Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-15

THE Philadelphia Athletics are
doing their best to get back
into the American League
4 pennant scramble. The Mack
men. with the 40-year-old Cobb
still playing like man half his age.
are not willing to admit that the
Yanks will have the pennant nailed
down by the Fourth of July.
Old Sir Cornelius. head of the White
Elephant troupe, now is getting bet
ter pitching, while his percentage
started to perk up after old Zacn
Wheats valuable bludgeon was added
to the Philadelphia battle array.
Last March, when the teams stu
were in the citrus belt. several proml-
nent base hall men. including Miller
Higgins, expressed the belief that the
Athletics would get off to strong
start. but would start to fade in
middle July. Perhaps the opposite
will be true. The club may have
gotten all of the bad base ball out OF
it's system in the first two months
and from now on will play some
real base ball.
The Philadelphia squad is pointing
for that big series with the Yankees
on June %. 26 and 81. when three
successive double headers will be
played by the leading contenders in
as many successive days. That
series will give the AS their last big
opportunity to cut into the New York
lead. After that only four games will
remain between these clubs in July,
August and September. l do not 10
gard that as particularly fine piece
of schedule making.
Yanks Stop Chaliengers.
However, the best thing that the
Yankees have done so far has been to
knock off their rival contenders. When
the AS threatened, the Ianks beat
them off decisively. Then when the
White Sox started to step out, they
were given similar dose. At present
the Yanks have won ii out of 10 from
the Athletics and White SoX, their
most dangerous contenders, for per-
centage of 1877
Higgins has had his injuries, too,
as Dugan, Meusel and kOenig have
been out of recent games with charley
horses or other leg ailments. The
Yankee chief has been so well fortified
with reserve material that his regu
lars never were missed. This eSpe-
cially was true of Cedric burst when
he filled in for Bob Meusel.
The White Sox did not show a great
deal when they were in New York last
week. but they lost several heart-break-
ing games, one after they went into
the ninth inning with a five-run lead.
Johnny Mostil is due to rejoin the Sox
on June 21, but he will have to go
some to take the center field post from
young Aleck Metzler. I still doubt
whether the Sox will be real pennant
threat, but with AL Thomas. Lyons.
Blankenship and Faber on the firing
line. they are bound to make trouble
The Tigers have shown more of
their expected kick in recent games
and under the law of averages this
club should finish strong. 1t doesn't
figure to remain in the second divi
sion.
After Walter Johnson shut out the
Red SoX in his first 1927 game, we
rather expected to see old Walter
breeze along like the Barney" of old,
but since then he has been pounded
by the Browns and Indians. Young
Lisenbee continues to pitch fine ball
and Thurston usually gives a good &C
count of himself. The White SoX could
| find a lot of use for him right now.
Tke Indians are pcc.:ing away al
the Eastern teams, and 49," slowly
making some progress up the per
| centake ladder. The hot weather