Evening journal., 1912-09-16
FANS TALK
OF The BIG
SERIES TREND
Many Are Counting on Seeing
the Games on the New
York Field
CHANCES OF RED
SOX CONTINUE GOOD

New York City will probably be
the nearest point at which Whining
ton can witness world series baseball
this fall. While the number VINO
make the journey will be less than
took in the series between New York
and the Athletics last year, quite a
few are already laying plans for the
trip, this in spite OF the fact that the
outcome in the two major leagues Is
not yet decided beyond the possibility
of change.
That 1t win rest with the Giants
and the Boston Red Sox to wrestle
for the highest honors In baseball is,
however generally accepted with the
season waning rapidly and each club
leading its nearest opponent by
wide margin. There are those who
still hope for a sensational squirt by
one OF the nearer teams in either
league, but such squirt would have to
be coupled with a decided slump by
the leader, and the combination of
circumstances is not regarded as at
all likely to occur.
Though Boston has been made
slight favorite over the Giants in the
future betting. It was not until a cou-
pie Of weeks ago that most critics
took them seriously as pennant pos
sibilities. There was something
about the team not altogether CON
vincing despite lead Of half dozen
games. AS late as three weeks ago
fans were still discussing the pos
sibility of a Philadelphia rush to the
front, and discussing Il mighty SER
iously at that.
For this the regulations the Ath-
letics carried over from last year and
the Red Sox's own lack of dash and
glamour were about equally respon-
sible. Only a few-who are almost
always agin THE government any
hoW-could see the champions going
down for want OF pitching OF the
sort Bender and Coombs gave them
last season. Had the Red Sox flash
ed a few sensational spurts It would
probably have taken the fans less
time to really appreciate this club
of Stahl's.
There is nothing fiashy about its
play. They just 20 along playing the
most consistent ball shown by any
club In either league. never reach
Ing the dazzling speed the Athletics
have displayed In streaks, but never
showing really poor form for more
than day OF two at a stretch. II
is the only big league club that has
played along the same level all sea
son. II has yet TO fall into a
! slump.
When it comes to showdown IL
will probably be found that Boston 8
greatest strength rests In a defense
that has been found plenty strong
enough to cope with the sacrifice
game in vogue in the American
League, but which has yet to be thor
oughly tested against the stealing,
hit-and-run game played by the
Giants. This alright defense has
been largely responsible for the sue
cesses achieved by most of the
pitchers.
Boston does not anticipate any
greater difficulty blocking the Giants
base runners If they start stealing
than Thomas experienced last fall.
chiefly, because Carrigan stopped Nc
Graw's men in the series Of 1900.
Carrigan is better catcher now than
he was then, but the Giants Of those
days weren't anything like as fast as
the 1912 outfit.
1t is pointed out that no American
League club has won many games
from the Sox by base running, but IL
is a fact that there is no American
League club that combines speed
with hitting ability as the Giants do
when they are right Just now such
a team with so rightly developed a
defense as the Sox is one OF the
problems the New York team has to
deal with.