Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-15
By Damon RunyOn.


IF the Boston Red Sox win the
American league pennant, as
now seems probable, it will be
victory of steady, beautifully
balanced, practical baseball ma
chine-a machine that has Few
fancy trimmings in the way of
stars, no startling new lines of Of
Tense or defense, and no vast
amount of color-but which is a
great organization, take 1t by and
large.
1t is a machine that early in the
season impressed Atlanta observers
with that indefinable something
which Is as definite in ball clubs as
in NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as class"
1t was generally conceded through
out the baseball world that the Red
Sox had a chance to beat the Ath-
letics for the championship, al
though few really expected them to
do it. The belief was general that
the Mack aggregation was a shade
stronger than the Stahl collection,
but 1t was also generally predicted
that the Bostonians would be the
runners up.
The position OF the Sox is due TO
no fiashy run at any stage Of the
race. 1t is due to a steady, inter
minable grind; they got away well
up. and they have remained there.
They had the ball which,
after all, count heavily.
Change Comes With New Owners.
1t is a team that is due" 1t
has been gradually rounding into
championship form for several
years. Jim McAleer, the new pres
ident of the club. does not believe
the change in management had
any effeCt-that the SoX would be
out in front If the old regime had
remained-but the fans are not
likely to coincide with this view.
except In so far as the team leader
is concerned. If other managers
had had the same support being
accorded Jake Stahl the club, as
now constituted. would probably be
right where 1t Is at present, but not
until the general MANAGEMENT
changed was that support forth
coming.
1t is not a young club. 1t is no.
an old club. 1t is about half AMI
half. If the Giants meet the Sox in
the big series they will have no
great advantage over their Boston
rivals in point of experience. True,
the Giants have played in a worlds
series. but even at that a majority
of the Sox have been campaigning
longer than most of McGraw's men.
Fellows like Iris Speaker, Joe
Wood, Carrigan, Stahl, Gardner.
Hall and Wagner are no callow
kids in baseball.
Stahl was born in Elkhart. Ind.
on April IS, 1880, which makes him
about the youngest of the big
league leaders. He was great
football player at the University of
Illinois under the famous coach and
scout. George Huff He has PLAYED
at Boston, Washington and New
York, managing the Senators in
1905. during which time they made
the sensational squirt that brought
him the title of the Born Leader"
Stahl did not make the Red Sox:
he had no part in assembling, or
even in Welding together, the ma
chine as it now stands-he is es-
sentially the driver of a perfected
team-but he must be given all
credit for the skillful manner in
which he has performed his duty.
The ball players now under
Stahrs control were picked up by
the men who preceded him. The
team was there, and it seems rea-
sonable to presume that it would
have threatened to win the Ameri-
can league pennant with any man
ager of ordinary judgment at the
helm-and yet Jake Stahl is the
man who is turning the threat into
a certainty, and to Jake Stahl must
be given proper acclaim.
In compiling an all-star club,