The Washington herald., 1907-08-26
Philadelphia Club Is Now in
Great Condition.
CHANCES N WORLDS SERIES
Eddie PLANK and RHbe WaGdeiI
Should he Able 20 Hold National
League Champions Lcft-haDded
Hitters safe, According 20 0Din-
ion of Philadelphia Expert.


lean League pennant race. but in Phlia-
delpnia I'll the present time we can see
only one. Barring accidents. the Ath-
letics viii surely win the nag
The way the Athletics went to the front
and held the lead while meeting the
strongest teams in the league, away from
home, is enough encouragement to make
local enthusiasts feel that they will not
fail down after they return 20 their own
stamping grounds. Their three rivals.
being Western teams. VIII DE at a great
disadvantage through the arrangement Of
the schedule. which brings them East 20
wind up the season. A Western team, 10
win out. would have 10 DO something
phenomenal
The Athletics may not be in the lead
when they return home. on Labor Day,
but they viii be so close To # that it
won't take long 90 again forge 10 the
front TWO more games are TO be played
in St Louis before the Western trip is
ended. and then the Athletics come East
20 play a series Of three games In New
York. Before this series begin the Ath-
leucs viii take a two-days' rest at At
lantic City.
The Western trip so far has been all
that could be desired. No one expected
Mack's men 10 make clean sweep bat
they would have come mighty near 20 it
bat for the unexpected let-down by the
reliable Eddie Plank in Detroit Cleve-
land. and Chicago
Starting az Detroit on August 70. the
Athletics took two out Of three from
the Tigers and moved into first place
! Following came five games with Clevo-
land, Of which the Athletics got three
stil remaining in the lead The n"st
real setback was when they strucl, Gil
case. where they only GOT oae of the
! three games PLAYED. Starting IN az 81
Louis on Friday. they have won two out
Of three games and an even bseak to-day
I will give them the SERIES
Eastern Teams in Form.
The Eastern clubs have been holding
! up their end very sell in the Yves, on
the present trip. which has helped 10
keep the Athletics in fron-. Boston IS
pecially. has done well II the Eastern
teams keep mp their present form ,he
/ Western bunch viii have tough shedding
/ in The East next month. thus making Z
stronger for the Athletics 90 win out.
I Detroit has been tde dark horse in
the race. but IL locks rs though the team
has shot It's bolt aud lt wouldn't be sur
prising 10 see Chicago and Cleveland
beat out Jennings bunch
/ Chicago is always "a strong fnizher. and
viii most likely make better trip
through the East next month than De
trcit The White Soy have suffered this
+ season through the poor showing of Ow-
ems. This pitcher helped them win the
pennant iast year, bat DE has not been
/ as effective this season. Patterson, too.
/ is going back. and Chicago can only de-
/ pend upon Walsh. White. and Altraclz
! Clevelaud's cIipples are back I'm the
game again. and this team is sure r.
make another squirt and may suA beat
/ out Detroit.
i mack Once Gave Up Race.
a little over two months aeo the Ath-
( etics appeared 70 be hopelessly out Of
1 fl; in fact, one rainy afternoon while
/ discussing She situation with Connie
Mack on the front porch OF his home.
I the great manager appeared very blue.
Knight was doing so poorly at third that
Connie determined that day that Jack
must go Murphy WAS out Of the game
/ for long period; Bender seemed AL
4 in" and the "Rube' was starting 70 cut
/ up his capers again. al this made It
appear Ike a hopeless task for this sea-
son. and Connie admitted that he felt
that the team didn't have a Chance
/ Several days later Connie slipped out
Of town and pulled of the deal at Bos-
/ ton which landed Jimmy Collins here in
exchange for Knight Collins Joined the
/ team on June s. and from that time on
/ there was a wonderful Improvement in
/ the work Of the team. Nichols devel-
/ oped into a star al second base. and his
/ batting was 50 hard and timely that il
/ was impossible 70 keep him off the team
! when Murphy was ready TO set back into
/ the game. This brought about the bench
/ ing OF the brilliant Monte Cross 10 make
room for the hard-hitjing Nichols at
short Manager Mack figured that
Nichols bits would do the team more
good than Cross brilliant fielding. and
he wasn't wrong Nichols batting has
1 been one of the chief factors in landing
/ the Athletics where they are to-day lie
( is always on as the players say, and
/ has scored many run for the team.
/ After all it is runs that win the game.
No matter how great the fielding, If the
/ players can't produce runs they can't win.
About the same time that Nichols
made his giant strides forward. Oldring
/ also came, along at a terrific clip, and he,
too. can be regarded as one of the finds
Il
nos little in placing the team in front.
lenders Return to Form.
The return OF Chief" Bender to win
ming form was one Of the miracles of
the season. Shortly after the opening of
the season, Bender's arm went lame, and
be was utterly vaigeless to The team.
Right here 1t might be added that Ben
ders return to form is entirely due to
Trainer Martin LAWYER, and in this in
stance he has helped Mack TO get back
into the fight for the pennant. che club
physician was bathing Bender's arm. bat
the treatment had no effect. Finally
Manager Mack consented TO allow Train
( er LAWYER TO handle Bender according TO
his own ideas In less than a month
LAWYER had Bender out with a stronger
arm than he ever had, and to-day the
Chief" is pitching the best bali Of his
/ career. Bender is not the only man who
has been restored by Lawie- Last fall
/ Plank's arm was in very bad condition
and it was LAWYER who brought Eddie
around again DR.. Powers was also suf-
/ fering with a bad arm last spring. and
he, too. was restored
On the second Western trip COMBS
! Injured his arm so badly that it was re-
ported that he would never pitch again.
Lawler took the case in hand, and. after
six weeks Of hard work. he brought
Cnnrnhs aronnd so fhat be could use the