Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

12 ©OKSIAM ®OI® O®Q * BMHX - • EDI TEA) W. 9 FARNSWORTH Now, Really, Mutt, a Little Harmless Joke Like This Is All Right :: By “Bud” Fisher ! ruu _ . L-IFT a » ANb (to YOU. ' ’ \ 'X ( L UWI NO! NO! Mix! ) v \ . fcUfcbEk ,|Y I Z - x DON'T THROW | «-OV € OF y X.\ I I f — T£*| X'"J \W\ OW ' CM ') • \\' fim basgmfnt I f ’ X ‘‘ nee’ I '' wlb r? ’'LT J X<nX. ' ‘ I ] <j2f * ---v >» X? n t s- y —\ \ LmWY ~ ) % ) Viz/' j* / *<£' W». A. \ W F J ' *’ J '>■ MB / / ■ l?ll» Ww < glfcf ’ , BRM> > JebLS Ww — - * «>xff/ CT r j-orc 4/jtmrco McGraw's Big Sticker Has Batted Out Many Victories at Crucial Stages PINCH-HITTER KORMICK A- VALUABLE fiIANT 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'irtment —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.’’ The 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 Mac 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 many 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. Eithe Callahan or Donlin is a Mercury compared to McCormick. Speed is one of the first attributes of modern baseball. Either of the ntccpted "come-back twins" can beat out a hit now and then by slapping it slowly toward some in ti* Ider- McCormick never He has to swat it whet' they "ain’t.” His unit virtues are uni" Ing eyesight and thi ph.' l - < :il powers of execu t ion. When Hu r> McCormick knocked off a: the < lose of the season of , 19"',' he appn ' fitly knocked off fol gi od I'e;- two years he didn't take alt; I in h's fist, lb devoted his "iitib : 1 mtion :>> commercial '!ne-. He had evidently outlived his use ulnc -s as i mojo league asset. No one nnu nj fuss over hi.- depastu 1 no. von McGraw. Last spring Hit. McCormick mad, application fm reinstatement it t’c (minis of tile national com* m --in. Th was necessary be ts us : - had failed to observe the \ clan-, of his contract with the Gantt IL giV back into the good graces of tip ,> ganization without show or even fuss Even FRANK CHANCE EXPECTS TO PLAY AGAIN NEXT YEAR CHICAGO. Sept. 30 Crank 1,, chance, manager of the* Chicago Na tional league' baseball team, said here today he had’ received no official noti fication that he hail been deposed from that position by President Mur phy of the club Chance sale! 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 Mordeeal Brown by President Murphy ,of the Chicago Cubs The pitch er injured his knee tn winning a ten inning game last July, and since that mishap has been of no use tq the chit' Manager Chance today confirmed the news that Brown is to leave the team winter he signed a three-year con tract KOLEHMAINEN IS BEATEN BY QUAIL IN 12-MILE RACE NEWARK. N I , Sept 30. In a 12-tnile professional race at the Yallshuig sta dium. in which five runnets competed, Billy Quail, the American champion, after alternating in the lead with Wil liam Kohlmainen. of Finland. beat the latter to the tape by inches In 1:0f> 1:' John lohannsen. of Sweden, was third, one-third of a mile back James Crowlev. of this city, was fourth, and Car! Kim Ipeun, of Sweden, last McGraw didn’t take a tumble. Mac figures that he would not stand in the light of the big follow. Hit Ball Hard at Marlin. McGraw probably figured on using McCormick In some sort of trade. There did not seem to he 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 report to Marlin. Hr brought with him little more than his batting eye. Rut he showed that he had not forgotten how to sting the ball, in batting skin the "Id fellow started right in where he had left off two years before And he made such a fine impres sion in the Southland that McGraw forgot all about any. notions of turning hint loose. McCormick, who would qualify for a regular berth if his legs were sound, is one of the slowest run ners In the game. He cams every lilt. 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 rum. 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. Rut 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 batting 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 he steps out. He is not even allowed to linger as a 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 > hared 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. Cnless some of President Taft’s friends in Vermont and New Hampshire change lite tentative program they have mapped out for a presidential visit to them sc ues. the most distinguished baseball fan in the coun'ry will miss the world series games in Boston fiext week. The president accepted an invita tion to witness world series games In Boston the day the Red Sox clinched the American league pennant. Friend# In the White mountains, however, re cently asked him to make an automo bile tour there. VICE PRESIDENT’S CUP FINAL EAST LAKE CLUB The vice president’s golf trophy is the ’• ct and last trophy to be contested for by the golfers of the Atlanta Ath letic club at Hast Lake. The qualifying round of this tourna ment will played next Saturday , the ' player* qualifying with their net scores The first and seconds rounds of match pl»x must be played by October 11 The semi-finals must be played by October 12 and the finals b\ October 1.3 MATT McGRATH hangs UP NEW HAMMER THROW \i:\\ YORK. Sept <0 ?'aU McGrath, ihe world s <hunrpb»n hatiimer thrower, added h new world's record t«» Ins siring at Celtic i»ark He threw the 16-pound hammer with unlimited run and follow 191 feet 5 inches, the former record be Ing 180 tees 1 inch, mad* by ,t .1 Flana gan, on the same ground, three years ago THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.MONDAY. SEPTEMBER 30. 1912. not have been actively engaged in strife more than a couple of hours. Yet he pulls down a big league sal ary, and he will get a full share of the .vorld's series spoils. He is likely to figure in* the big classic, too, if occasion crises for a pinch hit. All of which goes to prove the wi.-com of old John Milton as a baseball prophet. Rube Marquard Compares Giants and Red Sox •!-#v *!'•*!* •?•••»• McGraw’s Men Have Benefit of Experience 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 sheet 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: I haverft seen the Red Sox play this season, and haven't had a chance to study them lam basing my observation on th figures. I can't see where a man w ho has nev r seen and stud ied both teams in action has any license to say, arbitrarily, that this or that piuyei is better than an other I think a "fan” who has watched 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. 1 feel confident that the Giants will defeat the Sox. and it is a con fidence born of the honest belief that we have the best ball club. The wish, in my case, is father to the thought. 