The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-07-26
OLD HEADS THE BEST
Brains Count More Than BraWn
In Winning Close Ball Games.
VETERANS MADE BROWNS.
81. Louis Americans Greatly Strength
snsd by Ferris, Williams, Hoffman
and Jones--Laek Of Old Heads Cause
Of New York Yanks Downfall.

Old heads In the game Of baseball
are In demand. The old heads on tn,
St Louis Americans have Kept the
Browns to the front this season. Ole
heads advising the Chicago American:
have kept them well UP In the race al
season. 1t is the lack of Old heads IL
important places that showed the New
York Americans way down in the sec
ond division. In close race the old
heads win pennants.
A tribute was paid recently to an
old head by Fielder Jones, manager
Of the Chicago Americans, in securing
the return of Frank lsbell to the White
Sox. lsbell is one of the veterans OF
the game. Three or four years ago
many thought he was getting too old
to play the game longer In fact, he
was on the bench most of one season
because 1t was thought he was all
through. But recently he was sought
with catering offers by Comiskey. In
Chicago they think the return of lsbell
to the team will assure the Sox OF
another pennant.
Fielder Jones has two 'lively infield.
ers young in years. Atz and Purtell
They can hit, run and throw with fin
ish- But he has them sitting on the
bench since lsbell returned The Sox
have too many games to be won by
one run, and one of these youngsters
is liable to make a little mistake In
judgment that will lose such a game.
The old head doesn't make such mis-
takes.
See what difference 1t has made
with the st. Louis Americans. The
accession of Jimmy Williams, Hobe
Ferris, Charley Jones and Danny Hoff.
man has raised the Browns from Sec
ond division to contenders for the pen
nant. Hoffman and Jones have not
been In the game regularly of late be.
cause Of slight slump in hitting at
the same time that the young players.
Schweitzer and Hartzell, have shown
q squirt In that department. But the
veterans will be back In that lineup
when their batting eyes return.
The Boston Americans young play.
ers have been leading the league in
hitting and are running bases like
wild men. But Boston is down in
the second division because the young
sters have thrown away game after
game through lack of judgment as
well as fielding errors When this
team has dragged through couple of
seasons In the American league and
learned all the tricks 1t should be
winner But the speed of youth has
little chance unless head work is with |
#.
The Chicagos have the lightest hit
ting team in the league. but they are
winning games just the same It's be. |
cause there is brain work in every |
play conducted by such men as George |
Davis, "Jiggs" Donohue. Fielder Jones
Lee Tannehill, Billy Sullivan, Pat I
Dougherty and Freddie Parent John |
Anderson, though a veteran, has nev-
er been famous for headwork. but he
is hitting the ball so hard that he
holds place with those scholars.
Jimmy Williams and Hobe Ferris.
now with the Browns, are not noted
for their speed nor for any great
strength in hitting, but the addition
of these two men has made an in
field for the Browns that can hardly
be equaled, for with Wallace and Tom
Jones they have formed combination
that is splendid in execution and judg-
n:ent
Clarke Griffith let Jimmy Williams
leave the team, and the whole New
York infeld collapsed. Harry Niles,
who replaced him. has lot of speed
and is promising player, but be
couldn't step into Williams shoes and
FIJI them the first year
But the most important place of all
for an old head is in the pitchers
box. That is the place where there
is think every half minute in every
game. In a close game there is
course Of reasoning goes with every
ball that is thrown. It's tough
place for beginner Still, the begin
ner may have such tremendous speed
and perfect speed and control that he
will get through such a game with a
victory. But every manager would
prefer to have one Of his veterans in
the box at such times
In the old days of free hitting and
big scores the pitcher didn't need to
think so much 1t was generally a
contest Of batting. The team that
could bat in the most runs was the
victor. 1t was never talked of as the
pitcher that could pitch the better
ball But today 50 much depends on
he pitcher that he is under terrific
mental strain from the first to the
ninth inning, except in contests where
lis side gets big lead early in the
,ame and permits him to take chances
IN letting the other fellows hit the
)all.
Maps New Catcher.
Cleveland has new catcher in