Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-10-10
Speak1.s9 #
SPORTS
BY ROBERT MeSHANl


the New York Giants was no less
heartbreaking.
II Is true that big things were
expected Of the Indians. Spring e.
Inmates were more than generous. A
good share Of experts handed them
the 1871 American league pennant;
others predicted . tough battle with
the Yankees for first place. In any
event they were to finish IL.
Such, of course, wasn't the case
with the Giants in the National
circuit. For four seasons they have
been fading from the pennant fight.
No one expected them to win the
flag this year, but, according to
precedent, they should have played
their way out of the second division.
Both teams disappointed their fol-
lowers. The Indians failure to live
mp to expectations was = wallop felt
clear through the American league.
And instead Of climbing out Of the
second division, the Giants are In
deeper than ever.
Last Flag in 81
The Giants won their last pennant
in 1887. In 1888 they finished third.
The next year they were fifth and
in 1910 they were sixth, with no i'm
provement this year. Not since they
won their first pennant in 1904 had
they finished two years in a row in
the second division. This year they
made it three straight among the
also-rans.
The Giants have had unhappy sea-
sons before this. In 1915 they fin
ished at the tail end of the league.
But in 1916 they jumped to fourth
place and the next year they won
the pennant. A few years later
in l926-they slipped to the second
division, but the next year they
were third and the next second. At
the close of the 1882 season they
were tied for sixth place. But in
1888 they came back to win the PEN
nant.
During those same years, Cleve-
land won the American league pen
nant only once-in 1920. The Indians
were hungry for victory in 1871, but
1t just wasn't their year. Hopes run
high in the springtime, and on paper
Cleveland was the favorite. What
happened to the Indians was exact
~ the same thing that happened to
the Giants-too many players failed
to play the kind Of baseball they
were expected to play.
Indian NosediUe
Again. Cleveland's case is the
more striking. jeff Heath was the
only member of the team who hit
as well as he is capable of hitting.
Bob Teller was the only pitcher to
match his best performance.
Hal Trosky, Roy Weatherly and
Al Milnar didn't play ball the way
they are capable of playing, as
shown by previous seasons. Had
Trosky hit around $3.50 and contrib
uted his looked-for 80 home runs,
had Milnar pitched the kind of ball
he pitched in 1910, and had Wealth
erly turned in his usual finished job,
the Indians would have made a fight
of it right down to closing day.
They didn't play that kind of ball,
and the results are shown all too
clearly in the records book.
The sad state of the Terrymen
is somewhat similar. Mel OFT, long
a power at the plate, seemed to
have passed his peak season before
last. Harry banning, whose bat did
plenty Of damage in 1910, ended up
a bit below the $50 mark. Pitcher
Carl Hubbell, who once accounted
for 20 victories or more each year,
now has to be content with half that
number.
Certainly these are sad days at
the Polo Grounds. The mighty have
fallen-fast and far. It's difficult to
believe that the Giants were once
the biggest thing in baseball. With
John McGraw At the helm they won
10 pennants over a span of 81 years.
Under Terry they won three Ma
tional league championships in five
campaigns. But the past four sea-
sons have been dismal. The Giants
Of the Polo Grounds have been
shorn Of their locks.
Rebuilding Process
Both clubs will attempt to rebuild
this winter. There will De trades,
sales and purchases. 1t is doubtful
if either club will be content to build
from the bottom, step by step. and
finally move toward the top of the
league during the course of several
years. The process takes too long.
Instead, everything possible will
Be deae - bolster the I've teams
fer tie lSl2 wars. CIeveland has
seen tss many mirages. They want
70 feed the silk u 4 real peanant,
and hey aeat want - walk years
fee the sp1srtWtty.