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EDITED Vs. 9 FARNgWORTH
Now, Really, Mutt, a Little Harmless Joke Like This Is All Right :: :: By “Bud” Fisher
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McGraw's Big Slicker Has Batted Out Many Victories at Crucial Stages
PINCH-HITTER M’CORMICK A VALUABLE GIANT
By W. J. Mcßeth.
NEW YORK. Sept 30.- As a
big league poet our old
friend, John Milton, hit
about .500 or thereabout. He had a
great as* jrtment—curves, speed
and a change of pace. But he nev
er slipped anything over the plate
more apt than his famous passage:
"They also serve who only stand
and wait."
Th» future must have opened
to give John a glimpse of
Harry McCormick as Inspiration
for that line. "Mush the Moose”
stands forth as the epitome of that
sentiment. Big. congenial Mai' has
done considerable standing and
considerable waiting this season,
but he has nevertheless served the
Giant cause as well as Mathew
son. Tesreau or Marc sard. That's
putting It very strong
In manv respects McCormick is
one of the most remarkable char
acters of the national pastime. He
defies every law of athletic fate.
He is by far the most remarkable
come-back of the present genera
tion. Volumes have been written
about Jimmy Callahan and Mike
Donlin. yet more remarkable than
the story of either Is the return of
McGraw's great pinch hitter
McCormick Slow as a Snail.
Either Callahan or Donlin is a
Mercury compared to McCormick,
Speed is one of the first attribute?
of modern baseball. Either of the
accepted "come-back twins" can
beat out a hit now and then by
slapping it slowly toward some in
fielder—McCormick never. He has
tn swat It where they “ain’t." His
only virtues are unerring eyesight
and the physical powers of execu
tion.
When Hart y McCormick knocked
off at the close of the season of
1909 he apparently knocked off for
good Eor two year she didn’t take
a ball in his fist. He devoted his
entire attention to commercial
lines He had evidently outlived
his usefulness as a major league
arset No one made any fuss over
his departure, not even McGraw.
Last spring Harry McCormick
made application for reinstatement
at the hands of the national com
mission This was necessarv be-
■ is* he had failed to observe the
reserve clause of his contract with
the Giants. He got track into the
good graces of the organization
without show o even fuss Even
FRANK CHANCE EXPECTS
TO PLAY AGAIN NEXT YEAR
<’Hit AGO, Sept 30 Frank L.
Chance, manager of the Chicago Na
tional league baseball team, said here
today he had received no official noti
fication that he had been deposed
from that position bv I’ • sident Mur
phy of tlie club.
• ’hance said the operation he re
cently underwent In New York was a
success and he expected to play ball
all next season
Chance and Murphy did not meet
yesterday Murphy was positive In his
assertion that there was no likelihood
of Chance being retained as manager.
CHICAGO ASKS WAIVERS
ON MORDECAI BROWN
CHICAGO. Sept. 30 Waivers have been
asked on Mordecai Brown In President *
Murph v. of the Chicago Cuba The pitch
er injured his Knee in winning a ten- 1
inning game last July, and since that i
mishap has been of n«» use to the < lub.
Manager Chance today confirmed the
news that Brown is to leave the team '
lASt winter he signed a three-x ear con
tract
KOLEHMAINEN IS BEATEN
BY QUAIL IN 12-MILE RACE
NE'VAKK. N Sept 30 In a i2-niil<-
t "'.t-KMonal race at the Vailsburg sta
’V," ) n "hich five runners competed.
'■ Uy Quail, the American champion.!
- ter alternating in the lead with Wil- '
barn Kohlmatnen. of Einland, beat tiie '
t» let to the tape by inches in 1.06:19
■ * 8 “ fourth, and Carl Nlm
® '* "wedet ■ '
McGraw didn't take a tumble. Mac
figures that he would not stand in
the light of the big follow making
a livelihood
Hit Ball Hard at Marlin.
