The sun., 1919-09-26
WHITE SOX INFIELD
HAS EDGE ON REDS
Eddie Collins, One of Games
Greatest Players, Gives Chi
cago Advantage.

A few days ago we called attention
to the fact that the Chicago White Sox
had a stronger outheld than their
worlds series rivals-the Cincinnati
Reds. A comparison of the rival infields
also gives the Sox the advantage, though
not by the same margin they hold in the
outfleld.C
Outside ofsecond base the two inflelds
are pretty evenly matched. Ed Collips
towers over Morris Rath at that position
not because Rath is a poor second base
man, but because Eddie Collins towers
over any other second baseman stacked
up against him..
Collins is the greatest worlds series
star the game ever has known. In three
Of the five series he has been in he has
hit over 400. His worlds series aver
ages are .429 In 1910. .2S6. in 1911, .421
lin 1913, 2.14 in 1914 and .407 In 1917.
His average for the five series Is around
1875. He went through the four games
of 1914 and the six Of 1917 without an
error.
But even figures do not begin to tell
what Collins has meant to the worlds
series contenders Of which he has been
a member, Collins was the handspring
Of the old Athletics, and he holds the
same position on the present Sox. Every
thing revolves around him.
Collins Playing Great Ball.
Collins also has played better ball In
the American League this year than he
did In the two war years Eddie was
fretting In both 1917 and 1918 because
he wasn't in the war, and finally got into
the marines late last season. He went
under 800 for the FIRST time since be-
coming a regular In 1917, and he also
was under that. mark last year. This
year Eddie Is back to normal again. and
Is ranging around .325.
Oddly enough both Rath, the Cincin-
natl second sacker. and Kopf. the Red
land shortstop acted as inheld utility
men to the Athletics while Collins was
a member of that great ball club.
Rath has been referred to by some
novices as youngster, but he broke in
with the Athletics only a few years
after Collins. He was utility infelder
to the Athletics of 1909 and 1910. but
was traded to Cleveland in midseason of
that year. Rath and Joe jackson. the
mighty sluggcr of the White Sox. went
TO Cleveland for Bris Lord. Rath and
Shoeless Joe both later found their way
to Chicago. but Morris couldn't hit we'll
enough to suit Comiskey and was
sent to the minors. He was picked up
by the Reds last year, but he went into
natl until this year.
Rath really has developed into a very
clever man at his position. He is fast
and though not much of a hitter he is a
good lead OFF man. He has a good eye
at BAT and gets his share of bases on
balls, while he also has been able to beat
out lot of chops to the infield.
Little to Choose mt First.
At first base It Is a standoft between
Chic Gandil the veteran Sox first base
man. and Jake Daubert, for years the
first baseman and captain of the Dodgers.
In some quarters Gandn might be given
a slight preference because of Daubert's
poor play in the 1916 series between the
Red Sox and Dodgers. Jake was help
less before Bill Carrigan's pitchers. He
got only three hits for an average OF
IT'S. He did so poorly against the left
handlers that Merkle played first base in
the fifth game. when Dutch Leonard
etched for Boston,
Gandil Is a pretty steady man and g
real dependable fielder. He is not as
brilliant as Daubert on some plays, but
for steadiness he has had few equals
So far this year he has made only two
fielding errors. He is likely to hang up
a new record for first basemen. Gandil
always stands high In the fielding aver
age. His life fielding average probably
is better than that of any other first
baseman who has participated In as
many games as Chic. He Is hitting over
800 this year and batted .261 in the 1917
worlds series
Kopf might be given a slight edge on
Risberg. because the Cincinnati man hits
about twenty-odd points better. He also
is Inclined to be a little steadier, though
Risberg can go back deeper for
hard hit balls to his left.
Groh Best Third Baseman.
Heinie Groh, Cincinnati third base
man. PROFESSIONALLY is the best man In
his position to-day, but at that he has
just a slight shade on Weaver. That
isn't detraoting any credit from little
Heinie either, who 10 q wonder at his
position. They don't come any better.
But Weaver for all around ability Is
the best third baseman In the American
League this year. Though Buck has
played most of his life at short he took
nicely to his new position and has be-
on bunts. Weaver Is Just under 800 In |
batting. some ten odd points below Groh. J
Both the Cincinnati and Chicago in /
fields work well together. Though the
Red combination is comparatively neW,
Daubert and Rath playing their first
year with the club, It is we'll oiled and
runs on its plays as smoothly as a
quartet which has been together for
years, The White Sox combination with !
the exception OF Risberg is the same |