New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-06
Teams Go to Houston fox
Two Battles Of
Series
By Louis Lee Arms

TO write what Is pop-larly known as a
rainy day baseball story This is
trick OF writing half column or more
without saying anything. 1t is not so
difficult as it might seem, and with
practice one can become almost an ex-
pert at it, extending his perfection
even to sunny days.
To begin with. rain in Dallas is re-
markedly like rain in other parts of
the country, but the mud IS much
thicker. For some reason or other,
while it points pridefully to its attenu-
ated skyscrapers and its tremendous
cotton business, it has failed to ceie-
brate its mud either in song or story.
This is a mistake, for when it rains
Dallas is one Of The muddiest cities in
the United States, particularly its ball
park, and the important fact should be
clearly impressed upon palpitating
public.
Mud is undeniably an asset. Think
Of the poor Greek shoeshiners who
would starve to death without it. In
Dallas the noble Athenian polishers
are so fond OF mud that they rub it on
their neck and ears and leave it there
Il Il
hair on the mud's head. The mud is
grateful for this tender affection and
1t clings to its beneiactor firmly, never
bet-aying the open confidence which
the Greek shoeshincr has placed in It.
Mad Riies Porters
Mud makes the tailors sing and the
porters swear, particularly when some
twenty-five New York Giants come
through the hotel lobby with mud ooz-
ing from their baseball boots. If there
are two dozen Cleveland players
equally muddy in The wake of the
Giants the case is even more interest
ing, and hotel porter has been known
TO swear for fifteen minutes at a stretch
without once repeating himself.
The trouble with most people is they
have not gone about the study of mud
in scientific way; they believe mud
is mud and let it so at that, whereas in
Dallas mud attains its superlative de-
velopment and is at least as deep as
the skyserapers are high; that, it goes
without saying, is some mud
II there had been no mud the Giants
might have evened the string with the
Cleveland Indians. Cleveland is
strong ball club, with four pitchers
Coveleslie, Moron, Bagby and Groom
IN first class shape, but It is not prob
able that the Indians are going TO win
this ante-b ollum argument from our
Giants, and this afternoon would have
been an excellent time to start rectify-
ing yesterdays errors.
Much Of our trust that the Giants
are able to do this lies in the fact that
John Calhoun Benton openly expressed
the opinion that he never in his life at
this time of the year had more stuff
"a ha 10 ant a In Hatf
and John Calhoun was slated to pitch
to-day along with Jess Barnes. 1t is
our opinion that a good left-hander will
give J. Gladstone Graney and Tristan
Speaker something To think about save
how many extra bases they viii travel,
and if this dazzling duo can be halted
the Indians will stop quicker than
Fifth Avenue bus.
May Kill the Jinx
Against the left-handed sallee yes
tercay Graney hit a most apologize
pop fly to Holke. while the "Turrble
Iris" lifted d meek drive 30 Benjamin
Kauf. Benton should be equally eff
fective, with Schupp also a coming
possibility, and with the top of the
Giants batting order hitting on every
cylinder, which it certainly did not do
Thursday, there IS reason 20 believe
the Giants viii give the American
Leaguers an argument and pursue the
joy-killing Johnsonian jinx to the Gaia
combs.
Ferdinand Schupp is listed as a pos
sibiiity because he still is very much
that. Schupp invariably is a late pc
ginner. and this season II appears he
is to be later than usual.
Cievelands main card is iris
Speaker. He is Fohls ace and cleanup
gentleman and it will interest Ameri
can Leaguers to know the mighty
Tristram looks in especially fit form
this spring. He is thinner than usual,
apparently faster and continues to play
the outfield like an infeIder. In yes
terday : game his throws TO the infield
were made with precision and Gus
tomary puissance. iris not only makes
the runner guess where he is going to
throw, but he requires that his own in
field do no little thinking also.
Speakers lazy, bearlike swing at the
bail still is the criterion of all that is
Perfect in hitting His stepping and
timing are fawless, and it was to be
observed Yesterday he closely watched
young pep" Young, who looks at the
bat for all the world like his illustrious
brother Texan.
Indians in Fine Shape
Lee Foil says the Cleveland club is
in better shape than it has been in sea-
sons, particularly IN the matter Of
pitchers, and club with four fingers
n shape and such individual stars as
Graney, Chapman and Speaker ought
to make fight tor it IN the American
League.
Benny KaufF still is limping from the
result OF his accident IN Marlin, but
Benny IS playing with so much en-
thusiasm that he discourages Manager
McGraw when the latter suggests a va
cation. Otherwise the Giant regulars,
excluding the pitchers, are in well nigh
perfect shape, and their work on the
diamond shows il.
The teams left tonight for Houston,
where they will play a two-game series.
Houston is nice city and all that, but
n the matter of mud it cannot hold a
candle TO Dallas.
Campbell Verdict Upheld