New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-05
New York Has the Stronger
Staff, but 1t Must Face
PrOportionateIy Heavy
Hitting Attack.
THE BURDEN OF BENDER
Matty, Marquard and Tesreau
a Dauntless Three-Mack
Boasts of Infield, Nc
Graw of 0utfield and
a Star Catcher.

a ray Of light on the outcome OF the
worlds series between the Giants and
Athletics. which begins on Tuesday at
the Polo Grounds Past performances,
running plump up into the present, have
teen requisitioned by the army of &C
countants and strained beyond recogni-
ton to prove an opinion fact.
All that remains now is for the two
teams to play il out according TO form
and half can say II told You So while
the rest can spring the traps TO the
alibis which have been secretly placed
in the advance dope ready for use in an
emergency.
At the end Of the battle no one will
be convinced. For sly little pebble
living in the course Of hot eroInder can
give a weird twist to the ball and SEND 1t
carroming off the tip Of J. Franklin
Bakers finger. putting the star out OF
the game and knocking more hgures
caneywest than a whole ton of dynamite
could displace. or little Claude Cooper
coming i'm as a pinch hitter and forlorn
hone. might end it all, doing more Tor
the State of Texas than Davy Crockett
cid himself
Temuerament. nationality. disposuon'
love of music and attitude toward Ice
cream have all been taken into cons.dera-
ton. All has been said that could be seld.
Let the trumpets sound.
When the last average has been aver
aged. the last stolen base accounted for.
fine last base hit recorded and the last
passed ball checked off. the answer viii
oil
to the pitchers bCx. There is Inc cruz
Of the situation. If the Athletics get the
twirling that has been their portion IN
their last two sets of championship
games they will come pretty close 10
winning the title. A strong, overpo"er-
ing and almost irresistible offence I'M
e,-alled by any team in either league
with A defence as brilliant If less steady
than in 1911, can be figured on as GER
tainty.
Both Teams Strong on the Attack
7; is not to be expected that Mathew
son. Marquard and Tesreau can com
pletely extingulsh this attack. NO pltcher
in the American League has been able 10
Go il. even the wonderful Walter Johh-
son owing three OF his six defeats In ms
most sensational year in the box 10 lhe
hands of these terrific sluggers. Inc
Giant trio can only hope to check them'
II must almost he taken for granted that
the Athletics will score two or more runs
IN everv game. The success of New York
depeuds on its ability TO tally three OF
more.
On Bender and Plank rests the DISPOSE
ton of the title The New York three
az their best will puzzle the Mackmen' Dut
will not prove utterly inv!nciDle. Inc
great. big question of the series VINO"
remains unanswered is how far the Two
Philadelphia veteranJ can 90 IN hoialIs
back the Giants The champions Oh tie
National League are 10 weaklineS WIZ"
the stick and can press raHy WI"
more vgor in hitting, speed ana Dase
running than any other team IN thef
league Directed by such bIainy helo
general and tactician as McGra"' inc
New York nine has rushed nearly every
star twirler Of the league on MS ie''
at soma time or other this year. 1heiS
is more power to their offence To-Day
with Burns and Shafer in line. than tneie
was In 1911. To check them the FHila
delphia twirlers will have 20 be IN better
form than they were two years ago.
Irrespective OF what Bender is to-day
there is grave doubt about the condltioH
Of Plank The up went out in the Amer'-
can League some weeks ago that the oiu
veteran had lost much Of his speed since
he began 10 be troubled with rheuma-
tism in August. From the end OF July
h.A
clinched Eddie won only two games out
Of eight starts. After rest or over TWO
weeks. calculated to put him in uptop
form, Connie Mack sent him against inc
weak hitting Yankees on Friday anu ne
was found for three hits, two passes anu
three runs, retiring from the game al the
end Of the third stanZa. He was haiuiS
In impressive form.
Age Beginning to Tell on Plank.
When Plank Is right his control Is
almost as good as Matty's. and the TWO
bases on balls he gave are even more
significant than the hits. Eddie Is thirty
nine years DID, long past the age "he"
most baseball players give up the gan'o'
and his chances Of reaching the pl'cii'"s
heights that made him famous are sHens
this fall with chilling breezes mere Il
ne were a youngster his bad record over
the last half of the season would NO.
count so heavily against him, out the
figures are ominous in this case. TINS
mvch can be said for Plank. lie mas
always proved a wonder In an emersehcy
and with so much depending upon MN
he will rise to the occasion and give al
nat there is in him. How much this 10
10 one can tell.
Bender without Plank cannot swing tne
athletics into the championship luz
Indian Is star and has been treated IKE
priceless piece of bric-a-brac by Connie
Mack tor many seasons. He has had nj
exceptionally good year. and is sure 10
pitch one good game. perhaps two, u he
mas rest OF two days, but few beheVe
MIN capable OF coming back for thiro
Ming as Matty did back In 1905. he is MOI
an iron man like Coombs was and les
reau Is. and once he has pitched he ID
through for several days or the cohse-
qaences are disastrous.
Even with these two veterans at their
pest Mack will be pressed TO find thiIu
eqtfy TO slip in the odd games. None Vi
.ne bevy OF youngsters is known guam
NY, viewed under the scorching hsh'