Show SPORT LIGHT stretch in both leagues Is hot by GRANTLAND RICE bobly BASEBALLS 1949 1049 stretch Is now I 1 only a few furlongs away and this next one can be a nectarine full of juice oddly enough conditions in the two leagues have been somewhat reversed since last april at that time the red bed sox and indians were to make the american league race the dodgers cardinals braves brave pirates and possibly the giants were to churn chum up foam in the national As the case Is today only i 11 h a cardinals and dodgers appear to have anything to say about the corn com grantland rice lag ing stretch in the Na national tignal league while the yankees indians red sox box and tigers may all be lumped ed together through september in the american Amerl caa this american league september stretch may be one of the best in ma many ny years even close to the 1948 scramble past results have us what can happen when these stretch runs in the two leagues start the pirates twice have had a seven game lead shot from under them in former years in 1934 the giants lost six of their last seven games to give alv e the cards the pennant by two games dizzy dean was the spearhead of the st lows louis team the white sox put on a 19 straight rally in september as far back as 1908 1906 The Cubs picked up a 21 consecutive game streak a few years ago to blot out the pirates there have been any number of leads shot to pieces in late august or september on copy paper the he red bed sox box still look to bo be the stron strongest geal team in baseball with the upsurge of parnell mcdermott Dermott ble and hooked to the power of williams dom dimaggio Magelo Di stephens doerr pesky and others the yankees indians and tigers are now well balanced with red hired men carrying the more effective pitching in trucks and gray Dart mouths roko has done a fine job with the he squad he opened with for that matter so has casey stengel from now on everything depends on how the stretch run is handled both yankees and indians still recall the 11 game deficit joe mccarthy and his red sox wiped out last summer and fall and certainly mccarthy has never quit in hi his belief the red sox will win the me yankees were the most consistent A L team until early august when red sox indians tigers and athletics were involved in winning spurts and dizzy downward spirals that looked to be headed tor for oblivion there has been more in and out up and down good and bad b baseball ase played in the american league than anyone has seen for many summers and a good part of it has revolved around erratic pitching the national league leage the cardinals are even now an old team largely products of 1941 and 1942 and by next year they will be over the hill bill I 1 cant see any other team coming along to fill in the gap not even the once challena ing phillies Ph lUles the cardinals or some other club had better collar the do dod d 9 sera era this summer or it will pr probably be too late for s some ame years to come durt burt Shot tons young pitching staff and young team is just picking up the seasoning and experience needed and by 1050 1950 will outclass the national league cardinals included the downfall of the braves and the pirates has been one of the jolting factors in the older circuit those who know bluy billy southworth and have known him for years cant understand a group of baIl ballplayers players backing up under his leadership he has always been too able a leader and toof too fine lne a character in the past this has affected a ball club that never was too hot even when it won a year ago the braves will be too far back of the dodgers by 1950 to have a look in old and nob now ball 91 11 baseball has had bad at least one mystery we have never been able to penetrate how was it that in other years though the pitchers could do anything to a ball except cut it in two the batting averages of many players were so high the hurlers could douse it with spitball spit ball moisture they could use usa emery they could fuzz tt it up they could blacken it and there were I 1 times when they froze it 1 |