The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-19
Three of the Eastern Are Max
ing the Best Showing.
CHICAGO BEST IN WEST
Senators Taking on New Life
Under DOnOvan's Hand.
Team Batting Better and Gem
eral PaIying Improved.

says:
The American league clubs have
passed through the first month OF the
season with three of the eastern teams
leading the way, and only one of the
western section having won more
games than it lost. Boston. Philadel-
phia and New York have prohted by
the weakness of the Washington club.
giving them a large margin OF VIC
tories. No team in the west has shown
such weakness, but they are quite
evenly balanced in playing ability
Chicago seems to be the class OF the
west, although Cleveland has been
out of her stride most of the time
This is largely due to the fact that the
Forest CITY pitchers have not attained
the form of previous years, and it is
not anticipated that this cond1tlon VIII
prevail long. Cleveland has team
that will finish high-not frst-put
should be a strong contender Tor Ine
next most desirable position. A
glance at the relative standing of the
clubs figures their playing AFFINITY
nearly right, with the exception OF
Cleveland It may be that Cleveland
is stronger than Chicago, but the
changes in the White Sox infield has
added so per cent. to the team
strength. George Davis is the same
valuable player that he was prior 10
his Iayon last season, and it seems
that the seasons idleness helped him
The shift at third and second has
added strength to the club. Callahan,
in the few games in which he par
ticipated showed better ability as
second baseman than as a third sack
er, while TannehiH plays third better
than he did short Comiskey has
large staff of pitchers and they are
doing quite as well as any of the
1t is a notable fact that the star
twirlers of all the western four are
not primed for their best work. De-
troit's star, Donovan, has demonstrat-
ed none of his former power in the
box; Sudhoff, of St Louis, has but
little speed and few curves; Bernhard,
of Cleveland, has been slow to round
into form, and White, of Chicago, has
not been the same great twirler. Bad
weather has affected all of these,
however. and they will get into shape
with a season of hot weather and no
disag reea BILE and sudden changes.
In contrast to this the eastern box
men are going along in their best
form. Boston undoubtedly has the
best trio of pitchers in the country.
Young is the greatest pitcher of the
age, and is the most remarkable one
of the past decade, when his consist
entity excellent work is considered.
There are MattheWsonS, McGinnitys,
and others who have been as good.
probably, for a few seasons, but none
has stood the wear of the famous
Young. Fourteen years has he per-
formed as a great pitcher, and in only
two of these has he had off seasons.
One year typhoid fever set him back,
and in another, when he played in st.
Louis, the climate was too hot for the
mountain of flesh. Boston suits him
better, because it is cooler there, and
Young is at his best on a dark, damp,
dreary day. There is Dineen, who
won his greatest honors in the worlds
series. There is not much difference
in the ability of Young and Dineen
at this time, but Dineen has not seen
the long service. being. a successful
pitcher less than half the time Young
served. Those two men could pull
any good team into the champion
ship. Not far behind this pair is J esse
Tannehill. acquired this spring from
New York. He was one of Pittsburg's
stars, but after joining New York
could not do himself justice because of
the cold winds that blow over the
Washington Heights grounds. The
change to Boston has done him good,
and these three men will surely land
that great Boston team in front again,
of course barring accidents and ill
ness. Besides these are Winters AMI
Gibson, two men who are not in the
class with the trio, but they are good
twirlers, nevertheless, and Will help
out.
New York's pitchers have been on
edge and have enabled the team to win
as many games as the Athletics, whose
boxmen are doing excellent work
Mack's men would have small chance
of holding a creditable position without
Waddell, the greatest character in base
ball. Should he jump the traces the
Athletics would totter, but Connie
Mack handles Waddell better than any
manager ever could, and he seems to
have the giant keyed up to the right
sense of his duty to the team.
The monotony of the teams of the
two sections playing each other was
broken last week, when the first series
was played in the east. OF the Is
games played the eastern clubs won u.
That is a remarkable showing, sconsid-
ering how weak the home club has
been. Boston is so strong that the
championship race seems to be only
romp for it, yet the other clubs are by