The Washington times., 1926-10-02

out with mallgnanC mate, DOEn OF
hope deferred and long frustrated.
Anyone who has known the
Cardinals in courageous, though
seemingly inevitable, defeat for 3S
years cannot accept the simile Of
the worm without reservations.
They were more like the RATHER,
game to the last, but destined for
extinction.
Yet the fact remains that, be-
tween 1888 and 1926, st. Louis was
denied a flag winner, and that, in
1926, the Cardinals turned against
the teams that had fought them off
IN the past, and, in one Of the finest
races in National League history.
they won the pennant in the final
week Of the season.
The tiger fights to the death and
deserves no need OF credit for it.
But the turning worm is down
right hero.
Spectators Busy
That is the reason capacity
crowd viii run riot through the far
reaches Of the stadium this after
noon. it's numbers limited only by
the fact that the walls are made Of
the reason spectators were lining
the sidewalks today, disposing of
tl1ree-game tickets, originally priced
at $3.50, for 500 and more.
That is the reason, also, that die
hards, If at all, waited through the
still watches of the night. Buoyed
up by coffee and the prospect of
a great spectacle, for the general
admission gates to open at 10
o'clock. It was reason enough that
a st. Louis team was in worlds
series for the first time.
And, just to show that they find
It hard to believe even now. the
baseball public made the Yankees
a series favorite at odds of to 5.
Although many critics seemed con-
WINGED that the New York outfit
lacked the Cards general balance
and class. The Yanks also were
favored at 13 to 10 to win the
opening game. Largely on the
supposition that Herb Pennock was
due to pitch. The boys may vet
have to second guess this one.
In fact, it was generally conceded
today that Miller Higgins was
wavering between Pennock and
Urban Shocker as his nominee, with
the chances favoring the latter. He
made a most commendable record
against the Cards in the st. Louis
city series. but those were the old
Cards and these are the new.
SherdeI for Cards
The Cardinal pitcher, it was an
nounced more or less sub-rosa last
night. will be Bill Sherdel, the
cross-firing, slow-bailing left handler.
The Yanks have no particular
esteem for that type of hombre.
especially Ruth, Meusel. Gehrig and
the other free-swingers.
They seem to have a bad habit
of swinging at the second one be-
fore the slow-baller is finished with
r his first, a rather reprehensible
proceeding. Grover Cleveland Alex
.ander. the elder, had been the
original choice of the intelligentsia.
but Rogers Hornsby, it seems. pre-
fers to do his own picking.
Alexander may get the assign.
ment for the second game Lomor
row, although the writer was given
to understand that the gentleman
has lost favor with Hornsby. If
this be- the case, Flint Rhem may
be the man or it may be Jesse
Haines. Reinhart, Herman Bell
-Sothoron or Keen. The chances
were, however, that either Alex.
ander or Rhem would appear in
either Of the first two games. in
spite of the fact that the Yankees
like their pitchers fast and their
base hits lengthy. Pennock and
Shocker were almost certain TO
pitch the first two games here for
the Yanks.
Much depended on what happened
in the first game and a general
shifting Of forces. To say nothing
of the gambling odds, would result
if the Cards won the premiere of
the series. The writer regards them
as an excellent bet, not only for
this game but the series as well.
No club ever went anywhere IN a
world series with a five-thumbed
shortstop. The Yankees appeared to
have one today in Mark Koenig,
who became famous this year for
kicking them away at very difficult
angles. No club ever went far IN
this series, either without first
class catchers. Both Collins and
SEVERED, of the Yankees, hardly
could be held in this light even by
the most charitable of minds. The
late season injurr to Bengough
eliminated the only real catcher On
The ball club.
Those two considerations gave the
Cards the edge in infield defense