The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-30
MatheWson Had
 Close Call From
 Joining PhiIies
Giants Pitcher Had Choice of Becoming Quaker or
 Signing with McGraw

1 Chicago, Sept. 30.-The central fig.
 ure of the worlds series of 1905 was
 Chrlsty Mathewson. The central fig.
 ure before the worlds series of 1911 IS the same Manhattan Hope. And yet the mainstay of his people through eieven years only came to the Big | Iown by queer, freak turn of | chance.
 If the Giant pitching staff in 1901 | nao been a good one, Mathewson to- oay would be pitching in Philadel- ph1a. It's an i'll wind, etc. The fact | that New York carried a poor lot of labmen in 1901 gave her the greatest pitcher the game has ever known. II was pitching in the Virginia cir cu1t the season before,' relates Big SIX, and toward the close of the year the manager of our club called me in one day. He told me that two big league teams, New York and Phila- delphia, had both made about the same bid for my services, and that, as had done some fairly good work for him. he would give me my choice that I could pick either town.
 If had known conditions then as do now, there would have been no hesitancy upon my part. But I was youngster just breaking in, and one town looked about the same as the other.
 "So, after thinking it over for a minute, I asked him to give me a day or two to look into the matter. All that I figured on from the jump was in regard to the best opening the place where I would have a bet ter chance to show.
 New York then had a bum club and Philadelphia a good one. But in looking over the list I noticed that New York only had one or two pitch CTS who seemed to be going we'll or ho xrh dol phia had strong staff. I saw then that if went to Philly I would prob- ably have to hang around for a long while without getting a chance to show.
 But by going to New York I would probably be used at once. and if had anything at all would be worked regularly from the beginning. So picked New York, where, if pitching conditions in the two towns had been reversed at the time, l would be working in Philadelphia today"
 These queer turns of the game have broken with more than one club and with more than one star pitcher. Connie Mack had his choice of Nap Fucker or Holmes from the Augusta South Atlantic club and picked Holmes, who fizzled out in less than a. month.
 Alexander went begging last fall at the waiver price and finally Detroit and Philadelphia put in a drift, Phil adelphia winning on the toss of a coin
 E If Jennings had won his team to- day would more than likely be in first place. as a pitcher like Alex ander with all that hitting power back of him would, have been we'll nigh invincible.
 Gossip anent the choice of wofld's series slabmen is rife around the cir a,1fx ESz~. kc REo ! 1 Marquard are of course regarded as the main hopes. For the Athletics, Bender and Coombs.
 Yet it isn't any lead pipe that this quartette will hold the bulk of the glory. There are, many who believe upon Wiltse and Ames, and that one of the two will be as effective as either of the stars.
 Upon the Athletic roster the matter of working Ed Plank has come in for collection of gossip. More than an effective card against the Giant .legionp as the southpaw has been shooting at great streak this sea- son. and looked to be in well primed 'fettle.
 As regards the final outcome there series in history has shown. Clark Griffith called the turn when he stated that this was one mix-up where any bet made was simply matter of tossing up coin.
 There have been strong reasons for picking one club or another be- fore,' stated Griff, ''but this time | balk I look for Mathewson to be the Giants big hope through his greater experience. But there is no foundation upon which to base prediction one way or another
 "On form this series should go to seven games and be the greatest worlds series fight ever known. The most interesting series fought was Detroit against Pittsburg, which went to seven games. But that series fail ed to furnish nearly as high grade York-Philadelphia meeting should bring out.''
 Condition in the two rival pitching camps is almost sure to tell the story of this fight. But there is plenty of time for this gossip. through the days which lie beyond.
 The one important point of this next meeting, upon which main at groups of athletes, is the weather which will be in vogue. Mid-October may furnish a doze Different brands such as grandmother used to knit, to stretch of rain or a series of icy blizzards, crowned with snow and ice.
 The futility of putting the series as late as it will start this season has been clearly shown, and from, this point on you can safely wager your shirt that the National circuit will sit down upon Messrs. Ebbets and Mur- phy, the Columbus Day Twins, with a horrible thud.
 Next season the two leagues will close together and wind up by the end of the first week in October. There will be no further risk in pumping into bad weather for the sake of an extra shekel or two deriv- ed from the fact that MT. Columbus once set foot upon this vast conti- nent.
 Not knocking Columbus, but the guys who are trying to work the great discoverer for another hand full of spare change. CHARGE AGAINST