1 think it will be conceded that we have the greatest manager in the game today, and therein lies a tremendous advantage in out favor at the outset. McGraw has proven himself a wonderful baseball gen eral. and will leave an Indelible im press upon the game. I 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 great pitch er. I know, because 1 used to 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. I know 1 did, ami Joe must have done the same, because he would never got away In the big league with nothing but bis old smoke Make no mistake about Wood he is very, very good However. I want to dismiss the other play m s in their order, amt we will drop ttie pitchers with the statement that 1 believe McGraw is as well, if not a littls 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 Speakffr did not play yesterday. Jackson kept up his terrific slugging by securing two hits in four times up. La|oie failed to connect for a safe swat in four attempts.' By RUBE MARQUARD. Ames, C’.andall, Wiltse ann your humble servant, as Stahl is with Wood. Bedient, O’Brien, Collinsand 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. This season he has been hitting about .300 right along, sometimes rising above that mark, and occa sionally falling a few points below. As against Merkle s .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-tip. 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’ .24 7. 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. lias nothing on our Arthur Fletch er in the figures. Wagner lifts .266. while Fletcher is hanging the ball for .266 Wagner has scored 71 runs to Fletcher's no and Arthur played in fewer games than the Sox short fielder. Wagner has stolen 20 bases against Fletcher's 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. I 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 in a man ner which has never been excelled by any man Horzoq Better Than Gardner. I was going to give you an ar gument at third base, tofi, but 1 guess that is unnecessary now in view of the work of Charley Her zog lately. I sec where the ex perts who had been giving the Sox • a wide shade on Larry Gardner at third over the "Canteloupe King" have comment e'd to reneg after seeing Charley The Marylandei has been saving games for the Giants by his grand work at the hot corner, and has picked up in his hittine, unless it is generally ad mitted that the Sox will ha' e noth- Giants and Red Sox Can Not Rely Entirely on Pitchers and Hitters MISTAKES WILL DECIDE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES By Monty. THE wortd'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 tarry 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 worlds series last year. 1 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 w’ho 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 Engl«* Henriksen. Kgug. Thomas, or any of the other Sox substitutes. Shafer. Groh and Burns can till in at any time with out the team losing strength, save from the standpoint of experience, w hile Hartley is ready for regular service as a catcher right non. 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 shput: 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 hitsmen 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 rival Jiurl 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, but 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: FAILSTOPASS “EXAMS” Glover, the man from Wisconsin, who has been playing such good football for Tech at left end, is ineligible on ac count of falling in an examination and not having the required units for a freshman, and he 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. 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 ?700,000. and with a capacity of 60,000, it was announced by President Murphy. Twelve thousand fans will have to stand when a Rapacity 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.” WOODRUFF WILL RTFEREE. COLUMBUS GA.. Sept. 30.—Kid Woodruff, the well known University of Georgia star, will referee the football game between Auburn and Mercer in this citv next Saturday. .Announce ment of the names of the other otft.ial.- has not been made. NEW RECORD FOR BURMAN. ST l.ttl’lS. Sept. 30. —Bob Bmman established a new world's i>sold lor one mile ovei a circular track at the Uni versal exposition grounds yesterday when he drove his 300-horse power Blitzen-Benz <>nc< around in 17 3-;. «... ends. fallen off somewhat during the last few annutns. 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 wielders 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 balls. 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 race. Why? This question puzzles the baseball universe. Mar quard has all his "stuff" and speed, despite any statement to the con trary. Also the much-made-of 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 Cubs got next to this back in July and stopped his sequence of wins, later tipping off every other club in the league. From that moment Mar quard has been a mediocre twirl er, and, try as he did, he could not rid himself of the fault. The Red Sox, knowing this failing of the Rube, would possess a great edge over him. BASEBALL Diamond News and Gossip ». > Kirkpatrick, the former Cracker, seems to have lost his ability to hit since he was shifted from Newark to Brooklyn. Enos never was one who rose to his op portunities. * * * Brooklyn experts believe that Charley Stengle has cinched a regular job with the Brooklyn team. • * * George. Stovall, of the Browns, has come out strong for beer and says he does not want any "anti-booze” clause in any of his Brown contracts. • • r in a double-header the other day at St. Louis, Derrili Pratt hit three singles, a triple and a homer. • * • The Harvard baseball candidates, fifty strong, are engaged in fall practice at Cambridge. Cobb will undoubtedly lead the batters of the American league, but he will fall down in two departments in which he usually leads, base stealing and run get ting Milan leads him in the pilfering and Collins in scoring. Considering that Johny Evers was re garde as a physical wreck at the start of the season, it is causing some amaze ment that he continues to bat right around .337. which is tolerably husky hit ting for an invalid. berrill Pratt has managed to work his wav intu the .300 division of hitters, and with a little luck will finish within the charmed circle his first year out. * ♦ • I'liis quarrel between Charley Murphy, and Frank Chance as to whether Murphy, is to tire Chance or Chance is to be al lowed 'o resign, a purely academic ques tion. apparently is being dragged to in tolerable lengths. Somebody pleas# do something