Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26

Cubs Hui-DoWn on the Horizon
Trainers Not a
Luxury.
By J. c. Morse.
BOSTON. August Is. 1906.

BOSTON, August .. 1906.
It's lone chase now in the National.
Frank Chances Cubs" will be the ones
who will battle with the leading American
League team at the close of the season.
They showed most Enthusiastically their su-
periority to the New Yorks, both In New
York and in Chicago in the last series In
those cities, and New York literally walked
all over Pittsburg.
Tho result in the National is no surprise.
The Chicago club has everything that goes
to make a first-ciass ball club. Chance
has proved himself to be a first-class man
ager He has undoubtedly the best corps
Of pitchers in any club in the country and
they a hard-working. willing set. King
Is acknowledged to have no superior be-
hind the bat, and taking his stickwork
into consideration there are few in his
class
Some catchers make a great ado about
catching a good proportion of the games
Of a season. King Is not Of that kind In
was expected to do all of the catching of
the team and often would go in with
bruised and battered fingers and under
conditions that would cause most catchers
of today to rebel. 1t was not at all I'M
usual for Charley Bennett to remain in the
game with bleeding fingers and put up
game that would put to the blush most
of the catchers of today. 1t Is often the
case nowadays that man will try to so
out Of the game at the least provocation.
An old stager brought to mind the other
day the times when a club carried but ten
men during season, and used the tenth
man in but one game during the year.
Nowadays a crack club is obliged to- carry
| nearer twenty men than ten. SO many
pitchers are carried that it is a wonder
some of them do not get stale. What with
lame arms, sprained ankles and Illness, it
does not take very long to cripple force
| of pitchers. As many as three catchers
oor tod AJny la
that the Boston Nationals carried three
| catchers this season. 1t was well proved
| that three were no luxury, as both Brown
and ONeill were on the hospital list at one
| time this season and it necessary to
wire for Needham to join the team. So
| it is with the utility players. First-class
| utility in and outfelders must be on the
| salary list of a first-class club. The loss
| of first-class utility man last season just
| about cost the Cleveland club the pennant.
| The Chicago White Sox, leaders in the
! infelders in Robe and Dundon, and both
are Al performers. The other Chicago
| team has a crack in or outfielder in Holt
man, who has filled in on many an occa-
| sion this season without weakening his
| club in the least.
Trainers Not a Luxury.
Both of the Chicago clubs carry trainers
and find such to be indispensable adjuncts
| to the Al base ball team nowadays. Both
managers-Chance and Jones-confess that
their clubs would have Jared worse than
they have but for the trainer.
The White Sox owe great deal to their
crack catcher BILLY Sullivan, another
wonderful player who has done about all
of the catching of his club this season and
shown no sign of being overworked
doing. Sullivan is man who is death to
base stealers and has his wits about him
all the time.
Another great war horse behind the bat
is Jim Mcclure of the New York Ameri-
cans. who has done immense amount
Of work during his base ball career and is
ever ready to go in day after day.
What helped the White Sox to get to
the top of the ladder and stay there ais
much as anything else was the brilliant
work c. their pitchers, especially Walsh,
who has proven to be a mainstay of the
team for the first time since he Joined it,
, No pitcher in the country has done any
better work than he did while east with
his club.
The prediction is made by many that the
White Sox will come to grief If they array
against the Nationals in a series the COM
for them on this trip, but they played great
ball. The accession OF Pat Dougherty was
a great thing for the club and that player
put up for them the same kind of a game
he did when at his best in this city. The
release of this player is one Of the things
| that cannot be placed at Collins door and
Dougherty is well aware Of this fact.
What Might Have Been.
Pat might have become member of the
Boston Nationals this year. Tenney and
Griffith were dickering about the player
and a prompt acceptance of the terms Of
fered by the latter might have brought
something about. 1t goes without saying
had the deal been consummated he would
have easily earned any sum paid for him.
What a man he would have proved for the
Tenney team. Comiskey must be hugging
himself that he secured this player, not to
speak of Fielder Jones.
Dougherty was perfectly willing. 1t was
insisted that at ho time did Dougherty
stand a chance OF joining the Tenneyites
for the reason that neither Washington nor
the Chicago White Sox would waive claim
to him. Perhaps not. but it is very doubt
full whether Dougherty would have given
his consent to go to Washington, not be-
cause he had no liking for Jake" Stahl.
but because he wanted to be with win
ming combination. It will be no novelty at
all for him to be a pennant- winning
team He has the unique record of leading
three leagues in batting in a season-the
Connecticut. the California and the Amer
lean. Evidently his batting powers have
not waned. The Boston Americans have
done lot of fishing around since Dough-
erty left but have not succeeded in finding
anybody to take his shoes-certainly not as
a batsman or a base runner.
This leading American League team is
very much of a picked-up team. after all
Hahn. the left fielder is New York Amer
lean League cast-off, and, If the truth Is
said. New York failed to improve on him,
for he has done very fine work. indeed, for
the Chicago team. 1t will be remembered
he was with the New Orleans club last
season and was considered the best all
round outfielder of the Southern League.
Secretary Fredericks of the White Sox.
when here, said very emphatically that all
talk of new manager for the White Sox
for next season was mere rubbish and that
Fielder Jones would be the man.
&