The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-12
Squirt OF DODGERS
SEASON SENSATION
Team Is Averaging Bat Work
in Nice Proportion With
Pitching Delivered.
GIANTS ON THE IMPROVE
nv WILLIAM n. HANNA.

Thu Giants won Ave games and lost
two last week. and excepting In the
series with the Brooklyns they have
lone creditably ever since return
ing from the West. They have out
played the Braves and Reds In that time
and broken even with the Phillies. They
dropped four out OF five on their last
trip to Ebbets Field. and at the time their
poor showing was regarded as just an
other manifestation Of their In and out
way OF doing things. Maybe II was
maybe II was Just one of those slumps
from good to bad playing which strike
them no often and keep them In the sec
ond division. but in the light OF the
game the Brooklyns are playing the
Giants may not have been as bad In that
series as appeared.
Other clubs are taking lacings from
the Dodgers with fully as much regu-
larity. The Braves were showed under
as decisively as the Giants by Brook
lyn's slashing show of speed and
strength. and the Cubs. leaders OF the
race, haven't been n bit more dit
ficult for the Dodgers 10 beat.
This squirt of the Brooklyns is the
hottest present feature of the National
League campaign. II is due. as most
spurts are. to n combination of good
pitching and hitting. not always the two
together. but with good enough pitching
10 win when the hitting is light and
with hard enough hitting to win when
the pitching is being raped by the
opposing team.
TIL pace at which the Brooklyns are
moving. Ii n few speeds beyond anything
which can be maintained, and the sea-
sons future Of this team depends greatly
on how well It can recover from the
letup which follows an extraordinary
effort. Frequently in sport. base
ball and other kinds. such efforts have
a bad after effect. the length of the
latter depending on how good n grip
the man or men concerned have on
themselves.
The Brooklyn pitching stan is almost
entirely r. product of this season. II
has been built up by Robby within
a year. Pfefer and Rucker were the
rucleus from the old stan. The rest
OF it-Dell. Coombs. Smith. Douglas and
A~ppleton-are newcomers. some young
sters brought along TO a big league
point Of efficiency others. such as Doug
las and Coombs. seasoned pitchers
grabbed from clubs which no longer
wanted them and made TO At In as
strong cogs in the mechanism. Before
he became a manager Robby was expert
nj developing pitchers for others, and
for himself he has done still better.
Nobody has a harder. a more eyacting
JON than the substitute, and II he hap
pens tn be a general utility substitute IL
is all the more exacting when the time
comes To him to help out he must pro-
duce playing the equal of the regular for
whom he Is filling in. He Is handicapped
by the lack of the best Of all practice.
caily playing In actual competition. but
that Is no excuse. At the Polo Grounds
the other day there was a striking in
stance of a substitute being called on in
a pinch to do one particular thing and
doing II.
The Giants had two on bases, none out
and had to have those two runs To win
and end the game. II was the ninth
inning. A sacrifice above all else was
wanted at that particular moment, UNI
less a long safe hit could be delivered,
and there was a risk Of a double play
about a hard hit ball which n well placed
hunt would obviate. Eddie Grant was
called upon to produce that sacrifice, that
and nothing more. The ball had to he
nit just SO. and quick. shrewd judgment
had to be used in picking out the right
ball at which to hunt.
With about one minutes stay in the
game as much depended on him as on
any other players work in the whole
game. Grant did exactly what he was
sent in there TO do. His hunt was of the
type known as perfect. il advanced the
men. and they both scored a moment
later. That's what we would call being
ready.
AleSandcr's record for his last Ave
games Two hits by Pittsburg. one hit
by New York. nine hits by Boston. one
bit by Brooklyn. two by New York
average hits a game by opponents. three.
Then further back. Four hits by Cincin-
natl. Ave hits by Pittsburg. nine hits bv
Chicago. one hit by St. Louis average
hits a game by opponents for last six
games, Z is; Tor last seven games.
3 81: for last eight games. 4 Is for
last nine games. 3 la. Some pitching
In fact the most so in n continuous way
we recall in two decades.
The fastest two men playing ball in any
one city are Maisel Of the Yankees and
Robertson OF the Giants. II is a sweep
Ing statement to say that each is the
fastest to hrst base in his league. SO we
don't say II, but each is fast enough and
a nier. They are fiers getting TO first
and getting around the bases. though
there are better base ~stealers in cacl,
league. Maisel IL better at calm
bases than Robertson, and one reason
is that he gets "A better start. Robertson
appears to be faster In getting to first
base. At least he heats out more in
field hits han AIaisel. That probably
IL because he jumps into the infeld,
Maisel has become n real slugger and IL
whanginK his safeties out hare and
clean. Robertson gets both kinds.
There's nothing prettier than the way
the ball leaps on his bat when he does
meet II on tho nose. And he can beat
out more which are chopped to the in
HELD than anybody who's happened along
his way.