Evening star., 1927-05-25

A NOIf1Ek passing week SUI
~ finds the New York Yankees
"A ripping the rest of the Amer.
4 a lean League to shreds. The
Western trip was just one pro-
longed JOY ride for Higgins merry
champions Where the Athletics.
their leadink rivals. were soCked right
and left, tie Yanks cut swath
through the Western country which
resembled the work of n reaper after
it got through with a grain field.
1t was at just this time a year ago
that the Yankees ran off their Win
ming streak of 16 straight. success
sion of triumphs which piled up the
Spring reservoir OF victories whic1
and September slump set in. The
Yankees again are piling mp the same
kind of lead for 1877.
Last week, l slightly increased the
Yankees figures in my pennant
chances percentage This week New
York has been advanced to .57o and
the Athletics dropped to 500 The
Mackmen have fallen far below eA.
pectations. Detroit still Is ranked
third. but / have reduced the Tigers
pennant chances percentage from
.450 to 400 The White SoX again
have been boosted. this time to .315.
vanced from a 200 starting point on
April Il.
Gehrig's Play Feature.
The remarkable play of Lou Gehrig,
former Columbia star. featured the
triumphant Yankee tour of the West.
Early in the season, / predicted a GER
tain improvement for both Gehrig
and Mark koenig. young Yankee in
fielders. but l had no idea just how
great this improvement would be.
Gehrig has matched home runs with
Ruth. is slugging well over 400 and
as this is written ne leads in runs,
hits and triples and is tied for first
in doubles and homers.
Gehrig's great hitting has offset the
hitting slump of Joe Dugan. on the
other side of the infield. Jumping Joe
remains under 90, while all the other
Yankee regulars are above 800.
Meusel was injured in the latter part
of the Western trip. but the Yanks
went along just as nicely with burst
and Paschal alternating in left field.
Pennock is pitching as good ball as
at any time in his career, showing
what a chap in splendid condition
can do even though he doesn't make
a training trip.
The Athletics have dropped under
800 in batting, While Mack pltchlng
remains ragged and unsteady. The
teams Western trip was bitter dis
appointment to the army of fans who
are pulling for Mack's comeback.
Cleveland and St. Louis were espe-
cially rough on the AS. The Indians
cleaned them up in whole seriee.
and the Browns. three out of four.
Just before that the Browns lost
four straight to the Yankees.
MOriarty Having Woes.
The only series which Mack won
in the West was in Detroit. where
he took three out Of four. Moriarty
of the Tigers, too, has had his woes.
lie has had some fair pitching. but
his team has failed to make its hitting
count Under Cobb. the Tigers were
the champion left on bases club III
their league and they apparently have
not lived it down under Moriarty.
Alphonse Thomas continues his fine
work for the White SoX. He was the
first pitcher in the American League
TO check in his sixth victory. Pitch
ing is so weak in the American
League this year that a staff with a
Lyons, Thomas, Blankenship and
Faber is bound to keep the SoX some
where above the 500 mark.
The Browns have rallied strongly
since the Yanks bowled them over
four straight. The team is whaling