Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-23
ATHLETICS "DOPED"'
To WIN PENhANT
Triggers" MoreIand Shows
Why He Picks Quakers
to Win.

George Moreland, the Pittsburg statisti-
clan, spent two days with Horace Fogel Of
the Philadelphia Telegraph in Cleveland.
and handed him the following convincing
line of talk, showing that the Athletics
should win. Moreland is an old hand and
knows what's what:
Never count your chickens" ETC., Is an
old and true saying, and it Is always safe
to remember the above. but with all due
respect to the author of the words, I will
make this prediction: That the Philadel-
phia American League team will win the
pennant without any trouble and be the con-
tender for the worlds championship for
the second time.
What grounds have to work on? Simply
these:
The Athletics have about finished all the
games they were scheduled for away from
home for the season, and with the figures
before me, showing that the team has won
SO games on it's own grounds out of Al
played and remembering the majority OF
games were played when the club, was
nowhere near the team that Mack has on
the field today, while on the road the team.
although they have not won half the games,
have done better than either Chicago, De-
troit or Cleveland while they We're on the
road. The record of wins abroad Is y, and
defeats 80, so that from the appearances Of
things the team will have plain sailing from
now on.
Browns Easy.
1t must also be remembered that on this
trip which is not yet finished, the team has
st. Louis to play, and as that aggregation
has always been an easy proposition. they
should be so on this trip, SO it is safe to
say the Athletics will return home not
lower than second If they are ousted from
the lead by Chicago.
To ha far baf
the team has yet 80 games to play at home.
and it is no boast to say II of these will
be victories which will give the team
standing that it will be almost impossible
for either of the three western teams to
overcome?
1t is also a fact not generally known by
the fans that from the four western teams
Mack and his boys have won twenty-three
and lost but eight games on the Athletic
field. This fact must not be overlooked. as
these same teams will soon make trip
there to play the final games between the
two sections. Can the four western teams
other two? Boston is not the easy thing 1t
was not long ago, while New York and
even Washington will play great deal bet
ter ball from now on.
Strong at Home.
On the other hand, what have the three
teams from the east done on the Phladel-
phia grounds? Won three games out of
sixteen they have played This makes but
eleven defeats on the Athletic grounds.
Can any sane fan figure how the average is
going to be reduced from now on? The
Athletic team today Is 30 per cent stronger
than it was in June, when practically all
the pitchers were IN bad shape ana the
team was not playing the game they are at
present.
Another thing that must not be forgot
ten-while Mack's team is meeting the New
York Boston and Washington teams, the
four western teams will be playing together.
Cutting each others throat" Every game
that Is won and lost by the teams near the
Athletics will count against their standlng.
Granting for argument that they nave
the same percentage then that t9ey nave ,,,
the Washingtons. New Yorks or Bostons
take more games from Mack than he does
from them? Not if Connie knows 1t.
"There's Many a Slip"
OF course it is not safe to gamble on the
above dope, for one never can tell what
will happen In seven weeks. the time before
the worlds championship opens, but from
actual work already done and the figures
to prove 1t, 1t is hard to see how any team
is going to win the pennant from Manager
Mack and his hustllng team
1t must also be remembered tnat the
present lineup of the team Is rar ahead
of any team this sterling director has ever
had ON the field, not excepting the first
champion team. The addition of Nichols
and the work of Oldring Is far ahead of
that of Cross and Lord. not that the field
ing is any better, but both are good hitters
and fast on the bases. Nichols puts one
in mind of Hans Wagner He has every &C
ton of the Flying Dutchman, and with an
other seasons experience under Mack will
be a sensation both as to fielding and hit
ting Odring did not have much fielding to
do, but what he had was done O. K. The
two players above are the ones that will
help win the pennant
The addition of Jimmy Collins to the
team, of course, every one is aware of so
far as adding strength goes, so 1 figure it
thus: If the Athletics could win the ma
jority of games with Cross. Knight and
Lord in the lineup. can't they win % per
cent more games with the new players in
the old positions?