New-York tribune., 1911-09-17
TIMELY BITS OF SPORT
Giants Pull Away by Making
Clean Sweep Last Week.
HARD GOING FOR FEW DAYS
Eight Games Must Be Played IN
the Next Six Days on
Hostile Diamonds.

L
| one week ago tho New York Giants were
hanging desperately to the lead In the Ma
tional League pennant race by thin
thread, but the week just passed has been
highly profitable and the last Western trip,
which began yesterday and on which 90
much depends, does not loom UP In such
a menacing way as was the case seven
days ago The schedule this week calls for
eight games, two in Pittsburgh. Ave IN e,.
Louis. including two double-headers. aud
one in Cincinnati After defeating the
Pirates tomorrow and Tuesday. II such b
their good luck, the Giants viii move on
| TO ST. Louis The Cardinals do not look
so ferocious and dangerous as they dn
two months ago, 60 that the week may be
reasonably fruitful. The st. Louis series
will wind up on Friday. following which
,ump must be made to Cincinnati for q
three-game series, which ends on septem.
h.r a5 One day of rest will then intervene
before the critical series with the Chicago
Cubs the latter part OF next week.
The Giants made clean sweep last week
| in winning four games from Boston and
ono from Pittsburgh. They gained thereby
15 points. The Chicago Cubs, on the other
hand, won only three games out OF seven
and lost 10 points. so that New Yorks net
gain on its bitterest rival was clean q
points The Pirates and the Superbas to-
gether put a damper on the Cubs which
NAV be fatal. The former won three out
Of the four games played with Frank
Chances men, while Brooklyn again proved
| w
made the record for the season between
the two clubs twelve victories out o, nine.
teen games played in favor OF the Super
bas.
While the Giants are fighting TO hold
their lead in the National League out West
ths Yankees at home on the Hilltop ars
facing a. series that Is quito likely to set.
tie the less important question as to what
team will finish third In the American
League race The Detroit Tigers VIII b
here for one more game tomorrow. follow
ing which the Cleveland Maps. who are the
chief contenders with the Yankees for third
honors, will put in an appearance for
four-game series. Hal Chase and his men
have been disappointment this year IN
many respects. They have played good
baseball In spots and bad baseball In spots
and there has been no telling which way
the frog would Jump. II at their best this
week they are more than likely 70 drive
the Naps into fourth place and keep them
there, but II they continue TO play the Kind
Of ball they showed IN two Of the thfes
games with the Athletics last week ths
Maps will settle tho controversy once and
for all.
.'Ty" Cobb, OF Detroit, continue. 10 lead
the American League in batting. Accord'
ing 10 unofficial figures made up yester.
day Cobb has an average OF .h6, while
Jackson. OF Cleveland, who is second. has
an average Of .Sss. Latoie, OF Cleveland. 10
in third place, with an average Of .ssa To
date Cobb has a record Of l2s games. SO
times at bat, 12i runs, 2ls hits. 40 two-basa
hits. 20 three-base hits, : homo runs and u
stolen bases.
National League batting averages are NOT
so high as those in the American League.
Jackson, Of Boston, leads. with an averags
OF 1857. while Hans Wagner. OF Pittsburgh
is In second place, with an average OF .2,0
Ameida, OF Cincinnati, and Fred Clarke
OF Pittsburgh. are running close race for
third place. with averages OF .sl and $40
respectively.
| Barring an accident. Cobb Will ESTABLISH
number OF baseball records this year
which will be hard TO smash in the future
With seventy-slx stolen bases 10 his credit
he Is sure to surpass the mark OF eighty.
one set by Eddie Collins. OF the Athletics,
last season. In the number OF base hiti
and the number OF runs he also Is likely
to make new figures and baseball history.
In speaking of Cobb few days ago, Hughis
Jennings Is quoted as saying:
Cobb Is the greatest baseball player tbs
world has ever seen, and the fact that
am manager Of the Detroit team has notn-
ing TO do with my decision. Cobb has over
come innumerable obstacles in reaching his
position. The player has been surrounded
by petty Jealousies. and his work has been
hindered not only by opposing players. but
by members OF the Detroit team.
When Cobb broke into the American
League he was a mere boy. Where hs
played in the South he had been the but.
Of cowardly jokes, and when he came into
the American League there were few
players on the Detroit team who continued
the tactics. They played all manner o.
mean tricks on the young fellow, and is
wasn't any wonder that Cobb came to look
upon ball players as a class 10 be Stunned
1T is useless for me to go into details
explaining why think Cobb is the best
player IN the world. believe the best
critics acknowledge Il; and. then, look al
his record"
Connie Mack, manager OF the Phladsi-
phla Athletics, is quoted as saying that
Tom o'Brien. the new pitcher of the Bos-
ton Red Sox, is quite as promising as the
costly Marty O'Toole, for whom Pittsburgh
paid s22,500. This expression followed tbs
first appearance OF O'Brien In major leagus
company, when he pitched Boston to vic.
tory over the Athletics, a few days ago
shutting out the worlds champions and
holding them TO six hits. O Brlen uses the
spitball, and gives the impression OF being
a cool. heady player. with excellent control.
plenty of speed and a sharp. breaking
curve. Connie Mack is good judge. and 10
would not be surprising II OBrien made
name for himself next year
j. Ed Grillo, the well known baseball
critic OF Washington. says OF the Giants. In
commenting on the National League PEN
nant fight:
unless the Giants secure a much strong
er lead than they can boast of at present