The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-28
Pitching Double Bills In
Majors Is Mans Job, Says
PhllLieS' Star MOundSnlQn
Pat Moran Would Not Allow Pitchers Work Two Games in
One Day Until RecentlyA Dearee Started With Double
Win Over the Pirates-Big Alex Favors Idea Now
ny GROVER CLEVELAND ALEXANDER

Some time ago 1 told Manager Moran
that 1 was willing to go to the mound
every other day If it was necessary to
keep the team in the race and 1 really
wanted to do it. but Moran would not
stand for it. He said that If it came to
a pinch he would listen to my PROPOSE
ton, but as long as the Phillies remained
within a game or two of first place he
would not work me any more than as
necessary.
Moran believed that it might be neces-
sary for me to go to the mound about
four times in the last eight days and
wanted to have me strong for this grind.
He did not feel certain that 1 could stand
pitching every other day for month and
still be strong for the series against the
Dodgers and Braves, and he would rather
rather have me on edge for these teams,
taking a chance on the result of the other
games
With a staff of pitchers like we have,
Moran believed that we could stay close
to the Dodgers without overworliing any
particular pitcher, and results prove that
Pat had the race doped out right. With
in week, however Moran exploded the
theory that pitcher cannot stand pitch
ing a doubleheader with something at
stake.
UNDER BIG STRAIN
Pitching doubleheaders for team that
is out of the race is not a very hard
proposition, as 1 know from experience,
as there is no strain and defeat really
49, afa,.c
a game, care free and confident, with
nothing to worry, he invariably is at his
BEST but when he knows that one ball
pitched wrong is likely to lose the PEN
nant it is different proposition
Back in 1909 | pitched four double
headers for Galesburg, ILL.,, in my first
season in professional ball. winning three
and splitting even in the other, while at
Syracuse late in the season of 1910, Ed
Ashenback used to advertise every sat
urday that l would hurl both games and
always had great deal of luck pitch
ing two games in an afternoon.
Pitching a double header in the minor
league is vastly different than hurting
two games in an afternoon in the major
leagues however, and l never was par
ticularly anxious to try the stunt until
this season. Manager Moran does not be-
lieve in a pitcher hurting two games IN
one day as a rule, because his policy al
ways has been to make the work as easy
as possible for his pitchers, and prob
ably he would not have consented to
either Demaree or myself pitching dou-
BILE headers if it had not been for the
fact that the boys on the team had been
discussing this matter so much this sea-
son.
DEMAREE SUGGESTED 1T
While we were in st. Louis on the last
western trip, just after Dave Davenport
of the Browns pitched both games of
double header against the Yankees, sew
eral of the boys were discussing the feat,
when AL Demaree declared that he could
do it with ease, and nothing would please
him better than to get the chance.
1.-The impression is general that l can't
stand the grind" said Demaree. "It is all
wrong Look up my work for the last
two years and you will find that l have
pitched my best games after having only
two days of rest l feel sure that l can
go in there every other day If / am
needed and can pitch two games in an
afternoon. did it in the Southern as
ISOLATION, and can do it again. If Pat
gives me a chance I will prove ii"
At the time AL asked me what
thought about it, and / told him that l
agreed with him. because l also mad
pulled the trick in the minors, and do
not believe it was any harder than pitch
ing IL or thinning game if it is as
hard. I always have figured that IA
inning game is more of a strain, as there
is no breathing stretch from the middle
of the game on, whereas in double head
ers, fellow generally has fairly easy
time one game and does not really have
to extend himself until the second game,
which also might be made easy for him
if his teammates get him a few runs
early in the game.