The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-08-25
LOWER CLASS TO.
OLD LEAGUE'S
1871 PLAY
skeleton Of Old Cub Machine Still
Grinding Out Victories
and Leads Pro-
cession.
American League Fans Believe New
York Giants Most Formidable
For Post-Season Series.
by PAUL HALE sRUskE.

BY PAUL HALE 6RuskE.
The remarkably close race In the
National league has attracted, during
i the past two weeks, far more than
the usual notice in American league
cities.
This interest is. Of course. inspir'
Cd BY the approach Of the worlds
championship series in which the
champions of the two leagues will
meet
with the Cubs and Giants so close
" locked that ave decimal places are
required TO separate them, and the
Pirates and Phillies laundering close
behind, each still with a chance,
& American league fans are In a delici-
Gus state OF doubt regarding the
4 identity OF the club which will rep
resent the older organization In the
battle for the greatest honor In the
world Of sport.
The fact that the Detroit Tigers are
Etill pennant contenders, though low
only second-choice in the American
league flelc, has made the discussion
here especially animated. Detroiters
have seen their club In three post-sea-
son contests with the National league
champions and, aside from their OPP
portunities OF occasionally seeing a
National league game In some other
city through the season, they deem
themselves fairly wise on the respec-
five merits of the various old-league
clubs.
To Detroiiers the present season
play has seemed to indicate that the
old leagues general class has been
lower than IN several seasons. This
vheory has been founded largely on
the fact that the Cubs, with only the
skeleton OF their old championship ar
ray. have led the league through
most OF the season and are now in a
position to come back west and win
their pennant in their long homo
series
But the Cubs are by no means the
club which whipped the Tigers.
h They are not even the club which
ZEN 20 easily before the Athletics,
without King, without Steinfeldt.
WITHOUT Chance. without Eyers, with
out Overall, and with Mordecai Brown
Only shadow Of his once-great self,
how can the Cubs present anything
like their old strength In a series OF
that character The. very fact that,
mifh mediocre players like Safer,
DOVE and Zimmerman in their reg,i-
lar lineup, and with veteran castoffs
IKE Mcintyre and Richie bearing the
brtnt OF the pitching. they have man
ar6d to lead their league for SO long,
makes the other clubs look weak IN
deed.
The general opinion prevails that
piiisburg. aside from its pitchers, is
ma most formidable club In the old
.@kue. The Pirates. however, are
.IHosf the same club which came so
1tIr losing 70 the Tigers two years
. kto : Several OF the members OF that
14<hine-notably Leach and Miller
have admittedly refrigerated.
There Is ground for the belief that
The New York Giants would be the
8 t1lost dangerous club for the Amerf
can leagus champions to buck up
arainst. That 10 not SO much on the
score Of stellar ability In an individ-
ual way, % because OF the strength
OF the Giants pitchers for such q
series, and the remarkable team work
which McGraw's clubs have always
shown.
~ The Giants have always been able
10 bring to a post-season series u
me array OF defensive and offensive
strength. Marquardt Is now admitted
10 be the best pitcher in the National
= league. He Is left-hander and a
horse for work. II New York gets
into the postseason series, MarQuardt
will undoubtedly pitch three or more
karues with Mathewson, Ames and
I Wiltse to I'LL In. Marquardt should
: Be almost able to keep Collins and
Baker on the sacks, IL the club op
posing Is the Athletics. He should
= Also be a thorn in the side of Cobt
and Crawford, II the Tigers should
\ happen 10 cop. ~. ...
Alexander looks like a dangerous
j