The Washington herald., 1914-09-07
fixed Element
IS NOW silent
Fans Who Claim Giants Are
Supposed to Land National /.
League Flag Scarce.
BRAVES SPURT FEATURE
-Four Clubs Are Still Bunched. with
All Having a Chance of Cop
ping the Pennant
BRAVES SPURT FEATURE

New York, Sept s.-Have you noticed
that the element which used to insist
that the National League race Is fixed
SO that the Giants will win have be-
come strangely silent during the last
two weeks?
The Giants may win this year, and give
that crowd a chance to yell, Il told you
So" but II the Giants do win they'll do
IL only after one OF the bitterest fights
in the history OF the Nationl League.
It's a toss-up just now as to which OF
the first division .four-Giants, Braves,
Cards, and Cubs-win clutch the bunting.
The Braves have come along since mid
July like q streak Of lightning. They lit
orally have zipped through the league
and torn to shreds nearly everything 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.
Are HuggiBE Close.
The Cards still are hugging close onto
the heels of the leaders. an the Cubs
haven't gone into the terrible 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 their efforts to do what no team
in modern baseball has done so far-win-
ming the pennant for four years in q row.
The Giants must look to their pitchers
from now on TO carry them through. The
club. as a whole. isn't hitting-except in
streaks. Some days II makes enough
hits and runs to win a half dozen ordi-
nary games. but for a spell OF a week or
so it has a mighty job averaging two
runs and four hits to a game.
Larry Doyle pounds out three or four
hits some days-and goes hitless for the
next three or four. The Giants aren't
hitting in pinches just now, and are los
ing games for the lack of timely punch.
Nor are they fielding or running bases
up to their old standard. The team is In
a slump-and a bad one.
Up to HurIcrs.
It's up to Matty. Tesreau, Marquard.
and Demaree 10 keep the champions
around the top. Demaree hasn't deliver
ed this year. Marquard is pitching In
and-out balI-a great game one day and
an eccentric one the next. Tesreau has
been pitching fine ball. Matty has pitch
long career. This pair has carried the
brunt of the Giants fight. But how long
can they keep IL up?
II they can last out for another month
II may be sufficient time for Marquard
and Demaree to come through" But
at the rate they have been travelling. that
month may use them up. They may pitch
themselves 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 confidence
this year.
StRIIinEs SuperHtItious.
II you were to ask Manager George
Stallings, OF the Braves, what II was
that lifted his club from the bottom al
most to the top in less than a month he
probably would tell you it was good
pitching, good fielding. and good batting.
And he might tell you IL was a charm
that was given to him on July 3 Stall
lings is superstitious and he thinks that
a luck coin has lot to do with the uplift
Of the Braves.
Knowing of Stallings' superstitious be-
liefs, Capt. Rice. retired army oficer,
gave a Spanish coin to the Boston man.
ager. 1t was an ancient t-piece that was
found in little bag around the neck Of
killed in one OF the skirmishes down
there. The rebel was a member OF a
voodoo organization 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 cellat
for the first time since the season opened
Stallings is sure that the lucky piece has
a lot to do with what the Braves have
been able to do since then.