The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-09-03
Baseball on the Shelf Until War
Is Safely Won.
Comparisons of Cubs and Red
Sox Give Neither a Certainty.
CUBS have EDGE ON OFFENSIVE
Babe Ruth VIII Be Big Factor
in Boston Attack.
Hamilton Predicts Chicago VIII
Seize the Title.
BY H. G. HAMILTON.

New York, Sept. 3.-The last world ;
series until the war has been won, and
country ever will witness under pres
ent regulations proba bly, will be laid
away to the credit of the National
league. And. IL such is the case, II
will be the first time in the history
of Boston entrant in this annual fall
classic of baseball ever was defeated
for the worlds championship.
Tessie and the Boston good luck pin
seem doomed to defeat by the Chicago
Cubs.
|! Comparisons OF the two clubs leave
only slight margin Of advantage, but
the offensive power of the Cubs over
laps the defense of the Red Sox to-
| such an extent that on paper they are
the natural victors. OF course a series
such as the worlds series always turns
out to be Is little enough on which TO
base final comparisons Of the teams
but the consistency with which the
Cubs have hammered their way to the
| top, the inside baseball Fred Mitcheli
makes his men play, the cleverness
of the Cubs pitching staff and the
persistently good attack of the club
makes it a knitted organization that
tsticks out over the Red Sox.
Had Lucky Seasons.
| Each of the clubs has had good
| fortune turnout the season. Prac-
tically the entire lineup with which
each started is intact. The loss OF
, Grover Cleveland Alexander, which
was expected to knock the pennant
hopes Of the Cubs into a cooked hat,
proved to be only slight difficulty.
And, aside from that the loss to the
Cubs on the season has been small
Pete Kilduff was called into the army,
+! but his place was more than iiieo by
Rollie Zeider and Charley Pick.
The Red Sox suffered a severe blow
| when Dutch Leonard and Ernie Shore
| were derricked from the club. but Eo
Barrow found in Sam Jones and Joe
Bush two pitchers fully capaDle OF
taking their places. So good has been
this duo Of pitchers that Babe Ruth
| hasn't done his usual share OF the
seasons pitching, but instead has been
| used in the outfield where his batting
| could count more.
! Comparing the infields of the two
clubs gives a wide margin to the Cubs.
Fred Merkle stands out over Stur1y
McInnis for the first time in the ca
reers of the two players. McInnis un-
doubtedly is going back while new
! life seems to have been injected into
the veteran Merkle. He Is hitting AND
| fielding better. than he ever did be-
fore. McInniss hitting has droppea
woefully, but he is still the brilliant
and heady fielder of yore. The dif-
, ference, however, isn't great enough
to place him in Merkle's class. for
Merkle- fields well enough to be In the
front rank and his hitting Is the point
Of his greatest value.
At the Key Sack.
At the second base there Is nothing
Of much importance to compare
Neither team has an extraordinary
workman in that spot. Dave Shean
is a fair fielder. but a weak hitter in
spite Of his work for the Red Sox
| with his stick. He never was able to
fA,~ Nd hi @
fact will count when he faces Nation
al league pitching. Rollins Zeider
once was one of the American league 8
greatest infielders and he still is some
thing of a star, but his speed is desert
ing him. Charley Pick is youngster.
a fair hitter and only a fair fielder.
At shortstop there is nothing to the
comparison but the Cubs. Charley
| Hollocher is not only the seasons SEN
sation, but he probably is the greatest
shortstop to come to the big leagues
in a decade. Altho he is spending his
first year in major league baseball he
is hitting we'll over 800 and his field
ing is nothing short of marvellous.
Everett Scott. the So shortstop. Is
a fine fielder, but an atrociously weak
hitter.
Jack Coffey for. the sox and Charley
Deal for the Cubs compare well. Deal
is the better hitter, but Coffey is far
the better fielder and base runner. He
is a veteran of good minor leagues.
with a wealth of experience which
is a splendid fielder and dangerous
but not frequent a hitter. Deal is a
good fielder and a hard hitter. His
blows. while not many, usually come
at opportune moments and are of the
long variety great deal of the time
In the Gardens.
The outfield gives a slight edge to
4 D~I
| Whiteman. Hooper and Strunk are
two stars of the game while White
man is good enough" in these wal
times.
The Cubs will depend on Paskert. q
veteran, Flack, mediocre performer
and Mann a brilliant player at al
| times.
Vaughn, Tyler and Hendrix tina
sterling trio of FINGERS which ha:
pitched the Cubs into a. Nationa
league championship probably viii
lift the club into a worlds title
Vaughn and Tyler are left handlers
far above the average. while Hendrix
burly Highlander, has had his bes
year this season. Phil Douglas will
be called upon for any further RICH
Ruth, Mays. Jones and Bush will
do the box-work for Ed Barrow witt
a chance that Ruth also will work il
the outfield.
Ruth a Power.
OF the quartet Ruth will have tn,
best chance against the Cubs. He is
star in any company and will defea
the Cubs as surely as he starts agains
them. OF the others little can b,
said as opposed to Fred MITCHELL
champions. Buch's skill probabl,
will be the greatest obstacle, Will
Mays cunning doubtless will be easil,
overcome by the Cubs.
Catchers compare favorably will
the Red Sox having an edge in tina
they have two stars in Agnew AM
Schang, while the Cubs will depent
wholly upon Killifer. The latter i
looked upon In some quarters as tn
best of the National League backstop
but he is not yet placed in the clas