The Washington times., 1914-07-28
Bingles And
BuntS
By GRANTLAND RICE.

Old landmarks in baseball have
either passed or at least are pass
ing. Browns and Cardinals are no
longer in the rut. The Braves, in
Boston, have risen from last place
to the first division. Frank Chance
is fighting to keep out of the Gel
lar in place of battling to reach the
top. Pittsburgh. from being a pen
nant winner or a pennant contender
for fourteen years, has gone to
waste at the bottom of the field.
The players, in place of being in
the iron grip of the owners, now
have the whip hand for the first
time In history. They have defied
the commission openly and have
won their fight.
The Old Order.
And yet the old order hasn't entirely
rassed. The Mackmen are still club
bing their way to another nag, and
in addition to this. the Giants and Cubs
are still in battle for the National
League flag. Tie fact that this land
mark still remains is the strangest
thing Of all. Back in 1905, under Frank
Selee, tho Cubs finished second to the
Giants and gave them their hardest
fight.
That was nine years ago, and since
that season the old Cub machine has
been twisted and hammered out of
shape. With one exception the old
guard has been wiped out. Its winning
leader has passed on, and it's great
10 another club. II Murphy had used
dynamite or guncotton he couldn't
have labored harder to compose an
utter wreck.
Still There.
And yet, in spite of all that, with
Pittsburgh unable 20 hold the long
pace started fourteen years ago, the
Cub machine is still the one giving
battle TO the Giants and disputing at
every step McGraw'5 march to another
banner. And the Queerest part OF 1t
all is that the Cubs are no longer a
machine. Against McGraw they are
contending with one Of the greatest
machine builders of the game. The
Giants are compact organization, not
the strongest in the world, but a ma
chine that works together. The Cubs
are playing the game as II suits them,
are doing just about as they please,
and yet, with only one Of the old stars
left. are winning and holding their
place around the top. According to
stories that come to us on the road,
they permit Hank to sIt on the bench
and watch them work. but beyond this
This may be unfair to O'Day. but at
least 1t Is the games gossip. And. in
spite of this. there is still enough
life left in the Cub array to travel at
a faster clip than the Cubs have shown
since 1910.
The Case of Tommy Leach.
The case of Tommy Leach is another
wierd turn of the game. Leach was
carded as being through several years
ago by Pittsburgh. No one figured
that he had over one good year left
and that a year of only average worth.
But Leach. after sixteen seasons In the
game. Is still starring on a club in the
fight while his old home town. Pitts
burgh. is groveling in the dust a dozen
leagues behind. Wagner and Lajoie
have lasted. but they are both athletes
of wonderful build. and both were kept
at their old infield Jobs. Leach is
diminutive specimen compared to either
and he was shifted from third to the
outfield. moved to a new place where in
the shift he has more than held the
pace.
Pittsburgh's Case.
Barney Deryfuss has charged several
Of his athletes with loafing and quit
ting. To a certain extent he may be
right. There must be some reason for
club with as much good Hooking ma
terial as Pittsburgh floundering down
In the depths.
But it probably isn't so much a mat
ter OF Intentional loafing as 1t Is an
utter lack OF aggressiveness and fight
ing courage. Pittsburgh hasn't had
fighting machine for several years;
The club is the most easily discouraged
one in baseball. and for years has
been club that broke quickly under
any heavy charge. Time and again the
Giants have gone to Pittsburgh with
big issue at stake and have left with
the Pirates demoralized and In rout.
After that April and May start with
the material at hand it's hard TO blame