The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-04-05
FATE OF WHITE
S0X HINGES ON
DOGS, DIGITS'
They're Peck's Barking Fee,
ard Catcher Schalk's Bat
tIe-scarred Hands
iBy Billy Evans)

Shreveport, La, April 81 NEAl--
the fate OF the Chicago White SoN
i'll the American League race will be
more or less determined by pair Of
toii-worn hands ard two barking
dogs.
Which Is baseball slang for the
Peck inpauRh play in the chances Of
the pcnnant race.
Already the tragedy of Johnny
Mostil hangs heavy over the Chicago
players The more recent injury to
one Of Ray Schalh's fingers has
tended to increase the gloom viii
akinpaugh be next 20 fall a victim
To hard luck
Probably the two most important
positions on ball club are catcher
and shortstop. These are the posi-
tions PLACED by Ray Schalk and
Roger Peckinpaugh. How many
rales viii they hc able TO perform
during the season? There's the rub
AZ far ms the SoE are concerned.
4 Valuable Man
As Ire i one Of the smartcst
catchcrs that ever donncd mask.
ii means much to the Chicago club
70 have Schalk in there regularly
1t is fairly conservative to say. that
with him doing the receiving, the
club Is l. 70 20 per cent more eff
cicut. That's considerable.
Fifteen wears OF service in the
ma jors. in which he has caught 100
or more games - times has exactcd
It's toll, not Of Schalk's legs but his
| hands. Schalk's hands have suffered
more than = score Of breaks. Age
and injuries have tended to make
them Il trific brittle.
! When Eddi" Collins took charge
Of the Chicago club in 1925. he
! stressed to me the Importance
Schalk's condition would play in the
success Of the club. The year pre-
vious he had been out most of the
season with bad hands, catching only
| 81 games.
Schalk did a remarkable comeback
during the first year Of Collins
regime as manager participating in
- games. He helped make the
/ White SoN a sensation that year, the
big surprise of the American League.
How many games can Catcher Ray
Schalk work for Manager Ray Schalk
It may mean the difference between
Il most suspicious debut or just an
ordinary one as manager. The in
jury suffered in the spring training
game doesn't augur we'll.
Feet Going Bad
Peckinpaugh S dogs, or to be more
polite, feet, have been barking for
several years. No doubt bad legs
caused Washington to part with him
Peek is going along in great style
this spring, seems more spry than
usual. He believes the Chicago
grounds, noted for being slow be-
cause Of its peculiar soil formation
will help him.
II the Mostil tragedy, Schalk's
brittle hands and Peck's barking
dogs are not enough woe for new
manager. just add the passing OF
Eddie Collins, premier second sacker,
10 make the picture complete
am inclined to think the veteran
Aaron Ward obtained from the
Yankees. viii satisfactorily fill the
gap made by tn. absence of Collins.
However, i cannot be said that
Sehalk's debut as major league
! leader has been path of roses.
On the contrary, it has been a road
t1ilcd with obstacles, each one d ma
Jor handicap, sure to test the mettle
Of manager to the limit. Through it
all, Ray appears to have retained
his optimism.
The Chicago White Sox are right
!, good ball club, almost sure to get
excellent pitching When Schalk took
over the job as pilot it looked as if
he was IN pretty soft spot. Things
have happened since. If Schalk can
!. survive these carly season rcyerses
and keep the morale of the club up
to standard he's q wonder.