The Washington times., 1920-09-25


is made to catchers of the caliber
Johnny King, Bill Carrigan, and r
Brooklyn will enter the coming
world series with it's greatest weak
ness behind the bat, and IL will take
great pitching and lots OF smuggling
to offset such handicap. The Doog-
ers are winning the pennant In the
National League in spite. OF their
catchers, rather than because OF them.
Otto Miller, unauestionably Will do
the bulk of the Brooklyn catching In
the world series. His work has been
a great deal more consistent than
that OF either, Kruger or Elliott.
There have been stretches when otto
has caught grand ball, only to fan
back to mediocrity on other occa-
sions.
MILLER IS A VETERAN.
Miller is one of the veterans of
the Dodgers, and has been with the
Brooklyn club since 1910. His bat
ting average of SS4 for this season
is the best of his career. Otto's hit
ting is fairly timely, too. In fielding
Miller also ranks pretty high, his
fielding average being third best
among the contending catchers. His
throwing is fair, but not consistent.
On the Brooklyn National League
champions of 1916, Miller divided the
catching with Chief Meyers. Miller
got into two games in the world
series of that year and made one hit,
while he held up his own pretty
well behind the bat
Though Ernie Kruger hits less
than Miller in the averages, he is a
more dangerous hitter. Kruger is
hitting .275, and while his 1920 extra
base record shows only two doubles
and a triple, he has reputation for
being a long distance hitter. But as
a catcher he Is unsteady and erratic
and an Indispensable thrower. He is
tied for last among the contending
catchers with a fielding average of
.944.
ELLIOTT A DISAPPOINTMENT.
Rowdy Elliott has been a big dis
appointment in Brooklyn. He was
supposed to bolster up the teams
weak catching department, but after
the season advanced he proved the
weakest link of the chain. But Elliott
spills a lot of pepper around ball
park, and has been useful to Manager
Robinson in keeping the Brooklyns
on their toes.
Any of the three American League
COutthoCIS win nave ~ uS1iNSo 'Ne
on Brooklyn in catching, though IL
the New York Yankees get into the
series. their margin will be much less
than If the Cleveland Indians or Chi
cago White Sox prove to be the lucky
American League team.
In Ray Schalk and Steve O'Neill
these Western American League con-
tenders have the two best catchers in
baseball. There was time when
Schalk was regarded as being in
class by himself, but O'Neill loses lit
tie in comparison with the little Chi
'cago wonder.
sCHALK A HARD WORKER.
For the eighth consecutive year
Schalk is catching over one hundred
games for his club. In seven of these
seasons he went above 125 games, and
seems immune from injury. Schalk
tops the regular catchers in fielding
with .9S6, and he heads all the back
stops in putouts and assists. He is
a grand thrower and has a head full
of that valuable baseball substance
baseball brains. Rays batting this
year hasn't been up to his last years
gait, as he is hitting only .25S, against
.2S2 in 1919.
Schalk hit .263 in the 1917 world
series anu soUf III lne "Hlle oOh-fNsu
warfare OF last fall. In both series
his fielding and throwing were of the
highest grade.
Steve O'Neill is everything that
Schalk is behind the bat and a more
dangerous batsman besides. O'Neilrs
hitting this year is far above snythSng
he ever has done before, as he leads
all the regular catchers, with .324.
His fielding average is .97s, and los as
sists speak well for his arm. Steve
handles his pitchers nicely, knows the
weaknesses OF opposing batters, and
Is one of the most aggressive players
on the Cleveland team.
Muddy" Ruel, of the Yankees, Is no
Schalk nor O'Neill. but he belongs 10,
that class OF fast little men. All along
New York fandom believed that Muddy
would be another Schalk, but there still
is something lacking. He n a smart
fellow. but he can't sense playa the way
Schalk does. Ruel has his of days. but,
on the whole he stands higher among
catchers than any Of the Brooklyn trio.
He Is hitting .269 this season and field
ing .9s4.
A split finger has kept Ruel out OF
the Yankee lineup as the club comes
down the homestretch. putting all the
burden on the bulky shoulders OF