Evening star., 1938-07-12
Griffith Names A Time Most Graceful Team, Major Leagues
From The
Press Box
Yonk- World Series
Forecast by Pitcher Gomez
BY JOHN LARDNER,
Ipecial Correspondent Of The Star.

NEW YORK, July 12.-"Well, won
der If Joe will let me pitch the first
game Of the world series in Pitts
burgh." said Lefty Gomez, the pride
and Aragon and the toast Of CASTLE,
md from the nature Of Mr.. Gomezs
remarks you will deduce that the
New York Yankees expect to be back
IN first place without delay.
This week they sit down to q large
helping Of st. Louis Browns, which
Is their favorite deep-dish apple pie.
Cleveland will be playing fairly
warm ball club in Warrington, and,
between these two sets Of circum-
Ptances, the Yanks believe they will
have the lead by the time the Indians
visit them for the next crucial series.
As for Pittsburgh
That's the club we'll play in Oc-
tober," said Mr.. Gomez Those Giants
don't want the pennant. They're sick
and tired Of looking at my fast ball"
Boston Regarded as Threat.
Though they trail by two games in
their own league. the Yankees are
mortally certain that no team of In
dians is going to beat them out. The
trouble, If any, they think. will come
from Boston.
That Boston club is hotter than It
has been for years." reports Joseph
Mccarthy. who picked up q couple
Of flesh wounds in the center Of New
England culture last week. II don't
think they've got quite enough pitch
tng, but. Is long Is they go on hitting
the way they are, they don't need an
awful lot Of anything else. And that
old guy Grove is standing up pretty
good, isn't he?"
Cleveland, to be sure, is taking a
long time folding. BY every rule of
etiquette the Indians should have
moved out Of the way six weeks ago
and permitted the real business of
the league to go on without them.
If they stay up there till October they
are apt to find themselves winning
pennant, and that is social error
which Mr.. Joseph Mccarthy would
never forgive.
But the Yankees are not worried.
They consider that Lou Gehrig and
Joe Dt Maggie are sure to strike their
hitting form in the second half of the
season. Di Mag, Is q matter of fact,
with his average Of $3.50, Is beginning
70 roll. II his bat seems silent its
because he has mislaid the home run
range. Joe Is hitting the ball to CEN
ter field. where the doubles and triples
grow.
The clubs great asset at the mo-
ment is new-found strength at second
base. Mr. Mccarthy, the master
mind. is not given to enthusiasm as a
general thing. In fact there are times
when he doesn't seem to like anything
but his dinner. On the subject Of
Joseph Gordon. however, the portly
strategist reaches into the bag of ho-
sannahs and paeans.
There's not a better second base
man anywhere" says Mr.. Mccarthy,
land the kid Is just starting to give.
He has speed to burn. II we gave him
enough rope he would wind up grab
bing liners out Of Selkirk's hands in
left field. And he's walloping the
ball. George Weiss, who watched him
in Newark last year. tells me that
Gordon will get better every day.
He says he hasn't ripened yet. If
that's true he's going to be some
thing to see when he's ripe"
Mr.. Mccarthy has powerful rea-
sons for liking Gordon. The Flash
was McCarthy's own private gamble
for 1888. He released Tony Lazzeri
to play his hunch on the busher from
Newark. Many an expert thought he
let Tony 60 too soon-especially when
Lazzeri began to powder the ball Tor
the Cubs in the spring of the year,
while the Yankees faltered in their
own league.
More Valuable Than Lazzeri.
But it's taking nothing away from
Tony to say that Goruon Is far more
valuable to the Yanks than the Wal
loping Wop from san Francisco could
have been tins year. Tony still has
hong edge in brains and experience, but
brains are not going to make the dou-
bic play nor Is experience going to
propel the ball over the left field wall.
Gordon is . great help to the
Yankee pitchers and also to Lou
Gehrig at first base and Frankie Cro-
setti at shortstop. He hits long ball
ten home runs in 43 games. He's not
the ball player that Charlie Gehringer
Is, and he may never be. but he'll
come close
The thing that can lick the Yankees
Is pitching. The great Gomez has
pitched no really bad game this
season, but he isn't the Gomez of
1887. Around the league you hear
that Lefty has lost lot of his speed
The slim Spaniard says it's not true.
Posterity will judge. Mr.. Gomez adds
that Pittsburgh will also Judge.
They'll have a chance to look at
my stuff in the World Series" says the
naughty Andalusian. Il hope they
like it."