The Washington times., 1915-09-20
MCGRAW SAYS---
Feds are trying to use him in their
advertising campaign---WiH never
join Jitney league until he's d0ne

| and for this reason the old Phi,lies
always blew up In July because they
were we're sssrehing sea ,,nsuY for r, coed chance to
the old club had more baseball In it,
but spirit Is preferable. There is a good
deal Of baseball IN the Giants. but not
an ounce OF spirit.
Moran has handled his pitchers beau
tifully. He knows pitchers, and he has
worked his stafr until he has gotten the
last last ounce a :S,. out Of it; stallinss' pig
TINS year bs have been his
Evers. Without Evers in the lineup,
the Braves look like second division
travellers even in as bad -comany as
seese The sne Bostom CLUB asS1 W,bas this
Evers is like pepper shaker without
any pepper in It. 1t looked at the be-
ginning of the race as II stallings
should get the best twirling on the cir
| cult. James went bad in the schedule,
and Tyler hasn't turned in hardly a
good game this season. George has had
| to depend on untried men mostly. =
Rudolph Is the only one who has come
that form which won the pennant when
Tyler. James and Rudolph were pound
Ing steadily along. l expected to see
the pitchers finally recover for the
| reason. l had been predicting Boston all
along. but can't see the team now.
The club has the spirit. There Is no
doubt about that. But the Phillies have
developed lust as much spirit. too, and
are fighting lust as hard on the road.
The Dodgers are long shot. l don't
think the team can come through. 1t
IL not steady enough under fire. Tho
tinal sprint at home at the very end OF
the schedule might mean something. but
! don't think SO. for Moran has Alexan-
der. and Pat has been nursing him
lately for necessities. II Robbie" had
Rucker at his best. 1t might be different.
Nap" hasn't shown much this year.
don't see anything in the rest Of the
league worthy Of mention at this stage.
I suppose followers Of baseball want
to read this stun and laugh. The Giants
| since l have taken charge of the club.
Just four years ago. on the same road
trip. we won the pennant by the best
travelling. So things shit over the space
Of four years. But they shifted on me
without my knowing 1t. I might be ex-
pected TO rave now. as l um popularity
supposed to do under such circum-
stances. but am not going to do 1t.
When l took the club South last
spring. I thought that Stallings would
be the only man l would have to beat
and l figured on winning from him
look strong enough before the race
to beat me. And Pat" Moran, a rank
outsider. with a club judged to be a
Joke. Is coming through. For the
first time l admit the Phillies are
going to win. The spirit Of the team
and Alexander have done ii.
1t never seemed to me that the
Phillies could develop the spirit they
nave shown this season. though II
have always know what Alexander
Is. Moran has done wonders. He
caught star in young Bancroft. and
he has made players show big league
form that / would have waived on a
year ago.
It has been a year Of pitchers, very
bad pitching and very good. Matty.
who Is a percentage guy. figures that
pitching amounts to only about 33 Ia
club or less. His argument is that
you can't win ball game without
runs. no matter how good your twirl- |
ers are. and bad fielding Will Off
set any pitching. But I know only
too well that you can't win ball
game without pitching. In fact. you
can't win without batting or pitching
or fielding. Neither can you figure any
or them on a percentage basis. 1t Is
all part of a ball club. But good |
pitching will go a long ways toward
winning pennant, as Alexander has
shown this season.
NV wh9le ball club has crumbled. but
He has been turning in game after
game for fifteen years. saving me and
my club whenever we have been in
hole and needed game. He has
worked his heart out, for me- He de-
entirely satisfied II he comes back |
next season and goes along just stead
lily. You can say for Matty that he
never went to the box yet and didn't
But the rest of them, Disannoint.
ment, after disappointment. Mar
guard. Tesreau and the rest of the
roll call. When l got Perritt. figur-
ed he was one of the three best pitch
ers IN the league. He has shown very
few well worked games; "Rube'
this year. "Rube" Marquard. the man,
spoiled "Rube" Marquard, a great
pitcher. He could not get himself in
the winning frame OF mind. l have
only to be unable to show 1t in the
box. He was always worrying. too. for
fear Marquard was getting the worst
Of 1t. Nothing hurts pitcher more
Finally. l got dissusted with hin: and
let him go.
Often / have wished for the old team
OF 1904 and 1906. which. to my mind,
was the greatest that has ever been in
the league in my time. better than the
old CUBS and all the rest. Matty was
haven't been any as good since. and
there won't be for many years. ir ever.
He made that ball club, and I give him
credit for it, but he had those old war
horses. McGinnity, McGarn, Dahlen,
Gilbert. Devlin and the rest with him
did in the worlds series against the
Athletics. But the team of 1905 has
done me no good today.
Copyright. 1915, by the Wheeler