Evening journal., 1914-09-14
Giants WON'T SPURT:
boston WON'T BLOW
In Consequence the Worlds
Championship Layout Con-
tinueS Unchanged
NEW WORKERS FAR
FROM DISCOURAGED

Can the Giants close the gap be-
tween themselves and the Boston
Braves?
That is the question of the hour
among fandom, ard the present week
will probably tell whether New York
gets another Worlds Series at the
Polo Grounds this fall or whether the
Giants and Yankees will quarrel for
the baseball supremacy Of little old
Manhattan Island.
Can the Giants cut down that gap?
The writer has been asked that ques-
tion by good many people, and his
answer all along has been that things
do not look very rosy for the Cham
pions.
The Giants still have a splendid
chance to win that fourth pennant-
far more than a fighting chance. Bos-
ton may blow sky high, and even the
Cardinals may still nab the gonfalon.
In this crazy-quilt pennant race no
one can tell what is likely TO happen.
However, if no more serious upsets
occur, Boston has the best chance to
come through The Braves have been
playing at terrific clip since July 4,
while during the same time the Giants
have stood stock still. No team can
play 800 per cent. ball over stretch
Of two months and expect to win a
pennant II can't be done.
For weeks we have been looking for
the Giant squirt and the blowup of the
Braves, but the Champs refuse to
spurt and the Braves as obstinately
refuse to blow. Three weeks of hard
fighting remain, and it is still time to
rally. By kcSping apace with the
Braves from now on to the end Of the
month and by knocking the tar out Of
them in early October, when the two
teams clash five times at the Polo
Grounds, the Giants may still figure in
the Worlds Series coin.
The Boston pitching staff has been
threatening to slow up for some time,
but just as we feel cheerful
about Rudolph being hit hard in all his
victories he comes around with a shut
out victory over the slugging Quakers.
Bill James. who also was supposed to
be weakening, beats the Giants with
ease on Tuesday and comes back on
Thursday with another easy triumph
over the Phillies.
Then when it looked as though Stall
lings would have no extra reserves 10
handle his double-headers, little
George Davis, a Yankee cast-off. turn
ed aside as useless by Frank Chance,
! pitches a no-hit game.
We must repeat that Boston shows
very little inclination to blow, and
our honest opinion is that they will
not do any blowing.
The Giants meet the Phils in another
double-header in Quakerville toda,
and wind up the five-game series OF
Tuesday. The three-time Champions
will then return to the Folio Grounds
for their last stand against the West
ern invaders. Herzog's Reds. who
have defeated the Giants seven out oI
their last eight games. get to New
York on Wednesday, and will remain
until Friday. The Cubs will open q
series on the Polo Grounds on Satur-
day.
While the Giants are in Philadelphia
the Brooklyns remain in Boston fol
two more games. Pittsburgh goes
TO Boston on Wednesday, and the
Pirates have been very soft for the
Braves all year. The Corsairs will be
in the Hub for four days, and arc
hardly likely to melt much off the
Boston percentage
Outside of New York The sentiment
is very strong for Boston TO win tho
pennant, and even in New York there
seems TO be less enthusiasm over the
Giants fight TO win the championship
than was shown here during the las
three pennant-winning years. This
lack of enthusiasm is probably due t.
the slipshod performance of the Giants
all year.
Those close to McGraw. however
will be very sorry to see the Giants
nosed out during the last few weeks
of the season, and the Giant leader de
serves the full support of the fans il
the stirring struggles Of the next three
weeks. If the Giants lose out it vii
mean a lifelong ambition swept away
McGaw has achieved many honOrl
in baseball, and has placed New Yorl
on the baseball map, and his ambition
to be the first National League man
ager to win four consecutive pennant
is a most honorable one.
If McGraw fails to turn the tricl
this year by the jinx which has baf
fled Anson, Selee, Hanlon, Clarke
Jennings and Mack, it may be Ions
time before John J. gets another
chance to put over a fourth straigh
winner. A new pennant team mus
be built up before the Giants get baci
to their old prosperous ways.
After the Giant champions of 190
and 1905 fell apart in 1906, it tool
McGraw until 1911 to put over hi
next winner, though a technicalit.
beat him in 1908.