The Washington herald., 1915-08-06
Chicago Manager Admits Bos-
ton Is Dangerous and Con-
cedes Tigers a Chance.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
Rain Halts Nahonals-White Sox Con-
test-Double-header on the
Boards for Today.
By WILLIAM PEET.


Clarence Rowland. manager OF the
Chicago White Sox. is a big league
manager in every sense Of the word.
He has shown 1t all season in
handling his ball club on the field:
while off the field he knows how to
talk to newspapermen. knows what
to say and how to say 1t.
Are the White Sox going to win
the pennant?" the writer asked Mr..
Rowland yesterday.
We're going to fight for it-just
as we have been fighting for 1t all
the year"
what club do you figure you must
beat?"
The Boston Red Sox." came the re-
ply.
How about Detroit?'
"A good club; but 1 believe We will
beat them out in the long run"
Manager Rowland went on to ex-
plain: You see when you figure the
winner Of a pennant race you can
not pull out your pencil and attempt
to determine the clubs your team
will beat; you must figure that there
are seven other clubs in the fight.
and that any one of these aggrega-
tions may step in and upset all the
dope.
To get right down to brass tacks,
manager hO"ldnu Is OIL tHe
that the American League pennant
fight this season will be close and
bitterly fought. He figures correctly
when he says that the Boston Red
Sox loom up most dangerous. but con-
cedes his own team a chance; also
the Detroit Tigers.
Owing to yesterdays rain. 1t was
decided to call off the ball game
scheduled at National Park between
the Nationals and White Sox; conse-
boards for today. the first game start
ing promptly at 2 ocolck.
Walter johnson and Jim Shaw or
Doc Ayers will be in the box for the
Griffmen. while Manager Rowland
states that his pitchers will be Sc
lected from Joe Benz. Rebel Russell
and Urban Faber. with the first two
named the probable selections.
Henry P. Edwards. the Cleveland
Plain Dealers" baseball expert, at
tended yesterdays bargain at Forbes
Field He will remain in Pittsburgh
for a few more days. sizing up the
Pirates. Braves and Phillies, who are
up to their ears in the struggle for
the National League flag" The fore
going note is clipped from the Pitts
burgh Post, and it's a hot one. too.
Mr. Edwards is evidently disgusted
with the showing of the Cleveland CLUB
and seeking for new dope. has taken
flyer at the National League
crowd.
From the Philadelphia Ledger we
reprint the following: 1t is time that
the American League umpires en-
forced the rules and keep Ty Cobb
In the batter's box. Two years ago
Manager Mack complained that Cobb
stepped out Of the box every time
he swung at a pitch. and Umpire
Tommy Connolly forced the Georgian n
to stay in the box for an entire series.
In this series Cobb made but one hit
in four games. II seems as though
the umpires have forgotten all about
this incident because Cobb is not
only stepping out of the box every
time he swings. but he is also from
four to six inches too close to the
plate when he stands in position.
Taking advantage of little things of
this sort is what has made Cobb
such a wonderful hitter. and while the
spectators love to see Ty hit, he should
not be allowed any such unfair advan-
tages as he is enjoying at the pres
ent time. When a batter gets so far
in front Of the plate that he steps
out Of the box a foot when he swings.
it is practically impossible for
pitcher to use a curve ball with good
effect. as the batsman is up SO far
that he gets the ball before 1t breaks.
curve ball is not delivered with
nearly so much speed as a fast ball.
and is as easy to hit as straight
slow ball. That is why the box IS
marked off at the plate.
Hitters like Delehanty, Keeler. Kel-
ly, Anson and Wagner had a habit of
stepping up in front of the box, and
Delehanty often took three steps and
had both feet in front of the box
when he called the turn on curve
ball. That accounted in a large meas
ure for the large percentages carried
by those players year after year, un-
til the rules were changed and en-
forced.
If Cobb is bigger than the league,
let him get away with 1t. II he Is not.
why not see that he is prevented from
breaking the rules. when every UNI
pfre in the league knows that he does
it every time there is a rightrhanded
pitcher facing the Tigers? With a
southpaw on the mound Cobb keeps
back, because he fears being "beaned."
The report that Alexander is contem-
plating jumping to the Federal League
Is ridiculous, according to the big Ne
braskan Alexander declares that he Is
perfectly satisfied with the Phillies ana
hopes to close his major league career
right in this city. If Alexander had
any thuoght of jumping the Phillies he
would certainly have done 1t last sprine.
when the team was shot to pieces and
he was offered an enormous sum for
three years by Otto Knabe. of the Balti-
more Feds.
Larry" Lajoie is not slowing up to
any great degree as hitter. He is bat
ting more than 500 and only nine Ameri-
can Ieazuers ton him with the stick.