Evening journal., 1915-04-28
HISTORY Recalled
BY PHILIIES' SPURT
Pirates Won IS Out of
II and Fin
ished-?
SKILL VS.. SPIRIT
NEEDED TO WIN

The life Of baseball largely depends
on sensations. Nothing else perhaps
accounts so largely for its gripping
interest. The "Frolicksome Phillies,' y
who three short weeks ago seemed a
be literally shot to pieces, have been
providing the first sensation Of the
new baseball year. The Braves, the
Giants. the Cubs. could have rushed
at the same wild pace without caus-
ing a ripple OF excitement, but so lit
tie was expected Of the Phillles under
their new manager. Pat Moran, that
their wild whirl has set tongues wag-
ginc. without detracting from their
credit. however, Il may be suggested
that the baseball race Is not always
10 the swift as per once upon a time
the Pittsburgh Pirates won Is out OF
tho first II games and finished far
hack in the ruck.
About May 10. 1914. sporting writ
ers marveled and said much the same
thing about the Pirates as they now
saw about the Phillies. The Pirates
were then sailing along far in front,
with a percentage of .SS2. while Bos-
ton Braves we're trailing with per-
centage OF .231 having won three OF
their thirteen games. A couple OF
months passed. Every fan knows
where the Braves we're in October.
The Phillies, however. may not fol-
low the example of the Pirates and
slip back TO a place in the rear, but
the fact remains that other teams in
the National League have no business
10 grow restive or count the battle
over
That baseball team certainly
strikes bad day every once In a
while was proved last Thursday by
the New York Yankees when they
opened their season at the Polo
grounds. It was not so much that
they were beaten-defeats are bound
10 come-but because they we're out
manoeuvred and out-guessed in two
or three tight situations. Pipp let
two plays get away from him which
should have been easy outs, while
Peckinpaugh and Sweeney were dis
tinctly unsteady.
II Is a far cry from the idea, never
theless. that Bill Donovan is leading
a forlorn hope. The loose playing
of Thursday had little or no effect
on the outcome. since Shaw, Washing
ton hurler, pitched mastery game
and deserved full credit for the VIC
tory. Up in New York-and else
where-the Yankees have many
friends who declare that Il was just
a bad day in that opening bow, and
not the inherent weakness which has
beset the team for three or four
years.
Ambition. fire. spirit and rushing
aggressiveness are dominant factors
in the winning of a pennant, but this
statement Is largely true only with
other things being equal and by other
things is meant baseball skill, offen-
sively and defensively. Take finish
ed team of cold-blooded. more or less
spiritless veterans, who can hit and
field. match il against a rugged team
of youthful recruits. with tons Of
spirit, wagonloads Of aggressiveness
and furnaces of fire, who can hit and
field only in spots, and the result
would be that ninety-nlne teams out
of hundred the finished team would
win. Given two mines. however. well
matched i'm playing strength, and tho
one with spirit. aggressiveness an
all that. would be the favorite every
time. Thus II was with the Braves
last year. So II was why these same
"Bahston Wahrriers" after fightinl
their way to the top in the Nationa
League, carried the Mackmen dowI
TO four straight defeats Ia the world
series.