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Show BothWeaver and Groh 3tars ' By IRWIN M. HOWE. Third Base Well Covered F ever two thoroughbreds were pitted I ajralnst each other in a. world's series, 9 they will be found in the coming clasn. JL and both at the same position third base. Two hish-struriB, battling, confident con-fident ball players p. re Groli and Weaver. And each has the ability to back up anything any-thing may attempt upon the ball field. This makes it a pleasant task to size-up the merits of these two ini'ieluers. Weaver has this disadvantage ii. the present situation situa-tion Groh occupies the same situation on the Cincinnati team that Ivldie Collins holds on the Chieago. Groh is the bl ight, particular slar of the Tted team: lie is the romantic figure and .hero of I'at Moran's crew just as Collins is the center of attraction at-traction for the White Sox. Weaver, therefore, there-fore, has to be compared with Cincinnati's best, but he comes out of the test with flying colors. Groh is the best third baseman in the National league. Weaver's position is as high among the third basemen of the American league. Hut these statements are generalities. Le t us find out first of all what each of these players may be expected ex-pected to do at bat in the coming world's series. Let us see what Weaver has done this season against the pitching of Ba;;by, Leonard, Thormahlen, .Si.awkey and Solh-oron, Solh-oron, the five American league key pitchers pitch-ers whose style and ability most nearly correspond to those of the Cincinnati pitchers. And, further, let us see what Groh has done this season against Adams. Barns and Cadore (whose combined deliveries de-liveries most closely approximate Lddie Cicotte's) and against Vaughn and Cooper. Weaver's Season Record. Weaver has been at bat twelve times against Bagby this season, getting four hits and three runs. Two of these hits were triplets. Against Leonard lie has been at bat three times, getting a run without a hit. He has been at bat seventeen sev-enteen times against Thormahlen, ge-.Cng two hits and a run. Apparently left banders band-ers of Leonard's and Thormalilen's ckss bother Weaver, for his batting a-'eragc aga.nst these two has been .10" this S'-a- son. Consequently his work aginst Saiice and P.euther is not likely to be brilliant. Weaver has been at bat eleven times statement that Weaver and Groh are two vei-v evenly matched players, iheir fh-lding'figures make this still atronger. T Lfaver" Team. G. PO. A. E Pet Weaver, 3b, Chicago.. Hi 1 8 . Groh 3b, Cinc.nnati. .ll'J 1M tii In pa-sing, it is well to remember that Weaver has played at shorstop this season sea-son and ma'.' appear at that position in the world s 'series. His lidding record at short this season is: Weave, ss, Chicago 4! 8.- 138 S ,J6U Better at Third. Weaver isn't ouite so sure of himself at short as he is at third, and the l.g-ures l.g-ures show this. However, the chance of Ins play.ng there against '.he Keds is reasonably remote, and we may assume the two sterling thirdsackers will oppose op-pose each other next month, each having hav-ing a fielding average within one point of the other. , . At third base, Weaver ranks with Jimmy Collins or Bill Bradley at their best. So other club has had a more valuable guardian i'.r the third sack since the davs of those great stars. Me-chanicailv, Me-chanicailv, Groh is so much his equal that practically the only advantage tne White Sox player has is the spirit which he is able to inspire in a bail game. Weaver fiidits lor a ball game as hard as McOraw or Comiskey ever fought in their day; and. take it from one wno knows, that means some battling. And yet. Weaver never wilfully injured another an-other player nor incurred the ill-will of any. Lest readers In distant cities -wno have never seen Weaver in action, except possibly pos-sibly in spring practice games, might think I am too enthusiastic, let them be assured that it is the opinion of. the best critics in American league ci'J-8 that the daily performances 01 Weaver have never been excelled. Weaver knocks clown the hottest of hits with so little apparent effort; he makes such startling plays back of the bag and to his right; fields bunts so fast and so surely; cuts across to his left so effectively, when his shortstop partner has been" covering near second; ne is such a remarkable thrower In short, he is so good mechanically that it 13 impossible im-possible to imagine a better third base- ituaiiisr. MiawKev, Willi six nils and live runs. He has been at bat twenty-thre times against Solhoron, Keltiiar three runs j and five hits. Against the live key pitt ii- 1 ers. "Weaver has a battine; mark of .ij-.