The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-06
RAY SCHALK OF WHITE SOX
 BETTER THAN IVINGO OF REDS
Comparison of Two BackstOps Who Will Meet in Worlds Series Show That American
 Leaguer Has Slight Edge.

With but a few short weeks of the big league season remaining it seems almost certain that the White sox and Cincinnati Reds will meet in the biz struggle in October for a worlds championship
 So, acting under the conviction that llI+Se cohtenders will meet in base balls big classic next month Ina Boston Post starts to comna,,a tbo players who will face each other when the big clash begins.
 Most important outside the pitcb- ing force of every team is the man behind and in this article the writ CT VIII present the respective rncrts or the best backstops in both the Chicago and Cincinnati outfits.
 While the coming National League champions have three sterling back stops, Il is conceded that Ivy yViDro IS by far the most consistent and d.. pendable of the Reds receivers. And any fan the American league. strong as his preference may be for some local faNorite, will be willing to admir- ungrudgingly that in Ray Schall Chi cago has the class of the receiver. of all Ban Johnson's circuit
 And while Winso is one of the stead lest catChers in the osuer organiza- lon with few superiors in either lea- que, the unbiased opinion of eyery, fan in the country selects Scha1k as unquestionably the better of the two men.
 Schalk is but 27 years of age, light and smaller than his National 1eague rival but he is two years young CT. While the difference in age means nothing just at the present time. as both the experience that comes from par- ucipatng in one big worlds series and the added advantage of p1aynz with an outfit that for the past four or five years has been a most DOW erful contender in the struggle fof. the American league pennant. Wingo has always been considered a splen- did backstop, but never before this year has his work come prominently beneath the limelight.
 Schalk so far has caught well over a hundred games for the Chicago club, while Wingo has participated in hardly more than half of that mum Der for Cincinnati. In some cases this might mean that Moran is so rich in backstop material that he could af- ford to rest wingo frequently and give some of his other backstops a chance; yet the fact that Schalk has figured in 10 games already means a | lot to anyone who has followed the | White SoX from the beginning of the | season up to the present time. | One of the best field generals in | the game, he is a cOnsummate iudpe ! the pitchers and a man who is ac- 1 quainted with every single weakness | of the opposing hitters. Cicotte. Will l Hams and Kerr owe a great deal of l their effectiveness to this little back stops brain, and on his judgment the entire aggregation relies No better instance of this can he furnished than the constant admoni- ton of Weaver. Collins and NIcNIulHu to the ptcher throughout every game. Every one of their appeals is made directly 10 Schalk, and always this trio keep urging the pitcher to "pitch it to Ray" This has become a bv- word in the White Sox park, as well as all over the American league cir cult
 SchaIk is one of the best defensive catchers in the American league
 His throwing to bases is superb, ana few bases are stolen on him. His coaching of the pitchers has been one of the biggest assets ln the White Sox defence. one of the quickest men in
 
 also a deadly enemy to the squeeze play, and few of the opposing batters have the temerity 10 try and pull this play when Schalk is behind the bat.
 OffensiveIy, he likewise is very im- portant part of the White SoX ma chine. He is one of the most dan gerous hit-and-run men in the coun- try, can place the ball in either field, is a good run getter and very fast upon the bases. He will easily excel any catcher that the Cincinnati team can produce, and therefore is to be given a wide margin of preference over Wingo.
 And yet Wingo Is a splendid receiv- CT who has caught but 6O-odd games. yet the Cincinnati team is not so ut terly dependent upon him as the White SoN are upon Schalk. He can throw as fast to bases, although his pegs some times lack the accuracy and smooth ness of the throws of the Chicago catcher. He is not considered by any means the general that the Chicago man is; yet it will be recalled that in that famous series between the Sox and the Giants Schalk did not add any great lustre to his fame. while Wingo may come through in the Chi cago clash with unexpected brillian- cy. Wingo is the heavier and is slow CT than his rval and by no means the run getter or base runner that Schalk is. Still the batting figures give Wingo the advantage by some 14 points.
 Defensively, therefore, Schalk would appear to be the better of the two by a comfortable margin. Offensive ly, the pair are more nearly on par.
 Teir seasons records give the fol- lowing figures:
 G. Bat.
 AV. Schalk 109 .278