Baseball: Mid-Season

When Babe Ruth became angry because his employer, Judge Emil Fuchs, had refused him permission to visit New York to welcome the Normandie, and resigned from the Boston Braves last month, baseball addicts wondered what he would do next. Last week, an editorial in the American Magazine contained an unhappy suggestion. It was named "FAME,'' signed, "Babe Ruth, Guest Editorial Writer.'' Excerpts:

"The people who cheer loudest when you succeed are those who throw pop bottles the hardest when you fail. . . . Loud cheers make heroes. Pop bottles make martyrs. ... I knew an old priest once. His hair was white, his face shone. ... I am listed as a famous home-runner, yet beside that obscure priest, who was so good and so wise, I never got to first base."

While Babe Ruth was pondering fame, both major leagues, to all appearances, were functioning as bravely as ever last week. With July 4 and the annual All-Star game comfortably past, mid-season gave experts a good excuse to add up chances in the pennant races.

In the American League, the New York Yankees were one and a half games ahead of the Detroit Tigers, who, similarly placed a year ago, won the 1934 pennant comfortably. Said Detroit's aggressive Manager Mickey Cochrane, after his team had just won ten games in a row: "I believe we will win the pennant by a wider margin than we did last year. ..." Far less confident was Manager Walter Johnson of the Cleveland Indians who, picked by most experts to win the pennant, were floundering in fourth place. Said he: "Trosky has been a terrible disappointment. So has Hale. But I think my greatest agony is Pearson. . . ." The Chicago White Sox, aided by Pitchers Whitehead and Phelps, picked as tail-enders, were still in third place last week, with a good chance to stay there.

Last year the New York Giants were leading the National League by seven games on Sept. 6. The St. Louis Cardinals won the pennant. Last week, the Giants were in first place by seven games again and, although this time they had 82 instead of 22 games in which to lose, baseball experts, forgetful as usual, unanimously picked them to win. With shocking disregard for rudimentary baseball amenities, Polo Grounds ground-keepers set about enlarging the runways in the stands for World Series crowds. The Giant's pitching staff, previously impaired when Freddy Fitzsimmons broke his elbow fortnight ago, was promptly diminished to the danger point when Rookie Clydell Castleman, who had won eight games, lost two, broke his hand in batting practice. One major reason for the Giants' success so far this season, despite overconfidence and bad luck, has been their large, placid, blond centre fielder, Harry ("Hank") Leiber, whom any consensus of experts would name as the outstanding rookie of the year. Discovered by one-time Giant Pitcher Arthur Nehf, Leiber, 23-year-old son of a Phoenix, Ariz, advertising man, joined the team in 1933, went to Jersey City, Memphis and Nashville for two years of seasoning, and so far this year has a batting average of .329. Last week, after a bad slump in which he came to bat twelve times without getting a hit, Leiber recovered his eye, made two singles and a timely double that helped the Giants beat Pittsburgh, 10-10-3.

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