The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-10-06
BOSTON HURLERS
0UTRANK PHILLES.
Alexander, Though, Expect
ed to Make Up for
Deficiencies.
az AssocInted press.l

(By ASSOCIATED Press.)
NEW YORK, Oct. 6.-As was the
case last season, when the same cities
but different clubs were involved in
the worlds series, Philadelphia and
Boston will enter the coming struggle
for the prize OF the baseball universe
with the same numerical strength In
the pitching department. Both the
Phlllies and the Red Sox have eight
twirlers who can be called 10 the
mound by Managers Moran and Car.
rtgan, but 1t is likely that not more
than half this force OF hurlers will
be started during the series which
begins late this week.
The Phillies' pitching staff includes
Alexander, Demaree, McQuillen, Rixey,
Chalmers, Mayer, lineup and Baum
gartner. The Red Sox hurting force
includes Foster, Leonard, Ruth, Shore,
Wood, Gregg, Collins and Mays. Sew
eral Of these pitchers have not figured
to any extent in the general seasons
play, and 1t Is possible that their
names will not be found in the box
scores when the final reckonings are
made for the series Of 1915. Those
National League representatives are
Alexander, Demaree. Mayer, McQuil.
len, Rixey and Chalmers. while the
American League pitchers will un.
douhtedly be selected from Foster,
Leonard, Ruth. Shore. Wood
Gregg
III considering the strength of the
pitching departments OF the Phillies
and Red SoX II is. therefore, neces'
sary TO analyze the all.round ability
OF the sextettes named. An unusual
difficulty is encountered at the very
beginning since II is conceded that
Alexander will be used in from two
to three of the first four games de-.
pending upon the order of play. Alex
andcr stands head and shoulders
above his pitching teammates, and is
Manager Pat Moran's trump card, to
be played at every possible opoor.
tunity and some clever baseball poll:
ties and diplomacy has centercd about
the extraordinary ability Of Philiie5.
star.
Aiexander's pitching average for the
season is more than 200 points higher
than any of the other Philadelphia
club twirlcrs. Taking the SIX numed
aud averaging their records for the
season, gives team pitching average
of .541. These figures do not repre-.
sent the strength OF the Phillies, how.
ever, II Alexander is used in, say three
OF a possible six games. Under such
n schedule the average would be in.
creased more than 100 per cent and
Moran is too shrcwi manager to
overlook any such increase in strength
Following Alexander. Mayer and Dem
aree have proved the most success
full twirlcrs for the National League
/ oennant winners. NcQuillan has won
and lost IN equal number OF games,
while Rixcy and Chalmers are Slightly
! below the SEQ mark.
Against this pitching staff otdnne
star ard FIVE twirlcr3 OF moderate
ability the Red ScX ar alto to mus.
ter six moundsmcr r"'o 1f whom can
quite cGua! Alexander r.cn-A, bGt al
showing averages ra-G'Hg f:crl 100
| to figures so pointG hichc". Il g due
| to this high class average that the
Boston staff, considered as whole,
outrapks the phillles by more than
1 / 30 pOi0ES, MdHS idCtpls must ShtSI
into consideration when an effort is
made to compare the strength OF
pitching stats in a worlds series. AS.
Stunning, however. that the pitchers of
a pennant winning club would be just
as effective against the batters of the
rival combination as they against
the batters of their own league, the
averages show that Alexander out
ranks all the Red Sox boxmen except
Wood. and 1t is not at all certain that
the latter will be called upon to work
In the coming series.
On the other hand the American
League hurlers will have a decided ad-
vantage in every game in which they
are not opposed by Alexander. Eos.
ter, Leonard, Ruth and Shore have
grand pitching average of .712, ac'
cording to the latest unofficial figures.
which aided by the hitting and air.
tight fielding Of the Red Sox should
be sufficient to overcome the per-
formauces OF the Phillies' second
string pitchers. Against Alexander,
however. their success remains to be
demonstrated. AS batters all these