The Washington times., 1927-08-20
CAR I HY
IS SMART
BY Babe Ruth

CLEVELAND, Aug. 20.--With the
end of the season only six weeks off
and the Cubs stIll out front in the
National League, q lot OF the experts
are shaking their heads and saying
what a lucky guy Joe Mccarthy is.
That's bunk. A lot of the boys say
they can't understand how the Cubs
have managed to hold their lead. !
can. And I'll tell you. It's because
they've got the old fighting spirit. 1t
Is because they think they are the
best in the lSague and won't be
whipped. And it's because they're
playing for each other with the
greatest team work of any club in
either league.
picked the Pirates to win the
pennant. Last April it looked to me
as though the Pittsburgh punch and
speed would be too much for the rest
OF the league. I thought they'd
win sure. But ] also figured the
Cubs. to make lot of trouble.
Man for man the Cubs don't size
up as great. They have no out
standing star. But, on the other
hand, they have no glaring weak
ness, either. They're just a well
balanced, well.handied fighting gang
Of ball players who saw their chance
and took it. 1t wasn't bunk at all.
1t was just bang-up. smart baseball.
OF course, the Chicago club
got some breaks. All pennant
winners have to do that. To my
mind, however. the greatest
break they got was the injury to
TFevenoW, Of the Cardinals.
With Tommy ThevenOW In there
every day the Cards would have
been sure to make their bid-and
the going would have been that
much tougher for the Cubs. But
that's baseball. Every season
sees something OF the sort
happen.
one think Joe Mccarthy has done
that no other manager except Miller
Higgins has ever succeeded in do.
ing. Joe has taken kid players, play
ing their first year of big league ball,
and has made them into pennant
winners. Hug did 1t last year with
LaZzeri and Koenig. Everyone said
he was crazy to start the season
with two kids on his infield-but he
used his own Judgment and proved
he was a wise manager.
Now Mccarthy is do;ng that very
thing-With kids at both short and
third base. And he's getting away
with it, too Which just goes to
show that the old idea about needing
an experienced infieli to win pen.
nants Is all wrong. You can win a
pennant with kids out there-if
you've got the right sort Of kids and
manager like Miller Higgins OF
Joe Mccarthy to handle them.
In our league the race seems
30 good ~ over. The Yankees
are about In. And let me say
this for the Yankees: believe
we have d great ball club,
know IT'S the hest club I've ever
played on since / have been In
big league baseball. A lot Of Ma.
tiOnal fans figure that we look
good because we had no strong
opposition. ] believe we would
have looked good i'm any league,
anytime. u we were playing in
the National League this season
we might not have piled up such
b long lead 20 sO0I1. No OIle can
tell about that. But / believe
we would have won the pennant
Just the same.
Understand | don't want to toot
our horn too much--but just the
same the 1927 Yankees are the great.
est club I've ever been hooked up
with. And lot OF other baseball
men who have watched US during
the season agree on that.
What may happen in the world
series nobody can tell. But hope
Joe Mccarthy wins that pennant.
I'd like to see him put 1t over. And
I'd like to see Yankee punch 60 up
against Chicago pitching In the se.
rieR.
copyright. 1857. By chrissy walsh