The Washington times., 1930-09-09
CUBS FIGHT
To HOLD
LEAD
By DAVIS J. WALSH

NEW YORK, Sept. S.-1n1S u
to be do or don't day" in the
National LeaguS, the day on
which the most theatrical race
in baseball history is to approach
its conclusion or begin all over
again, with everybody involved
in q stalemate, which Is piping
rock for dead heat.
At Ebbets Field, the firSt-place
Cubs win begin a three-game
series with the third-place Dodg'
ers. At the Polo Grounds, the
second place Cardinals win be
coupled with the fourth-place
Giants in a four-game series.
Ten miles apart, as the
crow flies provided he is .
sincere, earnest crow with his
heart in his work, are the
battle fronts, but a micrOm-
eter would space the four
cOntenderS at something less
than 10 inches and, by the
time they are finished with
each other, the margin may
be such that they will decide
to split the difference and
call it nothing.
This could happen if the Dodg-
ers won three ways from the
Cubs while the Giants and Cardi-
mails were breaking down the
middle. In such a case, the re-
turns on Friday night would have
the Cubs showing a half-game in
front of the Dodgers, with the
Cards one game back and the
Giants 21a games out Of the lead.
This almost absurd state of al
fairs has been brought about by
the fact that almost everybody
has been too busy watching
everybody to have time to watch
the Cardinals-and the latter
have been worth anybody'S scru-
tiny.
Their record shows 20 out of
the last 26, while the Dodgers, in
! first place when the Cardinal
streak started, have been glihly
winning ii out of the last %, IN
cluding yesterdays double victory
over the PhillieS.
As for the Cubs and
Giants, they are doing it the
hard way. They are trying
to see how far they can 60
without pitching.
The Cubs, it seems, are trying
to make it even harder than that.
According to the stories chat
preceded them into town. like so
many vultures riding ahead Of a
caravan, the boys are just q
happy family, all for all and one
for one. One of these stories
deals with Root and Blake, who
are said to have hired a taxicab
from the ball park in order that
they might fight in peace. An
other alleges that Joe Mccarthy
is indignant at and with Mr..
HornSby, who seems to have en-
deared himself to the front Of
flee. A third declares that two
Of the regular outfielderS are
speaking but not to each other.
don't profess to know whether
these rumors have been enxag-
gerated or minimized, but, right
or wrong and in spite Of every
thing. the Cubs are two and one
half games in front of the Cardi.
mails this morning and, with each
having less than 20 to play. the
difference is not to be laughed
lightly away with a throaty con-
tralto.
The proof, in other words,
rests less With the Cubs than
with the others. They have
to come forward, whereas the
Cubs can stand still and have
the pennant Overtake them.
AS for the hypothetical three
straight at EbbitS Field with
which I helpfully turned the
National League race into an
interclass rush, this supposition
would look more Seemly if it
wasn't for the fact that the Cubs
have won IA out of 10 from the
Dodgers over a seasons play.
The champions may not be able
to beat the Reds and, if they had
to play the Pirates the rest Of
the way, it apparently would
be just too bad.
SUPERSTlTIOUS