Show AS THEY TilEY SWING THROUGH JUNE B BASEBALL form still is somewhat muddled as so the major league teams swing owing along In the National league the Reds and the Dodgers I are holding up but the Cardinals heavy pennant choice In some lome sectors sectors sec tors when the spring predictions were under way lag so badly that If it they are not already out of the therace therace therace race they are teetering on the verge In the American league the Yankees Yankees Yankees Yan Yan- i kees have come on but not rapidly I Grantland Rice enough to fit In with the p season preseason r es e a son schedule that called for them to be away out In front by this time Otherwise the race in that league is in accordance accordance accord accord- ance with the dope with the Red Sox Indians and Tigers up ahead and the second division held by the White Sox Senators Athletics and Browns The Browns Drowns It seems have had their I splurge and from now on not much i is likely to be heard from them 1 One of the main surprises has I been offered by the Giants who ho ho after after aft aft- er a bad start have moved up Into the running At the outset the Plants didn't look any better than they did at the finish of the 1939 campaign But lOut the return of Joe Moore the fine pitching of Carl Hubbell Hubbell Hub Hub- bell and the batting of Harry Dan Dan- sting nine pulled them out of that early season slough They still dont don't look as U it they might sneak through and grab the pennant But flut they do loom as a threat to the Reds and Dodgers between between be be- tween whom the pennant seems tc lie They can make a lot of trouble for tor those teams Unable Unable Unable-or or so It appears appears to to win themselves they can have something to say about who does win Tire The Reds Reels and anti tile the Dodgers The Reds naturally are favored They moved back briskly from their collapse against the Yankees last fall lost little time takIng taking tak tak- ing over the lead and have played at ata ata a steady gait most of df f the way Again this year two of the most important factors factors factors fac fac- tors in their play have been the pitching pitching pitch pitch- ing of Bucky Waiters Wal Wai- and the all- all I I around work of Bill Bucky wall Walters rs Werber Walters seems headed for fora a season as brilliant as that which he had in 1939 Take ake Werber out of the Red infield and it would sag so badly the weight of it would drag the team down The lodgers Dodgers have exceeded the expectations of Larry MacPhail MacPhall and almost met those of the Brooklyn tans Ian Larry said In the early spring lie e c didn't think the Dodgers would be c as good as they were last year while the fans tans claimed the pennant And of course they remain the most exciting team in baseball A 11 Quick Comeback The robustness of the Dodgers Dodgers' spirit was emphasized by the manner manner mannor man man- ner nor in which they threw ol oft off the ef ef- of the loss of those two games to 10 the G Giants on Memorial day That it 1 must be remembered was more than just the loss of a double double- header It was a bitter humiliating humiliating ing and total defeat suffered on the home grounds at the hands of a hated hated hat hat- ed d enemy and with all the fans who possibly could be packed into Ebbets Ebbets Ebbets Eb- Eb bets fied looking on It was enough to have thrown them of off their stride for a couple of weeks at least but they bounced right back from It as only a thoroughly game outfit could Once more Leo Durocher Is demonstrating dem dem- his skill as manager as he guides guidI's the Dodgers past bumps such auth as that defeat by the he Giants and the loss los of Jf Pee Tec Wee Reese The Brooklyn players and and this Is one of f their malt mad sources of strength strength- think he Is the greatest manager the game ever knew I cant can't go quite that far with them but I will say there Is no manager In baseball base base- baU ball now who is doing a better job Yankees on the rr Way ay The Yankees though they have lagged may be on their way at last not not yet with the smoothness that thatis is 33 characteristic of them them but but in a fashion that makes them still look like a fair bet to smash precedence and win a fifth fUth pennant in a row They have got over their bewilderment bewilder bewilder- ment brought on by early season setbacks and are hitting bitting again In Marvin Breuer they Breuer-they they have the best year first pitcher in either league They have had days recently such as they usually have at their peak The Red Sox holding first place arent aren't going to be c overhauled ily Even the Yankees know that Cleveland with Bob Feller swinging along an and a fine second-base second combination combination com com- in Mack and Boudreau and Detroit with a lot of power are dangerous too The White Sox are going to be troublesome from time timeto to time time time-as as they were last week when they took two games out of three from frow the Yankees Yankees but but they scarcely are contenders and the rest of the clubs do not matter either That's That the way it U looks as the teams roll through these |