The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-10-01
Veec Earns Praise For Starting Scandal Probeaure Nee
BROOKLYN ROBINS NOT A GREAT CLUB
BUT HAS POWERFUL HURLING CORPS
By FREDERICK G. LIEB.

In reviewing the Brooklyn club for
world series purposes, the FREEDOM
nance Of tits pitching staff Is its
greatest claim for favor. The Dodg-
ers are not a great club, and man
for man il isn't as formidable team
as the. Cincinnati Reds Of 1919. But
II is a fairly strong aggregation,
little superior to the other National
League leaders. but a team which
was carried TO the top through its
numerous high grade pitchers.
Next TO the pitching stan. Brook
Iyn's strength lies In the outheld'
where Zack Wheat and Hi Myers are
stars. Right neld. however, isn't so
we'll taken care or but In short
series either Nets or Griffith should
have no trouble holding up their end.
On paper the inneld Is ordinary
but under the stress of a red-hot PEN
napt race, II has knit together ana
played championship ball Konetchy'
a stocky, slow moving nrst baseman
of the old type. has been playing ms
greatest ball In years. buoyed on py
the hope OF playing on HIS nrst pen
nant winner after fourteen years III
the major leagues.
at second, and has developed into a
useful member of the Dodgers, though
he started the season a utility man.
The left side of the Brooklyn infeid
10 most uncertain.
sTEADIER THIS YEAR.
In discussing shortstops we already
have had to tell what liability the
giraffe Olson was to the Brooklyn
sYie
Red Sox. In justice to Olson II must
be said that he has been steadier this
year than usual
Johnston's fielding average Is not
bad. but in reviewing the third base
man we showed that Buck Weaver at
third has accepted over 100 more
chances than Johnston in about the
same number of games. Johnston
will suffer in comparison with GARD
ner. 1t is pretty hard to take man
who has played the outfield all his
life and station him at the hot cor
ner. 1t Is to Johnston's everlasting
credit that he has held up his own
at third as well as he did.
don't like the Brooklyn catchers,
and Roblnson's team will suffer be-
hind the bat when his trio OF catchers
L. compared with either of the two
American League topnotchers-Steve
O'Neill or Ray Schalk. Miller-the
veteran-has developed into the most
reliable of Robby's maskmen. and l
expect to see him work almost the
entire series.
HAS LITTLE CONFIDENCE.
The Brooklyn team has little con-
fidence in either Kruger or Elliot,
but Kruger, a hard hitter, may get
| into a few of the games.
| The Dodgers have fair utility
strength. and would not suffer much
| IL Schmandt was obliged to fill the
| shoes Of either Konetchy or Kilduff.
! In the outfield Lamar. an American
I League discard. plays a deep field and
! can hit.
The manager Of the Brooklyn team,
| Wilbert Robinson, Is one OF the big
| gest assets Of the National Leaguers.
He Is a smart, heady leader under
stands his men, and seldom makes the
error OF starting the wrong pitcher.
Besides. he has the valuable gift of
leadership. His men believe in him,
and he believes in them.
Robinson says he has a better club
this year than his champions of 1916.
In that / agree with him. The 1920
club Is gamer team than that of
four years ago. whose mental attitude
on the eve of the 1915 series was the
worst we ever have encountered. The
1916 team had absolutely no conf
dence in itself. 1t took for granted
the superiority OF the Red Sox and
! went into the series solely to get the
fat losers portion. The 1920 team con-
| tains many survivors of 1916, but an
entirely different spirit dominates the
present Brooklyn aggregation.
BATTING AVERAGE LOWER.
Brooklyn's team batting average is
.276. considerably lower than that of
either Cleveland or Chicago in the
American League. However. the
| D6dger average OF .276 is thirteen
points higher than that Of the Cincin-
natl Reds of 1919, which won the
worlds championship from the Chi
cago White Sox.
The Dodger 900 hitters are Wheat
Myers. Konetchy and Grimes, the
pitcher. Wheat, Myers and Honey
all come together in the batting order
and gives Brooklyn n strong cleanup
trio after Olson, Johnston and Neis,
the fast lead-ofr men, get on base.
In the field the Dodgers have a club
average of .967. and are not near as
reliable as the Reds of last year, who
helded .9T4. 1t was the steadiness be-
hind their pitchers that enabled the
Reds to make such a splendid show
ing last fall.
We finally come back to the pitch
ers, the source OF Brooklyn's greatest
strength. The Dodger stan of Grimes,
Pfeffer, Smith, Galore, MarQuard,
Mamaux and Mitchell Is generally
recognized as the best in the game.
1 on the arms of those seven men hinge
the hopes of Brooklyn fandom. II
they fail or waiver the Brooklyn club
would not have the inherent strength
to surmount such an. obstacle.
| Copyright, Js20. by Al Munro Elias.