The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-25
s Three" Almost Whole
how in National League
no McGraU, Frank Chance and Fred Clarke Are
Names to Conjure With in Baseball World
Blu w. j. Macbeth

in hundred ways that New York
is lucky to have gained such a lead
while the rest of the field was slnm-
bering, but any time the tortoise
beats the hare It has some credit
due.
New York may have been better
conditioned to start the season than
any competitor with the possible ex-
ception OF Cincinnati. Still McGraw
held no Injunction restraining his
rivals from getting into condition on
the spring trip And weather condi-
tions In Marlin were Just about as ex-
asperating as any spot on the globe.
Anyhow. McGraw deserved some
luck after the manner in which rude
technicality thwarted his pennant
ambitions in 1905. There was pen
nant earned II ever valor deserved
reward. But he didn't get it-no.
not at all. Curses on you Johnny
Eyers. That regretful year, by the
way. proved one OF the most striking
Illustrations of the real class OF the
''Big Three In the National league.
II was a nip-and- tuck drive down the
stretch among the New York. Chi
cago and Pittsburg teams. with the
prospect Of a possible triple tie. Had
New York lost one Of It's games in
the last series with Boston and then
beaten the Cubs In the famous play
off, the three clubs would have had
identically the same standing and a
three -cornered playon would have
been necessary. with possibly no
worlds series that year.
When this possibility arose Fred
Clarke had already disbanded his club.
but he gamely issued a call for his
Issue II ii became necessary.
m HAT 1908 episode is responsible
for all the rancor that has
characterized the attitude OF
New York to Chicago and vice versa
this campaign. Chance and McGraw
are sworn enemies. Clarke Is a rival
of each-a feared. yet respected rival.
with both McGraw and Chance, his
relations are friendly. yet he will
fight either or both at the drop Of the
hat There Is no such thing as ia
voritism in his makeup. II he can
not win the pennant himself. he will
do everything in his power to have
the best club win.
Clarke Is general without any
alibis. He accepts fate as II comes
Without murmur. But for lot OF
tough luck, he would have won sew
eral moro pennants within the past
few years that fell to New York and
Chicago Ho has always had his
shnre of tough luck. Many believe
he would have nosed out New York
last year had Wagner not been hurt
lust at the height Of winning squirt
that put Clarke within striking dis
tanceRo of the pacemakers, He has
good club this year. the best staff oil
pItchors In the league, but he has toe
MANY old men on his staff to stand
the raff, II is believed, IF Clarke'E
team only had a little more speed
what a marvellous collection 1t wouit
bel
And In diagnosing the biographies
OF the '.Bie Three" arises the ques
ton, the Olo
whether tho maneg ger makes the team
or the team the manager.
Would Mof;raw ever have mad'
| good without his MathewsopsP
Would Clarke have experienced sucl
aucceeu without that grand old ,rnn'
Of all baseball history. Honus was
| nerr
Could Chance ever have saine'
such glory without the combination
Of Evers and Tinker alongside o
| him?
\ d These Hre questions that VIII
| argued as long as the present genera
tIon Of fans and players survive
They Will never be answered. The
revert back to Ned Haulon and a.
other great baseball generals In fact
Did Ianlon make the old BaltimoT
toam or did It mako him? Wha
wo,,d he have done without Nc
draw. Jennings. Keeler and kelley
He YVES glorious In the glory OF d.
.,ora MANY OF whom have made goo
an kindred positions. Ned Han'o
today viii not try to take any s'or
,.y from his boys. Whom he spi
Win the old gang his star wanef
yyhoso fault was II? II Is one OF IN
| ,rohIoma of tho game.