Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-02
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{. STALLINGS
By GEORGE T. sTALLINGs.

delphia two days before the opening
game. OF course, from the time we
knew we had the championship
cinched we had been preparing our
signs and studying the Philadelphia
team and going over the weaknesses
of the Athletics together and figuring
how we could get the percentage,
which, as ] said, is our clubhouse slo-
gan. -.-.-
The Athletics were also making
some preparations and did not hold
our club as lightly just before the
series as some Of the fans seemed to
think. A few of the Philadelphia
players made some by-plays which
were ineffective but which showed
that they had been doing some think
ing. flost OF the Boston players went
out to Shibe park on the day of the
last game Of the American league
schedule when the Athletics we're
playing the Yankees.
Yankees Helped Mackmen.
Connie Mack knew that the Boston
club was present looking his team
over and so he pulled something
which was meant to have a twofold
effect. The Yankees had nothing to
gam or lose by winning or losing that
last game, but they had a chance to
help the American league in the
worlds series. Therefore the New
York pitchers went into the box and
just laid the ball over that plate in.
the groove with nothing on it and the
Philadelphia hitters busted it all over
the lot. Connie figured this would
give his players confidence, since tho
surest way Of curing batting slump
Is to have twirler go in with moth.
ing on the ball. The players get to,
hitting this easy delivery and believe
that they can bat any sort of pitching,
and often they can, This is the old
remedy for the batting slump. There.
fore. Mack probably thought this
hard hitting in the last game Of the
season would give his men confidence
But, more important, he figured II
would scare us. The smart manager
Of the Athletics thought that If some
Of our young pitchers In the stand saw
the reputed heavy artillery of the Ath.
letics smeariHg the delivery they faced
All over the field their confidence would
be shaken when they stepped into the
box But had been training their
confidence for Just this ordeal. / told
the whole club to show ND in my
room at the hotel right afer dinner
that night In the meantime I had
collected all the box scores
Of the Athletics for the previous
month, thanks to newspaper friend
Of mine.
staIlinos Explains to Team.
You boys saw the Athletics bat.
ting that ball pretty hard out there
today" told my men. $50 / have
brought along the box scores of their.
last games of the season to show that
they can't lift hard when the pitcher
Is putting something on the pill. or
course, when twirler stands up there
and just throws them over, as the
pitchers did today. a blind man could
bust them. Even old Fred Mitchell
here could have made q couple of
home runs on that stuff"
As a matter of fact, the Athletics
had been In batting slumS and a
pretty bad one, for some time just
before the series and they had not
been hitting at all. In fact, they
stayed in the slump throughout the |
series, although the pitching. they
laced would have made any club look
rs though it was In slump. But on
The night of this meeting my players |
made a careful study OF the box scores
hat had collected and they saw
hat the hitting Of the Athletics had |
lot been terrific at all. Especially |
lid my pitchers study these box scores
md their confidence was not shaken a |
BIT by them, but strengthened a little, |
I anything. ] was bending every en-
,rgy to win that series, for this was
he big chance of my career and; / |
new It. I did little sleeping the last |
wo or three nights before the first |
yame. Neither did / sleep for several |
lights after the last game, although I |
NEW we had the thing wanted most |
Won and they could not take 1t away
rom us. The strain had been great. |
( the series had run game or two |
onger. I think would be in the bug
louse now.
Vrdu9le Gave Inem rep.
Then came the big blowup, which |
'egret now, but which, figure, was a |
'ig help to my team then, though we
would have won without it / had
'een trying to hit upon a scheme that |
would send my club into the series
lighting mad. with real crouch over
'omething definite. The sun in the |
'utfeld at Shibe park is bad for a
'all player who is not used to ths
and so I asked Mack If he
minded If we took a little practise in
lis park on the day before the first
contest while his club was not using
t When it begins to get along to-
ward the late afternoon on those
rounds the outfeld is one of the
onghest in. the country to play, be-
ause the sun slants right into the
elders eyes.
OF course Mack and his club were
sed to the grounds where the con-
ests in Boston were to take place, be-
ause. it was the American league
ark, and the Athletics had been play.
lg ball there all SUMMER. Therefore,
thought II only fair that our outfield-
&c chofld oof q aof1nla Of bo,ro In, L