The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Murphy'S Grew Has Set
Mark That VIII Take
Years to Shatter.

/ IN acclaimed as the best baseball aggre-
cation that was ever put together. II
was thus I'm the days Of the great White
Stockings team Of twenty years ago: il
was so in the time OF the cid DetroIts.
and it was so when the New YorIzs
won out in 1888. Then we heard that
Boston was the only. team that ever
Happened, and then the baseball world
went crazy over the inimltable Orioles,
Pittsburg champions were the finest
team that ever donned The spikes, and
so were the Boston Americans. who
dOWned them Then came the era OF
adulauon Tor the New York Giants. and
now 1T Is the turn OF The Chicago cubs
Many teams have come and gone and
many aggregaUous have worn the Chi
cago uniform, but the Cubs OF 1906 Is the
first team TO bring home the National
League flag since 1856 ana that is suf-
flcient warrant of their quality. They
have won the flag of 1906, and won it
with the largest number Of victories
ever accredited TO a champion team.
They have set the mark of winning
games so high that IL does not seem
possible for any team 10 ever reach IL.
In all probability every member Of the
present Cubs viii be sleeping la the
church yard years before that mark is
touched again. And this much is sure
the Chicago Cubs are the most re
markab bile, most highly finished. and
most perfectly balanced baseball ma
chine the National League has seen IN
many. seasons. AS to whether Il is the
most perfect machine in the whole base
bah business--wCM that remains 20 be
shown one way or the other by the
post-seasOn series.
The Chicago Nationals. as a machine.
had 10 be drilled, put together properly,
and got into active operation Il took
some time 10 do this. but when the ma
chine was finally working it moved
down all opposition like a large, sharp
knife sIicing through so much cheese.
Toward the last OF the season the power
and perfectiotr OF the machine became
so great that the men won games be-
cause they couldn't help it-because their
machine wouldn't break or falter. and
because they simply broke down all re-
sistauce by sheer force and systematic
battcrlng.
The Cub machine was fauitless-fault-
less in the Individual value Of its men,
tauItless in their coiiective power. fault
less in leadership and i'm execution. 1t
was a triumph of physical power. a
triumph OF intelligent direction, and
triumph of selection In its personnel
After IL was once completed, and the
wheels trained to act in unison, IL rolled
over all opponents like the car Of jug
Eernaut over all its dev0tees. So much
for the machme-how was the machine
prepared and set i'm notion
When Charlie Murphy took charge Of
the Cubs, I'm the fan of 1905. be was a
new maenate-eNtremeIy new. Yet ne
had distinct ideas OF his own as 20
what players could and could not win
a flag. He also had am Al ball club to
work with-a club that Frank Selee had
built up superbIy, and which was first
class material lacking only a few things
to make it q champion then and there
Murphy and Frank Chance consulted;
they planned and they got ready for
business. Then they went out 20 get
the men they had resolved TO secure.
and they secured them-gOt them
through trades and deals the like OF
which the baseball world had never seen
before Each Of these trades was Sc
vereIv criticised. and the Chicago fans
almost rose IN rebellion over them.
Murphy made it a point to let the
clubs with which he traded think they
had all the best Of the bargain. He
posed as a young farmer, just In for
gold bricks. and by gosh, anxious 70
buy them. He wanted Jimmy Sheck-
ard. a rebellious player, who had batted
poorly and been Of little use to the
Brooklyn club. 1t was the opinion Of
Chance and Murphy that Sheckard was
a great BAN player in disguise-or In
dlsgust-aud that he was the goods.
To secure Sheckard they handed out
four meH-Maloney. Casey, Briggs, and
McCarthy-aud the whole baseball
world reeled at the news. Four good
ball tossers TO secure one surIy and
worE r! The press and pub
lie averred tha. Murphy was the +. Il.
Mark Of baseball history. and that he
didn't know a bah player from a clam. |
And the result? Compare the stand /
ings OF the Brooklyn and Chicago
teams Note the work done by James /
Sheckard since he has joined the Chi (
caEo team. SheCkard was at heart no /
suIxer and no rebel. Sheckard was a /
gentleman and a good fellow, who had I
not received proper treatment, and /
when he got what was coming to him I
he blossOmed out like a spring rose. !
Have we seen Mr.. SheCkard perform 4
this season? We have. And what's I
the answer? Quit that eheering, there /
Mr.. Sheckard is a modest young mar, /
and it makes his ears red.
Then came the trade of Pfeffer ard 4
OrNeIU for Pat AfOrau-a fine young I
pitcher and a sturdy catcher for a 4
5ackstop who didn't like his joS at /
Boston. Another holler from the fans /
and critics The result? Only this; /
That the best and hardest hitting /
catcher, outside Of King, that the team
has ever had was IN line, and that /
whenever King was out the team
didn't go TO pieces as used 70 be the /
custom. Did we need a catcher We /
jid. Did Pat Moran MI the bill? He
lid.
Then came the Geat by which Jake
,Veimer went to the Reds for Steinfeldt
md Sebring. A grand left-handed
pitcher for two suIky players, the Same
variety as Sheckarrl. while one of them
-Steinfeldt-was q hasbeen for fair.
Wen. Sebring never showed up, so no
BODY can tell about him. and all Chi
ago got from the deal was Steinfeldt
And what did the Cubs get2 A hasbeen
md a sulker? They got a grand gentle
nan and loyal player; a hard worker
md a great third bassman-and they