Show akin o of 0 f Sports Sports- Boston Red e Sox Seen as Threat To Beat Yanks s By ROBERT McSHANE l WHEN HEN the New York Yankees p y clinched their third straight American league pennant last year to to say nothing of the world series se se- se ries the rIes-the the worry boys started working working work work- ing overtime Moans of ot pure unadulterated unadulterated un un- adulterated anguish could be heard distinctly from East Cape Fla to Wash Nash I Break up Dp them became became became be be- came the rallying cry for thousands of with viewers The Yankees were too good They were throttling baseball because they had bad a corner on all the talent No one ODe would be interested in fn a sure sare thing Etc etc Only one club ever won four straight pennants since the begin begin- i St Wt j T LOU GEHRIG ning ping of organized major league baseball in 1876 The New York Giants headed by John McGraw annexed four National league pennants pennants pen pen- nants in a row from 1921 through 1924 However all good things come to toan toan toan an end sooner or later The law of averages cant can't be repealed and has just as much force today as it had before the Yanks started their rampage One more thing thing the the luster luster lus Ius lus- lus ter of Lou Gehrig one of the greatest great great- greatest est first basemen in diamond history history his his- tory is almost certain to be dimmed to the vanishing point this year Granted that the loss of one man wont won't break brcak up the Yankee club But it will be a serious psychological cal loss loss almost as great as if it Manager Manager Man Man- ager Joe McCarthy l decided to re re- re- re tire It was back in June 1925 that Miller l Huggins then manager of the Yanks barked from his seat seaton seaton seaton on the bench Gehrig get up there and hit for Right there Columbia Lou started one of the most remarkable sporting feats in history a streak of 2123 consecutive consecutive tive ti games at the close of the 1938 season During the past two seasons he played in games each Reticent by nature his iron man feat never got for him the publicity it t deserved Since Babe Ruth started started start start- ed cd to slide Gehrig has been the thet t teams team's ams am's inspiration His inevitable loss to the Yar Yanks ks will be a serious blow to pennant hopes The Thc iron man though noticeably slipping is sure to render valuable assistance to the club this season Occasional rest periods will prolong his activities May lay Upset Yanks Who can upset the Yanks Most Alost authorities are of ot the opinion that it cant can't be done this season But there are lre a few Cew who are willing to concede the Boston Red Sox an outside out side chance And well they might for Cor the Sox have a lot of what is needed to turn over a a. well-stocked well apple aple cart The Red Sox have the best spirit I of any any team in the league and they're going out to win with a team entirely capable of annexing that coveted banner The are a n ayoung ayoung young hard fighting outfit They have one of the brightest assemblages assemblages assem assem- of rookies in either league including Ted Williams the year 20 od old American Association batting I Ling king ing from the Minneapolis Millers who will be stationed in right field and Jim Tabor a clubber dubber with the Millers a year ago Tabor is being groomed for second base basc Another An An- other Woodrow other Woodrow Rich RIch RIch-is Is being touted touted tout tout- ed as a real find With Little Rock last year he won 19 and lost 10 and yielded only earned runs a game Though there Is considerable doubt about Lefty Letty Grove whose arm went dead last season their pitching pitching pitch pitch- ing staff w will U be sufficient even it il the ancient Lefty Letty does fade out The Yanks who have cut three straight world series melons arent aren't AS hungry for the honors as the ho Red Sox Three straight titles dulls to some same degree the thc urge to win and that spells dynamite for Cor any club And it wont won't be the biggest surprise surprise sur sur- prise of the year alarmists to the contrary if the Boston Red Sox wind windup windup windup up the season about 10 games ahead of oC the Yankees And the break cm up boys would have to find something something some some- thing else lse to worry about |