The Washington times., 1914-08-30

Seldom have the baseball fans of
the United States been so closely
united on any proposition as they
are right now in wishing tee New
York Giants bad luck.
This doesn't mean that anybody
has any particular grudge against
the National League champions or
Manager McGraw. Individually. l
suppose that the Giant; are Us pop
ular as almost any other cluk, and
McGraw certainly has a host Of
friends and admirers. The reason
why so many of the baseball follow
ers are arrayed against the Goth
antics is that it is universally felt
that it would be good thing for
baseball to have new champion in
the Tener circuit.
National league fans in general have
no confidence in the ability of Nc
Graw's club to win the worlds series
If they get into 1t. and. for the honor
of the organizatio /: is felt that some
body ought to be pitted against the mur-
dering Mackmen who can hand them
a battle even il unable to win four of
the seven games.
Personally | am not sure that there
is a club in the country that can really
make the Macks worry but believe that
any one of the three clubs now fighting
New York for the lead would make a
better showing than the men from the
big city have made in their starts
against the American league champions.
The Giants must have lost some OF
their own confidence, too. for cluo
that has been as soundly thrashed as
they cannot keep on believing itself as
good as the thrasher. II ! had been
playing with the Giants in 1911 and
1918 and had chance to split the
worlds series money 800 without
struggle I fear I should forget my
sporting instincts and grab the chance.
Probably some of the New Yorks fig
ure that the Athletics cannot go on
beating them forever. but there Is
nothing in the past performances that
would Indicate any possibility of SHIFT
in the fortunes of war. Luck plays
big part in the Athletics successes. 1t
is true. but they have way of going
out and making luck for themselves
and there isn't much left for the other
fellows.
Aside from all questions of sympathy
with one league or the other. the pub
lie wants a change in the worlds series
CODtenderS. The majority would rather
have two new clubs in this falls battle
than only one. but there doesn't seem
much chance of bringing this about un-
less the Macks get mixed up in rail-
road wreck and lose half dozen OF
their stars. So people are pulling for
another National League champion on
the theory that half loaf Is better
than no bread.
II the American League had a close
race and the Giants had assured them
selves Of the pennant in their league.
tho sentiment would be the same. Ev-
erybOdv would he pulling against Phil
adeInbia no matter what club might
heat the Macks out. There seems to be
q good deal of sympathy for the under
dog I'm baseball. and the fact that the
Athletics have made show of the rest
OF the league for couple of seasons
has turned fans against them. Nobody
nniovs the spectacle of one club beat
ing the brains out of all the. others
ali the time and IL will be a very pop
Mar victory when there is a change of
champion in our circuit.
II is too early as vet to begin any
scientific discussion Of the National
| earue's chances i'm the worlds series
for nobody can tell what club is going
10 oct into the fall battles. There are
four which must he conceded good