McGraw probably figured on
using McCormick in some sort of
trade. I here did not seem to be
the ghost of a chance of the bat
tle scarred veteran catching on
against such an array of outfield
talent as the Little Napoleon mus
tered Anyhow. McCormick was
ordered to repot! to Marlin. He
brought with him little more than
his batting eye. Rut he showed
that he had not forgotten how to
sting the hall. In batting skill the
old fellow started right in where
he had left off two ydars before.
And he made such a fine Impres
sion in the Southland that McGraw
forgot all about any notions of
turning him loose.
Mct'ormlck. who would qualify
for a regular berth If his legs were
sound, is one of the slowest run
ners in the game. He earns every
hit. And New York pays well for
the labor. He is a pinch hitter of
approved type: his record shows
that. So far this season McCor
mick has figured in 36 games. In
all that time he has been to bat
just 35 times. He has scored four
runs, delivered twelve hits for a
total of sixteen bases and an aver
age of .345 and has stolen one base
that on the soft end of a double
pilfer. Outside the luscious bat
ting average. McCormick’s work
may not be very impressive. But
it typifies a season of work well
done.
Kept Only For His Hitting.
Self-sacrifice is the fundamental
creed which McCormick must fol
low toward his fellow associates.
With his hatting prowess ends Mc-
Graw's concern in him. McCor
mick is supposed to deliver the
pinch blow that starts a rally or
drives home the necessary' runs;
then ho steps out. He is not even
allowed to linger as « base runner
once his office is performed. Til
lie Shafer or some other irrepressi
ble fleet athlete takes up the base
running burden from first and big
Mac is chased off to the cool, se
questered shower
If baseball were conducted on the
union scale of wages, McCormick's
income would compare favorably
with the kings of finance. Possi
bly altogether this season he will
PRESIDENT MAY MISS
WORLD'S SERIES GAMES
BEVERLY, MASS., Sept. 30. Unless
some of President Taft's friends in
Vermont and New Hampshire change
the tentative program they have
mapped out for a presidential visit to
their states, the most distinguished
baseball fan in the country will miss
the world series games in Boston next
week
The president accepted an Invita
tion to witness world series games In
Boston the day the Red Sox clinched
the American league pennant. Erlends
in the White mountains, however, re
cently asked him to make an automo
bile tour there.
VICE PRESIDENT’S CUP
FINAL EAST LAKE CLUB
( . !.♦• vice president s golf trophy is the
nex - and last trophy to be contested
| for b\ th< golfers of the Atlanta Ath
letic club at East 1-ake
The qualifying round of this tourna
ment will »>»• played next Saturday, the
plavers qualifying with their net scores
Thu first and sccnndF rounds of match
pla.x must be plaxed by October 11 The
semi-finals must be played by October 12
Hti'l the finals bv October 13
A “
MATT McGRATH HANGS
UP NEW HAMMER THROW
Xi’W YORK. Sept 30 Malt McGrath.
;ihe world's champion hammer-thrower,
added a neu world's record t<» his string
ai (’eltto park He threw the 16-pound
hammer u 11h unlimited run and follow
j 191 feet 5 inches, the former record be
ing l«n feet 1 inch, made b\ I .t Flana
gan, on the same ground, thret years ago.
THE ATLANTA GEORGTAX AXT) XEWS.MOXT7AY. SEPTEMBER „30. 1912.
not have been actively engaged in
strife more than a couple of hours.
Vet he pulls down, a big league sal
ary, and he will get a full share
of the world’s series spoils. He is
likely to figure in the big classic,
too, if occasion arises for a pinch
hit.
All of which goes to prove the
wisdom of old John .Milton as a
baseball prophet.
