Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-30
SLAB POWER
SHOULD WIN
FOR CLAN I s
Cut Loose From "Past Perform
ance" Dope, McGraw's Clan
Has Best Chance.
By 0. B. Keller.

By o. B. Keller.
THE most artistic and popular
plan of committing yourself on
the Worlds Series is to frog up
a prediction that will let you in.
either way, after the dust has settled.
THE Giants will win
"The Athletics will win"
If there is any Writing Guy with
the hardihood to come out on his
two Flat Feet and say either one
of those things, we haven't lamped
him yet.
There always is an "if' or other
joker concealed somewhere about the
premises
LERE are some of the 'ifs."
II If Doyle gets back in the
game
If schang stands up under fire.
If this is Murray's time to hit
If Bender hasn't gone back.
II Matty is as good as he was.
If Plank gets enough rest.
If Marquard's collar is big enough
for him.
If Shawkey comes through.
II Snodgrass uses 1y~paper on his
glove.
If the weather is dark, or clear or
rainy, or cold. or hot, or anything
else.
7 ETS see-who had the ball?
II Oh, yes-we had got as far as
to say that either the Giants or the
Athletics would win the Worlds Sc
ries.
That much appears fairly certain.
DON'T No PIT will be a matter of
pitchers, as any short series for
a big stake always has been and al
ways will be.
Point No. 3-Past performance
while it supplies the only FACTS
that can be used in the controversy,
has nothing whatever to do with the
series beginning October 7.
Point No 3-A-Which means that
what Bender did to the Cubs and
the Giants in 1910 and 1911, or what
the Giants didn't do to Joe Wood or
Jack Coombs or Hugh Bedient in the
same years. won't win or lose any
games next week.
Point No. $50 II is purely a mat
ter of PRESENT ABILITY. PRES
ENT CONDITION. and PRESENT
CLASS.
IRON this distance. and with only
cold type to look at, the Giants
appear to be better fixed in the mat
ter of pitchers
From which perhaps faulty angle,
and on which possibly fallacious de-
duction. our money Off any goes on
the Giants.
And no ifs" about it, just for a
change.
list lining it up, by way of reas-
J surance, we have the opposing
slabbists listed this way:
Mathewson Bender
Marquard Plank
Tesreau Houck
Demaree Shawkey
AND now an If" that really isn't
a an If"
If we had written "Coombs" in
place of Houck, that little list would
have been preceded by a vastly diff
ferent lead.
The whole viewpoint would have
been changed
The lead then would have read
something like this:
THE best way to settle on a choice
for winner in the big series is to
flip up a quarter. If you haven't one,
and can't borrow it. use something
else"
THAT'S Just how much difference
the. absence of the Iron Man
makes, in our humble opinion.
Now. Mr.. Houck NAV arise and
smite that said Humble Opinion fair
ly on the bugle and mash every YES
tige Of toot out of the same. That
is quite possible. in baseball That's
what makes baseball a Grand Old
Game.
But the thing is this:
No living human person. or dope
ster, or statistician. can say what
form the opposing pitchers will show
in the coming series.
And past performance (once more)
DOES NOT COUNT, except in the
line of rated ability.
w hat about the fielding?
w The Athletics have the sea-
sons edge and the biggest reputation
So did the Cubs over the White SoI
in 1906.
What about the hitting?
The Athletics have the seasons
margin. and the biggest reputation.
So did the Cubs. in 1906.
And besides
The Athletics did not compile their
lofty averages, batting against Math-
eWson, Marquard, Tesreau and Dema-
rec IN A WORLDS SERIES OF
THIS YEAR.
D AKER made a couple OF home runs
II in a worlds series against Mat
ty and Marquard.
That was in 1911, however
Marquard wobbled and his collar
grew tight in worlds series with
the Athletics
That was in 1911
The Athletics hit Mattv and Mar
guard and Ames and Wiltse and
Crandall harder than the Giants hit
Coombs and Bender and Plank in
worlds series.
That was in 1911. And Coombs is
gone. And Tesreau and Demaree
have CONG
Ii ARD hitting-weak hitting; isn't