Every spring, for well over a decade, American League baseball fans have been able to confront the future only by nourishing the outlandish hope that the New York Yankees can be beaten. And year after year, such wishful thinking has proved to be insane; New York has won the pennant in 13 of the last 15 seasons.

But this year, for the first time in , the Yankees' chances of winning the pennant seem genuinely slim. New York still has a good team, of course, but the Yanks needed a stirring stretch drive to beat out Chicago and Baltimore last year. These two clubs are at least as good as they were last season. But so many question marks surround the Yankees, and the American League is so much improved, that New York will need good fortune even to finish third in 1965.

The league seems to shape up as a four-team race among New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and Cleveland. Because of their brilliant and experienced pitching staff, the White Sox seem the most logical candidate for the American League pennant.

How They'll Finish

1. Chicago

2. Baltimore

3. Cleveland

4. New York

5. Minnesota

6. Boston

7. Los Angeles

8. Detroit

9. Washington

10. Kansas City

Chicago had three of the best pitchers in the league last season--Joel Horlen, Gary Peters, and Juan Pizzaro--and this could conceivably win 60 games in 1965. Horlen, in his second full major-league season, had a 13-9 record and compiled 1.88 earned run average, which was second best in the league. Peters, rookie of the year in 1963, won 20 games last season and should be a star for many, many years. Pizarro had an excellent 19 mark in 1964. Aging knuokleballer Hoyt Wilhelm heads a strong White Sox bullpen. In 73 games last year, Wilhelm won 12, lost 9, saved 21, and recorded a 1.99 ERA.

This quartet gave the White Sox the best pitching staff in the league last year, and a young rookie named Bruce Howard could make it even better this season. Howard had a 15-8 record at Indianapolis and joined the White Sox in September. In 22 innings of pitching he yielded two earned runs, struck out 17 men, and won two games.

You Can't Have Everything