TIGER CAMPAIGN HITS THE RAILS

WILL THE LONG ROAD LEAD TO A HOUSE OF CONTENTION?

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

April 30, 1924

WEST OF CHICAGO—Our ball club pulled out of the Michigan Central Station early this morning, relieved to bid adieu to Navin Field until the second week in May, for they have not fared well as of yet in their home environ. The trip is a long one, packed with rail mileage. After four games in St. Louis beginning tomorrow, the Tigers will play four with arch-rival Chicago at Comiskey. A full travel day to the Nation's Capitol comes next Friday, where they will face four games at Griffith Stadium, followed by four more in Philadelphia before finding their way home to welcome scrappy Boston. "Our bats and arms will be sorely tested, that's for sure," offered Cobb in the dining car this morning, "a long trip like this will either glue us together our rip us apart like Maryland crabs, which I intend to find while we are in Washington."

The players spent much of the day reading newspapers, smoking their cigarettes and drumming up card games with members of the press in the parlor car. It is safe to say that Topper Rigney is a master at rummy, and I would be wise to not lay even a portion of my wages on a game with him again. The post-dinner merrymaking has about quieted down as I write here in my private berth, so now I can reflect on the first completed month of the season.

Detroit is second to Cleveland in run-scoring by just one digit. With Cobb at .419, Manush .358 and Heilman .354, opposing boxmen are cringing at seeing their faces. Yet Detroit's pitching, while not as putrid as the Indians', has done little to relax the nerves of Tigers fans. Sure leads have been vanishing like morning dew, as Dauss and Cole seem to take daily turns at ineptitude. The worse news is that they've yet to face the astute stickmen of New York, Philadelphia and Washington, so Cobb must rack his fertile brain over the next week to try and find a winning arm combination.

Rip Collins will start against Dave Danforth at Sportsman's Park tomorrow, as the Tigers will be fortunate to miss Brownie ace Urban Shocker on this swing through the midwest. Still, St. Louis just took four out of five from the menacing Indians, meaning we will certainly not be facing cream puffs.

Today's American League games, courtesy of the Chicago Great Western Telegraph Service:

YANKEES 5-10-1, at ATHLETICS 3-8-3
The Bambino might not be hitting yet, but Bob Meusel leaps into the ring with a double, home run and four runs knocked in, giving Herb Pennock his third victory.

at SENATORS 10-11-1, RED SOX 2-6-2
With Trains in mind, Walter Johnson ensures the tenth win of the year for Washington, bailing himself repeatedly out of jams while Joe Judge thumps two doubles and knocks in half of their runs.

at BROWNS 14-17-1, INDIANS 4-10-1
One hopes the Tiger hurlers will contain St. Louis better than Cleveland's have. Shocker wins his first while Sherry Smith is busy getting keelhauled. Ken Williams whacks his fifth homer of the season for the victors to tie Boston's Ike Boone for the league lead.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Wednesday, April 30
Chicago White Sox	10	5	.667	—
Washington Senators	10	6	.625	0.5
New York Yankees	10	6	.625	0.5
Detroit Tigers	8	7	.533	2
Boston Red Sox	7	9	.438	3.5
St. Louis Browns	7	9	.438	3.5
Cleveland Indians	6	10	.375	4.5
Philadelphia Athletics	5	11	.313	5.5