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is In the second division, just 22
points ahead of Boston, which is
playing the better ball at present.
The Pirates seem to be able to do
everything but win. The reason for
their slump is poor pitching and the
absence of Hans Wagner. In the ser
ies just finished with the Cubs the
Pirates did not look like a team which
will finish out of the second division.
They are not playing intelligent ball
and seem to feel the hoplessness of
their situation.
Philadelphia spurted for a time and
went to the front by a wide margin.
In the last two weeks they have slip
ped badly, the Cubs giving them their
first push, and today they are two
and a half games behind the Giants,
who are leading the league with a
team that has no license to win a
big league pennant.
McGraw has a good hitting team,
but it is not getting away with the
wild baserunning that it did last year.
The pitching staff is no world-beater,
Christy Mathewson, declared all in
for the 'steenth time, being the main
stay of the moundsmen. Tesreau has
not lived up to the promise he show
ed last year, Marquard is taking his
beatings regularly and none of the
other youngsters have done milch.
Third place furnishes the big sur
prise. Bill Dahlen has his Dodgers,"
whom no one considered seriously,
kiting along at good speed, beating
the best of them, and maintaining a
persistent lead over the Cubs. Dah
len will not win the pennant. He is
not liable to finish one-two-three,
fiecause of uncertain pitching, but
finishing in the first division is glory
enough for Dahlen with a team like
the Dodgers, an unbalanced aggre
gation, made up mainly of young
sters, who will be heard from later.
Our own Cubs are furnishing an
other surprise. The change in man
agement, the departure of Chance,
the loss of Tinker, the passing of
Sheckard and the release of Brown
were thought to point the passing of
the old regime and the end of Chi- J
cago's residence in the first division.
The handicap was a heavy one, but
the way the team has stood up is
remarkable. At the start of the sea
son the pitching staff was such in
name only. Larry Cheney was the
only twirler who had a hope of win
ning when he entered the box. De
spite these handicaps, the tinkering
necessary to find an effective outfield
combination and the natural incom
patibilities of the players working un
der a new manager, the team did not
quit or crack under defeat. Tommy
Leach was put in center field as a
last resort, Schulte was reinstated
after a layoff because of weak hit
ting, and Mitchell went to left, a posi
tion with which he was not familiar.
Luck came to the Cubs. Leach is
playing the best ball of his long major
league oareer, Schulte is batting as
well as any man in the league, and
Mike Mitchell has developed into a
dependable left fielder. He pulled nine
flies out of the air yesterday and is
playing balls that carom off the pavil
ion with such speed that the opposing
runners are leary of streaking for
extra bases. Bridwell filled the hole
at short in wonderful style. No one
expected he would be batting over
.290 at this date, but he has surprised
even his most ardent admirers. He is
fielding like a youngster earning his
place in the big show. Zimmerman
continues to hit and is a greatly im
proved fielder. Saier and Evers need
no comment. The pitching staff is
now good and is the equal of any
in the league. Humphries, discarded
by the Reds, has won his last six
starts and the element of luck has
not entered into his success. Cheney
is the same standby, Lavender has
allowed 24 hits in his last four games,
Charley Smith is enjoying a second
time on earth, Owie Overall, the
come-back, will be ready to resume
duty in a few days, and George Pierce
is going to develop Into a sterling
left-hander. Archer and Bresnahan
form the best buffer pair in the
league. We are not delirious, but the
