The Washington herald., 1917-09-29
The World Series Roundup, No. 3.
Short and Third.
Fletcher VS.. weaver-RIsberg.

Fletcher VS.. Weaver-RIsberg.
Judging by ALI the advance no.
tices now at hand, the battle
around shortstop will be between
Art Fletcher and Buck Weaver
with young Risberg only an out
side chance
Weaver is a star. There is nc
chance to leave him off the line
up. and as McMullen has been play
ing so well at third and tapping
the ball with such daily consist
ency, there is very little chance that
he will be dropped to leave Weaver
at third. with Risberg In at short
The Sox, naturally enough, de-
sire all the punching power they
can muster, and McMullen has been
outbatting Risberg by a good
ninety points.
Fletcher and Weaver are two
very similar types. Both are brill
liant infielders, with a tendency to-
ward erratic days.
Both can hit above the shortstop
average-and both are dangerous
in a pinch.
What is still more to the point,
both are scrappy. hustling, aggres-
sive types-in the thick of every
game, fighting for every inch and
every ounce.
In 1915 and 1916 Fletcher out
batted Weaver. But through this
waning season Weaver has been
outbatting Fletcher. the Giant star
having dropped some thirty points
below his normal status at bat.
Fletcher. as a rule, is good for
.2S5 or .295. This season he has
spent most of the year under .260.
Weaver, a brilliant infielder. is
an inspiration to his club. He is
an eternal hustler, and his battling
spirit has been a big factor in gear
ing up the Chicago machine.
Fletcher, as announced above, is a
player of the same mould-one of
the hardest workers and one of the
best fighters in the game.
Yet, with all their brilliancy and
effectiveness in other ways, neither
Weaver nor Fletcher is a safe world
series type.
Neither has the dependable steadi-
ness of an Everett Scott or a Peckin-
paugh. They can go far-they can
go both ways-but, being inlaid with
so much nervous energy, no one can
tell just at what moment a fatal
tumble or a fatal throw will upset
the scheme of things.
If Fletcher and Weaver meet the
advance comparison is a standoff. If
the Sox play Risberg the Giants have
the call. For the Sox youngster is a
good fielder, but he isn't nearly as
dangerous as Fletcher is at bat.
ZIm VS.. McMuIIen.
Heinie Zim sent out against Buck
Weaver at third would have brought
on a spicy situation.
Against McMullen, Zim will have
more than gentle competition, but
the odds should be his way.
1t has been charged that Zimmer-
man, being a temperamental cuss,
Will be unsteady and rickety in a
big series.
Gleason and Weaver may ride"
Heinie into a budding frenzy, but in
a big series riding" isn't as preya-
lent as it is through the wear.
Heinie's lone world series start was
in 1910, when he took Johnny Ever's S
place at second for the Cubs. In
that series Heinie must have re-
strained his temperament, for he
save vent 10 only one error in
something like twenty chances.
Heinie only batted around .235. but.
as that was seven years ago, it has
very little to do with the present
argument.
Heinie has had seven years since
to establish a sedate and poised
manner under fire.
zimmerman has just completed the
best year he has ever known. He had
a better year at bat in 1912, when he
turned in .372. But his play around
third through the campaign now drift
ing to a finale has been superb, as
brilliant an exhibition of third-base-
ing as Jimmy Collins and Bill Brad
ley used to give.
Heinie has been getting them to his
left and to his right, coming in spec
tacularly on slow bunts and playing
all in all jam-up game. He has
also been hitting well enough to hang
within short sprinting distance of
800.
McMullen, who stepped in when
Buck Weaver suffered a finger wound