The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-01

By CHRIsTY MATHEWs0N, :
OF tbs Giarts.
This Is the most nerve-racking race in
which 1 ever took part with one excep-
ton. that being the battle Of 1905. just
when the Giants begin TO think that they
have the pennant definitely. won and pre-
pare TO settle back to take things easy.
II gets close again. and the same old
wearing. persistent question haunts the
minds OF the players: ''Will we VIM"
] have little doubt that the Giants viii
ultimately win. but It Is going to be q
hard fight TO the end of the schedule.
When it looked as II we possessed safe
lead. after having won four games out
of I'VE in Pittsburg, the Cincinnati Reds.
the club which has been the easiest for
Us to defeat all season. dumped u twice
without run. That was a tough set
back. and IL was q fortunate thing for
us that Boston won two from the Cubs
and Brooklyn one along about the same
time.
1t was great disappointment to Nc
Graw and every man on the team to
have Cincinnati defeat us in that series.
fer there Is no love lost among the
Giants for Hank O'Dey, and while We
have done considerable this summer to
turn the Reds back down the ladder,
still II was tough to zee them get those
two games Just when we needed them
most TO put US on Easy Street and re-
move the strain which has been wearing
on the club for a month. II We had
taken these two would have said that
the pennant was sure. But now we sun
have the same old fight on our hands.
Good Pftchfng I'm Redtown.
In Cincinnati we encountered a couple
OF the best pitched games that the club
has faced this season. ! never saw
Frorme pitch better ball or as good.
His feat of dropping the Giants with one
lit after we came out Of Pittsburg Wig
orously healthy in the batting line was
a great surprise. Benton delivered almost
as good ball the day before. giving us
but four hits. 1t must be conceded that
the two twiriers showed their best games
against us.
Many fans often wonder about the keen
rivalry between the Giants and Cincin-
natl. and the reason that there has been
so much apparent hostility in each series
ltween the two clubs this season. No
pfsyer who was with the Giants In
1905 VIII ever forgive o'Day-fo his de-
cision in that game which gave Chicago
defeats last week, coming as they did,
Just when we needed the games, hurt
so much
II was sorry to see O'Day do it," said
McGraw on the way back to New York
after the short series. 7 don't blame the
players. They were up against good
pitching. but we've got to hand II to
Hank when he comes East. 1t may be
our last chance. you know"
That is going to be the real series
which will count, in Philadelphia THIS
week There are seven games scheduled
IN four days, and the Quakers will be
hard for US to beat. Doom has flock
of young pitchers over there, combined
with two or three old ones. who will
give any club a battle any time. The
worst feature of the combination is that
the Cubs will be playing the Reds when
We are in Philadelphia, and Chicago is
almost sure to clean up on O'Day's team.
in spite of the fact that Cincinnati
dumped US last week. The style that
the Reds showed against us was simply
a fash in the pan, the club having been
whipped into life for the series by the
Irritation between O'Day and the Giants
The Cincinnati club cannot hold the
pace at which it was moving when we
hit II for long,, and 1t will have settled
back into its old phelgmatic gait by the
time the Reds hook up with the Cubs
] hate to tell the truth about the out
look, but, IL Philadelphia hicks us for
three or four games cut OF the seven
and the Cubs win the series with Gin
make the race very close. Many op-
timists have laid emphasis on the fact
that the Giants play most of their re-
manning games at home, whereas the
Cubs win be roaming on foreign fields.
No Advantage to Giants.
An unbiased perusal CT the dope does
not appear to give the New York team
any distinct advantage on these grounds.
2nff he
have been far more successful recently
on the road than at home. The Cubs won
fifteen out Of eighteen games on their
last trip East, only to return home and
lose i've and win eight. Therefore it
would look as IL the Cubs were better
on the road than at home. II the PhiIa-
delphia team upsets US in this coming
series, so that the race is made close
again. it viii be one of the greatest
finishes ever seen in the National League
Personally 1 don't care for finishes of
that sort, never could learn to like
clmaxes. It might be all right II I could
stt back and enjoy them as the fans can,
but when you are in there trying tc
finish. why that is another thing Alto
gether.
The race is falling out oddly, very
much like the faraous season of 1903
The series with the Quakers is the
Ethiopian in The woodpile. A great deal
depends upon those games. It did in |
1905. Then come the Cubs for the last
decisive trip East. and they will be fight |
ing as only the Cubs can fight, inspired
by the spirit of Chance. But tine Giants |
will be fighting. too, for McGraw, the |
leader. never quits. He win |
whip the team into a mad. quarrelsome, |
peevish bunch of ball players. eager for |
victory. When the club came into Pitts \
burg on the last trip West II looked a. 4