New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-25
Giants and Yankees
May Meet in Final

recovered), and the total loss Of Evers
the last half Of the journey. The team
didn't hit the size Of corner lots
aggregation. Good pitching was the
answer Unless Stallings digs up a few
phenoms from his rockies his pitching
staff, which is beginning to show signs
Of wear and tear, will have to make the
fight again in 1917.
Now, as to the Phillies, Moran's
team will line up just about as it
played last season, except, perhaps. for
a younger and more nimble right field
or than Garry Cravath. Certainly the
team has not been strengthened with
tried timber. Alexander the Great has
made his peace with William +. BAKER.
1t will be up TO the champion pitcher
to duplicate his wonderful performance
of last year thirty-three victories-lt
the Quakers are TO be within haling
distance by Labor Day. Chief Bender,
George McQuillan and Chalmers, vet
eran pitchers, have been cast adr1ft.
Only Mayer and Rixey, beside the
cast-off Kantlehner of the Pirates, re-
main TO help out Alexander In case
none of the rockies turn out well.
Much Expected of Giants
Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Boston
all might be able TO stand each other
off in a finish fight and reach the wire
practically on even terms with each
other. and. perhaps, too, with the
Giants of 1916. Those Giants were the
most perplexing commodity Of form re-
versal that ever appeared before
startled populace. But the Giants Of
1917 should be something else again.
After McGraw secured Herzog from
Cincinnati, Zimmerman from Chicago,
Holke from Rochester and Lew Nc
Carly from Brooklyn, ne was able TO
put on the field a team of almost per
feet balance both on offence and de-
fence. 1t was a team that didn't have
a single batting, fielding or base run
ming weakness-just such an aggrega-
ton as the old Cubs and the later
Athletics. 1t seemed impossible to hit
one through McGraw's inheld or TO
drive one over the outhelders' heads.
It was a team that possessed waliop.
ANY time any pitcher, even the great
Alexander, was liable 10 be bumped
right out Of the box, irrespective OF
inning or score. A team Ike the
Giants of last fall, against a field so
inferior as all their rivals proved, does
not need pitching.
Goodness knows, McGraw got no
pitching last year until nearly August.
His veterans were slow TO hit their
form. Yet he might easily have won
in spite Of it with a catcher OF Ne
Carty's value and Doyle and Merkle on
their average game. The whole club
seemed demoralized at times last year.
The lack of form of the pitchers may
have given the cast inertia, or 1T may
have been just the other way about
Whatever was the circumstance, 1t is
not likely to happen again.
Pitchers in Prime
Tesreau. Benton, Sallee and Perritt
have proved themselves in the past
among the very best pitchers Of the
National League. With the possible ex-
ception Of Sallee. all should be in their
prime. 1t is not likely that all four OF
them again will be out of killer the
first three months. One or two of them
now could be spared without the ruin
that attended one year ago.
Ferdie Schupp, a disappointment at
the beginning Of 1915, has developed
into one of the grandest southpaws OF
the game. He was slow in coming, but
we'll worth waiting for. George Smith,
big Highlander OF the Mathewson
tyne. fresh from Columbia, pitched
some very fine ball last year. II the
veterans were all off their feed at one
and the same time Smith would not be
an experiment. McGraw has a lot Of
promising recruits up for trial. Jim
Middleton won a pennant for Louisville
and has been pronounced ripe by good
judges. There is Waite Hoyt, the
Brooklyn schoolboy. Likely he is green.
But lad with six no-hit games to his
record can by no conception be con-
sidered very green.
The dope, therefore, would give Nc
Graw credit for pitching staff strong.
o. than any he has had since the world
championship days of 1905, when Matty
and Joe McGinnity were in their hey
days. Average pitching should win the
remnant for the Giants, barring train
wreck and earthquake.
Now as to the Yankees. A rather
complex calculation enters into this
reckoning. The National League race
at this distance appears like one where
a stake horse is entered against seven
selling platers. The American League
race. on the other hand. shapes up like
seven stake horses against platter
Philadelphia's Athletics.
ANY one of seven clubs may WIN IN
the American League. They went to