Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-01
GIANT SPIES At WORK
FLOCK INTO POLO GROUNDS
TO GET LINE ON white SOX
Rowland OutEcnernls Informntion-seek-
crs by Holding Players in Check.
How Men Compare.
by ARTHUR sTRUwE


NEW YORK, September 30.-In every
nook and corner of the Polo Grounds
there were crowded yesterday Giants
spies. They were there to get a line
on tho White Sox. Their observation
will not be very enlightening to their
chief-John j. McGraw. These spies
saw Williams and Danforth, whom they
meet on the firing line during the COM
ing series. hammered by the Yankees.
standardization team. They saw CT
cote, upon whose shoulders the pitch
ing burden VIII probably be carried,
hurl his teammates to victory.
And when they looked further they
beheld Eddie Collins and Joe Jackson
tho heavy hitters of the Chicago bunch.
hit the ball for an average Of .555 each.
They got glance of Buck Weaver
playing at short in place of Risberg,
and saw him accept eight chances
without mishap. and hit the ball at
a 1915 clip.
And then they sized up Schalk. rated
the best catcher on the two teams, al
low the Yankees to steal three bases.
With all the observations that the
Giants spies made. 1t looks as II Clar-
ence Rowland put one over on McGraw.
The leader Of the Windy City bunch
knew that McGraw had the "spies"
working overtime. He knew they wore
scattered In their own bailiwIck, where
they knew every crack IL the cement
and every knothole in the woodwork,
TO get pointers on the American League
champions. To the casual observer the
White Sox did not shine" to advantage
In the games with the Yankees.
Show No Champ Caliber.
Their playing was not Of champion
ship caliber-not Of the brand that
would bring to them the highest honors
baseball 10 hav
II apparent to the fan something was
in the air" Ans that Something was
none other than the leader of the White
So1 checkmating McGraw and his hire
lings.
With all the unofficial averages COM
piled on tho merits Of the two teams It
is figured out that each team, includ-
Ing every player who Is eligible to COM
pete in the big series. is fielding at
the rate of 1853 on the season, with the
Giants batting as a team .26s, against
the White Sox .267.
In compiling of the unofficial aver
ages, the Giants catchers have 1t on the
White So1 in batting, but are behind
In fielding. Taking the infelds as they
Will play in the big series. the White
Sox will lead their opponents by ten
points in each department Of the game.
The added Strength will be due to the
Risberg, and the keeping Of McMullin
at third. The outfeld. with two sub
stitutes included in the unofficial aver
ages. show that the outgNrden experts
are hitting at the same figure, while
the Chicago bunch is fielding much
better.
How the Men Compare.
The unofficial figures. taken az a
group, show:
White Sox: catchers-batting, 226;
fielding. 1856. Undertaking. .271:
fielding, 1865. Outield-batting. .27s:
fielding. 1915.
Giants: catchers-battins, $50; field
Ing, $50. Infeld-batt.nE. .261: field
Ing, 1856. Outfield-batting, .e79; field.
! Ing. s63
But in figuring the outhe1d it mus,
be taken into consideration that Nc
Graw has two men hitting over 300
Kauff and Burns-while only one of the
back men on the Chicago bunch is over
that e-Felch-although Joe Jack
son Is perilously near the coveted mark.
This week will see the end of the
regular season. The Giants will get
their "warming-up" practice for the big
game IN two doubleheaders with the
Phillies. These will be played on Tues
day and Wednesday. After the We'd
nesday games the Giants will eptrain
for Chicago. arriving there Thursday.
They will practice on the White Sox
grounds on Friday. the first time the
team Will have played on their oppo-
nents' grounds
The White Sox will finish with the
iankees Tomorrow. This will wind up
their season. They will Immediately
nike for the West. and Will get the
ilmoering-up" process by a series OF
games with the Clevelands. This will
fiict.