Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-09

American and National League pen
nants, with a week of relaxation fol-
| lowing the ciinching of the flags, are
ready for the final struggle of the
season, Each team processes reason
able confidence in its ability to capture
| the Worlds Championship. Each in
! turn comedies that the rival aggrega-
/ ton is a powerful baseball combina-
| ton and if defeated stands ready to
extend congratulations to the winner
rather than excuses for the loss of
! the series.
| The fan, both local and foreign, is
here by thousands, each club having
| its legion of loyal supporters. The
/ followers of the Athletics, to whom the
! league and worlds championship PEN
! nants are no longer novelties stand
steadfast in their belief that Connie
Mack's great baseball machine will
continue its triumphant progress while
the Boston brigade is equally conf
/ dent that the Braves, under the lead
ership of George Stallings will halt
the Philadelphia baseball Juggernaut,
The National League representatives,
although they open the series away
from home will have ample vocal sup
Royal RIOTERS will be present at
Shibe Park singing their battle song,
"Tesse'' which has been heard on
every Worlds Series field of recent
years when Hub club was battling
for honors
Several hundred Boston fans have
enrolled as Royal RIOTERS for the
trip will travel in a special train. ac-
companied by band. 'Tessie" will
be almost it's only piece. 1T has al
ways been winner; we'll sing again."
reads an announcement by the COM
mittee in charge. The song was first
/ adopted during the world series of
1903 between Pittsburg and the Bos-
ton Americans. Shouted from humid
reds of threats In the games at Bos-
ton and Pittsburgh, the strains of
''Tessie" upset the Pirate players,
they afterwards declared, and Boston
won the series after being three games
behind. Again in 1904, the rooters
rallied to the support of home team
and sang Boston to victory in the
last game of the American League
season at New York. Two years ago
the Royal Rioters" travelled from
Boston to New York and from New
York to Boston, "Tessie" always on
their lips, following the Red Sex in
their wonderful series with the Giants.
The songsters from New England
will have to swell strong on the cho-
rus for every seat in grand stand and
bleachers has been sold. A big major
ity of the twenty-odd thousand spec
tators will be Athletic adherents and
w ho NJ
cheer or battle song the Braves will
know that the Mackmen, on their
home grounds. are backed by a vocal
tornado that is extremely disconcert-
ing to baseball players who seek to
drag them from their compansionship
throne.
This support Is not entirely devoted
to cheering and applause for the Ath-
letics' cohorts are willing and eager
to wager on the chances that the
American League club will defeat the
Boston representatives of the senior
organizations. The Braves great ex-
hibition of ability and gameness, how
ever, has made an impression and
while odds are quoted on the Athlet-
les the range Is comparatively small.
The leading odds are five to four on
the local club to win the series. Oc-
casionally enthusiastic fans are found
who have offered or given five to
three or even two to one but there is
nothing in the work or strength of
the two clubs to warrant odds ap-
preaching to two to one,
AS the team will probably lineup
tomorrow the combinations appear to
be evenly matched in offensive and
defensive strength. Where one club
has an advantage in one department
this is offset by weakness in another
the result being that when the general
average is struck the luck of the game
is likely to be a deciding factor and
as Frank Chance once remarked: "A
worlds series is too short for both
clubs to get an even break in the
luck" In battery material the Athlet-
les appear to have greater strength
in their second string pitchers and the
confidence that comes to twirlers and
catchers who are no longer strangers
to the strain of a worlds series
Both from batting and fielding stand
point the averages show that Boston s
infield does not quite reach the
strength of the Athletics. The outfield
combinations are more evenly matched.
The Braves are heavier hitters and
field and throw equally as well as the
present Worlds Champions.
Much will depend upon the manner
in which the teams are handled by
their managerial faces and in this
respect the battle of wits and tactics
between Mack and Stallings, aided by
their lieutenants on field and bench.
may be the pivot upon which victory
or defeat will swing.
Both have shown remarkable ability
in the developing and handling of
players although their methods are
radically different. When the teams
take the field tomorrow Mack will sit
quietly in the dugout saying little,
signalling some yet running his ma
chine with a steady but invisible hand.
Across the turf Stallings, keyed to a
high pitch of excitement and enthu-
siasm, will direct every move of his
team, laboring with an intensity Of
purpose that leaves him as soaked
and exhausted as the hardest worked
player of the club.