The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-02

PITTSBURGH. Pa. July The
neNt two months Will tell the story o.
the baseball races IN the bis Leagues.
This is the period when the pulling Is
hard aud the pep scarce, and the class
begins TO show.
Il is my opinion that the Giants have
a very hard tight on their hands to win
with no better than An even chance To
beat the Phillies. which club Is travel
ing as we'll as X ever did. Fat Moran
is particularly anxious To come through
again this season. since some Unfair
critics declared Fat only took the flaS
because it was on Off year IN baseball
in 1915. due - the disturbances caused
by the Federal league.
II the Giants are beaten-as am
frank 70 say they are liable TO bc--lt
will be by uvercuntidence. After their
record-oreaking KUN OF victories toward
the end OF last season. experts and Dali
PLAYERS generally selected them 10 tear
through the league like German whlL-
bang through mosquito netting.
Are you going TO win the pennant
next season." l asked McGraw one day
last winter.
Il don't know" he answered. Il don't
have 10 say 70 you that nothing Is sure
in baseball. wish people would stop
telling my bali players that. they will
break up the race by July. Overcontt-
dence Will beat Us yet. lie knew tho
danger OF this, even then.
Just what Mc.raw feared is happen
ing. TheGiants started the travelling
fully believing they were Gnheataolc.
When they did absorb defeat. they
were surprised. but they have gone
along thinking. when they once SET
moving right there would be no stopping
them. That IS the trouble. They may
never get moving right.
Back in 1905. the Giants won the
worlds championship. and II looked
like q sure bet for US TO repeat In l9eS.
The team was Just IA COED on paper
but not in the league standing AFTER
we finished. When We weren't Leading
some OF the boys would say:
-Oh, they'll all come back to US once
we get going"
But we didn't start, and overcont!-
derce beat us out OF another world S
championship. McGraw cleaned house
the next season. claiming he realized
his club was aging on his hands. But
it wasn't age that beat US then.
The Giants OF today are q wonderfully
team-on paper. II the schedule had
not been played this season. and 1t was
decided 10 award the pennant to the
team picked by q jury OF experts, the
Giants would have walked in. ! don't
know where the Phillles would have
been placed on paper, put not very niGn.
! guess. l think l have related before
the incident OF the Texas newspaper
man. who. after watching the Cardinals
and then the Giants play last spring.
said:
IL the St Louis club wins a game
OF ball from the Giants this season.
the national commission. But Miller
higgins has nice. comfortable lower
berth IN the first division yet.
Ty Cobb sand To me when he came
north to Cincinnati. after the disturb
auce III tho south:
Tho Giants 20 into ball game as
!t no ME had any rights on the field
or the base lines or anything else. But
l think, when YOU tie them up, they
won't b. 50 hard TO beat. Give them q
lead and they will play their heads or.
Tie them ny. and YOU can beat them.
Tha; is what Philadelphia has done In
. the race--tied the Giants up and hung
onto them. The club is surprised not
70 DO in front. They started with too
much confidence.
I understand some OF the players are
wrangling among themselves and KICK
Ing on their pitching. as II IS reported
the German soldiers IN the trenches are
complaining about their lack OF arnl-
lery as compared to the delivery OF the
allies. The New York twrling has not
been any too gilt-edSed. That is tue
teams greatest mechanical weakness.
Another thing which Will undouoted
himself has gotten snarled up. It looks
as II the adjustment OF the jam over
tho row between N1cCraw. Tener and
Byron would uot satisfy the New York
newspapers. and II tulS "ont put NC
Graw in any TOO good frame Of mind
to manage 4 bali club or nelp his team
any. II Mac gets irritable, good night.
Easygoing Fat Moran may just about
nose out the boys from the Polo grounds
Or the Harlem HowierS. as Ty. Cobb
calls them. IT a fellow were shopping
around for ball club and ne saw the
Giants and the fhiliies in a show win
dow-both same price--he probably
would buy the Giants. Moran's team is
not SNOWY The moving picture rights
to It wouldn't be worth nickel. But
Il Is a bear at winning ball games. None
Of the Phillies'. players-outside or
Alexandev--iS such 4 great light he
could be used as star shell because of
his illuminating rossibilities. But they
VITA ball games That's the answer
Moran certainly has the superiority
Of artillery fire over McGraw-I mean