El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-06
IBY HORACE H sHELFONl7

San Antonio, Tex, July 6.-The mag
mates having voted not to divide the
league season into half the race at
present finds Houston well in the lead.
but not so far but that a reversal Of
luck, such as the team seems to be ex-
periencing Just now, will make it pos
sibIe for some other team to get ahead
in the stretch and cop the bunting.
San Antonio begins to look more and
more like the club that must be bested
by Houston to get the flag. The San
Antonio team has returned to the
home grounds after a most successful
road trip on which twO-thlrds OF the
games were won. An equally as good
record is being made at home. While
the BrOnchos were doing this Houston
had a decided reversal IN the clash with
the north Texas teams and San An
tonic made a big gain. The strength
of the San Antonio team has been due
almost entirely to the sluggIng ability
of men, although the pitchers have been
going considerably better, especially
Goodwin and Browning. The team has
been patched by the addition of Jack
Burke, the old semi professional and
Southwest Texas Lacquer, VIGOROUSLY
weak hitter. But lately Burke has
been singing the ball with vengeance
and has been more than earning his
salary. Houston and San Antonio will
have a wad Of games to play toward
the close Of the season and these games
will undoubtedly decide the pennanU-
The first games viii begin July %.
The surprise OF the past week has
been Fort Worth. the cellar champions
While the team Is still at the bottom
of the heap. vet it has been showing
a strength that entities it to eOnsideTa-
ton from the best teams IN the league.
Lemon. the catcher secured from San
Antonio, has proved tower of strength.
He Is playing gilt edged ball and hitting
we'll. Spencer has done little and the
team Is now being worked with IhOmp-
son at short. Salm, formerly with the
St Louis Browns and later with Cal
weston and Houston, bOlstered up a spot
that has been weak all the season. In
the Outfield though, real magic Is at
work as young Friersan, canned because
he could not hit and then recalled, has
been pounding the ball. Cooper and
Howard are all going good. Moreover,
the team Is PLAYING inside ball. The
pitchers are still weak, but the men be-
hind them are winning games they
might have won earlier in the season
with the same style of baseball if the
season had been split. as Morris want
ed, it is more than probable that Fort
Worth would have been able to give
the other teams a merry chase. The
aggregation is now holding its own in
every way.
Just at present it looks as if Austin
was destined to be the goat. Pennant
winners of last season, the team has
had a slump that has put them on the
tobOggan right. They are going right
down the line and the team seems to
be thoroughly disorganized During the
home series Austin made a poor at
tendance The local fans began TO
"hurrah5 them and that has done much
to send them to pieces. The rumors
that Hunter Hill, former manager of
the Houston team, was to replace Red
Downey, have not proved correct. but
unless the team Is to drop still lower
in the column it looks as if there was
nothing else for the Austin franchise
owners to do. Hill could at least do as
we'll as has DOwneY. who has never had
anything like control of the team.
Pitchers Can't Help.
Beaumont is another team which has