The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-23
Sensational Showing Of Chica-
go Cubs Largely Due to
Work OF Fitchcrs--Charley
koct, Bush Help Team Along
Securing of Benton From
Boston Aids Giants
By BILLY EVANS

Pitching I.as doni ed the thrill
ing pennanJ struggle that is being
Nared IN the NatiGnl League 1t i.s
various critical stages in determine
ing the leader
Pitching is most important fac
tor. The team that gets the shade
as to hurting in the home stretch
VIII probably win the pennant. BAT
ting power has rarely won 4 pen
nant llnaided. There are some who
will point 10 tho Yankees TO con-
tradlct such Il statement. But take
II IRON mo, the Yanks have gotten
tolcrably good pitching this year.
Regardless OF where the Chicago
Cubs finish, the sensational showing
of that club has tended to create
widespread interest in the National
League race. When dark horse
sets the pace for five months, as
did Joe McCarthy's club, it is easy
to understand the popularity Of that
club with baseball fandom, always
pulling for the underdog.
Super-l'itching Proves Help
cuper-pitching. plus the breaks,
which means timely hitting and the
like. have kept the Cubs in the run
ming. One super pitcher, getting the
proper assistance from tn rest of
the staff, as well as his teammates,
often makes ball club.
Take the Cleveland club of the
American League of last season for
Exhibit A. The Indians fought New
York to the very finish of last sea-
son, yet the identical same club this
year, with the exception Of iris
Speaker. has spent the entire sum-
mer in the second division. Last
season George Uhlc won q games.
So far this season he has won just
about 20 less. There's the answer.
Much of the success the Cubs have
attained this year has been built
around the remarkable work of one
pitcher, Charley Root. assisted by
Hal Carlson and the rest Of the Chi
cago staff. As / write this yarn,
Root has Is wins to his credit and is
shooting at 30, which it doesn't seem
he will reach.
When the Cubs were mt the top
Of their game, the club was winning
close-score battles in which the Chi
cago pitchers featured by holding
just enough Of the edge to return
them the winner. When the Cubs
began to lose that pitching margin,
the team began to slip. When Root
and Carlson began to &C down to
defeat BY one run, often the final
inning turning seeming victory to
defeat, Chicago seemed to be ready
to pass out of the picture.
incidentally, Blake and Bush, who
for Y time offered valuable assis-
lance to Root and Carlson, lost their
winning touch and in the crisis failed
to give the two stars, as well as the
rest Of the team, the pitching it was
hoped they would.
EARLY in the race, weird pitching
apparently put New York out Of the
running. With only about 50 games
to play, the Giants were 10 games
away from the leaders, IN ap-
parently unsurmountable' handicap.
e McGraw Makes Wise Move
However. the resourceful McGraw
made a wise move when he secured
Benton from Boston, who has
pitched brilliantly for New York.
Then ia the pinch, Burleigh Grimes
began to show old-time form, while
Barnes. Henry and Fitzsimmons
added their bit. In the crisis, good
pitching added to the hefty punch
Of the Giants, put McGraw's club
back in the race.
The desertion of Johnny Morrison
and the injury to Raw .remer, when
those two pitcncr were needed mosl
by tn Pittsburgh Pirates, hurt ths
chances Of DOME Bush to put ovel
a pennant winner in his first yea,
in the National Hill and Meadow,
carried the burden during the frs
four months Of play. Then whe
| Kremer recovered and Aldridgc ais
began to show winnin. form, goo