Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-25
BOSTON FANS HAVE
LOST ALL HOPE
See No Chance for "Speed
Boys" Except to Play Out
Their Schedule.

BOSTON, Mass, August 25-Boston is
the most loyal base ball city in the
world, loyal to both the home hopes
and the invading teams, but with all this
fairness to ball players. Boston followers
of the game find themselves constantly
irritated by the action of the Boston
club owners.
John 1. Taylor, the man who owns the
Boston American League franchise, means
well enough, but somehow or other every
thing that Taylor does seems to meet
with disapproval
The owner does not mean to take ac-
ton which will harm the best interests
Of the club. Taylor is one Of the most
enthusiastic fans who have ever applaud
ed or criticised a ball player. It would
give Taylor more joy to see the Red Sox
land a pennant than any other five men
could derive from the same victory.
When Taylor sold "Cy" Young to
Cleveland and Lou Criger to ST. Louis
there was a wall that reached all through
the state of Massachusetts. John had a
tough time squaring himself with the
patrons of the game in Boston for that
alleged break" They had about got
ten over 1T this summer, but what does
John do? He just pulls off another
trade. This time he hands the best third
good fnfielder over to the White Sox for
Purtell and Smith, infielder and pitcher
No longer in the fight for the pennant,
with the personnel of the team greatly
changed and minus the services of near
ly all the men who less than year ago
had given the Red Sox outfit the title OF
Speed Boys" the members of the Bos-
ton American team must struggle against
big odds during the few remaining weeks
IL they hope to retain possession Of Sec
ond place. writes Paul HI. Shannon in the
Boston Post.
Like the last rose Of summer their
chances are fading fast. The fire and
fight that awakened the admiration of the
whole league but three short weeks ago
has been pretty nearly stamped out. The
team play that enabled them to score
runs on f1imsy hits and occasional errors
by their adversaries is no longer a strong
factor in their game. In the minds OF
many the Red Sox are done as pennant
contenders. 1t remains but to finish out
the schedule and make as good showing
as they can before the bell rings.
Fans will in future look in vain for
those daring bits Of base running that for
three seasons have kept opposing pitchers
upon the ragged edge. Gone are Lord.
Mcconnell, Niles, Wolter, Thoney and
all those fieet-footed lads who made this
team the best base-running organization
in major league base ball. From now on
1t will be a case of slam the ball and
take your chances of getting around"
onto second place even though the Tigers
and Highlanders are fighting tooth and
nail to slide into that position, with the
odds in favor of Detroit winning out. The
champions have still a stormy campaign
to wage in the east before their departure
home, and a disastrous two weeks against
New York. Philadelphia and Washington
may shove them back SO far that they
may not hope to recover the lost ground
when on their own playing field.
Now that the discussion regarding the
Lord Mcconnell trade has practically died
out ii would be well for the fans to make
the best of the deal and hope for good
things from the showing that Purtell and
Smith may make. Lord is a grand ball
player a good hitter and fine base run
ner. But with friction existing in the
outfit the chances for the teams success
would have been as greatly impaired as
they have been through that eleventh
hour swap.
The unfortunate feature of that ex-
change was that IT should have been put
through just when the team was playing
its best and when its prospects for
overtaking Philadelphia were rosy. BY
the trading of Lord and Mcconnell the
confidence of the men was shaken, their
hopes of getting fat post-seasons rake
off given a death blow and unavoidable
dissatisfaction engendered. How much
better would it have been had the deal
been postponed until the pennant race
had been definitely decided.