Rube Marquard Compares Giants and Red Sox
4* •4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4* 4*®4*
McGraw’s Men Have Benefit of Experience
- ' ■ By RUBE MARQUARD. -
IT is the fashion to make predic
tions as to the winner of the
world's series. I am going to
vary the custom to some extent by
confining myself largely to com
parisons of the Giants and the Red
Sox as 1 see them from a study of
the "dope." Now, I can't say 1 be
lieve much in the "dope" as ap
plied to a short series of seven
games, in which the element of luck
sometimes overshadows sheer abil
ity; still, it is always interesting
to me to study the possibilities.
McGraw is now pointing our
club toward the big series—our sec
ond consecutive chance at the
championship of the world. We
meet a club that the average fan
considers weaker than the Athlet
ics of last year, although Connie
Mack, who leads the Athletics, is
quoted as saying that the Stahl
aggregation Is a better club than
the one he had in 1911. Mack
should know.
Remember this: 1 haven’t seen
the Red Sox play this season, and
haven't had a chance to study
them lam basing my observation
on the figures. I can't see where a
man who has never seen and stud
ied both teams in action has any
license to say. arbitrarily, that this,
or that player is better than an
other I think a "fan" who has
w atched the clubs all season is bet
ter able to judge for himself than a
man who has seen but one team,
and is intensely partisan, anyway
Confident Giants Will Win.
I feel confident that the Giants
will defeat the Sox. and it is a con
fidence born of Ihe honest belief
that we have the best ball club.
The wish, in my case, is father to
the thought.
I think it will be conceded that
we have the greatest manager in
the game today, and therein lies a
tremendous advantage in our favor
at the outset. McGraw has proven
himself a wonderful baseball gen
eral. and will leave an Indelible im
press upon the game. 1» believe he
is the greatest single asset that
New York has in the coming series.
I want to say. in passing, that
everything which has been printed
about the ability of "Smoky" Joe
Wood is true. He is a gieat pitch
er. 1 know, because I used io pitch
against him down in the American
association w hen he was with Kan
sas City. and I was a member of
the Indianapolis club Whenever
our teams came together Joe and 1
were always matched for a battle.
I don't recall that Wood ever
gained a decision over me. and we
used to average ten and twelve
strikeouts to a game. Since those
days we have both probably mate
ially changed our methods of
pitching 1 know 1 did. and Joe
must have done the same, because
he would never got away in the
big league with nothing but his old
smoke Make no mistake about
Mood he is very, very good.
However. I want to discuss the
other players in their order, and
we will drop the pitchers with the
statement that I believe McGraw is
as well, if not a littl.- better, forti
fied with Mathewson, Tesreau,
The Big Race
Here is the up-to-the-minute dope on
how the "Big Five" batters of the Amer
ican league are hitting:
PLAYERS— A.B. H. AV.
COBB 545 222 .408
JACKSON 556 218 .392
SPEAKER 565 216 .382
LAJOIE 425 149 .351
COLLINS 516 173 .335
Cobb. Collins and Speaker did not play
yesterday. Jackson kept up his terrific
slugging by securing two hits In four
times up. Lajoie failed to connect for a
safe swat in four attempts.
Ames, Crandall. Wiltse and your
humble servant, as Stahl is with
Wood. Bedient, O'Brien. Collins and
Hall.
Merkle Great First Sacker.
Cred Merkle is now conceded to
be one of the greatest first base
men in the country. He would be
ranked by any unbiased expert
among the first three. His work as
"doorkeeper” for the Giants has
been a big feature during the two
championship years of the team.
Tnis season he has been hitting
about .300 right along, sometimes
rising above that mark, and occa
sionally falling a few points below.
As against Merkles .300 batting
average—it was really .301 the last
time I saw the figures—Stahl also
hits about .300. so there is not much
batting advantage at that particu
lar point in the line-up. Merkle is
much faster than the Sox leader
on the bases and otnerwise. He
has stolen 30 bases, against Jake's
11. He has scored 77 runs against
Stahl’s 37—I'm basing my figures
on the table issued last Friday,
September 27. Merkle had played
123 games against Stahl’s 89 up to
that time.
I.believe we have it all over the
Sox at first base.
