The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-08-03
MAJOR LEAGUERS
!: !. IN Home Stretch
49,
More Clubs Have Chance For
~ Pennant Than Ever Be- ~ ].
fore In Both Leagues

Two months and seven days of big
league baseball for the fans over the
Rockies and then the world s series
and the question is, who shall be who
in this great baseball classief
h Right now the Boston Red Sox, the
Chicago White Sox and the Detroit
Tigers seem to be all the class of the
american League with the Phillies,
Chicago Cubs and Brooklyns the class
OF the National League.
One year ago, August I, John Nc
Graw and the Giants were out in front
In the National League and going
great guns with Chicago next, st.
Louis, third; Boston, fourth; Phila-
delphia, fifth; Pittsburgh, sixth;
Brooklyn, seventh and Cincinnati in
the hole. ... ~
On the same day in the American
League Philadelphia was first, Boston,
second; Washington, third; Detroit,
fourth; Chicago, fifth; st. Louis, sixth;
New York, seventh and Cleveland last.
Many changes have been made in the
line up of the sixteen teams since
then. Many players have Topped over
to the Federal League while many 9th
ers have been released outright, or
have been sold or traded to other teams
in the respective leagues of organized
baseball. 49, ..
Perhaps the most notable shifting of
players was in the American League,
Connie Mack of the Athletics break
ing up what was considered the great
est baseball organization of the world
Bender, Plank and Coomhs, heroes of
many world s series, were released out
. right. Eddie Collins went to the White
Sox, Jack Barry joined the Boston
Reds and John Franklin Baker. quit.
Several other lesser stars of the Ath-
leties went their way. g.,
In the National League, several of
the old machine at New York passed
on into the minors or to other clubs
while the great Christy Mathewson has
not been himself this year Thus the
hopes and stars of the New York fans
and the Philadelphia fans are no more
fighting TO bring the pennant to their
respective teams of last season.
As TO the Boston Braves. The writer
told last October why they were the
best bet TO win the World 8 champion,
ship and later why the team would not
run one, two, three in the 1914 pen
nant race. 1t was then predicted that
the team was the weakest batting in
the league, Tyler, James and Rudolph
as pitchers were but flashes in the pan,
poor fielding team and n poor base
Turning team. All of which has been
borne ont by the records.
The writer said in April that IL
would be a good policy to watch the
Phillies and the Boston Americans,
others of the pitching staff had the
stuff and would cut loose with it.
Moreover, Gabby Cravath is on that
team and any one who has seen Cobb,
Wagner, Safer, Daubert, and countless
others who are hitters, will take of
their hats to Cravath and say he is a
ball team all by himself Look at the
records. 1t took Wagner sixteen years
to make 100 home runs, and it took
Cobb seven years to make 60. Up TO
July Is, in two seasons and One-half,
Cravath has lined out 50 home runs,
countless doubles and triples and the
beauty Of it is, they come with men
% bases and men like MathewsOn,
Vaughn, Marquard and others, can not
fool him,
All of which means that the team
beating Philadelphia stands the hest
chance of gathering the National Lea
que pennant and should such a thing
come to pass, it would be the first
Eag won by the team In thirty three
years.
OF course Chicago has a chance and
so has Brooklyn, in fact nearly every
team in the National League has a
: chance according to the percentage col
una today, still Pat Moran s bunch
figure TO win.
p, Despite the cry of Grantland Rice,
Dick Phelon, Chandler Richter and a
bot Of tho wiseacres who could not see
anything but Chicago a month ago,
the Red SOx are there. Part of their
success is due to the team being a
great baseball machine and because
Poster, Rnth, Shore, and May are pitch.
inH great bali and because Vean Gregg
and Smoky Joe Wood have come back.
& At that one must not Overrate the
White Cox. Faber, Benz and Jim Scott
are pitching great ball and while the
team has slumped greatly in the last
four weeks it is not to be figured the
slump will continue.
As for Detroit, Jennings admits be
needs pitchers and perhaps he will get
ono or two before the season is much
older ard if he does, then the Red and
Whit SoS must look out, Sin oil
IN al, Boston looks the best and l.
should rot be surprising II Boston and
Philadclphia --hattle again for. the
wdtId's championship, but with the
difference that National League team
represents Philadelphia and an Amcri-
can League team represents Boston.
~ t.t .-r - Co.
.CALIrMETT Michipnn. Anpnst L