Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-18
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PHILADELPHIA, October 1S.-While
there is undoubtedly good reason for
the followers of the Athletics and
American League constituents in gen.
eral to rejoice over the victory of the
Mackmen in the first battle Of the
worlds series. 1t might be said right
here that in order to repeat the win
ners of yesterday will have to produce
more pitching Of the kind that Bender
dished up yesterday.
It has been pointed out heretofore
that in a game in which the pitching is
even the Cubs stand the better chance
to win. True. they were apparently
outclassed yesterday because they
failed to do but little with Bender.
When Bender pitches again they will
most likely go down for a second de-
feat if he can come back as good as he
was yesterday, but it is going to take
high class slab work to beat this Ma
tional League outfit.
That yesterdays victory will have a
most encouraging effect on the Ath-
letics goes without saying. The team
seems to be on edge and the good start
it has made has supplied sufficient con-
fdence to warrant the prediction that
the Cubs will get a hard battle II moth
ing more.
But Overall was not effective yester-
day. He is a fast ball pitcher, having
but little or no curve, and while he has
plenty of speed, yet these Athletics have
been up against two of the fastest pitch
erS in the country for the past week in
johnson and Walsh. and Overalrs speed
was not to be compared with that of the
two American League stars, and conse-
quently he looked comparatively easy to-
day.
But at that, the advantage seems to
be with Mack's team. Chance has no
pitcher in Bender's class, Unless it is
Brown, and it can safely be said that
he. Is good for but one game in this
which he will be dangerous, for his arm
is not Of the kind that stands repeating
without a good. long rest.
Bender, on the other hand, can come
back. He has done it repeatedly this
season. and two or three days rest will
best form again.
On the form he showed this season
against American League batters Jack
as did Bender Of course, there may be
a difference in the makeup of the two
men. and in so important series Coombs
may not star, but that remains to be
seen. If he can hold the Cubs down
today and the first two games should go
to the Athletics, there is a grand chance
for the American League to get out of
the rut and win worlds championship.
Coombs is confident that he can beat
the Cubs. but the game today will tell
the story.
No infield could have acquitted itself
better than did the Athletics outfit yes
terday Collins. always a brilliant ball
player, was at his best, and the same
can be said of Baker, while Barry held
his own. The fact that there was
worlds series on did not appear to have
the slightest effect on the three young
sters. OF course, Bender's great pitching
kept men off of the bases, and the in
fielders had nothing in the way of base
runners to bother them, which undoubt
eddy had an effect on their work, but to
their credit it must be said that every
one of the bagmen played well.
Baker established himself as a vicious
hitter. No pitcher who has not studied
his weakness, If. in fact. he has any,
stands much of chance of fooling him
to any extent. He walloped Overall at
ball to the top Of the right field fence
off of Mcintyre, his being the only hit
the Athletics made off the Cub pitcher.
That good start Baker. Barry and Col
Inns had, though there was never any
fear about the latter, for he comes pretty
near being as well seasoned as any ball
player could hope to be. is going to make
big difference in the outcome of the
series.
There has been so much written and
said about the green infield of the Ath-
letics that Baker and Barry must have
gone into the game not quite satisfied
that they would be able to hold up
their ends. They have proven them
selves. however. and good work from
them will no doubt result.
Bender had hard game to pitch in
that there was never moment that
he could let up. He went at top speed
the entire route and had to go the
limit with almost every man that faced
him, for the orders were to wait him
out This is one of the features of
the Cubs play. They never make the
OPPOSING pitchers work easy by hitting
at the first ball pitched. Most of them
took two strikes and carried Bender
to the very limit.
AS a result of these tactics Bender
pitched 124 balls during the nine in
nings. while Overall and Mcintyre
pitched but 106 balls in the eight in
nings they pitched. The following