The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-21
RACES
HOTTER THAN EVER
Four Teams In Each League
Are Close together
GIANTS HAVE ADVAN TAGE
Long Lead of New York Will Be Hard
to Overcome-No One Can Tell
Who Will Be the Winner In
the American League.

Chicago. September 20.-(Special)-
Baseball overshadows everything these
days in the big league cities. Never in
the history of the two major organ
izations, the National and American
leagues. have the races in both been so
close at the same time and so near to
the end of the season. 1t would sur
prise nobody to see any of the first
three teams in either league win out.
which means that in all probability
neither race will be decided until the
closing days of the struggles.
The fourth teams in each league, too,
are still factors. So 1t is no wonder
the country over. Random will simply
bubble over with excitement from now
until the worlds series has been won
and lost.
1t looks now as if the National
league race has simmered down to the
outcome of the Cub-Giant and the
Pirate-Giant series on the Polo grounds
{ in New York Every one of the games
in these two series will be of the ut
most Importance, and the team, of the
three which best weathers the battle in
Gotham will likely cop the bunting in
the older organization.
And to help things along the Ameri-
can league has come to bat with a fight
just about as exciting and almost as
uncertain. The Tigers who looked like
easy winners a few weeks ago, as the
result of a slump in hitting and pitch
ing, have dropped down almost along
with the Maps, the Sox and Browns, and
all four teams are now conceded a
good chance to win.
The White Sox must not be over
looked. The pennant bee is buzzing
loudly at Chicago for the first time
since June. Those sox pitchers have
got to going again and none denies rie
fact that the Sox are one of the hardest
teams in the business to beat when
j heir twirlers are right.
The team is hitting good and fielding
in unusually fine style. With most of
the remaining games to be played at
home, the Sox should win a big ma
1ority. The Browns, Maps and Tigers
have the same advantage, however, as
all the western teams have a long stand
/
home lots this month.
] THE pennant fight has just begun"
said Manager McAleer OF the st. Louis
Browns, while discussing the ST. Louis
Detroit series. I'VE have four more
games with Detroit in st. Louis and two
in Detroit Well win four and possibly
five of the series, with a little luck.
In the recent series all the luck was with
Detroit. Donovan was the luckiest lad in
the world to get away with that Sunday
game. Then Powell had them beaten to
FRAGILE until he passed Schaefer and
hit Schmidt in the morning game at De-
troit. OF course, they hit the afternoon
game out, but if we had taken their taw
In the morning, I don't think the Tigers
would have hit anything but the pipe in
the afternoon. Detroit has nothing
the st. Louis club. They may outhit us
a trifie, but we've got them beaten to
death in every other department of the
game.
Results count in this game The COM
ing four games in st. Louis with Detroit
will demonstrate whether I'm right or
wrong and I'm willing to stand or fall
by the outcome.
/ "All the eastern clubs come west this
month"; and there is no telling what shape
Detroit, ST. Louis and Chicago will be in
when they get through with us. We were
uous fight, unless Williams rheumatism
should put him out of the game But
accidents will happen, and even II Jimmy
should be forced to remain out we have
a rafting good substitute in Roy Hart
zell.
Speaking of his men, McAleer said: "I
have the best bunch of men to handle
that ever a managerswas blessed with.
There isn't a bad actor in the bunch.
Even the 'Rube who has the reputation
of being erratic and unreliable, has pulled
off his coat and is working tooth and
nail for the success of the club. All the
boys are regular in their habits. never
bother about any of them. The club has
had the most successful year In its his
tory from every standpoint. My reward
will be handsome one, and even If the
boys fail to win another game this year
it would be ungrateful OF me to COM
plain.
"Our chances of winning the pennant
were never brighter than they are right
now and If we are called upon to fight
for the championship of the world the
Cubs Giants or Pirates will know they
have been to the races If they beat us. /
really think the Browns are in better
shape to fight for the world S champion
ship than Detroit or Chicago. That's
purely a matter of opinion, but I'm will
ing to have mine taken ror what it's
WORTH
In Cleveland they pick the Browns to
win MeAleer, OConnor Wallace and
Heidrick are former Cleveland players
which accounts to a great extent for the
popularity of the Browns IN Cleveland
Henry p Edwards, baseball man of the
Cleveland Plain Dealer, says the Browns
have played the best ball of the Amer
lean league clubs in Cleveland this year.
civilians is the man who made the
| Browns a championship factor, in my
| estimation" said Mr. Edwards. 'He
| has pulled off several clever tricks in
! Cleveland this year, but the smoothest
! of them all was turned the day he slipped
, home from second base while Mig Clarke,
| Bradley and Stova11 were completing a
! double. The play came up this way:
| The bags were filled, with Williams at
| second The batsman hit to Bradley, who
pegged the runner from third at the plate.
| Clarke then shot the ball to first, get
| ting the batsman. But, In the meanwhile,
| williams had slipped around from second
| and Stovall returned too late to catch
| him at the plate. Williams run won the
| game for st. Louis.
| s''The Browns have played uniformly