The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-26
DOPING THE WORLDS SERIES.
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON
ARTICLE NO. 2.-rhc Outficdcrs and the First Bascucn.
BY HUGH S. FULLERTON

ditiun. grant Fred Mcrkc to be as good
Il hall player as his averages this year
! would appear to indicate. On bare
figures Mcrklc has been almost a3 good
L ball PLAYER this season US Stuffy Nc
InniS. and il is impossible that iirurcs
should make them so. Yet. while We
find McInnLs slightly below par. VIC
must rrrkun that II considerable extent
al that loss WAS due TO the fret thai he
tried to b.. third haS"rnan carly in t.:
season, and this upset his steady wC"li
for 4 time. Also. in spite Of the tact
that we know the figures arr not tclIiN;
the truth about Mcrkl". We must allcw
hiIa part uC his Improvement and attr!b-
Ttc il. to the confidence and inspira!I" ION
which arises from playing with win
ming team. The rest 0f his seeming in
crease in hitting ability we must ettrih-
utt To- tho fact i!Iat thu average Of pitch
irc in he National l"a&u" This season
has been extremely low.
In other words thr way in which T."
cnlculat" what Mcrklr ought TO d."
AGAINST tho Boston Red Soy pitching is
to figure his batting averages over e.
period nf say eight years. and add about
six percent for increased confidence.
then calculate. what a batter hitting at
that rate is liable - nil against th"
aItrhcrS Of thr led Son staff If VIC dn
Iht: we find Mtrke still rating up ms I
dangerous man in such Z series. rs 4
reliable and steady veteran.
McInpis Leads His Rivals
Atain. in curing ruStOn 'H-InSt th"
CRIBS. w" discover dun,!"r '"~c If when
the Cul, pitchers. respectfully Vaughn and
Tyler. who arc becoming more and more
;mptr,ant rs VIC proceed w,rt. tn" drr"
cut .nints fam the I.l%.un* attaching
str"nr:h. However. cr"n n" cunning nj
TYLER. with hia Cnutrr! Ind his f"hiiErc
tw.::rrS, Is not lirb:" - affect Icin-
nj, nearly TO he extent il viii Effect th"
! hating Of Ruth. no: will FaaShnS
speed and shoots stop him much. In
other words II is sale 10 taN6 N"InnlN
av,r.., es against the Scnl LETT handlers
rr The .,mcri: m lcag,,2 AMI figure that
T., 81 Just a!s strong nraiaS; Vaughn aid
"vlrr. Rather il looks :" M" az IL Hen
.lriy' snittcr "r Speed Martins curry"
would ;rnuhl. NcIunjs more then ciih"c
OF the Mitchell south PAWS
The :,;urr@ leave McTnuis n cons dor
nhia lad over h:s rival IN til" oJsitinn.
although not as much rs they would
show were they 10 h" compared for an
entire season against all kinds Of pitch
ing.
Nothing could hc more misleading than
figuring M"rklr i $40 hitter ms h" has
been this season. or than figuring Nc
Innis Il go hitter Gas he now fiSurcS).
II VIC were calculating for an cnlir"
season We would have In follow these
figures but thc fact is that the figures
practically ought TO hr reversed. Mcln-
mis- is a normal ZOO hitter and has been
practically all tn" time since i" hrrk" in
whilo Mr-klcS normal gait is around
"GI. Differing conditions this season
coupled with McInnis' slump Will"
changing positions. have altered their
standing. I'll" thing which makes them
look 50 noarly equal for the purposes
Of his series is that Mcrklc is right
handed hitter. who hits rather better
against Tho kind OF pitching he must
meet (cs specially such as that of Mays
and Iush) while McInnis' probably hit
ting is cut heavily hy the fact that he Is
up. against tho kind of pitching which
has proved effective against him III his
own league.
In fielding McInris has all tho edge.
I woods at FIRST for Cleveland.
In CONSIDERING tn" chnnccs Of Cicvc-
land, which we mus; do even though
they prar! icully are out Of the struggle
ut this ti,n" We must use Il composite Of
two players l had L. figure com
, positc "f Wood and E"srhrr In RICH;
field. and II looks ~ !. | viii hav" 10
figure Wood in rs fist hi&"raan against
ChicaEo's left handlers. and as right
fielder against ;hr right humlcrs. fur
surely Foil Will strive 10 usr his full
right handed swing strength against
Vaughn and Tyler.
Even So. Cleveland docs not look I'M
prcSsivcly strong against the cubs in
the first base end III the job. They
compare fairly we'll at that because. if
the Cubs got against Cleveland. their
:Ittackin, strength Will not be- aS strong
liz ii would be- against the R:d Sex. In
other words. Cov"lcsk!e. with his wis
ing fad"r and his sharp breaking spit
bali. and ElEhy and Morton with their
shoots and speed. would tend Ia cheek
Mcrklc's batting If they do mot stop hin!
t" Il stand still. They ar" just III" three
kind Of men who would stop him. rsprr-
tally CUVclrSklr.
Tomorrow being another day, we
will consider the second baSeman
and 1t is violating no condolences to
state We are going to BIO surprised
to find how weak second basvmen
arc this season. Nowever, the weak
ness or strength does not effect the
ch;rnces Of team much, provided