Evening journal., 1913-10-09
EXPERT BELIEVES MACK'S
BLUNDER LOST ATHLETICS
SECOND GAME TO GIANTS


Schang up, will never be known.
1t strikes US that this was no oc-
casion TO play safely-to work out q
careful trail. Here was the place for
the greatest power left in one last
wallop-an opening, old haymakers
II there was one ieft-and Plank
was not OF the haymaker variety, at
bat In rebuttal for Connie, we can
only say that he has won five pen
nants and two world series and that
we never have-not even one PEN
nant or one third of one world series.
But having the second guess we pro-
pose to it, although we admit to
quite a shock when we saw Plan.
come up in place OF some pinch hit
ter with a keener eye and a stronger
swing.
MaihewsOn's Work.
If his support had stuck with him
we believe that Mathewson could
have blurred the Athletics attack
for another nine rounds. Ever and
anon. some would thump a blow to
safety, but never when a runner was
in striking distance Of home. On
these occasions he had Collins and
Baker marked for slaughter as three
Of his strike-outs we're issued to this
great pair. The club that had whal-
ed the pill so savagely the day be-
fore, was the softess sort of picking
for the Giant genius.
A Word About Plank.
Not forgetting Eddie Plank. One
outfield fly in that ninth round and
Plank today would be the games
hero. There is always, or often
rather. the narrowest sort Of mar
gin between fame and defeat. Plank
pitched we'll in 1905. He pitched much
better In 1911. but yesterday he
pitched the greatest game of all
three. He had the Giant attack cook
ed to a turn. He had McGraw's bats
men tied into a knot. II was not
until the big upset came in the ninth,
that he at last lost heart and fall
tered. II may be that he remember
ed those 80 scores Of 1899 and so
figured that the moving finger hav-
/ ing writ" there was no armor of de-
tense against fate so relentless.
The Dope Upset.
The dope was scrambled badly
enough before this series started but
at the threshold of the third game,
/ il was beyond repair--a total loss.
4
! youngsters, unknown quantities. un-
/ der such a CALLING fire. But TO Off
/ set this wide difference in pitching,
I McGraw had lost Chief Meyers for
the year and Merkle was still limping
with an ankle puffed up like a poi
soned poodle.
If Wiltse and Mclean could only
J continue their fine work Of yesterday.
there -would~be no worry. Long Larry
caught a finished game and led the
final rally at bat which brought on
victory No catcher in the business
could have passed his work. And
over at first, George Wiltse, step
ping in cold, after Snodgrass had
tried gamely to play on one leg.
began to Hal Chase all around that
territory. Wiltse's work in that stir
ring ninth inning will never be for
gotten. Two plays were hurle1 upon
him that would have ended the game
in defeat, but he met both as if he
had played first since Hector was
pie-eyed pup
Tie Games Switch.
Enter another kink for the classic
and elastic dope. Bender and Mar
/ guard, on a dark day to cover speed,
were expected to engage in a pitch
ing duel. Both were rasped and
raked to the bone in a swatting car
i nival far beyond the ordinary Plank
and Mathewson we're tipped for
rough work and the two were beyond
all batting reach. No two games
could have been more unalike. Bat
ting ruled the first day and pitching
the second. And in the second
game there was little left for the
fielders to do beyond the cut and
dried stuif-the routine work of an
easy days play. Burns Fletcher
and Murphy gathered the only three
hard chances offered. although Wiltse
contributed his share in the ninth.
The Games to Come.
From this point on. the conflict
srows even more interc-ting. Mack
has three pitching guesses ahead in
Bush, Shawkey and Brown. McGraw
has two in Tesreau and Demaree.
where both are about Of equal value.
tomorrow we get Bender again. but
today is now the main spot in the
program as the two teams start al
most exactly where they bega-i on
Tuesday. So why not wait for the
next box score?