Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-17
IRIS SPEAKER HOLDS
MORTGAGE ON THRONE
Chance and Clarke We're Brilliant, but Cleveland
Leader Has Something on Both-Looks Like
Pennant for the East
BY GRANTLAND RICE
THE main object that ball clul

THE main object that a ball club has
l. in view is to win pcnnants. For as
a pennant winner It not only achieves
its destiny in sport, but also gathers in
the kale.
For this reason Iris Speaker is by
all odds the most valuable ball player
in the game today, Cleveland hasn t
won the pennant yet, but the finger of
fate is beginning to point directly to
that result.
speaker as o winning manager, the
games greatest outfielder and the
games leading batsman. rounds out a
combination which lifts him far be.
yond all competition. The throne room
belongs to him alone.
Other Manager Stars
TOHN McGRAW and Connie Mack
- collected most of their pennants from
the bench.
But there have been other managerial
stars who operated from the firing line,
The two best that we recall were Frank
Chance and Fred Clarke.
thance was great first bascman aud
a fine hitter. Clarke was n brilliant
outhelder and equally robust at the bat.
Ihey were pair of birds of great
value. But neither was as great star
In his position as Speaker is, and neither
could range with Speaker into 400
byways Of swat.
therefore. If Speaker wins the pen
hant and leads the league at bat this
season he reaches the highest point in
an around baseball efficiency that any
payer has ever known since the DAYS
of Cap Anson.
About Timing Again
"THERE is moment" says Teddy
Pell. when a tennis ball seems
hit t." ' ~
When / am hitting WE'LL" remarked
a well known major Lacquer recently
can see the ball almost stop in front
OF the plate. ! wait until that moment
comes before let fly"
one OF the main secrets of timing is
TO wait on the stroke. whether il be al
baseball. golf or tennis
lhis seems to be restless. nervous
age. There is always n tendency to hit
TOO soon-to put the punch in before the
time arrives.
Those who are in batting. swinging
or tennis play are rarely waiting or
their shots. The desire to nail one runs
from the brain to the nervous system
or TO the muscular habitats ahead Of
time and the result is failure
A man might wait too long. but nine
mistakes out Of ten are made the Other
way.
Up to the West
UNLESS the Dodgers and the Giants
- are stopped abruptly upon this last
western trip the next National Leagu,
pennant is coming East for the first time
in three years.
The Cubs prcdominated in 1918 ant
the Reds in 1919. They were the onl,
western clubs to win since the old Cub!
turned the trick in 1910.
Cleveland and Chicago are lookinJ
after western interests in the American
League with telling effect. but the East
with Brooklyn and New York. still has
a good chance to make the next world
series an intersectional affair. SO fa,
there have been sixteen world series
played. OF these only four have brought
about an iutcrsectional upheaval. Th,
other twelve have been exclusively be
tween eastern teams meeting eastern
teams or western teams facing western
rivals. or the thirty two clubs tina
have entered world series contests. four
teen have como from the West and eight
cen from the East.