New-York tribune., 1919-05-11
Rain Storing
UpHard W ork
For Pitchers
Downpour HI Its Two
Big Games Which Fans
Have Been Eager TO See
By w. !. Macbeth

ram yesterday afternoon put ter
rife crimp in the usually placed genial
ity of our honored major league mag
mates of the big town, not to mention
one other, Clark Griffith, of Washing
eliminated for good and aye one of
the finest holiday attendances at the
Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field that the
promoters can ever hope to attract. In
this early season things had ribbed
up for the S. R. o. signs at both parks
1t was date than cannot come again,
as there are just so many Saturdays
and Sunday to go around in the lao
games schedule.
AS these lines hurtled to press it
looked as if the woe and calamity
might carry over to-day, too, for the
rain was falling steadily, blown out of
the broad east. The betting was Just
about million. to one that the Sunday
attractions scheduled at both the Polo
Grounds and Ebbets Field would have
to be called off. If by any chance it
happens to clear off before noon and
the sun comes out, games will be at
tempted, if the boys have to play in
waders
Trouble Later On
There have been altogether too
many postponements already this
year, and if the double~headers con-
tinue to pile up it will mean calamity
later on to all save those few managers
who are blessed with exceptional
strength, both in quality and quantity
of pitchers
The postponements of the past two
days were particularly regrettable to
New York fandom, because full series
between the Yankees and Senator's and
the Giants and Dodgers have not been
played. A peculiar twist of the earlv
schedule has kept these respective on
ponents OF the respective leagues apart
TO date. At most now only two-and in
all probability only one meeting-wiu
be possible, so that the first inter
sectional battles of the two leagues will
be put on before the respective wings
have been thoroughly tested.
New York fandom this week shou1d
be able to get fair line on the
ssIrength of the three local representa-
lives. Barring regular wash-out on
tne G present occasion, the Dodgers and
GIANTS are sure to minple once AT 1east
and, needless to say, both McGraw and
uncle Robbie will present the very best
tney have in the way of pitching. Be-
ginning Tuesday, the strength of the
west in the National League takes nm
a local assault-the contending CinY
clnnati Reds at Ebbets Field against
thc dodgers and the champion Cubs
against the Giants at the Polo Grounds.
MeanWhlle, after concluding Mon
! days game with the Senators tba
Yankees move West to trv concl,,s;one one
with their time honored rivals If that
section, the Detroit Tigers. After
three games in Jungle Town the
iankees VIII proceed to Cleveland for
1our; then on to Chicago for battle
with the pacemaking White Sox run
nlng through four days.
Dodgers Look Strong
Brooklyn seems in better shape to
Withstand the beginning of the Vest
ern assault than does New York. The
recent postponements has not pre-
vented either the Giants or DODGERS
from working out their pitchers. But
at the moment Brooklyn is the better
OF for box talent. Indeed, no club in
the league has more twrIers at fine
edge than has Robbie, who is wizard
|
McGraw, on the other hand is par-
tlcularly pinched for effective south .
paw material. Rube Benton is able to (
give good account of himself, but \
right there the port side part of it
stops. 1t is said that Ferdie Schupp is
| just about ready to attempt come
back" but before he can be regarded
seriously he will have to produce a
winning effort or two.
| The Giant 011fIOOl ,e
so gloomy as it was week or ten
days ago, now that Big Fred Toney
has reported. Toney is an iron. man.
He will not require the time ST the
ordinary mortal to prepare for siren
uous duty. He figures he will be right
at least in ten days With favorable
weather, a week will doubtless bring
him to the scratch.
Cubs Coming Along
The veteran pitchers of the Cubs
were far from ready at the opening #
the season, but they are fast rounding
to, and will doubtless be heard fro M
henceforth. Big Jim Vaughn, the age
of the staff last year, seems to hare
hit his proper stride and he is good
enough to bother anybody. Lefty
Tyler is coming along nicely, too. saX
Alexander the Great showed in his
first start that he left none of his
cunning in far off France. With very
little preliminary work he stepped in
and gave Ray Fisher the battle of his
life few days ago. Alexander needed
that experience 20 put him on edge He
IS likely to be in there regularly now,
with Vaughn, Tyler and Douglas in
regular turn.
1t is true Chicago's chief strength
lies in battery material of exceptional
merit. Four pitchers of the class
named, with Hendrix and Carter for
relief duty and Bill Killifer on the
receiving end, can go long way to
success in any company.
To Hold Junior Shoot