Connecticut western news., 1919-10-02
GRIFFITH SAYS sex
 SHOULD WIN SERIES
Washington Manager Puts in
 Boost for Chicago Team.
Not League Loyalty, but Opinion Formed Upon Careful Study of BasebaII-Tigers Had Hard
 Luck at Start of Season.

Manager Clark Griffith of the Wash lngton American league team, in dis cussing baseball the other evening ex- pressed the belief that the White Sox would defeat the Cincinnati Reds and | gave his reasons for his choice. It was not league loyalty in any sense, but an opinion based upon careful study of baseball that the Washington | leader gave.
 ITO begin with," said Griffith, "I have not seen the Reds play this sea- son. know some of the older men and know what they can do. I do know the White Sox and know what they can do. I have had practical demonstrations of what they can do. The White Sox have every essential of a championship baseball team. They have whirlwlnd attack, a won- derful defense, and every move they make is directed by keen baseball brains.
 There Is no fluke about the posi- tion of the White Sox. It is true that the Tigers had bit of tough luck in the start of the season, but, just the same, the Chicago team Is a real. blown-in-the-glass club. They lead the league in hitting, base running, SCOT ing runs, extra base hits and every thing else. When they set the highest standards in those things we can only conclude that they are champions. "Just take their batting order first. Memo Leibold is Q lead-off man of the type. He Is hard to pitch to and has good eye. If the balls are bad he won't take cut at them. If they are { in he Is as liable to crack 1t for two or three as he is to get a single. Then i there is Eddie Collins. Collins is about the greatest second-sacker that | the game ever produced. He is a great hit-and-run man; or he can stand in and slug. You know a good hIt-and-run player does not smash the ball when that play Is on. He meets the ball and punches 1t. Collins can | run the bases, too.
 'Then there is no less a person than Buck Weaver. Buck is about as good as Collins. I think he is the greatest third baseman in the world today. He can go and get a ball, he can throw, he has fine hands and Is smart. Then comes Joe Jackson. Jackson Is hitting $50, and is liable to bust one clean out of the lot. Happy Felsch is hitting about .260 now, but he is a dangerous factor. Chick Gandil Is a hard hitter and is playing wonderful ball right now. Don't let any shallow skulls tell you that Chick is not a good player.
 Tt has been said" continued Griff, ''that if 1t were not for Eddie Cicotte and Claude Williams the Sox would ! be nowhere. Perhaps that is right, but you can take it from me that if 1t were not for the White Sox Cicotte ] and Williams might not be anywhere. When a pitcher can go in there and know he has the sort of team that if ! the opposition makes three runs his mob will make four it gives him the heart to do big things. That is the type of men the White Sox are. They never stop fighting.
 "Defensively the Sox are marvels, and nothing less. am going to tell you something now that may surprise you," said Griff earnestly. "I am going to tell you that Happy Felsch is the ! greatest center fielder in baseball"
 "But there is Iris Speaker" protest ed the writer.
 1 "I know there is Speaker" replied i Griff. 'I know all about Speaker; he ] is a great ball player, but he is not one whit better than Felsch, and I think that Felsch is just bit better than he. Mind you, I am talking of defensive work now. It is practically impossible to hit ball over Felsch's head. He is a ball falcon in fielding the ground hits, and he has one of the most marvellous arms that ever ! swung from mans shoulders"