The Washington herald., 1918-01-22
GIANTS-CUBS
RIVALS AGAIN
Added Power of Chicago
Machine Should Make
New York Hustle.
By GRANTLAND RICE
The Ancient Rivalry.

The Ancient Rivalry.
The power added to the Cub ma
chine for 1918 should bring back the
old Cub-Giant or Chicago-New York
rivalry Of other and almost forgotten
years.
The Giants will still retain a power
full machine. one that will probably
be picked again to lead the league.
But with Alexander and Killifer
added to the Cub array. and other
additions brought about. Fred Nit
chell will have a combination strong
enough 10 challenge Giant leadership
all the way.
One of the Features.
The Cub-Giant rivalry that started
so keenly in 1896. when Frank Chance
set out after John McGraw. remains
as basebalrs leading feature over the
last decade.
NcGraw had won pennants in 1904
and 1906. His Giants, with MatheWson
in his prime, were masters of the field
until Chance took charge Of the re-
organized Cubs
From that point on for the next six
years these two machines fought 1t
out in more stirring battles than any
rival combination has offered since.
Those were the days when Chance
had Killing back OF the bat; Three
Finger Brown, Overall, Pfeister, Reul-
bach in the box; Chance, Evers. Tink-
er and Steinfeldt for an infield;
Sheckard. SIagIe. Schultz and Hof-
man for his outheld-one Of the smart
est ball clubs that ever broke up a
race
Giant. stopped.
With this array Chance unfinished
the Giants for five consecutive years.
In 1906 he smashed all records by win
ming lie games. In 1877 and 1905 his
men were still masters Of their time.
In 1905 the Giants made a mighty rally.
with Mathewson at the finish pitching
every other day. Early in September
the Giants looked to be cut Of the rut
at last, with the flag in siSht- But
unexpected blows from Cincinnati and
Philadelphia, who won something like
seven out of eight games. followed by
the famous Evers-Merkle-second base
cscapade, tossed the Cubs back into
the fight. This was the year the flag
went to an extra game, played after
the seasons close. with Chicago vic
torious
In 1909 the Pirates rushed TO the
front. but the Cubs finished second.
ahead OF the Giants, and in 1910 they
won again.
The switch.
The year 1910 saw jhe end of
Chances supremacy and McGraw's
exile.
In 1911 the Giants won. continuing
their pennant squirt through 1913.
So, on looking back, It isn't hard to
understand the keenness Of this Giant
Cub rivalry.
McGraw and Chance between them
had won every National League PEN
nsnt between 1903 and 1914. except one,
the Pirate AFFAIR in 1903. One or the
other had finished on top in 1904. 1906.
1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, fe1l, 1911 and 1913
league for the greater part OF ten
years, and as both machines were re-
plete with striking personality the ri
yalry was enhanced.
There is no great chance to de-
velop any inter-city rivalry between
towns finishing in fourth or fifth
place. But when two old rivals are
both striking for the flag the thrills
soon begin.
The Slump.
began to slump and fall away in
1913. In 1914 both clubs were far
below the grandeur of the old days,
and for four years a Giant-Cub game
was merely a ball game.
There was a brief ten days OF
New Chicago rivalry last fall
when the White SoN overthrow the
Giants, but this was not extended
over the long stretch from April
to October.
Now the rivalry that began around
1905 and stopped in 1913 is about
to be resumed.
The addition Of Alexander means
about thirty victories. The Cubs
still have more than one weak spot.
but they have spots of exceptional
strength, and under Fred Mitchell's
leadership are sure to strike with
unusual force Knowing just what
this rivalry meant in the past, IL
is evidently the general plan TO
of shadows that may wait on ahead.
New York and Chicago in q nag
battle would be the best feature
in sight-from an admission point
OF view.
But there are very likely a num-
Der Of Philly fans wondering Just
why Messrs. Baker and Mack
haven't sold their grandstands while
they are about it -
Major leagues are now composed OF