New-York tribune., 1916-06-18
Skidding Cardinals Seize
Chance to Skiddoo with
but One Defeat.
GOOD PLACE TO STOP
BAD STREAK MONDAY
Tesreau Bound to Improve
Important Series with
Brooklyn Friday.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

ming TWO consecutive games az home
yesterday, when young ocean fell out
OF the porous sky and liz upon the ball
field; also upon $4,000 fans. As IL was,
McGraw's bsfled troop got but one
whack at the skidding Cardinals IN the
recent series.
Blood is said 20 be thicker than
water, but all the blood on earth is no
thicker rn the water which cascaded
yesterday upon the field and stands.
IL was thicker than l0-foot wall and
as wet as the bottom OF the Pacific,
said TO be one Of the wettest spots
known.
The rain that closed out the ST. Louis
series left the Giants a record OF two
victories and seven defeats in the West
ern roundup. Yet these were precise
ly the same clubs that yielded twelve
victories and no defeat 70 the Giants
out West Just how ball club can 90
away from home, smear the opposition
twelve times out OF twelve starts and
then back home can drop seven cut Of
nine 70 the same parties is merely one
of those things. one of those things 20
which no answer can be attached be-
cause there isn't any.
The Upset
The amazing Giants SO far have
played forty-6ve ball games. with this
| dizzy result:
Victories. Defeats. Per cent.
On the road. BE-. 20 6 40
At home .. Is .2iO
We recall nothing even remotely re-
sembling this upset or jumble in the
, last thirty years. A ball club ordi-
/ narily that could win only four out OF
| its first nineteen games at home would
be so deeply imbedded in the cellar
that nothing could ever hoist il out
again. Yet in spite OF this home show
ing the Giants to-day are well banked
/ IN third place and only a few games
from the top.
IL may be that the home tide will
veer In the proper direction tomorrow.
Starting Monday afternoon, the Giants
engage the Braves five times in four
days, with double header 20 start the
series. McGraw has figured from the
start that Stallings stands as his hard
est opponent, so these five games should
carry considerable importance.
Time TO Get Started.
These are now crucial days, as The
motheaten saying goes, in Giant
ranks. Before they journey West
again early in July they have nine
teen games ahead with the Braves.
Phillies and Dodgers. The tough part
or this break is that thirteen OF these
games are set amid home scenes which
so far have been fringed with crepe
and myrtle. After mingling with the
Braves through five contests. McGraw
moves his machine over 10 Brooklyn
next Friday, where a iye-gsme series
will begin 10 unwind.
The Giants then return for nihe
home games with the Philies and
Robins, so you can judge from this
schedule the importance of the next
three weeks. Should the Giants hut-
ter and break before the three East
ern clubs as they have broken before
the West at home, nothing short Of
another nineteen out of twenty-one
miracle will be required, and such
miracles rarely happen once in ten
/ years, much less twice in one sum-
mer. McGraw realizes the crisis that
/ is upon him, but he believes the club
will be ready to rise buoyantly 20 the
taut occasion. He looks for an end 20
the batting slump. and also the same
steadness from his pitching staff that
he found on the road.
Lack of Steadiness.
Early in the year the Giants got
hard hitting nd poor pitching. with a
record of two victories and thirteen
defeats. Then they proceeded 70 get
good pitching. plus hard hitting, with
a record Of nineteen victories and two
defeats. OF late they have drawn
light hitting with weak pitching, whers
the count was two victories and seven
defeats. So New York's National
League entry has so far passed
through three different stages OF plsy.
What their next stage will be 10 not
vet written I'm the book, but II must
bring a return of good pitching, or at
least steady pitching. If the recent
descent is TO be checked. Mauling the
old pill is all very well in its way a.
a winning asset, but good, consistent
pitching is still the prevailing factor
of the game. .,
The Giants batted well from April
i2 70 June. Their slump has now ex-
tended over a period Of two weeks,
and should be about ended. But just
how good the pitching will be through
these next nineteen Eastern games
all against strong flag contenders-is
| not vet entered in .he book.
Poll Perritt has been pitching brlll-
iantly. and looks 20 be at his best:
Natty has pitched two poor games and
AZ least three good ones. Jef Tesreau
l. about due to land heavily upon a
winning platform, as JEFF Is still one
OF the star pitchers OF the league
These. with Anderson and Benton.
should all be about ready 70 resume
where they left of on the road-pro-
vided they intend 20 resume al all.
In spite Of the batting slump the
Robertson-D Doyle combination has stood
up bravely without yielding any ground:
/ They need help, however, and the stun
is there TO furnish plenty OF aid
The Main Excitement.
The largest chunk Of excitement In
polite local baseball circles will begin
/ 10 erupt when the Giants move over 20
BROOKLYN on Friday. McGrsw may look
upon the Braves as his main rivals. but
| you can gamble your ultimate shirt
that he isn't taking the Robins any
TOO lightly. As the situation LOOKS to-
day-and that is all We can go by
this Brooklyn club Is going 70 hnish
/ one. two. Any ball club that has the
pitching plus the punch isn't any more
I dangerous than eight or ten kegs OF
dynamite Hardly a bit. These nine
or ten Giant-Robin games within the
next two weeks will have highly i'm
rortant bearing on the local situation,
one way or another. depending upon
which side of the bridge your habitat
repOses.
McGraw has sent two OF his scouts
/ 70 the AQUARIUM looking for new talent
/ He has his eye on a swordfsh and two
porpoises who ian swim 800 or better.