The Washington times., 1929-09-20
BY DAVIS J. WALSH

NEW YORK, Sept. 90
Starting out to talk about de-
tense today, the writer can t
seem to get away from the
fact, that there isn't any if
the other guy lays you like an
Administer with the first
punch.
And it strikes me, as the fellow
complained when he had examined
the revolving door with the end of
his nose, that no other world series
known to baseball has had more au-
tority riding with one game than
figures to be the case when the Cubs
and Athletics first meet on October
8 in Chicago.
That particular ball contest should
strip the rest of the program of all
illusion and leave 1t bare to the eyes
of the world. 1t should be the great
convincer. This, by the way, has been
the case in about 30 of t.-s 25 series
played to date.
IL the Athletics lose it, their
chances viii be less than poor
the rest of the way, with the
second and final two games
scheduled for Chicago and the
Cubs heartened by their initial
victory.
II the Cubs blow it, the incident
will be practically fatal, what with
the third, fourth and fifth games
coming to Philadelphia where the
Athletics are figured to be virtually
unbeatable. It is the rather complex
characteristics of the contenders that
makes all of this not only possible
but probable.
Therefore, what price comparisons
when one game may decide every
thing? The best they can do is in.
dicate which club might be likely to
get the break at the outset but, in
order to really know this, one would
have to know definitely what men
are to be pitched and what they
will do after they get out there. In
other words, you can't level COM
parison on the breaks of baseball
any more than you can compare
two street cleaners.
You may have your favOrite
street cleaner but, personally,
am almost certain that one
street cleaner is just as good as
another.
Anyhow, 1t is my idea that the
fact that one third baseman hap
pens to be better than another is
without significance. They are not
playing this series between a couple
~ third hn h1Ik
the basis Of team against team, en-
ploying only the major departments
Of the game: Attack and defense.
Any comparison, therefore, that
doesn't make itself apply to either
or both Of these divisions and in
relation to the teams themselves
fails to be Of any great value.
Briefly, then, consider the Phila.
delph1a Athletics a Sounder de.
fensive team than the Chicago Cubs.
Pitching not only is the better part
Of defense; it practically is all de.
Tense, itself in a short series. There
may be some argument as to
whether Grove, Earnshaw, Wal.
berg, Quinn, Ehmke, and Rommell
form stronger staff than Bush,
Blake Malone, Root, Carlson and
Nehk~ This is personal opinion
Stuft and gets you nowhere.
.-It also fails to take into &C.
count the thing that often
makes q pitcher good or bad.
am referring to the matter
Of catching and here the Ath.
Ietics are away out in front.
Cachrane Is the greatest man in
the game and some say he is the
greatest Of the age. If not all ages.
Anyhow. he not only will give
the Athletics big break at the
plate. but figures to hold up his
staff much better than Gonzales
or Taylor. the laftsr having been
saved from the minor leagues be-
cause the Cubs were short OF
catchers.
Hartnett, in condition, would be
Q much different matter. But
am assuming tina: Hartnett won't
figure or. If he does. it will be tc
no great extent. He hasn't
caught a game all season and car
hardly, be right now.
should say that. regardless OF
how they look ndividually-left
handlers against right-hand hitting
and what not-that Cochrane
makes the Athletic staff look the
part of a better combination. And