The Washington herald., 1912-09-15
Giants Have Improved
Much Since Last Year
Because Of Worlds Series Experieace. McGrawites
Seem to Have Call on the Red Sox in
Games for Big Title
By CHRIsTY alATHEwsoN.

lafF. lsr 1rslH ~ 90 .r SsAAsSS -
BY cHRIsTY sfATHEwsoN. !
Great Huisz Of the Giants
The National League race 10 PRACTICAL
Ily over now. and the nervous New York
and American public is casting Its eyes
expectantly toward the next big base
bali event. which is the worlds series
With the Giants final spurt. which gave
them their present commanding lead In
the race, the burning interest has evap-
Grated and all discussion centers on the
worlds series. Therefore. / might as
well get In with the majority.
1t strikes me that the Giants have q
very much, better chance In the worlds S
series this year. than they had last
not that Boston is a poorer team than
the Athletics were-because I fully real
ize the Red Sox's strength-but for other
reasons, mostly TO be found in the i'm
provement Of the New York club. In
the first place. the Giants last year were
a lot of young fellows. and for all, ex-
cept for Ames and myself, IT was the
FIRST worlds series. The very idea OF
this carried a certain Importance with
IL that estounded some Of the players.
II all looked so big. Thouse nds Of dol
lars might hang on whether a certain
man delivered hit in the pinch. 1t
was a young team facing a hard test.
Now The club has been seasoned by an
other summers campaigning. and the big
series is nothing new. The players have
all been through II and know what to
expect. / have been told that the first
time soldier goes under fire he Is of
little use. but on the second occa sion he
minds II no more than plunging into a
cold bath on 4 hot day. II is the same.
in q lesser degree. In a worlds series
Club Looks Better.
Then think that the club has i'm
proved in mechanical perfection, too,
that II Is a better ball team than II was
when It entered the big battles last fan.
The New York club was worn out from
endless worry induced by driving finish
In tine National League when 1t entered
the important series for the worlds
title last year. The team had just sprint
ed through the West on a phenomenal
trip and had scarcely assured itself of
the pennant before II was plunged into
the big series. There was hardly any
time for relaxation or rest.
This year We have won the pennant
more handily. and McGraw will have an
to rest his men, working
each one just enough TO keep him in con-
dition. We will face the big series In
better physical and mental condition
than we did last year. II is well known
among men that train hard and under a
strain that the first thing. 10 give out
is the eyes. After the fatigue OF that
last Western trip in 1871. the boys we're
badly worn. and there was not the
chance 10 rest they should have had.
This was evidenced in their batting In
the series But this year tie club should
start in the pink of condition, full Of
ginger and fight, for there is no man
In the country better able to round a
club into perfect shape for a short series
than McGraw IL the rigors OF the Ma
uonal League race will permit him to
rest his men as h. wants 10. He will
have an opportunity TO do this before
the worlds series.
Pitchers Stronger.
Let US turn the X-ray on the two pitch
ing STATS for a minute and see how they
stack up. for that is an important de-
partment in a short series. The Giants
are stronger in the twirling branch of
The art this fall than they We're against
the Athletics last year for the reason
hat Se have another star. one Of the
best pitchers in the league now. develop
ID in n single season. When the Ma
ional League race was so close. about
hree weeks ago, I predicted that Tes-
eau would be the man who would bring
he pennant to New York. II IL came
here. and his recent pitching has prac-
.ically verified that prophecy.
When most Of the other toilers were In
lad form through the latter part Of Au-
yust. he sustained the team with his
,itching. II was his work largely that
,leared up the Philadelphia series, which
rave us the most definite hold on the
We had had since July. After |
,itching on Wednesday in that series, he |
anne back on Friday with only one day |
II rest and shut the hard-hitting ouak- |
RS out without a single hft.
1t has come to me very straight from |
ome friends of mine in the American |
league that Tesreau has already instilI- |
d the fear of defeat into the hearts of |
he Boston Red Sox. and that is half |
he battle. II this Is sure, and II ema-
iates from a very good source. the big |
'itcher will have the edge on StahI's men |
'efore he ever throws a ball II they
re afraid Of him. they will have even |
;reater difficulty in winning. They have
ad scouts watching him work for |
weeks. AS a matter of fact. don't be-
ieve that the Red Sox can beat him |
nyway. He Is the type OF twirler
tho should be hardest for them 10 hit.
III their batters, with the exception Of |
speaker and Gardner. are right handlers,
nd he can buzz that old fast one with /
he hop on 1t around their ears until /
hey won't know where they are. A
cout with the keenest eyes can discover
title about Tesreau tina; will help the
,oston batters Il
Tesreau Needs Little Rest.
Another thing that makes stahPs crew
fraid Of Tesreau Is the fact that he
an come back so quickly He is not
the type Of pampered prima donna
itcher. Just give him plenty Of food,
nd "Jen' can work every day. Appear
1g in the box every other day is prac-
ically loafing for him. So II he turns
ut to be invicible against the Sox there
, no reason why he cannot pitch very
ften. = -
Besides having lots OF ''stuff' which
,eans curves and speed, Tesreau has
ne ideal temperament for a pitcher. /
'othing worries him. He is out there
} win. and that is all. With all the
ublicity which he has obtained lately
nd with all the hattering remarks that
ave been made about, him, he is not
nected. He is not subject to stage
light. and the fact that he is pitching
! the big series of the year win mean L
o more to him than working against ,