Evening star., 1917-09-29
Who WILL bEHER0
OF COMING SERIES?
For Title Games Always Have
Brought Some One Player
Into the LimeIight.

One of the outstanding features of
world series history has been the fact
that almost every contest of this base
ball classic has developed one or more
so-called heroes-players who have un-
| covered what has been termed a su-
perman type of game under the
stress and excitement of the struggle.
Certain names remain fixed in the
| memory of the fans in connection with
specific series long after the general
result and personnel of the competing
clubs have faded from recollection.
| The pitching of Christy Mathewson
| in the series against the Philadelphia
Athletics in 1904; the heavy batting of
Franklin Baker against the Giants in
the Philadelphia-New York contests of
1911, when he pounded out two home
runs at critical periods in the play, and
drove in five runs during the series;
cannonading of Hank Gowdy's bat in
the Boston Braves victory over the
Athletics in the struggle of 1914, when
the Braves catcher startled the base
ball world with his terrific hitting that
gave him an average of $40, and an
assortment of drives which consisted
VI one nome rum one lilTee-DdSBe
three two-base hits and five singles in
eleven times at bat, all made world
series history.
The same can be said of the field play
of Harry Hooper in the famous eight
game series between the Boston Ameri-
cans and the New York Nationals: the
work of Third Baseman Robe of the
Chicago Americans in 1906, when that
team defeated the Chicago Nationals
four games out of six; Eddie Collins
remarkable showing ct second base for
the Athletics in the series of 1910 and
1913, and Pitcher George Wiltse's ont
inning stand at first base for the
Giants in 1919. The list might be con-
tinued almost Indefinitely if all the
stars Were to be given their due.
1t can be seen that every series de-
velops one or more players who rise
to a degree far in excess of their nor
NAL diamond work during the regular
pennant play. Various reasons have
been advanced for this marked lifting
of their game and they have been re-
ferred to as star money players"
series cracks" and other terms to dis
tinguish them from the men whose
work in the big contests is neither
more nor less sensational than their sea-
sonal play. Another peculiar feature is
that there can be no accurate forecast
ing as to which men will rise to the
occasion in this manner. Many have
been expected to pln/ most brilliantly
an exhibition which hardly deserved the
descriptive term of mediocre.
Wide Field of Speculation.
There is a wide field of speculative
possibilities among the players of the
Chicago Americans and the New York
Nationals and world series heroes may
spring from unexpected positions in
the coming contests between these
clubs. Whether these series stars will
rise from the ranks of the veterans or
from among the younger members of
the White Sox and the Giants only time
lean tell. In veteran material tested in
the fire of world series strife the New
York Nationals have a decided advan-
tage over their rivals from the middle
west Whether all OF these players will
get into the series, however. remains
to be seen.
In addition to Manager McGraw, who
has led four teams in the struggles.
Pitcher Tesreau was a member of the
Giants team which figured in cham
zog and Fletcher. infielders partici-
pated in the series of 1911, 1912 and
1919; Zimmerman was a member of the
Chicago Nationals when that club met
the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910;
Catcher George Gibson was behind the
plate for the Pittsburgh team when that
combination played the Detroit Ameri-
cans in 1909, and Pitcher Demaree and
Outfielder Burns played with the Giants
in the series of 1913 against the Ath-
letics. In sharp contrast the White Sox
have but two players who have partici-
pated to any extent in the base ball
classic. Eddie Collins, the Chicago sec
ond haseman, was a member of Connie
Aiack's famous pennant and world Sc
ries machine a few years ago, and fig
ured prominently in the struggles of
1910-11-13-14.
Eddie Murphy also was a member of
the Athletics for several years and was
factor in the series play
There also is much promising mate