Doyle Best at Second.
• Between Larry Doyle and Steve
Yerkes I believe there is no argu
ment. Doyle Is today the greatest
second baseman in the National
league. Doyle bats -.328 against
Yerkes' .247. He has stolen 34
bases, while Steve had stolen less
than half a dozen on Moreland's
figures last week. Doyle has scored
97 runs against Yerkes' 69.
At shortstop, Wagner, of the Sox.
has nothing on our Arthur Fletch
er tn the figures. Wagner hits .266.
while Fletcher is banging the ball
for .266 Wagner has scored 71
runs to Fletcher's eo and Arthur
played in fewer games than the
Sox short fielder. Wagner has
stolen 20 bases against Fletchers
12.
Wagner is a veteran who has
been playing ball quite a long time,
while Fletcher Is comparatively a
youngster, but Fletcher has had the
advantage of experience in one
world's series | know that Wag
ner is considered one of the strong
est men on the Sox club, and have
heard much about his fielding, but
let me tell you now that Arthur
Fletcher has been working around
the short field recently tn a man
ner which has never been excelled
by any man.
Hertog Better Than Gardner.
I was going to give you an ar
j gument at third base. too. but 1
guess that Is unnecessary now in
view of the work of Charley Her
zog lately. 1 see where the ex
perts who hud been giving the Sox
a wide shade on Larry Gardner at
third over the “Canteloupe King"
have commenced to reneg after
seeing Charley. The Marylander
has been saving games for the
Giants by his grand work at the
hot corner, and has picked up in
his hitting, unless it is generally ad
mitted that the Sox will have noth-
Giants and Red Sox Can Not Rely Entirely on Pitchers and Hitters
MISTAKES WILL DECIDE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Bv Monty.
THE world's series of 1912 will
not be fought out entirely
nor even principally between
batter and pitcher, as has been
the written comment of more than
half the scribes who have devoted
pencil and paper to the subject.
If the series is played true to
the "dope." if every man batter
ing on us there, even with Gardner
at his best.
The figures show that Larry hits
.317 against Herzog's .265. Gardner
has stolen 24 bases to Charley's 33,
and has scored 87 runs to the
Maryland man's 72.
There Is no discounting Gard
ner’s ability. Like Herzog, he was
not originally a third baseman, but
he has been made over into a great
player at that corner. His hitting
puts him in the class of Frank Ba
ker. the man who made such a
wonderful showing in the world's
series last year. I would consider
Gardner the most dangerous man
among the Sox at bat. next to Tris
Speaker.
The latter, of course, is in a class
by himself among the outfielders
who will take part in the big se
ries. It may be his misfortune to
fall down, as Ty Cobb did in the
world's championship games in
which he figured, but you’ve got to
always regard a man of Speaker's
great ability as a factor until the
last man in the last game is out.
As for Duffy Lewis and Harry
Hooper, the figures do not show
that they outclass our outfielders
to any great extent. Lewis hits
.273, while we have Josh Devore and
Murray hitting .266 and .267. re
spectively. with Snodgrass whaling
the ball at .258. Hooper taps a
light .248.
In base running, as shown by base
stealing, our men completely out
class both Lewis and Hooper. De
vore has stolen 25 bases, Murray
32. Snodgrass 38. while Lewis is
credited with but 8 and Hooper
with 26.
Then. too. we have Beals Beck
er, who hits .264. and has stolen 28
bases.
Outfielders Even on Defense.
in the fielding line. 1 doubt if
the Bostonians will show our gar
deners anything in a short series.
The Sox outfielders are noted for
their throwing, but that is also the
Giants' long suit. No man in the
world can shoot the ball better than
John Murray, and no man in the
world can do any more spectacular
fielding than that same "Red.”
It Is admitted that we have the
Sox outclassed behind the bat. Bill
Carrigan certainly can not be com
pared to Meyers in any single de
partment on their figures. The chief
hits .347 against Carrigan's .259.
