The Washington herald., 1920-07-14

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~ 0I Grantza7d Rice
The Next world series.


For six years-from 1911 through
1s16-the world series belonged to
the East exclusively.
In 1917 and again in 1918 ii was
an East-West affair. In 1919 the
big act went to the West, with the
East entirely excluded for the first
time since 1909, when Tigers and
Pirates fought IL out.
The location of the next world
series is already beginning to enter
into the fashionable chit-chat of the
day.
What's the answer-East, West.
or mixture or botht
The West Leads.
Making a baseball prediction in
this bizarre age of upsets is almost
as certain as picking the right OIL
stock.
Yet no one can be arrested for
trying. The main pennant contend
ers in the National League are Gin
cinnati, st. Louis. Brooklyn and
Chicago. OF these four, Cincinnati
"a club that has proved its ability
to hnish at top speed through the
stretch-has the best chance.
of the four clubs three are West
ern teams. Brooklyn alone in the
East has pennant chance, and
Brooklyn has a robust assignment
( ahead when ii comes to beat out all
! three Western rivals.
The four Western clubs are much
stronger than the four Eastern
clubs. In the National League the
West has a lopsided advantage. Nc
doubt of it. The Reds will take a
lot of beating before they surrender
that $4,000 prize money, which will
be the reward of each winning ath-
lete.
Once More the West.
The three leading conteneers in
| the American League are Cleveland
New York and Chicago.
Once more the West has the call
Both Cleveland and Chicago have
serious proposition ahead when II
comes to eliminating the Toe-HolG
Yanks.
The Yanks have never been ex.
tremely lucky in the way of injured
athletes. but this season they have
/ too much power to be overlooked.
Yet they have two powerful clubs
to stop in tie Indians and the White
Sox, who have well led machines
and a lot of fancy hitting on their
own account.
The Yanks seem to be the sole
hope of the East in world series
way. If they can't wiggle through
the One Best Bet in Cincinnati VS.
Cleveland-in any event a Western
affair.
The Battle-Scarred State.
If Cincinnati and Cleveland get
into a world series with Harding
and Cox fighting it out for the Pres
idential choice. Ohio will be the
Flanders Field of 192O-or the new
Argonae of the year. The tumuli
and the turmoil will be terrible in
the death grapple that will follow
1t is hard to say which will cause
more eXcItement-CoX VS.. Harding
or Cincinnati VS.. Cleveland A
strictly Ohio world series will be the
last word in frenzy.
The decisive stage of both races
should be reached soon. a number
cf contenders are due to crack in
the next few weeks. for the strain
has been terrific-harder than either
league has known, since 1908. The
GchSIdl average OF team strength
has either been higher or at least
better punched, and no club can tell
when a second division outfit will
rise UP and remove several patches
Of valuable hide at a given nome nj
CT stated interval.
The preliminary decorations will
start taking place at any minute.
The Stranger.
In the meantime a stranger has
popped out in the American League
argument.
Back in 1912 the Washing.
ton club defied the laws Of grav.
ity by fighting its way to second
place and even threatening to wiz
the championship.
Now. for the second time in
something like two decades. Wash.
ington is again making threatening
gestures and Is holding its owr
well above the 500 mark. with July
speeding into August.
If Walter Johnson had been able
10 carry an untra ammeled arm al
the year Clark Griffith's team woulc
he even closer to the top. 1t wa:
n tough break for Johnson to sud.
denly find himself surrounded b,
cluster of 800 hitters and ster.