South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-18
RAG NO LEAD PIPE
CINCH FOR GIANTS
Rapid Rise of SCrapping Braves
in Race for National League
Pennant Leaves Gotham One
Hard Chance to Win.
BY FRANK G. MENKE.

NEW YORK, Aug. 1S.-haVe you
noticed that the element which used
70 insist that the National league race
IS fixed 50 that the Giants will win"
have become strangely silent during
the last two weeks?
The Giants may win this year, and
give that crowd a chance to yell i
told you So" but if the Giants do win
they'll do il only after one of the Bit
terest fights in the history OF the Ma
tiOnal league. It's toss-up just now
as to which of the first division four
-<Siants, Braves, Cards and Cubs
will clutch the bunting.
The Braves have come along since
rlidJuly like "A streak Of lightning.
They literally have tipped through the
league and torn to sheds nearly every
thing that stood in their way. They
have played better baseball over a
months stretch than has been seen
in the Major leagues for many years.
The Cards still are hugging close
onto the heels of the leaders and
the Cubs haven't gone into the terri
BILE decline that was predicted by
many of the wise" ones. With this
trio to battle against. with this trio
to watch and worry about, the Giants
have a mighty task before them in
modern baseball has done so far
winning the pennant for four years
in row.
The Giants must look to their pitch
ers from now on to carry them
through. The club, as a whole, isn't
hitting-except in streaks. Some days
il makes enough hits and runs to win
half dozen ordinary games, but for
a spell of a week or so it has a mighty
job averaging two runs and four hits
to a game.
Chief Meyers, the erstwhile slug
ger. has been benched because Of
weak clubbing. Larry Doyle pounds
out three or four hits somedays-
and goes hitless for the next three or
four. The Giants aren't hitting in
pinches just now, and are losing
games for the lack of timely punch.
Nor are the fielding or running
bases UP TO their old standard. The
team is in a slump-and bad one.
It's up to Matty, Tesreau, Marquard
and Decmaree to keep the champions
around the top. Demaree hasn't de-
livered this year. Marquard is pitch
ing iu-and-out ball-a great game one
day and an eccentric one the next.
Tesreau has been pitching fine ball,
Matty has pitched better baseball than
at any time in his lone career. This
pair has carried the brunt Of the
Giants fight. But how long can they
keep II up -
If they can last out for another
month ii may be sufficient time for
Ndarquard and Demaree to come
through" But, at the rate they have
been travelling, that month may use
them up. They may pitch them
selves out-and then McGraw Will
have to depend on pitchers in whom
he has no confidence-and in whom
the players have but little real con-
fidence this year.
II you were to ask Manager George
Stallings, of the Braves, what 1t was
that lifted his club from the bottom
almost TO the top in less than month,
he probably would tell you it was
good pitching, good fielding and good
batting. And he might tell you 1T was
a charm that was given to him on
July 10. Stallings is superstitious and
he thinks that q lucky coin has lot
to do with the upljft % the Braves.
Knowing of StaiDEgs superstitious
beliefs Capt Rice, retired army Of
ficer, gave a Spanish coin to the Bos-
ton manager. II was an ancient piece
that was found IN a little bag around
the neck of a rebe' soldier in Hayu
who had been killed in one of the
skirmishes down there. The rebel
was a member Of voodoo organiZa-
ton and was regarded as one of its
little spell casters.
Rice gave the coin TO Stallings and
on the very day he did the Braves
won the game that lifted them out
Of the cellar for the first time since