Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-01
ENTERING
PAST YEAR SAW GREAT
SHAKE-UP THROUGHOUT
THE BASEBALL WORM
Philies Won First Pennant, Mack Wrecked His
Great Machine and Frank Baker Retired,
All in 1915 Season
Bv CHANDLER D. RICHTER

men and still continue to win n.nr...-
and perhaps he would have suoo.ssN.
had It not been for Bakers ees,ue
Mack's players also believed the uaossn.
would continue to win pennants rnse
Baker quit. With two important coz. -
the Famous machine gone, the rest Of ~.
aggregation lost confidence and wa. as
completely to pieces. "eH'
Pitchers Failed ~,
The young pitchers who performea in.
marvels In 1914 failed dismally whan ~
team wobbled. They lacked conadsr..
as was apparent by the number Of bsss.
on balls issued in the first two months :,
the campaign. Before the season ~.
two months old Mack realized his IA
machine would never come back ana \.
completed the wrecklng by sending .Jasy
Barry, the third member of the Rreatsss
infield ever constructed, to the Bos,n,
Red Sox.
Pennock and Shawkey, two Of N.
young pitchers who were counted nro,
to take the places of Plank and Bendsr
were next to go. Mack found both in.
different, caring only for the first ara
fifteenth of the month, after they cana
to believe that there was little chance Ia
share in the worlds series receipts.
Mack wisely decided that there was ma
room for them in the new machine n.
had to build.
Local fans cannot expect too much of
the Athletics In 1915, but they are GER
tain to come back. Mack has the founda
tion for great team, but 1t may be A
year or two before II acquires the proper
balance
During the course of the season ther.
were many individual heroes, the fore.
most of whom were Manager Pat Moran.
Grover Alexander and Bill Killefer Ths
latter failed to take part in the worlds
series owing to an injury, but il was
largely through his brilliant catching that.
the Philly pitchers showed consIstenty
brilliant form throughout the season.
Without Killefer's steadying hand Il /,
likely the pitching staff would hays
cracked early in the race making thu
pennant-winning an impossibility.
Moran a Hero
Moran, however Is the real hero. Ths
veteran coach was appointed manager
early in the year and took charge Of a
, second division team which was In a
badly disorganized condition. He molded
1t into a smooth-working machine, which
eventually won the pennant.
Grover Alexander. affectionately called
Alexander the Great by the fans, was
Moran's greatest aid in the winning Of
| the pennant and the national pitching
star. The famous pitcher hurled the most
remarkable ball of his sensational career.
He led the National League pitchers,
broke the league record for shut-outs
pitched the greatest number of innings IN
10 years and also pitched the largest nun-
| ber of few-hit games.
| Add to this the wonderful steadiness o.
! this master pitcher in series which were
of vital Importance to the Phils and Il
will be easy to see that Alexander was
| n most important asset to Moran.
The strengthening of the Cubs and other
| clubs by the addition of Federal Leagus
stars will place the Phillies at great
disadvantage for the 1916 campaign, but
as long as we have Moran and Alexandei
local fans will back the Philiies against
| the field.