Evening star., 1911-08-28
FANS DISAPPOINTED
BY ATHLETICS WORK
Youngsters Fail to Live Up to
Runaway Expectations of
Followers.
PITCHERS SEEM TO
HAVE LET DOWN
Jack McInness Is Mack's Greatest
Find Of Season, and He
Has Kept Team Up.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. August IS
Have the Athletics made good this sea-
son in the eyes OF the majority of their
followers?
At present they have a comfortable lead
and again look like pennant winners. But
the majority of the fans in this city ex-
pected to see the Athletics go out this
year and make runaway race of II. The
team, they argued, was made up of many
youngsters who would still further i'm
prove over their work Of last year, and
with the same great pitching staff. II was
hard to figure any team in the same class
with the champions. But the Athletics
did not live up to these expectations. and
instead OF being the team to set the pace.
to lead from flag fall to finish. 1t was De-
troit that went out and tried to make
runaway race Of it. But the Tigers have
shot their bolt, and, though they may
struggle along close behind the champions
for a while. they have one more hard
eastern trip to make, and that will leave
them far behind.
The Athletics, in order to win the cham
pionship this year, are not having the
easy thing of it that most people ex-
pected; but they will get there just the
same-so what's the difference? 1t is al
most IlTn0 TO Et6II thinking ADOul oTueT-
ing your seats for the worlds series.
Pitchers Fail.
The trouble with the Athletics this year
was caused by the let-down Of their pitch
ers. Early in the season Plank was the
only man in form. Bender and Morgan
are just beginning to round to. and
Coombs has not been himself all season.
To- ;nxi af he los xnnr ArS So.
| ries. Seems that every year one of the
stars of this struggle for the highest hon.
| ors In base ball is doomed for bad sea-
| son the next year. Coombs was the hero
but few really good games, though he has
worked often. Jack may come around
all right for the big series. but right now
he does not look the tower OF strength
| that he did at this time last year.
Bender seems as good as ever, and Con-
ME will no doubt nurse him along for the
worlds series. 1t wouldn't be surprising
to see ICY" Morgan as the chiefs" run
ming mate In the big games this fall.
Morgan and Plank didn't get chance In
the worlds series last year "Cy" wasn't
going well enough to allow him to break
| in with Bender and Coombs. At the pres
ent time Morgan Is pitching as well as
any time in his career, and several years
spitball pitchers in the country. When
right Morgan Is almost unhittable, but
] his occasional wild streaks cause the spec
! tators to lose confidence when he Is In the
box.
| The greatest find of the year for the
Athletics was Jack McInnes. He has
| stepped into the shoes OF Harry Davis
and made good admirably. Stuny, as
he is called. is playing really sensational
bali. and Is the talk of the American
League circuit. He may not be as snowy
| fielder as Hal Chase, but he Is full OF
pepper quick as cat, uses his mead at
ali times. and can sting the ball with any
Of them. What more do you want! win
stronger than last year and shouid WIN
the worlds championship just as easily
as In 1910.
Series With Giants Would Be Great.
Who will be the Athletics opponent in
the big show this fall?
Chicago. New York and Pittsburg are
making a great fight for the National
League championship. Barney Dreyfuss
| has spent a large sum-nearly $:NOOo-
| for one battery in his effort to land the
(! honors but OToole and Kelly have still
| to make good in the big show. Many q
high-priced minor Lacquer has failed to
make good, and 1t looks as though Pitts
| burgh was banking heavily on OToole.
| The schedule favors Pittsburgh and chi
cago. but for my part | fancy New YORK.
Wouldn't it be great for the Athletics to
get a chance to wipe out that old score
| of 1908 when Mack lost the worlds cham
pionship because his mediocre team
| couldn't hiti Mathewson? The Athletics
| this year would have a splendid chance
1 to get back at the Giants. though be-
! Heye McGraw's team would give them q
harder fight than either Pittsburg or Chi
ca9o. Mathewson could hardly repeat
his 1905 triumph. and his running mate,
Marquard, being left-hander. would not
he Especially formidable against the
| hard hitting Athletics, who usually beat
the sOuthpaws.