The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-10-04
B.Avge. .F.Avge. s.B.
WESTERN OPENING
NO HANDICAP FOR
GIANTS SAYS CRITIC

New YOrk, Oct. Are the GIANTS
Handicapped by opening the worlds
series in Chicago, the field of their
opponents? One might be prompted
to think SO, as it would be natural to
assume that the team playing on it's
own grounds before a friendly crowd
would have the advantage.
h Often one hears fans in discussing
the series say, TOO bad the Giants
have a. much better chance if they
started on the Polo Grounds"
Men who bet on baseball seem to
take the same view. Before Harry
Hampstead lost the toss on the first
game poolroorn men were offering to
on the Giants If the series opened
in New York and even money if the
series started in Chicago.
But answering that opening ques-
ton, are the Giants really handicap
ped by opening in Comiskey Park?
| Worlds series history indicates that
the home team has no advantage over
the visitors. During the thirteen SER
| les between the National and An1eri-
! can leagues, the visiting club has won
| in seven openings, the home club in
five, while one game resulted in a
/ tie.
There have been only three teams
/ which failed to win the series after
winning the first game. Two of these
teams are listed among the five which
won the first game on their home
grounds. These clubs were the
Giants of 1911 and the Phillies Of
4 1915. After winning the first game
| in 1911 from the Athletics the Giants
! lost four out Of the next five, while in
1915, after Alexander beat the Red
Sox in the first game, the Boston men
won four straight It. seems to in
dictate that the team getting the first
4 opening is the one linked. Looking
1 over the Giant openings in the past
worlds series one might be tempted
| to believe that opening in Chicago is
4 a good omen and indicates success to
the New York arms
~ In 1905 the Giants lost the toss for
1.-THE. opening game, and sMatty started
4 his row of sf1utouts in Philadelph
i The Giants easily cleaned up the SER
les. winning four out of five games
THE Giants had luck in calling the
coin for the opening games Of 1911
4 1912 and 1913, but there their luck
4. ceased. The Giants lost all three
series, winning only six games during
4 the three year stretch against twelve
. for their American League opponents
In their past worlds series the
tGiants have Jared slightly better on
: the road than at home. They lost SIX
out Of IL on the road and seven out OF
t12 at home The home average was
pulled down by the losS of all three
home games played during the last
: series between the Giants and Ath-
Iletics in 1918.
> In 1906 the Giants lost one out OF
three to the Red Sox on the Polt
EGrounds and in Boston each club wor
two games and there was one tie. In
l191a the Giants lost three games or
, the Polo Grounds and broke even in
two games p1ayed in Philadelphia.
The White Sox also had rather
: freak record in the Cub-White Sos
} series of 1906. They won all three o.
5 their games played I'M the Cub park
} but lost two out of three in their owl
3 bailiwick.
: / Boston teams have had the creates
, success in winning at home. Sine
! Tesreau beat Wood and Hall in tn
seventh game Of the 1912 Giant-Ret
9 Sox series in Boston eight worlds Sc
i ries games have been played in Bean
Y thorough, all of them resulting IN
! victory for the Boston club.
Sh1be Park had a. great worlds Sc
ries record until 1918. The Athletic
. did not lose a, home game during tn
!. series of 1910 or 1911, winning fiv
Z straight games before their home aid
, mirers. The first defeat sustained b.
:. the Athletics at Shiibe Park was il
: 1918, when Matty beat Plank, 8 to
: in a great ten, inning pitching due
. after superhunan work by Wiltse
: playing first base, turned back tn
Athletics in the ninth inning afte
5 they had men on second and tfir
: with none out.