The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-09-03

belt strap NANCY.
From an analysis of the teams last
spring Cleveland, Boston and New
York were regarded as the most Dan
gerous clubs, with the majority Oh
critics favoring Cleveland. The IN
dams had had lot OF valuable men
in the army in 1918, but put up
hard fight for the pennant ana nnish-
ed a good second. With fellows ike
Harris, Wambsganss, Smith, KEEPER
and others back it looked like great
year for the Indians.
The White Sox and Tigers were
expected to battle with each other
for position on the lover ledge OF
the first division. Little better tnan
fourth was expected from either club.
Failed to ObIise critics.
At the start of the season 1t was
known that Gleason had only three
| pitchers, Cicotte, Williams ana
Faber. Then the wise ones said:
1.-THE Kid can't win the pennaEr on
three twirlers'' When the teams got
down to real competition It was
found that Faber had gone back
whole lot during his year In the navy
and no longer was dependable. Then
the cry was, THE Sox can't win with
two pitchers, and both little fellows.
Just watch them crack"
| But neither the Sox nor the little
fellows cracked. At times Clcotte
and williams showed me effects of
the strain put on >them, and hard
batting would pull them through
Yet today they are as enective as
they were in the spring.
t. So 10 rVav-
pitchers of the age. Here Is fell
low who at 35 years of age still is
! improving In 1918 1t looked as
though Father Time at last was get
ting a clutch on Cicotte. After
Eddie's great year in 1918 he slump
ed perceptibly last year, not only in
winning games but In general effec-
tiveness. He won only tweIve games
and lost nineteen, while in the mat
ter of earned runs he stood thirty
second on the list, with 275 earned
runs a game.
Cicotte Pitching Wizard.
Yet this year he is the pitching
wizard of both leagues. Last week
The hung up his twenty-sixth victory
and opposing teams are getting to
him for only handful OF hits. When
Eddie first began to attract attention
as real diamond some half dozen
years back, they called his delivery
the "knuckle ball" Then he pitched
the resin ball." and later the talcum
powdered shine ball." He was
stopped from using that and now for
want of better name his delivery is
called the mystery ball" Always
Ia cJa
| Young Claude Williams deserves
almost as much credit for the Sox
success as Cicotte Like Cicotte, VIII
| built on stocky lines He also has
| been consistent winner all season
and now is well on hts way to his
twenty-fifth victory.
| Faber at times has shown flashes
of his old ability but hard batting
| has carried him along. Little Dickie
Kerr, southpaw no bigger than
| Little Memo Liebold, also has done
/ valiant service for the Sox on the
mound, both as a rescue pitcher and
| a starter. Lowdermiln has pitched
an occasional good game, while Bill
James pitched a shut-out week ago
I to celebrate his first appearance in
Sox uniform.
Team Playing Great Ball.
| The entire Chicago team is play
| ing great ball, but Eddie Collins
iplay again has been the feature. To
many close students of baseball it
long has been a mooted question who
| is of more value to a team, Cobb or
| Collins. 1t is argued that Eddie
makes up in his fielding whatever
| superiority Cobb has over him as
| batsman. No crack outfelder can
be as valuable to a team as a star
F., infelder, the lone exception being
F. Iris Speaker. but his ability Is I'M
canny.
Though this is Collins fourteenth
year in the American league there
| is no sign Of any let UP in his field
ling. Accounts of recent White Sox
games In the west say that even in
his best days with the Athletics
Eddie never played the ball he is
playing now, As one st. Louis writer
put it, "a second baseman like Col.
Inns can make any pitching has
been or never was lcok IKE a world
beaten"
Collins also is hitting better than
! DIT ally tlHlS III the ldSI luIet years.
! After hitting over 800 for eight sue
cessive years Eddie dropped out of
the 800 set in 1917 and 1918, but this
year he again has taken his place
with the leagues leading maulers
Jaokson's Hitting Helps.
Joe Jackson's clubbing also is
doing its share toward making the
Sox pitching staff look good. His
| shipyard experience last year evi,
IDENTIFY didn't phase Joseph. 1t GER
tainly hasn't made him less popular
in Chicago. When the White Sox
opened the season the south side
fans had a band and a reception
committee on hand to welcome Joe.
They gave him a lot of silverware
and carried banners to the park,
Welcome Joe Jackson
Evidently Joe appreciated it as he
is hitting harder than any time since