The Washington times., 1935-07-04

M: &$ cenoency.
Kirk Miller Pos sibly
that explains why baseball is
called the national pastime.
Anyway, I'm not going to
bore you by noting the most
famous exception to this July
4 baseball bugaboo-the case of
the last place Boston Braves OF
July 4, 1914, which went on to
win the pennant. But were I to
conjure up that old chestnut,
which I couldn't possibly think
of doing at this late date, I
would do so for the purpose OF
saying that, after all. there may
be some hope for the Griffmen,
the Athletics and the st. Louis
Browns, particularly if we are
to take any stock in that old
adage about the exception prov
ing the rule.
Much Logic Involved
Fact is the July deadline for
teams which are going places
to establish their leadership, is
not entirely a bunch, nor yet an
omen. It is based on some SEM
blance of logic.
It so happens that the date
marks approximately the mid
schedule of both big loops. The
teams are supposed to have
Strengthened out into their
proper stride and to have as
serted their comparative abili'
ties to the point where the cur
rent standing on that date is a
true line on their actual
strength.
However, the Cards upset
such dope last year, as have
other teams in previous seasons.
Cards and Tigers of "a
A year ago today the Cards,
which fought the Tigers for the
championship in october, were
in third place, three games be-
hind the New York Giants, and,
in turn, the Tigers were in sec
ond place, one game behind the
Yankees, one year ago today.
On the other hand, two years
ago, Washington was leading
the American League by one
half game over the New York
Yankees and went on to win the
pennant and the Giants were
six games to the good, July a.
1893, going on to win the Ma
tional League flag. And that's
the way it goes.
But in any baseball calcula'
lions, injuries and uneStablished
ability upset the dope and that
goes on July 4, just as it goes
from the first day of the season
right on down the race until a
pennant is cinched beyond all
mathematical possibility OF re-
linquishing it.
Times Have Changed
And speaking of July 4, which
I think I was, the old day lSnt
the sports holiday it used to be
in the years before inexpensive
automobiles and miles of hard,
fast road surfaces made hide
pendence Day, as well as Labor
Day and Memorial Day, a pro-
pitious time for the family to
break out the limousine and HE
away to the mountains and sea-
shores.
President Clark Griffith, for
instance, is always glad when
the schedule of the Washington
ball club doesn't call for two
games here on July 4, because
Mr.. and Mrs. Washington m
variably go away over the hon'
day.
Promoters Of sports specta-
cles can no longer plan on an
immense patronage on these
national holidays. The Indian
apolis auto speed contests are
the sole exception to this rule.
The call of the brook and the
stream and the seaShore and
the mountain peak has been
heard above the roar of the
prize ring which, in the So
called good old days used to
claim the hour on which Amer
lea celebrates the birth OF its
independence.
why. 20 years ago, when I
would work in a newspaper
shop for nothing, and almost
was, just for the joy Of watch
ing the sport / was covering,
we put on extra help to cover
the July Fourth athletic pro-
gram.
Now, two decades later, the
day is almost a yawn in your
average sports writing salon.
Boy, get me my firecrackerS!
I'm going out into Maryland,
the Free State, and shoot 'em
off.
DRUGGISTS WOULD PLAY
Geiger Pharmacy diamonder,
want 0an1eS with unlimited teams