Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-05-24
BASEBALL AND THE
BIG LEAGUE PLAYERS
Brooklyn Has Look in and Pitcher
Plank Is Still There With the
Real Goods.
By Hal sheridan
" 1H"I
written for the United Press)

played IN an Olu Dali lOJ bhOI 81 lull
of holes from the rifling batters of
opposing teams that the players had
to hobble over the field like ants run
ming a Marathon over Swiss cheese.
Then a fairy named Charley Ebbets
came along and built a new park, all
dOlled up with grand stand that cost
much money. This good fairy had been
hanging around the team, 10, these
many years, but it was the first new
park he had builded. When other
teams came around, as they are wont
to do at ball parks, these same Brook
Iyn Dodgers, who always before had
yelped and run when approached by a
stranger or even by their step.brothers,
the Giants, from across the Big Bridge,
proceeded to lick the very daylghts out
of them.
At first these strange, unheard of
doings excited merely scornful laughter
and the wise ones said it was just an
accident, a flashing in the pan, but
with each succeeding team these erst-
while lowlY Dodgers licked, the impress
sion began to grow that they were
going some, and, miracle of miracles,
the wonder Of wonders they do say now
and they re serious when they say it,
that Brooklyn may be reckoned with
the contenders for the pennant.
Moral: Why not1
BY diligently scraping away the cob
webs of the past, some Of the Oldest in
habitants may remember that at this
stage of tho National League race one
year ago the Brooklyn Dodgers and the
Boston Braves were flirting with and
had very close acquaintance with
the last place. The braves being con
servative souls, have not seen fit to
change their ways, but what the Dod-
gers have done in the way Of jockeying
for position during the early weeks of
the present seasons scramble has
brought delirious joy to the heart of
Good Fairy Ebbetts, and caused all
other team managers and owners to
gnash their teeth vile awake and sec
things while they are asleep,
The dodgers have shown that they
have built up an air-tight defense. with
Jake Daubert at first Cutshaw at sec
ond, Fisher at short stop and Red
Smith at third, team play has been per
feeted. Cutshaf covers world Of
ground at second aud in that immediate
vicinity, In the outfold the Dodgers
have a real outfieder in Stengel, who
is establishing record as fence bust
or this ueason. Wheat has not been
batting up TO his usual standard. With
Wheat gong naturally there will be
another argument why the Dodgers
should keep going. Hummell, completes
much better average Outfield accord
ing to his work Of this season
One of the failings of the Dodgers
at one time was their failure to hit be.
hind Nap Rucker, but Rueker won three
Of his first six games this season. One
OF the three losses was that thirteen
inning dual with Old Master Matty.
Ruekor has been doing good after only
n fair start and Ragon has been pitch.
ing airtight ball Allen is fast de.
veloping into star left handler and
though he lost some of his early starts
he ought to spin along nicely in hot
weather. Stack aud Curtis are in prot.
ty fair shape and Yingling, Hall and
Wagner look really better than they
ever have. Wagner came from New
Orleans with reputation as good as
that cartcd in by Dcmaree now with
the Giants.
Behind the bat is Otto Miller, who
ranks with the best. Then there is
Erwin who has caught the now Dodger
spirit aud is coming along, All in all
tho bunch from across the bridge look
pretty good, Washington did II after
getting a new ball park-that is they
jumped from humble ones TO slashiug,
fighting pennant contenders almost
over night, so to repeat, '0why not
BfooMynp
And when mentioning comers and
comobacks, don 7 overlook the veteran
Eddie Plank, who has been supposed
TO he tottering and doddering ON the
precipicc of Hasbeendom II has been
a favorite pastime to opine that Plank
was just about all in every so often,
and then have him pitch like a world
heater rightafterward Now It be-.
gins TO look like Mack old southpaw
would go on forever, Anyway, II won I
be safe to bet Plank is out Of It until
you see his business arm In sling or
chopped off and lying on the ground.
Plank may not have as sensational
past as some Of the others but as a
good old standby war horse, Plank
is there Plank won three of his first
four starts this season That one de-
feat was against Walter johnson aud
Plaukb own team mates kicked the
Two Washington runs in, Against New