The San Francisco call., 1913-09-03


should be as good as Plank in the
coming series, and probably better.
Marquard was still developing In 1911.
Plank had long since reached his
baseball zenith
The Athletics burden Of pitching
has ben borne by two veterans all
through this race, Plank and Bender.
Therefore Bender is naturally the
next man to be considered In these
comparisons, and opposite him In the
worlds series /. myself, am likely to
work
| Both the "Chief" and / are getting
old We have each appeared In three
worlds series already, and we have
both always been students of the
game The Indian has little the ad-
vantage of me In age and service in
the big leagues. I joined the Giants
In 1900, but did little pitching before
1901. His first season with the Ath-
letics was in 1904, in which year he
did great work until he became ham
dicapped by i'll health and was forced
to undergo an operation for appendi-
citis. Bender is 80 years old. and I
am 33.
The Indian combines all the quail
ties which go to produce a good
pitcher. He has the natural stuff" !"
very stiff upper lip. never having
been known to wilt under fire. and the
native Indian sagacity that has led
him to make a careful study of base
ball and batters. He Is wonderful
pitcher, and, with the possible excepv
tion of Mordecai Brown OF the old
Cubs at his prime, the best I have
ever worked against. His nerve Is
of finely cast steel. So much faith has
Connie, Mack in the Indian that he
has frequently said:
IF I was managing a club which
needed just one game to take cham
pionship or a worlds series. I would
rather send Bender to the box than
any pitcher I ever knew.
1t IS the pitcher who can be de-
pended upon to take one game when
1t is needed that is the most valuable
70 a team. Walter Johnson OF the
Washington club is of this type and,
IL the Senators should ever get into
a worlds series. he would probably
be the most dangerous pitcher In the
country in such a set of games Ho
could work I'm four contests because
he Is just at the top Of his career
now, and would be even more danger
GUS IMAM bcndcI, SkHtC tHC OAiACA
must have his rest now, just as l
need mine after pitching.
When Connie" Mack said that,
with all depending on one game, he
would work Bender. he meant such
contest as the Cubs and Giants played
following the season of 1908, when
the schedule ended with those two
teams. tied and the championship
hanging on that one battle.
The Giants had battle very SINH
lar to that one last fall. when the
final game of the worlds champion
ship was played against the Boston
Red Sox with the contenders tied at
three victories apiece. ! started both
those games and won neither. How
ever to pitch In such contest Is an
opportunity which few twirlers get.
and / am proud to think McGraw had
the confidence In me to give me those
two assignments.
After that worlds series game last
fall I said that 1t was an opportunity
which came to a pitcher only once
In lifetime. and that, II such situa-
ton developed again. 1t was unlikely
that McGraw would use me. as am
getting along in years If Mack
faced such q situation he would un-
doubtedly start Bender. Let US see
what makes this Indian the great
pitcher he Is
In the first place. Bender has q
world of speed. which Is wonderful
asset for man to retain who has
been in the game as long as he has
He carries more speed now than do.
and he uses his smoke" to good ad-
vantage Bender is wise man. and
probably this IS the reason he has