[Big Six]

August 1, 1936

• The first-place Washington Senators received some bad news on July 11, when they learned that all-star shortstop Willie Wells would miss the remainder of the season with a dislocated shoulder. The Nats hope Wells will be ready for the beginning of the 1937 season, but even that isn't a sure bet.
  
  
• Kansas City fans have had little to cheer about for years, but the exploits of slugger Jimmie Foxx have provided them with plenty of thrills. On July 15, Foxx hit a fastball from Portland's Homer Blankenship over the left field fence at Municipal Stadium for the 300th home run of his career. "Double X" is only 28 years old, so there's a good chance he could end his career as the all-time home run king. Sadly, there were only 4,471 fans on hand to watch Foxx's historic homer.
  
  
• The trade market was fairly quiet as the July 31 deadline came and went. The only important deal went down on the 27th, when Oakland traded infielder Luke Appling to the Giants for southpaw Ralph Birkofer. The Oaks' decision to send one of their few productive hitters away in return for another pitcher has puzzled many insiders.
  
  
• The league Batters of the Month for July were the same sluggers who earned the prizes in June. Pittsburgh's Lou Gehrig hit .377 with 10 homers and 24 RBI, scoring 37 runs. Gehrig now has a .358-35-92 line for the year, and he's scored 121 runs in 109 games. Could we be seeing the best season of Lou's distinguished career, one in which some all-time records fall before his booming bat?
  
  
• Arky Vaughan of the White Sox ripped 48 hits in 110 July at-bats, good for a .436 average that raised his season mark to .409. Although the Sox trail the division-leading Beavers by 13 games, Arky can't be blamed for that. He's driven in 93 runs, most in the American League and two fewer than Washington's Jim Bottomley, the MLB leader.
  
  
• The New York Yankees are finally getting the kind of pitching from Bill Swift that they're accustomed to. Swift was at his best in July, going 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA and winning the NL Pitcher of the Month award.
  
  
• Jesse Cooke is a 29-year-old rookie righthander who signed with the Hollywood Stars on May 17. Since then, he's gone 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA and struck out 78 batters. In July, he won five of six decisions, punched out 34 hitters in 49 innings, and recorded a 1.46 ERA. He's the reigning American League Pitcher of the Month.
  
  
• So much for the race in the American League Continental Division. The Portland Beavers reeled off 14 wins in 15 games during late July and opened up a six-game lead over the Seattle Rainiers.