The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-09-17
FEAR "SPITBALL"
Red SOx Can't Do Much With
the Moist GIObuIe.
Tesreau Most Dreaded by the
American League Leaders.
BOSTON HAS FIVE PITCHERS
New York Not Safe Against
Any of Them.
No Boston Panic Over Matty
and Vanguard.

New York. Sept 17.=Discussing
the relative chances of the Giants and
the Red Sox in the coming world s
series, local baseball expert says:
New York is set upon a worlds
championship for this occasion. 1t
feels the disgrace attached to last
falls sorry showing against the
worlds champion Athletics. Besides
this, McGraw needs the honor for adj
Vertising purposes. He is taking the
Giants and picked team from the
National League on a tour of the
world this winter. You may imagine
how dearly the Giants will sell their
lives for the added prestige of that
magic title. 1t is incentive enough
TO make New York fight to the last
ditch, even if the lions share of the
spoils did not go to the victorious
team. Furthermore, this is year OF
years, for upon it devolves the pres
tige of the rival major leagues. This
is the rubber of worlds champion
ships. Each league has now four titles
to its credit, and upon this falls re-
suit hinges great deal of civic pride
among the fraternity.
Thinks Red SOx the Better.
IF the Giants and Red SoX meet
and both are in the same sort of con-
dition that nabIed them to make such
brilliant seasons records, the worlds
series is bound to be worth while.
Personally I think the Red Sox the
better of the two teams. To my mind
they have proved as much by going
through the whole season without one
serious slump. l think that in a long
race like a seasons championship of
154 games the Giants would suffer
greatly by comparison. But a worlds
championship series and a 154-game
series are different propositions.
'Usually-other things being at all
equal-this short dash puts it right up
TO the batteries. More than ever will
battery strength figure in this falls
big series. Outside the points the
teams shape up as of about equal
strength. The Red Sox lay it all over
the Giants in the matter of outfieId
strength Boston boasts the greatest
garden trio of the game. But, New
York fully equalizes this in the in
field. McGraw has an exceptionally
classy inner field; Boston's first line
third, is the best of the lot, and there
are three or more third basemen in
his own company that are ranked
higher than the Boston man.
Make 1t Up by Hitting.
But the infield four of the Speed
Boys cover a multitude of sins by
heavy stick work. Every one of them
is a slugger. Heine Wagner is almost
as much of terror as his illustrious
namesake of the Pirates. Jake Stahl
is a fence buster In defensive speed
and skill New York's infield undoubt-
edly lays it all over BOston's infieId
However, the Hubs superior hitting
power and the outfield advantages
make it just a toss up.
Its pretty near n questi on of pitcn-
ing, then. Both teams have wonderful
catchers. Meyers, McGraw's classy In
dian backstop, has nothing en- CARR
gan, except perhaps a shade in hitting
ability. 1t is his superior strength in
the box that should give StahI a Shade
advantage at the start He has five
rafting good tossers, any one Of whom
is likely to make McGraw's best step TO
the limit-Joe Wood, Bedient Hall
O'Brien and Collins. Wood Is one of
the most wonderful pitchers of the age.
He is a speed marvel of The Walter
Johnson type. Bedient is another fast
ball pitcher, and a dandy, tao. Hall is
a good curve ball manipulation 'Bucky'
O'Brien, just rounding into effective
ness for the first time this season, is
one of the greatest spitbau fingers in
the big league Ray Collins is south
paw and a crackerjack. too.
New York Has Big Job.
New York will have the -1ne of its
life beating any one of these five pitch
ers unless the Giant tossers fling shut
out ball New York has never seen
such speed as Wood Will show. O Brien
is better spitball tosser than Hen
dirk of the Pirates. Collins is the best
left-hander in the American League.
Against this brilliant array of box
talent the Giants will have to stack
MatheWson, Marquard ana Tesreau.
And of the three, Tesreau looms up as
the great hope Strangely enOugh, the
Red Sox fear this green, inexperienced
tosser more than they fear Matty or
the RUDE. Tesreau is big enough to
work every other day if necessary, and
he has just the kind of spitball that
the Red Sox do not relish
SpitbaH SOx Weakness.
In fact, Boston murders most any
thing but the spitball. The Hub team
looks forward with pleasure to meet |
ing with Mathewson. In 1909 the
speed boys half massacred Big Six
when he was at the height of has
glory. They now figure nl7c an old |
man compared to those days. OF Mar
guard the Hub has no fear. The fall
lacy that Boston Americans prove a |
cinch for left-handers has been ex-
ploded. The lineup embraces just two |
left-handed SWEATERS, and one of these, |