Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-25
PITCHING RESPONSIBLE
ONE GREAT HURuER MAKES
TEAM ACCOMPLISH WONDERS
Joe tinker believes Confidence of
P"!ers in Good NOundmnn One
or Managers Chtef Assets.
ny TNANI q. MENKE.


ono great pitcher can make any
sort OF ball club perform miracles
says 10" Tinker. THE history OF base
/ ball shows that a moundsnian who can
win from 90 to 20 per cent OF his
games can lift any ball club to or near
the top OF any league.
''Alincr Brown WAS such IL man. Ills
wonderful work back in the old days
was the one big reason for the success
! OF the old Cub machine. II we hadn't
been possessed of Brown the chances
are we never would have been in the
fight for SO many years when Brown
faded YOU know what happened 10 the
cubs They no longer had Il SIar ut
hrst magnitude 10 depend upon: they
didn't have man they could shoe.
in and be reasonably sure at the outset
that the game won.
The reason the Giants of 1914. 1915
remarkable is because they haven't /,
real pitching star. Matty kept that
club in ne night for ten Nears--and
more. lie was the mainstay. When he
went into the box the OLD gang be-
hind him was so confident OF his powers
that they played behind him with a
did lose with Matty NJ work Whom
ever McC;raw wanted 20 viii an i'm
portant game. he called upon Ma,ty.
Ho knew that Mat,y could deliver, il
''l;u; recently all this was changed.
Matty isn't the old reliable Of other
place. The result was the Giants. with
on; 81 hurlcr IN whom they had supreme
confidence. didn't Win with the reSu-
The washington team has been a
factor in the American League race:
for the past three n four years. Why?
The answer is Walter johnson. Take
him away from that club and II leaves
little more than mediocre collection.
But with Johnson III the lineup It's
Il different ball club: it's "a team that
tina; plays beyond itself II idolizcs
Johnson jus; as the Cubs idolizcd Brown
aud the Giants Matty in the old day.
Feeling SO. il adds at least % per cent
to the normal power OF the club.
1T was Grover Alexander who won
il WIS the Same Alexander who kept
them in tho battle last season. TIL"
rhillies. without Alex, are not iinpos-
ing looking they are no, DANGEROUS;
hut with Alex to bear the brunt OF
, the night for them; with his mighty
RICH; arm 10 hold back the batting as
saults OF tho other clubs. they are a
great ball club
The Cleveland club. on paper, did
no; look strong. continued Tinker.
''bu; it had a grand pitcher IN Morton.
n chan VINO l. neinR touted as second
Johnson. Iie pitched a brand of base =
ball that vas almost HAWKES.: and thus
they played with dash and speed
that was startling. and they will con-
;nue to play that way as long as Nor
| ton pitches superhuman baseball.
Look what the Dodgers lid last
J YEAR what's the answer! Great all
! around playing? Yes. tina; is part of
it, But the real reason is that Jeff
/ rfener The big fellow whistlcd along
/ at All amazing clip. The Dodgers
/ played their greatest bali behind MIN.
/ They had worlds OF confidence in him:
. they felt he couldn't lose. And by
! winning with rfcffer in. il gave them
, q higher notch in the average column.
! That increased their natural confidence
and made them strive all the harder
, for the pcunant honors.
"A club with a wonder pitcher never
| can he counted out Of any race. NJ
times II may slump and he far down
but tho old confluence never dies The
! players feel that their star Will, in
( some way. lead them upward and ON
; ward. And so they never quit: they
keen on lighting all the time.
Connie Mack. during the heyday 81
/ the Athletics career. had not only one
; but two, pitching wiZards-Bcndcr and
! Plank. That pair carried the bulk OF
tie pitching burden Tor years. and the
! Athletics Won quite AN assortment OF
! pennants and worlds champions ships.
Back in 1906. the White Sox Won a
! worlds championship with the weak
est batting club that ever reached the
crest OF modern baseball. Their vic
tory was due 10 the ITcrculcan work
OF Ed Walsh, ably assisted by Doc
, White and Frank Smith. The latte,