New-York tribune., 1911-09-25
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Time to Buy a Pennant Pole for
the Polo Grounds.
HILTON A MASTER GOLFER
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

tional League pennant Is concerned IL Is
hard 10 imagine any contingency that will
keep the flag away from the Polo Grounos'
So uncertain as baseball is, the calamity
howlers cannot find a shred or comfort
They have been silenced or else are predict
ing dire things In anticipating the battle Tor
the worlds championship between the Gi-
ants and the Athletics. Barring the most
unforeseen accidents. John J. McGraw ana
his men have won a baseball race that up
10 ten days ago hung in the balance-a race
that In years 70 come will DO referred 10 as
one OF the greatest in the history OF the
sport For almost three months four teams
and sometimes FIVE. struggled neck and
neck. so TO speak, for the mastery. Phlla-
delphia and St Louis finally dropped back
in the furious pace, leaving the Giants, the
Cubs and the Pirates 10 fight 1t out IN the
fnsl dash The last named were the hrst
of the three 10 feel the strain and were
eliminated. TO all intents and purposes. by
losing three straight games TO New York
In the series completed on Tuesday. The
Cubs also have been distsnced. so that now
nothing remains but 10 buy new fagstan'
tack on the halyards and hoist it in some
prominent place up among the phylons
and allegories," as my friend Bill Hanna
says. at the newly made Polo Grounds.
II is cause for much Joy among the en-
thusiasuc followers of the Giants in THIS
oity that the much dreaded trip into the
eneuys country which was to be perilous
10 the chances for the pennant. has devel-
oped so far into a triumphant march 10 VIC
tory. II is quite possible, Of course, that
the team will be checked this week In the
keenIv anticipated battles with the Chicago
.Tl tn Gov Cf
the Giants capturing the pennant beyond
the last shadow OF doubt in the very home
of their bitterest rivals. The series between
New York and Chicago is a tie at this time,
each team having won nine games 10
gain the advantage one team or the other
will have TO win three Of their four remain
ing games and 10 DO this both will work
as thev have not worked this season, IL
such thing is possible. The Giants won
seven out OF eight games played last week.
and the record since leaving the Polo
Grounds on September Q. including Satur-
days game. is twelve victories and one de-
feat Daringly brilliant base running has
been responsible for several games. and If
the team travels at the same pace in the
worlds championship series the highest
honors in baseball will rest with New York.
made in the lineup Of the Yankees one
would think that the spring training trip
was on. and not that the regular season
was drawing 70 a close. 1t would be Inter
esting 20 know the number of combinations
tried this year in the heat of a pennant
tight The wonder is that with so much
experimenting the team is up IN the first
division fighting for third place and with
fair chance Of landing in that position. SO
much depends on team work and thor
ough understanding Of each others play
that II takes time 10 build up an effective
infeld The Yankees have used four or five
different players at third short and second
base and numberless combinations. Wheth-
er or not Hal Chase is retained as manager
OF the team, there is likely TO be some radi-
cal changes and a new policy next year.
Accidents have been responsible in part for
the constant experimenting, but not alto
Eether, as at no time was the infield en-
tirey satisfactory, and efforts were made
TO bring about better results. 1t looks now
as if Jack Knight and Earl Gardner will he
sold or traded. Dolan has made a good
impression at third base and looks Ike
fixture, so that Hartzell may be used at
short which would leave second base open
ganizing the Cleveland team and bringing
1t up TO a forward position in the American
League race that it seems pity that he
cannot carry on his work for another year,
with the chances reasonably bright Of land
ing a pennant The signing Of George
Davis, Of the Athletics. early this year. be-
fore Stoval took over the reins. means a
change that may work much harm to the
team that has just found itself 1t is
mighty hard on Stoval too. but way
may be found out Of the difficulty.
Harold II. Hilton, the amateur golf cham
pion Of this country and Great Britain,
more than justified his winning Of the ma
tional title at Apawamis on September 16
by working his way through a strong field
at the invitation tournament over the so
called ideal links at Southampton, Long
Island last week He played the same
sound, consistent golf that marked his
work in the championship tournament and
once more his Steadiuess proved the de-
Gliding factor in his favor. The particular
friends Of ". c. Fownes, jr., the national
champion last season, and of Chick"
Evans. the brilliant Chicago player and
champion Of France, expressed disappoint-
Ynent when they were put out at Apa wants
before getting a chance TO meet Hilton. Ihe
chance came however, at southampton last
week. and they were beaten, even as
Jerome d. Travers and Fred Herreshoh
were in the more important tournament.
Fownes made a brave stand in carrying the
champion OF two countries 70 an extra
hole, and Chick Evans, too proved his
skill and courage in overcoming a lead OF
four holes, only to weaken slightly at the
end. when his chances Of winning seemed
reasonably bright. Walter j. Travis, who
once captured the championship Of Great
Britain is now the only player who may
be considered as having chance Of stop
ping the Englshman who has not faced
Hilton in tournament play Harold d.
KirKby is another who would be sure 10
give a good account Of himself, but lack Of
experience would count against him, so
that both he and Travis would meet no
doubt. the fate Of the others As said a
week ago, our leading players have not
suffered In comparison with Ensland's
best but this, in a measure, reflects TO the
greater credit Of Hilton. who has worked
mis- way 10 the top Of two Of the best tour
nameuts ever played in this country and
over strange links. He has well earned the
name Of being the foremost amateur player
OF the world
The last step has been taken BY Yale
10 put all sports on a basis Of graduate
coaching, except. perhaps. so far as track
and field athletics are concerned. in which
the trainer is even more important than