Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-30

What do the Giants need to hold them
at the head Of the National League race
during the campaign of 1918? What re-
Inducements must be enlisted by McGraw
to block of ambitious aspirants. keep his
team In first position till the finish, and fit
them to reverse the hard-luck series so
lately won by. Boston? Is the team, as
now made up. sufficiently strong, or must
Jonn j. rebuild 1t as he had to rebuild the
champions of 1905? says w. A. Phelan.
1t Is now conceded by even the most
jealous OF Johns rivals that his leader
snip. his ideas. his methods are equal
10 naIf dozen strong players in actual
value. He can take almost any sort of
material. weld 1t into a good, aggressive
machine and make 1t win There are
several managers in the two big leagues
who with Johns material, would have
finished down in the sawdust, and there
are several teams that, with John to lead
them would have been up where the
Giants were. Such being the case, it is
probably well for the game that John
can't get much strengthening for his BAN
ditti. Give him a top-notch club, with his
style OF governing. and what would be
the use OF a schedule?
McGraw's Success.
The secret of McGraw's success for
the past two years Is speeds forcing
the animals to go round the ring at a
terrific gait. Other managers seem to
figure slowly, to nurse their men along,
to avoid daring. risky plays. McGraw
figures that a ball game only lasts two
hours and his animals have twenty-five
hours for recuperation. He believes that
in pastime which lasts but two hours
per day rush and hurry outclass DELHI
GRAFTON and conservatism. If g. ball game
lasted six hours Johns men would sink
below the surface and never come up
again. In two hours they can usually
get the hop. as it were. and go SO far
ahead that they can't be overtaken.
Their Style of Play.
McGraws men play nothing on earth
but the old Baltimore game Of 1894.
That's all. Try to hit 'em where they
amt. and keep moving. That's it. Keep
moving. II your runner is slow. or the
hostile catcher Is famous for his throw
ing, lay down a bunt or try the hit and
run to help the man along. If your
runner is fast, can get away to a good
start. and is we'll down the line before
the pitch arrives. leave it alone-let him
steal New York stole more bases than
any other team this season. New York,
though with lower batting average
than one or two other teams, scored
more runs than anybody else. Those
runs. therefore. were developed from
those extra stolen bases. Baltimore ball,
that's all. and keep a-moving!
The attack Of McGraw's team needs no
further teaching. It's been thoroughly
learned, and all McGraw has to do is to
keep it going and see that 1t is not al
lowed to slacken. Where John J. must
fortify is in the defense. New York
fielded wretchedly all season. the errors
being overcome by the fierce attack and
the stolen bases. In the short series with
Boston. where every error counted the
misplays ruined everything and gave the
final victory to a team which was out
classed in the attack, outclassed with the
bat and shown up in base running. Field
ing must be looked after as We'll as bat
ting. and the fielding Of McGraw's team
is the one weak point in the armor. But
how can McGraw improve the fielding of
men who have played long enough to
strike a regular gait, above which they
can hardly go?
The pitching staff is decried by some
New York pessimists as short-handed and