New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-21
COMMENT ON SPORTS
Rather the True Story OF a Fish,
and a Pretty Big Fish.
MATN AND HIS RECORD
News and Views on Live Topics
of the Day, Both Amateur
and Professional.

why the average angler becomes AUTO
matically a member o. tie Anahas N'N'
without the fCrJnality Of an eiecuoh H
hard 10 understand. but It seems ihat al
otherwise truthful man or woman mas IL
hard 10 control either tongue or magma
ton when II comes to telling about hsh
which. contrary 10 the laws OF nature
grows In bulk so much faster out OF water
than IN which increases In length ono gen
eral rotundity after being properly IHed'
baked or broiled Anyway this Is true
story. even II II IS about FISH; at least
there are six witnesses who VIII swear 10
us veracity AS an excuse Tor telling >
FISH story in a column on sporting topics
I NAV explain that the big vacation is
on, up where the shimmering waveiets o.
Lake George lave the sun-k.ssed SHORES
and all that sort Of vorbiage But 20 the
hsb Story. II seems that willy fox msoe
q good. square meal OF a mother duck
which strayed away from her egss long
enough 70 pick up a grasshOpper or two
and hen was substituted 20 finish out i'f
lob OF providing ducklings for the CITY
folk" All went well for a lime until the
nine little yellow pun balls drove their Eos
ter mother 10 distraction by taking 10 Wa
ter in a little bay that dented the shore
where Uncas used 20 roam. one day onls
eight came back. the next two more were
missing. and so Il went until only three
were left and the man who had promised
his summer boarders duckling for dinner
was as distracted a. the hen. which could
not follow her adopted family into the wa
ter for protection. On the fifth day the
man sat on his dock watching the three
that were left. when suddenly, with faint
squeak and a loud splash. one more dis
appeared But the man had seen enough
and retribution for the proving thief tol-
lowed tempting bait on the business
end OF q rod and line put a finish TO the
depredstions and a twelve-pound pickerel
made amends In part TO the city folk for
the loss OF the duckling dinner.
Speaking OF fishing moves me TO wonder
II il is possible 70 go anywhere and escape
those cheerful, encouraging phrases, You
oughter been here yesterday" and Wait
I'LL next week" The former IS the more
cheerful. because yesterdays never come
back: the latter more encouraging be-
cause next week one will be back az his
desk In this city or that. waiting year
for another vacation. I caught pickerel
YESTERDAY Not & twelve FOUNDER. or even
an eight FOUNDER. but pretty fair sort o.
6sh The pickcrel Is not held in high re-
sp.ct BY the real sons OF IZaak Walton
who prefer 10 enlarge about the fighting
black bass. the leaping tuna the jumping
salmon or the cunning trout. The pickereL
the voracious pirate OF so many lakes and
ponds. is despised not only because he
ravaees the waters, but because ne lacks
the strength and gameness 70 make any
thing but q half hearted fight when hooked
This particular pickerel. however. fought
Ike a bass on q light rig, and provided ten
minutes OF sport that paid in par for the
twelve hours spent In driving back In the
mountain and tramping miles to speciaJ
brook. where a special white club was 70
be had that was "calc lated TO be the best
bait in these parts" He weighed-the
pickerel, I nean-fve pounds. and h.
tasted as well as ne fought.
Somehow or other ones perspective
changes IN the woods. The charm Of the
great outdoors makes Baseball Racing
Automobiling, Golf, Lawn Tennis and
Other Sports" lose their true attractive
ness rock for desk and q pine
tree for q covering make writing about
baseball, miles and miles away from the
Polo Grounds. something OF novelty.
picked UP The Tribune yesterday and was
elated 20 read that Matty was himself
again In setting new worlds record Tor
the number OF balls pitched in q major
league game the king OF them all" proved
conclusively that ne has lost none Of his
cunning none OF his wonderful skill. i
had begun 70 look as II ne was losing some
OF his effectiveness. which was not alto
Rether surprising. In spite Of the fact that
ne Is still a comparatively young man who
takes excellent care CT himself, but Il
would appear now as Il he had recovered
from a slump. and that he would continue
70 be q terror 10 opposing batsmen. To
mitch only ninety-two balls 10 thirty bats
mon in nine innings-an average OF slightly
over three 10 a mau-is a most remarkable
performance. and shows amazing control
An error In the ninth inning. with two out
alone prevented the mark being set at
eighty-six pitched balls. In some respects
Matty's previous victory over Philadelphia.
when he allowed eleven hits but shut out
Charley Dooin's men. was quite as remark
able. II showed his control under nre
and the headwork which Is so essential 70
the really great pitcher.
with Mattv al his best once more, and
with Rube Vanguard plunging aiong II an
an-conouering way. the outlook, never par
ticularly dim for the pennant floating over
the Polo Grounds this fall has taken on d
more rosy hue. Fridays Tribune has )Lsi
arrived, and 7 nCte with satisfaction mat
the pesky Pirates thanks once more 10 the
superbas, have been driven back 10 third
place. and that the Giants are only four
teen points behind the Chicago Cubs and
the lead The Phillies and the Cardinals
have dropped behind In the nerve-racI 6
race. but even II they do not fight their
way back 70 a contending position, the
'hree leaders can be counted OF 10 make
things hum 70 the end Of one Of the great
est struggles IN the history OF baseball
The Cubs will be al the Polo Grounds on
Monday Tor a most critical series. and the
Pirates will WIND up the week II the
Giants survive that test and can night Their
way to the front al the expense Of their
most titter foes The fans" Will have rea-
son 10 shout
IL looks as II the american League race
was al over except the ciapping and the
necessary plans Tor another worlds cham
pionshiT serle- ln Philadelphia aud-He...
say New York. The Detroit II ers, who
set such "a m6rry pace. are not oIs.anc.
but the Athletes gre goins along sm0o-hi
s. FAR ia front that stern chase 40 tnis
late day look, hopeless. The Yankees are
fighting deliberately 10 keep iu ue lrst d.
vision and w.tn the au.sa I'D nome should
land b. third i.aee.