The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-10
(Reg. U. s. Patient Office1
 By JACK CUDDY Jnited Press Staff COrrespondent)

(Jnlteu fTeSS SLdlI COTEtSpoHueIlI|
 New York, May 1O- (UP) One guess is as good as another as to why war time baseball with it's lowered standards of play is so fascinating to the fans but the fact that it is so unpredictable probably has as much to do with the popu- laritv as anything else.
 Nothing seems to go according to the script and the fans love it. They come expecting to see a pitchers battle and stay to cheer for a fence-rattling melee of extra base hits.
 No better evidence of the topsy turvy situation seems to be avail able than a check on the way the two major leagues are reversing themselves in the hitting of home runs.
 The American league, long the haven of the heavy hitters - the Babe Ruths, Ty Cobbs, Joe DiMag- gios, Lou Gehrigs and Charley Kel- lers is depending on air-tight pitch ing this season whereas the Ma tional is cashing in on the blows over the fences and into the bleach- CTS.
 Thus far, as compared with the 1914 season, the National league have hit 53 home runs against 39, an increase of IA. And what is happening, meanwhile. in the Am I erican? There have been only 31 | hny fn 1otn writ h 46 in the corresponding period a year ago, a drop of 15
 The most spectacular increase in the National has been by the re juvenated New York Giants, who have biffed IS balls for rounds trip tickets whereas as the same time last year they had connected for only eight. Despite the admitted advantage of playing in their pe- culiarly constructed Polo Grounds with it's short right and left field barriers, it is the increase that is significant, since they had played | about the same number of games at home at this time a year ago.
 All of which adds up to the fact that the Giants are in first place with B victories in IT games. It's hard to beat that extra base punch in the pinch and along with the homers, the Giants are "bat-Eapp" in the other slugging departments. They lead with runs batted in, 65; hits 164, tWo-baggers 31; and runs 101.
 But to get back to the business of the reversed home run situation, which finds four National league clubs with increases over year ago, one even and three with decreases. That is surprising enough but in the American league the trend is even more striking. Only one club, the Yankees, have more homerS than at the same time a year ago and their increase is not impressive, nine against seven. The Red SoX are even with five against five, and the others show decreases. The Athletics have five against six the Tigers Four against six, the Browns four against seven, the White SoX two against four, the Indians one against five and the senators one against six.
 The other National league clubs with increases are the Braves. who have picked up 12 homerS as com pared with six at this time last season, the PhillieS with eight against three in 1914, and the Cubs with three against two. The Dod- gers are even with six this year and six last, the Pirates are down one with three against four, the Reds have one against three and the usually heavy-hitting Cardinals have only two as compared with seven in l944.
 We wouldn't guess whether the trend will continue and it would be in keeping with the unpredctable nature of things If it didn't. But that is what makes the turnstiles turn over,