Evening star., 1939-05-12
Top Club But ; Games
Up on Last After
Round Robin
Idle Cards Get in Van
As Reds Lose; Yonks
In True Stride
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

This is inventory time In the
major leagues.
Completion Of the seasons nrst
intersectional straflng yesterday not
only gave all the clubs a shakedown
Of their own strength against all
the other clubs-it brought them to
the place where they must do some-
thing about it, If they ever intend to.
In another week rosters must be
reduced to IS players and in another
month the bars will 60 up against
trading except by the usually i'm
practicable waiver route. This &C.
counts for the almost daily shunting
of players of to the minors and the
chumminess Of club executives, such
as brought fine for fraternizing q
few days ago to Managers Bill Terry
of the Giants and Ray Blades Of the
Cardinals.
The National League is punched
under a blanket smaller than even
the experts foresaw before the sea-
son started and procurement Of .
pitcher here. an outfielder there. or
an infielder somewhere else may
conceivably settle the pennant. A
mere three games separates the first-
place Cardinals from the last-place
Phillies and the shufning Of the
standings during the Westerns clubs
invasion OF the East demonstrated
the leagues even balance.
Idle Cards Slip Into Lead.
The Cards, who were tied Tor
fourth when they came East, took
over undisputed possession OF the
lead yesterday while rained out at
Philadelphia. simply because the
Cincinnati Reds lost their second
game in a row to the Brooklyn
Dodgers. 4-3. on Dolf Camilli's nth
homer Of the year.
Previously the Reds had ousted
Boston from first. Collapse Of Casey
Stengel's pitching staff caused the
Bees to lose six out Of seven games
to the Western teams, concluded by
Yesterdays 60 setback at the hands
of the Chicago Cubs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates. although
beaten in their road finale by the
Giants, Al. on the four hit pitch
ing of Southpaw Cliff Melton. COM
piled the best record Of any club
in the senior circuit for the period
by winning six against two de-
feats-the other defeat being 10
shutout at Philadelphia.
About the only club which proved
it's pennant caliber beyond doubt
while standing pat on present
strength was New York IN the
American League. The Yankees
climaxed q Western venture by
beating the st. Louis Browns. 1913,
yesterday and returning to the
American League lead.
Yanks Play Like Champs.
The champions won eight games
and lost only to Cleveland and Chi
cago, even though Joe Di Maggie
was left in New York convalescing
from . leg injury and the once
dangerous guns Of Lou Gehrig were
silenced by his benching.
Boston's Red Sox, tied for hrst
when they hit the road. also lost
only twice, to Chicago and st. Louis,
but bad weather kept them idle
three days and their victories,
therefore totaled but five. Their
second defeat was 80 Jolt yester-
day on the nve-hit pitching Of the
veteran Ted Lyons, although the
White Sox themselves got only four
blows from Woody Rich and Denny
Galehouse.
The Cleveland Indians made the
biggest advance, moving from sew
enth to third place on five victories
and three defeats. Lefty Al Milnar
established himself as pitching
standby by beating the Yankees In
an thinning game and then shut
ting out the Philadelphia Athletics,
TO, on five hits yesterday.
Worst mark for the period was
Detroit's eight defeats against .
single victory. In their intersec-
tional windup the Tigers were
beaten, AZ. by WaShinRton.