The Washington times., 1921-03-03


greatly against there being q tight
infield working At Georgia avenus
this season. This means that Geor 81
McBride's excuse will be ready
made, and the outfelding and the
pitching, no matter how good 1t may
be, will be tossed away.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN TIGHT.
Looking at winning ball clubs
through all the history of the sport
one cannot but notice that always
the infields have been OF the 80
called air-tiGht kind.
McInnis. Collins. Barry and Baker
what a tight infield they made! But
they were no tighter than Stahl
Yerkes. Heinie Wagner and Larry
Gardner. nor Donohue, Isbell. Davis
and Lee Tannehill, nor LaChance
Ferris, Parent and Collins. nor Davis
Danny Murphy, Monte Cross and
Lave Cross, to name a few hne
American League inhelds.
1t goes the same way In the Ma
tional League. Always the winning
teams have been blessed with tight
infields, like Daubert, cutshaw. Olson
Fletcher and Zimmerman. or Schmidt
or Merkle, Doyle, Fletcher and Hcr-
zog, or Chance, Evers. Tinker and
Steinfeldt. to name a few combi-
nations.
Victories, In the long run, In the
majors depend on the little things,
on the one slip pitcher makes In
any one situation, or tho one hit
that gets by the inheld. or the poor
Judgment on some thrower's part at
a cruci&A moment This explains
what every well-posted baseball man
says that there is little real diff.
ference between any two clubs In
either major league At any time.
This explains why frequently . tail
ender can wallop q pennant-winner.
RACE IS NOT ONE-sIDED.
Despite the fact that today cleve-
land and New York shape up like the
two strongest clubs in the American
League. the coming race win not be
one-sided. Frequently in the past q
team has won the pennant when no.
body would have dreamed Of its Dos
sibly finishing in the hrst division.
The classic example, OF course, Is
the Boston National League Club of
1914, which, on July 4. was q bad last.
only to come from behind, win the
National League banner. and then
upset all records by cleaning UP
COME Macl's Philadelphia Athlstics
four straight for the worlds cham
pionship.
Anybody who would today say nat
ly that this or that club would win
the pennant would be candidate for
a foolish factory. One might guess
correctly. but 1t would be ut best .
A~ In q
BILE to. pick out requirements for q
team intending to be in tho race.
History has taught all fans some
thing along, this line.
For instance, 1t is well-known that
tight pitching and tight fielding can
win a pennant for team hopelcssly
outclassed at bat. The Chicago White
Sox of 1906 proved that for all time.
Hughey Jennings three American
League pennants In Detroit were won
by q strong pitching stan backed by
stupendous slugging.
THEY HAD EVERYTHING.
Connie Mack's pennants in 1913 and
1914 were won by q team that had
everything-felding batting and
pitching. The same might 60 for at
least two victories for the Chicago
White sox. ending with 1919. that
fateful year.
The Cleveland club OF 1920 won a
pennant largely because OF an air
tight infield and steady pitching. Tho
Indians would have lost, too, but for
the timely addition of "Duster"
Mails to it's pitching stan. When
Mails pitched his nrst game for
Cleveland here in Washington, he was
about the last hope. The rest Of the
staff was pretty near pitched out.
Nails success put new life into the
others and also into the team as a
whole and the victory came, for which
we personally were extremely glad.
The outlook for the Grihmen OF
1921, taken today, seems To be that
OF possessing q capable pitching
staff, a fine fielding trio In the garden
and a question mark in the inheld
There il not sufficient hitting power
to overcome an infeld weakness. n
| was done by the Tigers under Hughey
jennings in 1907, 1908. and 1900.
However, II George Mcbride can bs
given an alright infieId. thers shoult
bo enough pitching and hittine
| strength in the team to make II on'
| OF the most troublesome outfits In ths
| league, not excepting either Cleve'
| land or New York. Many slips have
come to favorites in the past. Thcy
| can come again.
HOW THEY SHAPE UP.