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Show BACK in the dim and far away season of 1876, Chicago won the flnt National league pennant under ! the leadership of Albert G. Spalding Spald-ing Today in the 70th campaign of the older league, Chicago's Cubs are heading for another pennant with the Cardinals still in hot pursuit. As the count stands at this moment Chi-' Chi-' cago and New York are tied with 15 I National league pennants each and I if the Cubs win this year, they will have a one pennant lead over their closest all-time rival from Manhattan. Manhat-tan. After Albert Spalding won In 1876, I Cap Anson won three in a row in I 1880, 1881 and 1882, and the slugging Cap repeated again in 1885 and 1886. Old Cap was one of the most interesting inter-esting characters I ever knew in baseball. base-ball. He was a great hitter for close to 25 years. After the Anson An-son cleanup, the Cubs took a diziy dip for the next 19 j Charley Grimm y,pars unt Frank L. Chance, the Peerless Leader, arrived ar-rived on the scene in 1906 to win four pennants in five years against bis famous rival, John J. McGraw. McGraw won 10 of New York's 15 pennants, but even his aggressive leadership was not quite enough to catch up with the Cubs. Outside of the Cubs and Giants, of the 69 pennants already delivered, Boston has 9, St. Louis 8, Pittsburgh 8, Brooklyn 5 and Philadelphia lays claim to her one and only flag which Alexander's pitching brought about 30 years ago. It has been stated, unofficially, that the Phillies will not win the pennant this season. But we have an idea that under her new owner there will be a change for the better later on. Grimm's Victories Returning to the leading Cubs and Chicago's long pennant success, suc-cess, it was Charley Grimm who won for Chicago in 1932 and 1935, using a number of pretty good ball players play-ers for this purpose. Now the cheerful Cub leader has a shot at his third flag, a dream that only the Cardinals can turn into a nightmare. And I don't believe they can with the edge in pitching the Cubs carry. In losing los-ing such ball players as the Cooper brothers, Stan Musial and Max Lanier, Lan-ier, from last season's squad, the Red Birds apparently have lost more than they could afford. In spite of these heavy blows, Billy Southworth has turned in one of his best jobs, a statement to which the Dodgers can testify. Southworth's best chance is the 12 IRames his Cardinals have left with the Cubs. There may be a wide pap between the Cubs of 1945 and the 1906-1910 j teams. That Chance outfit was one r'if the greatest baseball has ever known. It bad one of the game's smartest catchers in Johnny Kling. It had a strong pitching staff headed by Miner Brown and Ed Reulbach. And it bad "Tinker to Evers to Chance," plus Steinfeldt at third. It also had such workmen as Scheekard, Hofman, Slagle and Schulte in the outfield. This club was good enough to set a National league record for a season's total 116 victories. vic-tories. This 1945 round-up is no 1906 brand. But it is a pretty good ball club for these war years. Above all else it has the most consistent pitching stafr in either lengue. When Charley Grimm calls on a starting pitcher, the odds are he will have one who can finish or at least pitch well. Two I'm Basemen In Hack at third and Cavarretta at first the Cubs have two of the ben now left from either league. Stan Hack has been a badly underrated under-rated ball player for several years. He has been one of the best, prewar pre-war or through the war. Phil Cav-arretta Cav-arretta has been one of the most improved players of 1945. A good JJ .headed by Bill NlcholVorf hu Biven unmm a solid phalanx com- h A h5,0"1 lher teamS W"0 have had few dependable workmen, and" th? nr!gBlin start. Giants Cubs hit their stride in early June Tnrou'hJ "0 bad ' -2 Denfii S. other; had IbrtUa pitching than any other tlUAb m Uleir 'eague could show th-VnTtiSraretoday-any" week, n? ,appcn with seval An,erican i. 8ee anv other .nybody tCam eatening Whatever happens, the Clark Grif- iant cause. y pen" |