Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-09

n HN LINN NOV, S.-Wnere
would the Giants finish if they
were in the American
League?
Answer-They would be lucky to
finish in the first division. Perhaps
the correct guess would be sixth
place.
The Athletics showed such over
whelming superiority over them that
1t is certainty McGraw's National
League champions are not even In
the class with Washington and Cleve-
land, of the American, and the Red
SoX and White Sox are so little be-
hind those two that 1t is difficult TO
see how the Giants could defeat
them, either in a short series or in a
full seasons schedule.
This looks rather rough on the Ma
tional League, but a little unbiased
and careful thought on the subject
VIII convince any close follower OF
the pennant races of its truth. The
main percentage in favor of the
American League just now is the su-
periority of the younger circuit in
the two principal fundamentals-bat
ting and pitching. Joe Tinker re-
marked back in August, after he hal
found opportunities on a few days off
to take peek at games of the Amer
lean Leaguers, that the pitchers In
the Johnsonian circuit, taken as IA
body, are fully 25 per cent stronger
than those of the National League
and he is National Lacquer. He
made this observation after sitting in
the stands behind the catcher AMI
basing his augment not on the amount
of batting done, but on the stuff the
twirlers put on the ball.
Also the p. L.
Frank Chance said the same thing
in September. He opined that even
the tail-end Browns, with Hamilton,
Leverenz, Weilman, Baumgardner and
other youngsters, had hurting staff
stronger than any in the National
with the possible exception of the
Giants corps, and the Athletics found
the Giant pitchers easier than they
did those of the Browns, with the sin
gle exception of Christy Mathewson
Against the better pitching of their
circuit the American League batters
hit twenty points harder than did the
batters of the National League
against their weaker pitching.
Connie Mack expressed the opinion
In August that his pitching staff was
eXcelled by those of at least three
other teams in the American League.
If that is so-and Connie is a pretty
good judge In such things-where
would the Giants have been if they
had been up against Walter Johnson,
Joe Boehling and company, declared
by Mack to be the best in the Ameri-
can League? Clark Griffith, manager
of the WaShingtons, while the recent
massacre. of New York was in prog
ress, sighed: "Oh if only my team
had crack at these Giants! John
son could shut them out In the first
and third games, Boehling could do 1t
in the second, and Engel in the fourth.
1t would be the only Worlds Series in
history where the losers failed to get
a single run"
Griffith, of course, is stretching
point when he speaks of the Giants
or even If it were the Cardinals or
any other team-going through a
whole series without run, but It
would have been a slaughter, never
theless. And Falkenberg, Gregg and
the other Cleveland pitchers could
make the Giants eat crow almost as
Justify, to say nothing of how Joe
Wood, in condition, seconded by Be-
dent, could do it, Or bring Ed Walsh
back into shape and let him and Reb
Russell go it, alternating in the box.
Also, one could go still a step far
Their and ring in George Dauss and
Dubuc, of the sixth place Tigers,
against the Giants, letting Ty Cobb
and Sam Crawford bear the brunt of
the attack. They would stand pretty
close to an even chance with the