Evening star., 1940-09-20
From the
Press Box
Tribe-Tieer Set Recalls
Other Hot Flag Fights
BY JOHN LARDNER,

BY JOHN LARDNER,
Special Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 CNAN.A).-
The first of two sudden-death series
between Cleveland and Detroit comes
up today in the American League.
Three games. Mr. John T. Doyle,
the bsff1ed Handicapped, who Is
changing his odds every hour this
month, wishes he knew today what
he will know Sunday.
They are driving me nuts" said
Mr.. Doyle to your correspondent,
looking up with glazed eyes from
pile Of figures as tall as a yearling
calf. The best can tell you now
is, 4 to 5 on either club for the PEN
nant. Cleveland, to 5. Detroit,
1 to s. Sunday night. one Of them
will be the favorite. Right now. its
tighter than my collar"
How about the Yankees?" said
your agent.
Ten TO one" said Mr.. Doyle.
"How about the White SoX?"
Ten to one" snapped Mr.. Doyle.
-And Boston fifteen to one. Say,
friend. you have 10 so back long
way 10 find scramble like this in
the American League"
Must Dig in Records
For Tight Races
The figures on Mr.. Doyle's table
showed just how far back you have
10 90. For three-club race, no
holds barred. you have 70 go back
10 1870. For q four-club shambles,
1905. And for any kind OF race In
the American League at all, you
have to b,.rrow down IL years to
the season of 1928. when the Yam
KEGS finished two-and-one-half
games ahead of the Athletics after
Connie Mack had pulled alongside
In September and looked the win
ners in the eve.
It was close in 1924-Washington
over New York by two. 1t was
hreathless in 1922-New York over
St. Louis by one. In 1920, they fin
tshed like this:
Cleveland by two, Chicago by one,
New York.
That season, OF course, was a
freak, and may not fairly belong
In the reckoning. Early in Sep
tenber the news of the gambling
scandal of 1919 broke with low
boom. Chicago's star players were
suspended pending investigation,
The Sox might otherwise have won
the pennant.
In 1916 they had tight one
Boston, Chicago and Detroit finish
ing in that order, with four games
separating first place and third.
In 1915, Boston beat out Detroit by
az games. In some cases. to be
sure, the figures do not tell the
story, for the winning team Jagged
after chnching the pennant.
Series Of Doefiehts
In 1905 -07-08
For real races" said Mr.. Doyle,
beginning to relax from his case Of
pencil nerves, give me l906-o7-08.
In those days, the American League
got a copyright on the stuff the
National League has been using
lately. 1t was one dogflght after
another"
In 1905, Cleveland and New York
seemed to have 1t between them as
they entered the stretch, with
Chicago pettering along somewhat
astern. But thas Chicago team was
Fielder Jones's Hitless Wonders
.Jiggs Donohue. George Rohe,
George Davis, Billy Sullivan, the
Fielder himself, and three great
pitchers. Walsh, White and Altrock
They rolled from behind to win it
by three games, with the High
landers of New York noslng out
Cleveland by one.
They had a pip in 1907 too,
the following year" muttered Mr..
Doyle. Two new teams came along
and beat the brains out of every
body else-Detroit and the Ath-
letics Between 'em, Detroit and
the AS won every pennant for the
next five years. The time I'm talk
ing about, Detroit had the dice.
Oracle Picks Up Clue
To 1910 Finish
They came into Philadelphia for
Q four-game series, and Hughie
Jennings told me they'd have to
take three out Of four to cop the
pennant. Well. Ty Cobb jumped
into the left-feld crowd to pull
down a fly that sent the game to
u innings, Detroit winning. The
payoff came in a double-header.
Mack had Bender and Plank ready
to 60, but Plank had to relieve
Bender in the first game, and when
Detroit won that one, they were in, !"
In 1908, the finish speaks for
itself:
Won Lost
Detroit -------- W b3
Cleveland --- 80 64
Chicago ------ 81 "a
st. Louis --- 83 SO
Six and one-half games between
first and fourth place at the wire
and Detroit over Cleveland by half
game. do not wish to step into
any traps. but there may be a clue
there to the deep, dark mystery Of
1910.