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®O6M BOHf COT® EXMKTS 5
tPITLD iy W. 9 FARN2WORTH
Now, Really, Harry, Jeff Doesn’t Mind It a Bit :: :: :: :: :: :: By “Bud” Fisher
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► Giants Have Edge in Battery
Men; But It’s Not a Big One
44 I TOW yuh bettin’ on the I
r~T tteerea?"
Thia bromidioin calls
the debating club to order on the
•treat corner, in the office of any
place where men oan pauxe for a
moment. The affirmative grubs off |
a generous allotment of time for
the opening argument and leads off
with, for instance, this harangue
"They're all taking Sox just like
they all talked Jeffries. And the
Giants are going to surprise them,
Just like Johnson did. And I’ll tell
you why. Joe Wood is Boston's
one best bet. If he's off color it's
good-night. Sox! Now, listen. You
t know what winning nineteen
L straight did to Marquard. And
Joe Wood has just finished the
American leagues record run.
Well, the nervous strum has got
him so wabbly that
| * "So wabbly that the Yankees
hammered him for a total of two
hits in the first game he pitched
after his run was broken. He's so
wabbly that his Jump ball wabbles
out of the way when a batter wings
at it. Yes, he's gone so far hack
thai they, would begin making hits
off him if they could only see the
hall w hen he shoots it over. '
. "That’s all right. The Yankees
ire a bunch of dubs. I tell you
that record of Wood’s has put him
on the blink for the series As 1
was going to say, In a short series
it's all in the pitching, and you’ve
got to have men you can depend
upon The Giants can depend on
Mathewson and Tesreau. Tesreau
is the sensation of this season. He
has got better every day since
spring, and the way he's going now
they can never stop him. And
Mathewson is the greatest pitcher
In the world."
"Maybe he Is. considering what
he has dona tn the past. Rut what
a man used to he able to do won't
count tn deciding the baseball
championship of the world."
"All right. You say Matty used
to be the greatest Well, he's as
good today as he used to be and
the figures show it. What do you
think of that? Last year he won
24 games and lost 12. This year
he has won 26 and lost 13 just the
same percentage—and this teat he
has had the greatest control in the
world, averaging less than one base
on bails to a game, and, moreover,
he has had more games kicked
away by bad support this year than
ever before."
It's Up to the Pitchers.
The debaters are certainly right
about the importance of pitching
in a short series like the great
classic. The death-dealing war club
of John Franklin Baker relegated
box work to the shadows last
year, but most world's series are
like those which were featured by
the twirling of Rill Deneen, Mor
decal Brown. Jack Coombs, Ed
Walsh. Christy Mathewson and
Babe Adams. Mathewson is the
greatest of all w. s. heroes He
set a mark for them all to shoot
at when ho won three straight
shutout triumphs over the Athlet
ics in 1905. He had the White El
ephants eating out of hie great
right paw. He beat Eddie Plank
3-0 in the first game, trimmed Andy
f'oakley 9-0 In the third game and
blanked the great redskin, Chief
Bender 2-9 in the fifth and decid
ing game of the series
Bedient, who will iikeL be
Stahl’s third choice tn the box. with
Joe Wood and Ray Collins, makes
a mighty strong looking triple alli
ance. but "mighty strong" describes
New York’s slab squad, too.
There is no gainsaying the fact
that Matiiewson is still the steady,
reliable box man he was of old. and
that he is pretty certain to pitch
at least one brilliant game against
the Sox The best pitcher in the
world would have his hands .full
opposing Jeff Tesreau. and then
there is Rube Marquard. It Is far
from impossible that the holder of
the world s record for consecutive
I victories will prove the hero of the
series.
Pitchers Are Even.
Everything considered, it is non
sense to say that either one of
| these pitching staffs outclasses the
| other They are just about equal.
This would be by no means true
if Joe Wood were to suffer a reac
tion on account of his record run,
but. judging from the way he
pitched against the Highlanders,
his slump lasted about as long' as
the flight of a shooting star across
the sky.
