Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-15
FIGURES ON GIANTS
They Are Contingent on New
Workers Making Brace.
WHY TEAM SHOULD DO so
Has the Ability, the Youth and the
Lead With Which to
Meet Cub Squirt.
WHY TEAM SHOULD DO so

NEW YORK. August 15.-It is quite
clear to the most casual student of base
ball prospects that If the Giants and
Cubs continue at their present pace the
disciples of Chance will wrest the Ma
tional League championship from the
New Workers. From July / to August 9,
inclusive, the New Workers Won 90 games
and lost IS. and the Cubs Won 3 and
lost 10; and II those respective ratios
were continued they would insure the loss
of the pennant for the Giants.
The slump the champions have been ex-
long for them. and there are those who
are on the verge Of hysteria lest 1t means
that their bolt has been shot. Their bolt,
however. has not been shot unless they
have suddenly lost a large share Of the
comeback power which has tided them
successfully over other trying seasons.
The team hasn't the useful secondary
strength in the box that the Cubs have,
and to that extent is not in as good a
position for a grueling drive to the finish.
This is condition not to be held lightly,
but with three really good pitchers
Mathewson. MarQuard and Tesreau-to-
gether with the goodly share of youth and
ability the team has, to say nothing or the
MANAGERIAL ability of AIcGraw, it is not
reasonable to believe that the poor show
ing for the last five weeks is fair meas
IRE of what can be expected the rest OF
the season.
The Giants must brace, there is no
doubt of that but there is enough
strength--and not waning strength, either
to make it likely that it will brace
VII 1,
lead surely make it not little more than
an even chance that the Giants will re-
peat and land this years pennant.
Then, again, there enters into the OK
look the element of the Cubs probable OF
maintaining their present clip. OF their
last forty games the Cubs have Won
three-fourth. They are going strongly.
more strongly than any other team in the
league, but there is a chance that they,
too. may meet with telling reverses be-
fore the curtain falls.
However. a retrograde movement by a
strong rival is not secure foundation for
another teams hopes. and the safest plan
for the Giants is to put their own house
in order rather than count on an oppo-
nent weakening That the Giants can
play better ball than. they have been do
ing for five weeks there is no dol.bJ. The
Cubs. if they reckon on the Giants not
bracing, are just as likely to be fooled As
the Giants might be were the latter 10
Since the first of July the Cubs have
won approximately three-four of II -ir
games. If they keep on at this rate they
will win 1O5 games and lose 40. IN that
event the Giants could, by winning "A OF
their remaining games and losing ct-or
by winning about three-fif hs-finiSh the
season with 100 victories and IS defeats.
just enough to squeeze IN.
The chances are against rather than for
the Cubs winning three-fourths of their
remaining games, no better at least tnan
that the Giants will win "a out of n;
this, of course. with the reasonable pro-
viso that the present clip of he Giants
is below normal for them. The lead
of McGraW's me is pretty siz-
able one when 1t Is considered that
If the Giants We're to win only one
half of their remaining games and the
Cubs two-thirds the former would be only
one game behind at the finish. The hg-
ures in this event would be 30 wins ana
% losses for the Giants and 100 wins and
"a losses for the Cubs. Therefore. should
come the Giants would have to win only
two more than half of theirs to beat the
Bruins.
Suppose the Giants win two-thirds OF
would have to win slightly more than
flve-siXths of theirs. By winning hVe-
sixths the Cubs would have 100 victories
and 40 defeats; winning slightly over
two-thirds, the Giants would have ITO
victories and ~ defeats. The Giants
haven't won two-thirds of their total
games to date. but We're going at better
than that ratio up to the time they
slumped. True. several of their oppo-
nents were not then in their real form,
but the Giants were playing strong
game. nevertheless. one more representa-
tive of their real ability than what they
have been doing recently.
AS to the troublesome part OF the
schedule that lies ahead. it is practically
an even thing between the Giants and
Cubs. The schedule looks to be about
equally hard, or the reverse, for them.
The coming games of each are about
equally apportioned among the other
clubs. The Giants have seven more with
Chicago. eight more with Pittsburgh. five
more with Cincinnati. nine more with
st. Louis, ten more with Philadelphia.
seven more with Brooklyn, eight more
with Boston: the Cubs have seven more
with New York, seven more with Pitts
burgh, nine more with Cincinnati. seven
more with ST. Louis. eight more with
Philadelphia. five more with Brooklyn,
ten more with Boston. New York, Pitts