Norwich bulletin., 1911-09-28
GIANTS HARDER FOR
 ATHLETICS THAN CHICAGO.
Philadelphia Fan Sees No Big Points of Weakness About McGraw's Team.

Connie Mack feels assured that his team will have to face the New York Nationals for the championship of the world next month.
 One of the Athletics lookouts had this to say of the Giants after being a spectator and careful observer of the playing of both teams: That team will be harder to beat than the Cubs ever could be under present conditions. In the first place the Cubs have lost much of their fire. Frank Chance as a playing manager was without a peer, but he has yet to show his ability as a leader from the bench. McGraW has a splendidly drilled team of fighters. There is not a man on the team who seems to have anytlling in mind but winning I went out expecting to see some points of weakness in the Giants,
 but l could find none that loomed up large.
 After citing several instances in which the Cubs might have done bet ter in the last world S series had they been playing the same kind of baseball that the Giants are now, the speaker, a relative of Connie Mack, continued:
 Outside of battery workers the Gi- ants have not a player who would not
 be rated a speeder in any set. Sizin g
 up the teams l would say that Thomas and Meyers are about equal in ability,
 but I think that Thomas has profited
 greatly by his experience in one
 worlds series, and you know he was a
 star where he was expected to be a
 very commonplace worker. But Meyers
 can hit 'em a mile. In pitchers I can
 not see much outside of Marquard and
 Mathewson, but the Athletics have in Bender, CoombS and Morgan reliable
 right handlers. and Danforth, a young
 Texan, is brilliant left handler, to say
 nothing of Eddie Plank and Krause
 But possibly McGraw has been work ing Crandall and Druclze up to cham pionship form. Then he has the vet eran Wiltse too.
 "Cocnbs has not been the wonder he was last year, but he is a mighty cool weather twirler. At first base I was surprised at the keenness displayed by
 Merkle, whom I had neVer had a chance to size up thoroughly. He has
 been a remarkable athlete to live down the incident of 1908. I think he has a shade on our boy first baseman, McIn- ness but Stuffy is plucky lad and can hit. Eddie Collins has it on Lar ry Doyle. Barry is just as brilliant in the field as Fletcher, but he has not been batting as well. On experience would give Barry the edge.
 Baker and Herzog as third basemen are both clever, but give me Baker for his long drives Without going into batting or fielding performances I dc not think the Athletics can compare with the Giants trio for speed. batting Athletics regulars are not weddings either, as their batting avera ges proye.''
 The team figures give the Athletics q big advantage, but the pitchers they faced and conditions under which some of the stars labored-Johnsoh in i'll health and Walsh overworled may account for the husky averages. But there's no denying that four of the regulars Collins. Murphy, Baker and MeInnes. have been pounding all kinds of tWirling all season.
 In base running the Giants top the Athletics by a large margin. and alst lead the National league in stolen bases, while two teams in the Amer ican league lead the Athletics in this department.
 Baseball players have long been