The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-09
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Ihis may mean the making or the
breaking of the Athletics.
/ The critical stage of the fight has
been reached. With the series even
up, one OF his veterans having returned
victory and the other gone down
before the master craft of Mathewson.
Mack faced the proposition TO-DAY of
sending youngster into the fray, or
returning Bender after but single
Gay of rest Rain today would give
Bender a longer rest. He would prob
ably be in good condition TO start
Friday. This would also mean Plank
might have two days rest If Mack
should feel compelled to depend upon
/ him for another game Saturday. AS
carly as Z o'clock there were betw cen
1000 and 800 persons waiting in
I line outside the Polo grounds. Al
steady drizzle fell At $50 a. n.
! Manager McGraw called Ground Keep
er Fabian on the. telephone and asked
for a report as to the condition of the
playing field Fabian told him that
the infeid had been covered since
Tuesdays game. A score of men went
over the outfeld last night, sopping
up water and drying it out as much as
possible. It was Fabfan's opinion that
IL 1t did not rain any more the field
would be in better shape than was
Shibe Park yesterday. McGraw told
Fabian the game would be played un-
less 1t rained more during the day.
( In case OF postponement the Ath-
letics and Giants would remain here
until tomorrow or until the game
could be played.
Tesreau ard Demaree Waiting.
McGraw today had Tesreau and
Demaree fresh and waiting. But the
one point in the make up of the
Mackian machine on which doubt has
been expressed has now been reached.
/ A postponement might make 1t pos
sible for Mack to evade the answer
in the presentation of one of his
younger pitchers on the mound. The
Giants present front that makes
the situation equally as critical for
them. II the Giants win this worlds
series they will stand forth as verit-
able miracle workers No team has
ever been forced to play this annual
October strife under such adverse
conditions. Snodgrass has been out
from the start, and Shafer. an infeld-
er. has played center field. Then
came the injury of Merkle and the
gripping of Myers which may keep
10th men out of the remaining games.
McGraw Is battling the Mackmen
With three regulars out of the lineup,
TWO men playing out of their regular
positions and will now have to rely
on Larry Mclean a second string
catcher. Wiltse. the veteran pitcher,
joined Shafer in the role of filing IN
gaps yesterday. His work was bril-
Liant but It is Merkle's batting, even
though it is only Of fair variety that
is needed The Giants are anxious for
the battle to be resumed today. They
believe they now have the breaks"
coming their way and want to press
the advantage. Although defeated by
Bender they hit safely eleven times
in the first game and believe they can
hook him IN second endeayor. The
players can say nothing too good ct
the pitching CT Mathewson, the pep"
of Herzog. the fielding Of Burns, the
stops by Fletcher and Wiltse's work at
nrst yesterday. In that critical ninth
with strunk on third and Barry on
second, WiItse fielded Lapp's hard
knock and shot 1t to Mclean. cody,
deliberately and with unerring aim.
a fraction Of a seconds delay. a
throw a little too wide or little too
low would have meant the game.
Myers and MerkIe out.
! There is only the widest sort OF an