The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-17
Crowd, Not So Large As Sat urday, Sees Ty Cobb of Detroit Presented With Auto for Fine Seasons Work.
(By Grantland Rice.)

 Polo Grounds, New York, Oct IT. Either because of darkening skies or darkening prospects, there was a decidedly bearish tendency evidenced in the enthusiasm of the New York fans. today, and when, at 2 D. m., the Giants trotted onto the field, there were many patches of vacant, seats scattered throughout the bleachers but there were few vacant seats in the big grandstand.
 When the gates first opened, this morning. there was the usual rush of the dyed-in-the-wool fans who would have remained outside all night, if necessary. to insure getting first choice at a choice seat in the bleach CTS, but, after the bugs had been admitted, there came a Hull. When the funereal clad Giants, led by Mathewson. loped out on the field, at 1905 to sling a ball to and fro like a bunch of football players, they got a very mild hand When, a few minutes later, the staid Athletics meandered leisurely across the field, they were greeted with a yell of genuine approval.
 Among the players there was a tense feeling that was even more mo- ticeable than on the opening day. In the expectation that Coombs would work, McGraw had Maxwell, his righthanded recruit speed them dur ing the Giants batting practice. Both Mathewson and Ames tried their hands at the bat and the early indi- cations were that one of the two would draw the sharpshooting job for the day, with the chances strongly in favor of "Bix Six.
 hn oyE nl4 do were figured as big aids to Coombs, whose chief asset is speed in large chunks On the other hand, while the day was figured as ideal for Ames, the success of former years was reckoned or In Mat.y's case Out awarded Ty Cobb as the American League player who had done the best work for his club. Cobb, a sporting writer, now, was on hand to receive his second automobile won by his proweSs on the diamond.
 Frank Schulte. winner of the trophy in the National League, received his car, yesterday, in Chicago, at the game between the Cubs and White Sox.
 Neither threatening weather nor ticket scalpers, though, could keep that marked the opening game in this city, but slowly, quietly. without hur- ry and hustle, they came. The va cant spots in the grandstand and bleachers filled almost imperceptibly. but filled. By 1:30 there were few seats in the grandstand were much slower in arriving. The lineup:
 Athletics-Lord, lf.; Oldring cf.; Collins, 2,b.; Baker, 3b.; Murphy, rf.; Davis, h.; Barry, ss.; Lapp, c.; Coombs, p.
 r;on+e r,ay.ra lf novIa Oh :. Snodgrass, cf.; Murray, if; Merkle, h.; Herzofi, 3b., Fletcher, ss.; Mey- CTS, C.; Mathewson, p.
 With the sky getting darker each moment up to the start of the play, the fans hopes of seeing some base pitching duel, took a rise. The field, while reasonably fast, was moist enough to discolor any ball that thao been in play three minutes and ths manner in which the various pitchers shied them over the plate was strong characterized the previous contest Up to the opening of today's game the duel had been at least 75 per cent a pitchers contest. There had been but little brilliancy displayed by either team on the base lines and there was little. spectacular work. of- fered by any of the players of either team outside of the batteries
 With both Matty and Marquard fa- vored by ideal pitching conditions, the famed stick work of the Athletics had failed to materialize in either of the games played. Early indica tions to- day, however, were that one or both of the opposing teams was due for break.
 During the Giants fielding practice, Little Spuds Hennessy, the Giants mascot, again covered first, and a lit tie less than four feet in height, he made collection of stops that would have done credit to a six footer
 When at 1:50 the umpires came on the field, there was a slight mist in the air, with every indication of rain before the afternoons contest was concluded.
 AS in the first days game, the field was kept entirely free of spectators, the photographers being chased to the side lines just before the game start ed. At 1:55 the drizzle started and, while it amounted to little more than a Scotch mist, it promised to cause the game to be played with slippery ball.
 Batteries-Philadelph Coombs and Lapp. New York, Mathewson and Meyers.
 Brennan behind plate Connolly on bases. Dineen right foul line. Klem left foul line.
 Matty received genuine ovation as he walked out to the mound, the first real enthusiastic outbreak of the crowds which, by this time, had pack ed the bleachers and occupied most of the grandStand.
 FIRST INNING.
 Athletics-As on Saturday, Mathew son opened the festivities by making his first pitched ball to Lord cut the plate. The batter fouled the next two and then grounded out, Doyle to Merkle. Matty getting an assist for knocking the ball down, though it was too hot for him to handle. Old ring drew two strikes and then ground ed out, Fletcher to Merkle. Collins got a generous hand from all parts of the stadium as he stepped up for his first trial He grounded to Merkle and was thrown out, Matty covering the bag It was a very close play No runs. no hits, no errors.
 Giants-Devore, with the memory of yesterdays four strikeouts, looked more chipper, today. when he stepped q the plate and faced a right hand
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