Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-14
PHI ADELPFIIA NATIONALS ARE
VICTIMS OF MENTAL FIAZARD''
No Other Genuine Reason Entirely Covers
Slump Of Team Athletics Pre-
pared for Double Defeat.

a desire to improve his team by making
every conceivable switch in the lineup.
IL the spirit displayed in the game with
ST Louis last Saturday is to continue,
games yet. That they will catch the
Giants and make it a fight to the wire.
for the pennant is improbable.
So far. the principal damage done has
been the lead obtained by New York.
Chicago has had trouble winning games
and Brooklyn has been I'm the throes of
even a worse slump than that which
has enshrouded Philadelphia National
League Park Therefore, all things being
equal. there is no immediate danger of
Dooin's team dropping to the second di
vision. s.
At the same time. Chicago and Pitts
burgh are playing the base ball that was
expected of them earlier in the season.
Critics in other cities are freely pre-
dieting that the Giants will land the
pennant and the quarrel for second
and Pirates. Which leads us to caution
Mr. Doom that the recovery must be
permanent If the Phillies are to quit
the season higher than fourth. And
think what cruel blow 1t would be II
Brooklyn climbed again and showed the
Quakers into the second division
Several weeks ago a man was dis
cussing base ball with Connie Mack and
Ii was intimated that 1t might be better
from a financial standpoint if the Ath-
letics did not have such a big lead and
did not outciass the other American
League teams to such marked degree.
That did not make hit with Mr.. Mack
Nothing is sure in base ball. he
said. No matter what lead my team
has. / am never absolutely satisfied until
the pennant is clinched and / know there
is no chance for another team to beat
US out. If We led the second team in
our league by twenty-five games today,
I'd still send my team on the field TO do
everything in its power to win every
game"
That logic is mighty good. too. 1t is
not often that the Athletics lose two
games in one afternoon. Possibly they
did 1t back In the several seasons that
they finished down in the race. They
were victims of the same Detroiters
twice in a day last season. But. we al
ways have pointed with pride to the
record of the team for winning double
headers.
games over the second-place Cleveland
club. the Mackmen went into double
header with the Tigers yesterday after
noon. The Elephants lost both games
| is now something like eight and one
half games. The sailing Is still smooth.
However. we hate to think what Phil
adelphians would have said had the
Mackmen been leading the league by
only one or two games yesterday. Even
though they held first place. the mental
blow OF double defeat would have been
bad diet for league leaders. That is
why Manager Mack knew what he was
| saying when he remarked that no lead
| Is big enough to satisfy him in a race
Tor the American League pennant
When one realizes what the Athletics
have done since they left home June "a,
II Is easy TO forget the setback in De-
/ troit. They have played twenty-one
games and have been defeated only seven
times. That Is a winning percentage Of
| 66I, enough to land a pennant. And
when it is remembered that they have
4 oeen playing away from home during a
not spell and travelling on trains fire.
duently, the record looks much better.
/ lass VIII tell every time. Experts look
l over the two leagues and discuss indi-
| vidual stars. Sometimes they speak of
inheids which play together well. But
| when they have covered every inch of
| the ground they come back to Philadel-
| phla and remark that the Athletics In
1 held is by far the best that ever wore
spiked shoes It's not alone in fielding.
| batting. base running or Inside" work
that McInnis. Collins. Barry and Baker
of every winning quality.
| Few men in other cities give the Mack
outfeld a second thought when compar-
ing the trio. no matter how 1t Is hooked
up. with Lewis. Speaker and Hooper.
But Comics boys go out every day and
/ do all that Is expected of them, fitting in
with the marvellous infield well. So. after
/ all. the Athletics outfield Is entitled to
be called great, IL only because II has
i the advantage of working with the 500,
go inner quartet. !