The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-19

A radical Giant fan, who has wagered
 big money that the clansmen of Me- Graw will annex the National league
 honors this season, dropped in to see me the other day. The slump of the Ma tional league favorites had worried him and apparently he was looking for so- lace.
 "How does it look to you, from the Giant yiewpoint?'
 Rather dubious,'' I replied.
 "Oh, they're the class of the league, and class will tell,' he insisted.
 Glass doesn't win pennants.'" was my reply. ITO find the truth i'll that state ment you need only to look back to 1914, 1915 and 1916 when the Braves. Philies and Dodgers romped home ahead. They
 weren't the class teams. yet they won out"
 But" he protested, 'there isn't a
 team in the circuit that looks good enough to beat out the Giants"
 How about the Cubs?" I asked.
 "Why, that's just dub team travelling far beyond its natural speed just now. They haven't got more than two or three real players in the lineup. They'll crack"
 Maybe, and maybe not" said to him.
 Tn considering the Cubs you forget
 that they have in Fred Mitchell one of
 the greatest managers baseball has known. Mitchell is genuine in welding
 poor material into a great ball team
 Many persons give to Mitchell much ot
 the credit for the Braves world cham pionship conquest in 1914. Jim Gaffney, who owned the Braves at that time, IS listed among them. And Gaffney ought to know While Mitchell was lieuten- ant for Stallings the Braves were power full. Since he left the Braves have been only mediocre performers. You are like many others right now" I added. You've got the idea that be- cause the Cubs, man for man, do not compare with the Giants they haven't chance. Yet look at where they are. It's true that Fred Merkle has averaged only around .280 with the stick up to this year, and now is hitting 70 points or so beyond that mark. Perhaps he will slump, hut until he doos you can't get away from the unassailable fact that
 the Cubs have .350 hitter in their line up. Other Cubs are batting beyond their normal batting mark. But it isn't what man did a year ago that counts. It's what he's doing today Those Cubs With fat batting marks may slump-and they may not"
 But the Cubs haven't got great in field nor really great outfield," was the comeback
 Mot as individuals-but in team work they have shown up wonderful so far,' was my answer. That's due largely to MichelPs system of handling his men. Merkle, Zcider, Holocker and Deal, rated individually, are lot outstanding stars. But as a quartet, guided by the master mind and hand of Mitchell, that's some thing different. Mann, Flack and Pas 1 kert cannot be ranked now among the greatest of outfielders, yet as trio their work is brilliant.
 When it comes to a pitching staff the l Cubs exhibit one that is just about az; | good as any in the game today Vaughn, | Tyler, Hendrix and Douglass. the Big | Four, are starring. And behind the bat
 there the great Bill Killefer. The draft 1 may take him from the Cubs any day, | but until it does the Cubs will have the l services of one of the best backstops in l the business.
 1 Nov. let's go back to the Giants ] continued. At the outset of the season
 they looked like world beaters. And
 they started off as such. Nine straight