The Washington herald., 1912-08-04

bOStOn forged ahedd one or two e.
blow up and drop back behind us
in a short time, as all the others
have done which have taken the
lead in the last two years.
Drive to the Wire.
Our only hope now is to win in the drive
to the wire. The past week has pro-
duced three developments in the race.
Boston has frightened its hold on the lead
Each day that the Red Sox retain their
present advantage brings them that much
nearer to the pennant, and IL makes il
just that much harder for us to catch
them. Washington still has an excellent
chance Of overtaking the leaders and slip
ping In and grabbing the pennant should
Stahrs crew display the slightest hesi-
fancy. They have a better chance than
We have right now. all things considered.
which means that their position in the
race Is better than ours and that they
have been playing more consistent bali.
The week has definitely crowded the
White Sox out of the race as a pennant
contender. and the Chicago club now has
a fight on Its hands to stay in the first
division. The Detroit team is coming fast
and is showing more OF the old-time
fighting spirit. which carried II to three
pennants. than It has at any previous
time this season 1t Is very likely to finish
In the first division and force Galatians
club. which got such a gaudy start. back
into the second row.
The Athletics have chance to gain
this week because We meet the Chicago
and St Louis teams, without question the
two softest propositions in the West right
now, although neither one OF them Is a
cfnch. When we used to play the st.
Louis Browns last year. We hardly knew
that We had been in a ball game and al
ways figured how much further we would
be in the league standing after the con-
test was over before, We went to the
grounds. But now Il Is altogether differ
ent- The retuvenated St Louis club has
a lot Of young blood in II, and the spirit
Of youth is winning games for it.
While the Athletics are playing Chi
cago and St Louis. Boston will be
meeting Detroit and Cleveland. and these
two teams should take few games away
from Stahi and maybe break the club
up and remove some OF the heart from
IL. II some team could just win about
three games in a row from them, il
would &c a lot OF damage, and that is
what we are pulling for this week. It
is almost too much to hope for with
Stahfs pitchers travelling In the steady
manner that they have exhibited right
along. If the pitchers once let 60, the
team Is done.
Speaker the star.
Speaker, as have often said, is the
big bulwark Of both the offense and de-
Tense. winning games by his very timely
hitting and saving them by his wonder
full fielding. Wagner is a bigger asset
than he is usually counted to be by per-
sons not actually IN the game. He Is the
keynote OF the ofrense. So far as acquIr-
ing fame. his name handicaps him
The Washington team is still the mar
We of the race. with not a sign of
slowing up. We saw them play In De-
troit on an of day We had there, and II
confidence is any criterion they have the
pennant won now. They have an
abundance of ginger, and that counts for
a great deal This club goes to prove
what team work can do to hoist a club
UP out Of the second division. With no
individual stars, with the possible excep-
ton Of Milan and Johnson. they are
where they are now by team work. This
speaks well for Griffith. because it was
he who developed the material he had in
hand into the well-balanced. fighting.
machine he now bosses.
Considerable comment has been stirred
up among the ball players about Altrock
joining the club to work opposite
as coacher, for comedian
purpose. but personally, I don't mind II,
and the two make a hit with me. They
are funny and inoffensive. in their
styles Of coaching
Athletics Arc Donee
The general public seems to consider
the Athletics out of the race, but Con
ME" Back and the members of his team
do not agree with the general public, In
that particular. The newspapers in the
West are trying to count us as done and
are conceding the pennant to Boston,
with Washington having an outside
chance
But IL any one will consult the records.
he will discover that we gained more
than twelve games on all clubs in the
league from this time to the finish last
year. It would take only a setback in
4 series or two for Boston to drop so |
that we could reach out and grab them
oy their coat tails. l am still hoping
that Bender win be In shape again soon,
because he would help out Coombs and
flank, the other two veterans of the |
staff, greatly.
The other clubs in the league are all
,ut Of the race. Instead of calling that I
team which once won three CHAMPION
ships the Detroits. II should be named !.
he "Cobbs." Tyrus Raymond is easily
half Of the club or more. II Is Cobb's