The Washington times., 1930-04-05
BABE DOPES
OWN TEAM
WINNER
b. BABE RUTH

american League race Cn1S sea
son ought to be the greatest
free-for.all dog fight in years.
And the Yankees and Athletics
ought to be fighting toe to toe
right down the stretch.
Personally I think the Yankees
can win. !. think we've got
more punch than the AS and
this spring our pitching looks
much better than it has for
some time. Don't misunderstood
me. The AS have q good ball
team. and the very fact that they
won a pennant and world
series last year will give them
. confidence that they didn't
have before.
And, believe. II they get
the same high grade Of
pitching they got last year
they'll win again. Neither
the Yankees nor any other
club can beat pitching like
that.
But here's the point. don't
think they'll get 1t. The Groves
and the Earnshaws will be just
as tough. But it isn't reasonable
to expect the Quinns, the
Ehmkes, the Rommels. the Shores
and the WalbergS to come through
like that for another season.
And the Yankee pitching should
be better. Last season we were
hampered by injury and illness
to Hoyt and Pennock and Pip
gras. Last year Sherid was young
and inexperienced. Last year
Henry johnson was completely
out Of the running from mid
season on.
Now we've got them all back.
johnson is in fine shape again;
Sherid has had the benefit OF
that year of experience; Hoyt
looks like himself again. And
Pennock too has returned to form.
I don't expect Herbie to be the
Pennock of old. But he will win
US o lot Of ball games. Pitching
aside, believe we've got bet
ter club than the AS. Our infield
certainly stacks up better, and
we've got more punch. .
So far as the rest Of the league
is concerned there's a lot Of added
strength, too. Cleveland, on the
face Of good pitching and added
punch, ought to finish third and
the Browns, on sheer pitching
strength alone, should round out
the first division.
The Browns will miss the
insuiratiOn of Dan HOwley,
hut they've got a good man
ager in Bill KiIlifer. The
players all like Bill, they
know his style, and they'll
play good bali for him.
I've slotted Detroit for fifth
place. A lot of people insist that
I'm wrong there. I admit that the
Tigers have a tremendous punch.
But they haven't the pitching to
win consistently, and despite the
fact that Bucky Harris has picked
up some likely looking youngsters
I cNn't see how they will benefit
him enough to make his club a
real contender.
The White Sox. much improved
this year, will finish as high as
sixth and possibly higher. For
the first time in years there Is
no friction on the Sox club and
As long as DOME Bush is there.
there won't be. DOME is a zeal
manager and he'll run that club
or quit. The SoX have the max.
ings of a good ball club and with
The addition of Smerl Jolley they
apparently have added a punch
that was badly needed. And the
experts tell me that switching
Cissell to second base has
changed the whole complexion Of
the infield.
III there's q dark horse In
the league I think the White
Sox are it-and while on
paper / can't place them
higher than sixth / wouldn't
= be greatly surprised to see
them climb higher at the ex-
pense of any club that shows
the least signs Of SIumping.
At the bottom 1 place Wash
ington and the Red Sox. These
are the only two American
League clubs, as I size them up,
that haven't improved themselves
since last season. The Red SoX
will present about the same line
up as last season and ought to
win just about the same number
Of games. Washington, if any.
thing, looks even weaker than
last year-due to the increasing
age of their veteran players and
the fact that Griff has injected
no new blood. And that's that
/ may be wrong as anything
A fellow can go plenty wrong in
this game. But right now Ii
looks like O fight between the AS
and the Yankees and I'm just op
timistic enough to figure that
we've got just a wee bit Of an
edge over the champions.
(CopvrtRht. 1880, bV The Christv
Walsh svndicatel
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