Ray Collins, the second beat
pitcher In the Stahl crew, while
not generally figured as formidable
as either Mathewson or Tesreau,
Is a consistent winner and his
portside delivery may prove even
more effective against the Giants
than Wood’s right-handed smoke
Italia; for the Giants do not hit
up to form against fork-hand fing
ers. in the post-season series
played by the Giants and Red Sox
in 1909 Mathewson defeated Wood,
but was conquered by Collins. The
sturdy Vermont youth won undying
fame in Boston in that victory
over Matty. He held the Gotham
ites to five scattered hits, two of
which were decidedly lucky ones.
While Collins has not had world’s
series experience, this previous ap
pearance against the Gothamites
w ill tend to make him feel at home,
and, any way, his record show's him
in the light of a tine riser to big
occasions. He has done his best
work in crucial games.
Bedtent's excellent record for the
season [daces him on a par as a
rescue man with old Doctor Otis
t'randall. New York's most illus
trious savior of losing games.
HESS WINS EIGHTH IN
ROW FOR PILGRIM CLUB
You can talk about yout Marquards.
your Johnsons and yout Woods, but
the most marvelous of all the pitching
performances of the y ear has been [lull
ed by two-headed Otto Hess, forme.
Pelican pitcher, who arose from tin
grave this year and who has Just tin
iehed eight straight wins for the Bos-
I ton Nationals team
If Hess had been a man of reasonable
age. it might have been different. But
he’s old He did grand work sot New
Orleans fast year, but not one man in a
million supposed that he could get back
in fast company and win any games.
He did, however, and lie won them fm
the wot st team in modern baseball, the
Pilgrims of Boston
Verily, this Otto Hess is a wonder
YALE PLAYS SYRACUSE.
NEW HAVEN, CONN., Oct. 5. a
hard struggle was in store for Yale this
afternoon in the game with Syracuse
football eleven. Captain Spalding be
lieves that the Slue is able to yvin.
THE BASEBALL CARD.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Games Today.
Philadelphia in Boston.
New York in Brooklyn
Pittsburg in Cincinnati
St Louis In Chicago.
Standing of the Cluba,
W L. P C W L P C
N York 102 48 080 Phila 73 78 483
P'burg i'2 58 f. 13 St I. H 3 88 417
Chicago 'O’ s!' 604 Br'kl’n 58 94 382
C'nati 74 77 190 Boston 61 101 336
Yesterday’s Results.
Boston 14. Philadelphia 2
Brooklyn 8 New York ::
Others not scheduled
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Games Today.
< 'hicugo in 1 tetrolt
Cleveland in St Louis
Washington in New York
Boston In Philadelphia
Standing of the Clubs.
W L I’ C W. L. P C
Boston 104 47 .689 ; C'land. 74 77 490
Wash. 91 60 603 Detroit 69 82 457
Phila 90 t'.l 7.9 i. St 1. .52 100 342
Chicago 76 76 500 1 N. York 40 102 .325
Yesterday’s Results.
Washington 4. New York 2
I'ltdadelphia 4. Boston 3
t’hlcago 7. Detroit 2
Cleveland-St Louts, not s< heduled
World's Best Teams Almost Ready for Final Test—the World's Series
FIRST OUN IN BIG BOMBARDMENT FIRED TUESDAY
By Monty.
NEW YORK, Oct. 5. —Only three
more days before the Red
Sox come whirling down
from the Hub, syveep out upon the
Polo grounds and close into dead
ly grapple with the Giants for tile
highest honors in the baseball
world. While 40,000 fans emit a
mighty roar, there will begin what
promises to be the best old world's
series in the history of the annual
classic.
Are the Bostonians a stronger
team that were the Athletics of a
year ago?
How much stronger are the
Giants than twelve months back?
A man who could answer these
questions would be able to [tick the
winner, just like that. But it re
mains for Fate alone to decide
what shall be the truthful reply,
the reply that fits the conditions,
that tolls correctly the relative
strength of the rivals under high
pressure in a battle of prime im
portance squeezed into the space
of a few short days.
From tile standpoint of person
nel alone, leaving out of consider
ation such things is temperament
and tactics, the problem divides it
self into four factors —pitchers,
catchers, infield and outfield. Fig
uring from any angle, the pitch
ing staffs (Sgmpare practically
even if neither cracks and ascends
as the gns out of a broken balloon.
That much is conceded by all
hands. Tesreau, Mathewson and
Marquard loom up almost on the
same rung with Wood, Collins.
Bedient and O’Brien, so they can
be passed over and the trail of the
dope be followed through the other
departments.
Giants Have the Catchers.
Tlie edge so far as catchers and
infielders are concerned belongs to
the Giants. The Red Sox have the
better of the outfield argument.
But there is no outclassing seen in
any of the wings, except where it
is balanced by the superiority of
the rival in other departments.
Tris Speaker, George Hooper and
Duffy Lewis frame up into the
greatest trio of gardeners in the
game today As a corps of tly
chasers, abridgers of base hits and
throwers, they are without supe
riors. \t attack thev are fiends
from the fiery furnace, this apply
ing to Speaker in particular.
Murray, with his proneness to be
spectacular upon occasions, may be
a big factor in the series if he
finds himself not in such a slump
as he suffered in the last world’s
series, when he failed to hit any of
the Athletics' pitchers with effect.
He may offset some of the advan
tage of the Red Sox in the garden
end of the affair. Snodgrass is a
good plugger. consistent, but not
sensational, while Devore and
Becker, who will alternate In the
Experts Cover Series for The Georgian
The Georgian will have the greatest array
of baseball talent representing it at the
world’s series that has ever covered such an
affair for any Southern paper.
William A Smith, manager of the Atlanta
baseball club, has been exclusively engaged
and will report the games, play by play, for
The Georgian extras. His reports will appear
in no other papers. This is the first time that
a man of teal baseball prominence has ever
covered a series and reported it, play by play,
for any paper Watch for this big exclusive
feature in The Georgian's baseball extras.
Three big league players will look out for
Tin Georgian at the games—Marquard. Mey
ers and Carrigan. So well are these men known
remaining job, depending upon
whether the opposing pitcher is a
right-hander or a southpaw, are
just barely above the average.
Giant Infield Strong.
In the infield the all-around mer
its of the rival components bear
about the same relation to aach
other in inverse ratio. The Giant
quartet is more efficient both in
run building and run killing. Odd
ly enough, this fact seems to hold
trqe throughout the entire array
Where one man is superior to the
player of corresponding position on
the opposition in defense he also
bears the advantage in offense.*
There is one spot in the inner
bulwarks that is better taken care
of for the Red Sox than for the
McGraw clan. This is shortstop,
where Heinie Wagner, Stahl’s field
lieutenant, holds forth. Wagner is
a cat in speed. He gets going in
the direction of a ball batted to
ward his territory, which is no
small area, like a lightning flash.
YY agner can cover more ground
even than the brilliant Arthur
Fletcher, his rival, and is quicker
to get rid of the ball and make it
w hiz accurately toward the Intend
ed target. He also is a more valu
able man when his team has the
"ins,” his noisy and peppery man
nerisms counting heavily in his fa
y or.
Al the other three stations New
Y ork looks to be all to the merry,
although Larry Gardner can give
<'harley Buck Herzog a hot scram
ble for third base supremacy. Roth
these fellows arc good, game men.
with plenty of real baseball brains
as well as mechanical ability. Her
zog, if anything, is a trifle faster
and, therefore, gets the greater es
teem by a hair line.
Larry Doyle is Yerkes’ superior
in everj' task that confronts a sec
ond baseman. Ginger, hard hit
ting, rapidity of movement, alert
ness, throwing and anything else
you can name—in all these Lar
ruping Larry is a better man than
"I Gotcha” Steve,
Merkla Has It on Stahl.
Jake Stahl, at first, though the
gallant leader of the victorious
FODDER FOR FANS
Terre Haute wants Mordecai Brown as
manager. it was with this team that
Brown had his first professional engage
ment.
« • •
Rudy llulsw.it has had enough of base
ball. and if he can find a regular Job will
quit for good.
Ona Dodd, sent by Waco to Pittsburg,
has been turned over to Columbus.
• » •
Three men are left on the Giant team
who took part in the world's series of
1906 and all three are pitchers, Mathew
son. Ames and Wiltse
Duffy Lewis, of the Red Sox. has stolen
only seven bases this year—a marvelous
record.
• • •
When brothers have played ball, the
oiliest has usually been the best. It
worked out that way with the Delehantys,
Clarksons. Clarkes. Walshs. Cobbs. Ew
ings and Evers.
• • •
Up ground Cincinnati a gent canvassed
a train, so Bill Phelon says, for “an ex
pression of your opinions on the great bat
tle before the nation.” When he counted
up the slips, he found them just like this:
Taft 3. Wilson 1. Roosevelt 1, Giants 97.
Red Sox 115.
« • •
Which pitcher will McGraw start in the
world's series? Well, if you were Mc-
Graw, who would YOI T start? There isn’t
but one answer.
• • •
Jeff Tesreau receives but S.IBOO in reg
ular salary for his season’s work with
the Giants. However, he gets a bonus of
$1,200. which pulls it up a bit, but hot
enough to make a respectable salary for
the man who made the pennant a possi
bility for the Giants.
• • «
A riot is looked for at New York when
the "Sold Out" sign is hoisted at the
Polo grounds. It Is estimated that there
will be 100.000 unsatisfied fans on the out
side. looking at. the fences when it hap
pens. After that—? '
that it would be a waste of space to dwell on
their baseball reputations. Marquard will see
a majorityeof the games from the bench and
can tell of the contest from that angle. Mey
ers and Carrigan will be in almost all games
and will tell how the battles are waged, from
the viewpoint of the warriors.
Also, as there are a few million old-fashioned
folks left who believe that the best stories of
any game come from men who have made it
their profession to write them. The Georgian
has sent its sporting editor, W. S. Farnsworth,
to the series. He will furnish daily stories in
his breezy, inimitable style. No writer in the
country today is better calculated to handle
the games in authoritative and entertaining
fashion than Mr. Farnsworth.
Boston clan, has ij bow to Fred
Merkle when it comes to a matter
of individual play. Jake is a great,
old, grizzled veteran, but Merkle
can take his measure at first bas
ing. Both tan the hide off the ball,
but Stahl will get thrown out many
times on drives that for the faster
Merkle would be safe hits. Stahl
also Is somew hat of an impediment
on the bases and likewise fails to
cover the ground around his posi
tion ouite as well as the Giant. He
may be somewhat sufer on thrown
balls, but if so, that is about the
only thing mentionable in his favor
aside possibly from experience and
headwork, and Merkle is not built
of solid ivory in the dome by any
means, despite the frequent knocks
hurled in his direction because of
the one most historic wooden-top
play ever turned.
The Giants’ catching department
is much more dependable as well
as more brilliant than that of the
Hub horde. In our own humble
opinion, Arthur Wilson is at least
the equal of Chief Meyers, if not
more, and the New Yorkers will not
suffer if the Indian is incapacitated
and “Olat’ has to get behind the
swinging bludgeon. Both are eter
nally hard hitters and average base
runners, despite their bulk, and
they also can execute the rough
and fine points of the catching art
in top o' th’ mornin - style. BUI
Carrigan receives much credit from
Stahl for the Red Sox success, but
many find it hard to figure that
Carrigan is anything approaching a
star catcher. The same goes for
Forrest Cady. However, who knows
but what they may upset the dope
just as did Ira Thomas two years
ago. when he was figured the one
weak spot of the Athletics against
the Cubs and then came to the fore
with eclat?
The utility men are certain to
figure largely in the series, and in
ease of injuries or other troubles
both sides are well supplied with
capable reinforcements. Marty
Krug and Henrickson in the out
field and Neal Ball and Clyde En
gel for the infield are the Red Sox
substitutes, while Arthur Shafer
and Hank Groh for the first line of
defense and Burns for the garden,
together with Grover Hartley be
hind the bat. form the Giant corps.
They, compare about even.
Sox Must Win First With Wood
Or Giants Will Cop—Doc White
Bv G. Harris (Doc) White.
White Sox Pitcher.
