Evening star., 1938-05-16
.PROFITSATBOSTON
IN SIGHT AT LAST
Sensational Rise of Club
Due to Groves Hurting
and Foxx's Hitting.
BY SID FEDER.

Associated Press Sports Writer.
1t was long time coming. but the
way thirgs are moving now, it begins
to look as If the benevolent Mr.. Tom
Yawkey finally has hit the jackpot
after tossing all those millions into
his Boston Red Sox.
Heading westward for their first
swing around the circuit, the Gold
Hose Mr. Yawkey put together by
turning over huge Wads of cash to
Connie Mack and various other ivory
dealers here and there are in first
place in the American League and
sporting an eight-game winning
streak that shows no signs of letting up.
So far this spring, everything
midas" Yawkey has touched over the
last several seasons is turning to gold
all at once. Every ones doing his
part in the drive. Five of the regulars
are hitting better than 300; the
pitchers are clicking.
The chief factors in the recent sue
cesses are the aging but still agile left
arm known as Robert Moses Grove,
and the long-range cannon known as
James Emory FoxX. Both graduates
of the University of Mack (Shibe
Park. Philadelphia). the graying Grove
and the failing Foxx are the real busi-
ness again after several seasons Of dis
appointing the boys and girls.
Foxx Hits Record Pace.
Take Lefty, for instance. He was
80 last March, a baseball age that
corresponds to an address in the old
mems home. But he's still the great
est southpaw elbower this generation
has produced. He hasn't his speed
any more. but he's pitching with his
stuff and his brains and is the No. l
American League finger with six
straight victories and no defeats. He
chalked up No. yesterday by 4-3
margin over the Washington Senators,
and is we'll on the road to his most
successful campaign since his 3l-4
championship year back in 1891.
Then there's Foxx Now Jimmy's a
nice q fellow as you'd want to meet.
Everybody likes him and he's good to
his family. But what he's doing to
American League pitchers this season
is caution. To date. he's hitting 1854,
and is the big leagues leading home
run hitter with eight round-trip wal
lops. But the most amazing product
of his pounding is 80 runs driven in in
% games, nearly twice as many as any
one else in either league. If he could
keep up his present rate, he'd have
batted about 260 across by the end
of the season. (And the major league
record is only 1907.
May Be Years Surprise.
All in all, what with the champion
New York Yankees and the highly
rated Detroit Tigers and Cleveland
Indians showing signs of monkey
wrenches-in-the-m machinery. the dia-
mond-studded Sox may wind up as
the surprise package of the year.
Through yesterdays defeat. the Sen
ators dropped to fourth place in the
league standings, and the Yankees
and Indians. whose games with Phila-
delphia and Chicago were rained out,
advanced to a tie for second. In the
only other American League game,
Oral Hildebrand allowed two hits for
five innings and the st. Louis Browns
beat the Tigers, Al, in tilt cut short
by rain.
The Chicago Cubs dropped their Sec
ond overtime decision tn row to the
Pittsburgh Pirates. with Johnny Dick
shots single in the eleventh sending
the winning run across for 4-3 Buc
victory. The Cardinals also went into
overtime before nipping the Cincin-
natl Reds. 12-11. on Pepper Martin s
pinch single in the tenth.
Boston's Bees exploded q three
home-run punch and trounced the
Dodgers, 10-7. The Giants and Phil
lies were rained out for the second
~ ir1,