The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-24

Detroit, September Especial )-Again
the cry goes up, or, rather continues to
go up, louder than ever: whats the
matter with the Tigers?"
The answer is not as it used to be,
They're all right you know the rest.
Instead there is silence, deadly silence
the silence of a wondering people.
In fact, what is the matter?
Many things, many unforeseen things.
To begin with, the Tigers are now in third
place and Detroit fans are jut two jumps
ahead of the insanity commission. This
is no reflection upon the baseball enthusi-
asts of this fair city-it is merely study
of cause and effect.
But seriously, the Detroit Tigers are
playing the most wretched ball they have
been guilty of in many moons. They
should now have lead of about 10 games
over all rivals. AS it is, they are f1gur-
ing fractions to see how far they now
can drop.
The team got its first bump when Cobb
slumped. Then he came back and it was
finally decided that Bill Coughlin was
off form so far that the team was great
ly weakened by the need of a third base
man. To add to Coughln's troubles, he
suffered injuries to his hands. Jennings
tried Perry and Killifer. Both failed be-
cause of lack of experience Now Schae-
fer is on the job for the rest of the year.
most likely, and Bush has established
himself as a Tiger at short.
Last year in mid-season Connie
Macks team was trailing in the sec
ond division. He had Knight on third
base, and Knight was a fiat failure.
He paid $1,000 for Jimmy Collins,
who was still some good as a major
league player. Immediately his team
sprinted to the top and gave Detroit
the most sensational fight for the hon
ors baseball has ever known. All great
teams have had great third sackers.
With the falling of of Coughlins form
the team began to slip back. Since
then it has been a struggle to fill up
the hole.
This might have been accomplish ed,
but Summers and O'Leary had that I'M
fortunate alteration and O'Leary was
out of the game as a result of the in
juries received. With the arrival of
Bush, Schaefer was sent to third. He
is there now and the infeld ought to
be as strong as ever for SchSefer can
play third as well as any man in the
country, and Bush looks like a star at
sh ort.
This series of necessary experiments
to brace the infield has seemingly had
its effect on the rest of the club. The
pitchers are blamed, but II the Tigers
had been hitting as they sh ould hit In
the pinches, and as they can hit, there
would be no fault to find with the
twirling. The pitching staff is 20 per
cent stronger than 1t was last season.
The weakness of the infield has made
the other regulars over anxious. They
have had the most protraoted error
spree any club has ever suffered as a
championship team. They have booted
the ball over the lot in tn cir over
anxiety.
II they could come through with one
good hitting bee such as gives them
their position in the race they would,
in all proba bility, brace and be as good
as ever.
When all has been said and done
there Is no doping this team represent
ing Detroit. Last year they were de-
clared out of the running about four
times and each time they came back
and finally they won out.
This year they have led the league
since July IA. They would have the
rag practically cinched one day and the
next they'd apparently throw their lead
away. They came h ONE from st. Louis
after being but half a game ahead, and
they kicked the daylights out of the
Browns, just when everybody said they
were "all in" 1T was Characteristic of
them