The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-09-08
Nation Goes Baseball Mad
as Athletics Tie With
CheSty GOthamiteS.
CRUCIAL GAMES SUNDAY
Philadelphia to Clash With
Higgins Keeling Clan
in Double Bill.
BY FRANK GETTY

NEW YORK, Sept. 8,-The Phila-
delphia Athletics are tied today
with the New York Yankees for
first place in the American League.
Behind this simple statement of
TACT lies the drama of one of the
greatest uphill fight in the history
of baseball
Starting two months ago to over
take the world champions, at a time
when the Yankees were swinging
along in front with a twelve-gam
lead, the Mackmen cut down their
rivals advantage slowly but surely,
until a double victory at Boston
yesterday while the Senators were
winning two games at New York
left the pennant contenders exactly
even.
The standing is:
Won Lost Pct.
NSH 1ork. .....s....s "a a. $50
Fhilaoelphia .......,. 81 A $50
Twenty Games to Play
Each team has twenty more
games to play, both finishing on the
road, where the Athletics have
shown decidedly better than the
Var KEGS this season.
Before they go into the West.
however, the Yanks and Mackmen
will play four games at New York,
starting with double -header Sun
day. Upon the outcome of this
series the American League cham
pionship Of 1928 largely depends.
The Athletics have a double
header with the Boston Red Sox
scheduled for today, the Yankees a
single game with the Senators, who
already have taken three games out
OF four during the current series.
Two victories over the Red Sox
today will enable the Mackmen to
come to Yankee STADIUM leading the
league, no matter what the outcome
Of the WaShngton-New York game.
Veterans in Discard
Baseball fans throughout the
United States have been thrilled by
the courageous drive of the Ath-
leticS in overtaking the Yankees as
they have not been stirred since the
rush of the Boston Braves to to the
top of the National League and a.
worlds championship fourteen years
ago.
Discarding the veterans, the Cobhs
and Speakers and Collinses, who
made his club a colorful but inn
potent factor in the first half of the
season, Connie Mack remade the
Athletics by judicious use of
youngsters.
He turned pitchers into first base
men and back to pitchers, as re-
quired. Even now, he doesn't know
whether Jimmy Dykes or Jimmy
FoXX is the better third baseman;
also, either is likely to be found on
first base.
Connie Mack has an amazing
ball club, the most versatile in the
game, which only beginning to
find itself.
During the pursuit of the Yankees
Athletics had to win more than rs
per cent Of their games.
Bishop Proves Star
In the fierce drive through Au-
gust. Max Bishop, Mack's seconI
baseman, proved the outstanding
player on the club. In 1872 times ~
bat, he reached first sixty-six times,
and proved a tower Of strength as
pivot man at the keystone sack.
Haas, Simmons and Miller, the
outfeld of the Athletics, once Con-
ME got through experimenting with
Cobb and Speaker, have made
Philadelphia fans forget those pic
turesque veterans.
Ty and Iris and Eddie Collins
have joined Kid Gleason on the
Athletics board of strategy, while
the youngsters who filled their
places are out there winning base
ball games.
There is no doubt that the SYM 4
pathy of the nations fans is witty
the Athletics, and has been ever
since they showed the spirit to oveI-
come a twelve-game lead. a great
er margin than the Boston Braves
made up in 1914.
From now on, outside of New
York, fans will be roofing for the
Mackmen, who, if they win the
pennant, will carry into the world
series some Of the flame of combat
which has been lacking of late years
since the machine-age dynasty oS