New-York tribune., 1916-06-25
Batters Begin TO Bat and
Pitchers to Pitch Much
to JenningS'S Joy.
COVELESKIE A FACTOR
IN BRACE OF TEAM
Frank Gilhooley Improves His
Hitting-Bean Ball Stirs
Up Trouble.
BY FRANK O'NEILL.

The rush Of the Detroit Tigers is
the topic Of interest in baseball af
fairs for June. Entering this month
the Jungaleers found themselves en-
seonced in sixth place, with a pale and
snemic average of .45O, after strug-
Cling to eighteen victories in forty
games.
Various reasons were assigned for
the inability of the Tigers to win.
Critics looked in vain for a plausible
alibi; the team which was so strong on
paper failed TO come through on the
field. When Sam Crawford was benched
a howl OF criticism was raised, but
Jennings remained firm in his purpose,
and developments have justified his ac-
tions.
Jennings sought carefully and yell
for the combination TO make his team
win. How well he has succeeded is told
by the cold. uncompromising figures. In
June, with its rain storms and post
ponements, the Tigers found themselves
with rush. The batters began TO bat,
the pitchers began TO pitch, and the
felders TO field.
A Big Surprise.
The Eastern clubs entered Detroit
smscking their lips in anticipation of
a feast of Tiger flesh that was never
served The New York Yankees won
the solitary distinction of defeating
the cohorts of Jennings. The Senators.
the Red Sox and the Athletics stepped
up and took their beatings like little
men, and then retired with what grace
was possible Between June ! and
June % seventeen games were PLAYED,
and of these fourteen were won, which
is an average of .s24 and considered
fair enough in any mans country.
The pitching staff, which simply re-
fused 20 round into condition in the
early months Of the season. came 20
with a rush, and life for the oPposi-
tion was one exhibition Of binding
speed and flashing curves after an
other. George Dauss and Harry Gov
eieskie were the leaders IN this stir
ring advance 10 the top, and TO
Coveleskie belongs the honor Of pitch
ing his team inte a tie for the lead on
June p. Both he and Dauss won four
games.
Dubuc put two to his credit. while
Cunningham, the young spit-baller, and
Hamilton, the lefthander, got one each.
several pitchers had been used
The Tigers are leading the league in
club hitting. Burns, Cobb. Heilman,
Veach and some Of the other boys are
up near the top, and the god of battles
is generally on the side that totes the
heaviest artillery.
When talking of players who have
made good in the face OF criticism,
the name Of Frank Gilhooley. the little
Outfelder Of the Yankees, suggests IT.
self. When Frank came back from
the minors the fans were willing TO
bear with him for a while, but later
when his bat failed TO propel the ball
TO any distance whatever he was slat-
ed for the minor leagues. But GIL
rose superior 10 all criticism and IS
hitting the ball hard. lie stands be
side his batting average OF - 10 and
points 10 the same with pardonaDle
Uridc He has climbed steadily from
the ranks Of the 200 hitters IN a month
or so. and that is going some.
Glhooley, incidentally, has refuted
another argument. 1t was said that
his arm was not strong enough 70
stand the strain of throwing across the
field 10 head runners of a. third on
balls hit into right. In the early weeks
Of the season his arm was tested by
the various speed merchants, but lt
stood the test splendidly, and now he
is treated with almost the same respect
that Jack Murray received when he
was in his heydey.
The practice Of shifting left and
right handed hitters according 10 the
titching has met with its degree Of
criticism here and there, but apparent
ly it gets the results, and that is what
counts in any game. Take, for exam
PIE, the Smith-Roth combination, OF
Cleveland. Both are hitting up around
the 800 mark, with the former slightly
above it. and are cracking the ball at
timely moments. They are two per
fectly good reasons for the position Of
the Indians.
On the other hand, there is Chick
Gandn Chick is not clouting the ball
hard. but he is having a lot Of luck IN
coming up with men on third and being
able 70 score them with either q long
fly or a slow infeld grounder There
are many men of Gandil's stamp. They
dc not rank high In the averages, but
they get the runs over. IL is because
Of this that a change in the scoring
rules is contemplated. In the final
ANALYSIS there is little 20 choose be-
tween the hitter who gets them over
on a fy and the man who gets them
over on a ground ball The result is
the same.
Charges that pitchers are making de-
liberate use of the bean ball are flying
thick and fast in the American League.
The accusing finger has been pointed at
the hurlers Of the Boston Red Sox. In
the opinion Of the majority IL is high
tima hat the solons of baseball took a
dee dcd stand i'm this matter and pro-
INDICATED ruling by which power was
vested in the umpire-in-chief 20 dis
criminate between fast ball that
broke sharply at a batter and the de-
lberate use Of the bean ball 10 drive a
dangerous man back from the plate A
pitcher declared guilty Of the use Of
this unfair. II not illegal delivery
should be fined and suspended.
To be sure, in the majority Of cases
the hitting Of a batsman is due 90 ac-
cidert, but just so long as one pitcher
is accused of making use Of such I'M
sportsmanlike tactics the batters should
be protected Imagine a man like Wal
ter Johnson, JEFF Tcsreau. Grover Alex
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