The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1922-08-22
DOUGLAS VALUE
S|FTED; BROWNS
FACE BLOW-UP
Hukkins Gets Ruth lWsy fren
Raspberry Leaves anl sDabe
Hits Ball
RY John RFOSTER

game that Douglas p1tcned I0f tne
Giants was lost to Pittsburgh, Z
to 0, July 30, and Douglas was hit
for 13 singles. Since then the Ma
tional league champions have been
about $3.50. Whether the broad
shouldered Wountaineer would
have made them stronger In the
fight is a question never to be an
swered. The Giants just recently
have been playing better. with Phil
out than with Phil in.
Take their case since Douglas
failed to answer roll call. Pitts
burgh has won three games from
them and lost two. Chicago has
won three and lost five. Cincin-
natl has won three. Brooklyn has
lost three and Boston has lost one.
It has not been shown that the
absence of Douglas has been pos
tive detriment to the team. That
it may have been q considerable
handicap exists in supposition
based on the probability that the
pitcher would do as we'll as he did
last season.
Douglas has been classed as one
of the leading pitchers of baseball.
which is as remote from the truth
as some other things said about
him. The best year he ever had in
his life was in 1921 when he
had a winning percentage Of 900
with championship team. sue
ceeding largely because he was one
of the few spitball pitchers who re-
mained. To get that percent he
won only Is games losing 10, and
that does not constitute greatness
in pitching. In only one other
year did he win more than $50 per
cent.
The Case Of Ruth.
1t was Miller Huggins who said
that if Ruth began to play ball for
his team with any heart in his
game the Yanks would win the
championship again and Higgins
was encouraging his big outfielder
in every way that he could to
arouse himself from his mental at
titude of combativeness. Ruth be-
lieved that the world had turned
against him. He walked onto the
field at the Polo grounds hoping to
hear the low murmur Of satisfied
approval and he heard the rafting
of the leaves in the raspberry
bushes.
Higgins got him away from New
York about then and once out Of
hearing of the hiss of the piking
geese who get their pennies on
homerun record the sheet anchor
of the Yanks began to play ball
again and the Yanks since that
phenomenon asserted itself have
been steadily marching down the
Avenue de Pennant.
Day by day they have gained on
st. Louis and little by little they
are edging away from the Browns
When Lee FOhl left st. Louis he
said this trip OF the Browns would
be the best that the team had made
this year and it is the worst right
now if it goes no further but there
is much left to come. 1t is possible
that when st. Louis faces the Yam
KEGS at the end of this week, the
series will result in the big blow
which will turn the tawny Missis-
sippi into a stream of deep mourn
ing running like cold tar into the
land of white cotton and sweet
plug tobacco.
A Nitro Phosphate Needed.
The Cardinals look little better.
Branch Hickey should inject some
nitro glycerine into the arteries of
his slow thinking and slow NOV
ing ball team to intensity circula-
ton. If he doesn't the Jig is up
and the fiddler may as we'll leave
the levee and let the mourners dis
sipate sadly into the river bottoms
to wait for another year.
There may be consolation in the
fact that the cities all over the
land are roofing for the two St.
Louis clubs to win. A straw vote
was taken which shows that when
local affiliation is put to one side
the fans are three to one for st.
Louis as opposed to either of the
New York clubs or both. That's a
significant vOto