Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-05
Err FEAT THAN RISE OF JONES'S WHITE SOX AND
ROBBY. KING OF BROOKLYN, HAS
NEGOTIATED TEAM WITH SERUM
OF CONFIDENCE TO WIN GAMB
Portly Pilot of Pennant-chaslng Robins h
Pumped Necessary Faith and Hope Into
His Present Band of Leaders
Nv GRANTLAND RICE

DoBBY, king Of Brooklyn, developed
IN Marquard into a great pitcher Dy
pumping confidence in the eminent huDe
several years ago. When Marduard taueu
out later Robby made hdm over into another
winner by pumping in another supply OF
confidence.
Robby took Jack Coombs when the Atm
letics figured him about through, bart
Cheney when Chicago considered MN an
in Chief Meyers when New York turneu
the Chief adrift, and several others VINO
were tagged as has-beens.
Robby noculated them all with the serum
Of hope and faith and confidence, anu !
you care to examine the Standing OIL the
Clubs today you may discover just now sue. sue
cessfu this same portly citizen OF Brooklyn
has been.
This Confidence Stuff
Some ball clubs are better than others
and some are little worse. But as
rule there is a greater difference mentally
than physically. And by the mental an
ference we mean confidence and faith IN
ones ability to win.
1t is here that Robby, king of Brooklyn
is at his best.
We recall a VISIT to the Brooklyn bench
early in the spring. But we can recall no
greater confidence on any club than we
found there. We are going to win sure.
said Marquard and Meyers, and there Is
the answer" II was one of the largest
answers we have ever seen. It welBheu SOO
pounds and 900 pounds Of it was MAN.
His name was Robinson.
The Sixteen Year Wait
It has been 16 years since Brooklyn
won a pennant. Matty pitched his first
game or one of his first games, against
this flag winner of 1900.
For two years thereafter Brooklyn stayed
around the top, but in 1903 the Big Slide
started. For IL years thereafter Brooklyn
finished in the second division, shifting
back and forth from sixth to seventh place.
Now, with the Robins on top and out hust-
ling at top speed we find 1t impossible to
get peeved at Brooklyn fans who write us
violent letters for not giving their ball club
unlimited space in these daily dispatches.
They have it coming For they have a fine
ball club-a club led by a fine, clean citizen,
composed of clean-playing. hard-workng
athletes willing to burst an artery for the
Big Fellow who is pushing them along.
Brooklyn's Good Chance
Brooklyn today has the best chance in
the circuit to win. She has shown her
ability to pound the Western clubs into
CORY pulp and to hold her own with the
East.
II she can only break even now with
Boston, the Phillies and New York. she
never will be headed. The only clubs to
stop her are the last three named. Stall
lings believes he can turn the trick, and
McGraw, with his revised machine be-
lives his Giants can cut down the Robin
lead when the two clubs meet.
But beating Brooklyn in a pinch is no
longer any fat, pudgy assignment. The
Robins are blowing something after the
manner of the Braves of 1914 and the
Phillies in 1915. You may recall how badly
these two clubs cracked under the ghastly
strain Brooklyn is cracking in much the
same way. She hasn't any better pitching
staff than Boston, but quite a bit better
attack, and this means an advantage of no
note.
The Other Three
Pat Moran is making wonderful fight
when you figure that Mayer and Chalmers
have been of little use and that Fred Luz
derus is batting so points under last year
Stallings has been handicapped by the
weakest hitting in the major leagues. His
Braves are batting two points lower than
the Athletics, who give three cheers at four
or five hits game
McGraw was handicapped by a bad start
with his pitching in rout, but now that he
has added Herzog and Benton he has in
many ways the most dangerous club in the
league. But whether he can make up the
long gap in two months is another matter.
II Brooklyn skids a trihe. the three