Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-07
|NF|ELO IS Bis ! J: !!
'---'-
FACTOR IN SERIES
II .tI i.vI. f 9a flsf
n
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EE FL ssss
MANY GAMES ARE WON AND LOST
4 m THIS DEPARTMENT IN
WORLDS coNrEsrs.

New York. Oct. GA well knows
Dig league club manager said recently
tnat IN his opinion more games were
Won and lost on the infield than In any
other department Of baseball. Few
VIII contradict the assertion. and it's
quite likely that victory will hang, ia
- considerable extent, upon the work
sof the Giants and Athletics iniields
during the coming worlds series he.
tween the New York and PHILADELPHIA
clubs. The Athletics $1OO,0OO infield
Is one that commands respect and al.
miration In baseball circles but it isn't
worrying the Giants, II their state.
ments are to be believed. McGraw has
not tried to put financial figure on
his four inflelders, but he Is known Ia
lbe as well satisfied with his combine
ton as a baseball manager can be. Y
| Still, the fact remains that all the
hgures available regarding the worlds
series OF 1911 and seasons play this
year point to the Athletics infeld
| Quartet composed Of McInnis, Collins.
Baker and Barry as superior to ,Merkle,
! Doyle, Herzog, Shafer and Fletcher,
considered as whole. In the conibin-
alton which helped defeat the Giants
Two years ago Mc1nnis had no part,
being on the bench with an arm which
was Just gaining strength after beinx
broken. Harry Davis, the veteran who
took his place proved most accept.
able substitute, but with McInnis On
the initial bag. the Athletics infield IL
certain to be stronger than 1t was IN
1911. Shafer has held down third for
the Giants In place of Herzog most OF
the season and will probably alternate
with Hersog, according to the style OF
pitching to be faced. Aside from the
these shifts and substitutlons the line
up Will be the same % two years axo:
whom the Athletics won the worlds
championship with four games out of
six. s.
This being the case, the figures
available should prove the best means
OF anording comparison between the
quartets which will work for the Ath.
letics and Giants. Merkle And McIn.
mis- will be the rival first basemen, and
McInnis appears to have 4 decided "a.
vantage over the Giants initial sack
guardian. Merkle is not as finished 4
player az McInnis, but possesses
greater speed on the bases In batting
the Athletics star outshines Merkle.
He is also more aggressive and covers
more ground around first base. Davis
outplayed Merkle during the 1911
clash, yet McInriis held the bag ND to
the point In the season when ne broke
hie wrist. It Is reasonable to suppose
that Mack considered him the. better
player Of the two.
Moving to second base, Captain
4 Larry DOYLE is found to be opposed by
Eddie Collins. The Giants field leader
Is q high class player. but Collins Is
ranked as one OF the most famous sec.
ond basemen of baseball. At no time
during the title struggle In 1911. how
lever, did Collins outplay Doyle. Whetf-
Ter the latter can duplicate this fest is
doubtful. His recent accident In which
This shoulder was badly wrenched when
bis automobile crashed into q tree viii
not improve his game. Furthermore.
Doyle has not played or batted this
season up to the standard set by him.
self during the worlds series in which
he was opposed by Collins. The latter
has improved steadily. and his hating
this season has been heavier than be.
fore. On the base Collins Is faster
than Doyle and has stolen many more
sacks than the Giants field leader, Al
a run getter the former Columbia Unt
versity student also has the better az
doyle.
i For the position Of third baseman
three players must be considered. For
tine Athletics John Franklin Baker, OF
home run fame, is the sole candidate.
He will play against both Hezog and
fshafer In all probability since each ID
likely to see service before the series
is completed. Baker outhit and out
4 played Shafer and Herzog In batting
this season, but in Shafer he will ina
la harder opponent than Herzog proved
1.-TWO years ago. The latter is cool yet
lightning fast, making sensational
|stops and throws which appear easy
compared with Bakers rather awk-
ward style Both Shafer and Herzog
4 are faster in the baselines, but the
Athletics star gets on more frequent.
. due to his heavy hitting As rum
getter his season records show that he
outclasses both the Giants who will
lprobably figure in the third base play.
/ The important position of shortstop
In the worlds series will be filled by
Barry for the Athletics and Fletcher
for the Giants. Barry outflelded and