The Washington herald., 1912-07-28
Athletics Can Still Be
Counted on as Winners
Tesm Is Now in Excellent Shape with Exception
Of Bender and Oldrins Who Win Shortly
Be Back In Form
n EDDIE coLIns.

NJ EDDIE COLLINS.
sssu1d Bsssunn q the AtAlstaes
Fans an over the country are count,
ing the Axhletics out of the American
LsAgus race Even some In Philadelphia
have done thss. but not many. for 1t 10
one Of the best cities on the, circuit 70
stand behind club. The Athletics have
not yet counted themselves ont as con-
tenders for the pennant. and. In spite OF
Boston's lead Of about ten xames. we
srs stin hopeful and fairly confident Of
repeating
The moot critical Western trip Of the
seasou has Just begun. We have started
We have been all season. 30 far Once
more our yitchNrs are right. with the
exception of Bender. who has been in
tough luck all season, and whose failure
to round into form has been very costly
; to the club. No one regrets this more
than he does himself, and the Chief has
been inconsolable for some time. claim
ing that his iife this season has been
Just one streak Of tough luck after an
other. At present he Ii recovering from
a severe attack Of grip. and VIII not be
In shape for Q few days yet
Oldrfng win be out Of the game for
week longer while he II nursing badly
bruised shoulder, and Maggert, who has
taken his place. In doing very well Ex-
cept for these two men. the team Is in
good shape, and there are more faces
familiar to the veterans in the lineup
now than there have been since the sea-
son opened We are far from being out
OF the race, and, IL we get a good trip
West, we win be very much contenders.
expect to see the pennant In the
American League won In the drive to
the wire, and there Is no club in the
world better in such drive than the
Athletics. for they have been showing
their ability to do this and their game
ness for the last two seasons
Boston Handicapped.
On the other hand. as the end Of the
race approaches, each week makes 1t
harder for Boston. as the men are not as
experienced and as accustomed TO the
severe strain Of tough race as the
Athletics. II is Boston that Philadelphia
is now-fearing. know that the critics
cry out that lead of ten games does
not impose strain on a club, but lead
Of ten games Is not so large. with more
than two months left to play. Such
lead soon dwindles before slump or a
winning streak. and We are bound to
have a winning streak shortly. for. we
have been induiging in nothing but
II careful observers viii recall the
events Of last season they will remember
It was after the Fourth Of July that the
Athletics did their steady, consistent
winning. It is admitted by me that II Is
now considerably after the Fourth, but
there is lots of time to cut down the
Boston lead yet. and maintain that we
have never once this year hit the pace Oh
which the team is capable.
OF course the Red Sox must be given
all the credit In the world for their re-
markable showing to date, but the ciuo
has been practically intact throughout
the season, and there has hardly been
blemish on the regular lineup. Stahl go
ing through all the games with each one
of his stars playing and all his pitchers
In condition. stiIl more than two months
remain, and many things can happen In
two months Each week from now 10
the finish will fnd the Boston team
struggling harder. The cne just closed
was not as successful a one for the Bos-
ton club as those preceding IT. Cieveiano
taking a couple OF games from Stahl
We have improved our position slightly
cn the week, but not enough to make
any material difference.
Speakers Work Phenomenal.
But-and 1 am going back to the dope
like a regular baseball writer-the Bos-
ton percentage is no better at present
than was the Detroit standing at the
same time In 1911. and we gained six
teen full games on the Tigers from this
point in the rare to the finish last year.
Speaker is playing at his best now, and
does not seem to be contemplating let
down. It has been his phenomenal work |
which has kept the team up so nigh. |
combined with Jake Stahfs fine man |
ageriaI ability. Stahl has displayed great
Judgment in the way IN which he has
worked his pitchers against the opposing |
clubs, and the manner In which he has
stacked his pitchers up against the twirl- |
ers OF other teams, figuring the weak |
nesses Of club and a pitcher, and then
selecting the twirier on his stan who |
was most apt to take advantage Of these !
Passing swiftly to the Washington |
team, I want to say that the showing |
made by Grifith In the race this year Is |
the best Of any club in the league con-
sidering the handicap under which he |
started. He took In hand club which |
was a joke. and made a serious con-
tender out Of It. and One that b liable |
to slip In under the wire irst IL the
Red Sox or the Athletics should happen
to crack It Is a team to be feared
and honestly considered. and has sur
trised me as much as It has many other |
players and managers in the American
League.
There ara not many individual stars |
on the team, and It IL not built up around |
one man, as so many clubs are. but the |
evident and consistent team work u sus- |
tanning the club IN the race and forcing |
II to win games. There Is an everlast- |
ing lot OF fight In the players. and they |
are never beaten. coming from behind |
and grabbing a game in the last few
innings as often as not. Milan has done |
q great deal for the team. and he Is |
playing one Of the best games this year
that he has ever shown since have1
been In the league. consider him to l
belong in the foremost rank OF outheld- l
ers, claxstng with such stars as Speaker l
and Cobb Walter johnson has siso been
a constant contributor to Washington's
winning ways, and. aided by the other
pitchers. who have come to life. Grinth /
has been supplied with much better i
twiriing talent than any one expected
he would have.
white sox ThrousA.
rhe chisaso White sox. the club which
started out so proudly In the early |
spring. appear TO Be practically done,
and II was purely lack Of pitchers /
which put them ont Of ths race SCOTS
absence has been kesulu felt. Walsh
was the only reliable pitcher Seft to Cali |
lahsu. ana the CONSTANT working OF this |
one star has caused him to begin toi
fade until he b not nearly ~ effective /
as he once was. For instance. In order /
10 break even on the series. Callahan |
was forced 70 work Walsh IN three sue
cessivs games last week against the |
YANKEES. Z tam which rates ~ . tndl- i
end club and one Of flae easfsst IN the