The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-09-25
Major League Figure Shark Shows How Big Timers STACK
Up-Facts and Figures Pertaining to Major Athletes
Inside Dope "on Past PERI ormances
WORLD SERIES coNTENDERs.
THE SHORTSTOPS,
SHORTSTOP FIELDING RECORDS,
Club
SHORTSTOPS
BY FREDERICK G. LlEe.

There is a wide range among the six
shortstone likely to participate in the
world sefies competition. Roger Peck
inpaugh, of the Yankees, and Dave Ban
croft are by far the class of the lot
Larry Kopf, of the Reds, is several
steps below Peck and "Banny." Then
follow Ivan Olson of Brooklyn, and
SWede Risberg, of the White Sox, two
err .a, unsteady short fielders. At the
potion OF the class Is Harry Lunte,
the young Cleveland dnfielder, called
upon to fill the yawnlng gap left In
the Indian i2field through the lament
able death of the great Chapman.
II either the Giants or Yankees get
INTO the series, these teams will have
a., tremendous advantage at shortstop.
Mn WIN Bancroft anI hitting .3O5. 81 points
Detter than he ever hit before, the
Giant star must be placed at the very
Top OF National league shortstops.
Enough Peckinpaugh is not hitting near
as we'll as he did last year, when he
led the league for half the season, for
all-around worth he easily leads ali
american league shortstops. Chapman,
Great Beyond.
since the trade which brought him
70 the Giants, Bancroft has been playing
IKE man possessed. Everyone close
~ acquainted with the New York M
tiohals before and after the coming NJ
SAMMY knows that Dave brought the
kieal spark which converted the Giants
contender " Oil o"'i'e
Not only has Bancroft a big lead in
pattlhg over any of the rival short
stops, but his total chances are Ia
greater than Olson, of the BROOKLYN
t tIuo, ms nearest competitor. He has
taken part in 20 more double PLAYS
s snSm elt N Peck or Olson, who rank
second IN this department "Bannv''
mas been in one world series, the 1918
contest between the Phillies and Red
oox' buderHs and Bancroft were the
only Philadelphia players who were NOT
nyphotlzed by the Boston pitchers in
t tnae series "Banny'' hit .294; his
Ieck was laid up for quite a smell
carry in the season with a wrencbed
Dack In some of his 121 games he
appeared only as pinch hitter. and in
others he was in for only a few in
i niihgs' Baseball fans need to be told
little about the Yankee captains field
lis, Roger can throw out batters from
,nith u tieiu, OF make his wonder stops
base. VAIN Vi second
oi his batting average this season 10
;5o4 against .305 for 1919. However
Peckinpaugh again has his big quot.
OF extra base hits, % doubles, ( trinIes
smg homers. He leads all the world,
az a. Ai , IN scoring runs within
w. que largely to the fact that Ruth
has been batting behind him,
hopi' OF the Reds, is a good short
STOP, being a player of about the same
callber as Norris Rath, the Cincinnati
second paseman, who plays along side
p pi nm m Although the Redleg is be-
hlnd olson and Risberg in the fielding
averages, l would rank him ahead ~
either Of these players in steadine9s s
ana consistency A split hand has kent
MN out of the September games ~
me Reds, and may affect his PLAYING IL
Gl1clhhati again represents the Nation
al league in the world series.
Hls averages this season are not
a panIrcuiarIy favorable. Kopf stands last
among the contending shortstops in
tieldtng with 1888, and only Lunte, the
Cleveland rookie, is listed lower than
Larry ir batting. Kopfs batting aver
age Is ,24S, having made only 9S hits
in lO9 games.
His, fielding in the 1919 world So
rles, however, was of the highest grade
as he made only error in 40 chances
lie hit only .222, but much of his hit
ting was timely.
Gameness and tenacity are two of
the redeeming characteristics of Ivan
Ctsoh' the Brooklyn shortstop Though
ridden hard, often in his home hail
park, the Swede keeps on doing his
level best and always gives his club
all he has. There is no more agrees
ssive player on the Brooklyn team than
Ivan. Nl''''
But Olson, at 35, is as erratic as at
any time in his career, with an un-
happy faculty of bungling when II h,,rts
the most. Damaging errors by Olson
helped the Red Sox to score an easv
victory over Brooklyn in the world
series Of 1915. He Is hitting .249 This
year. and fielding $40, his errors being
more numerous than those OF anv n
the rival shortstops.
Risberg, the White Sox shortston
strikes me as a man much like Olson
though he is steadier during a league
campaign. than the Brooklyn Swede
But Risbergs play in the 1919 world
series was wretched He hit only Os0
getting 2 measly hits In s games, His
fielding wasn't much better, 4 errors
being charged to him, while a lot OF
other stiff grounderS went through him
for hits.
Lunte is the black horse among the
rival shortstops of 1920 He is a good
fielder, and can go deep into short for
hard driven balls. He has n splendid
whip, and only 2 errors in, 90 chances
speak well for his steadiness. But
Lunte's batting is weak and not OF big
league cHiiber. This season he is hh-
ting only 200 for 90 games, about the>
same gait as he showed last season
when hi hit 1876 in 26 contests