Evening journal., 1912-10-09
dope" IS FOR BOTH TO
PITCH BETTER BALL

by lne united Press.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.
BOSTON. oct 9.-"It's up to the
Main Hinge Of the Old Master after
ALL For the first time in Man
hattan's 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 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
y to his aid and yanked him safely
out of trouble. His next start must
call for increased steadiness or al
most sure trouble If the Giant pitch
ing staff 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 il
a gray-white streak by Crandall's bal
and thudded into Cady's mitt.
Yet both teams have lost any grea
fear and both are more confident thar
lthey were at the start. Boston hat
carried this confidence all the tim,
and sees no reason to change hei
mood. And New York sees in tn,
RedHosed legion team below tn
slashing power and general resource
fulness of the Mackian guard-th'
Benders, the Bakers and the othe
home run makers of a year ago.
Yet the edge is with Boston to thil
extent: That first game counts ant
while Tesreau is almost sure to pitcl
better ball, so is Joe Wood.
Boston's confidence has bounde
forward because her clan has upse
and beaten Tesreau, the Terrible
the mammoth her people have feare'
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
J which broke up each impending rally
5 And the Giants feel more confiden
in defeat than they felt last year. be
cause they not only see in Boston
r less powerful club than the Mackiai
e machine, but they have found ais
they can hit the matchless Wood, VIII
d with all his brilliancy lacks tn
0 cool, calculating poise Of Bender
e Plank and Coombs.
This trio was inhuman, but Woo
o has shown that while game and flash
= his system Is composed of a networ
o of nerves likely TO become tangle
i at any stage. His daring specialt
; yesterday consisted in leaping blithC
y ly from hole to hole and from grott
e to grott Smokey Joe had the nerve
d but the nerves as we'll. He had th
e courage and the stuff, but a woefl
lack of steadiness. He struck OF
+ eleven, but they earned three run
e from his pitching-and three runs
e a worlds series fray is general
It enough.
It Boston won the opener because h
g clan had the punch-the punch in Il
=. pinch-the punch at bat and in Il
g box. When the showdown arrive
II she had somebody there with a kiC
e amassed in either restless hoof.
4. was either Wood or Speaker or Hoo
h er, or Yerkes.
ie New York carried more brilliai
e. fiashes--both in pitching and in ba
'e ting-but in neither could the Clan
is run out their string.
, Always at the big spot they fe
short by the margin of an eyelas
when an eyelash would have yank'
them safely through. Tesreau h;
o but one more man to handle in Il
i fatal seventh with two out-but
l. couldn't handle him. New York nee
t ed one more hit in the rallying min
but the hit never came. Boston HI
?: an opening-and that was enoug
/; New York had three and three we
/; not enough. And there, gentle rea
;; er, you are. Boston had danced
t; the old time melody: Il Want VIII
S, ] Want When I Want t." What
even more to the point, she got il.