The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-24
WEEK IN
AMERICAN Fight
Whether philadelphia, Detroit or
Chicago Win to Be
Determined. /.
ATHLETICS SLIGHT LEAD.
Detroit Is but One Game Behind,
and Worlds Champions
Three Games.

rla. H~-l IS ktHte tErH HtaFa+ EtaHsIrG
The baseball season Of the American
League will close with the games Of
October 9Th and 9th. there being now
just w weeks more of play. While
the race Is still 9. very close one, and
has been so all season, It is practically
assured that Connie Mack's Athletics
Will carry OFF the flag. True, the Phil
adelphia team has but II slender lead
over Hugh Jennings's great Detroit. ag-
gregation, and that the worlds cham
pions, though in third place, wero
themselves but fifteen points behind
the leaders yesterday. but IL playing
at homo Is any advantage, the Quaker
City team has the pennant practically
assured.
The Athletics have Just twelve more
games to play, and oil of these are at
home, save tho last three, which arc
with Washington on October 4th and
5th. she season closing with a double
header on Saturday. Detroit has just
every one of these Is on the road. the
Tigers returning to Detroit no moro
until the close OF the season. Chicago
has eleven more games to play, and
all OF these are on the road except the
last two, October 9Th and 9Th, in Chi
cago. Cleveland has eleven more
scheduled games, and all of these arc
on the road. the Forest lily tediu
playing no more at home.
The Athletics have nine hard games.
even at home. To-day, tomorrow and
Thursday they will meet their rivals
from Chicago. the worlds champion
White SoX. On Friday, Saturday and
Monday next. they will be against Jen-
nings's Detroiters. and on Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday of next week
they will play the Clevelanders. On Fri.
day and Saturday the Athletics Will
play Washington In Washington. Chi
cage and Cleveland are slightly Grip
pied by the injury of star players. but
Detroit is strong as at n stage of
the season. With Bill Donovan, the
star pitcher of the year. backed up ~
Mullin and Killian to do the box work.
and with such stars as Ty Cobb. now
leading the batters; Crawford, who
ranks fourth with the stick; Rossman
and others, and great fielding team,
the Michiganders are not yet out of 1t.
Chicago has pitchers Smith. White.
Walsh and others, all going well. and
a great team behind them. Cleveland
has Adrian JOSS. who ranks second
among the league pitchers; Leibhardt,
Rhoades and others. and such batters
as Elmer Flick, who Is also q great
and be%se-runner: Lajoie,
one of the greatest batsmen and play
ers Of recent years, and several 9TH
ers.
Chicago will make a eff
fort to win the series with the Athle-
tics. and Detroit will pitch Donovan,
their star twirler. In two OF the three
games. Donovan has pitched 81 games
and won So per cent. OF them. and
will prove a hardspropositton for the
prospective champions.
The Athletics themselves are no
slouches Wien 1t comes to pitchers.
Bender. the Indian twirler, has worked
in 25 games and won 6s per cent. OF
them; Dygert in % and won 81 per
PLANK in IS games and won 81
per cent. and Waddell In 20 and won
per cent. COMBS has pitched ~
games and won half of them.
In batting, Nichols, a new infelder,
leads the Qunkers, with Oldring,
.hreck. Seyboid and Collins all among
the sixteen greatest batsmen. Collins's
injury will probably eliminated
him from these crucial series, but Hart
sci, Murphy and Davis are all batting
above .25O, and are formidable men
the stick. Hartsel is a great
base-runner and run-getter.
Philadelphia will be baseball crazy
for the next two weeks, and the at
tendance at mo games is expected to
break all records. The Athletics stand
n good chance to win the majority OF
the remaining games. and this means
that their rivals for the pennant must
lose a majority OF them.
Detroit is up against Boston In Bos-
to-day, tomorrow II Thursday,
and then they go to Philadelphia. III
the Athletics win the p%ennant they
must take two Of the three from De-
troit. for after tina the Tigers have
Washington and ST. Louis, both easier
propositions than Chicago and Cleve-
land. whom Detroit must defeat
Chicago has Philadelphia, Boston and
New York to tackle. n must then
close the season with Cleveland In
Chicago.
Cleveland has to play New York,
Philadelphia and Chicago.
closing the season with the White soX
Chicago.
Lnurcls Lose Lnurels.
Little Briar Hill baseball team de-
'eated the Laurels, at Laurel, Satur-
afternoon, in a pretty contest, the
score being 4 to 3. The pitching. OF
rborp for Jjtt)a Rriar Hil11WaS g. fea-