Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-07
SORTING COMMENT.
BY ]. ED GRILLO.


Sam Langford's victory over Joe jean
nette. who has faced Jack Johnson six or
seven times without being put away,
gives the Boston tar baby quite a boost.
for there is no doubt that he punished
Jeanette more severely than Johnson
ever did
But there is little or no class to the
heavyweights these days, barring John
son perhaps, and he has really never
beaten a good man. And yet he seems
10 outclass the present crop OF dubs
so far that there is not the slightest
danger Of having his colors lowered even
though he spend the next few years in
dissipation. So far as the white heavy
weights are concerned they appear TO be
clearly outclassed. The Kaufman-Lang
fight in Philadelphia the other night vir-
tually proved this. for they are supposed
10 be two of the best men the white
race can shove forward.
Frank Hough. a recognized expert on
matters pugilistic, very appropriately
says this of the kaufman-Lang mill:
To have seen what / have seen; to
see what | do see'-or words 10 that eff
feet. What must have been the thoughts
of some OF the bunch clustered about the
ringside in the al fresco fistc event (ppe
that al fresco. will YOU at the Philadel-
phia ball ground Monday eve? There
was a bunch of talent there, including
all of the hfty-Seyen varieties, and then
some. Among the New York delegates
were silver-polled gentlemen who figured
in the Sulivan-Floo bout on an East
river barge. when the Boston strong boy
was just breaking into the fighting game
at the start OF the sos: included in the
local outfit were old-timers who recall
the bout between Joe Keesey OF the Re-
lance and Johnny Green OF the Har-
mony. down on the Pits over forty years
ago. and TO whom the many sensational
bouts pulled off at the Club Theater and
the old Comidue are as fresh as though
they had taken place yesterday. These
men have seen three decades OF cham
pions come and go-champions Of every
weight-champions whose prowess will
be remembered so long as the history OF
Eistiana is read.
What must they have thought, these
men who knew sullivan, Fftzsimmons
and Jeffries in their prime, as they
watched Messrs Kaufman and Lang
pulling and mauling each other for the
purpose Of determining who was to be
the ultimate hope Of the white race?
was that the second-raters Of fifteen
years ago-Tom Sharkey, Gus Rubin.
Peter Maher and Joe Goddard, for in
stance-were born SO soon? There were
two men in Lang's corner-Kid Mccoy
and Jim Corbett-and one outside-Jack
OBrien-who would have stopped the
pair of them ten years ago. Was there
ever more convincing evidence OF the
decadence-temporary decadence. let us
hope-of the ring. at least SO far as its
cerned?"
The fact that the Athletics do not
make as good an impression as the De-
troit Tigers. Notwithstanding they have
the pennant cinched. does not mean that
Mack's men will be unable to make as
good or a better showing against the
Cubs than did the Detroit team in the
two years they played against the Cubs
in the worlds series.
Perhaps there is a difference in the
relative strength of the Tigers and Ath
letics in favor of the former, but that
would cut no figure in short series, for
the element of luck would have decided
influence.
While no one except few partisans
seem to think that there is much hope
for the Athletics to clean up with the
Cubs, yet there is no way to figure a
correct line on the outcome Of the seri,s.
With everything breaking even the Cubs
should have an advantage in that the
series is not new TO them and IN the
fact that it is a seasoned, well balanced
team. which displays as much base ball
as any team in the country. II not more.
Tried as a batting team the Athletes
will not necessarily cut figure. for in
1905 the White Sox were the weakest hit
ting team in the American League and
yet they pounded the Cub pitchers at will
and hit like fiendS in the series.
Every year there is dissatisfaction with
the work Of the umpires. Even when a
staff Is strong there are always two or
three members of it which blunder on
rules IL not in judgment 1t would seem
that this most important feature OF the
game could be materially improved II
every spring the umpires were sent 70
the southern training camps to of1ciate
in the exhibition games which the major
league teams indulge in. This could be
done for three or four weeks and then
there should be a gathering of the entire
staff with it's chief for week or so
and practical demonstrations of certain |
plays and rules made. In this way the
would be uniform. and |
there would be decidedly few wrangles.
As ii is now the umpires report to their |
president. are given half hour or SO
OF talk about the rules and then are sent |
out to umpire championship games. Few |
Of them have seen a ball since the year |
before. and are not only physically UNIT
to go through ball game, but they have
not had a chance to get a thorough un-
of how the rules are 10 be
interpreted.