The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-08-06
HARD TO PICK WINNER
National League Race Now an
Interesting Affair. $ 6s@
pITTsBUkG LOOKS STRONG.
Pirates Have Good In and Out Fleldsrs
With Many First Glass Substitutes
New, Works Playing Pennant Via.
ming BaIl-Cubs' Hard Road.

New, Works Playing Pennant VIA.
ming Ball-Cubs' Hard Road.
The race for honors In the national
hague continues undated and seems
akely to last throughout the campaign.
Just how the teams will stand at the
anish it would sbe difficult to find a
nan with hardihood enough to pre-
1ict, but the opinion is general that
the fight will narrow down to a three
sornered affair, with the Chicago New
York and Pittsburg teams as the con-
renders Botho Cincinnati and Phila-
delphia still haveha chance, and Bos-
Eon too, is not out of it, but there are
lew fans outside Of the home ones
who think the Reds have a chance for
The pennant. many claiming that their
early good showing was but fash In
he PAL.
The Phillies were picked as contend.
ers some time ago, but that was when
they were batting we'll Since then
:hey have fallen OF woefIlly in their
hitting and, while they may be still
considered as a two-three-four posi-.
oility, they are not likely to win the
banner.
The Chicagos, New Yorks and Pitts
burgs are best equipped for a grueling
aght, and it seems certain that they
will all figure in the going right up to
the finish. Which team will win out
cannot be safely predicted at this
lime. The Pittsburgs sometimes look
Ike the best bet, and at other times
It appears as if the Chicagos would
win out Yet, again, the New Yorks
look strong enough to forge to the
front and claim the banner The pen
lant will likely go to the aggregation
which shows the best staying quail.
| sies.
The Chicagos do not have their full
strength at present, owing to numer
Gus injuries and accidents, but that is
nothing more than was to be expected
and the bowls of hard luck in the
Windy City recently have elected few
expressions of sympathy from outside
fans. Things have been breaking
mighty lucky for Chances team for
three long years, and it is nothing
more than what might be expected
that the tide would finally turn.
The Pittsburgs and the New YorkS
have been through the mill. They know
what it is to fight against odds, with
their ranks shot to pieces. Therefore
It is just likely that they are better
prepared for the battle than the Chi
eagos. They have both been tempered
by misfortune. Take a team that has
been riding on the high wave of pros
perity as long as the Chicagos and
they are likely to lose heart when the
hard times come more quickly than
their rivals who have become accus-
toned to adversely and misfortune. 81
Casting all prejudices and partisan
| feeling aside, the Pirates seem better
| prepared for the battle than either the
Cubs or the Giants. Neither Chicago
NOR New York can boast of better ar
ray of inield and outield talent than
| the Pirates. The Pittsburg team has
several combinations that it can use in
| the inf1eld without weakening either
| the offensive or defensive power of the
| team, whereas the loss Of one regular
verely felt The Pirates have Alan
| Storke and Jim Kane for first base
Storke can play any infeld position.
| Then there is Starr for short or third
If he is needed Kane can play the
| outfeld if he is called dpon. Dan
| Moeller is alsu available for the outer
! garden, and Leach can be shifted there
and Storke placed at third if neces-
sary. Taking the pitching STATS as a
| whole, the Pittsburg team need not
| take off its hat to the others, although
| 1t may not be able to boast of a single
| individual of the prowess of either
! Brown or Mathewson. Behind the bat
| Gibson has been doing just as good
work as either King or Bresnahan,
and Phelps and O'Connor look as good
as Moran and Marshall or the Giants
substitutes.
PernapS cine teams are SO clOSeIy
| matched that the result will depend
upon the exhibition Of spirit the team
/! work and gameness Of the various con-
tenders. Manager Clarke of the Pitts
burgs has ever sought to inculcate into
his> men that indomitable will power
which characterizes his own work and
which refuses to give up or acknowl-
edge defeat so long as the battle is on.
/ Clarke, Chance and McGraw are all
fighters, and the race for the 1908 pen
nant in the fall should be good one.