El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-01
NJ sccond Rnremen.

/ - ERHAPS no comparison between
! - regular players on the rival teams
i in this worlds championship
series shows more superiority, one over
] the other, than does Jack Barry over
| Niehoff 1t is the willy, foxy veteran,
hardened in hundreds Of battles, Drally
and a born leader, against an ordl-
rience who is hustling, doing Just the
: best he can. and improving
It is Niehoffs hard luck to be
brought up in comparison with one
Of the greatest ball players Of the
era, and If friends Of NiehOff are dis
satisfied with the valuation placed up
on him in this series they should not
be, for beng rated that close in ability
TO Jack Barry is indeed a compliment
Barry Has Brains and Spirit.
Barry has faults. he is not a heavy
hitter: he is a bit strange as second
baseman because he has played short
for many years and it has been hard
for him to change back to the differ
ent angle Of making throws. 1t was
Barry who won the American league
pennant for Boston Just as he would
have won il for either Detroit or for
Chicago had either Of those teams
been fortunate enough to secure him.
He rallied the Red Sox at a stage OF
the season when they were going to
pieces Just as sure as any team ever
went to pieces.
This man, with all due regard to
Eddie Collins, was the brains and the
spirit Of the Athletics during their
winning years, although he accom-
plishes his work in such a quiet way
that the fans hardly notice him. he is
one Of the greatest field leaders the
game ever has known
NfehOff Is Great Slider.
Niehoff is a pretty nifty player him
self. The first time 1 saw this fellow
was the spring he broke into the big
show. It was at the spring training
camp and the players were coming
down into the sliding pit. / noticed
a quiet, determined sort OF a fellow
who evidently was just being intro
duced to that sort of thing He was
watching keenly the way the older
fellow hit the dirt and when he came
he finished with a dash, hit the sand
hard, his teeth clinched. and he meant
business He is rather agile than
speedy and he is a corking slider
NiehofE on straight figures outfits
Barry. He has been rapping the ball
all this season at about 260. which is
slightly above his normal hitting gait
Barry is ordinarily a 240 batter and is
20 points below that on this season
Barry Is Pinch Hitter.
On the attack, however, Niehoff Is
not nearly as dangerous man as is
his rival for the job. for this reason:
Barry is a pinch hitter, one of the best
l have had pitchers Of the caliber OF
Jim Scott. Ed Walsh, and Walter
Johnson tell me they would rather see
Collins or Baker coming 10 bat in a
pinch than 70 see Barry up there in a
crisis Of a game. And if you study
Jack Barrys work year in and year
out, you viii be surprised to discover
how many blows he delivers when the
runners are on the paths waiting to
be driven home.
NiehOf Is Pflferfug Bases
We are compelled, even allowing for
Barry's pinch hitting and the differ
ence between the National league /
pitchers. who have been weak this sea- !
son, and the American league pitchers /
who have been up to the average. TO |
give Niehoff a numerical advantage /
as an offensive player and cOnsfd- /
cradle edge al that because Barry is
not running the bases, and NiehOff.
with a non-base running ball club. is
netting a number of pliers that shows
he is spry and speedy enough to get
by with the steal stuff
But when II comes to defensive work
and inside work, Barry piles up large