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

Special Dispatch.t to The Star.
CHICAGO, October 9o.-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
hall in that place which Ingerson said
was not.
But the handwriting of their downfall
seemed to be written on the wall when
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
If such thing should happen 1t Will
he the surprise of the base ball world
for no team ever seemed more thoroughly
beaten and outClaSsed than did the CuoS
Tuesday. The fact of the matter is that
it is not the same team which battied
against Detroit and the White SoX Tor
the worlds pennant in the past.
Now il is quite different team. Five
years of campaigning, In every one almost
of which the Cubs have won 100 games or
more. mas told on the players. Ihat dash
and speed which characterized their WORK
in those games is absent, and incidentally
those two defeats have had anything but
an exhilarating effect on the players
y bad start in so short series Is usual
IL hard to overcome OF course, Boston
beat Pittsburg out after losing three out
of the first four but that was because
Pittsburg had but pitcher. Mack Is
not handicapped in this way. Ihere Is
no telling how many twirlerS he mas VINO
can hold the Cubs at bay, but Two vi
them have already accomplished this
feat
Coombs' performance was not impress
sive, but it was good enough 10 VIII
He may come back if it is necessary TO
play very many more games and show
his real form, but Bender is certalntS,
and that is where the cubs VIII hiiu
themselves up against a hard propose
ton when the calculate to overcome 'iie
lead the Athletics have gained
Bender's pitching the opening day was
brilliant, though there Is no doubt tildt
lie weakened a trifle under the STRAIN III
the closing round. Bender not oniV I'M
pressed the public with his prowess, but
he has made the Chicago PLAYERS SIT up
and take ntice Harry Stelnfeldt re-
marked this morning thdt he hdu He'ei
faced better pitching
III was not that Bender had an ex-
reptional amount of speed or battling
t,rves but we could not guess what was
ming. so we'll did he outguess us from
art TO finish. He is a grand ptcheI
l.vond doubt and we admired his Work
much as any one Else
f-n.hnsiasn1 in Chicago is quite different
what IL In PnlldueipHid III IiAo
t-..v Of Brotherly Love the fans did not
a.. much cheering when their pets won,
l,re they are cheering even though poth
Games were lost. There were no less
than 5000 people at the depot Sesteiuas
atternoon when the Cubs special arrived
and as every member of the team hove IN
sight he was given the glad hanq anu
made TO feel that he was welcome nome
That sort of spirit is apt to cut inquire,
for if ever a team was encouraged uIuei
adverse conditions IL Is the OuDS
Every world series has made a hero
and heretofore they nave NOT cUlhe ii .In
the ranks of the stars, but from the
mediocre class 1t will not be so TINS
year. however for there is no DOUBT that
any one who saw Eddie Collins play In
the two games against the Cubs Is aWed
10y his display .sf genius and skill NO
more remarkable player ever stood on
spikes than Collins. and 1t seems that he
waited for this series 10 distinguish MN
self
What is most remarkable is that though
Davis is the captain Of the team, 1t Is
really Collins who runs it on the held
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 a 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 4 star gardener.
and no one would pick thern Iof II worlds
championship team, blt they are deifNef-
ing the goods. new J<thelesS- 1t is that
pitching STAFF and great infield that car
ries 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 a 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, 100. 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 il there is but one
player on that Chicago infield who classes
UP we'll enough 10 be considered on a
classy infeld, and he il Tinker. The 9TH
ers have gone back but not he. Chance
is no longer spry he was, and bad
leg handicaps him whole lot Steinfeldt
who has been playing ball for fifteen
norman is hardly high-class infelder
Hoffman is a most valua Bile outfieIder, but
Schultz is one OF the listIess 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
landed as well up in the race this year a
they did. There must have been some