Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-31
FAITH IN ATHLETICS
HAS BEEN JUSTIFIED
Team Seems Certain to Regain Lead
in Pennant Race
Again.
MAY PASS TIGERS.
BY VICTORY TODAY
Mack's Men Undoubtedly. Have Best
Chance to Win Flag-Attend-
ance Is Astounding.

Special Dispatch to The star.
PHILADELPHIA. July S1.-The loyal
faith reposed In the worlds champion
Athletics has been Justified Two weeks
ago to the day the Detroit team was play
ing at its top form and leading the Mock
aggregation by sixty-six points a margin
sufficiently wide to cause many Athletic
supporters to feel that the task set be-
fore the champions was well-nigh Inn
possible. While no one doubted the abil-
ity of the Athletics, still the remarkable
winning career OF the Jennings Tigers
strongly supported the argument that De-
Goit would sustain its victorious form
and thereby render the White Elephants
task Of overtaking them highly improb-
able. But events have changed the situa-
ton. Pessimists have been converted in
to optimists. In one week the Athletics
reduced Detroit's lead to forty-three
points, and in the two weeks intervening
from the time when it seemed that the
Tigers were gradually and surely creep
be overhauled the champions have placed
the gap between them and leadership to
four points. The goal of the Mackites
| may be attained today. Should the Ath-
| letics win today's game they will displace
Detroit in first place and thus regain the
position they temporarily seized July a.
Since returning home from their western
trip the Athletics have played seven
games, four with Cleveland and three
with Detroit. or these contests the cham
pions have won six, three from the Maps
and a similar number from the Tigers.
It seems that the White Elephants have
about struck their normal stride. The
pitchers. lacking in condition on the west
ern tour. have done excellent work on the
whole since returning home, and 1t only
remains for them to do their duty for
! the team to take first place and occupy
, It against all competition.
Team Is Popular.
| The wonderful popularity of the Ath-
| let,cs, and incidentally the attracting
| magnet of the Detroit aggregation, was
| forcibly demonstrated last week when
the double header between the two teams
| drew record crowd at Shibe Park.
When President Shibe approved the plans
| for the massive structure that bears his
name he thought that he had provided
| for adequate accommodation for the base
ball public Of this city. Fridays UMPIRE
| cedented throng proved that the capacity
| limit of no ball park In America has been
made equal to the demands Of the public.
| The accommodations at Shibe Park are
| equal to any In the country at present
although 1t is said that the remodeled
| Polo Grounds when finished will hold the
|
what the size of the crowd at Fridays
games would have been cannot be &C
curately stated, but judging from the
number that failed to gain admittance te
the park 1t is reasonable to assert thai
approximate figures would bring the
number of persons who travelled to Shibt
Park Friday to 10000. There is little
doubt that thousands made no attempt tt
attend the games, solely for the reason
that they believed that it would be i'm
possible to get in. Considering the mum
Der present. those who failed to purchase
tickets after reaching the park and those
who would have gladly gone had they
thought for a minute they could have
gained admittance. it is a conservative ",
statement to assert that more than SOON
persons would have attended the double
bin Friday. All Of which tends to Prov row
that as the population of any communlt.
lin the country increases in proportion
does the great national sport become en-
grated into the affections of the popu
lace Well did Charles Ebbetts,. presiden
of the Brooklyn club. say in speech
made famous by the persistency Will
! which he repeated the sentence, tina
base ball is only in it's infancy"