Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-11
BASE BALL GENERALS IN THE
BIG WORLDS TITLE BATTLES

for a certain maneuver amounts to genius.
Mack also directs his players, but he
does 1t by signaling from the bench, and
therefore lacks the instant control over
Philadelphia mans judgment of a hit
ball may be just as accurate, but he is
not at third base 10 hold the runner or
wave him in. In q case like this, there
fore. it would seem that his Judgment
J was Of less active value to his team
Mack does his coaching between innings.
McGraw does his every instant.
Putting the managers aside and refer
sons assert that on paper the Athletics
are the stronger club. Granting this for
the moment, it would seem to prove very
little. At the end of the season of 1910
percentage was .2s5. In the worlds
series the Mackmen hit .317 and the
Cubs .22l- The Philadelphia Americans
finished last year with a fielding per cent
OF 1894. while the fielding Of Chicago
was 1863. In the worlds series the Cubs
fielded 1854 and the Athletics .946 The
only thing that these figures would seem
to prove Is that the Cubs were below
| their form at the end OF the season.
Last Years Dope Considered.
Some fans who pick the White Ele-
plants to win the present series appar-
| entity base their opinion upon the ease
with which the Philadelphians defeated
their rivals in the post-season games
last fall. This is a very faulty method
OF determining the relative strength OF
this years contestants. Chicago was a
machine which had passed its prime and
was disintegrating. For years the Cubs
had had some pitchers with control so
perfect that the team started to the right
or left with the twirler's delivery. know
- uyhafhor "a Wnl1l6 q the
inside or the outside of the plate. These
boxmen had lost their efficiency. The
whole team was going back. This year
the Mackmen meet team that Is COM
have not even yet reached their full eff
ficiency, and that next year they will be
a stronger club than they are today. At
the strongest the Cubs were only mod
of the fastest teams on the paths that
ever played the game.
Against Chicago's pitching last year
! there were four men on the Athletics,
exclusive of their boxmen, who hit above
800. Against the Highlanders, who were
said to have at that time fully as strong
| a twirling staff as the Athletics. the
Giants had batting average of 1852. and
topped the 800 mark. In five games
against the Cubs Coombs and Bender
gave eighteen bases on balls. In five
games against the Highlanders Matty
| llkSop DTuCk0, AIHeS anu CTauOdu gave
eleven bases on balls. Pitching three
games of the worlds series, Coombs
passed fourteen men. Pitching three
games of the post-season series in New
York, Mathewson passed one man. 1t
is said that last year many Of the Cubs
struck at bad balls. AS whole the
Giants are good walters. There are few
Of them that viii go after a ball which
does not cross the plate.
Pitchers Are Important.
Almost every one agrees that the most
vital ingredient in the winning or losing
of the coming battles will be the work
Of the boxmen. In almost every worlds
series there has been some pitcher whose
work stood out above the rest. In the
games between the Boston Americans
and the Pirates in 1903 II was the pitch
ing of Bill Dineen which pulled Boston
through. Strangely enough, Dineen is
one of the umpires selected for the pres
/ emit series.
Mathewson defeated the Athletics al
most single handed in 1905. In 1906 Ed
Walsh was q stellar performer for the
White 6ox, although 1t was really the
great defensive work Of First Baseman
Donohue and the batting of George Robe,
a utility man, which defeated the Cubs.
Manager Chance used all his pitchers inn