Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-12-17
Ey BILLY EVANS,
Bio LEAGUE Umpire.

likely To break the worlds record.
I'm afraid Of this ST Louis bunch,
though. for it always gives Wales
plenty of trouble" 1t was capt George
Mcbride of the Washington club do
nIg the taking. We were discussing
Walter Johnson ) chances to better his
record Of IL straight victories. The
St Louis club was just finishing its
fielding practise. 1t was a seventh
place aggregation, and looked none
TOO formidable, yet the Washington
team feared the coming meeting, when
Walter Johnson did the pitching. The
greatest pitcher IN the world was to
face a seventh place team, yet his
teammates were dubious as to the re-
suit.
Early in the season OF 1912 RUDE
Marquard of the New York Giants
startled the baseball world by winning
10 straight games. Starting with the
opening game Of the season, he went
to July s before suffering defeat. Then
with a chance to establish world
record, he failed in his twentieth
start. On July 3. the day of Mar
guards nineteenth victory, Walter
Johnson started his winning streak at
the expense of the New York Ameri-
cans. On August % he beat Detroit
8 to l. making his sixteenth straight
win. ST. Louis, a seventh place team,
and New York. hopeless tailender,
were the next two clubs scheduled to
play Washington. Most critics fig
ured it would be pipe for Johnson to
beat these two weak second division
clubs. That would make his record
is straight, and putting it up to him
to beat Philadelphia If he would equal
MarQpard's record.
The entire Washington team was
lots more worried about the approach
ing games than Johnson, the player
most concerned. While critics figured
St Louis and New York would be easy
fer Johnson, his teammates did not
regard the outcome in the same light.
It was this fear that caused Capt. Nc
Eride TO express the hope that John
son would be able to go through the
series with the Browns without hav.
ing his record spoiled. Another thing
that made the series all the more cri.
teal was the fact that the Washington
team still had good look-fn for the
pennant, and naturally the players
were anxious to take advantage of
every opportunity. .o .
No soft spots were picked for John,
son in piling up his victories or he
would never have been forced to face
the situation that confronted him in
the game of August 26. In the sew:
sRth tnnlng With tffes score a tie, 2 20
2, one down and runners on first and
second, Johnson was sent to the res.
cue of Tom Hughes. A wild pitch
moved the runners up base, the next
batter famed, and with two strikes
on him, Pete Compton came through
with a short single that scored, two
runs, ultimately winning the game 4
to 3. 1t was commended that the de,
feat should be charged to Hopkins,
but President Johnson ruled other.
wise. Two days later just to show
there was no fluke about the other vic.
tory, st. Louis beat Johnson 2 to 1,
in game in which he worked the en-.
tire route. The fears of Capt. Nc.
Bride, expressed prior to the series.
had been realized.
Crowns Always Worry. .....
1t is indeed strange how certain
teams appear to have the goat" of
other clubs The st. Louis team, no
matter how low it was in the race, has
always been able to come to life and
make trouble for Walter johnson. II
was the Browns who stopped Johnson,
after he had gone sc Is innings with.
out allowing the opposition run.
Most any time he faces the Mound
City boys he is sure of battle.
been mighty troublesome for the Ath-
letics. II the six other teams in the
American league were as easy for
Boston as the Athletics, that team
would always be a most dangerous
contender. Last season no club in the
American league was easier for Bos-
ton than Connie Mack's sterling ag-
gregation. Near the close of the sea,
son the Athletics were scheduled to
play a four-gam series at Boston. At
the time the Philadelphia team had a.
lead. No one would have
thought Mack's boys felt any concern
over the series with Boston, since the
season had only about month to
run, yet the Athletics were giving it
a lot Of consideration. III.
worked the series in philadelphia.
just prior to the coming clash in Bos-
ton. Several times heard the players
discussing the games on the bench.
Prior to one of the contests l heard
Ira Thomas remark:
Now all we need is to take two of
these four games, and we won't have
to worry any more about Boston. Car
rigan is probably figuring on that Sc
ries to put his boys back, in the run
ming. He will try his best to take the
series. Plank and Bressler have had
a good rest and our two left-handers
ought to take a game apiece"
Boston Won Four Straight.
That the Athletics had grounds for
fearing the Bostonians was proved by
the outcome of that four-game series.
The Red Sox took four straight games
in most decisive fashion, threw big
scare into. the Mackmen and made
them fight almost to! the very finish
before the pennant was cinched. Of
the last ten games played in 1914 be.