The Washington times., 1914-07-19

and one catcher and a shortstop. there
inneid, barring Weaver, looks weak
everywhere. and the outfield. taking it
by and large. is as bad as any in the
league. Yet the Chicago club. If it
gets a few lucky breaks. is going TO
be very dangerous outfit For half
the season, luck was persistently
against the Sox and they lost a whole
flock OF games that should have been
theirs. Now that things are taking a
more favorable turn look out.
The National League race remains
Just about the same as II was a month
ago. When the Western clubs first be-
gan to entertain their seacoast neigh
pors, Chicago had fine chance to pick
up some ground on the Giants. but
oDay's men passed up this golden op-
portunity by letting the weak Bostons
beat them while Pittsburgh and st.
Louis were putting the work on the
leaders. If the Cubs had managed to
clean UP their series with the Braves,
they would have been SO close to New
York that McGraw's players would have
had to do some worrying and the whole
aspect Of the race might have been
altered
1t is a very bad sign when a club that
Is up in the race cannot beat the tall
enders consistently. Pennants are won
by picking off the lunch" That is one
reason the Athletics have been so sue
cessful in our circuit. They always have
knocked the softpickings down. SO that
even II they couldn't do better than
break even with the good outfits, they
piled up a big percentage A game won
from the cellar champions counts lust
as much as one from the leaders. you
know. for the percentage at the end Of
the season determines the winner, not
the several interclub series taken by
themselves.
Detroit was twice knocked out Of
good chances for the pennant by losing
many games TO clubs that IL ought to
have beaten. ] remember that i'm 1910
We thought we had the flag cinched
about July 4 and were tickled to death
when we found ourselves facing a series
of eight or nine games with st. Louis
then occupying their normal position
somewhere near the bottom. We fig
ured that about six or seven victories
were as good as won against these
cinches. but when the smoke cleared
away, st. Louis had trimmed us in all
but two contests. 1t was a blow from
which we never recovered, for the Mack
men had been making hay in the mean
while, and we never got within hailing
distance OF them again.
A young pitcher by the name of Ray
was responsible for three of our beat
ings at that dismal time. ! don't know
where he came from nor where he is
now. but he certainly hung it on the
Tigers for keeps. ] think that the only
games he won in the whole period OF
his major league service were against
US, for he was out in the tall grass
again before the season was over. sew
eral other clubs knocking his uniform
of.
INDIANAPOLIS has the honor Of being
one of the greatest mothers" of ball
PLAYERS in the country. In fact. | think
that the Hoosier capital, for its size,
has turned out more big leaguers than
any town in the country. There is a
big field called the State field" in
Indiana polls. and on this lot scores Of
bows who afterward have been able 10
make good in professional ball have Sc
cured a start George Dauss and
Donie Bush. OF the Tigers are two boys
who learned how TO handle the pill on
the State field" and they now rank
with the stars of the American League.
These two fellows grew up neighbors.
and after being separated In baseball
ror half dozen years. finally got to-
Zether again on the Detroit club.
1t Is the rarest thing in the world
Tor two men from the same section of
own 10 be on the same ball club. Us
lallV the roster ~ hin lca~In rea-l
-epresents twenty States and there was
me club which went South IN the spr u
with twentv-three having favorite sons
n the partv. California has a delega-
ion with the Tigers. Stanage. Witt. and
Ieilman being native sons. while John
B. williams. the Hawaiian pitcher.
played his first professional ball IN the