game of a double header with Philadelphia, to ?. The Reds braced against the tail-enders in the second contest, winning to 4, but the damage was done and for the first time in baseball history, the Cards have fought their way into the world series.
 When word that the pennant was clinched reached St. Louis, the city broke spontaneously in the greatest celebration it has seen since the armistice in 1918. St. Louis fans, after 3S years of waiting for win ner. greeted the news with inn promptu parades, the roaring of bombs, whistles, and whatever noise-makers happened to be at hand. Motorists with horns shriek- ing, tied up traffic in all directions as crowds poured from downtown buildings, desertng their labors for the more important rejoicing.
 The St Louis margin over Gin cinnati today is three games with but two to play. The anti-climaX of the nerve breaking season will come on Sunday when Cincinnati plays a single game with the Cards in the final match of the year.
 The standing today:
 W l. To play Pet St, Louis .. S9 63 .5S6 Cincinnati S6 G6 .1b6
 The St. Louis season trails off with one more game against the Giants before the Cincinnati con- test. The Reds play Philadelphia again today. The Cards, resting after their strenuous program of the past few weeks, can lose both games while Cincinnati is taking two with out endangering their leadership. The final standing then would be;
 w l. Pct St Louis ,...... S9 6' .5IS Cincinnati .., SS 66 .57l
 The new National league cham pions, only three of whom, Pitcher Grover Alexander, Outnelder Billy Southworth and Coach killefer, have played previously with title holders, made short work of the Giants yesterday. When the score board showed that the Phillies had taken the measure of Cincinnati in the first game, the Cards unlimited their heavy artillery and battered Hugh McQuillan from the Giant box with a five run rally in the second inning. Little Lefty Sherdel, who succeeded Flint Rhem after a rocky first inning that gave the Giants a three run lead, toyed with the New Workers thereafter while his mates were making the pennant safe for St. Louis with brilliant support.
 The Phillies yesterday completed the destruction of Cincinnati hopes started last week by another second division club, the Giants. In two games dropped in q row 10 New York coupled with the loss of three straight to the Boston Braves, prac- tnCally ended the stubborn resist ance the leaders for most of the sea parade.
 To Rogers Hornsby playing man agor and clouting s.&r who lost his leadership of all major league bat tcrs in the wild drive to place his team on top. must 20 most of tho credit for the triumphant march of the Cardinals. The fighting leader has provided the spark that made the St Louis combination a driving power with the punch 10 outgamc and outalst more experienced rivals, His pitching staff Of Ehcm. Sherdel. Keen, Haiucs and Rcinhart have turned in the most consistent hurl- Ing performances in the league.
 While tho Cards were deciding the issue in the National lcague the Nv York Yankees crcpt within hairbroath of the American flag when the Cleveland Indians lost close conflict to Philadelphia, 3 10 1. Rain halted the Yankee scrim- mage with st. Louis, but the half game added 10 the New York lead through the Indian defeat placed the Yankees two and a half games m front with only four to play.
 The standing of the leaders today:
 w l. To play Pet New York Sa Il .j93 Cleveland .. s7 Gl 2 .57G
 Cleveland stin has a chance to grab the flag by winning the three games left on their schedule if the Yankees lost their four Tn" final standing then would bc:
 W ]. Pct Cleveland ...... 9n Gt .5S4 New York ...... Sa e. .574
 Eommrl, nurlng a steady game yesterday, downcd Jhle and the h. dians in a tight contest. It was "t hle bay" In Cleveland and before a crowd of home fans who presented him with various tokens the Indian veteran made game effort 10 beat . his 1928 record of 9G wins for The . season. Three Athletic hits after two were out in the third robbed him q big onportnnitv.