The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-03
G|ANTSPOSSESS
ONE ADVANTAGE
OVER ATHLETICS
NATIONAL LEAGUE REMNANT
WINNERS HAVE A MUCH
STRONGER PITCHING STAFF
THAN THEIR OPPONENTS.
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS.

ID ASSOC1A Ell NESS
New York. Oct. 2.-When the New
York and Philadelphia clubs open the
series for the worlds baseball cham
ptonship at the Polo Grounds in this
city on October Z the Giants will have
| at least one advantage which only the
| heaviest kind of stickwork viii: over
come. Compared player for player
the winners of the National league
pennant appear to be stronger in the
pitching department than the Ath-
! letics. Two years ago. when Connie
Mack's clan defeated McGraw's team
four games TO two in the battle for
the 1911 title, conditions in this re-
spect were reversed. Now the mar
gin of strength so far as boxmen is
concerned is on past performances
with the Giants.
The doughty leader of the National
league Representatives in the coming
series has In Marquard, Mathewson,
Tesreau, Demaree. Fromme, Cranda1l
and Wiltse a group of twirlers who
should prove more effective against
the Athletics than Bender, Plank,
Shawkey, Brown, Bush and Houck
against the Giants. Such might not
OC the case was SOn1llS hdCh
ing staff augmented by the presence
of Coombs The big Maine hurier Is
considered to be out of the series.
however, due to early season illness
and a more recently strained back.
The trio of mainstays for the Giants
will undoubtedly be Mathewson, Mar
guard and Tesreau, with Demaree,
F'romme and CrandalI second string
twiriers. For the Athletics Bender
Plank and Shawkey will ha.re first call,
while Brown, Bush and Houck will be
reserve pitchers.
Vanguard to Front
Mathewson. who is one of the great
est money pitchers of baseball. will
have to divide honors with Marquard
this year in all probability. While his
head and hand still maintain the skill
and cunning of yesteryear, his arm
cannot stand the strain as 1t did
few seasons ago. Marquard will have
to bear a larger share of the burden
than he did in 1911. The same is true
of Bender and Plank in the Athletic
line up, for Shawkey is an unknown
quantity in worlds series play. Tes-
reau and Demaree. on the other hand
have had considerably more big
league experience, and the former was
a factor in the worlds series play of
1912 when the Giants gave the Boston
Red Sox such a hard struggle for hon
ors. Crandall is not likely to get into
the series except as relief pitcher
or pinch hitter, and Brown, Bush and |
Houck are uncertain propositions. |
They are just as likely to win, if Mack
starts any one of the trio, as to blow |
up completely.
Mathewson opposed Bender in the |
first game of the 1911 series which the |
Ill ~rrvn
hits against the Indians five. Plank |
and Marquard we're the second pair |
and while the Athletics won to l. |
they got but four hits off RUDE in |
seven innings. Plank allowed I'VE for |
the full nine innings. Mathewson |
faced Coom5s in the third game, los |
ing to 2. in eleven innings. The
Mackrnen gathered in nine hits to the |
Giants three. Matty tried to come
back in the fourth game but was re-
lieved by Wiitse in the seventh in |
ming after giving ten hits. Bender
twirled the entire game for the Amer
lean leaguers and won, to 2, allow
ing but hits. Coonnbs and Marquard
opened the fifth game, which New
York won. to 8, in the tenth inning.
Marquard was driven from the box in
the third inning and Ames took his
place and Ames was followed by Gran |
dali in the seventh. Coombs allowed
eight hits in nine innings and gave
way to Plank when the Giants ueo
the score. Plank was charged with /
the hit that lost the game. In the hnaI
contest Bender held the Giants to four
hits and two runs while the Athlet1cs
batted Ames, Wiltse and Marquard TOT
thirteen hits and a like number OF
runs.
It is reasonable TO suppose that
neither Bender, Plank nor Mathewson't
will be as effective against the bats
men as they were two years ago. mar
guard, as result of his addtlonal
experience and knowledge, should De-
on paper at least. better than in 1911.
but the fact remains that the lanky
left-hander is not pitching the brand
of ball he did in 1912. Tesreau, how
ever, has proved big help and Dem
aree has developed pitcher who can |
hold his own in fast company Connie
Macks youngsters, Shawkey and
Brown, have also been coming strong
and the latter has divided the heavi- /
est part of the boxwork with Bender |
pitching but one game less and having |
an average some fifty points below /
that of the veteran. If surprises de- |
velop in the coming series II is quite /
likely to be in the twirling department
and it is possible that Demaree, Tes-
reau. Shawkey, Brown or Bush Win
be responsible for it. AS a means OF
comparison the 1918 records of the |
Athletics and Giants pitchers are
appended:
Pitchers, Records
G. w l. H. Pet. |
Bender ..........47 10 2os .o7s