Evening star., 1940-05-09
Yanks, in Cellar,
Still Regarded
Club 10 Beat
Lefthonders Punish
Champs; Bees Rout
Reds Derringer
BY JUDSON BAILEY,


The world champion New York
Yankees are in last place in the
American League today and perhaps
the most amazing aspect of their
strange situation is the complacency
with which every one is accepting
their slump.
The same club that won four con-
secutive American League and world
championships is out there founder
ing like fish out of water day in
and day out, losing II out of its
first II games, five in a row and
nine to left-handed pitchers.
The Yanks were whipped un-
mercifully 1914 yesterday by the
Cleveland Indians, who started
Southpaw AL Smith against them
and backed him up with a 14-hit
attack that included two home runs
by Hal Trosky and one by Rollie
Hemsley.
Smith is a castoff of the New
York Giants who pitched for Buff
falo in the International League
last year. The game yesterday was
his first start as an American League
hurler.
Yanks Are Lampooned.
The same day New York paper
printer cartoon showing a mana
ger tapping a left-handed street
sweeper on the shoulder and saying,
"Left-handed, huh? You're going
to pitch against the Yankees to-
morrow"
Yet there isn't a manager who
doesn't believe the Yanks will rise
again to haunt them and Joe Nc
Carthy keeps letting his starting
pitchers 60 five, six and seven in
nings in the face of heavy hitting
still waiting confidently for one of
those old-time big innings that will
erase everything.
Inc fans are so stunned they don't
know whether to believe their ewes.
IL may be just as well, because those
4anKs nave made hasty appraisals
bounce before. Joe Di Maggie had
a perfect day at bat yesterday and
Joe Gordon hit homer with two m
in the eighth. 4s
They were due to get a look at
ngntnanded pitching today-if
Bobby Feller's f1reball isn't too siz.
znng 10 look upon-and even though
tneyre In eighth place they're only
SIX and one-half games behind the
leaders. Prudence still may be the
best policy.
Red Sox Stay at Top.
The Boston Red sox kept on top
OF the pile yesterday, squeezing past
the Detroit Tigers, Sd, by punching
five hits for four runs in the fourth
and with Jack Wilson doing splen-
did relief pitching chore. This
dropped Detroit back into third
place. behind the Indians.
There was some other shufling In
the standings. The Philadelphia
AS outslugged the st. Louis Browns
1913, with Benny Mccoy gettinp
four hits. to take over fourth place
and the Chicago White sos
climbed out of the cellar with a 6-3
decision over Washington.
Brooklyn's National League lead.
ers were rained out at Chicago ano
the Cincinnati Reds were blockeo
out OF a chance to move into a vir.
tual tie when the surging Boston
Bees pounded Paul Derringer Of
the mound and won, ,10-4. The Bees
who lost their first six straight. but
since have won six out of eight.
clustered four runs in the first il.
ming and five in the fifth.
Giants Slug Pirates.
The New York Giants plastered II
hits against the Pirates for a 1915
victory that not only ran Pitts
burgh's string of defeats to eight,
but broke the Terrymen's own losing
streak at four. Babe Young got
four consecutive hits and the Giants
rolled up eight runs before the Pi.
rates penetrated Cliff Melton's arm
ament for their first score. It was
the southpaw's third victory without
defeat.
Stu Martin hit two home runs to
lead the st. Louis Cardinals to a
IA triumph over the Phillies, but
Fiddler Bill MCGEE had to be rescued
in the ninth when the Phils punched
three runs around a homer by Gus
Suhr.