New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-04
McGraw Again Acclaimed
Wizard of Baseball
Because of Ii.
BY FRANK O'NEILL.

BY FRANK O'NElLL.
Had the prophets Of veal declared
on the eve Of May that John j. Nc.
Graw would bring his New York Giants
back TO the Polo Grounds within one
game Of first place, the good fans mis- ht
have reverted TO the days of our Co
lonial forefathers and ordered a trial
FOR witchcraft. Then, again, an alien
list might have been called in on the
case. or an observation ordered in the
psychopathic ward of our prominent
sanatorum.
But there is an axiom in the game,
Take nothing for granted in base
ball" The more one studies the game,
the more forcibly that fact is driven
home.
II was on May that the Giants left
the confines of this island city Of ours,
taking with them an average OF .l3S,
compiled by winning two scrsggly VIC
tories and suffering no fewer than
thirteen hIdD utAtdAss my "NiN NNNf
in the dark and lonely cellar.
1t is said that seven cities claimed
the dead Homer There wasn't a town
in the National or American league,
sixteen cities in all, that would have
claimed the Giants. New York ad-
mitted that they represented her, and
that was all.
But out on the scamper through the
Western country McGrsw's men fed on
that root which makes heroes. The
story of how the Pirates, Cubs, Car
dinals and Reds were hurled to de-
feat in order; the Braves offered only
weak resistance, and the Phillies, with
Al Dema ee in the box, stopped the
New Workers only after seventeen
straight victories, major league rec
ord, is history.
What they did and how they did 1t in
winning the games may be of interest
A Thirteenth Labor.
McGraw performed a task almost
euuallng the labors OF Hercules IN as
sembling the integers of machlne
which. mighty in potentiality. was sad
ly disorganized. He had strong attack
but that was nullified by weak detence
and crying need for strong pltching;
On the Harlem meadow the mound
men could not get going. Away from
home. however, they started. Twenty
cne games were played on the round
about route from Pittsburgh to Phila-
delphia, and Of these. nineteen were
won.
On the return 10 the Polo Grounds
On FRIDAY the Reds defeated them.
making the record nineteen out OF TWEEN
ty-two games won from May TO June
/, an average of .S64.
Away on the trip Fred Anderson
stepped into the limelight and pltched
wonderful ball. He won five games ana
shared the pitching glory with Rube
Benton. the sturdy lefthsnder. Poll
Perritt. who was in the box when DEM
arce stopped the rush Of the Giants, won
four games; Tesreau and Matty won
two games each. and Ralph Stroud capt
ured another. Surely. there was noth-
ing hating about that sort OF slao
work o-,
The Giants are hitting away at w
clip, leading the league. 1hey per
formed still more furious stunts WINE
out on the trail, and their marx was
nearer 300 than $50. IL seemed Una.
every man on the team s"HHb
surely and that the ball leaped IN to
meet the flashing wood. Such hitting
behind gilt-edged pitching could not DO
ANYTHING except force the team up to
its lofty position. To-day the Giants are
half game behind the lead.
The scenes have shifted n the pig
leagues. The Yankees. after, playing
host 10 the Western teams have HIT
the trail. They have chance to come
back in the lead. but TO do II they m1st
do better abroad than they did a; hone.
Against the first invasion the Yanks
managed TO break even in ten games as
did the Athletics. The Senators and
the Red Sox won a majority OF their
games.
N Ia Of interest 20 note that in the
first international games the East
came of best. In the National League
they won thirty-four games and lost
nineteen. while the American League