Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
WORLDSSERIES
Of 1878 SHOULD
BE A H j NM { R
McGraw's Clan and MaCk's Tribe
Balance Quite Evenly in the
Early Dope Scales.
By W. J. MBeth.

Giants and the Athletics this
year should furnish one Of the
most thrilling struggles of worlds Sc
ries history. Such a classic is good
or bad according to whether the con-
testants are evenly matched. Not
only are the Polo Grounders and the
Shibe Park lads of about kindred
playing strength, but both have been
so erratic the latter part Of the sea-
son that almost anything may be ex-
pected in the great clash.
There never was such a worlds Sc
ries as that between the Red Sox and
Giants last fall--at least, from the
standpoint Of the spectacular. There
were a few PITCHING duels but the
great majority Of the contests were
slugging Jubilees, in which one side
or the other was put to utter route.
AS a rule there were no half meas
ures. Either a team was very, very
good or it was very, very bad. And
cropping out with the most inexcusa-
BILE bush" league stuff on every hand
came a series of plays of such ex-
ceptional brilliancy as fairly knocked
the spectators Off their chairs.
Went Eight Games.
This series went eight full games,
including one extra inning tie, which
is the very best proof of the balance
of the rivals. Boston outplayed New
York in the first half and outlucked
it in the second. But for an error in
one Of the early games Boston would
probably have won in four straight
games. Finally when the gamest sort
Of a fight put New York on even
terms with the Red Sox and in
position to win with the deciding
game, an error blew the title. New
York had the game bagged before
Snodgrass' muff got the Hub in a
winning mood. Fred Merkle COM
pleted the job by his failure to 20
after little pop foul from Speakers
bat.
Now, during the series both Snod-
grass and Merkle showed several
wonderful plays that helped to save
games at critical stages but all this
was forgotten when their faults lost
the championship
Luck Cut In.
Luck played a very important part
ewson, the very best pitcher on either
team so far as real work Is con-
cerned, didn't win a game, while
Marquard breezed through to two
easy victories. The Giants couldn't
get a run for big Six" while they
simply slaughtered the Sox every time
the "Rube" took a hand. The most
wonderful catch ever shown on a ball
field was produced by Harry Hooper
Ln hnl1
a homer off Larry Doyle and saved
championship to boot Hooper might
never be able to make such another
catch. That was the i'll fortune of the
Giants.
1t is the element of uncertainty
which lends such a charm 70 organ
lied baseball and the uncertain GER
tainly enhanced the last worlds Sc
ries about tenfold. There never were
two such uncertain and erratic OPP
ponents in the autumn classic as the
Gotham and Hub aggregations the
day they lined up for the first Skin
mish. Had either side played all sea-
son after the fashion OF the worlds
series 1t would not have finished in
the first division of its company.
Both Are OF Color.
Both the Giants and Athletics have
been going in rather slip-shod fashion
for a month. Were they to start the
big doings tomorrow 1t would be
puzzle to dope it. The team with the
luck would win. But before the end
of another two weeks the prospective
rivals are likely to settle down to real
business McGraW and Mack will
doubtless bring their forces to the
wire In the very best shape for q BIT
ter fight. With both teams travelling
at their best PAGES the series should
be q hummer just as It would be
hummer If both were at their worst
Should either team arrive at it's true
form while the other maintained the
erratic behavior that characterized
the stretch run of the pennant races
the competition in the annual classic
would very likely develop into much
of a farce.
The Giants have the greatest OPP
portunity imaginable to go round the
world this winter as champions of the
universe. I do not see how the Ath-
letics can beat McGraw's bunch if it
is able to get back to the form II
showed the first three months. With
out 800 hitter McGraw went
through a disastrous slump that last
ed nearly two months. That speaks
volumes for the pitching at his COM
mand.
Depends on Pitching.
Pitching Is a great deal of a worlds
series argument. IN this line Nc
Graw lays it all over Connie Mack
The crafty leader of the Athletics has
only two very much overworked vet
Grams at his command-Southpaw
Eddie Plank and Indian Bender. Both
have been worked to death. Mack
has a bunch of young talent which
has been very erratic all season. They
may stand up under the strain of a
worlds series and again they may not.
Outside of the slab McGraw can
Just about hold his own. Meyers and
Mclean are better all-around men
than Schang and Lapp. The Phlla-
delphia infield has a shade on the
Giant inner works, but the Giants
have the better garden trio. When
the Giants were hitting to form they
could hold up their end in this de-
partment with the smuggling Mackmen.
And what McGraw lacks In hitting
power he more than makes up for in