The Washington times., 1922-07-04


honors with a three-men pitching
and George Tyler.
Since that period no other Miracle
Man" has bobbed up on the horizon
In so far as winning worlds base.
ball titles with an apparently second
division ball club. This year, how
ever, there is every indication now
that another man Is going to make
Q bold bid and play to earn the
mantle which the vigorous Stalllngs
grabbed some eightsyears ago. That
Individual is one William (ktd)
Gleason, a Philadelrhiain who Is one
Of the greatest favorites Of the fans
and a decided popular man among
ball players.
Gleason has really developed the
present Chicago White Sox into a
formidable machine, and If his pitch
ing staff holds up why, the Browns,
Yankees, and Tigers are going to
seriously consider this once wrecked
ball team as deadly menace to
their pennant hopes.
The Sox which just escaped the
rut of last place during the 1871
dash are practically the same
team this year. The Outfield, In
field, and catching department,
which is Ray Schalk, finished sew
enth last year. At present the
club Is in the midst OF the fight
for the American League pennant,
and IL the bOXmen can hold up un:
der the strain, the Pallid Hose Will
have decided say i'm where the
10
That Gleason has worked wonders
with the Sox is now admitted in
every corner of the land. He has
taken raw pitchers, developed them
into steady, reliabl toilers. and Is
Eetting the results. In fact, such
results that now rabid fans who
have rooted for the Browns. Yam
KEGS, Senators, or Tigers have in
cluded the Comiskey club among
those which have a chance. AND
all this has been done with just one
veteran finger on the staff Urban
Faber,
When Dick Kerr flopped the Sox
for a berth in independent ranks
this spring the critics had 1t "doped'
that the team was due to flnlsh IN
eighth place for sure because 1t was
Faber and Kerr who last year
virtually kept them from that posi-
ton.
The loss OF Kerr, however. evil
IDENTIFY did not take the fight out or
Gleason. He started in the spring,
down in Texas, to mold a pitching
staff out Of the small army OF
rockies who have been gathered
from the bushes, and that he has
nI hn
the club is evident enough.
Robertson, Leverette and Hodge
were polished into regular bOxmen,
Schupp was yanked back from the
minors and given a chance to show
and Courtney, picked up from
Washington through waivers, are
the men the Kid has built around
Faber as the So1 strength In the
box.
Much of the success Of the hurl-
ers is the wonder work Of Schalk
behind the bat. Schalk does not
show his years and in fact Is catch
ing now with just the same skill
which years ago made him one OF
the greatest catchers of all times.
He is getting the work out OF the
pitchers and as the club has now
developed the punch and defense the
Sox have the necessary lualifica-
tions to be considered as a pennant
winner.
Back in 1919 the White Sox stood
for one Of the greatest Of machines.
They were powerful hitters, wonder
ful fielders and had a strong enough
pitching staff in Cicotte, Williams,
Kerr and Faber to be mighty dang
Eerous. This was before certain
members fell under temptation and
brought disgrace and ruin to them
selves over the mess with Cincin-
natl in the 1919 fall classic.
The black list wiped out many Of
Gleason's star men before the next
campaign started and ever since the
Kid has been plugging and trying to
develop just such a team which he
swept baseball with before many
fell for the gamblers. 1t begins to
look now as IL the veteran manager
is about to realize his dream Of
having another club which can run
neck and neck with the leaders.
II the Sox come through, the
miracle man of 1922 in baseball will
be no other individual than William
C<id Gleason. Stallings earned 1t
with his dash after July 4 in 1914.
Maybe Gleason Is about to duplicate
that feat by the same kind Of a
finish.
Philadelphia fans who all pull for
Gleason are surely roofing tooth and
nail for this one-time resident OF
Camden to come through.