The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-09
MATHEWSON WEAEENS
 IN THE THIRD INNING
 AND LOSES THE GAME
Greatest Crowd Ever Seen at a Ball Game Anywhere Turns Out to Root for New York Vic tory, But Hopes Are
 Dashed.

Boston ...... 153 63 90 .4ll Brooklyn ... 154 53 101 .S4S St. Louis .......- l93 4s lof 'o@o
 New York. October S.-"Chicago, 4, New York, g." This was the tale in phrase told at the end of the most decisive ball game played in thls country in many years played at the Polo grounds in this city today to de- eide the National league championship for the season of 190S In the pres ence of a record breaking crowd which swamped the grounds and left many thousands outside long before the game began. a game was played in deadly
 earnest to settle as tensely dramatic a situation as the most ardent lover of sport could imagine.
 The game was played in the cheerful sunshine of an ideal baseball day. be- fore a vast concourse of people who carried with them to the Polo grounds the pent-up enthusiasm, hopes and fears accumulated day by day, in the closing weeks of a seasons fight for National league pennant which had been absolutely unprecedented for con stantly intensifying interest and uncer- tainty. At dusk the great multitude departed the historic enclosure-hushed and disappointed. The pennant does not wave above the skyscrapers to-
 night. Its winners, who arrived here on the Twentieth Century limited this morning. are now on their way west 1 ward. The large black headlines In 1 a. go 4'-are like mourning captions
 over the story of some great person
 ages death. And yet probably Mana ger McGraw's words after the game, in ! the unwonted quiet of the training ] quarters where the Giants were nay 1 ing their last showers and rub downs, { epitomizes the feelings of the vast army of New York's followers, from ] those of the merest office boy to the ; occupant of a grandstand box: Il do not feel badly about the game; We i merely lost something we had won be-
 fore" Fair, or not, this appears to ] by the view generally obtaining in i Greater New York.
 Team Work Perfect. i It was great baseball witnessed by ] the greatest of great baseball crowds which would have been more than dou-
  1 stretched out into circle of sufficient 1 size to include all those who had clam
 ored vainly for admittance. Spectators l who knew the game, however bitter l they may feel over the tie decision ! Which made today's game compulsory
 seem to concede tonight that the work | of the Chicago team was practically i perfect.
 The Giants. well though they played. hi ioa rn
 rest was superb in form Brilliant,
 errorless fielding. snappy base running and opportune hitting in the third in
 ming which made effective in scores double by Chance, won the game. New York could not hit at critical times.
 Mathewson, the great "Matty," favor
 ite of the favorites could not keep his 1 inyincible arm power and the effect of
 a moments lapse in that third inning l could not be overcome.
 1 The gath ering of the vast crowd | which witnessed the contest was
 picturesque in the extreme. At day break the enth usiasts had begun to
 assemble and places in line were held by dozens of the great unknown who 1 had travelled from some midnight I bread line to get place, an eager fan" would pay well for later in the 1 day. Immediately the gates swung l
 within the inclosure.
 l Not Seat Left.
 l Bv noon the sale of tickets ended and | soon there was not a seat-hardly stand
 ing room And out beyond the enclosure
 every overlapping structure-chimneys
 derricks, roofs-had their precariously hung swarm of ''rooters." Outside the
 grounds for an hour preceding the call | ing of the game at PAS o'clock there
 was an almost uncomfortable crush of 1 thousands desperately anxious to get in- | side Suddenly the corner gates to the
 diamond were flung wide and hundreds
 rushed madly to the sides of the field, l fighting for places.
 | The police fought the crowd back and 1 finally a sufficient margin of field was maintained around the diamond. With the word ''Play!' a silence fell over ala tenseness which could be felt. The thousands of cowbells and horns were unused. The game was on. It held the crowd as by q spell The players !, felt the tension Chicago plainly showed l it and Sheckard. Iaclhs Mathewson, struck out.
 The deafening greeting of this begin
 ming was in striking contrast with the
 silence, as at the games end. the home
 team rushed across the diamond to their club house.
 l The two great innings were the thlrd
 and seventh. In the former Chicago made
 sn it's runs In the latter opening with | tremendous enthusiasm following the loud-shouted slogan: "The Giants lucky seventhr-hopes were renewed, but died | after one run had been scored.
 The Game Begins.
 |. Sheckard began auspiciously for New
 York by failing to solve Mathewson's curves Then Evers went out on a fast
 stop by Herzog to Penney. Schulte | struck out--No runs
 New York to bat: Penney was hit with lthe ball and went to first Herzog got d iabase on balls Bresnahan struck out King muffed the ball and Bresnsilan n | started for first. Kings muf plainly nonpussed Herzog who broke for second. bun seeing Bresnahan stop he turned