-. which is forty-one points below his present pres-ent batting average against all the American Ameri-can league pitchers. Both the batters bat rhrht-hande t ("Groh always, and Weaver ai,'riinst southpaws), south-paws), so it w.ll be imercslii!"; to s-e wlmt the Cincinnati third seeker lies done this s-iison against the two key pitchers who throw from the iet't tide. Aqainst C'O'UM-r (Who is selected as the best representative of Williams of the Sox I, Groh has been at bat ten times, pettlrcr two runs and three hits. ThN is a batlinrr mark of .:j "j. Aitainst Yamiun (who represents Kerr), f;roh iris b. t-a at bat. eleven times, Kcltinrr four hits and two runs. This is a batlie.i- av-ram of .:.';. (f the seven lifts off the:..- south! aws. four were for extra bases. CineCs combined com-bined record acalnst the Iwo iefi-!-.ar.ib.-rs is seven hits and four runs in twenty-r.lae timcs at bat. an average of .ilo". Cf.siM iiriitly it is fair to assume that Groh is -oii.c to be n (iar.u-- rous man m the world's s. ries against Kid .; Venn's tv.o southpaws. W illi:. nis ami Kerr a lot more Uiii.iotous than Weaver will l:e UK:Hi"--t r.eulher tmd Sadc. Groh, battiiiK airaihst Adams, has been at bst thirteen times for one run a-id two hits. Ak-amsl Hani os he has been at bat fourttea tunes, wilh one run and two hits. Ak'ainst (.'adore lie has balled fifteen times, anil got three bits. This i.s a total battinif mark of .'2:1 against tile five key pitohtrs. Analyzing these figures further, we find that Groh has b. en at bat forly-two forly-two tunes a-vilnst Adams. Fames and Cadore. and lies made s. yen hits. Tins is-nn average of and as lii.-se throe pitehers have be. n seieot.-d as best r. p-resetitiiig p-resetitiiig the varied styles of ;dd:e C'eotto it looks ns though '"roh woui.l bit about . 1 -( it r.gaii.st (.'ior-tte in the world s (.o-i.s. To summarize tho (l,oo l'la er. Team. AH. It. H. ;:, ;. Weaver. Chicago let !.; 17 .:". Groh. ( 'incinna 1 1 ti;t C, 1-J . -j j j So far the figures are bearing oui the Have.-. T-.io.i G. Weaver. Chi.-uoo ' ; I Or. !;. Cii'oinnat i 11 a man. i ins an uns, veaei .imavj j--e- ball mornitiL', noon and night. He studies stud-ies the game and evolves, plays, tome of bis piays, apparently accidental, have been made as the result of previous study of such and such a possihiipy. The figures here shown speak for them-seives, them-seives, and Weaver a work in the world's ser.es will prove that this estimate has not been assumed too much. Is Ambidextrous. V-."eaver bats ieft-h.anded against right-handed right-handed pitchers and shifts to the other side against the southpaws. He hits the I .a. I to a'.l par's of the park. At bat he can work with the runner on first, and on the bases be co-operates with the tatter remaraa'oiv well. Now Groii has th.s reeomT.endation am.'iig others: He was fired by John ab'Giaw because ii.s position at the plate d:d not please that manager, oud yet the Kens' third baseinm has gone out and has hit ap; roximateiy .'J?r, for six seasons. sea-sons. Shater. Ilerzog and Zimmerman are numbered among Gruh's 6ucce.-sors at third for the Giants, but none can compare v.i-h Grol". in value. Groh s position at the plate i-s peculiar. pecu-liar. He directiy faces the pitcher. Ty an oiid and rued sunt of pos. rion he gets tho full s'reocth of his shoulders j int.) a short, oiu p;y swing. 'J'he result re-sult is that lie :s one of the reliable and oar gerous ni-t'-rs of the league. lie hits nght-'nauded. I I..ko it.u'n co.nnarod with Kddio Col-li'is, Col-li'is, G'oli lias e d se.'ivantage comoare 1 with Weaver. He has the sa-r.o type of n-.ind as iiath. IPs roentai leaeess-'S arc Set and stop.,!. In oilier w ord.s. be is s'ov.er in the head" then Weaver, and th:s m a in a or e rery be seod .1 each Coieirnati mf " .'.t, w'r.en eoi'-r.r.red man for man won the Sox infieiders. These figures continue to (i-inons'rU'-t'ne s i in i 1 a : ;t" of tho two men. Grol-. fails behind in s:.-ri: Icing, but re gels more I eig hits in proportion, .is a base puii mer he t,ats Weaver, win fev.e-ch.ire fev.e-ch.ire . s. I'oli .wir.g ire the batting records of tho two pi.'.y.vs: Alt. H. II. T. SH. PR. Pet. 4 1 is: '.ii JW |