The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-10-08
OPINION DIVIDED
ON THE OUTCOME
ALEXANDER PICKED AS THE
BRIGHT STAR TO HOLD DOWN
THE RED SOX
Bleacher Fans Crowd Around the Box
Office Before Daylight
Today
By GEORGE r. HOLMES

PHILADELPHIA, Oct 8.-Baseball's
biggest battlefield was cleared for ac-
tion today, and the combatant Phillies
and Red Sox stripped to fighting trim
for the conflict that will send an
other world series hurtling into base
ball history.
Seldom in baseball's history have
two teams stood on the brink of a
world series clash with so much di-
versity of opinion regarding their rel
ative merit. If it were possible to
take an electoral vote of the neutral
spectators, it is quite probable the
judge would declare dead heat.
The Phillies, piloted by Irish Pat
Moran, didn't figure from a team
standpoint.
1t was Alexander against the Red
don's version of the annual drama.
Never has one player, and one alone,
carried the burden of his sides Of
fense and defense on his shoulders to
such an extent as does the big Nebras-
kan this breezy October day.
Can Alexander do it alone?"
That question has probably been
asked and answered a million times
since the vanguard of the worlds SER
les began drifting into the city. All
others faded into insigniicance in
crowded hotel lobbies and streets. One
never heard What can the Red Sox
do?' 1t was What can Alexander do?"
Long before daybreak there was a
sleepy stream Of bleacher fans lined
up on either side of the box office vim
dow for the coveted tickets. Some in
tended seeing the annual classic; some
didn't. The latter class was taking a
long chance of selling the bits of
pasteboard for from three to five, and
even ten times what they paid for
them. Some persons called the scalp
ers and spectators.
That Alexander will pitch the first
game goes without saying, although
the taciturn Moran had not said SO
vet. But Alec is Philadelphia's only
acct can be played, then pulled back
and played again, and quite probably
again.
1t seemed probable this forenoon
that Ernest Shore would get the call
from Bill Carrigan, although in some
quarters it was predicted that Dutch |
Leonard, Boston's prize southpaw,
might be sacrificed
Baseball men themselves, players |
and managers, were pretty much div
ided on the outcome. National leag-
uers-those who have batted futiley at !
the writhing slants of Alexander
through long, weary season-are for
him, strong. They don't think he can
lose On the other hand American
leaguers, who have worked against
Boston's prize trio-Shore, Foster and
Leonard-can see how the American
league entry can loss.
One thing that the American league
adherents pointed to with much con-
Detroit-Boston series wherein the Red
Sox really won the pennant. They
pointed to the fact that Detroit, with
Cobb, Crawford and Veach-one of the
strongest batting clubs baseball has
seen in years-couldn't do anything to
the finely balanced staff Of Carrigan.
And what chance they queried, has a I
comparatively weak hitting aggrega
ton like the Phillies got against them.
On the other hand, Philadelphians
pointed to the fact, undeniable, that
the Clan of Carrigan never has faced f
a pitcher of Alexander's calibre. {
At last accounts the arguments {
stood draw. 1t will take the games I
to decide. t
Early indications pointed to NAM q
moth crowd attending the first game. a
Both cities are fairly hectic over the t
series, particularly Philadelphia, as s
his is the first National league pen e
aant she ever boasted in thirty-odd S
years striving. When Boston is hot, it
follows necessarily that all New Eng '
and is. S
Whoever pitched today, one thing I
was assured-as classy an exhibition
If tense pitching moments as a world
eries crowd ever saw. Either Shore a
leonard or Foster are certainly r.
worthy of anybody's steel, even Alex S
ndor's d