The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-16
Pittsburgh. Dec. 1%s.--could the
Pirates Of 1870: have

beaten the Athletics of 1911 to a
frazzle?" s."
Manager John Mct;raw of the New
York Giants a y they could have
done this very thing. and in ST saying
he has raised a storm throughout the
country. McGraw. who played
against the 1909 Pirates declares they
constituted the best baseball team ev-
er assembled. and that the Mackmen
been easy for them.
ed than experts began to find fault
with 1t. Many. have been the criti-
cislns offered; hany' have heen the
columns OF dope printed to prove that
Sir Muggsy is off his trolley-that his
dome is tenalitcd by microbes. The
New York Sur maj labors assiduous-
ly to show that the Pittsburgh team
of 1902 wasn't in the 1911 Athletics
class. After the usual preface, the
Sun scribe says:
The ~Pittsuurghs of 1908 couldn't
beat the Boston Americans to a fraz-
zle, but perhaps, McGraw. ii he maze
the statement credited to him, con-
sidered the Pirates of 1902 more or
less in a class to themselves. although
the personnel was much the same
as in 1903, but difference; being
that Cheshire wasn't with them.
1T is possible, too. that McGraw
thinks that the, Boston Americans Of
1908 could have beaten the present
he thinks one OF both of the above
things, more baseball men will dis
agree than will agree with him on
either proposition
When the Critic, Err.
The Suns mans contentious arc a
pretty fair sample of ali the criti-
cis,ms offered us regards McGraw's
statement. Most of the critics how
ever. are mistaken as regards details
Just as the Sun man is. He declares
that when the Pirates were defeated
by the Boston Americans in the
worlds series of 1903 The personnel
of that team was very much the same
as of the 1907 team.
Ies--it was not: The Pirates of
1902 had Tannehill. Chesbro AND Do
heny; the Pirates of 1908 had not.
Tannehill and Chesbro were both
missing and Doheny was lost early
in September. Hence. when it came
time to hook up with the American
league pennant winners there was
but one Pirate pitcher fit for service.
memory Of what he did will live just
as long as ~Pittsburghers stand for
baseball. Philippe was the only
pitcher who could pitch: he was
forced to work in five of the eve
games played-and that's why the
Pirates Of 1906 did not beat the Bos-
ton Americans to "a FRAGILE"
Barney Dreyfuss. president OF the
Pittsburgh club. never INDUCES in eX-
travagant claims. He is not addicted
to hot-airism: when he says Il thing
that thing is generally worth listen
ing to. MIR. Dreyfuss is n of the
best posted students of baseball in the
world-he is Il hard man to deceive.
Hence. when he says McGraw was
right-that the Pittsburgh club Of
1902 was better than the present Ath-
letics, We believe him.
Had Edge on Pitching.
In tho first place the Pirates in
1902 had Philippe. Lever. Cheshire.
Tannehill and Doheny as pitchers. the
two last named being left-handers.
Any one of the five as good as the
best mar Connie Mack has on his pay
roll today. There are but three good
beavers on Mack's staff-Bender.
Plank and Coombs. The others are
hut ordinary. Surely then. the 100:
Pirates had the edge in this depart
ment. But. to make certain. let the
figures tell the story:
In 1911. Bender won II games and
lost S. for an average of .773; Coombs
won 90 and lost II. for a mark Of
.725; Plank won 81 and lost 9. his
average being ZOO.
In 1902 Chesbro led for the Pirates.
with Doheny second. and Tannehill
third: but in percentage figures
against the first division clubs onoos-
cd to them Doheny and Tannehill
were tied at 800. while Chcsbro had
but 1856. Philippe led Lever against
tho first division teams with a mark
Of .69o t .667. Taking the figures
for the entire season. against top
notchers as well as secnn division
teams. the old Pirates performed as
follows:
Cheshire won % and lost 6. percen-
tage sis: Doheny won IL and lost I.
percentage 500: Tannehill won 20 aud
lost 6. percentage 1853 :Leever won
Is and lost Z. percentage 500: Fhil-
lippe won 20 and lost 2. percentage
800. Some pitchers weren't they?