The Washington herald., 1912-08-11
Boston Red Sox Show
Signs Of W Weakening
Team Is Slowly but Surely Coming Down to Earth,
Pitchers Are Not as Strong as They Were
When Western Trip Started.
ny EDDIE COLLINS,
seouud Basemsn q the Athletes

ny EDDIE COLLINS,
second Baseman q the Athletes
At last the Boston team has shown
signs of breaking-very slight, but still
an indication of slowing up. The team is
not winning games with the same Ia
ciIity it displayed all season up to the
last week or two, and other clubs with
stations much further down In the stand
ing are coming from behind and beating
the Red Sox after they have accumulated
a lead. This means that the pitchers are
not as strong as they were.
Let Stahl lose his pitchers, and ne WIN
have a great fight on his hands The evi-
dent strain of the drive for the wire,
with all the possibilities of world $
series. is beginning to tell. The Athletics
are much encouraged on the week. with
greater frequency the names OF two
pitchers are appearing In the Boston box
scores instead of just one.
But there is a thorn In the side OF
the Athletics and Red sox which pricks
deeper with the passing of each week
This>is the washington Club. Its unex-
plained spurt of the early season has
become sustained flight with extremely
serious possibilities. No less baseball
light than Frank Chance has selected the
washington team to win the American
League pennant and / admit that 1t Is
probably playing the steadiest ball in the
league right now. Each week that Grif-
fifth maintains his place just behind the
Ped Sox and just ahead OF us he stands
a better chance. His men are not under
the nervous strain caused by worry over
falling back from the dizzy, heights OF
first place, and have no fear in their
hearts of the criticism which is bound
rf~ da of the home
papers should they once have a COM
Portable lead and then drop. A team-tn
second place has not that to contend
with Stahl has, and 1t is this very thing
which l look to see beat him in the end.
Now that no great alterations have
been made in the standing of the team
as a result of this last Western trip, 1t
looks as if the championship were 60
ing to be decided in those few vital Sc
ries in the last part of August and the
beginning of September when the three
teams meet one another.
Some one of the trio is bound to break
then, and go under for good. A great
deal will depend upon what shape the
clubs are in at that time. 1t is on these
series that the Athletics are counting to
get up on even terms, and finally win the
pennant.
Athletics Improving.
The Athletics should be in the best
shape of the three when the important
games come around This last> week has
shown a big improvement in the team.
Oldring is back in the game with great
amount of enthusiasm owing to his long
lHy-off We expect Danny Murphy back
before these Boston and Washington
games. Our pitchers are going better
than at any other time this season. Ben
der, Plank, and Coombs are the same
three men who won the pennant and
the worlds championship last year. 1t
Is the first time this season the three
stars have all been fit at once. They
are the equals of any three pitchers in
tie country when they are right, and
with the Athletics to hit behind them
We are liable to clean up in a short
series when a great deal hangs On ii.
That is a habit of the club.
The spirits ~ef. the team have greatly
in the last week. Fans may
,ount us out, but stranger would not
have to travel long with us to see that
We feel We are very much in the race
md with bright prospects. look for
hc result of the impending series with
he Western clubs, when they begin
heir invasion of the East this week, to
De about stand-off among the three |
clubs, as almost every in |
ersectional fight this season has been. |
OF course, We are hoping for the best |
md realize the possibility of some club |
cleaning up on Boston or Washington in |
IN Unexpected flash. Such a blow at |
such point in the race would probably |
~ vital to them. 1 suppose that my
,rttics ask why such a contingency is |
rot possible with the Athletics 1t is
'ossible, but not so likely because we |
lave been of color all summer, and we |
IRE now fortified with regular pitchers |
md regular hitters who have been out /
y the game so long that there is little |
ianger of them going stale, an all |
nent that the boss of a leading team has /
o watch for and guard against carefully |
4 this stage in the race. 1t is evidence |
4 such fault that Boston is now show
ng.
Crucial Series.
But suppose that the three teams worry |
through until August g rated in the
tanding about as they are now. The
athletics go to Boston for a series then.
I they should clean up on us, it would |
'e time to begin to figure out what the
ate receipts would be from our proposed
series with the Phillies. But
we muss up the Red Sox and then
'et away with Washington. leaving the
Red Sox and Senators to fight it out
n cut-throat series. our prospects
would be of the best. One severe set
ack for Boston and we will be on the
eels Of the Red Sox. The last swing
through the West would then find them
aving, and We would win the pennant,
rovided that Washington can be tripped
p too.
/ have said frequently that the Boston
lub is practically composed of Wood, L
iall, Collins, Speaker, and Stahl, the lat
er not so much on account of his play
1g as on account of the clever way In /;
,hich he has handled his pitchers this
eason, getting the most out of what /
,oked like mediocre stan at the be-
inning and what has turned out to be
ne best bunch in the league when It
anne to winning games, which is really
ne purpose Of any staff. I have over
'oked one man IN mentioning the Bos-
IN headliners. He is Wagner, the short
top. II his name were Krause or Keller
some other of the common names of
erman extraction he would be very
iuch better or as publicity goes When
yer anybody speaks of Wagner the