New-York tribune., 1908-08-03


q doubles team, and will get plenty of practice
in singles before they need sail for the anti
podes There is no doubt that both Alexander
and Wright are capable of beating any man
on either the British Australian teams, ex-
cept Norman e Brookes, the present Britlsh
Champion Wright has beaten Brookes ana
should be able TO do it again. and he and Alex
ander should he able to dispose Of Brookes ana
W-ilding in the doubles. A third man may De
added to the team. and, should any one OF thefa
he able to make the trip, which Is doupttuh
William A. Larned, Harold Hackett r. D. Lat
tie and possibly William J. Clothier might well
strengthen the team. Karl Behr is not up TO
his best form, hut may pull together before the
season ends.
Interest in the National League pennant race
shows no signs of tagging. for Pittsburg, New
York and Chicago are fighting merrtly TO retain
or better their positions with the narrowest OF
margins separating them. Not in years mas
the National League produced such contest
as is being waged at the present. In the last
two years the Cubs had clinched their hold on
the pennant by August 1. and II was merely
matter of speculation thereafter just how many
games they would be in advance Of the other
teams at the end of the season The story IS
altogether different and more interesting this
season. The Pirates, Cubs and Giants are very
evenly matched, and 1t is impossible to say at
this time which team will finish in front. New
York is now in full stride, with the team bat
ting hard, fielding sharply and the pitchers
working well. Chicago has had a long run of
hard luck but is now coming around to the form
which won the pennant for the Cubs in 1906 and
1907 Boston however proved a big surprise
on Saturday and Chicago's defeat was great
help to New York With Wagner as the king
pin, Pittsburg is swinging around the circuit
winning games with almost tiresome tregu-
larity. The Pirates are demons with the bat,
almost faultless in the field, and besides, the
pitching corps a whole is second to none in
the league Should Pittsburg lose Wagner the
team would undoubtedly fater. but long
he is in the game the Pirates will make a strong
fight for the seasons honors, If John McGraw
. had Dutch" Wagner his team it would be
a safe bet that the Giants would get the pen
nant. Perhaps they will without him.
Last week was a profitable for the Giants
Though Pittsburg the Monday game and
played to a sixteen inning tie on Tuesday, the
St. Louis team, which caused the Giants much
trouble early in the season, proved an unusual
" weak foe and lost all of its games at the
Polo Grounds. These victories were especially
valuable. for Pittsburg and Chicago were win
ming the majority Of their games and defeat
all the more difficult for them to creep up to
the top. There have been no finer games played
at the Polo Grounds in the last two years than
last Mondays and Tuesdays contests. On the
other hand, there have been few sorrfer exhi-
bitions of the national game than those pro-
duced by ST. Louis The only hard thing to
explain is how the Giants beaten by them
on the Western trip. There are at least three
| teams in the Eastern League which could take
| St. Louis's place in the big league and make a
| better showing. But the less said about st.
| Louis the better.
Indfvfdually. and as team. the Giants are
playing splendidly. It was hard luck that the
Pirates took two games of the series, but it is
not so difficult to eXplan The Giants had just
returned from long and hard Western trip,
and with only days rest they were called
upon to play the strongest team in the league
Pittsburg had been home for long stretch and
had inst finished a series with Brooklyn. Nat
uraIy. they were the better prepared to play
championship baseball. Then, again. Harry
Mccormick was playing pretty poor brand Of
baseball. both in the field and at the bat His
work In the left garden was so bad that Sey-
mour BridwelI and Devlin felded balls far out
of their territory rather than trust him. 1t is
a Measure 10 say he showed improvement in
t,e ST Louis series The makes the judg-
of 7ies N field at the Polo Grounds an
eenecialTv tfcklish Job. 1t will take Mccormick
some time to get accustomed to it. He is
stronger than Shannon a batter, and Nc
Crsyv considers him n much more valuable man.
Few nersons who saw him play in the Pitts
brrp series thought he would ''ht," but most of
them have now changed their minds McGraW
makes few mistakes in baseball.
The chances are that a week from to-day
+,ara will be a change in the relative positions
or the three leading teams. Chicago begins
series TODAY with Philadelphia, and 1t will be
strange if the Quakers do not worry them con-
siderabIv Philadelphia is playing high class
hall at present At the end of the week tina
Cubs and Giants will lock horns but previously
New York will meet Cincinnati. Pittsburs has
Boston as an opponent for four games This
should he a good week for the home team, and
unless they fan down in their work they have
fine chance of leading the race next Saturday
night OF within game of first place
The Yankees are being bumped hard in the
West with no signs of Improvement They are
hopelessly in the rear, and will probably end the
season al the bottom. The team is utterly de-
noralized. though its members individually
would shine on any other team. Elberfeld is
having hard row to hoe.
SARATOGA ENTRIES FOR MONDAY.
FIRST RACE-seling for three-year-ods and upward
Name VT Name WI
They're .123 Incognito -lO4