The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-06
Giants Lucky In
 Dodging Injuries Had Few Players Hurt Compared With Chicago, Phillies and
 Pirates

Although the Giants deserve unlim- -ited credit for the fine showing they made in their capturing of the Ma tional League pennant this season, it must not be denied that they have perhaps been pursued by the greatest luck of any club that ever carried off the championship.
 From the start the New Workers have had the good fortune to be prac- tically free from injuries to, it's stars. while the other four contenders have suffered to a marked degree in this respect
 Manager McGraw has been banished two or three times for three-day peri- ods for umpire disputes; Catcher Mey- CTS was out for, few days with an injured finger; other players have been absent from the lineup for a day or two because of minor injuries or slight illness, but outside of these things the team has enjoyed one long period Of shorseshoe'' reign
 When Manager McGraw swapped Al Rridwell, who helped greatly to bring the near-championship here in 1908, for ChaSley Herzog of the Rustlers, his judgment was assailed: when he placed Fletcher in the infield and benehed the clever veteran, Arthur Devlin, he was also criticised, but it has been these very changes and his handling of the pitchers that has brought the national laurel wreath to the Polo Grounds.
 Judging by the manner in which they are winding up the season the Giants would probably have won the flag whether or not the other clubs were weakened by accidents to their stars. However, if the other teams who were in the hunt had all of their best players in the game all the time the Manhattanites would have had . 1nh ov>f7o fiv,nn rxriv, ,iY,rr
 In midsummer, when the Giants re- turned from their second invasion of the West. it looked like anybody's race, the Cubs, the Pirates, Phillies and Cardinals all having a look in, but it was at this juncture that things be- gan to occur that changed the com- plexion of the race
 The Cubs have been handicapped all season because of the inability of Manager Chance to cover first and Johnny Evers to play second. Also their pitching staff, particularly King, Cole, the star boxman of last year, didn't display their true form. The Hans Wagner being out of the fray for many weeks. Manager Fred Clarke was also out for some time, as was Vince Campbell, the star outfielder. Moreover, their pitching staff also was not up to expectations.
 Many 1anS .DeI1eVe the PhlllleS are the team that would have given the Giants the closest fight had it not been for the long layoff of manager and star catcher. Charlie Dooin; the months suspension of Sherwood Ma gee, their best outfielder and the ac- cident that kept George Titus, their other star outfielder, out so long early in the season.
 The Cardinals, who looked so good at one time that Playwright George M. Conan backed them for thousands of dollars to win the pennant, met with the severest blow of any of the clubs when their manager and life of the to retire from the game. As soon as he got back in the game he was hurt again and is still on the hospital list.
 It sure has been one lucky year for the Giants, taking everything into con- sideration.