New-York tribune., 1910-06-06
COMMENT ON SPORTS
The Luck of Baseball and All Ii
Means to Win.
HOME TEAMS ON THE JUMP
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.


leagues in batting last year. is quoted as
saving in commenting on the work or ms
team this season: Unless you get the best
Of the breaks you can't win pennants
Everything else being equal. Cobb no doubt
is right. as the luck Of the game is fac
tor that cannot he overlooked. The fact re
mains however. that the team which is
PLAYING good baseball with a confidence
horn of success or a spirit born of the
courage 10 overcome difficulties is the team
as a rule upon which the Goddess Of Luck
smiles. Things have been breaking well
for the Philadelphia Athletics and the New
York Yankees this year. and for the Chi
oaEo Cubs. too. in several games, hut that
oniv goes 10 emphasize the fact that these
teams have been playing the kind of base
han that wins. by forcing opportunities or
which they have been quick TO take ao-
vantage
When an error is made that costs game
vben q fatsrnan hits the ball fairly with
men on bases only to see IL go right into
the hands of some opposing fielder, when
circus catch is made that cuts on runs ana
rohs q. man of a three bagger or homer,
things are breaking badly for the team
that suffers-at least, that is Ty Cobb's
version Of the good or had breaks in base
hall. There Is something in this, too. but
IN the long run incidents OF this kind are
evened up through d playing season Of lb4
games or more, and it is the bad breaks,
st least for the home team. that are mag
r1iHed and the good breaks that are quickly
forgotten. As said before, there is much
luck in baseball. as i'm All sports, but the
team that is playing a heady, steady and
consistent game is the team that wins a
pennant- Cobb winds UP by saying that he
looks to.see Connie Mack's team from Phil
sdelphia, finish on top this year 1t is rather
early 10 give UP nope for the Detroit Tigers.
who have won three American League pen
nants in row, and Cobb. ike so many
Others. is counting without the Yankees
Those who were reviling the Giants only
three short weeks ago have changed their
tune. and are now shouting their praises
and predicting all sorts of happy things
2 ho,It winning the National League pen
nsnt. For inconsistency commend me to the
average baseball fan" Everybody loves
g winner, it is true, and nothing succeeds
like success. but Ii does seem that loyalty
10 2. baseball team is strained, and strained
through a mighty fine screen There are
executions. perhaps, as the loyalty Of the
Brooklyn fans" in the face of much dis
co1lragement has become proverbial, but IN
the long run there is no such thing as 10y
atty to a baseball team unless II is winning.
The Giants have been going along in q
way TO lend encouragement, and while an
other slump may come and games must be
lost. there is every reason to be optimistic
that the team viii be fighting along in the
van when October rolls round and the race
is nearing its end. Nine games in success
sion is something to boast of. and with the
men playing as they are and the pitchers
going well it seems only reasonable to look
. for thu revenge against ST. Louis that four
defeats in a TOW out West make so desira-
bic. if not imperative. Roger Bresnahan
and his crew viii be at the Polo Grounds
to-day for four games. following which the
Chicago Cubs must be entertained and
pulled off the top rung of the ladder. where
they. are now perched. if s@ch a thing is
possible The Giants pulled the Pirates Off
that same top r1Ing in Pittshurg, and his
tory may repeat itself with the Cubs The
Giants would look well perched there them
selves.
The Yankees lost their first game Of the
Western rrip in Chicago. and the Calamity
James were quick 10 accept II as an i'll
hit game Hard and consistent playing has
now put them at the head OF the league, a
position which they thoroughly deserve
Their career IN the enemy's country will
be watched with even greater interest.
The team will be IN ST. Louis to-day for q
four-game series. jumping from there to
face the Detroit Tigers. who are likely 10
be more formidable on their own ground
than they were in the East, judging by the
way they have been treating the Philadel-
phia Athletics
Seven straight for Brooklyn It begins 10
look as if Bill Dahlen had discovered the
hoodoo that has been lurking so long in the
midst Of team that measures up well on
paper. but has failed 10 play up to expecta-
tions. 1t is something Of q record TO win
three straight games from the worlds
champions, even if the Pirates are in the
midst Of e slump that spells disaster.
The distressing accident at Gravesend or
THURSDAY, in which Fred Langan, the
sockey, lost his life, was cause for deer
regret knew the boy as q quiet. well
rnsnnered little fellow. and admired him
for his fearlessness and skill In riding,
which was becoming more apparent every
day The life Of Jockey is not a bed Of
roses ana the DoNS o1ten1lTneS take oeS-
rerate chances and 5eopardize their own
lives and those Of their fellows in a desire
20 .yin, but in this case II was an accident
Ture and simple, Warwick. the first horse
70 20 down. syverving against the rail
While none the less regrettable, 81 is cause
for congratulation that the accident was
not caused by the foul riding OF one of the
other jockeys. Horses as e rule take good
care of themselves while racing, and fatal
accidents, fortunately. are few and far be
tween, but IL is hoped that the other boys
viii take the untinlely death of little Lam
gan and the cutting off Of a bright future
as race rider TO heart and study tr
avoid the rough and foul riding which has
rnarred many races in the past.
Powers. the Jockey. no doubt was pun
;sbed enough by losing race with House
rnsid In the Criterion Stakes last Tuesday
through carelessness or overconfdence
without being subjected TO q fine or sus
rension. but II strikes me that the stew
erds Of the meeting neglected their full
eutv IN not calling him 10 account The
stewards, 70 all appearances, were among
The few who considered the flIy more tC
blame than the boy. In my opinion IT was
a most i'll judged ride. that would have
,done dtscredit 20 a stable boy. Powers
ougFt 10 have been sitting still when driv-
snr his mount around the turn and Powers
ought 10 have been driving his mount
when sitting still in the last sixteenth
TIL. late Pittsburg Phil once said in sub