The Washington times., 1909-10-14
JENNINGS TO BLAME
IF HIS TEAM LOSES
Failure to Obtain Competent Catchers Is Most Eyre
gious Error of Tiger Manager-Cobb and
Wagner Again Compared.
BY THOMAS S. RICE.

{ ming was real manly effort His
homer into the empty bIeacLer seats in
! me eighth was about the longest hit
/ OF the series
/ It's a wonder Tommy LeacS did not
Kill himself when he went after CraW-
f0r0 tour-SaCker. He rap smack into
the Watst-high fence around the tempo
I rary seats touched the ball with his
/ sloNed hand and dived over the OBJ
structlon, coming down on his neck.
Cobb or Wagner?
/ The question OF the hour still is:
! who's the better. or. rather more val
liable. player, Cobb or Wagner It's
/ hard to say, but there are some quail
/ ties about Wagner which make even an
/ American League enthusiast favor him
/ for the present year. Wagner is nearly
due 10 go backward from age, while
Cobb Is still coming strong. but that's
another question. They have made the
same number of hits, but you get the
/ impression that Wagner is the surer and
/ more dangerous batter
A beautiful Illustration Of Wagner's
skill was furnished in the third inning
yesterday. With Clarke on first the hit
and run sign was given and Bush start
ed to cover second. Wagner smashed
the ban through short as accurately and
as promptly as If he had thrown it, and
clarke went to third. There was no
; luke about it. The thing went through
exactly as planned and depended entire
" upon Wagner's ability ~ place the
Dutchman Holds Shade.
But one Of the most astonishing fea-
lures of the five games. and one YOU
would hardly believe unless YOU had
scored them, IS that Wagner has adj
vanced men by a safe swat but three
times and Cobb but three. From the
rurore about them you would think they
would be moving up runners every once
IN a while by sturdy biff. but Il is only
once IN two or three whites that thew
turn the trick.
In the first game Wagner led off in fba
sixth inning with a double, and scored.
COBB walked, with one out in the first
inning, and was batted home. In the
second game Wagner got no safety and
did not cross the plate, but Cobb walked
and was batted home. Cobb got a hit
in this game, but II was VIXEN he was
nrst up IN the seventh inning. In the
LIiiIu cIash " agnerS meaSIy fly that
Tom Jones barely reached with the bare
namd, put could not hold, advanced a
man from first 10 third, and In the
ninth inning he sent Leach home from
third. Both Of those singles advanced
runners. Cobb in the third game got "a
single and double, each of which sent
a runner over the plate Wagner was
hitless in the fourth game, but Cobb
was on tap with a double that sent IN
Two runs, after two hands we're out. In
the doings yesterday Cobb singled in the
sixth with nobody on bases. but Wag-
ner worked the hit and run with Clarke
There has not been a sign of Cobb
getting in on the hit-and-run PROPOSE
ton Wagner has a claim TO advancing
men four times by safe Fwat. accord
ing TO many scorers, for II ey gave him
credit for a hit on the blow that went
/ bv Bush in the first inning on Monday
and moved Clarke from second TO the
plate.
Wagner has thus far been slightly
more effective in batting. Concerning
fielding there is no way to get a line
on them because of the positions thew
play. 1t is also impossible TO conpare
! them in baserunning. for Wagner is
SPINNING agalEst JOKE backstops' while
/ Copo has 10 contend with one Of the
very best catchers in harness. They
must be judged according TO their pol
ing, and Wagner has it on the Georgia
Peach by a shade Ia the matter Of be-
ing a menace TO the opposition.
Team Work Better.
The Tigers have awakened to the a 3
G principle of backing up a play. and
there were two or three men behind
every throw yesterday. Rather late
In the season for them TO grasp that.
DeIehanty made an extremely clever
stop and throw on Byrne in the second
inning He ran over toward first. made
pickup with one hand and threw 20
Tom Jones without stopping. He did not
get nit Tuesday or Wednesday, but
reached rrst IN both games. Monday he
was hit by pitched ball, and yesterday
an error gave him a life.
wagner Is not perfect by any means.
bis throw 10 catch Delehanty IN the
sixth inning yesterday was delayed too
long on an easy chance and II was
wide when he did let 80. His dropping
or Tom Jones easy pop in the ninth in
ming was due to OVerconfdence and mis-
judging the fly.
Clarke had a good batters luck when
IN me NTH inning he swung with all his
might and main, but landed on ton OF
the ball and drove IL into the soggy
ground FOR a perfect slow single toward
first base. one reason for this apparent
smiling OF fortune on star stickers IS
that they have keen eye for the ball
and solve a shoot oftener than those
with DINNER lamps, hence they have a
higher percentage Of chances for get
ting lucky bingles
sam Crawford voefuIly uisjudged
Clarke's homer ia the seventh. It went
over his head, but he did not know until
the last moment that il was so high. He
made preparations three times to catch
1t before il sailed into the seats.
Accommodations Perfect.
The PittsburR officials have handled
the games here as nearly perfectly as
could be asked Of any human beings
The enormous crowds have entered and
left the park without strife or confusion,
and an absolute minimum seems TO have
been reached IN the number Of tickets
falling into the hands Of professional
spectators Inc accommodations for
the newspaper men are ideal and every
courtesy has been extended 20 them by
the club and the national commission.
one criticism that might be made Is in
the matter OF insisting upon the return
of balls going into the crowd. The parks
attaches and the police 20 after these
strays Ike blOodhOunds, and any Fan
VINO refuses TO give up is elected in
stanter. With all the money that is
being made il would not be a bad idea
10 let the fans keep the balls as SON
venlrs.E
The National Commission held an open
meeting with the newspaper men after
the game Yesterday and decided 70 play
the seventh game. if one is necessary. al
Detroit next Saturday. The lay-ovef
LII. La. .IIn--ra.I 70 r-lrn IN. Il.A-.s-