OCR Text |
Show PRANK K. BAKER P Ahm j "ITtUOIIAK ' SPOrXTt fDITOP.' I Bvjccru.se their batting punch' has been so spectacular, spec-tacular, the World Champion Yankees have set up the misleading conception that they win on power alone, whereas they really owe much of their success suc-cess to line lielding and excellent pitching. In fact, the official averages show that the Yankees have the best pitching in the league. Yankee hurlers pitched more complete games in 1938 than any other pitching staff, gave fewer runs and had th lowest earned run average In the league. The earned run averages of the clubs are: New York 3.91, Chicago 4.36, Boston 4.48, Cleveland 4.80, Detroit 4.79, Washington 4.94, Philadelphia 5.48 and St Louis 5.80. These figures are bound to be something of revelation revela-tion to those who have always dismissed Yankee pitch tag technique with the observation that "It is a cinch to pitch for the world champions" Of course, we all agree that Charley Ruffing, Lefty Gomes, Monte Pearson and the ethers had a little easier row to hoe than Buck New som faced with the seventh-place Browns. First be-cause be-cause they had a better offensive club behind them and second because the Yankees also have one of the best defensive clubs in the circuit, even though not much is written or said about the team's general fielding ability. Newsom might have been able' to win 30 games had he been with the Yankees, for as it was he pitched 20 victories with the wobbly Browns and was charged with defeat in 16 other games. The chances are extremely bright that a pitcher of his caliber could have won three-fourths of his games had he started 40 contests, as he did with St. Louis. The averages, disclosing the Yankee hurlers as the most Osauaiaed ea IHlleeriag ratal |