The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-05
MAYBE JUNE
WILL Be ATTIRE
May Came Near Being When Brook
Ign Went Blazing In the First
Weeks and Phillles
Seconded.
PITCHERS pUNKER1No
PITCHERS PUNKERINo
Marquard Was Fizzle; Mathewson
Q. K. and Tesreau an in and
Outer Says
"Hal."
by Hal Sheridan, written for the
TIpifad prora

NEW CORK, June 5.-If all the
wild happenings of May-during which
the Giants went rolling and tumbling
into the second division, Brooklyn fair
ly set the league on fire and hung
tight to the flying Phillies only to slow
down later, and the Pittsburgh Pirates
|graced the second set-if these and
other surprises were rolled into one
big COB of fireworks, they shouldn't
amount to as. much as penny fire.
cracker if June runs true to the
seasons series of surprises in the Ma
tional league.
Taken as whole, the league seems
to be too evenly balanced to permit
blaze through the circuit that would
carry any one of the favored far
enough in the next few weeks to
Iclinch the flag. The Phillies, long
|jinx-ridden, this season have shown
as much claim to pennant considera-
ton as the next one, and contenders
can't loiter until they turn into the
stretch and then expect to get away
with it. If the Giants and Pirates
lget under full steam. and the Phil
lies continue to hold up, look out for
the packing of four teams in the first
division like sardines j
1t is long weary journey from
June until October, and as some sage
remarked without fear of successful
contradiction that Rome was not
built in day, so it may be said with
equal safety that pennants are not
won in day or week Or month
for that matter. Philadelphia, New
York and Pittsburgh appear to be the
best bets for the ultimate National
league leaders. Philadelphia has been
going great guns, the Pirates have
been trying hard and with the excep-
ton of several unfortunate accidents
! to members has shown class that is
dangerous to the aspirations of other
| teams. With the Giants there has
been something lacking that 1t isn't
| too late yet to get--the ferocious
| fighting fervor that returned McGraw
| a winner twice in succession. They
| have occasionally slashcd and torn at
their opponents but 1t has been
wild slashing and tearing, not the
systematic, calculating attack OF two
and three years ago.
Outside of Mathewson, the pitching
| department of the Giants during May
fell way below all expectations. Mar
GUARD has been co.lplete fzzle and
Tesreau an in-and-outer. Also the ba.-
ting of the team slumped. All OF
which, Mawruss, is enough already.
Taking it throughout, however, it
has not been SO much that last years
league champions are weaker, as it
has been that the clubs they are play
ing this year are better clubs than
the ones they played during the same
period Of last year. The Cardinals
and Brooklyn especially are stronger.
| Pittsburgh is not as much stronger as
| it was cracked up to be, but the Pr
ates certainly have played better ball
so far in 1913 than they played up to
1.-The same time in 1912. The question
finally resolves itself into how big
lead either the Giants or the Pirates
are going to let the Phillies grab off
before they come to their senses and
fget together
Unless the prophesied braces and
breaks come soon, however, it will be
up to the federal department Of justice
lat Washington to keep an eye on the
City of Brotherly Love. To owners and
managers of fourteen major league
baseball clubs; If not to the author
T tiles at Washington, 1t Is as plain as
noses on faces that an individual
named Cornelius McGillicuddy alias
Connie Mack, and certain party
named Charlie Doom, are openly and
avowedly, with malice aforethought
! planning trust that will unreason-
ably hold every atom of attention In
the country along in October. Those
on the inside say the trust will be
known as the Worlds Series Trust,
and that Connie Mack and Charlie
Doom already are counting how they'll
spend the money.
4 For be 1t admitted that the Ath-
lletics this year are the Athletics of
two years agone. They are swinging
strong and look like winners at this
time. The Cleveland Maps might
threaten them, but they'll have to do
lots better to beat them out. Washing
| ton might cut real figure If they had
two or three Walter Johnsons in the
lineup, but as far as Clark Griffith