The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
By EDDIE COLLINS.
second B..,man o. D. Ashistsn

Second Basenan Of the Athistd0
As week after week passes. and we
do not gain on the Boston hsd sox, !
suppose that there are many persons
who expect me to write the obituary of
the Athletics, but i absolutely decline
the job. We are not out or the cham
pionship race by a good deal. and the
team will give the Red Sox and wash
ington an awful battle before the season
Is over.
The Boston Club Is wonder. i
frankly admit that 1t has greatly sur
prised me by the~steady and reliable
way In which 1t has maintained the stirr
pace II has set. Not once has It shown
Indications of a slump, and the wear
and tear of the rigors OF the race DO
not appear to be slowing 1t up at ALL
Ever since the first Of July the Athiet-
les have expected to see the team be-
gin to break, but here 1t Is almost the
end Of the month. and we nave not
been able to gain at all. We have fallen
farther behind II anything.
When the Red Sox lose a game then
we drop one, and We have been dropping
them when the Boston team did not
lose, too-a dangerous habit. Therefore,
first, I shall take up the Red sox Tor
discussion, and then consider the Ath-
letics' case and their prospects.
Red sox Look Good.
StahPs team looks good. ana strongly
resembles a pennant winner right now.
Any club looks good and like a cincn
when it is winning its games consistent
Iy. The pitchers of the Boston team
have been the most reliable in the
league so far this year. but let them
begin to waver. even one or two or
them, and the Red Sox are going TO ffnd
1t hard plugging to stay up there. They
have driven through the whole season
to date without a pitching. batting or
neidfng slump. and have had practically
no injured players to break up the ma
chinery Of the team. Fans, both IN Phil
adeiphia and elsewhere, are saying now
that the Red Sox have a handy lead
over US Of about ten games. and that
they can stand a slump. No club can
stand slump in a race like the one
going on In the American League tnls
season. 1t looked as II the Giants could
not be caught when they started west
two weeks ago, because they had the
commanding margin OF fifteen games.
They struck a combination pitching and
fielding slump. and the gorgeous lead
had been cut almost in half in ten days.
Wood Most Valuable.
Joe Wood Is the most valuable
pitcher that the Red Sox have, and he
has been pitching great ball all season
and Is likely to continue. He is one OF
the three best right handlers in the
league. Hall is effective, but he was not
particularly good against US The other
Roston pitchers trail along in the wake
of these two. The reai answer 10 Boston's
present position is Iris" Speaker, the
center fielder. He is easily one-haf of
the club, and is by far the most valuable
man to a team in the American League
this season. He has been the boy who
has been popping out the base hits when
somebody was on and a run was needed
to win. He is one OF the greatest hitters
that l have ever seen and is best when
the things get tightest- Let something
happen to him, and let him be laid up,
and see where the Boston team would 60
The Athletics have not held out much
promise Ii the last few weeks, and one
by Connie Mack. He is "Cy'' Morgan,
twirling quartet, but he has been of
form all season. We have had only a
fair week. We lost a game in Cleveland
or Sunday when the Red Sox were laying
of and then picked up half a contest on
Boston by defeating the Maps Monday
while the Detroit team was measuring
Boston. Otherwise, the things have
worked out about equally for both clubs
on the week. 1 don't mind saying that
the series between Boston and Detroit
was a great disappointment to the Ath-
lrtics. We had expected the Tigers to
o6 better against the Red Sox than win
one game. They are a club of fighters
and always a hard bunch for US TO beat.
seeming to play their best against the
Athletics in every series II they had
cleaned up on the Sox and stopped them.
We would have had fine little oportu-
nifty to gain, but they didn't.
Brown and Houck Brace.
StilI there is the old silver lining to
the events of last week. The new pitch
ers blossomed for the Athletics and won
Houck. and both look likely. backed up
Plank. Plank has not been going so well
lately, the intense heat seeming to have
affected him. but he will be there, as he
always has been. Danny Murphy is
getting better, and will probably be back
in the game again within few weeks
instead of out for the rest Of the season.
as was feared. He will put fight and
life into the club. He came around only
the other day and insisted on climbing
into his uniform and then got himself
put of the field for kicking while coach
ing. thereby showing that he Is rapidly
improving and that his knee ought to be
right shortly.
Now, might drool along at some
length on generallties. but there is one
feature that want to refer to, and let