Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-09-23
STARS THAT LEAD
THEIR CLUBS IN
REMNANT RACES
Alexander, Evers, Speaker and
Cobb Are Most Important
Cogs in Fast Going
Baseball Machines.

Which individual player could not pos
sibly be spared by the Phillies? Did that
question ever occur to you? And. ut the
same time. did you ever give any thought
to the absolutely necessary oogs In the
other three baseball machines which
have been must prominent In the big
league pennant struggles this season?
Possibly you will argue that It Is con-
Sentrated club strength and not Individual
effort which wins baseball champion
SHIPS. continues Stoney McLu,n In the
Public Ledger. You may insist that the
manager deserves the lions share of the
credit for blending and organizing the
machine. And you are correct. too.
without well-balanced and honest team
play. or lacking managerial finesse and
baseball brains. no team can expect to
get into n worlds series. Dozens OF H.
Illustrations could he cited where wonder
full ball clubs, when taken man for man,
failed to finish In front because .he con-
contracted effort and competent leadership
were lacking.
However, we declare, without fear Of
contradiction. that each big league PEN
nant contender has one player who be-
comes sort Of bell cow and whose
individual prowess in some department
OF the game keeps his club at or near
the top.
In introducing this argument, we asked
which player could wreck tho Philies by
suddenly deciding to become n soldier
Of fortune" in tho European war. In
doubtedly. you already have answered 1t,
and the mans name is--sure. Alexander
10 xho ttn1 toe, -
Grover Cleveland-who already has won
more than % games-and the moral sup
port his remarkable hurting skill pro-
vldes for his mates, Pat Moran's team
surely would be near the bottom of the
percentage table to-day.
WAY DOWN WITHOUT ALEXANDER.
A baseball expert figured 1t out one
time that pitching was between 80 and
IS per cent. OF the team foundation. If
that Is true estimate-we believe 1t is
the Quakers would be in the second di.
vision and probably in last place with
out Alexander. Remove Just Is Of his
victories from the won column. and put
them on the lost" side of the ledger.
The result will startle you.
It is generally agreed that Grover
Cleveland Alexander is the greatest pitch
er in baseball to-day. Admitting that
fact. 1t is not putting it too strongly to
say that Manager Moran could not find
one finger or several of them. who woud
deliver more than score Of wins with
as few defeats, as has the marvellous
Nebraskan.
Therefore, one does not fear contradic-
ton. nor does It detract one iota from
the managerial wisdom OF Moran and
the playing skill of Cravath, Luderus
Bancroft, Whitfield. Killifer Paskert
Stock. Niehoff and all the other mem
bers Of the Phillies' organization. to sa,
that the one man who is as necessary
to the success of the team as is the ocear
to Atlantic City, Is Grover Cleveland AL
exandcr.
Though we have admitted the value o'
exceptional pitching skill. none OF the
other pennant contenders has a hurlel
whose mark stands out so prominently
in team success as does that of AlcXan
der. The Boston Red Sox have Wood
and Rudolph heads the Braves list thi:
year. Tho Detroit Tigers depend a who'll
lot on Coveleskie. However, it is alto
gcther likely that any one of thes'
twirlcrs could be replaced.
1t Is in other departments that w
must seek the player who Is the neces
sary individual to his teams success oil
each of the three other pennant con
tenders. And, as the Boston Braves ar
regarded ns the team which may pusl
the Phillles to tho limit. so Is E.vers. tn
captain ana second bnsemnn, nearly tn
90 A lev ND i,N fnrtharinp
victories of his club.
THEY BLAME y lot ON EvERS.
Boston baseball critics declare tina
Stallings' team would be In the lead RICH
| now II Evers had been playing stead
fly, or, at least. had been on the field
where his brains and inspiring Leadership
could be utilized. That may be puttin
| II strongly-we believe II Is. But It doe
seem true-and If the Braves admit It
that the team does not play with tn
same spirit. determination and menta
| ability when the Human Crab Is alb
| sent from the scene OF conflict.
Evers doesn't hit 200, nor is his field
Ing "a brilliant as it was some years ag
when he was the backbone OF the Cubs
But no docs things that count In tn
| way Of "driving'' the other Dostonian
| and keeping them mentally alert all tn
time. So. remembering what Maranvillt
Magec. Schmidt. Rudolph. Tyler and tn
other Braves do to win games. we mus
| select Johnny Evers as the individual
| who appears necessary to the smoot
| grinding out of victories by the Sailing
| machine,
| In Detroit there Is little chance for ar
gument about the player whose individual
feats have Kept the Tigers near the tor
| Ty Cobb Is the greatest al-round playe
| in bascoall-thats the answer Will
Alexander wins for the Phillies by silenc
ing the bats of opponents Tyrus Raw
mond piles up the victories for the Jen
nings clan by his unapproachabl BILE battin
and base running, 1t has been said tina
| Cobb plays for records and is a grea
! attraction because OF his dazzling dia
mond feats, but that he is not so valu
able to n team as some men with onl
half his skill. Get the files OF news
paper and examine the box scores of tn
! Tigers games You will be astoundeo
no doubt. to know how many battles Wet
won almost unaided by the mighty Geor
gian. Take Cobb away from Detroit an
the club would be Just about kicking
hole in the bottom of the percentaS
table.
SPEAKER THE RED SOX STAR.
The American League club in Bosto
usually Is rated as pennant possibilit
each year because of its marvellous out
| field composed of Speaker, Lewis an
| Hooper. As fly catchers and thrower'
the trio is far superior to any other /
the big leagues. In batting, they mus