The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-10-09
MATHEWSON TOO
Much FOR MACKS
" Hooks Wiltse, Pitcher,
Playing First, Saves the
Game by Fielding.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

ton games the slender SOuthpaW mas ire
quently played the bag, but probably
never with any serious intention of be-
coming a first baseman, certainly not in
A game Of such Importance as this. Wiltse
is veritable Magician in handling a
hall He has long been accounted one
uf the greatest fielding pitchers in the
world. and can do curious little tricks
If juggling with a ball that has otter
entertained the crowds at the Polo
Grounds before a game.
In the second inning today, then. when
Snodgrass opened with a single and
toiled painfully to third on Mathewson' s
double McGraw suddenly decided to in
stall Wiltse. SnOdgrass was manifestly
too lame to go through the game,
''Hooks''-sO called because of the SHARP
break to his old curve-went to third to
run for Snodgrass, and after great
chance. for the Giants had been crushed
in that inning. he played first On his
right hand he wore his tattered pld
pitching glove. There are no mitts for 4
left-handed first basemun in the Giants
tool chest.
The oldest pitcher in point OF sery-
ice in his league, just as Mathewson Is
the oldest in the National League
Plank pitched with all the craft that
has made him one of the greatest left
handlers that ever wore cleated shoe,
but gradually the terrific strain told
on him. and gradually the cunning
faded from his hands. Toward the
close it was patent that Plank was
done.
In the last half of that momentous
ninth Amos Strunk hit the second pail
MathewsOn pitched TO him for single
across second. and a groan rose from
the Gotham rooters scattered through
the stands They feared that this was
the beginning Of the end. and that rear
became betting belief when Black
Jack Barry. the shOrt1elder OF me
Nackmen. hunted at Mathewson, ana
the Big Train" missed a lunge AT the
ball. Doyle ran up and recovered the
ball and chucked it over to Wiltse at
,frsr with an underhand movement.
The throw was wild: the ball passed
into a cluster OF uniformed policemen
with which the field was literally up
holStered
Strunk Ont ut Plate.
Strunk raced to third and Barry pulled
up AT second The stage was set for the
downfall of Mathewson. Jack Lapp came
TO bat.
1t was here that John ]. McGraw made
an apparently insignificant move that
won the day. Wiltse was playing close
TO first base when McGraw went out ard
Indicated spot closer in toward the
batter. where he told Wiltse to play
Th, next instant. Lapp smashed a
bouncer at Hooks" and by an as;onish-
inEly Iimber-limbed movement the old
southpaw whipped the ball back to Larry
Mclean the gareantuan catcher. who
lowered over the plate with his legs
straddled across the rubber.
Strunk pitched forward in a mighty
slide. but big Larry had him blocked on.
and Tommy Connolly, russy, ofticious.
complaining over the sdecisiOn-
Behave" said the American League
umpire, whose work behind the plate to-
day was pronounced as near perfect as
umpiring can be" You Were away out
1t is doubtful if a right-handed first
basemen could have made the play Wiltse
made. as he would have had to reverse
his position completely for the throw that
the willowly Wiltse made with a single
deft motion.
Meantime Barry had moved TO third,
and Plank was at bat. Here, it seemed.
Connie Mack. most astute of baseball
managers. made a mistake. Bone, they
call il among baseball men. Some told
that he made the error when he let Lapp
go to bat with only A long fly needed TO
win. let alone hit. and such men as
Harry Davis Danny Murphy, and Wallie
Schaug in reserve.
Rally Ends Quickly.
Most or the lean Comics self-appoint
ell critics admit. however. that Lapp had
a nance but Plank. never.
The great I'D side winder took a bal, |
and then rolled to Wiltse who again |
snapped the hall back to Mclean. shut |
ting Barry of from the plate. As Black !
Jack ran toward third. Mclean numbered |
heavily in pursuit. while Plank tore along i
toward second and Lapp moved TO third |
Mclean finally threw to HerzOg and |
Charley chased Barry hack toward the |
plat" again. eventually throwing 10 !
Marty. who tagged the shortfeIder out |
Un the haselinc. Mathewson pitched care |
fully 10 Eddie Murphy. an unknown bat !
ting quantity to him and the Baltimore |
hoy finally rolled to the pitcher for an |
easy out at first.
The end came with a crash in the |
tenth. Mclean. who got into the series |
because Of an accident to Chief Meyers. |
" hich will keep the great Indian out of |
tie balance Of the games. was the first |
man up. Meyers had finger nail torn
loose in Tuesday game, and yesterday
while pra CtiCing. the thumb on his right |
ndnd was shattered. That seemed to he
the climax to McGraw's troubles. but |
fortunately, he had in reserve the huge |
Mclean.
Mclean singled in the opening of the
tenth. Eddie Grant ran for Mclean
Wiltse hunted. the hall bounding high to |
Plank and serving a sacrifice that put |
Grant on second.
Then came Mathewson. round after |
round OF applause rolling in his wake as |
he shambled up to the plate. He is not |
an imposing batting figure at best but |
pitchers will tell you he is mo sucker" |
and he was mo sucker in this instance |
He raped a single to center, between |
Murphy and Strunk, and Eddie Grant |
raced in from second with first run |
in ten innings. To all intents and pur-
poses the game was over then.
Herzog rolled to Collins. who threw to |
Barry. covering second I'm an effort to |
get Mathewson as Big Six ran for the |
bag The throw almost hit Mathewson |
who ducked to avoid the ball, and in |
ducking so contrived as TO partially OBJ |
scure Barry's vision. The ball went out
into the field and Matty went on TO
third, while Herzog took second.
The collapse of Plank vas now COM
plete. Awkwardly he hit Doyle with a |
pitched ball, filling the bases. The old
southpaw dropped his glove to the ground
and started. to tighten his belt
Behind him Herzog was chattering
that shTill monotone that ever fills the
air when the little Marylander is in
the game. grim silence had settled
over the Athletics infield, not very
talkative at any time.
Fletcher. hitting with a chODDy