Meyers is a better thrower; he has
even stolen more bases than his
lighter opponent, although neither
can be classed as much of a base
runner Remembet Meyers' work
in the last world's series. He was
generally considered the star of the
Giants, whereas the prophets fig
ured he would go to pieces under
the drive.
Taking the second line, as you
might call it, 1 believe McGraw has
Stahl outclassed with Artie Shafer,
Grover Hartley. George Burns,
Henry Groh and Harry McCormick,
against Clyde Engle. Henriksen.
Krug. Thomas, or any of the other
Sox substitutes Shafer. Groh and
Bums can fill in at any time with
out the team losing strength, save
from the standpoint of experience,
while Hartley is ready for tegular
service as a catcher right now.
bats and every pitcher pitches as
past performances would forecast,
it would be just about a tossup be
tween the Giants and the Red Sox
in respect to twirling and stick
work. This being the case, the
trail of the logic leads to the oth
er departments of play—base run
ning, fielding, general team play
and fighting spirit. And. when it
simmers down to a contest of su
periority in these departments, it
is a matter not so much of grand
achievements as of mistakes that
will decide the issue. Thus, we
shout:
The world's series will be de
cided on a basis of MISTAKES
made, the team with the least
lapses chalked up against it, of
course, taking the honors.
There always is the possibility
in a battle of teams that have
never met before that batters may
take kindly to the offerings of a
pitcher who logically figures as a
hard one for them to reach. This
may be the case this year, the same,
as it may be in any event similar
to a world’s series, where the con
tenders are strangers to each other.
Tesreau may prove a morsel for
the Red Sox hitsman and Wood
may turn out to be the same for
the Giant slugsmiths, but the evi
dence at hand does not point in
that direction. Nor does it indi
cate that Ray Collins and Mathew
son will be batted over the lot.
Matty Will Hurl Opener.
The power ratio of the rivai hurl
ing corps seems remarkably bal
anced. Mathewson, who by prece
dent probably will pitch the first
game for New York, seems well
fitted to cope with Wood, whose
christened handle, by the way. Is
not Joe, hut Howard Emerson.
They call him Joe for short, for
the same reason that President
Taft might be called George or
Timothy.
Matty's steadiness would prove
an asset in the getaway game as
it did when he beat the Athletics
in last year's opener. Wood will
be pitching against a club that spe
cializes on right-handed pitchers,
which would detract from his
charm. These two factors ought to
even up the edge that Wood pos
sesses over the veteran in speed
and "smoke,” in which Christy has
GLOVER LOST TO TECH;
FAILS TO PASS “EXAMS”
Glover, the man from Wisconsin, who
has been playing such good football
for Tech at. left end, is ineligible on ac
count of failing in an examination and
not haying the required units for a
freshman, and will not be able to play
any more this season. .
This is a hard blow to the team, as
Glover is a good man and would have
been a valuable asset, toward making
Tech a winning team this fall. Who
will be shifted to fill his place has not
yet been decided.
NEW TRIAL FOR NEGRO
SERVIN-GJ-IFE SENTENCE
.MACON. GA.. Sept. 30.—For the first
time in the history of the courts in Bibb
county, a negro under life sentence has
been granted a new trial by the court
which tried him. The negro, Flovd Jones,
was convicted of w recking the Dixie Flyer
on April 26, and has already begun bis
sentence.
Since the trial, two white boys have
confessed their responsibility for the
crime, and, although they have left Ma
con. and can not be located. Judge Haw
kins considered that, under the circum
stances. the negro was entitled to an
other trial.
CUBS TO BUILD $700,000
STAND;_TO SEAT 60.000
CHICAGO. Sept. 30.—The Chicago Na
tionals will start next season with a new
steel and concrete grandstand, to cost
DOO,OOO, and with a capacity of 60.000 It
was announced by President Murphy.
Twelve thousand fans will have to’ stand
when a capacity crowd Is present and
arrangements to prevent those standing
from Interfering with the vision of those
seated are novel.
