The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-06
Big League Seasons Close
RED SOX OUTCLASSED IN PITCHING PROBLEM
Alexander Considered Best Twirler in World String Men For Phillies in Poor Condition Red Sox Have
 Five First Glass Pitchers
BY HUGH s. FULLERTON

TOT the test and in the second game
 Eppa Jeptha is to step out and see if
 he Is right. If he happens to have one
 or his big days, that game either is a
 tie or the Phil1ies will win. If he
 is not right, then he'll be out of there,
 with Mayer finishing up defeat Mo
 ran may decide Rixey is not right on
 the second day and then Alexander
 will pitch.
 On the third day Alexander will be
 back on the slab provided he does not
 work the second. If he has won his
 first game. If Rixey wins the second,
 and Alex wins the third, Alexander
 will be back there the fourth day try
 ing to finish up the series with four
 straight victories. If the Phillies win
 two out of the first three. Moran will
 send Chalmers into the fourth game.
 But if they have lost two of the first
 three or three of them, then Alexan-
 der will be on that slab, and from
 that on Alexander will do all the pitch
 ing.
 It seems a superhuman task, but
 Alexander, in the opinion of a lot of
 wise baseball men. is equal to that task.
 Alexander is the best of the pitchers. but Carrigan has five men who are better than Moran's second pitcher
 Wood. Shore, Ruth, Foster and Leon- ard all are better pitchers than any man on Moran's staff except Alexan- der.
 Carrigan also has Gregg. Ray Col lins. Pennock and Mays. any one of Moran's corps Moran has Mayer Demaree and McQuillan--the last two slippers who have gone way back, and are preparing to be seated-and Ben Tincup. who is crippled. Of course, Carrigan has all the chances in the world to be blamed for making mistakes in his selection of pitchers. He has not a chance to evade the charge. If he loses a game. any pitcher he chooses is the wrong one. Yet it is shard to see how he could shut his eyes and touch anyone of five men and make a mistake. The remarkable attacking strength enters into this contest. He has the hardest hitting pitching corps in the country, and Wood. Ruth. Foster or Leonard is likely to break up a game by hitting-all being close to or above 300 hitters.
 I figure the Phillies to hit better against Wood and Foster than against the others of the five. and not to hit much against any of them. The closer one figures each batter against each pitcher, the lighter hit ting the series looks The only chance for hitting, it would seem. Is for AL exander to tire in the latter games or for Ruth to get wild and have to slow down to get control. I had figured Chalmers practically out of this series. but in his later games this season he has pitched so well that Moran undoubtedly will use him in case there Is a chance to do so and not lose the series itself. If he gets two games the advantage at r. of uxxd rest Alex" for further strain. The Sunday that will intervene be- tween the opening and the next two games helps Alexander immensely, and a day of rain during the series would
 be that much gain for him. I am figuring that Carrigan will use
 his pitchers practically as he did in the decisive series against Detroit It certainly will be Alexander and Wood for the starter, followed by Rixey and Leonard. After that con- ditions will rule the selection of pitch l CTS, and may compel either manager to alter his plans Carrigan can alter
 plans easily. but Moran has little choice.
 A great element in the strength of
 the Red Sox. you will find, lies in their reserve power. Carrigan need not fear to use pitchers He can take out men frequently, use pinch hitters. and make many changes without ap- preciably altering the team strength of his pitching staff. This does not amount to so much in actual play as | 1t does in wearing out mon. Many
 men would rather pitch a game than | to keep warmed up ready to pitch during a game. They say they pitch
 more in warming up than when on the slab. Moran dare not warm up Alex ander or Rixey to act as rescuers He must use Demaree, McQuillan and
 Mayer as his warm up squad, and if they get in it will be butchery in all probability. Demaree's slow floaters would be soft for the Red Sox and Mo- Quillan no longer is a good pitcher.
 Mayer is better. but Is not living up to the promise he gave when he broke in.
 That is the situation You cannot make 1t different, and the figures prove up perfectly.
 1 Tomorrow we will make the final study of the teams, before getting down to the last compilation-which | Is to see how these figures work out | into the box scores. We will consider the managers tomorrow, and under the head of managers we place a value |