The Washington herald., 1913-08-10
By FERGUSON FAGUE.


That the Athletics will gsllop home
winners of the American League pennant
race is a conceded fact by those who
1 have looked the dope over. the remote
chance of any other team even seriously
threatening their present lead being
negligible quantity.
Interest now centers on their probable
opponents for the 1913 honors. and ac-
cording TO the standing Of the clubs this
morning the Giants have all the best OF
| the argument and should romp home win
| ners. providing the Philadelphia team
does not do the remarkable and enjoy
such a winning streak as came the Ma
tionals' way last season.
These occurrences are rare indeed. and
| il can be safely predicted that no such
happening will occur, as before they
could have attained such a long string
of victories the Giants must be met. ana
it seems to be the proper thing for the
PhilIies to wilt before the onslaught or
the Giants whenever they are in strug-
| gle for supremacy.
II will be remembered that during the
season of 19l2-before Hank ODay's Reds
| .blew"-that the Phillies were up there
with them, fighting for the leao. and
| what McGraw and his Giants did to them
| was enough Of a setback to count them
out OF any consideration Tor the prooa-
\ Bile winner of the flag.
Will history repeat itself. or will the
lads from the Quaker town just up and
do what they have been doing to the
other teams since they came back 10
life?
1t is useless to figure either Chicago
or Pittsburgh as having a chance TO
be the winner, for these teams are
so far behind the present leaders that
| ii would take a railroad wreck or
some destructive occurrence in which
both the Giants and Phillies were con-
cerned 10 give either a chance. Chi
caso. which is in third place this
morning as a result of yesterdays
victory over the Phillies. is fifteen and
| one half games behind the leaders,
and It is perfectly obvious that 70
overhaul the Giants is hopeless task.
Pittsburgh. which is the holder OF
the fourth position in this league is
but half a game behind the Cubs and
| also is out Of the running
| II probably would be a safe prop
osition today that the first division
teams will finish as they stand this
morning. with the possible chance that
the Pirates will nose out Murphy
club for the third position. These two
clubs, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, are
eight. and eight and one-haif games,
respectively, behind the Phillies, who
are. in turn, almost that distance be-
hind the leaders, there being diff
ference of but one game in their rela-
| tive standing.
Giants Certain to Cop.
uers is what the figures show, and
all signs point to the Giants:
McGraw's team. which scored an
easy victory over Cincinnati yester-
day, brought its total wins up to 40.
This makes It necessary for them 10
accomplish the feat Of winning 80 more
games during the remainder OF the
season. The loss column of the
| Giants show that they have come out
at the short end Of 80 battles, making
a total of 1O2 games they have played
| this season. n
| Remaining on their schedule are %
contests vet to be played and to at
tain the established mark of 100 games
necessary to consumate their desire
they must win 30 while they are
| losing %.
AT this rate they would be moving
along the finishing trail at a .s77 pace.
which, according to their present
standard, would be poor ball inc per
| centage of the Giants at present is
$50, or 10s points greater than 10
necessary for them to reach the loo
mark of victories won.
| Like Connie slack, McGraw Is foxV
manager, and should he allow his pres
| emf lead to be taken away from MIN
at this juncture he would lose much pres
| tige as a strategic manipulation OF base
hall team. Leave il to Johnnie McGray
| to settle and you will see his team
perched on top when the bell rings the
final curtain.
His team has a lead of seven games
over its nearest competitor. and watch
this little prediction, this lead VIII be In
creased before the close of the year.
Dooin's Phillies, who have come back,
are Just trifie late. 1t is possible. CT
| course, that they may win, but the hope
4 ls slim, indeed. His team 10 at present
seven games in the rear and must Inn
prove as 1t goes along, whereas the
| Giants can lose some and still retain a
very healthy percentage The one ad-
vantage held by the Phillies is that they
have not played as many games az the
Gia nts, but 50 per cent of their contests
\ have reached q conclusion
OF these, 81 were victories and 81 ended
in defeat. To make it possible for the
Phillies to win 100 games they must lar d
81 of their remaining games, while they
| are losing II. or. speaking from a per
centage standpoint they must travel at
.6s6 pace, whereas their present gait IL
but 81.
This should not be exceptionally ha'd
for them to do. But in the meantime the
Giants will still be playing baseball at
| the various league parks. and 1t u BY
! no means certain that only 100 wins viii
be necessary. to eitnch the psnnant