Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-19
LOOKS
BETTER Than
new YORK

While New Workers are certain their
club will win the third consecutive
pennant In the National League, the
impression has gained ground that
Pittsburg really has better chance
than the Giants.
There are two reasons for the con-
fidence in the Pittsburg club. First,
the Pirates have what looks like the
best pitching staff in the league, and,
second, they are one of the hardest
hitting aggregations in the country
These are the two principal elements
in the success of a team, and the Pr
ates, therefore, look to be sure enough
contepders and probable winners.
In Hendrix, Camnitz, Robinson,
0Toole, Cooper and Adams, Clarke
has a staff Of pitchers who are bril-
liant and dependable. He does not
have to pin his faith to one man, but
his staff is well balanced with four
good right-handers, all of whom
have had some experience in fast COM
pany. and couple of very promising
southpaws. If Mathewson, Marquard
and Tesreau are all at their best this
year McGraw will have formidable
staff of his own, but it is not likely
that all three of them will deliver
right up to the top notch Matty, still
wise and great, is slipping, while the
actions of the RUDE this winter do not
Increase respect and confidence in
him. Tesreau is young and inexpe-
rienced, but very promising. Still,
Clarke's crowd looks to have the edge
on the New York bunch, and that is
half the battle.
. In hitting, the Pirates are naturally
stronger than the Giants, but do not
play with the same vim and determi-
nation. They are not nearly such
good walters, and their hitting power
is not so well distributed. They made
more hits than the Giants last year
and also greater number of total
bases-in fact, they led the league in
both hits and total bases-yet the
Giants secured higher average, be-
cause they are much foxier walters
and more intelligent in their inside
work at the bat The Pirates do not
play so desperate team game as the
Giants, but their natural smuggling is
immense For instance. they led the
league in triples last year, and would
have done so even if Chief Wilson,
who poled thirty-six of the three-bag-
gers, had not driven out one. Even
without Wilson they made more tri-
pies than any other club in the league.
The Pirates are shy in two points.
One is on the bases, where they are
slow and not at all clever. The other
point is the main one in which the
Giants have it on them and that is the
determination to play their best ball
every day regardless of the opposi-
ton. The Pirates put up some grand
contests against the Giants themselves
and other high-class clubs, but they
fall down much too frequently in
their games with teams that ought to
be cinch for them when at theiI
best. For instance, the Giants last
year won sixteen games from the
Reds, while the Pirates could capture
only eleven. New York won seven
teen from the Phillies and Pirates
took only fourteen from Dooin's men
, The Giants won sixteen from the sac
Brooklyns, while Pittsburg took two
] less than that. The only club in the
league from which the Pirates VOL
more games than the Giants was the
Cubs, on whom they have usually hat
something ,.... :.