Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-09
MATTY PILOTS
PITCHERS now
IN NATIONAL
Bv Damon Runyon.

n tue gtOdHlHS OF MS oaSSD1l'
years, "Old Ironsides," otherwise
known as Chris Mathewson, finds
himself in the peculiarly public posi-
ton Of leading the pitchers of the
National League. When he tore off
Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon the
great checker expert brought his
number of victories up to fifteen, as
We figure it, against four defeats.
There are one or two younger and
more agile hurlers ranked ahead Of
the Hadii of the Polo Grounds in the
percentage table. but they are fell
lows Ike Burke. of St Louis. with a
single victory assessed with a de-
feat. Edward Konetchy, Of St. Louis,
has a perfect average. having APP
peared as a hurler in one game, and
winning same, but as a pitcher Ed
ward is one Of our best known first
basemen.
Wing Ling, the Chinese laundry
ticket had evaded the ignominy OF
defeat up to the Fourth, and had
compiled four victories, but "Old
IrOnsides" is now the real pitching
pilot of Tom Lynch's circle, which
IT, a terrible thing at his time of
life.
Mathewson has appeared in about
twenty-five games. He saved two or
three. for which he receives no credit
He Is now doing more and better
work than any other member of the
Giant staff. His judicious conserva-
ton Of his pitching arm is indicated
by the fact that he has allowed more
hits than any slabman in the league,
with the exception of young Griner
Of St. Louis, who has been whaled for
172 blows out of 10 appearances.
However, "Old Ironsides" still
possesses that amazing faculty of
putting the ball where he wants to
that gave him the name Of King
Control" He has dished out less than
a dozen bases on balls. which puts
him in class by himself in that
respect.
IT'S a tough year for the grizzled
veterans of the mound over in
the American League Eddie Plank
the Mathewson of the sidewinders,
is considered the pitching leader of
the Johnson organization, even
though young BOehling, Of Washing
ton, tops him In the percentage
table
THE evil Fstes have slipped VIII
liam Dahlen, the abhorred Black
Spot, and pronounced a Dutch Cuss
on Brooklyn. The Jinx that used to
live in Philadelphia has taken up
a residence in Flatbush. When the
subject of conversation is hard luck
the iniquitous Dahlen is entitled to
raise his voice above all others
Charley Stengel Bill Fisher and
Bob Fisher have all been swept from
the DOdger lineup in few brief
hours. Zach Wheat was already in
the hospital when the others began
to arrive and Napoleon Rucker was
said to be concealing a sore shoulder
from public gaze, although he worked
Saturday.
The Brooklyn catching STAFF is now
a smoking ruin of a once imposing
institution. while the Brooklyn out
field is stripped to the bone-mean-
ing no Offense to Messrs Callahan
Moran, Hummer and Benny Meyers,
at that II you can imagine Muir
ply, Burns and Fletcher suddenly
eliminated from the Giant lineup by
accident, with the catching staff re-
duced to Mullaney, and with ChTisty
Nathewson not at his best then you
can realize to some extent what has
happened to the Dodgers.
CHARLEY MCDONALD. the Boston
- Braves third baseman, who is
Just now leading the Nationa League
in hitting. is In a way a protege of
John j. McGraw. The Giant chief
recommended the smuggling youngster
to Garry Hermann, of the Cincinnati
Reds, who bought him from the Dali
las club, of the Texas League, and
carried him along last year and part
of this season. Then George Stallings
took the boy at the waiver price on
a tip from the newspaper men fol-
lowing the Giants the last time the
New York club was in Boston
McGraw first saw Mcdonald a
couple of years ago at Marlin, the
training ground Of the Giants, when
the third baseman and another mem
Der of the Dallas club named Thebo
Joined the Giants to get into physi-
cal condition for the Texas League
season. MCGraw had three ball clubs
playing exhibition games in Texas
that season, and he used Mcdonald
and ThebO on one team. He had no
permanent place for Mcdonald him
self. but his strong accommodation
of the youngster to Hermann indi-
Gated that Mcdonald had made a
good impression on him.
Mcdonald seems to be another
Heine Zimmerman in point Of hitting.
In 1911, with the Dallas club. he hit
1924 In IA games. although he dis
played no unusual smuggling ability
iv1 Loo