New-York tribune., 1908-10-05
COMMENT ON SPORTS
GIANTS STILL IN FIGHT.
Elimination of Pirates By Cubs GiUes
Them Another Chance.

never been eSualed IN the history OF major league
aaseban Il this country. Giants have sti! bare
chance 10 win the National League championship
snd that coveted piece OF bunting which has been
TIE bone Of contention for many weeks BY
winning al three games from. Boston New York
rsn tIe Chicago even II the board OF directors CT
TIE National League rot reverse Mr. F,luiar1's
decision snd give the disputed game with Chicago
60 New York. The Cubs put the Pirates out OF the
-sce Yesterday IN their last game Of the season
rlsved in Chicago before a crowd OF more than
thirty thousand persons. who went crazy with Joy
es the champions. with Brown in the box. won a
Stirring contest by g score OF 10 ?. The Pirates
have made great tight but they have shot cheir
Aclt TOW. and the issue lies between New York and
Chicago. BY virtue OF superior baseball the Giants
shouId b safe from defeat by now, but that dis
7u-ed game bsrs The way. and the final decision
rfl not be known until to-day
That disputed game between New York and Chi
czEo IS playing far more important part than
was expected at the tine In the winning Of the
National League pennant- That game, so cleanly
won hv the Giants and lost through technicaIity
OF the decision % Harry c. Pulliam. president Of
IRE National League. viii have cost New York the
remnant Z Il Is finally lost. There. is e bare
chance that the board % directors will reverse the
decision = Mr- Pulliam when Il meets to-day in
which case the Giants will be fairly safe Mr.
PuIlizm IS right IN upholding his umpires on a
question q fact Sut II is q grave question in my
mind vhs1her he did stretch a point in trying
70 protect his umpres well merited criticism
Al umpire has duty perform under the rules
IS vel as a player, and it IS not the duty of an
1-n.t-e 10 leave the diamond. even If necessary
- sex place Of safety. before rendering a de-
cfsio- On the facts i is e rather lame excuse
rrse- the circumstances for O'Day. the umpire to
s1- mat he cid declare the runner out and
order the field cleared because his opinion 1t was
TO dark continue Il looks much as II
calling TIE game OF account Of darkness was an
af.erthcught. and had particular bearing on
the case s1 point st the tirae- Inasrnuch the
umpire failed n his duty, the question resolves
itsslf INTO whether New York should be robbed Of
game the merits OF the play what IS
distinctly technicality. If were possible this
lg-e CAY. = Is safe 20 say that number Of games
could Re thrown out for the same reason. and while
I 2 strong believer IN living up TO the strict
letter O. the rules there is such thing long
custom IL cases Of the kind being worthy OF some
ths nov memorable game Of September D
VIA with accidents and the sudden lapse from
his superb mid-season form Of George Wiltse. il is
safe 70 say that McGraw and his Giants would
have been sorry IN the last days Of
desperate fighting nad II not been for the splendid
work q Leon Aues- He came suddenly into his
very best form 4 week ago. and has since beaten
Cincinnati once and Philadelphia twice He and
Nia-hexson have been the only victorious New York
pitchers since Wfltse. despite awful beating.
saved from defeat in PittsbuTg game by the ter
-t1c hitting OF the Giants and no praise is
high for their splendid pluck and grit To them
-us 20 most OF the glory for the splendid fight and
On them rests the burden Of winning the three
gs-1es with Boston that must be 10 save the
pe-1su--
gave Bresnaha- q word OF praise week ago.
sn5 in he days that have passed since then he has
only proved his worth again Suffering agcnies
from sQrsiued ankle he is playing hard
e,e- and Nike Dorlin. too Is struggling along with
leg 50 lama that he can hardly walk All honor
- them and n every other man on the team. and
al good fortune. TOO. be with them in the final
games This week.
Scarcely less thrilling than the glorious fight for
Re National League peuannt IS the struggle for
American League honors between Detroit Cleve-
lsnd and Chicago. Chicago won a wonderful game
from Detroit. making only one hit and proving
again -heir right 70 be called hiJless wonders
CIev=ta7d and St Louis tied in eleven
inning game and nine points only separate the II
Ez-s who lead and the White Sox. who in
third place
n the gallant fight Of the Giants and the intense
interest their efforts 70 win the pennant have
aroused the sorry plight Of the Yankees has at
--arred little attention Z late But there
oeen lacking signs lately that something was stir
ring in the camp Of Elberfeld, and the return OF
tHe team to New York has shown that much good
zc-k has been done toward assembling team
thz- should figure from the very start next year.
Several excellent men have been obtained by the
teams scouts and Of these these seems 10 be
s-ecssI promise In Cree, good 1utfelder as
ras been seen here in some time. and q good hit
re- 70 boot Gard ner. who is playing well at
c7F base and O'Rourke who is an extra infelder.
and IS much better than when he first Joined the
team Of the new pitchers Wilson has pitched
sc-e excellent games. including that IN which he
ou-claszed -he remarkable Walter Johnson Sat
Ur5ay. and looks ike q real find He was bad in
o-ly one game. n Chicago, where he seemed IN
an-e 70 fnd the plate Warhop has pitched fairly
vE-I once or twice. very badly once twice more,
and very Wei indeed OF Saturday, when he won
TIE first game from Washington Billiard has not
proved himself thoroughly Yet.
Lake. Chesbro. Manning. Wilson, Warhop and
Eogg should give EIberfeId the nucleus Of a good
pitching star next year. bUt It IS in this depart
-eut that he must strengthen the team. Else
Were il is strong. Mo-iarity, while perhaps not
-he eu-aI q Chase first bssernan. IS more
tcar acceptable substitute; Gardner and La
porte can take care Of second base, Ball and
O'Rcurke can be trusted al shortstop. and Conroy,
o-thelo Cree. NcIlveen and HeTphiu have done
good work and should continue 70 do so. even If
heeler Is definitely out q Il.
Cnce more The racing scene viii change to-day,
lhis tine to the broad stretches and parkke in
c-oslFe Il The Westchester Racing Association at
6e--2on- Park Those who are still faithful 10 the
spo-t make - crowd Of hardly more than four
L-'-sanc persons. judging by the attendance at
SIa'eseno s1c Agueduct and this number will look
e--a-- II ne huge grsndstand built accommodate
lhe thousands The turned out last year in happier
ines tor the sport The change from Aqueduct
WI appreciated tf for no other reason than that
much better class Of horses Hil 20 the post in
I-e various races The westchester Racing Asso-
cation has dropped four of It's allotted dates and
tLeTe VII oe no racing tomorrow and Friday OF
lh-s week ard Tuesday and Friday Of next, but IL
retained most q the TlcA and historic fixtures
"hlcA nave made the meeting interesting in the
psst although by 50 doing fl faces big loss which
r quite likely 70 car Up the profits Of the spring
new Ia ed so leES