Omaha daily bee., 1912-07-21

! winch II mas gone from Strad
die Of first and second division into frs
place. 1t returned home with Lincoln
from which it took four straight; 1t theI
beat Topeka five times in row, spill
even on four with Wichita and took thu
first game from Denver. This has beer
the most successful home series Of thu
fseason and in its present form the team
gives every promise Of making its forth
coming trip abroad of sixteen games it;
best excursion thus far. While the pitch
ers have been going good for the mos
part on this home stretch, 1t is not pitch
ing alone by any means that has won SC
many games. The players have hit, and
hit hard. and they have fielded like
fiends. Despite some disadvantages, such
as Kanes charley horse and Scanlon's
illness, the team has shown an evenness
Of balance 1t never before displayed
When Kane had to drop out Scanlor
played first so we'll that Jim was hardly
missed, and Skipper Bill fitted into Scan
Ions place at second with perfect grace
Schipke's fielding. hitting and base run
ming have made everyone forget that he
cannot continue as 1t is now without
winning the pennant. Its new man, Allen,
in left Is fast and heady. Coyle, johnson,
Kane, Niehoff, Schipke and Thomason
are pounding the ball fiercely. Niehoff
still leads the league in base running;
the team still leads in fielding, sacrific-
ing and base running. We shall be much
disappointed If 1t does not take the ma
jority of its games on this trip, Omaha
Is stronger today at short than 1t has
been since Dolan's best days Justice is
even surprising Reddy Corridor by far,
and except Reddy, he has had no other
predecessors since Dolan worth men
tioning.
j < ------ ~~- ,.,.
Barney Dreyfuss of Pittsburgh has
made some bad trades In his day, Of
which one Is now reminded in the re-
markable form Tommy Leach is showing
for the Cubs and little Jap Barbeau for
the Kansas City association team. Drey-
fuss let Barbeau go as q has-been 8 good
while ago and now he Is the premier third
sacker in the American association, for
whom Manager King of Boston is said
to be angling with a very attractive bait.
This year Dreyfuss traded Leach and
Leifieid to the Cubs for Hoffman and
Cole. Hofmsn has played only few
games since because of ill-health and
Cole has lost nearly every one he has
pitched, proving quite q lemon. The vet
eran Leach. on the other hand, never
played better ball than he is putting up
for the Cubs, while Leifield Is doing fair.
tinued to be q better first baseman after
Pittsburgh let him 80 than any OF bis
numerous successors. Jack Pfeister never
amounted to anything until he ceased to
be a Pirate.
In comparing the long string of con-
secutive victories of Marquard in modern
times and Radburne in ancient days, 1t
is only fair to say that "Old Hoss'
would pitch four and five days In row
without any recess, while Marquard had
several days intermission after every
game. For instance, on the wind-up Of
Radburne's eighteen straight wins in
1884 he pitched on August ~, 2s, 20, 80,
September g. 3, 4. s and 8, And to show
that his great finish did not weaken him,
he shut out Cleveland On the last day
and allowed only six runs to be scored
against him In the last five games, four
runs In one game and one each in two
Others which gave him two shut-outs,
while his es-Providence-were
making twenty-five runs in the five
games.
Grantland Rice In the New York Even
ing Mail takes the view that the Cubs
are far from being out Of the National
league race He says: 'If Evers, Tinker,
sheckard, Leach, etc, are slowing up,
we yearn Tor the time when we can reach
advanced middle age. Evers and Tinker
are still O busy pair around second and
short, while sheckard is hitting and field
ing up to oId-time speed. Add TO this
the mighty upheaval of Heinie Zimmer-
man and the addition Of two such pitch
ing wonders as Lavender and Cheney
and you can figure for yourself why the
Cubs are still quite ball team"
The attendance at Rourke park for the
week, we are glad to say, showed i'm
provement and boosters day was hum
mer. Attendance all over the country
has shown a slump this year, due. no
doubt, TO the natural quietness of busi-
ness In a national campaign year. Even
the majors are complaining. e..
Chance is regaining some OF his lost
laurels in developing pitching wonders
Lavender and Cheney are saving him.
Rhodes Is doing as effective work in
pinehes this year as any other Omaha
slabmau.
Big Chief Johnson pitched for st. Joe
the day It was crowded out of first place
The prettiest fight of all IS IL the
Western again.
Could schipke come back? What Q
question: