The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-22
M'GRAW Is MAN
BEHIND THE GUN
Matthewson Gives Him Full Credit
for Winning Championship.
TOLD HIM HOW TO PITCH
STUDIED WEAK SPOTS IN BATS
MEN-cHRlsTY DID REST.
TOLD HIM HOW TO PITCH
BY CHRIsTY MATTHEwsoN


That the New York National league
team is today the champion baseball team
OF the world is due in a large measure
to the work Of one man, and that man
is John J. AIcGraw. T. great deal has
been written to this effect. and the fans
generally believe that 1t is true If there
are any doubters, however they can take
it from me that hfcGraw is the great
est leader Of a ball team that the game
has ever developed. and there IS not a
member OF the Giants who is not in-
debted to him for hundred useful sug-
gestions in his profession.
Take that game on Saturday, when
vas pitted against the really formidable
Bender. / went into the box with a
knowledge of the capabilities and weak
nesses with the stick OF almost every
member OF the Philadelphia outfit, This
knowledge had been impaired 10 me by
McGraw. He came to me on Friday night
and gave 10 me the results Of his study
of each of the batsmen. And again on
Saturday morning he went over the list
diagnosis OF the player was correct.
He also outlined the general campaign
in the matter of battery work. and il
proved a good one. as the baseball world
Knows. McGraw is simply a wonder at
managing a team. on tho field he is
the aptein-genersL and everybody knows
team and the personal friend OF every
man. Therein lies the difference be
tween other managers and McGraw. Most
OF them are not so keen in the intfE
diamond. McGraw on the other hand
Will always fight 10 give a player tho
As a matter Of fact, McGrav has a free
hand with his team. and. Knowing exact
~ how player feels under varying cir
eumstanees, he is able TO keep things
running smoothly. This had not a lit
tie TO do with our success.
Giants Physically Fit.
Another thing that contributed to our
victory was the fine physical condition
or every man who played In this we
again see the subtle hand of McGraW.
He had the judgment 20 get Il first class
trainer 20 handle the men, and in Har-
4 NJ, du'h M ! think' ne secured as good
man as there IS ~ the world today.
There was no doubt IA nay mind sat
urday morning that we would win the
series. In fact. none Of us had any doubt
whatever as TO the final result. Yet on
that morning I felt sleepy or logsy. and
had | been the captain I would have.
perhaps, selected another man to do the
WIRING. IN snort; did not feel up 10
my best work and went into the game
with some miggivings.
Before the second inning WAS over. how
ever, all feeling of lassitud6 and appre-
hension had disappeared. / saw the mag
nificent support ] was receiving and
wonderful feeling OF confidence came over
me. At no time thereafter was l ner-
vOus until the ninth inning when. with
the game practically won, ] realized what
an awful thing il would be to fall down.
I did not grit my teeth and resolve to do
my best simply decided to use ny
head, Keep cool. and rely on my form
remaining good till the end. It did, and
with the thrill of JOY that only a victor
In an athletic contest can appreciate, 1
saw Lave Cross. the last man up, neatly
fielded out by Dahlen and McGaun.
| pitched IN three games IN the cham
pionship series and won them all by
having perfect control. IN fact. ! have
never had better control in my life and
consider myself very lucky 10 arrive az
such good condition at the tail end or a
hard season. In that last game ] used
more curves Of the fast sort than in the
previous two contests in which ] pitched.
/ was afraid TO use my slow fall away
ball much. owing TO the fact that the
right field looked so short with the crowd
bulging out on it.
Team Work Won Series.
It is a mistake that I tried TO strike
out every man that came to the bat
Knowing the men behind me, tried 10
make the first couple of Philadeiphians
connect with the bali in every inninE.
In fact. IL proved the quickest way 10
I retire them almost every time Only
when there were men en- bases did
exert myself to the utmost to fool them
Better team work and superior esprit
de corps won us the championship.
it has been said in some quarters that
the championship might have come hard
er for US If Rube Waddell had been USED.
/ would like some Quaker rOOtef 10 tell
me how they would have won any of the
four games in which we were successful
| with Waddell in the. box. / have reviewed
the four games and fall 10 see how the
result could have been any different IL
takes runs 10 win and thew were shut
out in every contest. One of their strong
est players was Powers, the catcher. Had
he been used IN all the games the task
would probably have been d little harder
for US.
AS I understand IT, the Athletics won
| the nhamninnslin Of Tho Amerinan leAglH