The Washington herald., 1914-10-08
overconfidence May
Cost Mackmen Series
Athletics Cocky on Eve Of
Classic Braves Shodld Not
Be Held Cheaply.
OTHER SPORT COMMENT
BY WILLIAM PEEF.

While It Is hard to see how the Braves
are going TO beat the Athletics in the
worlds series, which start tomorrow,
there is such a thing as overconhdence.
The tortoise has caught the hare on the
baseball field before this.
To q man the Mack brigade believes
that the series will be Of short duration.
They cannot see where the Braves have
q chance in the world, and it may be that
in this respect they are holding the en-
emy cheaply.
wise old Connie Mack himself said that
any ball club able to jump from last
place to the top Of the league ladder in a
few weeks should command respect, and
added that Boston would give a good ac-
count Of itself in the big games
Overconfidence cost Virginia a triumph
over Georgetown in the big football game
here last fall Holding an opponent too
cheaply has sent many champion boxer
down to defeat.
The Athletics had best get this overcon-
hdent feeling out of their systems before
the umpire shouts Batter up" tomor-
row.
Man for man, the Athletics are admit
tedly stronger than the Boston Braves
and on form should win hands down.
It is a known fact that Mack scouts
have watched the Braves in action during
the past ten days. What these scouts
probably warned their pals to watch out
for are:
Not to wander too far from hBt base after
getting on. The Boston pitching STAN has been
carefully trzined to catch foemen mapping, and
have had great success all the seAson-
The lightning drives Of Joe Connolly down the
hrst-base line, the clever bunting Of Johnny
EEers and the long WallOIs Of Hank GoWdy.
The waiting out policy Of the Boston bats
men. Time and again a star pitcher has sui
bRl
pCeSsed On him that he has to pitch to his limit
with every the Braves lineup.
The hitting Of the Boston pitchsrs, almost
ever one Of whom is Es liable to come through
with a hit any other player in the lineup.
Hank GoUdy's throwing arm The tail, IN
Eainly baekstup has peg that has stopped the
fastest men in the National League.
When Mann and Connolly in the game. not
to take too many liberties in attempting to
stretch hits into extra bases, ss both men are
Not 70 play too far in-this for the outheIdes.
and especially the right heider-When MEr1nvfle
is at bat As the Rabbit sometimes hits them
Very far With his ''choked'' bludgeon.
Not to take it for granted that Charley
Schmidt is slow because he is heavily built
giant. Charles is faster than he looks-
The unfortunate accident TO Red Smith.
third baseman Of the Boston Braves
that forces him out of the series, is one
Of the toughest breaks that any team
important series.
The fact that he broke his leg in the
next to last scheduled game before facing
the Connie Macks made the accident all
the harder for Smith himself as well
as his team mates to bear. for all their
plans centered aboTt the brick-topper
third sacker and his known ability.
To have all these plans knocked gal
ley west at the last moment is enough
to demoralize any team.
Deal, the man Smith replaced just be-
fore the Braves started their sensation
al squirt that carried them to the front
Of the National League race and finally
made them pennant winners, will have
to be put back on third. While a good,
earnest player, Deal, has neither the Of
fensive or defensive skill of Smith. The
fact that he has been out of the game
for so long will also initiate against his
being able to do his best