The Washington times., 1931-09-26

OF stories uTILLcH Oy MICEey COCHL"
rGne, famous catcher for the
Philadelphia Athletics, exclusively
for International NetDS SerUice.
BY MICKEY COCHRANE
Catcher, Philadelphia Athletics
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 26.-In
my preview of the approaching
world series between the st. Louis
Cardinals and Philadelphia Ath-
letics I'm not going to delve into
a dugout full of statistics to prove
that AL Simmons is a better bat
ter than Chick Hafey or that jim
my F'oxx is more valuable de-
fensively than Sunny Jim Bottom
ley.
Statistics of players offensive
and defensive ability are val
liable in judging or doping q
teams chances over the course Of
an entire season. Then the player
and team will run into the law
Of averages and the cold statistics
will be a true judge of ability.
But in short series, like the an
nual interleague championship
each fall, anything is likely to
happen.
Hornsby's Failure
The Athletics realize this. Who
could have forecast Rogers Horn
by's poor hitting in the 1929
world series between the Chicago
Cubs and the AS?
Or the total collapse Of the
Cubs array of strong pinch hit
tiers? And who would have
been so bold as to have pre-
dicted that Jim BOttomley
would make only one hit in six
of the 1880 games between the
Cards and MackS?
Charley Colbert is another who
last year demonstrated that it's
unwise to try and predict what
such a player will do at bat or
in the field. Like all other MEM
bers of Gabby Streets Cardinals,
Colbert was well secuted by the
Athletics before the 1880 series
began. We had him down for O.
right field hitter. In our big
meeting the morning of the first
game we planned our playing for
Colbert accordingly. We didn't
deviate from the charted course.
Unfortunately for our pitchers,
colbert was "hot." He hit safely
what was supposed to be his
weakness. We just couldn't get
him out. Jim Bottomley, a great
hitter-as he has proved the past
six weeks-couldn't get going. He
was caught in the midst OF a
slump and remained there the
entire series.
why, you may ask, bother then
to 90 to the trouble and expense
of scouting a world series oppo-
nent? Merely to be protected, to
learn what players do against fast
and curve ball pitching, and to
play the old percentage game. II
every player did what he was ex-
pected to do in a short series,
then the scouting would be 100
per cent efficient. 1t wont be
this time.
Secuted Cards
It never has. But you must
be on the safe side in case this
is that world series that proves
this baseball rule.
We've secuted the Cardinals
the past month. We had to
in order to get a line on new
men like Pepper Martin, Jim
Collins, and Paul Derringer.
Our scouts may have noticed
a weakness in the batting style
of Martin and Collins.
And Derringer may tip-off
when he's to use his change Of
pace, which, in ball players
parlance is to pull the strings on
his delivery.
Last year the Cardinals didn't
bother to scout the Athletics.
They claim there was no time
to the hectic National League
race taking all their attention
until the final week Of the reg.
ular season. This fall they've
secuted us. They think they'll
be stronger because of the newly
gained knowledge. Maybe they
will. It's this uncertainty in the
test of skill and cunning that
makes the world series the In