The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-06
Every Club Fighting for the
Flag Has Been Handicap
ped by Both
NATIONALS HAVE BEEN
THE WORST SUFFERERS
Athletics Have Not Escaped;
Mans Were Little Affected
by Injuries
BY RALPH l.. YONKER.


Injuries and sickness play big part
4 In pennant race. Experience mas
proved that invariably a pennant-win-
ming club Is one that has oeen able 10
keep It's lineup intact practically the
entire season.
This year every club in the Ameri-
u can league that has chance Tor the
flag has been handicapped by sickness
and illness, and 1t looks as II the ciup
that has suffered the least will be the
club to remain the favorite in the race
when the halfway post Is passed July
4, the Athletics being referred to.
The Red Sox have been put out OF
the race, although they were doped by
many to repeat last years stunt OF
steamily steadily through the year
with few sensations to the toppes'
honor. They were put out not en-
\ tirely by sickness and injuries, but s.
sand 1. had no little part in the pro
sceedings.
Too much money and over-confi-
dence Ia said to have 80 affected the
Sox that they couldn't win this sea.
son. They were too well satisned
with their remarkable success OF last
\ year that they adopted the "we-xhouid-
worry slogan for this.
But added to that was the fact that
Joe Wood was out OF the game Tor
quite q while with bad hand, and De-
fore that with a bad arm. Further
more, Jake Stahl had TO stay on first
base altogether and had to assign the
management of the club on its west
-ern trip to Wagner. Janvrin. school
boy, failed to make good at first and
Engel was placed there. This result
ed in q slump in the Red Sox play
from which they never can recover.
The Nationals are the most unfor-
6unate players In the league. They
have had anywhere from three to six
y players out right along since the sea
< son began. The most valuable OF
these is Eddie Foster. who ia expected
tc be back In the game soon now. Pos
ter has been Ill with typhoid. Eddie
\ - recognised az the greatest young
+ third bHseman In the league today, and
his absence almost since the season
n began has been severely felt.
Morgan, second baseman, has been
out nursing spiked hands Milan had
\ Some bruises. Cashion Is out for some
weeks yet with an injury Gandil has
W0Su Out IOI u lOuB tiHlC WIN 0h 80
\ Uured foot. Shanks sprained his ankle
recently and 10 out.
4 All this has meant that the Nation
hls have lost not only the difference
4 IN the value Of these men and their
bubstitutes, but they have lost that
n Team play that only constant playing
4Ogether can give. IL the Nationals
eannot cop the pannant, one reason
'ft kls,~s H. I'd IN do will ha
tnjures.
The Athletics haven't been immune
Y from injuries and sickness, but both
struck them in their pitching stan and
&, butneld rather than in that wonderful
3nneld. The severest blow to the
fackmen came when Coombs was TAX
n IN III with typhoid and forced to lay
\ BIZ for most of the season Mack
doesn't expect to have him back for
X more than q month Of the season.
b Eddie Plank was afflicted with
4 slight touch of rheumatism just about
4 the same time that Jack Coombs was
forced out. This left only Bender as
n the Athletics pitching mainstay. and
things looked dark. When the rheu-
nst;c pddie came back and beat the
EN Tigers. however, there was a brighter
tinge to the elephant cloud.
Strunk and Danny Murphy have
been unable to play In the Athletics
4 outheld for some time this spring, al
\ though Danny was used as a pinch
hitter right along
The Maps upset all precedent with
Dtheir injuries They were going like
S<i . tenement afire when Lajoie was put
x out with some mangled fingers and
Manager Birmingham was set up be-
b tween clutches. II looked as II the
n Maps we're then due for slump. But
Buddy Ryan filled Birmy's shoes in
The outfeld and Turner covered gee
bnd base so that a new winning COM
binati0n was formed which grabbed
pine straight games. Then Lajoie
WAS showed back into the game. the
winning combination broken and the
Maps slumped.
Davey Jones. former Tiger and for.
" mer White Stocking, believes that
\ both parties in the Chase for Borton
y and Zeider deal profited, despite the
inclination OF most writer's TO think
b that Frank Chance was not afflicted
with charity towards Chicago when
be pulled the deal.
Chase Is wonderful ball player
but he was I'm bad at New York and
FAsn't giving the best that was In
K him. II was also apparent that he
and Frank Chance weren't going e
4. chorus In harmony. So Chase WASH
rorth TO the Yankees what he would
be to almost any other team.
On the other hand. Chicago gave for
him q good ball player whom it sci
oom used and a irst baseman whose
n value has yet fully TO be determined
II Zeider, says Davey. Is a great infied
es. lie can play either third or sec
q oud In great shape. But for some rea
son or other he wasn't given chance
b. Manager Callahan. The greatest
n hall player In the world on the bencf
isn't worth much
Borton IL not yet a certainty III
nay prove Of value to the Yankee:
8 ~ be may not. But whether he doe.
EkAGrdly matters. because Zeider 4,
11rth more TO New York than Chase
1Dnnonnns.l1ke - ntinG. No fuss anc
lIn3Ners. The plain. neat Kind thai
Ne s.srs pm si S.'. ~ f;s':': 9. t. s'i sis