The Washington times., 1930-07-19
TRADES
/ lBOL6TERED
] TEAM, TOO
BY BABE RUTH

81. LOUIS, july 1S.-lVe SIooo
for q lot Of kidding from some OF
the fans and readers over the
way I picked the clubs to finish st
the end of the pennant race.
And most Of the kidding has
centered around the play of three
clubs Brooklyn and Cincinnati.
in the. National Leag1ie, and Wash.
ington, in the American League.
III admit right here and now that
figured wrong on these three
outfits.
Brooklyn didn't look as strong
To- me as the, Robins have shown
themselves to be since the season
opened which is more to the
pcint, a lot of other National
League clubs haven't come UP to
scratch. Without looking for any
Brooklyn bombSfells, it seems to
me that the National League ISN'T
as strong as had figured-and
Bfooklyn is staying up there
partly because of its own strength
and partly because the opposition
isn't as strong as usual. Now that
is only my opinion. -,,
Az concerns Washington,
I'm ready to admit that the
Griffs. have . lot Of "e-
more than 1 figured and more
than most Of the other Ameri.
can League players figured,
\ too. / have = hunch Griff's
team will be right up there
around the top all season
long r.r
A lot of fans have written me
asking how: L account for their
sudden rise. Here's the way I
dope it out. Part Of their success
) Is due to the unexpected good
play Of the veterans San Rice.
doe Judge and Muddy Ruel., Joe
Cronin at, shortstop has come
!. through to give them just the
amount of zip and infield pepper
they need.
But more important than all
that is the uncanny trading
ability. shown by somebody on the
Washington club. don't know
whether it was Walter johnson
vino did it or Clark Griffith
himself, but the fellow who pug
over the .Goslin for ManuSh and
CroWder trade with the Browns
and came through j. with that
Shires trade with the White Sox,
! certainly did put over a fast one.
Mautlsh and CroWder are the
!. two most important factors. in
WaStington's drive, right now
and these two. between them. VIII
vdo more toward winning q pen
i1arit for Washington than al the
tsher factors put together,
NEa1iusIl brings to the Griffs :
some real hitting punch, and
: his absence has been sadly
felt 9since his injury, and
! CrowCler, turned loose with
the rest of those Washington
pitchers, gives the Griffs one
,f the best pitching StaffS I'm
The big leagues.
Now a word about Cincinnati
a club I picked to finish third
q the National League. The
first big disappointment I've had
as concerns the Reds Is the rela-
iyely poor season Bob Meusel is
aving. I've. known Bob for q
az. long time, played along
a him and I've seen him work
a lot Of gameS--and7 figured
IAt Bob would give the Reds
Igt the punch they needed.
"a too bad Bob is having q
<,oof year and it. has hurt Dan
Howley in a spot where / fig
Sred he would be strengthened.
Theu the weakness Of Red
Ioltching fooled me too. saw
fhe Reds down south during the
training season and they looked
tn rf1e to have a whale Of a
fine pitching staff. The failure
nf that staff together with the
tradifig Of Cfitz and Allen has
hI,rtf and there's no need kid
difiE about IL. But even 50 I ex,
xnect the Reds TO play a lot bet
fer bah in the last half OF the
season than during the first half
and even with their bad start
won't be surprised to see them
sns there knocking for a berth
AT the first division. before the
season ends.
s4 a. ..-~-@ "a 0nMgfN1IP