A subway about 18 Inches deep Is to
be excavated in front of the "bleachers”
and stands, and on days when all accom
modations are required the last comers
will have to stand in the dugout,'’
fallen off somewhat during the last
few annums.
Wood and Mathewson come first
in order of discussion because they
almost certainly will be the initial
appearers. But, according to our
way of thinking, they will not hold
as much mastery over hostile stick
vvielders as Jeff Tesreau and Ray
Collins. After Tesreau has seen his
mates battle the Red Sox in one
game he will be at least partially
used to the scene and the tension,
and should be able to dish up his
best Assortment of Missouri spit
balis. Collins, with his southpaw
delivery, ought to be a harder nut
for the Giants to crack than his
teammate, Wood, because the Na
tional league champions display
weakness against starboard-siders.
The game or games in which these
two meet (if they do meet) should
produce less scoring by both teams
than when Matty and Wood clash,
but there will not be very many
runs in any case if results bear out
advance appearances.
Batters Wise to Marquard.
It is within the range of possi
bility that no other twirlers will
be called upon than the quartet
named. If there is any other to
break into the series, it likely will
be Rube Marquard, the human co
coa tree. Because of his remark
able string of nineteen straight,
Marquard would seem entitled to a
chance for sentimental reasons
alone. But Marquard is not the
winning pitcher that he was early
in the Ta.ce. Why? Question has
puzzled the baseball universe. Mar
quard has all his "stuff” and speed,
despite any statement to the con
trary. Also the much-made-nf
mental strain that has had little
or nothing to do with his loss of
puzzling ability. What is it, then?
The secret at last is out. It is
this:
Marquard holds the ball in such
away that a batter can watch
him. know what kind of a curve
he is serving up and meet it ac
cordingly. The Chicago Cub? got
next to this back in Julv and
stopped his sequence of wins, later
tipping off every other club in the
league. From that moment Mar
quard has been a mediocre twfrl
er, and, try as he did, he could not
rid himself of the fault. The Red
Sox, knowing this failing of
Rube, would possess a great edge
over him.
ATLANTA SOCCER CLUB
TO MEET OCTOBER ;
The Atlanta soccer football club wit
hold a meeting at their headquarters. .-
G. Spalding & Bros.. 74 North Broar
street, October 3. at which time
cers will be elected for the ensuing .' eal
and plans discussed for the season
The question of forming a footM
league for soccer players will p e , /
cussed. A league is now organized .
the East, covering the entire section a
the West. The local players propose‘ '
organize such a. league in the South an
have it a member of the American
sociation ....
The local club won all of its games ism
season, and with many more < luns a _
colleges taking up the game this .
it expects to play many games this tan.
CENTRAL ROAD PATRONS
WANT “SHOO-FLY” TRAINS
MACON, GA , Sept. 80.—Citizens and
merchants of a number of towns ( •
Central of Georgia railroad
in Mcaon on October 7 to |
plans for appearing before th** ra ,
commission with petitions fnr two _•
fly" trains. The people of b.mHbw 1 ’
and Eufaula, Ala , want a morning ■
between those two points that «' '
nect with the train which come’ to
Smithville to Macon every morning
patrons of the road living in Th'„ ,j
Griffin. Barnesville. Forsyth. Ki' l ' 1 '
Bolingbroke will also ask for
which will enable them to rea< n ■ -
by 8:30 o'clock every morning
turn in the afternoon.
ONE KILLED AND ONE HURT
WHEN AUTO TURNS TURTLE
MACON. GA.. Sept. 30.— George Mar’-
den, an official of a local cotton m
killed, and A. J. Jones, an office ct"l
of the same company, sustained • n ". pn
that will probably result fatal '
their automobile skidded on i . ,c ~n Pe
bankment and turned over at
creek. 11 miles from Macon. '•’ iia( j
Two other occupants of the tnachin
narrow escapes.