The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-28

stonc honors OF the worlds champion
snip. we find the men who perhaps are
the class OF the respective leagues.
There are others who compare favor
aoly 10 Doyle In many respects in the
National League, but only one. Evers
Is his peor in all departments. There
are some In the American League who
compare well with Collins, but no
second baseman in tho country Is as
good as no at all departments OF the
game.
To compare Doyle and Collins re-
CURES the closest and the most search
Ing analysis OF the men themselves,
their abilities and. back of that, their
Compartments. For. after all. the tenn
permanent OF player counts almost as
much In great series. In which the
nerves are strained to tho utmost, as
doeS mechanical ability TO play ball
Mechanically. Collins Ia the superior
OF Doyle In great many respects, yet
Doyle possesses qualities that make
MIN 80 closely the equal that only
ability to hit harder makes the PhiIa-
delphian the slight favorite. Both are
great hitters. but few men ever have
possessed such a happy style OF hitting
combined with great speed az does the
star of the Athletic inicid. Doyle. in
measure. evens this up BY slightly
better balance In judgment of play
There is in all sports class or
athletes known rs money players
Perhaps you often have wondered why
the most brilliant of the exhibition
billiardists do not win the Journeys,
why the great golfers arc only run
ners up TO less brilliant men, why
come fellow who never did hundred
yards In better than 10 LIS always
beats out the ten-second man when
something depends upon II. The reply
is that one is a money player" The
phrase is full OF meaning Ii means
that the greater tho necessity. the bet
ter the man plays In this case. 1t is
true of both men. They are money
players. game TO the core. and they
offer ono Of those rare cases In which
both the speed. The ability and the
samcness arc present. They are Hght-
. Ing. hustliHg. aggressive ball players.
both great hitters. dangerous at any
time and most dangerous when they
face como crisis. either at bat or on
the basea
Prevent Form Not Good.
You VIII sec that i am giving credit
TO Doyle with being that kind or
player. by rating him SO close up TO
Collins on his work or this season lie
has not played as we'll this year as dur
ing tho last two seasons. and or late
his throwing has been way on color
There Is all kinds OF gossip assigning
reasons for his failure 10 perform as
brilliantly. but. lacking proof OF them.
II Is better TO let them go disrcgardeu.
because II Is certain that no matter
what trouble or conflict there may
have been. Doyle will play just as
great ball In the worlds series as II
there never had been anything. You
~ ,,oe Inv u
in tho series against Boston last fall.
but i contend that he did.
1t IS true lie had the misfortune to
boot scmc balls, but errors are part
of the game IN every case In which
he failed TO handle balls cleanly his
recovery after the tumble was remark
ably rapid, and twice in one game he
STAYED on what threatened TO be win
ming rallies BY the Red Sox by recov-
cries that retired the lethargic run
ners from the Hub. To me that really
Is greater baseball than 10 field a bat
ted ball cleanly. Doyle was lighting
oil the time, hustiing and urging his
men on.
Let us compare the men in fielding
Collins Is faster on his feet, covers
more ground either to right or left.
goes n bit further back of first to cut
off hits, covers first faster, and comes
In more rapidly to field slow hits
nearly twice as often as Collins does.
handles the ball better. blocks runners
harder and carries n larger share of the
infield team work. He does not move
as shiftily toward first base. nor race
back OF first as we'll, but no is n ter
ror in getting balls over second base.
and he plays batters with. II seems to
me, n trife better judgment than does
his rival. The difference in mechan-
cal fielding Is a matter OF stiffness
and dnshing speed. Do not imagine
that by this comparison it is meant
that Doyle Is a slow fielder. lie is
not-excepting when compared with
Collins As matter OF fact. Doylcs
only great weakness as n fielder con-
sists of being uncertain in coming for
ward after slow hit balls. This has
been his chief fault ever since he came
into the major league as prize beauty.
and although he has improved some
what In that respect. he still has the
weakness. which has been somewhat
accentuated by the style OF pitching
Of the Giant twirlinG staff, which re-
suits In many balls being hit on top
md made to bound slowly down the
infield.
He looks q much better fielder on
viciously hit balls than when captur-
ing the twisting teasers such as result
from a spit ball being hit on top and
n trifle late. This weakness Will be
shown in vivid contrast. since coming
forward rapidly and scooping slow hits
10 the first bhseman Is ono OF Collins's
strong points.
Both Good Bnserunners.
In baserunning the men are the stars
of their respective clubs; and again
Collins has the advantage. while both
are great runners. Collins is n speed
marvel, quick. instructive starter.
who seems endowed with some premo-
milton of when the pitcher Is going to
pitch. and when he Is baking. He
runs hard, slides viciously, throws his
body either way. and hooks the bag
we'll. although sometimes he fails in
1t because of the extra momentum due
to his speed. This. too. at times,
makes him bit awkward In starting
his slide. For several years have
been In constant fear of some bad i'm
jury to Collins, duo to false start
in sliding. but he has escaped serious
damage thus far.
In his own league, Doyle Is the best
starter in stealing that I know, but
in worlds series he works under
handicap In this respect In the Ma
tional League the Giants have habit
of getting the better OF It from the
umpires in little things. and one Of