Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-18
THERE IS A HOODOO HANGING
AROUND THE BENGALS' CAMP
1t Seems Impossible for the League Leaders to Win
2 the First Game of a Series from Any
of the Opposing Clubs.
dRAYs SWAT BARoERs OFFERINGS ALL OVER THE LOT

Science dispells Superstition and
tears away the veil which enshrouds
Mystery, but local fans, enlightened
though they are are beginning to be-
neve a certain hoodoo prevents the
Tigers. from winning the first game
of a series from any team in the
league. Science has an explanation;
1t may be a fiimsy one but 1t is the
only point which can adequately cover
up, to a certain extent. the failure
of the Newark International leaguers.
to win the first game of set.
Three times in row have the Ben
gals been beaten in that opening
game of a series. For the last two
defeats there are two good reasons
In the case of Baltimore, Jack Dunn
sprung an infieid that was practically
new and it took one day for the
Tigers, who are the most adept ag-
gregation in the league at placing
their hits, to find the, openings in
the Dunnites' first defense. They
finally measured the proper spot In
the last game and that hitting fusil-
lade against Roth and Walker in
which nine bingles were registered
In one round will not be forgotten
In a hurry.
Five of those nine hits were shot
through the box to the left of second
base. Neal Ball had been such bug
aboo at going to his right that the
Tigers did their best to pull the ball
just out of his reach and they sue
ceeded. Neal is just as good at go
ing to his left to break up hit and
run plays that is the reason the
Tigers were shut out on Sunday. They
may not have won the game for
Aitchison was hit rather hard, but
there is an explanation forthcoming
for that, too. Neal Ball was the boy
who did the smuggling and as it was
the first time he faced the Tigers
pitching staff they were net wise to
his weak points. The following day
Bell discovered his likes and dislikes
and Ball was no longer a terror.
-
Bill Donovan came to Newark yes
terday with a new set of first de-
Tense workers, to replace the old lin
side out" combination he had the
last time the Diggers hit these dig
gings. Young Ollie O'Mara, a pep
perry young shortstop, who does a
lot of talking, governed the district
between second and third bases.
Mr.. Pipp, whose architecture might
have been composed by the same ar
fist who laid out the plans for the
Singer building, grabbed them off at
first base. Deal and Eddie Onslow
, were conspicuous for their absence
and Paddy Bauman, who used to con-
tribute a couple of wild throws every
day to balance his diurnal pair of
extra base wallops, was also absent.
&he Tigers had to pick out new
vulnerable point in the defense OF
; the Grays. Ed. LATTE was primarily
. responsible for their failure, because
ne kept the Bengals hitting up in the
! air. Most any kind of Class IA
; ball player can get under and clutch
/ those easy little pop-ups, such as
the Bengals elevated yesterday.
Hence the Tigers had no real oppor-
tunity to sound the depths of the new
Providence first defense. Ollie OMara
displayed that he has sharp whip, by
his cannon-ball throwing to first
base and he handled eight chances at
shortstop, but most of them were
easy. At the bat was where he did
the most damage, however, for he
reached first base four times, twice
on hits and twice on passes. 1t is up
to the Tiger staff to diagnose his
weakest point and to act at once,
80
Anyone who has any doubts about
the inside stuff playing prominent
part in the Tigers victory should
get a special permit from Charles
III. Ebbets, and have 1t signed by
President Edward G. Barrow, Harry
Smith, George L. Solomon, Larry
Sutton and Groundkeeper Kennedy
and Trainer "Hap'' Campbell. Such
passport with all of these sigma
lures might admit a fan to the club
house, where the Tigers make up
for the daily performance before the
game. 1t is harder to get within the
sacred precincts of that place this
season than it would be for the Gear
of Russia to preside at a Nihiist
meeting and get away with his life.
Were a layman by some rare chance
to obtain admission into the Newark
clubhouse before game he might
learn some things about baseball and
the exactness with which campaign
Is formed before a game that would
make his optics dilate with wonder
into two large saucers. 1t is the
custom before a series for every one
of the Tigers to talk over the weak
nesses of the opponent for the day,
to discuss the breaks in the game
the day previous and to figure out
what a certain pitcher who is to face
them that day has and what he has
not got. Every man in the game
has a chance sometime or other to
pick up some valuable little pointer
which his teammates might have
skipped or missed, perhaps about
certain players move in getting away
from first base, a pitchers twist IN