The Washington herald., 1914-03-30
Yankees and Giants Have Had
Many Misfortunes, Declares
Christy Mathewson.
NO BEARING ON THE RACE
By CHRIsTY MATHEwsoN.

BY CHRIsTY MATHEwsON.
This has been bad training season
for big league clubs. and the two New
York teams have been particularly hard
Z hit with misfortunes. The Giants have
had several injured players, while the
Yankees have got away in bad style In
most OF their exhibition games so far.
But this does not mean anything, for
the Cleveland club looked very bad last
year on its training journey, but II came
back in the big league and tore out In
such a way that lob Of persons, IN
Guiding several Cleveland fans, and even
some of the Cleveland players them
selves, thought the Maps might win the
pennant.
Most of the clubs this spring are CON-
ing back from the South in bad condi-
tion. Training appears to run in streaks
like that One year all the clubs have
good luck, and return in fine shape,
while another spring, old misfortune hits
all hands. Most baseball managers are
superstitious about bringing their teams
back in too good shape. 1t is like per-
feet dress rehearsal of a show. 1t is
legend in the theatrical business that a
good dress rehearsal means a bad open
ing. and frequently this holds good on
training trips. When a team has a phe-
nomenally successful training jaunt, it
usually gets away in bad shape for the
season. On the other hand. a bad trip
often makes the men fight harder when
the real test comes, and the club gets
of in a sprint. IS Cleveland did last
season. Frank Chance says he believes
in this theory anyway, and you can't
blame him.
Great Training Trip.
Look at the Red Sox last spring. when
the then worlds champions had one Of
the best training trips ever experienced
by a big league team. They made the
Pittsburgh Pirates look foolish in their
series at Hot Springs, and all the sharps
were picking the club to repeat in a
walk in the American League race. The
pitchers looked to be unbeatable and the
rest of the club was full of confidence
and baseball. Then it crumbIed. The
pitchers did not hold up. and the team
went bad all season. Jimmie" McAleer.
then the president of the Boston club.
was talking to a group of Giants, among
whom was McGraw. shortly after the
season opened. when our club was in
Boston playing the Braves, and the Red
Sox were in New York or Philadelphia.
McAleer had stayed at home.
I've never seen a team come back
from the South in better shape than this
club of ours did this year" said Nc
Aleer. The pitchers look great, and
believe Joe Wood will tear of lot of
records. l wouldn't be surprised to see
him beat Marquard's."
You think you'll face us in the big
series again then, Jim asked McGraw
IF you are able to come through in
your league" replied McAIeer. 'I don't
believe there is any question about the
Red Sox repeating
Never Really Strong.
Yet after this rosy outlook. the Boston
club was never really in the going for
the championship, although the Athletics
worked two veterans and a lot of re-
cruit pitchers piecemeal. because of a
shortage Of twirling talent and still won
Cleveland, the club which had expert
enced the poorest training trip of any
made the race in the American League
with Mack's crowd. Therefore. Frank
Chance should not be discouraged by the
showing of the Yankees in their exhibi-
tton games. What counts is how they
stand in the fall and not in the spring
You don't see the Athletics winning so
many games when playing National
League clubs during the training trip,
but they are certainly wonders at grab
bing them in the fall of the year. And
you never can tell from the spring trip.
The Red SoX's pitching staff looked un-
beatable last spring, while Connie"
Macks didn't look like anything.
What happened to the Boston Red Sox
is what is liable to happen to almost
any ball club that takes the worlds
championship. Over-confidence causes
the men on the team to think they know |
too much baseball and that the manager
knows too little. This male trouble in |
lr1Ge
split up into several factions. The |
Athletics had a touch of it in 1912 when
some Of the veterans got to thinking that |
they were good enough to win, no mat
ter what kind of shape they kept them |
selves in: but found out they weren't |
After the Giants had taken the worlds
championship in 1905. the players were
bursting with too much confidence the
next year. and We failed to repeat in our
ne put plays up to his men to decide 4
themselves. instead of delivering the
orders himself, and they ran wild.
Learns a Lesson.
But" he says, II learned my lesson
from that experience, and I'll never do it
again.
There have been many injured players
during training this spring, and the
Giants have had their share Murray
was laid up sick for a time and is none
too strong at this writing. Fletcher
broke his finger and lost a good deal
Of time, but he Kept himself in condi-
ton by playing handbalI and running
SO that his wind and endurance would
develop. McGraw was very insistent
this year that his pitchers especially
would do everything possible to develop
heir wind. and he had US running around
The field and playing handball and doing
to strengthen up the endur-
ance.
Il have had too many pitchers who
ire inclined to crack after six or seven
innings" announced McGraw one day.
rs he started US OF on a jog around
he field. -Four laps for everybody ,
1ow."
There have been many other injuries
his spring. Chapman, the shortstop of
he Cleveland club who was a good man,
Judging from the pewspaper reports I