New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1916-10-16

tain it's position as major league the
hour is about ripe for those in charge
to go out and get busy on the job.
There isn't any question but that
through 1916 the older circuit alb
solutely and irrevocably outclassed.
| Brooklyn was good enough to win
pennant, and yet we doubt very much,
after having watched both leagues all
season, whether Brooklyn could have
finished fifth in the Johnsonian circuit.
You can write it down as a certainty
that Brooklyn couldn't have beaten
out Boston, Detroit or Chicago in the
A. L., and we don't believe she could
have finished ahead Of the Yanks and
Browns.
About Time for a Shift.
Compare the Robins and the
Browns-pennant winners In one
league and fifth placers in the other.
Catching departments were about the
same The Browns, with Davenport,
Weitman, Plank and others, had
pitching staff to compare easily with
Marquard, Cheney, PREFER and
Coombs. The Browns, with Slssler,
Pratt, Lavan and Austin, had tar
better infield than Daubert, CutshaW,
Olson and Mowrey And the same
dope goes for the Brown outfield with
Shotten and Marsans around.
When it comes to a pass where
flag winner in the league doesn't quite
stack up with a second division club
in the other, the foment is well nigh
wilma fora shift And BrOOklyn
proved that she had the best in the
National league.
Not Brooklyn Alone.
This is no rap at Brooklyn alone.
The National league hasn't won but
one series in seven years, and that
series was won by an inspired ball
club in a deirium The Cubs the
Giants, the Phillies and the Robins
have all been crushed turn. Outside
the one Brave uprising. the American
league in six years, since 1909, has
won twenty-four games and dropped
but nine in post-championship affairs.
This season, in four major league
cites there were fourteen post
season battles Of the fourteen, the
American league won twelve and lost
two. These figures that admit of no
debate. They are not matters of
opinion. They are conclusive results,
set down in cold type beyond all par
tisan rave.
AH-Star Teams.
The same goes for almost every all
star team picked. In such selection
no man could leave off Speaker, COBB,
Schalk, Collins, Johnson, Ruth, Sisler
the bulk of the team. There are
many who also added Gardner. Scott
and Lewis The best the National
league could get would be about one
third.
Leaving the figures aside, we
talked with one or two ball players
who served time in both circuits.
Their dope was exactly the same--ln
both batting and pitching, they
averred, the American league was tar
ahead. And batting and pitching
happen to be quite a part of the
game.
A Long Stretch.
The American league has been we'll
ahead for the greater part of the last
seven years, ever since the CUPS
began to subside. But the gap was
wider in 1916 than it has ever been
before. No one who saw Boston and
Brooklyn play the recent series could
figure the two clubs within a league
Of the same class.
Boston had so much the better of
it, and this without any great extra
effort, that the competition most Of
the way was pitiful. You might sug-
gest that Boston won the first two
games by only one run each. But ask
any one who saw that first to
! contest how the two clubs looked.
The Trouble Being What?
What is the trouble? Is the Ameri-
| can league paying out more money
for stars? Is the younger circuit
| more alert in the search for budding
! talent?
The answer is Yes in both cases.
In addition to this, the American
league, with a twenty 1ve-player
limit, has a big advantage over the
| National, where only twenty-one are
used.
The Red Sox Future.
Boston won a pennant and a cham
| pionship last season with Speaker In
center field, Jack Barry at second and
George Foster pitching star ball
These three were regarded as the
r7ainstays of the club. This fall Bos-
ton went into pennant campaign
and a world series campaign with
| Speaker, Barry and Foster missing or
of no use. And Boston looked fully
as strong without the three as she
looked when they were around.
For next year on the Boston club,
Shore, Ruth and Leonard are all
young men. They have been stars for
only two years. They should just be
under way. Around the inf1eld Scott
and Barry still have several years
ahead, while Lewis and Hooper, al
though veterans, are far from being
| ready for the D. and O. league
! Figure out this Red Sox club as it
| looked against Brooklyn, with Jack