Evening star., 1927-05-11

gave them the same per
centage in the weekly pen
nant chances percentage apparently
did not shoot far from the mark.
For the last two weeks, these two
powerful Eastern clubs have been
closely punched at the top Of the
heap.
1t remains to he seen what the
West can do against these slugging
arrays from the Atlantic seaboard.
Last year the Yankees had two big
trips through the West, but the third
was almost wake. Both the White
SoX and Browns were especially soft
for the Yankees last year. The Hug
gins troupe took II games from Chi
Cago and IS from st. Louis. Along
with Il games won from Boston. these
clubs furnished Al Of the 81 victories
: won by last years American League
champions. leaving only Al won from
the other four clubs, Philadelphia.
Cleveland Washington and Detroit.
It is my belief that both the White
Sox and Browns will furnish the
Yankees with much stiffer opposition
than they did last season. AS Bos.
ton already has won two games out
of six from New York, the Red Sox
are not likely to do any worse than
they did last year when they won
/ only five out of 90. On the other
/. hand, the Yanks should do much bet
; ter against Cleveland, a club with
which it broke even in 1926.
Yanks' Attack Slumps.
/ Higgins murderous attack also has
been checked somewhat in the last
week. Ruth is hitting, but not yet
like the old Babe. while ii is inevi-
table that Gehrig and Meusel were
bound to topple out of the 400 bat
ting class. And that Yankee stan OF
pitching regulars has taken quite a
hammering.
Sheer grit and punch has featured
the game of the Athletics, as the
Philadelphia pitching has not shown
the expected brace. The club con-
stantly is forced to fight for big.
hatches of runs and before it left the
East it was uncanny how 1t could
heat out Washington and Boston with
it's late inning rallies. Six or seven
run leads by the other side nave
meant nothing, and Cobb usually was
the center of these powrful late IN
ming attacks. Ty has been Tar
greater factor in AthsGic success than
/ thought he would be.
The inability of Eddie Rommei to
take his regular turn on the mouha
has worked a hardship on the re-
mainder of the Athletic pitching stan
Rommel won 27 games in 1872 with
sixth place club behind him. He
also had a good year in 1925, win
ing 81 games and losing 10. Last
wear he only broke even in p games.
II would look as though constant use
OF his knuckle ball has taken the
Snan ont of his delivery.
Benching Vets Helps Sox.
: The White Sox had a great spurt
and ran off seven victories in sue
cession before they had their winning
streak checked last week by the
Tigers. Schalk benched the veterans
Peckinpaugh and Sheely in favor or
Hunnefield and Clancy. and thereby
added materially to his punch. The
ACQUISITION of Metzler. last year with
the Athletics. also seems to have
steadied the White Sox outfleld. This
week I advanced the White Sox pen
nant chances percentage to 300, but
I still cannot see the Sox as real
contender.
IT has been years since major
league club was as badly crippled as
the Senators. They reminded me OF
the Yankees in 1916 when Bill Dono-
van had to play Germany" Schaefer,
his coach, in the outfield and coax
such chaps as Rube Oldring and Artle
Holman out of retirement 1t really
! is remarkable how we'll the Senators
have done with their -patched-up crew.
With big Bob Fothergill cracking
out base hits at a 500 clip, the Tigers
are I'M near the front line trenches
again. rip" Collins recently has
come to the rescue of the Tiger twirl-
ing staff with several well pitched
victories.
Indians Still Disappoint.
! Cleveland continues to be the early
disappointment of the American
League. as last years runner-up still
is wabbling badly. The inability of
,Chle and Shaute to pitch with their
accustomed skill has been severe
blow on Jack McCallister, the new
manager. Bill Carrigan's Red Sox
are in the league, but very still.
The Cardinals continue to hum
along in the National League, and
even without the enthusiasm of their
former aggressive leader, Rogers
Hornsby, they threaten TO repeat
last seasons sensational pennant
fight. The Pirates fought their way
ITO a tie with the Cardinals last week,
but the Cards won two games out OF
1.-THE three. In the only Pittsburgh
victory the Buccaneers overcame
lseven-run lead and won, il to 10.
but St Louis will lose few such games
this year Their margin on Pitts
burgh already is four to two.
Frsch has been playing amazingly
good ball, and is doing his best to
make St Louis forget Hornsby.
Hafey, who played poorly in the world
series of last Fail, has been a revela-
tion this Spring and Southworth still
lis clouting out base hits the way he
did last year, after McGraw traded
him to st. Louis,
Pirates Seeking Pitchers.
understand that Barney Dreyfuss
already has sent out call to his
scouts to bring him in some new
pitchers. Certainly his team cannot
regain it's penDant honors with only
Fay Kremer as a first-line pitcher.
Meadows now also is taking his
bumps. Aldridge has won no games,
but Vic has been unlucky. Hill has
done nothing and both Joe Bush and
Mike Cvengros made fiZzles Of their
attempt TO start games.
Better pitching by the opposition
has reduced the Giants batting aver
age somewhat. but McGraw's clan still
is clouting well above 800. The
Giants got an unexpected setback
last week when they dropped three
straight to Brooklyn. and it came very
near being four straight. Big Jim
Elliott blew a 3 to 0 lead after he got