New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-08
Giants and Athletics Measure
Up Closely for Gripping
Baseball Struggle.
WHAT THE FIGURES SHOW
New York Makes Up IN Speed
on Bases for Heavier Hitting
Of the Philadelphia

take the citadel ~ Jonu ~ N''ia"' ''0
poge Of New York
Tho first battle i'm the worlds baseball
series will be fought ont at the Polo
Grounds on SATURDAY before an army or
fans" when the New YORK Giants ana
the Philadelphia Athletics will begin what
PROMISES TO he the greatest struggle in the
history Of tho sport
Baseball PLAYERS aud critics with keen in
s,ght into the game have already attempted
the hazardous task OF picking the winner
but opinion is about equally divided, and
the consensus Of opinion makes the whole
affair toss-up Ardent parusans OF the
Athletics i'm Philadelphia contend that the
American League champions have heen nit
ting about thirty points better than the
Giants and that they have an impregnable
6sfence and a pitching staff Of surprising
excellence. John j. NcGraW, Of the Giants,
STATED not Ions ago that the Athletics as
the Dresent worlds champions should he
favorites at 10 g. but with all their
ttrength on paper the Giants look equally
strong and surely stand an even chance.
The mart which baseball luck Will play
n the series IS being discounted. ihose
who follow the game closely realize what
en important factor This Is, and IN snort
series it is possible for luck alone 10 de-
eide the outcome Without detractins the
least from tne glorious work OF the Giants
the team Las played I'M luck all season
while IT'S rivals have suffered mlsfortuheS'
1niilriee TO DOOM Bresnlhan, wagner
Chance and Evcrs, as well rs the suspeh-
sion Of Nagee. operated 10 handicap ue
other remnant contenders, while New YORK
sailed smoothly alOng. taking big chances
u,l,hout one OF its stars being injured FOR
any length of time The team had the
luck which accompanies aGgressiveness'
hard lighting and success. IL has been
more fortunate than the Athlellcs' VINO
have been without the services Of Collins
Barry and McInnis at one time or another.
Inck stu smiled OF McGraw's men when
they won the toss 90 play the important
first game Of the big series on tner own
grounds before friendly crowds and "iil'e
the tickle goddess has been known TO turn
on her miuions. stu this may be taken as
2 good omen.
Base Running a BIG Factor.
n their team work the Giants can meet
,,a A,bletics ON even terms So far a.
eal5,ne is concerned, the averages being
as1 and es2 respectively. While the de
fence Of the Athletics. particularly in the
,,AeId may h. more brilliant than that OF
the Giant- a. is not a whit more STEADY.
In hating the Giants lead the National
reague. al .2d. but concede q points TO
the Athletics. who lead the American
teague. with 2s4 This is big margin
Ind one Of the most convincing arguments
in the Philadelphia teams favor.
q, extra base hitting the margin OF OH
\ tersrra is smaller. but stu in favor OF the
II ,,blat.cs. the figures being -59' and .aA,
botb teams leading their respective leagues.
The Giants have made SO home runs, to 81
for their rivals. IS triples 10 90 for the
Athletics. 2oe doubles, to 229 for their OPP
norcuts New York has nit 515 extra bases
~ 50S for the Athletics. which shows that
neither team is weakling with the STICK
In another department Of the same-that
Of base running-the Athletics are no match
for the Giants on figures. While II must
not be forgotten that Philadelphia has men
feet Of foot such as EDDIE Collins, yet as
base running organization Philadelphia
cannot be compared TO New York. with
Elk out Of the ten leading base stealers IN
the league, McGray has one Of the fastest
lot Of PLAYERS who ever stepped on the dia-
Ynond. the Ike Of which has not been seen
In major leagues in the last five years Al
together the men have stolen 846 bases dur
ing the season, the only team in the Ma
tional League appros aching It being CinGn-
natl. With 26s. No other has passed the 20
mark. The Athletics are Us bases behind
the Giants. with only 22S 10 their credit
bAine surpassed by Detroit with PSI, and
nv the Yankees with 2Ss, in the American
League No records were kept Of the
number Of extra bases earned by the
Giants through speed alone, but this is
onA side Of base running which must be
considered as well as base stealing
Athletics Twirlers Wild.
Much already has neen said about the
value Of base running and it has been
pointed out that the Giants must first get
IN the bases in order to steal. Judging
from the records. however. this will not
be difficult. The Philadelphia twirlers dur
,ng the season have handed out 423 passes
10 292 for the New York twirlers. CoomDs
alone has passed l26 men, and he has been
picked 70 do the major portion Of the pitch
ing for the Athletics. None OF the New
York twirlers has reached this mark.
Marouard coming the nearest TO IL with
100. while Witse has passed only 81 and
Mathewson Il. Plank has walked" 81
PLAYERS Bender, g, and Morgan, ll2. In
the worlds series last year Bender and
Coombs gave Is passes, IL being charged
AGAINST Coombs who gave nine in one
game His control Is DO better, If as good,
this year. II there Is one thing that the Gil
ants can DO more than another II is TO wait
q pitcher out McGraW has instilled this
point deeply into their minds.
Laying aside the team work Of both
mines il Is generally conceded that pitch
ing will tell the tale in the short series
AIathewson MarQuaTd, Ames, Crandal and
Wiltse for the Giants and Bender. CoOmbs,
Plank Morgan and Krause for the Ath-
letics are the ones who must be compared.
II il fairly certain that the brunt OF the
work will fall on Mathewson and Marquard
for New York and Bender and Coombs for
Philadelphia. The five New York twirlers
have not made 50 high a winning percent
age AS the FIVE Philadelphia pitchers. Mar
ouard. however. has the highest average OF
the ten and leads the pitchers OF both
leagues so far as percentage goes. Bender.
with eighteen games won and five lost
and Marquard with twenty-four games
won and six lost, are the leaders of both
staffs ''Rube" although he has pitched in
seven more games than Bender, has
allowed only twenty more hits, the record
being us 10 1873 He has struck out llO
more men. with n strike-outs TO Bender
ia. and has given 80 more passes. lOs 20
Renders o. Mathewson has won d games
and lost a. 10 y won and II lost for
Coornbs Hard as he has been hit this