The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-10-14
PITCHERS MUST
WIN FOR MACK
IN BIG SERIES
IF ATHLETICS COP RAG, VICTORY
OVER CUBS WILL BE DUE TO
HEAvING cREW-cHJcAoo BET.
TER OTHERWISE.
(Sy z. e. NauqIe.)

If the Athletics, champions of the
American League, win the worlds
title in the coming series with the
Chicago Nationals their victory will
be entirely due the caliber of their
pitching division.
In no other department of the game
does Connie Mack's team seem to
have look-in when individual and
collective comparison is gone into
But there is no gainsaying the fact
that Mack has a superb array of
pitching talent. The staff is extern
sive and strong when it comes to
speed and control, rather shy On spit
ball artists but possessing a number
OF successful curve FINGERS.
And the graetest of these is Jack
Coombs, the sensational hero of the
American League season. He has
pitched more games than any other
twirler in big league company and in
and out OF turn has loomed I'D as the
wonder Of the year He possesses
great strength and is al elongated
a giant machine. His forte is speed
and with his fast ball working well
he seldom resorts to anything else,
although curying them at time to
make the delivery more difficult to
solve.
1t has been proven that he can
stand the strain of pitching the fast
ones all the time and he seldom re-
sorts to those tricky slow birds, la
Christy Mathewson, the master of the
"Fade-away." Coombs has won no
less than 80 games this season and
each and every one of them with his
speed. He has only lost eight games
and these unfortunate ones pitted
against the strongest teams in the
American League
Some two years ago doc" White,
Coniskey's great twirler. set the
record for innings pitched without
run being scored against hinl-namely
30 and Of late Coombs has been en-
deavoying to equal or surpass that
mark.
Coombs is a marvellous twirler. As
steady as adamant the opposition find
him very hard to excite. His wonder
full control of his fast ball is marve-
lous and with him it is a case of less
expended energy than any other
pitcher in the American League. But
the Cubs are well accustomed to bat
ting against speed and while the
trying for time they are almost
certain to get to him before the end
they always do. hit fast deliveries
when hits are necessary.
But Coombs will not be compelled
to do any more than his share in the
great trial ahead for Connie Mack
has a great array of twirling artists.
Possibly after Coombs is the Indian
vi L,-
form all year and in fact has always
pitched good ball for Mack, especially
in 1905, when with Ed Plank, Andy
Coakley, 'Rube" Waddell and Bill
Henley, he won the American League
championship for the Athletics.
Bender leads the American League
twirlers this season in the number of
games won and lost He has partici-
pated in 27 games and has won %
contests and his percentage of VIC
tories is SIS. And Incidentally that is
going some During the last week
or so Bender has been given a lit
tie rest, Mack having determined that
he will have sufficient to do when it
comes to the battle which the Cubs
for the worlds pennant. Bender is
cue Of those reliable old fellows who
can De uepeuUoO upon thoroughly
They can't rile this Indian as they do
Chief Meyers of the Giants with their
warhoGps and weird calls and he
works on the hill like a sphinx. His
great forte is his control backed up
by a world of speed and a bunch Of
affective mystifying curves. 1t is the
Indian that the Cubs fear worst Of
all and maybe the big chief will be
able to get away with a game or so.