The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-05-08
MArHEWsoN DESCRIBES THE
NATIONAL LEAGUE AS IN
TURBULENT STATE.
Giants Not Hitting and Pittsburgh
Minus wa9ner.-6Is League
Gossip.
BY cHRisTY mATHEwSoN, Of the
New York Giants

copyright. 1918. bv the Mcclure News
paper S~yndicateD
NEW YORK. May THE Nat.
ional League ace AT present is
in a turbulent stat, The Giants and
Pirates. who were rated 10 be The
two contenders before the season
opened. are not doing very much con-
club Is not hitting. and the Pittsburgh
club IL minus Wagner.
Two teams To which little attention
was paid ut the beginning Of the race
arc making the pace. and will cause
a lot of trouble before the pennant -
won. These two are Chicago and
Philadelphia. hut ! look to see them
both crack. The cubs lack the pitch
ing stan. and the Phillics have the
pitching stan. hut not the latent
strength. Philadelphia to my mind,
haS better chance of holding up than
Chicago.
The Quakers look more formidable
this year than they nave for several
seasons. Three star pitchers will
keep them %strinGing along In the race
for most or the distance. The infield
Is good. bat not a brilliant one. The
outfieid has one great hitter. Sher-
wood MaGee. and the other two men
arc just fair. But Alexander. Seaton
and chalmers are fine pitchers.
There should be- some changes in
the present standing beginning this
week. and the teams viii s~traighten
out into something Ike the order that
will mark the finish within a month.
When the western clubs battle with
the fasteners that Is always a test.
Now that the disastrous series with
Philadelphia Is of the Giants sche-
dule. | hope the Quakers will maintain
the form displayed by them against Us
NNnst1 sIaH ~ 80 NH.sha nFA lnNWnFnE
The East and West are better bal
anced for strength this season than
has been the case for years. II any
thing. the East has Il slight edge in
the National. II has a distinct one
in the American league. 4 few years
ago, IL was all the other way
Best In the West.
The two best National league teams
in the West are the Pittsburgh and
Chicago clubs. as usual. even though
the Pirates have heen performing bad
~ so far. 81. Louis has jumped away
20 a good start. but y is nv nci'on
the team is going 10 encounter a hope
crusher when # digs into the East
Cincinnati - still d very uncertain
ball club. with Joe" Tinker doing his
best 10 put an edge on his team.
Whether he viii accomplish this or
improved slightly The past week,
winning a couple more games and be
ing crowded nv Boston for last place.
Pittsburgh has the natural robustness
and is bound to come through later in
the season. Whether the club will
brace on this impending eastern trip
or not Is doubtful. The team did
much better on the road last season
for the most part than AT home Clarke
has an excellent pitching stan which
has so far failed 10 get going.
All the eastern teams In he Ma
tional league are stronger this year
than last. Judging from the showing
&c date. Philadelphia. as ! have said.
Is an improved ball club None knows
II better than the Giants. Brooklyn
has mounted to the first division and
will give the westerners a good battle.
Boston Is about the same. perhaps a
trifle better. The Giants are not go
Ing at n normal stride vet. the club
being particularly weak with the