Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-28
PHILADELPHTANS
ARE In LINE FOR
CHALMERS TROPHY
Eddie Collins, Alexander
and Magee Have Wrought
Nobly This Year-Phils
Play Reds Today,

When the committee appointed for tha
purpose awards the Chalmers trophie
for 1914 the names of Phiadelphans ar
apt TO stand at the top in both tn
American and National Leagues. Th
three men who have the chance to b.
honored by this annual award are Eddi
Collins, of the Athletics, and Grovei
Alexander and Sherwood Magee, of tn,
Phillies.
Hugh Chalmers, the donor of the auto
mobiles, suggested that the committee
give the prizes not to the man who, ir
their opinion, was the most finished per-
former in each league, but to the player
who had been most valuable to his team.
This suggestion has been and will be
followed this year
No matter what details are to be con-
sidered, it is difficult to see how Eddie
Collins could be overlooked. lie is not
only recognized by most experts as the
worlds greatest ball player, but he has
been this season the most valuable man
on the Athletics team. officials OF the
White Elephants and others have often
DttH LGdIu 10 ueCldrB elDDQlllCdllN Indl
the Athletics were not a one-nlan team.
To certain extent that Is true. but II
Eddie Collins had not been on Mack 8
roster this year and had not played the
wonderful game that he did the Ath-
letics would today be out of the pennant
race instead of having 1t won for the
sixth time
That Connie Mack realized fully the
value of his great second sacker vas
shown when he permitted him recently
to Sign contract at his iCollius0 own
terms. Mack knew that without Collins
the odds would be against his winning
Tor at least two years to come Hence.
after the Federal League had made Eddie
one of the most hatterinE offers ever
submitted to a baseball player. he was
In position to dictate the terms OF his
contract for the future and he did
incidentally. the EVENING LEDGER Is
eager to announce that it has secured
the services Of this great player as
writer of the worlds series. Eddie is
going to play, of course, and is going to
write the news himself. That is more
than any other ball player can say. Ed
die is going 10 be the author of the
'write-ups" in the EVENING LEDGER and
is going to work out the material himself
While not equaIing the actual baseball
ability of Collins, both Alexander and
Captain Magee, OF the Phillies, have sur
passed the Athletics star in relative util-
ity. Those two men have kept the heads
of the Philles above water The dlsin-
tegration of this clubs strength by the
ravages of the Federal League has been
retarded to a certain extent by the mas
terful play of DcOin's pitcher extraordi-
nary and heavy hitting utility man. The
use of the term utility man" here is not
meant to convey the idea of Substitute"
which Is It's usual meaning in baseball.
but term which means an all-round
player
Sherwood Magee has put up the great
est game of his career this year. not ex-
cepting his work in 1910. when he led
the National League in. batting with an
average OF 1891 and took part in 154
games. He has played seven positions
for Charley Doom and has played them
all in better than acceptable style. Ma
gees batting has been one OF the fea-
lures of the play in the National League.
His average is above 800 and he has hit
Is home runs, TO say nothing OF enough
two and three-baggers 10 bring his extra
base hits up to lO4, the highest figure in
the major leagues today
Alexander. too, has done remarkably
well, considering the Indifferent work of
the team as whole behind him On
Saturday Alex" won his 18th consecu-
tive victory and mis- 9th Of the season.
This string of 1S straights is. all things
considered, better than "Rube" Mar
guards run Of 10 in 1913. In the first
place McGraw's left-hander was with a
winning club secondly, MaTquard's rec
ord was established early in the season
when the other clubs had not reached
mldseason development Alexander, on
the other hand began his successive
winning streak with a second division
team when all Of the clubs Of the league
were supposed to have reached the
zenith of their 1914 form Boston was
going better than at any time this sea-
son and the Giants were running along
better than they are today during the
early period in which Alexander was
winning with such d!sconcerttng regu-
larity.
This afternoon. the Phnlies are to clash
with the Cincinnati Reds in the last
game which these clubs play this son
The game will begin at Broad and Hunt
ingdon streets at o'clock, There will
be no game here tomorrow. Tuesdays
contest was moved back and played here
Saturday when the PhNlles won the
double-header from Herzogs henchmen.
The vast difference between the play
ing enthusiasm OF a tail-end CLUB and
one at the head uf the column was never
more plainly illustrated than by the work
of the Cincinnati Reds. Upon the oc-
caston or their hTSt visit 10 Philadelphia
this year the Reds showed a vast
amount OF CO. They were then lead
ing the league and they looked like the
world beaters, which they later proved
they were not Saturday these same
Reds looked like a second division club
of a Class league, Their errors, com
mission and omission. We're combined, al
most as numerous as their put-outs
In fact the play Of this club was the
worst seen on the local field this year
"Gavvy" Crayath has a chance 10 sur
pass his home-Tun record Of nineteen
established last season His fOur-sack
smash SATURDAY brought the figure up 10
eighteen for this season and there are
still several games left 70 be played
Frank Baker, the so-Called Home Run
King has staged his speciality but nine
times this campaign, just half the num-
ber that Crayath has made. The argu-
ment has been made that the PhlIlies
could not make so many home runs il
they played In any park but their own
That may or may not be true. IL is a
fact that II Is easier to hit home runs
into the left and center field bleachers
at the local National League Park than
anywhere on the major league circuit
but It Is also a fact that the high right
field wall prevents many drives from