JOE WOOD and the first game of
the series are the two big “its”
that stand in the way of pro
claiming the Red Sox the world’s
champions in advance of the game.
Tlie advance wagering makes the
Red Sox the favorites. Not being
in the wagering business and hav
ing no desire to make a wager, I
am not impressed by that. Wager
ing means nothing, except that the
majority of the people who want to
wager favor a certain ball club.
Since the majority of the people
are not going to playtin the world’s
championship games I refuse to be
awed or refuse to believe that the
Red Sox are overwhelming favor
ites in the big series.
If Joe Wood wins the first game
I think the Red Sox should be the
favorites. If Wood pitches and the
Red Sox are defeated in that first
game, then I would not want to
have much of my money strung on
them.
The first game of a world’s series
is always a big factor in determin
ing the winner. It did not hold
good last year, but it has been the
general rule that the team that took
the first grabbed the bunting em
blematic of the highest honors that
can be won on the diamond. The
first game this year is going to be
of more importance than ever be
fore, in my opinion.
Opener in Big Battle Means Much.
If Wood can get the first game
the Red Sox will have the edge.
Wood is a strong fellow, a man
who can come back and if he can
start with a win he should be able
to duplicate and probably make it
three during the series. In my
opinion he is the twirler that will
have to bear the brunt of the work.
If he gets away with a lose the
Red Sox will suffer a tremendous
handicap.
In fact, it is difficult to over
estimate the damage that would be
done the chances of the Red Sox
should Wood be beaten in the ini
tial contest. Not only would the
Indian Summer Concert
The following program will be ren
dered by Prof. Fred Wedemeyer’s band
of twenty-five pieces at the second of
the series of Indian Summer concerts at
Piedmont Park, Sunday afternoon, Oc
tober 6th. 3:30 to 5:30.
1. March. “Caesar’s Triumphal,” Mitchell.
2. Overture, “William Tell,” Rossini.
3. Paraphrase, “Nearer. My God, to Thee.”
Langey.
4. Selection from “Carmen.” Bizet.
5. American Sketch. “Down South,” Myd
d let on.
INTERMISSION.
6. Waltzes, “Beautiful Blue Danube,”
Strauss.
7. Selections from’“Pink Lady,” Caryll.
8. ‘‘Oh. You Little Bear,” (new), Billy Van.
9. Selection. “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Doni
zetti.
10. Rag Sketch, (a) “Gaby Glide,” Hirsch;
(b) “Oh. You Beautiful Doll,” Moret. _____
11. Finale. “Star Spangled Banner.”
Red Sox be put under a heavy
handicap so far as the remainder
of the games are concerned, but
their playing would be affected.
It is al! right to talk of •‘game’’
ball clubs. 1 think that the Red
Sox are one all right. I’m quite
certain that every man on that
team is a courageous ball player,
otherwise the Boston fellows would
not have won so easily in our
league.
Here is what I am getting at.
The Red Sox have unbounded faith
in Wood. He has been almost un
beatable this season. They are
convinced that he will have all the
better of the Giants. Now, if the
New Yorkers succeed in overthrow
ing Wood, then the confidence of
the Red Sox will be shattered and
they will find it difficult to play
with the same dash that they would
have shown had their idol won his
game.
Will Be No Runaway Race.
On the other hand, if Wood
should get away to a good start
and win not only will the Red Sox
have the advantage so far as actual
games are concerned, but the confi
dence which the fellows had in
Wood at the start will be increased
and heightened until they will be
unable to see how they can be
licked. They will play with greater
dash and confidence than ever be
fore. and a team possessing the
playing strength of the Red Sox,
reinforced by confidence, forms a
mighty tough combination to beat
That is my reason for saying that
it all depends upon Wood. If he
can win. fine for the Red Sox. If he
loses the opening battle, then It's
fine for the Giants, because, in my
opinion, the New Yorkers will be
well on their way toward the
world’s championship.
From which it may be gathered
that I am not among those who
think that the Red Sox are going
to run away with that world's
championship flag. I wouldn't want
to predict the number of games
that it will go, but I don’t mind
saying that I think the Boston lads
will have their hands full, with
their big chance coming right at
the first day.