| Show G ANTL FOR COR j OR four years the New York Yankees dominated baseball to such an extent they left a eyed cock-eyed slant on the double corral They left too definite an impression that the American league was the whole show including the pink lemonade the big tent the elephants the hard blue seats and the side-show side after the main act It was never quite that way It wasn't the American league which dominated the dia dia- mond It was merely the New York Yan Yan- kees They won something like 23 out of 31 World Sc Se- Series ries games dating I from 1927 So natu natu- naturally naturally rally the National league must have been a lock flock of sand totters otters i A p 4 But dont don't forget I that during that four Grantland year spell the Yan- Yan Rice kees were also an an- annihilating annihilating annihilating assas assas- assassinating assassinating assassinating murdering manhandling and mauling the Boston Red Sox the Detroit Tigers the Cleveland In In- Indians Indians Indians and the remainder of their league I recall rc all a certain Yankee slump in the Midwest a year or two ago They lost six out of eight games I I asked one of the Yankees about this cave in inNo inNo inNo No he said we were not ex ex- exactly exactly loafing But Cut why run for a car youve you've caught We knew we were from 12 to 15 games better than the rest of the league We knew we could loaf and still gallop in But Not Today But its it's all different today The Yankees of 1940 are far and away from the Yankees of 1936 1937 1938 and 1939 And with the dizzy descent of the Yankees from their old heights so the dominance of the American league has ended I saw the National league win its star all-star game in Tampa last March I saw National league pitchers tie American league sluggers into an assortment of true lovers' lovers knots The same thing happened in St. St Louis recently Once Once- again National league le gue pitchers put silencers on American league bats In the last 18 innings of star all play from March to July Ameri Ameri- American can league sluggers have ham ham- hammered hammered hammered exploded thundered and mauled one flabby run across the plate There was a time when the A. A L. L had most of the dynamite It may have the jump in range long-range shooting today but not against the pick of National league pitching No set of run home-run sluggers a A F Fare are going to make It p any headway against Paul Derringer L it f s Bucky Walters Carl r i j Hubbell that's right t or many others I 1 t could name The Yankees Ya n k c e s Paul Derringer from 1935 through 1939 were an exception They had practically everything the everything the hitting the fielding the pitching the confidence confidence confidence dence and the poise They had amazing amazing amazing ing balance which is something that time works on in its leisurely way The Thc Two Leashes Leagues American leaguers will tell teU you that Detroit Cleveland Boston and New York all could win the National league pennant with something to spare National leaguers now lifted from the gloomy abyss of the years that knew defeat are telling you the Reds and Dodgers would run away with an American league pennant What do you suppose one vet vet- veteran veteran veteran eran National leaguer asked me would happen to that American league if their hitters had to move out against Paul Derringer Bucky Walters Junior Thompson Jim Turner Whitey Moore and others day after day There wouldn't be bea a team in that league hitting against Red pitching This is moving a trifle fast the theother theother theother other way The two leagues now are better balanced than they have been in in some years Again this is largely due to the Yankee drop Where are my and Dick Dick- Dickeys Dickeys Dickeys eys and and and Gordons and and Joe J o McCarthy also might be asking today Baseball in losing the year four-year Yankees losing them so far at least least has has built up additional inter inter- interest interest interest est through both leagues especially the American league Ill Wind Etc The present campaign may be an aniU ill iU wind for the Yankees but it has been a soothing summer breeze for forthe forthe the thc other oilier clubs which have been shivering in the Barren Lands since 1935 Now we have two great pennant races two well-matched well leagues and two great stretch runs on ahead Who can c m ask for more Barring of course the Yankees who still cant can't understand who swung the lead pipe and just what has hap- hap |
