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5 CENTS THE "TIMES"
[size=4]TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY CREATED
[size=3]That Sounds Like A Good Title For A Song
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B1 WORLD NEWS
[size=4]QUISLING FORMS NATIONAL SOCIALIST PARTY OF NORWAY
[size=3]There Is A Name That Will Mean Something Some Day
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C1 BUSINESS
[size=4]FIRST DRIVE-IN THEATRE OPENS IN CAMDEN, NJ
[size=3]Staying In Your Car To Watch A Movie? No, That Will Never Take Off
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D1 ENTERTAINMENT
[size=4]WORLD'S FAIR OPENS IN CHICAGO
[size=3]Hey! That's Where We're Playing The All-Star Game! What A Coincidence!
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D3 RADIO NEWS
[size=4]"THE LONE RANGER" DEBUTS TO GOOD REVIEWS
[size=3]Hi Ho Silver, Away!
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D5 MUSIC
[size=4]DUKE ELLINGTON, GOLD-DIGGERS SONG ("WE'RE IN THE MONEY") TOP CHARTS
[size=3]I'm Not Saying She's A Gold Digger, But You Ain't Seen Her With A Broke Broke
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E1 BASEBALL AND LESSER SPORTS
NO REPEATS FOR '33?
New Blood Paces Both The Junior and Senior Circuits
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American League Standings
Team W L PCT GB Streak
Chicago White Sox 30 18 0.625 - W5 New York Yankees 28 18 0.609 1 L2
Philadelphia Athletics 24 22 0.522 5 L1
Detroit Tigers 24 24 0.500 6 W1
Washington Senators 23 24 0.489 6.5 W2
Boston Red Sox 20 25 0.444 8.5 W1
St. Louis Browns 20 28 0.417 10 L1
Cleveland Indians 19 29 0.396 11 L3
National League Standings
Team W L PCT GB Streak
Cincinnati Reds 32 15 0.681 - W1
New York Giants 30 17 0.638 2 W2
Philadelphia Phillies 26 22 0.542 6.5 W5
St Louis Cardinals 23 23 0.500 8.5 L1
Pittsburgh Pirates 23 24 0.489 9 W1
Chicago Cubs 22 25 0.468 10 L1
Brooklyn Dodgers 18 29 0.383 14 L2
Boston Braves 15 34 0.306 18 L7
Well, sort of. Both leagues are being led by last season's second place finishers, making it kind of a cross between the new-fangled parity the kids are so hot about and the haves vs. have nots set-up that us old-timers prefer. The White Sox blasted off to a 19-10 record in May to assume the top spot in the junior circuit. They did it with offense, albeit an offense redefined with the sudden lack of offense. CF Hunter Sunday (.276, 4, 22), for instance, is on pace to hit just 13 homeruns this year after blasting 26, 31, and 28 the previous 3 seasons. However, he's still finding ways to deliver clutch base hits and walks when the Sox need it. Meanwhile, 2B Leslie McGruder (.304, 2, 27) has raised his average 40 points and for swimming against the tide he looks like an early MVP candidate.
The National League has also seen a pretty big drop in offense and some changes because of it. The Giants are starting to come around with the bats as of late but for a good chunk of the year they were only 2nd and sometimes even 3rd in some of the major categories. It's a good thing they brought over LF Mason Taylor (.354, 9, 30); otherwise they might not have picked up at all.
Cincinnati is the club looking like they cannot be beat, though. Earl Crockett (10-2, 2.22), who exploded into prominence last year with 27 victories, is on pace to win 33. That would shatter the record of 31 which has stood for 30 years now. Hmm. Lots of 30s there. Could that be a sign? They're led on offense by RF Brad Box (.297, 6, 43), who just does what he always does, and 3B Jay Calvin (.418, 2, 32), the hitting maven who is not just flirting with .400 but blowing kisses into its ear.
[size]Cleveland Manager Fired
He was far from the only man to be let go this year, but when the Cleveland Indians parted ways with Cy Dickenson, it was definitely the largest story of that type. Just 10 years ago Dickenson looked like the best manager in the history of the game, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to 3 pennants in 4 seasons (they certainly haven't done much since he's left, have they?). After a rough 1927, he left for the White Sox for a bit of a challenge. Although they didn't win while he was there, it's fair to say that he put together the nucleus for that championship contending team.
But it just wasn't to be in Cleveland. You can't say the Indians didn't give him enough time: they kept him on for three years and part of a 4th despite never getting really close to a .500 record. Maybe it was just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time: he's always been a hitter's coach first and everything else second, and although he's been given accolades for his strategy, his love for getting the runners in motion and the ball in play is something perhaps best reserved for a bygone era.
Dickenson is still 7th all time in victories and we suppose it's not out of the question for him to get another job, but let's face it: the man is 56 years old and the odds at this point are stacked against him.
He was replaced in Cleveland by Kuniyuki Kono, who is known for two things: turning around pitching staffs and dyeing his mustache bright red. He was last given a chance at a managerial job in 1927 with the Boston Red Sox. Sadly, this will probably be an interim gig as well, particularly given that since taking over the Indians' ERA is hovering just below 6 (5.87).
[size]Thriftlon Presents: Zany Projections
It's that time of year again, where there is enough of the season completed to get a general idea of what's going down but it's still early enough that some guys look like they could achieve some gaudy numbers if they can just keep it up. Of course, most of them won't but that's why we watch baseball, isn't it, sports fans?
Jay Calvin, CIN: .419 batting average
Jay Calvin, CIN: 249 hits
Carson Groth, CHN: 62 doubles
George Halter, STL: 27 triples
Matt Oliver, STL: 80 extra base hits (33 doubles, 13 triples, 33 homeruns - I guess that doesn't sound TOO strange)
Bob Hinman, CHA: 1.19 ERA (actually, 6 guys, all ALers, have ERAs under 2 right now)
Earl Crockett, CIN: 33 wins
Alex Mossman, BON: 25 losses (well, the Braves are not a good team)
Games started: Dave Brace, PIT, and Ted O'Toole, CIN, 43 (the league record's only 42)
Eeyore Meyers, NYY: 384 innings pitched
Bob Hinman, CHA, and Ryan Rush, NYG, 10 shutouts
Clyde Cornett, BON, 154 bases on balls
Eeyore Meyers, NYY: 284 strikeouts (you'd hope he'd get that many with all those innings!)
Eeyore Meyers, NYY: 6.7 Ks for every walk