Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-25
ATHLETICS ANXIOUS DAYS.
Winning a Pennant is Mighty Diff
cult

exactly what it's cracked UP to be-
There was York, Harrisburg and Johns
town in the Tri-State League. Each of
them thought they had chance to land
the cup and Wiliiamsport got 1t in the
final week of the race.
The New York State League pennant was
won from the WiIkesbarre on the very last
day of the struggle.
The Eastern League winner was not
known until yesterday, when the final
games were played.
In the National League the New Yorks
may succeed in winning out by fair mar
gin. but even the Giants are having their
anxious moments. OF late they have beer
tottering, but they had such big lead that
they may scramble across the line a win
ner.
In the American League there is a two
cOrnered affair between the Athletics and
Chicago. Were the season Just little
longer those Bostonians might try to make
themselves three-time champions. AS 1t Is
there is enough rivalry to suit any follower
of the Philadelphia Americans
1t isn't that the Athletics have done any
thing so bad that their followers are get
ting nervous. They are doing all right,
taking everything into consideration. What
the matter is Is that the Chicagos are do
ing so good. Those White Sox are setting
pace fast enough to set the western
pfairieS aIiTe. 1t ) Il stern Tor tnem
and the distance to the finish Is getting
shorter every day. The lead OF the Mack
ties, though, has been cut down by them,
and their perslstency in winning almost
daily Is getting on the nerves OF their fol-
lowers as well as those of the White
Elephants.
Queer Points Developed.
There are some queer freaks In a cham
pionship race. and they are being brought
In rtlfD in Int
tie. From present Indications the final
bouts may be fought out between Chicago
and the Athletics at Columbia Park or the
Washington team may have the proud dis
tinctIon of deciding which team shall play
In the worlds series. for the Nationals will
meet both of the leaders In the final week
Only for Detroit the chances are that the
Chicagos would now be In first place. II
was Detroit that held the White SoX back
a couple OF weeks ago by winning four
games in two days from them. This was
only few days after Chicago had beaten
Boston six times in three days Those four
defeats at Detroit held the Chicagos in
check, but ever since then they have been
coming forward with rush.
The experience of the White SoX against
former are They have been winning and
! losing In punches. The Athletics, on the
other hand are particularly steady conf
bination. There Is nothing fishy about them.
They go along at pretty much the same
gait from week to week. They seldom
make long winning streak and they rarely
get into losing rut. With them it's pretty
much an average of three VICTORIES in every
five games all season.
The difference between the two teams in
this respect should not be lost sight OF in
| the nnal exciting days OF the combat. 1t
would not be surprising to Chicago hit
the toboggan at any time. but Ii would. in
deed. be startling and almost unprecedented
! for the Athletics to get on the sliding board.
Last week was hard one for the Mack
! ties The Waddell affair which was over
estimated In some respects. added to the
| TEAMS defeats at New York and the yicto-
/ ries OF Chicago. had Connie Macks men
anxious. If not worried. and the strain be-
gan to tell on them.
| During the New York series things looked
] critical for a time. TIE reason for this was
the failure of the men to bat. That this
was caused by weather conditions rather
than let-down in the batting department
| is now certain. Worse weather for base
| ball than the team experienced In New York
could not be imagined. Wet. muggy
weather and ball which seemed to sop up
moisture every time 1t touched the ground
! formed a combination which rendered Il
almost impossible TO get safe hit AS
was expected. when the team returned
| home and got chance at a dry ball the
| batting once more reached normal proper
tons.
| Chicago was favored by the weather con-
| dItions at New York. The Athletics were shut
| out In two games there and In each white
| wash defeat they got only two hits, and
| of young pitchers at that. At ska end of
4 the series there 1t looked indeed s.e !f the
Athletics had struck Jas...1ss siecnp ana
| that New York would make things ex-
| tremely lively for Ciiiesigo. Figuring on
4 these things and the fact that Cleveland
| had lost Wednesday To Chicago by making
| seven errors In one inning. 1t looked as II
' Chicago would have an extremely difficult
task at New York and tlat the White Kie-