Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-20
BY ]. ED GRILLO.

81 j. Ell 0h4LAO.
Special Dispatch The Star.
CHICAGO October 20.-It is hard TO
make the Cubs and their admirers realize
that the chances of the National League
champions in the present series are ABOUT
as remote as those of the festive snow
ball in that place which Ingersoll said
was not.
But the handwriting of their downfall
seemed 10 be written on the wall Wheh
their star twirler was so roughly handled
by the Athletics Tuesday. Yet Chicago
will not believe that defeat for the
Cubs is possible, and they look for
Chances team to come back at their
rivals with a vengeance in the games
Yet to be played
IL such thing should happen it will
be the surprise of the base ball world
for no team ever seemed more thoroughly
beaten and outclassed than did the CunS
Tuesday. The fact of the matter Is mat
il is not the same team which battled
against Detroit and the White SoX lor
the worlds pennant in the past
Now it Is quite different team rive
Years of campaigning. in every one almost
of which the Cubs have won 100 games or
more. mas told on the players mat udsn
and speed which characterized their "oIk
4
those two defeats have had anything but
an exhilarating effect on the players
\ bad start in so short series Is usual
~ hard to overcome. OF course, boston
heat Pittsburg out after losing three out
OF the first four but that was because
Pittsburg had but one pitcher MACK Is
not handicapped i'm this way. mere
no telling how many twlriers ne mas wao
can hold the Cubs at bay, but Two OF
them have already accomplished TINS
feat
Coombs' performance was not lmpres
sive, but il was good enough 10 WIN.
He may come back if II is necessary W
plav very many more games and sho"
his real form, but Bender is certainty;
and that is where the CUBS VIII nllu
themselves up against hard propo ,he
ton when the calculate 10 oNerCoile 'h0
lead the Athletics have gained.
Renders pitching the opening day was
brilliant though there is no DOUBT tha'
he weakened a trife under the strain III
the closing round. Bender not only I'M
pressed the public with his proWess, put
he has made the Chicago PLAYERS SIT up
"a 10 mice Harry Steinfeldt re-
marked this morning that lie hdu iio
faced better pitching.
1T was not that Bender mad an eA-
ceptionaI amount of speed or pamlns
curves but we could not guess what Wa
coming, so we'll did he outguess US uoln
tart to finish He is grand pitcher
bcyond doubt. and we ADMIRED HIS "o'h
as much as any one else
Enthusiasm in Chicago is quite oinerent
from what IL was in Philadelphia In the
c;.v If RrotherIy Love the fans did not
do much cheering when their pets ~on'
here they are cheering even tnousn JUL
games were lost. There were no Tess
than 900 people at the depot YESTERDAY
afternoon when the Cubs special arrived.
and as every member of the team move III
sight he was given the giad naiiu auu
made 10 feel that he was welcome nome
That sort of spirit is apt TO cut a inquire,
II a
adverse conditions 1t is the Cuos-
Every world series has made a hero
and heretofore they have not come from
the ranks of the stars, but from the
mediocre class. 1t will not be so TINS
wear, however, for there is no DOUBT that
any one who saw Eddie Collins play 10
the two games against the Cubs is aWed
by his display OF genius and Skill NO
more remarkable player ever stood on
spikes than Collins. and it seems that he
waited for this series TO distinguish MIN
self
What is most remarkable is that though
Davis is the captain of the team, 1t is
really Collins who runs II on the neld
He virtually directs every play, and In SO
doing has retained the respect and friend
ship not only of the players. but OF Davis
himself. who realizing the youngsters
wonderful base ball ability. is allowing
him to take charge for the good of the
team
II the Athletics win the series it will
prove that il is possible for team to be
successful even with a weak Outfield,
for that is what Mack has in the field
at the present time. Neither Lord,
Strunk nor Murphy is a star gardener,
and no one would pick them for worlds
championship team. but they are deliver
ing the goods. nevertheless II is that
pitching staff and great intield that car
rfes the Athletics strength. Davis is no
longer a great player, and yet he man
ages TO fill in we'll, but Collins. Barry and
Baker are great trio Barry is not the
hitter that is the pair playing by his
side, but he makes up in fielding what he
lacks with the stick.
Then, TOO. the catching of Thomas has
been a surprise. He has done better work
in the two games than he ever did be-
fore in his career and he is establishing
himself among the crack backstops of the
league.
With Evers out OF 1t there is but one
up well enough to be considered on
classy infield. and he is Tinker. The 9TH
ers have gone back but not he. Chance
Is no longe- as spry as he was, and bad
leg handicaps him whole lot. Steinfeldt
who has been playing ball for fifteen
years. Is showing signs of age. and Zin1-
norman is hardly a high-class infielder
Hoffman is a most valuable outffelder, but
Schultz is one Of the listless kind and
Scheckard is also showing signs of going
back. The chances are that next year
the Cubs will be found sliding backward
rapidly. and the wonder is that they
they did. There must have been some