The Washington times., 1937-04-03
BY DAVIS J. WALSH
(CODyriRht. 1887


NEW YORK, April 3.-With
no wish to be frivolous, but only
to present something that in time
is to be recognized as a bright and
shining truth. 1 offer the state
ment today that the American
League in 1887 will produce q five
club race for the first time in
many years. I'm utterly fearless
that way. It will be five-club race
for second place.
Anybody, in fact, who picks the
New York Yankees anywhere out
of first place should be. treated
kindly and with understanding and
kept in some cool, dry place, where
he can spend his lucid moments
picking the pads out of bis hair.
The eccentric history Of baseball
proves that a worlds champion
can lose this time, or any, but the
percentage" as the gamblers put
it, says the Yankees won't.
They led the league in earned
run pitching last year. They were
tied for second in club hitting and
club fielding. They established
major league records for total
bases, extra bases, home runs, runs
scored and runs batted In. They
stopped the other clubs with fewer
runs. And they won the pennant
by 1912 games. -,
All That Remains
Very little can be done about
thing like that and I suspect that
almost nothing will. Ali that seems
to remain, in fact, is the five-club
finish for second money and, with
no great conviction about the Or
der between second and sixth
places, I'm calling it this way:
1. New York Yankees.
2. Detroit Tigers.
3. Cleveland Indians.
4. Washington Senators.
5. Chicago White Sex.
6. Boston Red SOx.
7. st. Louis Browns.
8. Philadelphia Athletics.
About the only thing you can
guarantee about this alignment Is
first and last place, although the
Browns can hardly have come on
enough to get out Of seventh. If
they improved themselves at all by
their Cleveland deal, it wasn't
enough.
The Tigers, as constituted, are
having their last year together,
but 7 think their momentum is
still good for second place. I'm
moving the Indians all the way
from the second division to third
place, largely because it doesn' t
seem possible that a club that hits
.304 can finish out Of the money.
A lot of people are tabbing Bob
Feller to pitch the Indians higher.
, but I'm making my bet on a
pitcher like Mel Harder doing bet
ter than an even break in games
won and lost. Together, of course,
this pair might carry the club even
as high as second place.
Griffmen Fourth.
The Senators are left in Fourth
place, where they were last Oc'
tober. They also have a lot OF
hitting, ut right field Is open
and they haven't got a pitcher
who can take them any higher.
In naming the White Sox fifth,
I realize that this is no nice way
to treat club that finished only
a game and half out Of second
place last year and tied with the
Yankees in club Fielding. to say
nothing of having the league
batting champion, Luke Appling
However they'll have to get an
other pitcher to help Kennedy
} or they may fall further than
that.
The Red Sox were 1914 games
back last year and haven't i'm
proved enough. regardless OF
what Higgins and Doerr may dc
J for them. Higgins. as a matter
; of fact, won't play 1or a loser
and the Sox have too many Of
that kind already. That's why
they're losers.
! The Athletics? Quite so, the
= Athletics. AS a man by the
name of Terry once said, are
= | thnU cfi11 in tha IaaoUpo