The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-10-04
EVANS SAYS YANKS
HAVE SLIGHT EDGE
World Series Contenders at Their
Respective Positions.
ny aILLY EvANs
Worries Greatest Baseball Experi

BY BILLY EVANS
Worlds Greatest Baseball Expert
NEW YORK. Oct. s-who win win
the world series OF 1921?
In the old days it was possible to
get an answer to a lot of things by
having Aladdin massage his old lamp.
Those were the happy days.
There being no modern Aladdins
available, it becomes necessary to
consult the dope pot, and pluck there
from bits of inside information about
the leading players these players and
draw conclusion.
In the racing game when an author
ity seeks to pick the winner, he con-
siders the past performance OF tho
entries, the condition Of the track, the
ability of the jockey. the liking for
the distance, and the class of the
field. That is called handicapping
them, and arriving at a conclusion as
to the likely winner. 1t all reads
very nice If the horses run true to
form, but they seldom do. The same
goes for baseball.
Let us take the members Of the
New York Giants and Yankees make
a comparison of the players at their
respective positions, decide which is
the superior at that particular spot.
add up our deductions. and see what
the dope pot offers In the way OF
determining the winner
Comparison of the lnfieIders.
/ will first compare the inf1elds of
the two clubs.
At third base Frisch will oppose
either McNally or Baker. Frisch is
a remarkable BAH player He is very
fast, a good fielder, and has a great
arm. Frisch can boot" a ball around
considerable and then get his man
through the medium Of his great arm.
He is one of the few players whose
record shows that stealing bases is
not a lost art. Frisch hit both ways
SO Is not bothered by either style of
pitching. When a left-hander opposes
the Giants he simply shifts to the
right side of the plate.
McNally will field as well as Frisch,
and is nearly as fast, but of course
Will not hit as we'll as the Giants
third sacker. Baker will hit as well,
but lacks the speed and will not play
as well defensively as F,risch. Thus
a comparison OF the possible third
base candidates gives that honor to
Frisch of the Giants.
How Shortstops Measure Up.
In my opinion, in Peckinpaugh and
Bancroft, two of the greatest short
stops in the history of the game will
be pitted against each other. / have
worked in many series in which Ban
croft has played and have often seen
1fS&.
his great worth.
on the other hand, to my way of
thinking, Peckinpaugh is truly a mar
ve.. For years I have been watching
him do the seemingly impossible, so
it is very likely that / am a bit preju-
diced in his favor. At handling a
thrown ball with his gloved hand he
is without peer. He reminds you of
Larry Lajoie in that respect. He can
go to his right or left with equal ease
and has strong arm. Peckinpaugh !
is not fast of foot, neither is he slow |
At the bat he is not great hitter,
but certainly consider him danger |
Gus one.
Bancroft is a great ball player. |
Hughey Jennings once told me there
never was a fetter shortstop. Hughey /
was star e. that position himself. I
has been a lot of cracks In action, /
and should be competent to express
an opinion. Bancroft, like Frisch, |
shifts to the right or left side of the /
plate according to the style Of pitch /
ing the opposition offers. He Is a
fielder, fast on his feet,
and, like Peck, uses his brains as well /
Is his feet and arms.
Recently when working in New
York, / did little investigating as
10 how the New York scribes regard
I'd the two shortstops. I asked IL
writer's for their opinion. Six of them
favored Bancroft, four liked Peckin-
1augh best, and two said 1t was a
oss up. !.
Perhaps no body of men are in a
better position to pass judgment on
he New York teams, and while the
majority OF the writer's favored Ban Il
:roft, the best I can give him is a
lraw regard the two great players
IS Of about equal value to their re-
pective teams. f
Ward is Better Than Rawlings.
AT second base I would rate Ward
IS better than Rawlings. They are
Inherent types, and perhaps Rawlings
night have great appeal to McGraw
han Ward, because he is an aggressive
lighter, who overcomes some of his
by his spirit and dash
Ie plugged the big hole at second in
he Giants inf1eld, and is the type of |
layer who may go big, yet on form
Ward must be conceded the second
ase honors. Ii
rawn little more closely. Kelly is
big fellow, who offers a good target
Or his infeld, and at the bat Is al t
1. .