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Show Released by Western Newspaper Union. A WIDESPREAD rumor, sup. posed to have originated in New York, indicates that the Yankees have more than a fair chance to win the American league flag. This whispered bit of propaganda probably proba-bly is designed to frighten the seven (count 'em) other clubs in the league. A close examination, however, discloses dis-closes a germ of truth in this ma-licious, ma-licious, back-fence gossip. The record, rec-ord, open to anyone Interested, reveals re-veals that there Is considerable day-light day-light between the world champions and the closest contender. It might not be amiss to point out to Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, etc., that while the race is not always to j the swift, the hare usually is a much j better bet than the tortoise. ' In 1941 Outfielders DiMaggio, Hen- j rich and Keller averaged quite a bit over .300, hitting more than 90 home runs. To date these individuals are batting bat-ting around .250 some 80 points below be-low normal. When they hit their usual stride the future will be even darker for the junior circuit hopefuls, and that sad moment may lp3 ' - 1 - is . 1 come any time. Charlie Keller Happier Leagie In the National league things are r bit happier, though not all is serene se-rene and placid. Brooklyn looks too good. St. Louis may come through and break up the Yankee-Dodger combination. The Cardinals are looked upon as the only team with enough stuff to trip Durocher and his Gowanus Goons. The Cardinals are a scrappy club, but have looked better on paper than in action. They were headed for the 1941 series when injuries weakened them for Brooklyn. The same excuse ex-cuse won't hold up in 1942. Two league positions seem quite secure as of this writing. The Yankees Yan-kees will gallop away with first place in the American, and Philadelphia will refuse to be edged out of last place in the National. The 14 other positions will be more bitterly contested. con-tested. The Record of a Great Hitter Seventeen years ago a young fellow fel-low named Paul Waner was socking the ball all over the diamond at Paso Robles, Calif., where the Pittsburgh Pirates were in training. Today Mr. Waner is set to join the select ranks of players who are responsible for 3,000 or more hits a total reached by only five other players in modern mod-ern times. Ty Cobb leads the list with a mark that no one will ever approach. ap-proach. The Georgia Geor-gia Peach accounted ac-counted for 4,191 runs, umers woo Paul Waner compiled 3,000 or more hits include Trls Speaker, 3,515; Honus Wagner, 3,430; Eddie Collins, 3,313, and Napoleon Na-poleon Lajoie, 3,242. Cap Anson, who wound up his career before the turn of the century, hammered out 3.081 hits. Three-Year Record In his first three years, with San Francisco in the Pacific Coast league, "Big Poison" hit .369, .356 and .401. That was from 1933 through 1935. With Pittsburgh in .36, Paul ait .336, climbing to .380 the follow-Ing follow-Ing year. He stayed comfortably above the .300 mark for the next ten years, slipping to .280 in 1938. His major league average for 16 years Is 340. He led the National league three times-.380 in 1927. .362 in 1934 and .373 in 1936. Dry statistics don't tell the complete com-plete Waner story. Paul claims a curious history for his hitting ability. abili-ty. It seems that his father bought t farm outside Oklahoma City, at Harrah, Okla. Paul and his brother Lloyd, "Little Poison," both learned to hit by batting corn cobs with their hoe handles. Unquestionably a corn cob is an tlusive target especially when the slugger is armed with nothing more than a hoe handle. But such practice prac-tice seemed to develop a singleness af purpose which stood the Brothers Waner in good stead. It made their later work seem as easy as shooting Bsh in a barrel. 5PORT SHORTS B The left arm of Ray Lamanno, rookie Cincinnati catcher, is an inch and a half shorter than his right. Several years ago he had a bad case af blood poisoning and almost lost the' arm. , n The St Louis Cardinals have pur-:hased pur-:hased Catcher Sam Narron from Rochester of the International league. . . . B. Grover Cleveland Alexander is living on a farm in Nebraska. B Brooklyn has been a member of seven different baseball leagues. I |