The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-06
Louisville and Indianapolis Making
Pretty Fight for Pennant =: s.
: in American Association: ~. -
Philadelphia's Showing in the Amer
lean League Has Been the Sen
= sation of the Season. 49,


with Toledo. This series may give Louis
Vile slight increase in her margin, as
Toledo will probably prove an easy prop
oSlt1on, while Columbus may make trouble
for Watkins men. The two teams open
their western series Sept. 10, however,
and will start on pretty nearly even terms,
with twelve games to play away from
home. AS both play the same clubs nei-
Their one will have an advantage, and
While Louisville may be slightly in the
lead, indianapolis is a little better road
club. 1t looks as if a man might toss a
penny and place his bet according to
whether it fell head or tail up.
AS the Indians have been playing stead
Ter ball recently, most fans look to, them
to carry off the banner. Louisville has
not been the same team since Tannehill
dropped out OF the game, and in addition.
Tebeau's men have had the strain of keep
ing in first position ever since Columbus
took her slump. The leader is generally
the target for all the teams around the
circuit, and the constant struggle to keep
up In the lead usually results in a team
weakening at the finish if the race is
close.
Hope for the MIIIers Next Year.
The millers not playing bad game, but
they are so hopelessly in the ruck that
the fans suffer a relapse in interest when
y
however, to have a pretty good nucleus for
winning team next season. Yeager,
Werden, Lynch, Grant, Quillin, WilmOt
himself, Lally, Sporer and Newlin ought
to make good next season, with the addi-
ton Of two or three good hitters, and a
couple of reliable slab artists. It is also
pretty safe bet that out Of Martin, Tor
renee and Mullin one at least will de-
velop into a winning pitcher. Werden,
Lynch, Quillin, Lally and Wilmot ought
to make pretty strong hitting combina-
ton if the team has fair success next
season.
r., American League Race. =t,...
The race in the American elague is just
as close and exciting as it was two weeks
ago. Only five games separated Philadel-
phiA from Chicago after Thursdays
games, and only three games divide the
Athletics from Boston, the third club. The
sensation Of the year is the wonderful race
made by Connie Mack with team which
on paper does not look good enough to
stay in first division at all, much less to
capture the pennant.
Compare the Phillies with st. Louis, for
instance Harry Davis was always con-
sidered a joke when he played in the Ma
tional league and probably not one man in
ten would place him above Anderson as a
first baseman. Murphy at second was
tried twice by New York and declared no
fast and heady a fielder. Wallace Con
paper) has Monte Cross nailed to the mast
at any time and place, either as a short
stop or as batsman. Lave Cross has
Mccormick beaten block, but in the out
field Hemphill looks to be so per cent bet
ter than Seybold, while Heidrick and Bur-
kett- (aga1n on paper, very much on paper)
tower head and shoulders above Topsy
Hartzell in all departme Of the game.
Then as to pitchers, with the exception
Of Rube~ Waddell, who was always admit
ted to be a great but cratic slab artist,
the bunch of twirlers owned by Connie
Mack looks like the worst collection of
counterfeits that ever attracted the atten-
ton Of a secret service man, while the
Browns aggregation, Powell, Sudhoff,
Reidy and Harper, are all men of proven
worth.
Yet Plank, Wilson and TIustin are all
winning games with commendable monot-
Ony.
Then behind the bat Schreckengost and
Powers ought not to do better work than
Mike kahoe and Joe Sugden. They ought
not to, but they do.
Last year the Athletics cut very little
trapped humidity in the American league.
This year Mack lost Lajoie, Bernhard and
Fraser, the three strongest men on his
team. With the rest Of the clubs about
100 per cent stronger than in 1901, Con-
ME didn't have the ghost of a show. But
he picked up Murphy, who is filing La
joie's place quite we'll, and he resurrected
Waddell, who just now is doing more
| than any one else to keep the team in the
| race. The rest of the pitchers managed
| some way to make good, the team as a
whole played far above their apparent
| gait, and the Athletics are now leading
as result.
ST. Louis Strong on Paper.
! st. Louis looked pretty strong on pa
per, but with half the pitching staff out
| Of condition, and both catchers playing
| below their true form, and Burkett and
| Heidrick, who were expected to do the
| bulk of the stick work, hitting weakly.
| the Browns have just managed to- keep up
their end They may win out yet, Or
they may drop to fourth place.
The collapse of Comiskey's great team
was a surprise, but when the character
Of the men composing it is considered, it
doesn't seem so strange after ALL The
| Whitesox were always weak hitters, Den
ny Green being the only consistent per-
former with the willow. Their great
| strength was the pitching staff, and with
Griffith, Callahan, Garvin, Piatt and Pat
| terson, there was no necessity of the sox
scoring many runs But when the pitch
ing staff blew up, Griffith was kept out
of the game by sickness for some time,
and Callahan failed to approach his old
i time form. Piatt and Garvin were not
! conscientious about observing training
rules, and Patterson was the only man in
| shape for some time With the rest of
! the team losing heart and enthusiasm, the
! result was only to be expected. 1t may
| not be too late for the Whitesox to brace,
but they will certainly have to hurry, for
Comiskey's third pennant dream is get
ting nearer to a rude awakening every
day. -
! The National league race shows no
4 change Pittsburg is clinging desperately
4 around the $50 mark, and still has a
I fighting chance to win their 100 games.