New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1927-04-05
(BY BILLY ENANSt

Shreveport. La. April 5.-The
! fate Of the Chicago White Sox in
| the American league race will be
| more or less determined by Il pair
Of toil-worn hands and two barking
| dogs.
Which is baseball slang for the
part that Ray Schalk and Roger
Peckinpaugh play in the chances
Of the White Sox to get somewhere
in the pennant race.
| Already the tragedy Of Johnny
Mostil hangs heavy over the Chicago
| players. The more recent injury TO
| one of Ray Schalk's fingers has
tended to increase the gloom. VIII
| Peckinpaugh be next to fall a VIC
tim to hard luck?
Probably the two most important
positions on a bah club are catcher
and shortstop. These are the posi-
lions played by Ray Schalk and
Roger Pockinpaugh. How many
games will they be able TO perform
in during the season? There's the
rub as far as the Sox are con-
ccrncd.
AS he is one o, the smartest
catchcrs that ever donncd Il mask,
! it means much to the Chicago club
TO have Schalk in there regularly.
! IT Is fairly conservative to say, that
with him doing the receiving, the
club is Is to 20 per cent more
| efficient. That's considerable.
Fifteen years Of service in the
majors. in which he has caught 100
or more games IL times, has cx-
acted its toll. not OF Schalk's legs
! but his hands. Schalks hands have
suffered more than score OF
breaks. Age and injuries have
| tended to make them Il triile brittle.
When Eddie Collins took charge
! Of the Chicago club in 1925, he
I stressed to me the importance
Schalk's condition would play in
! the success Of the club. The year
| previous he had been out most Of
the season with bad hands, catching
only 81 games.
Schalk did q. remarkable come
| back during the first year Of Collins
| regime as manager. participating in
| l25 games. lie helped make the
White Sox sensation that year, the
big surprise of the American league.
How many games can Catcher
Ray Schalk work for Manager Ray
Schalk? 1t may mean the difference
| between most suspicious debut or
Just an ordinary one as manager.
The injury suffered in the spring
training game doesn't augur we'll.
PeckinpauSh' sdogs, or to be
more polite, feet, have been barking
Cor several years No doubt bad
legs caused Washington to part with
him. Peck is going along in great
style this spring, seems more sprN
than usual He believes the Chicago
grounds. noted for being slow. be.
cause OF its peculiar soil formation
will help him.
If the Mostil tragedy. Shalk's
brittle hands and Peck's barkina
dogs are not enough woe for a new
manager, just add the passing o.
Eddie Collins. premier second sack.
or. to make the picture complete.
am inclined to think the veteran
Aaron Ward, obtained from The
Yankees, will satisfactorily fiji tn,
gap made by the absence Of Collins
However. it cannot be said that
Schalk's debnut as major lcagu,
leader has been a path of roses On
the contrary. it has been road
| filled with obstacles, each one a
major handicap, sure to test the
mettle Of n manager 70 the limit
Through it all. Ray appears to have
| retained his optimism.
| The Chicago White Sox are n
| right good bail club, almost sure TO
| get excellent pitching. When Schalll
| took over the Job as pilot it looked
| as II he was in q pretty soft spot.
Things have happened since. If
| Schallt can survive these early sea
son r"verses and keep the morale of
the club up to standard he's n
wonder.
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