Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17
iai Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
BOSTON. Mass. Sept. 10, 1908.
skill brings luck" well says Manager
Frank Chance of the Chicago CUBS.
winning club viii force the luck, and mere
in a nutshell you have the secret OF the
success OF the Athletics and the non-suc-
cess of the Boston Americans this season.
There was no reason at all why the Atm
letics should leave the Boston two-uhe
champions as decsively as they did, ana
the t,me-worn excuse of hard luck will not
avail in the least. Boston was as strong IN
batteries as last season--fully as strong as
the Athletics. II not more so. The Athieucs
had no catcher in Crigers class-they nao
no consistent pitcher OF the callber OF dig
'.Cy'' Young, nor left-hander' not even
"Rube" waddell. like Jess Tannehill. Sure
ly Young. Tannehill and Dineen constitute
Coakley, and then Boston had Winter ana
Gibson, while the Athletics had as extra
pitchers Henley and Bender.
Boston made an egregious blunder TO let
La Chance 90, breaking up a winning COM
bination thereby, for his shoes have not been
filed, and there Is no telling when they Will
be. II Lachance fell off in his hitting, SO
did Parent and Ferris. When he joined
Montreal he hit very weakly at first, put
came very strong toward the close Of the
season. Freddie Parent himself said ne
could not begin to count the errors he made
ills season on balls La Chance would have
devoured, and there is no denying the aDli-
ity OF La Chance as target. Nothing inner
In the history of the game was seen than
his work last season. Doubtless II wouio
have been a good thing to retain La Chance
until Ii was seen II his successor could
make good.
Then there was the Burkett deal. Col
hat in,
for Boston as he did for the Browns against
the Bostons the season before. Collins hao
had plenty of experience with youngsters
and in almost every case they had failed to
make good. Veterans for him. 1t proved
aggravating that George Stone, for Wnom
Burkett was traded, made good SO oecls-
lively, while Burkett did not do the hitting
that was expected. Stahl has played with
the club ever since 1t started here ana
Freeman Is also a charter member. Inc
newcomer In the Athletic team Is HOFFMAN,
who met with such a fearful accident last
season that Manager Mack never keeps
him In the game when Tannehill pitches
1t was feared that Hoffman would not re-
cover his old-time skill this season owing
to his injury, but he has done splendid
work The Athletics have retained their vet
eran infeld, which is one of the best base
running infields in the business. Taking
the team as whole, 1t has outbatted, out
f1elded and outrun the locals so no cry OF
hard luck will go for second. Boston has
failed to hit anywhere near as 1t did last
season, and hard luck will not explain this.
Parent has neither fielded nor batted In his
1904 form, and this alone in such a player
is sufficient to explain many defeats Last
season Parent was mainstay, literally
winning games alone by his timely batting.
dashing base running and phenomenal field
ing. Then, the team is older and heavier than
it was last season. 1t has made the poorest
showing of any clubs in the base-stealing
department and utterly fails to shine in
this branch. The club has been allowed to
go backward, and this Is fatal in base ball.
The old competitors of the Boston Ameri-
Cans-the Pittsburgs-what of them all the
time? What do we find? The old standard
maintained Changes frequent, but always
good men secured-a Dreyfuss trick. The
president of the Pittsburg club is a wonder,
says Manager Hugh Duffy of the Phillies.
mo man is in closer touch with every de-
sirable ball player than he, and the young
sters want to go to Pittsburg. for they know
they Will get show there
Il
Dreyfuss stands no trfilng with ball play
ers. They must play ball Dreyfuss way or
rausmittem He fooled with Sebring as
long as he cared to, and It was to the
woods. Cincinnati thought they had jewel
in the discard and had lots of trouble, and
finally he left for good. Young Clancy, who
was tried on first for while, got into hot
water. and he, too, walked and went back
into minor league ranks. Dreyfuss pressed
Howard into service and that player made
good and bids fair to be a wonder In the
position In another season. Dreyfuss got
Brain. and that player has made good. No
end of hard luck has there been in the
Pfttsburg camp all season. but the team
has made a game showing and has given