The Washington times., 1907-10-10
Stolen Bases lmpOr-
tant Factor in Chi
cagO's Victory.
Nationals Probably
Have Better Bate
rieS in Reserve.
By JAMES cRUsINBERRY.

CHICAGO, oct. 10.-Johnny king. the
Cubs wonderful catcher, is likely to
bring the championship OK the world
here this year.
1 am going to predict right here, that
when the series is all over, IL the Cubs
have the four victories tabled up 10
their credit. they viii have Johnny
king TO thank for II more than any
other one player on the squad.
He IS wonderful. He STAYED of de-
feat in the opening game and saved
the second encounter 40 that the Cubs
were able to get eff In the lead In the
fight. Kings throwing. his judgment,
and his ability TO steady the pitcher in
tight places have been the wonder and
admiration of the thousands CT spec
tators who have watched the two en-
counters.
King otuclasses Tigers.
King so far outcIasses the Detroit
backstops that they look weak and unfit
for major league ball. In the first two
battles the Detroit boys have tried to
put up some of their daring llserunnin6
tricks they have worked on the other
teams of the American League, AMI
they have been most severely bumped
Killing has picked on the speedy runners
OF the Tigers with the accuracy Of a
minute man. His aim has been true,
and his speed perfect, and he has
dropped them one after the other in a
surprising manner.
1t is hard TO SIT UP in the grandstand
or IN the bleachers and realize lust
what this has meant to the Cubs. II
has probably won one game for them
ind saved them from defeat In the
other. Putting it another way, it might
be said that the DetrOits' inability TO
Stop the Chicago baseruuners from
stealing has cost them the game each
day When one remembers 1t is r ossi-
BILE for single player to be of so I-lucn
consequence in a series for the base
ball championship Of the world. II ia
easy to understand why one man can
command such an enormous salary for
just playing ball.
Teams Equal in Most Respects.
The Cubs are now of in the lead. with
Tie first real game tabled 10 their cred
II by a score Of to / In most de-
partments Of the game the Tigers have
pro ven the equals of the wonderful
fighting machine built up by Frank
Chance. But in the catching, the West
Side bunch has one great drive wheel
Detroit cannot duplicate The wheel IS
the one best bet in the entire machine
and seems likely to roll the Cubs into
tie Championship.
Six times In the past two days Kings
9-m has picked Detroit base runners
oh the bags. Six men have been caught
and put out when they had reached
first base safely.
King Stands Alone.
Besides this. King has been perfect
in his back-stopping, and, best OF all
has held the pitcher steady in tight
places His judgment in selecting the
Kind OF ball to Be thrown to the batter
too, i5 just about faultless, and doubt
less II IL were not for him, the slug
sing Tigers would have banged many
one about the green grass of the out
field. So it appears that King is inn
porJant In this worlds championship Sc
r1es more than any other one man. He
is the coolest man on the field at all
times. and he snaps the ball after the
daring ones on the Detroit team, never
once nincLing because they have the
reputation OF being the best bunch of
base runners on any team today With
OUT Ming the Tigers would be the bet
ing taNOrite.
Next 70 Kings ability to nip the
Detroit base runners. the one thing that
SEEMS likely 10 shove the Cubs to the
front is their own achievements ON
the bases. The Cubs are uuits pusy
duckinS around the bases in a STARTLING,
manner. IL was hardly thought possi-
lie for them to turn so many tricks.
Tut they have done it, and Detroit has
oeen unable to stop theri In the first
two encounters they have stolen eleven
bases, and all but one OF them have
been clean-cut steals. The exception was
copped while man was on third so
The ball was not thrown to second.
Why Cubs Won.
The Cubs won the second game Of the
worlds series by opportune hitting and
fine base running. There was no depart
ment in which they did not excel TIE
Tigers. although the latter whacked out
two more hits than the locals However,
hit at the right time is sometimes
worth nine while the Tigers swatted. all
right, they drove home but one tally.
while two less clouts for the Cubs tailed
three counters.
Killing was a factor in the hitting, as
sell as the stealing, and certainly
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES