The Calumet news., 1914-10-03
THE CRACKING
OF THE GIANTS
Figures Show Weakness In Nc.
Graw's Outfit This Season

New York, oct. S.-The once mighty
Giants have faded. The nerve -racking
pace of tight pennant race, in which
they hoped to annex their fourth
straight National league championship,
has had its effect and the old Giant
machine has gone to pieces under the
strain.
a variety OF reasons are advanced
for the collapse OF the McGraw hench-
men. The loss of Herzog and McCor-
mick, who were members OF last year 9
team, the falling down in batting
among the regulars, and the failure OF
Marquard and Demaree to pitch up 10
their 1913 form all seem to contribute
to the slump of the old champions.
A comparison OF the pitching records
of 1913 and 1914 shows that Mathew
son and Tesreau are the only New
York fingers who have been able to
duplicate this season their performan-
ces OF last year. Mathewson has not
quite equaled his 1913 mark. but Tes-
reau has surpassed his record OF last
year.
Pitchers Fall Down.
In contrast to the good work OF
"Matty" and big JEFF" the pitching Of
Demaree and Marquard has been a
bitter disappointment TO Gotham fans
this season, since great reliance had
been placed on this pair OF beavers to
add to the list Of victories.
Last season Demaree and Marquard
pitched wonderful ball, the former
winning % out Of 29 games and the
last-named coping 23 out Of 80 games
pitched. The records OF the pair for
this season show they have lost double
of games they have won.
This reversal i'm pitching form on the
part Of the two stars was enough in
itself to put the skids under the Giants.
But in addition. McGraw has had to
contend with weak hitting on the part
of his regulars. While the Giants sur
pass the Braves i'm team batting, the
individual batting marks OF the New
Grant and Bescher, are below the per-
centages turned in last esason.
Vets Weak at Bat
Chief" Meyers. who hit for ,3l2 in
1913. has hit around the .270 mark this
year. Fletcher also has hit for about
.270. with a last years average OF .297.
with a mark Of .29l last
season. has been hitting for .264 this
year, while Mclean has dropped from
1856 in 1913 to .259 in 1914 The stick
work OF Captain Larry Doyle also has
suffered a slump. Doyle's batting av-
erage OF .2s0 last year has shrunk to
.266. Murray and Merlle are two more
OF the Giant regulars who have failed
in effective batting. The formers
mark OF .267 last season has dropped
to .213, and Merkle's average has fall
len from POI to .249.
or the three Giants who have bet
tered their batting averages this year,
the greatest climb has been made by
Grant, who has advanced from .211 in
1913 to .3o7 this year. Burns has boost
ed his figures from .g6S TO 1902 and
Bescher has gone up from .25S to .277.
MeGrsw Will Rebuild.
Another apparent weakness In the
Giants game is in the pi9ch-hitting
department. Harry Mccormick. who
the Chattanooga team this
season, was the pinch hitter for the
Giants last year and closed the season
with a batting average Of .275 This
season Mike Donlin, in his day one OF
he greatest batters in the game, was
To fill McCormick's place. |
But Mike has failed to live up To his |
reputation as a pinch hitter, his bat
ing average being less than 200.
The foregoing are the facts and-ig- |
Tres in regards To the slump OF the |
Giants. But i'm some quarters other |
'auses are advanced for the downfall |
" the old champions Some say that |
he winning of three pennants caused |
he team to become "chesty." Believ-
ng they had cnch on the flag this |
year they took things easy and when |
he time came for them TO show the |
punch or lose-they lost.
New York fans will not he surprised |
Z several of the present regulars are
'ither benched or released when the
.si5 season opens next April. Man
,ger McGraw has q dozen promising |
'ecruits awaiting the chance to get I