Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
PUNCH IS LACKING
IN PENNANT RACES
Ball Park Attendance, How
ever, Well Up to Average
of Other Years.


IL also was without any out
standing events or achieve
ments-a rather drab season.
There was no lack of interest, how
ever
The National League at its annual
meeting reported a total attendance
at the turnstiles of eight clubs of A.
$4,000. which is only slightly short of
record year; and the American
League, with no figures made public
did about as we'll
The attendance figures might have
been better had the leagues been able
to keep the races closer. But there were
two runaways. Before the first of Au.
gust 1T was foregone conclusion that
the Philadelphia Athletics would win
the American League pennant BY
september l 1t was certainty that the
chicago Cubs would carry of the Ma
tional flag.
Both Triumph Easily.
Both clubs won as they pleased. the
Athletics finishing 16 games ahead of
the New York Yankees, champions of
1925, 1927 and 1928. The Cubs had
slightly more competition, but finally
won by 1015 games from the Pitts
burgh Pirates. But as both pennants
were "clinched" around the middle of
september, the last three weeks of The
season saw the fans simply going to
the ball parks for fresh air. There
was nothing to draw them there ex-
cept the languid interest in a race for
second place in the American League
between the Yankees and the Cleve-
land Indians, and in the National
league In the hope that the New York
Giants would beat the Pirates for sec
ond
The National Leagues pennant re-
suit was not great surprise. The
Cubs had been spending money lavishlv
Tor some time and with a clever mana
ger. Joe Mccarthy, had climbed from
last place in 1925 to a contending
meme both IN 1927 and 1928. When
mccarthy, at the expenditure of some
100000 and i've players tossed in, OBJ
tanned Rogers Hornsby, the batting king
OF the National League over many a
season. the fans sensed that the Cubs
would have too much batting power for
the other clubs.
So it proved. Assisted by a clever
pitching staff built up in his four
years at the helm and with the driv-
ing power Of Hornsby to aid Hack VIII
son, Cuyler and other hard hitters. the
CUBS slowly but surely rose to the ton.
The collapse of the pitching ace of the
New York Giants, Larry Benton, made
tnat clubs chances slim, while the in
jury 70 Burleigh Grimes, the Pittsburgh
pitcher, after he had won IA games.
wrecked the hopes Of the Pirates. The
cardinals, champions of the previous
year, were never in the hunt and
changed managers In midseason.
team which made a remarkable
showing was the Phillies Almost
chronic tailenders, they flashed a fine
batting streak, led by O'Doul. who won
the National League batting Champion
snip, and Klein, a young outfielder, who
MT IS hcmers for a new National
League record. The PhiIlies closed the
season in fifth place.
AS DispIace Yankees.
The American League race was more
OF surprise. When the teams came IN
rom the southern training camps the
1ankeeS OF New York, with almost the
same team which had fiattened the ST,
LOUIS Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pr
rates without allowing the National
League a single game in two years of
pay, seemed the overwhelming choice.
The Philadelphia Athletics, the con-
lending club Of the two previous years,
aao clsmal training season with many
stars injured and their chances were
not considered at all good.
:. Inc YANKEES made good start. Early
n May they put on squirt and won
elgnt straight games to take the lead.
BUT tnen they began to suffer from in
ano-out pitching. Behind deadly work
ny BOD Grove, the champion pitcher of
the year; RUDE Walberg, another left
hander, and George Earnshaw. one of
the new right-handers, the Athletics
oatted and fielded steadily. They took
nrst place on May IA and never lost it,
Iney had f1ve-game lead on June l
ana a lO'game lead on August /.
Inc year was notable for the great
increase in home runs, the two big
leagues making 1850 between them. the
National League leading with 755. The
nome-run leader of the year in both
leagues was Babe Ruth of the New
York Yankees, who batted out as, lead
ing Klein Of the National by three, but
ne was not as successful as in past cam
palgns, when he has run over so on
several occasions and has reached the
90 mark once.
Thrills In World Series.
A really thrilling finish of an inter-
estlng world series proved a high SPOT
In the drab playing year. The Athletics
and the Cubs went into the test on
even terms. Both clubs had been well
rested after the grind of the season,
ana while the American Leaglers ap-
peareo 10 enjoy a shade in pitching
Strengtn on paper, this seemed evened
py the proves of the Chicago right
handed batsmen as long hitters.
by oold stroke at the outset the
veteran Connie Mack, manager of the
Atnletics, secured an advantage which
ms club never relinquished He gam
Dleo on Howard Ehmke, one of his
rlght-hand pitchers, who had received
very little consideration from the fans,
ana the latter almost BANKED the Cubs
in the first game and tied the world
series record for strike-outs. Timely
hitting won for the Athletics, and tinid
base running spoiled the Cubs chances.
In the second game the Athletics
upset the dope" by showing that they
could drive out long hits, and they
won again on home runs by Foxx and
Simmons. The Cubs won the third
contest, well pitched effort by Guy
Bush.
Then came a day which brought all
most every sort of world series record
crashing down from the dusty shelves
OF time. The Cubs started the fourth
game by hammering two Philadelphia
pitchers and ran up an 8-to-0 lead.
The series appeared to have been tied
up, when the Cubs pitching staff, led
by Charlie Root, who had pitched un-
beatable ball for six innings, suddenly
collapsed. The Athletics sent Is men
70 Dat, who hammered the unheard-of
total OF 10 runs from five Chicago
pitchers and made their total Of games
won three. A drive by George Haas,
NAANSAi "1AoOLl, GI4S SuDS CtIlJeT IlelQer,
lost In the sun and which became a
home run, was a damaging break
against the Cubs
Finale Is a Sumner.
Almost as stunning was the final
game of the series. For eight innings.
and with one man out in the ninth,
Pat Malone. Chicago pitcher, held the
Athletics scoreless. The Cubs had made
two runs. With President Hoover look
ing on and every one convinced that