Evening star., 1913-06-27
MACKS 0UTC[ASS
GR|FF|TH'S TEAM
Remarkable Offensive Strength
of Athletics Gives Them
Easy Sailing.
BETTER. FORTIFIED EVEN
IN BOX THAN NATIONALS
Walter johnson and Probably Joe
Boehling to Pitch Double
Header Today.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

ne reason lOT the lalufe Oh the Ma
tonals to win more! than an occasional
game from the Athletics is due to the
fact that Mack's team outclasses that of
Griffith.
This has been demonstrated on numer-
Gus occasions during the past two sea-
sons and was made particularly plain
during the present series. when the Ath-
| letics scored thirty-five runs while the
locals scored but seven in three games.
GriffNh's team may have a stronger de-
! fense but when the two are compared
| from an offensive standpoint the Ath-
| letics stand out in a class by themselves.
On what Mack's pitchers have shown
to date he is even better fortified in
this respect than is Griffith, so that it is
hard to figure how the Nationals could
expect to get as much as an even break
1t IS true, of course, that the three
games the Athletics have won here have
been made possible by the effective work
, OF Plank and Bender. The latter has
been in two of the three games and the
other one Went to Plank. Neither of the
two young pitchers, Bush and Brown,
VINO started games were able to finish
and might have been beaten had they
been allowed to stay through to the fin
lsh. Three games remain to be played
and Plank and Bender are not apt to
take part in any one of these. If the
young pitchers on the visiting staff do
no better than have the pair that was
used and failed there is still chance
for the locals to get an even break,
though it must be realized that it will
take some hieh-class pitching to hold the
Mackmen in check, for it is normally
great hitting team and it has been in par
ticularly good form in this respect s.nce
its arrival here.
The run-getting proclivities of the Atf-
letics In the three games here have been
enormous. The team seems able to go
out at most any time and get. as many
runs as 1t wishes, and it does not seem
to make much difference which one of
Grif11th's twirlers has been working 1t
is, OF course not to be denied that in
addition TO playing great offensive
game all the luck also breaks with the
leaders, but that is always the case in
base ball. for luck seems to smile on the
team which plays the better ball.
For several years it has been charged
that the Athletics by some method or
other have been stealing the opposing
teams battery signals, which has enabled
I them to hit most any kind of pitching
Whether this is true or not, no one will
ing to do so is able to say, but there is
no doubt that the team has been bene-
flied by the fact that this suspicion eX
lists.
re Is one HOllccdDle TACT III Cnc
fensive work of the Athletics which may
to some extent explain their remarka Bile
hitting. 1t is that in most instances the
batters are hitting with two balls
and strikes them, and frequently
with the count three to one i'm their
favor They are picking the spots when
the pitcher is trying to get the ball over
the plate and when he is not putting
much on the sphere. The Athletics do not
do much waiting when there are men on
hos hoy tai ytru f1,n;,.
lops at such times, which may account
for the large number of runs they are
scoring.
That Mack does not have much conf
dence in any of his young pitchers was
indicated yesterday when he allowed both
Plank and Bender to finish their games
after they had secured an absolute Win-
ming lead. He did not seem willing to
save these veterans and allow one of his
youngsters to finish the games, thus vir-
tually putting Bender and Plank out of
consideration so far working in any
of the three remaining games. Mack
seems anxious to get just as big lead
in the race as it is possible for he knows
that Plank and Bender are apt to slip
cog at any time under the Strall they
are carrying. and he wants to be i'm d po-
siton where he can rest them UP later,
when a few setbacks would not affect his
teams standing.
" ditci JOIiiisou Is sure 10 pltCfl Jnc sec
ond game of today's double header and
if Joe Boehling warns up good he may
be sent in against the Athletics in 'tIfe
opener. There Is also a chance that Tom
Mack. of course. will work two of his
youngsters, probably Houcl1 and Bush or
Brown.
Under ordinary conditions the Nation
ais batting in the games against the Ath-
IN
victory, but, of course, with team av-
eraging about twelve runs to game
there is not much chance. and that is
what the Athletics have done here If
ever a team looked as though it would
run away with the pennant it is the Ath-
letics. Hughey Jennings was right when
he said that the Athletics We're the class
Of the race and should never be headed
OF course. the games uncertainty is such
that things might happen which would
throw the Athletics out of it. but that
would have to happen soon. for at the
present gait the team is going it will
be far in front by August | that it
can afford to loaf the rest of the way.
In the two games in which Bender has
pitched here he has displayed better form
tnan he has shown here in several years.
He appears to be better now than he has
been for some time. and he is doing much
more work than ever before, for he is
finishing most of the games for the young
pitchers, for which he is not getting cred
it I'm the records. for the reason that his
team is in front in most of these games
when he goes on the rubber.
To use slang expression it looks very
much as if the Athletics had the Ma
tionals' goat The victories of the
Mackmen have been numerous, and
they have won most games so easily,
that the locals have about been convinc-
ed that they do not stand much of
chance against the leaders, hence do not
go into these games with the same con-
fidence and spirit that usually mark
their playing. Conceding that Mack has
the better team. there is no denying the
fact that he always gets the best of the
breaks. too. Luck seems to be with his
players. and even the close decisions
which could be decided either way usu-
ally go to them.
Frank Baker won himself $50 yesterday
when in the fourth inning of the second
game he drove one of Groom'S curves on
a line against the bull sign in right field
The drive, which on an open field would
have been an easy home rum netted only
! single, however as Moeller got it on a
rebound and hurried it to second.
! The first game was an interesting strue-
l 81 Co.. stx rr,r.s.