Evening star., 1919-10-04
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

CHICAGO, October 4.-By exhibit
ing the gameness characteristic OF
them and the ability to come back
conceded to be one of their most
noted attributes, the White Sox yes
terday in winning the third game
from the Reds, to 0. largely
through superlative pitching by little
Dick Kerr, completely altered the as
pect of the world series and caused a
violent reaction in the betting odds
Following the second straight vic
tory of Moran's men in Cincinnati and
prior to yesterdays contest odds o!
S to 2 that the Reds win the series
and to that the National Leaguers
would take the third straight were
freely offered. Now the Reds sup
pcrters are willing to give only the
shortest imaginable odds and are
showing no great inclination to risk
large sums on either the outcome OF
the series or the game today.
As was anticipated. the White Sox
back on their own home lot playing
before the rooters who have been
loyal to Comiskey and his teams year
1r and year out, regardless of their
position in the race, took a new lease
on life. They presented an altogether
different appearance from the team
that absorbed two consecutive drub-
bings at the hands of the cyclonic
Reds in Cincinnati. They had more
pep and conf1dence-shook off the me-
chanical manner bereft of fire or dash
that marked their work in Cincinnati.
The familiar environment helped.
Likewise the vocal encouragement of
the huge gathering of friendly fans at
the Southside Grounds. but it was
the remarkable hurting exhibition of
q or1xy hi ole 4
accounted for their chameleon change
in appearance. 1t is a trite truism
that no team looks good when it gets
poor pitching, which was the case of
the Sox in the games Cicotte and
Williams worked. 1t naturally fol-
when given the benefit of heady, ef-
1ective box work, which exactly de-
ecribes the performance yesterday of
Kerr.
There is absolutely no debate pos
caiiber Of the pitching yet to be un-
covered rests the answer to the out
come OF the series, and that the result
or the fourth combat today will have
an all important bearing on the ulti-
mate returns. Having reduced the
Reds lead to one full game the Sox
today have the opportunity to tie it
up and get squared away on even
terms for the dash to their goal
whether they will be able to do it
will not be known until late this
afternoon, but that they have q her
culean task on their hands is assured
by the likelihood that Walter Ruether,
the clever lefthander, whose terrific
hitting was such a great factor in
their initial defeat, again may op-
pose them.
Had the Reds maintained an unin-
terrupted march toward the title by
attaining third straight victory yes
teriay Manager Moran probably
could have sent Jimmy Ring against
the Sox today and saved Ruether for
the Sabbath contest. but having lost
part of his advantage. the astute Pat
IL expected to shoot his southpaw ace
Eight back. Ruether is a comparative
youngster. and the two full days of
rest he has had should be sufficient
for him to return to the mound
Whether he will be able to display
as much stun as in the opener is
problematical, but that he will dupli-
cate his remarkable hitting of that
tussle may be regarded ias extremely
doubtful.
Hod Eller is a possibility for box
work. In the preliminary doping he
was regarded as the probable choice
for opening the set. and the fact that
quently as a candidate for slab duty
was.ha to understand until inquiry
among the base ball sharps in Gin
einnAli elected the information that
Lack of balance initiates against his
eligibility for duty. The Cincinnati
Eller's work through the exceedingly
that while possessing a most bathing
tha twhile possessing a most baff1ing
assortment of benders, including a
very deceptive shine ball. he is not on
q par with Ruether, Sallee. Fisher or
Ring in headwork; that he is prone to
pitch his own game" without much
regard for instructions, and that Mo-
ran naturally prefers in this series,
where so much is at stake, to use
twtrlers better qualified to work with
head as well as their arm.
What pitcher Gleason will decide
upon to send against the reds in the
crucial event today cannot be fore
told. The tip is out that Red Faber.
hero of the 1917 tussle with the
and is in shape to give the Redlegs
. run for their money. but the accu-
racy of this report is seriously Ques-
toned. as Faber had a very unsatis-
factory season of it. and at no time
gave indications of regaining the
two years ago. 1t is more reasonable
to assume that Bill James will get
the nomination or that Cicotte will
be given a chance to redeem himself.
The atrocious lacing administered to
Cicotte last Wednesday cannot be
taken as a true criterion of what may
be expected to happen every time he
faces Moran's machine. The shine ball
expert plainly was not himself that
day. Having worked only four innings
then, there is no physical reason why
Cicotte should not return to the
mound this afternoon. and II he does
those familiar with his ability are
confident he will put up a far diff
ferent exhibition.
However, we are inclined to the
view that it will be James that will
get the call This elongated finger is
endowed with as much natural abil-
ity as almost any pitcher in the game.
and If he can curb a tendency to Wild
ness may stand the Reds on their
heads, as he did several teams in the
American League after being picked
up by the White Sox.
The breaks of the game which they
failed to get in the first two battles
and which caused such bitter lamen-
tations among the Sox players finally
came their way yesterday and proved
an important factor in their initial
success. But without them Gleason's s
men could not have been beaten. for
the exhibition of pitching given by
Kerr precluded the possibility of a
Cincinnati victory. This diminutive
southpaw. who first attracted atten-
tion in athletic circles by his ability
TO use his fists when playing on the
eandlots of St. Louis, where he was
born twenty-six years ago. and who
this year is having his first expert
ence in the big leagues, turned in one
Of the best rounded efforts ever
shown by a boxman in a world series