The Washington times., 1931-08-01
YANKS To TOP
GR|FFMEN,
/. RUTH
BY BABE RUTH

Here it is only the first Of
August but to all appearances the
pennant races are over in the
Two major leagues. I didn't give
up the idea until few days ago
that the Yankees might be able
TO give the Mackmen a real bat
tie, and that the Brooklyn Robins
would win in the National
League. I thought, too, that the
Senators would be closer to the
Top than they are as their big
squirt Of a month ago threatened
The AS leadership.
The uncertainty of baseball
caused me to stick to my spring
predictions that the Yankees and
The Robins would finish in front.
} AS things stand now cannot see
anything but another world series
between the Mackmen and the
Cardinals, just as we had last
year. These teams have only to
break even in their remaining
games to win comfortably.
Need to Play 500 Ball
If these leaders play only 500
Dali for the next two months the
club that beats either one must
play 700 ball or better, and none
OF the contenders can go that
last over Strentch of so games.
The only chance that any
other club now has of getting
into the big series is a general
breakdown in the play of the
AS and the Cardinals.
And each club is too we'll equip
ped for any such break. When
the AS chased the Yankees from
July to mid-September in 1923,
finally overtaking them, the real
|. answer was found in the slump
of our club rather than in the
squirt of the Mackmen. That cele-
brated chase is referred to occa-
Sionally as proving that the
leaders may be caught, but no
club of the strength of the two
current leaders is in much danger
of falling apart between August
1st and late September.
1t is very unusual for both races
to be in this condition as early
as August l. In most recent
years the National League clubs
have battled right down to the
final week of the season before
evidence pointed strongly to any
team as the pennant winner. Oc-
casionally, in these same years,
as in 1926 and 1923, the American
League champions were not
known until world series tickets
had been ordered by two clubs.
I am quite sure that it would
be safe now for the officials of
the two clubs now in the league
to put in their world series orders
for tickets.
Sees Yanks Second
There will be plenty of battling
for second-place berths for that
position pays dividends quite a
bit better than third or fourth.
I figure now that my two original
choices for the big honors should
be the ones to finish second.
That means the Yanks in the
American League and the
Robins in the National. 1t is
true that we have been trail
ing the Senators most of the
season, but we have been play
ing better ball through the
month of July than Washing
ton has, and we have also ac-
uuired the habit of winning
from Walter JOhnsOn's team.
It should be quite a three
cornered fight in the National,
with the Robins, Giants, and Cubs
all in the thick of it. I like the
Robins chances, because the team
has been able to come along so
well after a poor start. The
Giants and Cubs had no such
early-Season experiences and, yet,
they have not been able to shake
VUncle Robbie'S team off. The
cubs and Giants have a consider
able edge on the Robins in hitting
strength, but they lack the pitch
ing Of the Brooklyn. and good
pitching generally will offset bat
ting power.
That is the answer to the pen
nant races now. Both the AS and
the Cardinals have been outbatted
and outScored in their own
leagues, but their tighter pitching
made it possible for them to win
consistently without having to
make so many hits or runs.
Another reason for my thinking
that the Robins will win the three
cornererd fight with the Giants
and Cubs is Lefty O'Doul. Lefty
cot away to the worst kind Of a
start and the season was almost
at the halfway mark before he
could crowd his way into the 300
class. Then he kept on climbing,
and it wasn't long before he was
no among the five leading hitters.
Now that he is started properly,
She will win many a ball game for
the Robins.
believe that the pitching Of
Lefty Gomez and Jim Weaver, two
Young pitchers, will mean lot
to our club in it's fight to beat out