Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-14

COA
These picks were not made by
Griffith and Johnson merely be-
cause they are American Leaguers
and felt duty bound to name the
Athletics as likely victors in the
annual classic. It wasn't Ameri-
can League partisanship that in
f1uenced the selections. Instead
they cast their lot with the AS
after careful analysis of the clubs
that we're to vie for the greatest
prize in the game.
Athletics Superior.
It Is a matter of history now how
the Athletics covered the Cubs like
blanket in the first four games. The
American League champions outclassed
the National League flag winners in all
departments of play. They outbatted
the Cubs, 300 to $50, and outflelded
them, .972 to $50. And the AS OUT
smarted and outgamed the Cubs, too.
In every way the Clan McGillicuddy
looked the better.
Before the series Griffith. when an
alvzing The makeup of the clubs that
we're to be rivals for base balls biggest
plum, contended that the Athletics
were the better in pitching strength,
at bat, on the bases, and fully as strong
as the Cubs defensively. Well the AS
pitchers have yielded less hits than
their mound rivals. struck out more
batters, and issued just the same num-
Der of passes. The Mack forces have
revealed decided superiority at bat.
They have been better as first-base-
to-third- n-singles aggregation than the
Chicagoans, and their play afield has
been far the steadiest.
AS Pitching Stronger.
In this pre-series analysis Of the
Cubs johnson found the AS pitching
the better, saw them as the longer hit
tiers, held them strong enough afield
to check attack, and expected certain
members of the Mackian band to per-
form surprisingly well. Walter picked
Ehmke and Grove to startle the base
ball public with their mound perform
ances, Foxx to do a deal Of long hitting.
ard Bishop to play a bang-up game
around the middle sack.
The first four games have made john
son fine prognosticator. Ehmke went
to the hill for the opening game and
did the best hurting seen in the series
thus far. He not only bowled over the
Cubs with eight hits and one run
(Which was not earned. but he also
established a record for world series
when he retired Is batters on strikes.
Grove has a fast ball that bafflleS
right handers as we'll as left-handers,
and understand the Cubs do not like
fast-ball pitching so WE'LL" said Walter.
Grove has been in six and one-third
innings as Keller hurler. allowed three
hits and struck out 10. Fox has batted
for .4l2. OF his seven hits two have
been homers and one double. Bishop
has handled 10 chances, many of them
vows, without slip around the middle
sack.
American Fastest Group.
That the American League is some
what faster than the National League,
the main point in Grifflth's pre-SerieS
analysis of the contending clubs in the
classic, is believed now by many who
for years had stanchly. supported the
senior major organization. The Ma
tional League lost much prestige when
its champions for two successive years
were defeated in four-game world series
by the Yankees. 1t has lost more in
the current series. One victory in the
last dozen engagements in world series
makes the older loop appear much the
weaker.
Unless the Cubs undergo a startling
form reversal, such as the Pirates did
in 1925 when they turned on the Wash
ington Club and won three in row to
cop the laurels. the National League is
in for another beating But the Cubs
OF this year do not seem anywhere near
as good as the Pirates of 1925, so any
remarkable form reversal on their part
is not likely. They might force a re-
turn of the series to Wrigley Field in
Chicago, but even in that event their
chance OF success in the big event
h. e.s,. IL