Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-01
STALL|NGS PICKS
NEW YORK TO WIN
Larry Lajoie Is Just as Conf
dent That Athletics Will
Triumph.
BOTH GIVE GOOD REASONS

Opinions of various experts as to
the probable outcome OF the world s
series next week in many cases are
guided by partisan feeling. National
League sympathizers and players
naturally predict that the Giants will
carry off the lions share of the hon
ors, while American Leaguers are
prone to believe that the Athletics
will win. Cold-blooded gamblers who
will bet on anything involving
chance are holding off until such
time as they may receive the very
latest inside Info" 1t is so hard
to discover well-posted baseball
man who isn't prejudiced that the
flood of opinions and forecasts is gen.
orally regarded as worthless. A per-
son who guardedly declares that the
series is toss-up receives credit Tor
playing the game from the top OF the
fence.
George Stallings, manager of the
Boston Nationals, is a keen judge OF
baseball. He is conversant with the
methods of Connie Mack and the
Athletics as well as with those of
John McGraw and the Giants. He
has no ak to grind and is believed
to be strictly impartial In his opin-
ion the Giants will beat the Athletics
for several reasons. McGraWs men
are faster on the bases and outclass
all the other National League teams
at the hit and run game. Stallings
believes that the Giants have the
stronger pitching staff, with Mathew
son, Marquard and Tesreau, sea-
soned veterans, and Demaree, phe-
nomenal newcomer. THESE poXmen
will minimize the batting of the Ath-
letics so that it will not excel that
of the Giants. Stallings also thinks
that the New York players will profit
by the experience of last year and
will not be overconfident.
Napoleon Lajoie, of the Clevelands,
on the other hand. figures that the
Athletics will outclass the Giants.
Laioie is not a talkative person,
neither does he lack in common sense.
He has played big league ball for
nearly eighteen years and is con-
servative Judge of baseball quality.
Lajoie when in New York last week
sized up the rival pennant winners IN
this way:
"The Athletics have six 300 hitters
and the Giants one. In 1911 Macks
men batted Matty and Marquard sue
cessfully. The Athletics are stronger
now than two years ago, and can
not figure where Matty and the RUDE
have improved. 1 batted against
Bender and Plank recently, and l
found them just as effective as ever.
I think Mack has something up his
sleeve in the pitching line. The
Giants may win, mind you, but
they've got to improve in batting at
least so. per cent. to do the trick"
One of Maclx's scouts who saw the
Giants shut out by Nap Rucker and
the Dodgers last Saturday, said after
the game:
"The Giants seem unable to hit
good pitching. They could do moth
ing much with Reulbach last Wednes-
day, and young Brown, BANKED them
for six innings without q hit Friday.
Both used great speed and a quick
curve ball. Rucker mixed EN- up in
great style Saturday. He slow-balled
the Giants to death. That was all.
"Pay no attention to stuff you hear
about how Bender and Plank have
gone back. They are ready to pitch
as well as ever. But don't forget
that we have other good pitchers
Shawlxey, Brown, Bush and Houck.
Look at the pitching records and
you'll see that Houck rates not far
behind Walter Johnson in winning
percentage, yet he is our poorest
pitcher. We are stronger than ever
before in batting, fielding and base
running. 1t wouldn't surprise us to
win four out of the first five games. =
McGraw has not bothered much
about sending scouts to inspect the
Athletics. 1t was reported yesterday
that Mathewson would run down to
Philadelphia the last of this week to
take peek at the Mackmen. There
was another rumor that Marquard
saw the Red Sox beat the Athletics
in Boston Saturday. McGraw has an
excellent idea of Mack's methods and
of the players who will hook up with
the Giants at the Polo Grounds Oc-
tober 7.