Grand Forks daily herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, 1914-09-09
50 SAYS N'CRAW
Of THE GIANTS
Believes He Has Edge in
This Respect-Nifnecker
Surprises St. Paul.
WITH CUFF LINKS
Local Players Show Appre-
ciation-Peters Shines
in Pegging.
BY Benz

John J.. McGraw. leader of the Gil
ants, declares that the present series
with the raves is the decisive one.
II either team gets the edge, that team
Is likely to win the pennant. But, if
the two engage with an even-break,
1t Is. then, a battle of pitchers, he
says.
Here is where McGraw thinks he
has the advantage. O'Toole, he be-
lieves, has materially strengthened his
regular hurting staff. Stallings. the
Giant leade declares, has just a trio
Of regular pitchers. and, with a long
list Of double-headers to face, the
Boston manager will have to weaken
his team by sending In second string
men.
But McGraw Is not claiming any
r~ock-bound cinch. The fighting spir-
it of the Braves, directed by Evers
and Stallings. is not to his liking. This
spirit, more than anything, has car
ried the Boston team to the front, and
will keep them there. And so Nc
Graw, crafty baseball leader and pen
nant aspirant. is making the fight Of
his life to undermine 1t.
For this reason, he purchased
O'ToGle. He has several youngsters,
among them Rube Schauer, who can
hurl great ball. but they ack the ex-
%perience. Matty and Marquard can
not do it all. so McGraw had to look
for n seasoned man. O'Toole was avail
able, and, after once offering $25, 900,
the New York manager got him for
$2,500-the major league bargain
price.
McGraw believes O"Toole is a man
after the Ames type. He thinks q
change viii ] do him good. just as 1t
after being sold, handicapped O'Toole,
but this has been overcome by Martyrs
disappointment in himself. He has
wanted to get away from the Athlet-
les. so will work harder for McGraw.
McGraw also avs that an injury or
an illness to one of the regular play
ers might decide the race. If Evers is
forced out Of the lineup. Boston will
get a telling blow. And Evers has
stomach trouble.
In his recent syndicated article. Nc
Graw says he doesn't want Evers out,
bu., reading between the lines, one a
see that the world-series split is more
appealing thai winning an %"untaint-
ed" pennant.
Bobby" Nifnecker got into action
with st. Paul Yesterday, and, accord
ing to meager reports, did exception
ally we'll.
Nifnecker's showing is not surpris-
ing. for he Is a player that develops
~ sp'Su aHu apiiily "HeH III FASTER
company.
And. as a matter of fact. this is the
acid test of a player. Many stars
go up from the bushes each year, but
the vast number of them Drove flashes
in the pan. They were Just a little
too fast for the minors. but not fast
enough for the majors. They were go
ing at their top speed. and unable to
develop when they got up.
This is Nifnecker's case. He was
the class of Northern league short
stops, but was not travelling at his
greatest speed. When the occasion de-
manded. he showed greater ability.
The harder the chance, the better Nif-
necker liked it m the better he
handled 1t.
This ability to develop better and
faster playing under heavy fire is
what will carry him through the as
ISOLATION and into faster com n
Nifnecker is a great ball player, and
has made his start higher up" Grand
Forks fans will follow his career with
interest.
The Grand Forks baseball players
to a man thought well of Eddie Wheel
err, their genial manager.
AS an expression Of their esteem
they presented him with a pair of dia-
mond studded cuff links.
The presentation was made at Wi
mona after the last game. There were