Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-05

preaching contest, having be-
come so accustomed to picking
the Giants to defeat somebody in
these Worlds Series that it is
really a habit, and hard to leave
off on short notice. We have de-
cided not TO publicly picn them
this season so as not to en-
barrass them. Neither do we
pick them this season so as not to
embarrass them. Neither do we pick
the Athletics. which should be very
encouraging TO the Athletics. We
stand on neutral territory and let Ma
ture take its course.
There is really only one good way
Of determining the winner Of the com
ing disorder. and that Is TO toss
coin-praferably such a coin, II one
be a New Yorker as Is used by the
National Commission in deciding that
the first game Of the series shall be
played in New York and which al
ways comes heads or tails, as the
case may be, The dope is useless
at least. our dope Is that way.
The situation, as we view H. passes
up 70 those profound authorities,
Messrs Mathewson, and Marquard,
who will be in there writing and
pitching, with Messrs. Tesreau and
Demaree as an advisory committee.
MeGraw Strong in Pitchers.
Only in his pitching department
does McGraw seem to hold an advan-
tage over Connie Mack, whose Won
derful hitting team must rally round
the veteran frames OF Big Chief Ben
der and Eddie Plank. II Mathewson
and Maruuard can hold the slusgers
Of the White Elephants-and we have
"A sne8kIng notion that Mathewson
and Marquard win be the men de-
pended upon to do most Of the hold
ing-the Giants have a great chance.
True Bob Shawkey. or Carroll
Brown. or even Houck, the young
sters OF the Mack moundmen, might
bob up as the Bedient of the series II
the stars begin to fade, but the
chances are that II the lean Chippe-
wa fails to stop the Giants, II Is
pretty good bet no youngster is going
to do it-not in this particular Sc
ries.
The wonderful Bender and the more
wonderful Plank are said TO be about
through, but that has been said OF
them SO often that It is always TO he
doubted until they pass forever from
the big leagues. The same thing mas
been said OF Christy Mathewson, and
vet to-day the big blonde master OF
the fadcaway is the chief hope OF
the Giants I'm the coming battle.
Matty May Start Series.
II is believed that McGraw Will
open with Mathewson. Twice before
big Six" opened against the Athlet-
les and defeated them. Last year Nc
Graw started with Tesreau, and Tes-
reau was defeated so II Is likely the
Giant boss win string with his vet
eran hurler TO put over the opening
punch. Then will probably come
Narquard. That Tesreau VIII be used
in the series there is no doubt, and
IL seems more than likely that Nc
Graw will also try Demaree, unless
things break for him so that he de-
cides Il best to stick to his big three
Figures may not lie, but II that is
the case, truth has mighty little
standing on the island OF Manhattan
in connection with the series, because
the Gotham fans have made the Giants
even money in all betting, and IA
vorites in some. when there Is scarce
" an angle of the dope that gives
the big town boys shade on the
Mackmen save IN the pitching de-
partment, in other words, the New
Workers are favoring the Giants not
because Of the figures, but in spite Of
them
Perhaps that is the best way. It
has been demonstrated time and
again that past performances mean
little or nothing when ii comes to a
worlds series. The weakest hitter on
a team may turn out to be the slug
ger OF the series while the mightiest
walloper may be a joke. The figures
are proverbially tickle, and perhaps II
is fortunate for the Giants that this
is so.
Athletics Lead in Hitting.
They viii encounter q team that
has been pounding a combined .2S2 to
their own .267. They viii find op-
posed TO them at least Ave men who
have all been 800 hitters, while they
have but one individual in that class
They will meet a club that has been
fielding 3 points above them on the
run OF the season.
Whether the Athletics VIII approach
their sea sons showing IN the brief
series that determines the worlds
championship IS another question.
They may show one Of those startling
reversals of form that sometimes
overtakes the best teams, and be out
played in every department from start
TO finish. Then again they may win
so easily as TO make a joke of the
series.
That's what makes baseball-the
possibilities OF the game
The Giants are admittedly much
faster in team base running than the
Athletics, but here again the figures
would be deceptive as applied TO a
short series, because the base run
ming avsiled the big town boys little
in 1911. They did not get on the
often enough TO display their
epeed, and therefore ii was a useless
sset
y For many weeks it has been the