The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-31
RACE ALMOST OVER
| IN MAJOR LEAGUES
Class A Organizations Having
Livelier Time Than the
Big Fellows.

| +
are beginning to march down the street
for the baseball race of 1910. a few
weeks more and the Eastern League
and American Association will have
hung up the shutter. Then Tito
later the major leagues will cease from
trouble.
The class A organizations arc having
! more fun to the last minute than tie-
I majors. In the American League 1t is
conceded that the contest is settled.
and possibly the only club which will
mot concede victory to Chicago in the
National League Is Pittsburg.
I The Cubs are not so far ahead that
1 they NAV not be beaten, but they are
| not playing ball az they were last year.
1 That much Is plain to the least dis
| corning eve. The quality of their game
lis such. that except for something
which cannot he foreseen at the pres
| ent time, they are likely TO maintain
| the hold that they have on the pennant.
even though they are not able to In
crease 1t.
The Pirates won the pennant last
year by making a runaway race. They
| cot their lead early, and they were
not satisfied with the little which they
had but they continued to aud to IT.
| How Pittsbure, won is easily summed
Iun In n few words. They batted tho
ball.
Strong with the Bat.
And how they did hit last season!
| Miller came to them at an opportune
time. and his batting alone was one
Of the strongest factors in Pittsburg'a
success This season he has not been
so powerful with the bat. wagner,
| too, for weeks in the early part OF 1910
| was not batting as he did, and wheh
! two men. OF whom so much neces-
sarily was expected. failed to meet eS-
| pectations Pittsburg failed.
chcago's campaign this year was
directed against Pittsburg and New
YORK. and has been effective against
| both teams. Had either been able
to beat the Cubs a majority OF games
| the race in the National League might
/ not have been decided until the clos
ing days of the year.
\ 1t was a wise baseball method on
the part of Chicago, for other clubs
| in the National League. except New
York and Pittsburs. have made 50
little Roadway against the Cubs that
| severe defeat of the two possible con-
tenders made the remainder OF the
1 path comparatively smooth.
| In the American League there has
| been disappointment. Not SO much,
4 perhaps, in the fact that Philadelphia
| has won the pennant as that Detroit
and Boston have proven so weak In
the general fight for the flag. AT he
start of the season little was expected
from st. Louis. Chicago and Cleve-
land. which We're in the process of
reconstruction, and there were some
/! who were averse to recognizing that
New York had much place in the SAGE.
Il ya& Wv n ea. nod nj, n t.,
| many respects, as compared with three
of its Western rivals.
Washington Much Improved.
Washington has been thorn IN
the side of more than ono club, demon
strating that Washington, as team.
had ability If only there were some
one to bring 1t to the surface. and
McAleer has done so well that there
are none too selfish to give recognI-
4 ton to his worth as manager.
\ "Philadelphia's showing in 1903 was
prophetic Of what the team might be
able to do this year. The players
were so good at the finish of last sea-
son that it seemed as If 1903 were
the year which had fitted 1t for the
honor Of championship that was to
come.
The present lead of the Athletics I.
not fiuke. It is simply the working
out Of what had been promised FOR
the club. The next test. which is
to come. Is the worlds championship
and therein is another story. 1t will
1 be told more than month later.
Had Boston been possessed of a
better pitching staff. the race Nigh,
have been closer in the American
League In the games-occurrinr al
frequent intervals-in which steady
work in the box might have held for
BOSTON some of the contests which
were lost by narrow margins the In
ability of the pitchers to prevent runs
being made against thom made up the
lost opportunities. When they go.
4 they go for good.
Detroit Doesn't Like Defeat.
Defeat sits heavily on the Detro,+
team. and there is reason for tho aa,
1eat. Naturally there would have -
be. Weak pitching is the most I'm.
portant factor. Some of the men IN
whom Jennings depended most fat,ed
to come up to requirements ,rha ha :
tiers did not hit as well as thew Shouts
with weak pitchers, and there is onI,
one result to that combination
All these are events IF vsar
the moment the year is compieted and
even before it is completed. the mn - :
ayers and owners are busy at wor.
arranging their plans for saeaor
70 come. all of them trusting ia snI