Evening journal., 1912-10-09
dope" IS FOR BOTH TO
PITCH BETTER BALL
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BY GRANTLAND RICE.
BOSTON. Oct 9.-"It'e up to the
Main Hinge Of the Old Master after
all. For the first time in Man
hattans post season history. Mathew
son adorned the Giant bench instead
of the Giant firing line. For the first
time in Manhattan's post season the
Giants lost the Jump game -Four
times before the Big Gun had blazed
the trail for a Giant start. But yes
terday he looked on and today he will
Try 20 retrieve what a younger gen
GRAFTON tossed aside. When the gods
go, the half-gods arrive slowly. They
may blaze in glory for half the dis
tance, but the trail runs from start
to finish and there is no resting place
by the roadside for those who would
finish wearing the laurel
The Grand Old Dope slipped through
by an eyelash at the start. Joe Wood
pitched and Boston won. But Smokey
Joe through a game exhibition was
doomed until his pals rushed sudden
| ly to his aid and yanked him safely
out of trouble. His next start must
call for increased steadiness or all
most sure trouble if the Giant pitch
ing star sticks to form.
There's a queer kink in the dope
today-and here it is. In that hectic
opener both clubs fought to an eye
lash finish. neck and neck, beak and
beak until Woods last shot hurtled in
a gray-white streak by Crandall's bat
and thudded into Cady's mitt
Yet both teams have lost any great
fear and both are more confident than
they were at the start. Boston has
carried this confidence all the time
and sees no reason to change heI
mood. And New York sees in the
Red-Hosed legion a team below thu
slashing power and general resource
fulness of the Mackian guard-tfe
Benders. the Bakers and the Other
home run makers of year ago.
Yet the edge is with Boston to this
extent: That first game counts anc
while Tesreau is almost sure to pitch
better ball, so is Joe Wood.
Boston's confidence has bounde,
forward because her clan has upse
anu UNdAtN ItEltdus Aut
the mammoth her people have feared
above all other Giants. This and tn,
fact that New York showed again al
attack that always fell short-vita
weakness in her batting machine
which broke up each impending rally
And the Giants feel more confiden
in defeat than they felt last year, be
cause they not only see in Boston
less powerful club than the MackiaI
machine. but they have found ais,
they can hit the matchless Wood, WHIT
with all his brilliancy, lacks the
cool. calculating poise of Bender
Plank and Coombs
This trio was inhuman, but Woo
has shown that while game and fash.
his system is composed of a networl
} of nerves likely TO become tangled
lat any stage. His daring specialt.
= yesterday consisted in leaping blithe
I ~ from hole to hole and from grottl
to grott. Smokey Joe had the nerve
but the nerves as we'll. He had tn
! courage and the stun. but a woefu
lack of steadiness. He struck ou
eleven, but they earned three run
, from his pitching-and three runs il
a worlds series fray is general
enough.
Boston won the opener because he
clan had the punch-the punch in tn
pinch-the punch at bat and in th
, box. When the showdown arrived
: she had somebody there with a kic
; amassed in either restless hoof.
D.. was either Wood or Speaker or Hoor
/ er. or Yerkes.
: New York carried more brillian
fiashes--both i'm pitching and in bat
: ting-but in neither could the Giant
; run out their string.
Always at the big spot they fe
short by the margin Of an eyelas
when an eyelash would have yanke
them safely through. Tesreau ha
, but one more man to handle in tn
> fatal seventh with two out--but h
couldn't handle him. New York neeC
: ed one more hit in the rallying mint
but the hit never came. Boston ha
an opening-and that was enougl
New York had three and three wei
not enough. And there, gentle reaS
err you are. Boston had danced
the old time melody: 81 Want VIII;
, ! ] Want When | Want It." What
even more to the point, she got IT,.