The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-07
CLEARS DECK
FOR GAMES Of
THE BIG SERIES
MAJOR LEAGUES CONCLUDE
THEIR SERIES AND EVERY
THING Is IN READINESS FOR
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES.

New York, Oct 6.-The official
conclusion of the major league
schedule today clears the decks for
the worlds championship combat.
The pennant winning clubs, the New
York Nationals and the Boston Amer
leans, cleaned Aheir slate yesterday
and have today and tomorrow to rest
up for the first of the big games in
New York on Tuesday.
The prediction made before every
world series that the crucial games
viii be pitchers battles usually proves
correct. 1t was so last year with the
exception of one game and promises
to be so this year.
A championship struggle was never
approached with keener interest in
the reliance placed upon the pitchers
than is the case this year. In Boston
yesterday they celebrated the TWEEN
ty-third anniversary of the birth OF
Joseph Wood, date which has gen
orally passed unnoticed in previous
years, but on this occasion 1T marks
the official conclusion of a league
Championship race which for a great
part is due to young Woods phe-
nomenal pitching speed. A fortnight
ago he completed a run of sixteen
straight victories for the Boston cluo,
thereby equaling the American league
record set this season by Walter
: Johnson Of Washington.
The binding speed with which
Wood winds UP was one day described
as smokey by a Boston enthusiast
and 1t seemed so apt that the word
became his nickname. Although one
Of the younger members of the team
he has been with Boston since 1908.
He came from Hutchinson, Kan, in
1907, which was his first year in pro
fessional baseball He had a record
of no-hit game there and soon aft
er going to Boston his success as a
big league pitcher was assured, al
though Ray Collins was the Boston
star at that time. 1t was really not
until this year that Wood came into
his own as the idol of the Boston
fans.
CLAIM TESREAU WILL BE HERO.
Notwithstanding that in RUDE Mar
guard New York boasts a pitcher who
equailed the worlds record by pitch
ing nineteen consecutive victories in
the early half of the past season, the
local followers appear to have side
tracked both him and Mathewson,
while acclainling young jeff Tesreau
as the hero Of the hour. Matched
against the Boston star. is Tesreau
of the same age. but his successful
career as a big league pitcher has
virtually been confined to the latter
half of the past season.
Tesreau is the only man IN the
Giants lineup who was not with the
club in the world series struggle last
year. McAleer, now president of the
Boston Americans, when manager of
al
ago, was the first to give young TIES :.
reau hts first big league trial when
one of his scouts discovered him in
the Trolley league in Missouri. The
now president of the Boston club
could see no hope in the lads work
and turned him back. In 1908 he
was tried out by the Detroit Ameri-
cans. but failed.
He shifted around among five diff
ferent Texas clubs until McGraw dis
covered him in Shreveport year ago
last spring and added him to his
string of recruits. Instead of max
ing use of him. however, McGraw
far1ned him out to Toronto. 1t was
there that Tesreau showed his first
promise and by the end of the sea-
son he was hailed as one Of the best
pitchers in the Eastern league, having
mastered the art of the spit bali.
McGraw recalled him, only to be dis.
appointed In his wildness the first OF
the season. but by midsummer ne re-
gained confidence i'm the young pitch
or and has since been rewarded with
the sensational capture of many
crucial games. With seventeen games
won 10 five lost, as the season closes
Tesreau stands at an average higher
than any of his colleagues on the
Giants pitching staff. McGraw con-
siders him the peer of Ed. Walsh, the
famous "spitball'' pitcher Of the Chi
cago Americans. If he keeps his
control he will undoubtedly be given
the greater part Of the box work for
New York in the world series.
MATHEWsoN STILL STEADY
The acclaim of Tesreau and Wood
however, has not altogether overshad-
owed the older favorite either here OF