The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1913-09-29
To Win Great
Worlds Base
Ball Series
BY GEORGE NJ. COHAN.
Copyright, 1913, by the News
paper Enterprise AssOciation.)


Copyright, 1913, by the News
paper Enterprise Association.)
To begin with, want to say
that 1 don't consider myself the
best little dOpester that ever spot
ted cinch bet. Far from 1t.
Two years ago picked the Car
dinals, under Roger Bresnahan, to
win the National league pennant,
but when the finish came 1 found
out, to my cost, that someone else
had a better system of looking
ahead than / had.
With me it's a hunch more
than the dope, and my hunch for
the next worlds series is the
Athletics. / know what they've
done before, and know how
they've done it and that's
enough.
When I'm not busy at being a
fan--and I'll admit I'm the most
rabid bug that ever bit at an UNI
pire-l fool around the theater.
But baseball is where / live, and
I've kept pretty close tab ON the
situation.
like the Athletics in this fight
for a number of reasons. First,
because they can everlastingly
smeart that pill.
Second, because they have
couple of guys out there who can
keep the other fellows from
smearing it. 1 mean Bender and
Plank.
Third, because they have the
fielders to back up this pitching
and protect it.
Fourth, because they're a smart
team.
And, fifth, because they can
play baseball-and play 1t up,
down, around and through the
middle, all fifteen ways and back
again, without break.
But mainly / like 'em because
they can hit. I've watched that
batting order come up in a tight
game, and I've watched the other
pitcher. For three or four in
nings he might pitch his head off
and "get by" But the strain
would get him, and around the
fifth inning / could see him weak
en-, his curve ball straighten out
and his smoke fade. The job of
facing six or seven 900 hitters in
row had gotten in its work.
When he started to ease up
there would be sound like bar
rel of crockery rolling down a Gel
lar stairway.
That's what the Giants have
got to go up against. McGraw
has some grand pitching flesh, but
bat is bigger than a ball.
Loog at what Mathewson or
Marquard must tackle. First,
there's Eddie Murphy. a 800 hit
ter; then Rube Oldring, another;
if these two are nailed there are
Collins, Baker, McInnis and
Strunk still waiting.
II he gets by one, the next is
still harder. What's the good in
tanning Collins to get at Baker?
Any one Of these guys Is liable
to break up any sort of a game
in two minutes. You think they're
beaten and in q flash you can al
most see the battle Of Gettys-
burg again, with 90 cannon in
action.
In short series of this sort
like the ball club that can hit the
ball hardest--the one that is most
dangerous at bat. For in a series
of such Importance both clubs are
keyed up to the cracking point,
and the one that hits the ball off,
enest and hardest gives the other
guys q greater chance to blow.
II you're not hitting, there's
nothing for the other club to fum-
BILE or boot. II Mack's team isn't
hitting 'em safe, it's hitting 'em
somewhere, and in the end this Of
itself will tell.
Then they say Mack has only
two pitchers. Forget IL. I've
seen this Bob Shawl<oy, and IL he
isn't q pitcher there never was q
guy with right arm. 1t wouldn't
surprise me to see Connie stick
this kid In to open the series.
Connie Is . wise fellow and .
hard one to dope.
Shawkey has the stuff and he
| Is game. Think what Il would
mean II he could step In there and
grab off that first game (which he
has better than an even chance to
dol. with Bender and PIank In re-
serve.