The Detroit times., 1912-10-08
Experts Have Reached Conclu-
sion, on Opening Day, That
-.-~~- ills a TOss-Up.
GIANTS CONFIDENCE OFF
- Z. SET BY SOX' GAMENESS
Otherwise the Teams Stack Up
About Evenly They
Think

"A -tAGW-- tOfths OCt' cs--iN "oo 81
(. orally regarded as case of shut
your eyes and take your choice
when the New York Giants and the
Boeton Red sox met this afternoon
/. 70. play the opening game OF the 1912
s Worlds Championship series.
Experts who had been Nsuring on
4 teams since IL became apparent
| weeks ago that they would night Tor
1.-the title. arrived at. the conclusion
! .finally. that only two points were LETT
Ion which. TO base. the selection OF a
.fAyQFite.. One. point OF vantage was
allotted 70 each team. The Giants
Z participation In last years worlds
Z series. The Red Sox were favored
because they outgamed the Giant
killing Athletics through long. hard
season Aside from these two points,
there was thought to be little choice,
! ths.two teams generally heing regard
7. ed as evenly matched.
s. Examination of the. two teams
through their records and through
scientific study failed to produce n
Dui1uCe III iuNOE Vi ciluCi. hc Ntohssl
according to averages. possessed
Superior hitting. -base-running anu
scoring -Hbiiity.- md the Rex Sox, ac-
-cording to averages, were stronger
a.ield. but the difference between the
two was In each instance hardly ap-
preciable. Boston fans, for instance,
contend, when Giant superiority In
batting average is mentioned that the
Red sox were up against better pitch
Ing than the Giants encountered. A
more satisfactory method of COM
parison was found in a close scrutiny
on the play or Individual members OF
efhc ~reafns. t''''' -"'.
Here again an even break resulted.
Carrigan, OF Boston, Ia usually rated
a better backstop than Big Chief
Meyers, but Cady.- who Invariably
catches when Smoky Joe Wood
works. is not valued as highly, "A bal
ance obtains there. Wood and Matty.
speed and skill, were thought to be
about evenly matched. Collins.
though not so brilliant as Marquard,
was regarded as more steady and re-
liable. Bedieiit, like Tesreau, spit
hall pitcher, was thought to be more
seasoneti- II not 50 fiashy as Big Jeff.-
Merkle and Doyle, at first and sec
sUnd, were conceded TO be as much
better than Stahl and Yerkes, as
Wagner and Gardner were reckoned
superior-to Fletcher. and Herzog. The
Boston infield as whole was thought
to possess greater defensive strength,
being steadier than the Giant four,
and the quartet being a more smooth
~ working machine. But the New
York infelders possess higher batting
averages Than theft Boston rivals.
Again. toss up.
AS for outfields. Boston was gener-
ally given the preference. Lewis, !
Speaker and--f4ooper form one. Of the
most wonderful fielding trios that has
ever played the game, according to
al critics. In addition they are a
good hitting bunch, Speaker especial;
~ being terrific sWatter. Opposed
20 them were TO be Murray, Snod-
grass and Becker.
Red John Murray, at times SEN
s6fionaf he1der and VICIOUS hitter, was
not to be heavily banked on because
OF his tendency TO be erratic. AT that
he stands head and shoulders above
Becker and Snodgrass. Man for man
and nd-as--A-eombination the Giant out
, <MElO8k8--IhAhh OciOsN -IhS LIEU QUA BaA
deners .-.-
ANY advantage that Boston might
have in actual playing strength was
thought to be counterbalanced by the
nnanagerial ability OF John McGraw,
the Giants boss. His genefafship has
always been OF a uniformly higher or.
der. and critics ranged him above
lake Stahl. However, Stahl. aided
and -abetted by McAleer,- was -rscog,
!. nifed-as-an able general and one -gho
would produce results.
. Summing II all up, the two teams
/. were regarded as about evenly match
cd as TO real, game-winning ability.
Critics compiled statistics and reck-
oned individual merit without reach
Z ing decision for either team. The
uuestion was an open one. md guess
Z work awaited nothing The whole
\ problem seemed to be one OF how the
, teams would act under FIRE. The
{. Giants, having been through one
(. worlds series. we're confident. The
/. ned sox, having defeated the team
|. that won the championship from the
Giants. were likewise confident.
Tomorrow's game will be played at
! Doston, the two teams spending the
A night In New York and travelling to
4 the Hub tomorrow morning. A big
\ reception awaits them. Fs.
X
n DuslDess-fiRe- Prinfing. No tuss ana