The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-04-03
Fans Are Wondering If John Nc
Graw Can Make It Four in
a Row for New York.

What chance have the Giants to make
Il four championships in rowi GIN
John McGraw Drak a precedent which
has resisted tho efforts Of the great
managers Of the National Lesgle for
thirty-seven yeafsf AS most fans
know, no clue In either the National
o. the American League has ever had
the good fortune 70 win four conseea.
tive ponnants
An unwritten baseball law seems TO
say ~ can Z be done. -Four pen.
nants have been won in row in ma
jor league baseball, but these stunts
belong to ancient history. The Old
Boston Red Stockings Of the old Ma
tional Association won pennants In
1879, 1873, 1874 and 1878, while Comis-
keys 81. Louis Browns of the Ameri.
calT Association won championships in
1855, 1856, 1887 and 1885, The Ameri.
can Association was a mSjor league in
those days,
On six occasions National League
managers have won three flags 10 a
row Cap Arson was the first National
League manager to win three straight
banners, his Chicago White Stockings
winning the championship in 1850, 1881
and 1852. Frank Selee was the next
manager TO turn the trick, his Bostons
winning In 1892, 1893 and 1924.
Hanlon Won Three for Baltimore.
New Hanlon started in where Selee
left on and proceeded 70 reel OF a
cluster Of three flags with his Balti.
more Orioles in ls04, 1895 and 1896.
Fred Clarke was the fourth man ger Z,
do this stunt. His Pirates won. the
premier honors in 1901, 1902 and 1908.
Frank Chance was the next in line.
The Cubs copied in 1905, 1907 and
l90S, while McGraw's Giants won in
1911, 1912 and 1918.
Only One in American League.
In the American League only one
manager has succeeded in winning
three consecutive championships. Hugh
Jennings was this son Of good fortune.
His Detroit Tigers won in 1907, 1903
and 1909.
II may, therefore, be seen that win
ming four consecutive flags Is no c'nch.
Time after time It looked as though the
trick might be turned. but always
something happened. Frank Chancs
lost an opportunity TO set up record
Of FIVE straight when be lost ont 10 tn,
Pirates in 1909. johnny Kling's deser.
tion was really responsible for the loss
Of this flag.
Mack Had His Chance.
Connie Mack also lost chance to set
up a new record for consecutive pen,
nants when the Red Sox beat him ont
in 1912. The failure of several of Con.
ME s most reliable stars to keep on the
water wagon IN 1912 pc; haps prevented
Mack from winning four consecutive
world Championships. He might even
have gone further than that, as il win
take an rwf,l lot Of baseball to keep
the Maekites out Of the world series
the next few years, and the Athletes
never developed any losing HABITS dur
ing their recent world series debates.
In the face Of these records Il looks
as If McGraw has next to hopeless
task 10 win next season, but John j.
knows that sooner or later some one
must break the precedent, and he
thinks Il might as well be himself.
The psychological effect of losing
< three straight world series is hound TO
be noticeable on the Giants. while win.
ming pennants will have become old
stuff 10 them. A club that has had the
championship edge worn of their can
not emerge from a slump as readily as
the new championship aspirant, who
still has to taste his first drop Of pen
nant wine. q
New York Not Great club.
There is another, truth which must
be considered. 1t Is that the Giants
are not a great club and never were.
These are some mediocre players ON
the Giants who have looked good be-
cause McGraw made them play above
their normal ability, In worll series
some of these players returned to their
normal level and looked bad.
Some Of the best friends of the
Giants, men who have well.nigh wor-
SHIPPED the club for years, have awak
ered 70 this truth, and they are now
clamoring for the release OF certain
players, Thew insist that the Giants
can never win q world series with
their present array, and this perhaps
is so.
However, II McGraw suddenly releas-
ed MerlSle, Snodgras, Shafer and half
dozen others, where would he hei
He must have a first baseman and field
ers, and even though the players men
toned have hatit Of bungling up
things. they must be retained until
some better ones are procured.
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