The Washington herald., 1911-10-29
athletics the Greatest Ball Club in the World;
Giants >Outclassed in All But Two Position!
Brief Review, Incidents,
and Sidelights on the
Big Series byOne Who
Was at the Ringside.
By WILLIAM PEET.


baseball championship.
Even New York papers and Gotham
experts admit that the best team won,
and when you can make these gentle
ment admit anything like that it's a
safe bet that Connie Mack's white ele+
plants showed their class.
Before the series started the writer
favored the Athletics, and said so in the
columns of this paper. The first game
in New York went to the Giants,
and American League supporters felt
shaky. Even in defeat Mack's team
looked by all odds the best, and The
Washington Herald put itself on record
as saying so. What happened every
! body knows.
Hal Chase, the great New York first
sacker who with his team faced Math-
ewson in the inter-city series last year,
gave out an interview in Washington
| two weeks ago in which he said that
! If the Athletics could hit Mathewson
they could win, as Matty was wonder
against a team which faced him for the
first time.
Mathewson was able to get away with
the opening skirmish, but on the next
two trials he failed to deliver. This
more than anything else tells why the
Mackmen are to-day the best baseball
team in the world.
With the exception of Doyle at Sec
ond base and Chief Meyers behind the
bat the Giants were outplayed in every
position. The Giant outfield was shown
up with only six hits for the series, and
Devore drew four of these. The Giant
infield was outbatted and outfielded by
wide margin. The Philadelphians stole
more bases and ran with better judg-
ment. The pitching was better distribu-
ted. and, outside Of Mathewson, was
steadier and more consistent.
The Giants had but one chance to
win. and that was to bat back of Math-
ewson. Even when they failed here It
was only the bludgeon of Frank Baker
which stood between Christy and posi-
bly, three victories, until the Mackmen
recovered their poise, regained their
form and having slipped by Matty made
with Bender as the pitching star of the
series. for he was pitching against a
harder-hitting and a better club
Back of the bat Chief Meyers was in
a class by himself He caught as we'll
as either Thomas or Lapp and outhit
both. The chief, a Dartmouth SCHOLAR
and an Indian gentleman, hit 800, and
with Larry Doyle was the only Giant
regular to reach this classic figure.
Meyers also caught grandly, holding
Mack's fast team to five stolen bases in
six games, averaging less than a steal
to the battle. Not forgetting that, out
side of poor batting, both Thomas and
Lapp were good enough to curb the
Giants with equal ease and dexterity
ny,lN
nately for them the earnest athlete must
reach first before there is anything do
ing in the way of blazing a trail to sec
ond.
The Philadelphia infieId compiled nine
errors-the New York quartet cornered
eleven. The Philadelphia infieId hit 300
even-the New York infield stopped at
.1S5 The infield play Of neither team
was of championship class, Doyle doing
the steadiest work of ALL But the Mack
men made up with the wooden mauler
for any falling OF in accepted chances.
There was more than one rude upset
to the genial dope. Merkle, whose bril-
liant work had been a big factor in the
National League flag fight, was far below
par or even bogey. while Harry Davis,
supposed to be fading and all In, stepped
IN after a seasons lay-ofr and did far
better work than in 1906, when he was
.
ting was practically null and void, while
his work around the bag was not UP to
his seasons standard.
American League partisans claim that
Collins outplayed Doyle, and National
partisans swear that Doyle made a show
of Eddie. In the way of worth there is
no margin to award. Doyle hit .SO4 and
Collins .273 Doyle felded s65 and Col
Inns .SSS. Each stole two bases Upon
the basis Of figures Doyle wins by a mile,
but his rival batted with a trifie greater
steadiness through all six games and |
covered more ground with more spec
tacular effect. The best Collins can get |
Is draw, and IL there Is any edge to |
award 1t belongs to Doyle, who with !
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