The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-10
EXPERTS THINK MACK AND
MGRAW- ARE DESTINED TO
MEET AGAIN-HURLERS FIG
URE PROMINENTLY
BY WALTER MARoHAND.

New York. August 9.-(Special.) JAS the
baseball season progresses it affords no
reason to change the opinion that the
worlds championship will be fought out
between the Athletics and the Giants.
While neither team is keeping up the gait
which put them away out in the lead,
they are playing good enough ball to
make it as certain as anything can be
six weeks ahead that they cannot be
headed by any of their rivals. So for
the third time in three years for the
Giants and twice in the same length of
time for the Athletics, these two teams
will in all human probability split the
worlds series money.
Which will get the big end of the split?
j am a careful and considerate man and
decline to prophesy. l should take which
over team was al the short end of the
betting if l were betting man.
George L. Moreland, who is not the
father OF baseball, but very close kin
to it, says: "rhey say the Athletics will
have a hard time of 1t this year in the
worlds series," because Mack is short on
veteran pitchers. But he has Plank and
Bender, and two good pitchers are
enough. Coombs virtually by himself won
for the Athletics one year and Bender
did it another time. Babe" Adams did
likewise for the Pittsburgs. Mathewson
did it for the Giants once. Brown did it
for the Cubs and Walsh for the White
Sox. Mack isn't worrying greatly over
his pitchers for the world series next
autumn.
It's a curious thing that the bulk of
the work usually devolves upon one or
two pitchers in the world series. With
the exception of a few iron men of the
nd Iobn itab
unable to do their best when called upon
more than once or twice week. Some
of them, however, improve with work.
Coombs of the Athletics was this Sort
Jn the battle between the Athletics and
Chicago Cubs for the worlds title Coombs
improved as he went along. getting
stronger when most pitchers would have
been exhausted from their efforts.
Ever since Walter johnson Of the Sem
ators came into prominence as pitcher
the baseball world has wondered what
it was that generated his terrific speed.
II is the wonderful length of the big fell
lows arms.
When stretched out the measurement
from finger tip to finger tip is 50 inches.
Undoubtedly one of the longest that the
athletic world has ever produced. Bob
Fitzsimmons, the fighter, was believed to
have the longest reach in pugilism, yet
he fell between flVe and SIX lncheS snort
of Johnsons $.
The force that this wonderful arm can
put on "A ball is demonstrated in john
sons games and has earned for him the
reputation of having more speed than any
pitcher that ever lived. Amos Rusie was
believed to be the fastest twirler up to
the time that johnson broke into the
game, but Rusie was short-armed, and
at natural disadvantage as compared
with johnson.
1t is because of these long arms and
the graceful motion with which he pro-
pels them that the best judges of the
game predict a long career for the great
pitcher. Unlike most pitchers, there is
little OR no strain on Johnson's pitching
arm when he is in action. His wind-up is
so smooth that it appears to work on a
ball bearing, and the force WHICH he can
put behind sphere is enormous. john
son is young man, not reaching his
25th year until next month.
Christy Mathewson is the greatest time
saver of all the pitchers. Games with
him pitching, with any sort OF expedi-
tiousness by the other twirler, go through
in the smallest possible time. Here are
the times for Is full games pitched by
him this season: 2:10; ! :25; 1:55; 1:35; 1 :25;
1:55; POS; 1:4O; 1:40; 1850; 1:50; 1;S0; 1:50;
135; 1:30: 80. The 2:l0 game was 10 in
nings long so that only one of his nine
inning games has gone over two hours.
Tyler was his opponent in that one He
pitched a 13 inning game against Rucker
and Stack in 30, remarkably short
time for battle of that length in in
nings. The Is games average an hour