The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-29
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON

lsni SpS Nv
cubs ...............7Ga cSl lof6
Cleveland ..........7tS 29a 1"I'
Th. worlds series third bascmcn arc
tho worst lot Of players. when Nopco
against tho pitching they must lace una
in tho tlcldluG sense that ever particl-
patcd in such M cvont.
The class OF ihu third hasoTs IS
scarcely that Of the class il. y. players
Of a year ago. and not one Of them Is
within fifty points Of tho mon who par
ticipa,ed in the lglI championships.
Deal gives Chicago rather Il large lraC
over the Red SoX and that IS chicti?
duo TO his known ability 10 field ana the
fact that he is the kind oe 4 batter llaol"
70 spring surprise hy taxing Slai''
when lcaSt expected.
Deal Is q fielder who has bccn nucn
moderated by the experts largely be-
cause he has been Il weak h!llcr GURUS
all his major league career, ana even pe
ing with winning CLUB TINS season ne
has not served to improve his batting. Hc
is 4 normal 225 hitter in the big leagues
and does no figure to hit nearly That
well against the Red Sox pitching. which
Will b.. ut least IS percent higher than
the average Of National League twirl-
ing this season. You can figure Deal 5
hitting practically =" .Eihln quantity
in this series. save 1880, he is liable TO
lake a strong crack at Eush.s speed
and Il ht in l. pinch means Il lot in such
Il series. 49,.
Eut in tho defensive feature OF the
game Deal stands very high even ~hch
compared with the best tieldcrs in I'll"
game. raSt and present. He has Il mar
vrlouH rlir of hands and IS one 81 inc
best men in the business IN hlncklhG ana
holding hard drives down the line: .jh dH
OF being at his best in tho tiEhteSt
places. ,,,..
with the Boston Braves until Smth :
superior hitting ability drove him of
third baS,. aud those who watched the
race this year. and also fellows on the
team. declare that his fielding was one
Of the strongest points IN the winning
combination. He has been tho same
with Chicago this year. and his Work IN
conjunction with young 1Iullochcr has
heIncd make the team solid In the inner
line, OF defensive work. In other words.
Deal is great in dcfeusc. but us 4 MEM
bcr Of the Shock squad he isn't mnrh.
although he rather shines III comparison
with Boston.
Third hasn has been the weakest spot
in the Red Sux team all year anu IL lar
row is rated as great manager IL
should b. largely upon the manner IN
which he has kept plugging up tHte
vital defect in his defensive team. he
tried and failed with Mrlnnis. no has
tried with all sorts Of lncn-Whitrnan'
Miller. CofGry-anyone mat came hlohs
and nc has found that CoIfcy' veteran
who is smart and fair man in Ill re-
sncctS hut never of real major league
class. WAS the most SATISFACTORY III
steady work. Eut for worlds series
against the pitching of tho Cubs COREY
figures down 10 the GROUNDS. re gains
in one respect and that is that hc ought
10 do fairly we'll against Vaughn ana
Tyler. although either Hendrix or Doug
las would make him do Il luSENne NC
with is bat. l can't figure hum ao"re a
no hits that we'll. but then We must
Iigure further when we remember that
| George Rohc. who was about the same
type OF player rs Coftcy. was the hero
,, Of one worlds series.
The fact that Coftcy's manner OF hit
, ting is practically unknown L" III" Cubs
ought to help make him more dangerous.
We find this feature prominent III lac
history of all worlds series that IN"
battcrS who are unknown to pitchers HSa-
ally hit hard; vide Hank Goway ana
Robe
However. in figuring this series we
must calculate upon the resourccful-
ness Of Barrow in Sap-puES'ne. II.
has Wally Schang who was triHn Il.
third ard found wanting. and remember
hat Schang can hit left handed ritchinE
and that he c;tn wallOp that Dali haFu
when he gets L chance at II -.,ir
l am lighting that BARROW is creIa'tr
to use Schang Il; third has" in some 9i
! the games. and that AEnew will 90
i practically oil tho catching. In taxing
| Coffcy off third Barrow Will lose on!
% points in fielding and Wall gam -
noints in batting ability. If he uses
| cch;'mp only against the left handlers ct
| Mitchrns team his next gam Will DC
CI,ariy il is Boston's problem to util--
| izc the best points of the playing OF
+ both Schans and Coffey. which IS con,
Siderable Of a problem. and at best IN:
! team gains strength in ono department
at tho certainty OF losing in, another
Srhang cannot field the third base posi-
ton, 50 that. in putting him on lhat
bag Barrow would be gamblinS largely
| That he would hit and that few balls
! would be hit in his direction. His aDiI-
J iiy to hit left handcrs makes for ScOr-
! ing strength. and the speed 81 BUSH
and Mays tends to- force the CUBS nat
would rclic*c the tension Soincwhat
But when Jones pitches that Slow pa''
| it is Il difficult matter
| This season both teams nrc comp"iird
| 10 take chances that they would not
| takr under ordinary circumstances.
If Cleveland could get into the series
the Cubs show considerable loss attack
| ing power talthVugh that is like makinE
liz a minus Guantity) but have loss "i
advantage. Evans is not "A rthk 81, lInN
|
! respects equal 10 or better than clthct
! Boston or Chicago. "
! The series. it now seems. will hr de-
cided on pitching. but even with inc
best Of pitching against weak hittinr
teams there is a huge danger IN having
a lcaky intcld.
Chicago has the better constructed
| inticld for defensive work regard less OF
whether Zridcr nr Pick plays second
II lacks class but is better balanced
! Boston is weak at second and hnd NJ
third, while extraordinarily strong al
first and short. The chance for II Ean'
inr possibly the entire srrrs. I" lrhR
saway through third base is the worst
! feature Of the Red SoX defense.
Tomorrow we will study the catch
| ers-and remember that the catcher
imposition value Is almost twice as
valuable as any one Of the inhelders
and In this series even more vital
to the team work
(Copyright 1918. b. The Bell Syndicate
| Incorporatcd.)